Brian Phillips leads practice at Gao Bagua Murfreesboro.
Baguazhang is his first and principal style of martial arts,
though he has instructor level in others. He began training
"pa kua chang" with Sifu Glenn Wright in 1998. Sifu Glenn
was and is the senior student of Park Bok-Nam in North America.
Brian was able to train with Sifu Glenn for a few years until he
relocated to the DC area and trained with Park Bok-Nam's
student group in Baltimore. He cross-trained in Sayas-Lastra
Largo Arnis de Mano with Guro Wes Lamay and Guro Curtis Knight
while living in Virginia Beach. During this time he traveled back north
to the Arlington, VA and Annapolis, MD area to train Gao Baguazhang
and Mande Muda Pencak Silat respectively. He continued his
cross-training and continued investigation upon moving back to
Tennessee, studying Systema, Brazilian Juijitsu and Muay Thai.
He is presently a student of Yang Yusen, who is a grandstudent
of Wu Mengxia, Gao Yi-Sheng's top disciple. Brian originally taught
kali and silat in his classes, however over time the focus
of his classes has shifted to about 90% baguazhang, primarily
the strong ferocious ZeZong Gao system. Vocabulary, attaining
proper body methods, and emphasis on spontaneous combative movement
are major focuses in Brian's classes.