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This traditional approach fosters building a balance between various aspects of an art. Each of the main Chinese internal martial arts build on this dual foundation of both the trigrams and the Five Elements. An older name for T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan) was "Eight Doors, Five Steps," reflecting the importance of both the Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements. Xingyiquan (Hsing I Ch'uan) has developed with particular focus on the Five Elements, and their original polar view, as well as the later more sophisticated view of the creation and destruction aspects. The name Baguazhang itself translates as "Eight Diagrams Palm," reflecting the central importance of the Eight Diagrams (or Trigrams) in the martial art. So the study of the Eight Trigrams, their progression, as well as the origins is beneficial for deepening understanding of the martial art's application and underlying principles.

A progressive study of the internal martial art of Baguazhang can be viewed as matching their movements categorized by Yin and Yang aspects. One horizontal continuous line represents Yang, and splitting in into two segments represents Yin. Other Yin and Yang characteristics of the movements are built up by adding more unbroken or split parallel lines to these basic aspects. For example, (Fire and Water), followed by adding 3 parallel lines (Lake, Thunder, Wind, and Mountain). In this way, the practitioner of Baguazhang is introduced to a process where basic energies become layered with never-ending possibilities.

A progressive study of the internal martial art of Baguazhang can be viewed as matching their movements categorized by Yin and Yang aspects. One horizontal continuous line represents Yang, and splitting in into two segments represents Yin. Other Yin and Yang characteristics of the movements are built up by adding more unbroken or split parallel lines to these basic aspects. For example, (Fire and Water), followed by adding 3 parallel lines (Lake, Thunder, Wind, and Mountain). In this way, the practitioner of Baguazhang is introduced to a process where basic energies become layered with never-ending possibilities.

Although the Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements are both core ancient Chinese philosophical systems that were believed to be originally developed separately, they seems to be mutually compatible. The more modern development of both systems seem to have been intertwined. From just the study of the trigram lines and their progression, the practitioners of both Baguazhang and Xingyiquan might well wonder about the development of their arts. Which has the deeper roots - the Baguazhang's palms based on the Eight Trigrams or Xingyi's Fists based on the Five Elements? It's also no surprise that with the closely knit philosophical origins of both Bagua and Xingyi, that it is not unusual to see students of both disciplines crossing over and studying the other's art.

Of all the Chinese internal martial arts, Bagua is one of the most easily converted from an internal art to an external art. External martial arts train speed and power directly. The internal aspects of the art are often ignored in Bagua because the speed that is picked up through centrifugal force can be seductive. Just as an early focus on obvious power training leads Xingyiquan players onto an external path, speed for its own sake can be attractive to the Bagua practitioner. A myopic focus on speed is a distraction from the internal martial arts path of the development of specificity and sophistication. Pursuing the desire for speed has instant gratification that comes at the cost of other more long term, subtle development. Bagua's deepest roots are in meditation and softness combined with the angles that comprise a circle, which when harnessed create a centrifuge of momentum that is at times more like the ebb and tide of waves and at other times like a top. Performing large Bagua movements at speed can sometimes lead the practitioner to ignore the value of the smallest of movements or the lack of movement, which as an associative property is found in standing meditation. On the other side of the coin, because Bagua employs unique training methods not found in other internal arts such as Taijiquan or Xingyiquan, the impatient either throw up their hands in disgust or they even throw out what they can't do and introduce more of their own ideas. Either choice prevents them from making further developments both in the art and within themselves.

Unfortunately, there is a ridiculous notion in some places in the west, (likely developed by those who can't do the step or don't want to try), that the Tang Ne Bu was forced on practitioners by the communists. Furthermore, what is demonstrated by some of these self-proclaimed masters of the art is nothing more than T'ai Chi stepping attributed to this Mountain or that Mountain or that Dragon or another Baguazhang that no one (except for a few in that school) have ever heard of. These are the same teachers who would lead people to believe that their Master, who escaped into Taiwan or the West, is the only one with the real stuff: the only one out of the billion people who remained and are still in China today. While only a very small percentage of the billion people in China are Bagua practitioners, they still make up a large number. The multifaceted nature of the way Baguazhang has been passed down through various teachers also makes any claims that any single school is carrying on the only true system of Baguazhang simply unbelievable and absurd.

One integral part of the internal training in the principles of Baguazhang is the practice of Rou Shou (or Soft Hands). In all the styles of Baguazhang, Rou Shou is often exemplified by two person practice, and is performed with fixed steps, moving predetermined two man forms, or free style. Bagua Rou Shou often employs joint hand drills with another person, which on the surface appear to be similar to Tui Shou, or Push Hands, that is a cornerstone in the training in both Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. Baguazhang does have Push Hands practice, but the practice of Rou Shou is meant to take the practice a step further in engagement. The beauty of Rou Shou is that you can adapt your practice of the art into more true to life situations that call on a response to the unpredictable. Training in this manner leads to not only obvious, useful fine tuning of the instrument of the mind, body, and spirit as a weapon, but also training the adrenals to delay or be calm in the heightened reaction of an attack. Another great benefit to practicing Rou Shou is that you may further engage with many other internal martial artists such as practitioners of Taijiquan and Xingyiquan in their practice of Tui Shou (or Push Hands). Like Push Hands, Rou Shou also elicits listening energy, stickiness, and a great deal of confidence training in the power of less (or a combination of efficiency and exactness). Introducing and employing many of Baguazhang's timeless applications and practical defenses.

Rou Shou has unfortunately been overlooked and even sacrificed in recent times for the integration of so called "mixed martial arts." If a practitioner needs to pull from this or that martial art, especially in internal arts, it's likely they missed the point of the training in their primary style. Heading down a path that may rely on unreal circumstances or environments (such as mats) are likely to ultimately limit your effectiveness.

Particularly in the internal arts, tournaments tend to encourage developing "a bag of tricks and techniques" that can really "get somebody" in the short term instead of the concentrating on developing the internal fundamentals - such as softness and structure that can advance your practice over the long term. Eventually, the day comes when someone that has spent their time on developing tricks and techniques will encounter someone that has spent their time on developing the core practice of the art. Devoting practice time to tricks "puts the cart before the horse" since tricks and techniques simply will not work against an opponent that has progressed several levels further in the art.