Test contents:
Circle-walking: Bear internal development and external form
Dragon body mechanics and spirit
Single-hook footwork and hand shape
Lion body core and legs, and qi and strength
Changes: Required: Dragon single palm change, double palm change, triple chuanzhang change, following palm change
Techniques: Required: Dragon techniques: , tanzhang, gaizhang, fanbeichui, daishou, zhuangzhang
Bear techniques: wheeling body, swimming body, turning the back
Self selected: three techniques from single-hook and lion
Individual techniques: 4 different zhuangzhang, 4 different chuanzhang
Routines: 88 form routine must perform correctly without errors
Partner drills: required stationary drills: exchanging palms, chuanzhang, yazhang, absorbing drills
Free partner drills: freestyle combinations
Detailed lesson plan to achieve level one:
1. Circle-walking
• Bear walking, dragon walking, single hook walking, lion walking.
Main teaching content: basic requirements of hands, eyes, bodywork, and footwork.
Explanation of circle-walking skills: the main requirements of the methods of ‘stepping on the head and tail of the snake’, ‘kicking the doorstop’, and ‘settling the qi to the dantian’, and other movement requirements such as containing the chest and turtle back.
2. Basic palm techniques:
(1) Dragon form techniques and palm changes
• Single palm change: koubu and baibu steps, snake form coiling, entering with the body, etc.
• Double palm change: large koubu and larger baibu steps, dragon form rising and dropping, zhuangzhang, gaizhang, etc.
• Tanzhang: the main technique for agile attack, includes chuanzhang and tanzhang palms, use combined with body and footwork.
• Gaizhang: a key strong attack, use with triangle stepping.
• Fanbei chui: unique attack, agile use with koubu and baibu steps.
• Following palm change: the technique of following along, leading, and using skill to beat brute strength.
• Triple tanzhang palm change: use with small koubu and small baibu steps, with advancing and retreating steps, with switchover steps, with advancing step, thread the flower and hit the tree, point east and hit west.
• Daishou: vertical and horizontal dragging, koubu and baibu stepping.
（2）Bear form techniques:
• Bear rolls over: techniques of alternating left and right, livening the waist, alternating upper and lower.
• Bear swims: double zhuangzhang, crossing steps, entering.
• Bear returns: liaozhang, tiaoda, continuous tan-chuan.
(3) Single hook techniques:
• Changing single hook: transverse stance, chuan stabbing, shoulder strike.
• Double changing single hook: swallow casts through the forest, dealing with front and rear, shrink the body to change the shadow, and basic deerhorn knives techniques.
• Continuous single hook: single hook carry on, randomly pluck flowers.
(4) Lion form techniques:
• Lion holds the ball: lion attacks, lion tanzhang, chuanzhang.
• Lion rolls the ball: lion qiezhang, pizhang, grabbing, and turning the sabre.
• Lion rolls the ball: lion zhuangzhang, lion daishou, and the principles of lion form applications.
3. Bagua basic routine
The 88 forms routine.
• Must be able to perform smoothly and well the whole 88 form routine. Must be able to perform clearly at least 20 techniques as individual drills. Performance at this level enables one to become a grassroots level bagua routine leader.
• Also required at this level: the correct body method of baguazhang, the basic health developing and combat principles, the principles of the individual drills of baguazhang, and the principles of how to link together baguazhang moves.
4. Partner Training
（1）Exchanging hands partner training:
• The application of koubu and baibu stepping, the application of the body technique, the method of coiling the hands.
（2）Chuanzhang partner training:
• The principle of the connecting the spirit and intent, the principle of crossing the hands.
（3）Absorbing partner training:
• The principles of settling the body and advancing the body, the method of absorbing in the body core and hips, the principle of controlling the opponent.
（4）Yazhang partner training:
• The principles of whole body strength settling down and scooping up, the method of training the deep skill of whole body strength, the method of sticking with whole body strength.
Goals and requirements for study
Start to master the basic training methods of baguazhang, the basic combat methods, the basic characteristics of baguazhang, and the basic routine of baguazhang. In the first phase of learning, you should gain an overall understanding of the training methods, combat methods, and health development system. This will build the foundation for further study and training.