Study Cheng Baguazhang Online
Authentic instruction. Structured progression. Personal guidance.
Learn Cheng Baguazhang through a complete, progressive curriculum designed for serious students training at home.
Develop the foundations that make Baguazhang work—including stepping, posture, palm methods, direction changes and circle walking—before progressing into the Eight Mother Palms, Eight Turning Palms and advanced study.
Train from anywhere while receiving clear instruction, a defined path forward and personal feedback on your practice.
A Complete Path of Study
The Dragon Phoenix Online Academy is more than a collection of instructional videos. Traditional martial arts require strong foundations, a clear sequence of study, consistent practice, and guidance from an experienced teacher.
You will begin by developing the posture, alignment, stepping, movement principles, and training habits shared by the internal martial arts. From there, you can continue into a structured curriculum in Cheng Baguazhang, Chen Taijiquan, or both.
Each lesson builds upon the material that came before it, so you always know what to practice next. You will also be able to submit videos of your training for personal feedback and corrections from Shifu Aaron as your practice develops.
Choose Your Path
The Dragon Phoenix Online Academy offers two complete paths of internal martial arts study. Although Cheng Baguazhang and Chen Taijiquan share important principles, each approaches movement, power, strategy, and personal development in a distinctive way.
You may begin with the art that speaks most strongly to you or study both as complementary parts of your training.
Cheng Baguazhang
Explore an art known for circle walking, continuous transformation, evasive footwork, and sophisticated changes of direction.
The curriculum begins with posture, stepping, palm positions, and foundational circle walking before progressing into the Eight Mother Palms, Eight Turning Palms, applications, meditation, and the deeper principles of Cheng Baguazhang.
Best suited for students interested in: fluid movement, complex footwork, adaptability, martial strategy, and Daoist internal practice.
Chen Taijiquan
Study the original family style of Taijiquan through a systematic curriculum emphasizing structure, coordinated movement, relaxation, internal connection, and the development of whole-body power.
The curriculum begins with essential posture and movement principles before progressing into foundational exercises, form practice, applications, and the distinctive spiraling energy of Chen Taijiquan.
Best suited for students interested in: grounded movement, health and longevity, martial applications, coordinated power, and a disciplined approach to Taijiquan.
Learn at Your Own Pace—Without Training Alone
The Dragon Phoenix Online Academy allows you to study wherever you live and arrange your practice around your own schedule. You will receive clear instructional lessons, focused practice assignments, and a structured curriculum that builds progressively from the foundations.
Watch each lesson carefully, practice the material, and return to the instruction as often as needed. Lessons are arranged in a deliberate sequence so that each new skill develops from work you have already completed.
As your training progresses, you can submit videos of your practice for personal feedback from Shifu Aaron. This provides the corrections and direction that are often missing from online martial arts programs while still allowing you to learn from home.
Learn From a Teacher—Not Just a Screen
The quality of an online martial arts program depends upon more than the amount of material it contains. Students need a teacher who understands the art, knows how its curriculum fits together, and can communicate difficult ideas clearly.
Shifu Aaron Dison is the founder and head instructor of Dragon Phoenix Kung Fu and Tai Chi. A former classroom teacher with a master’s degree in education, he brings both traditional martial arts training and professional teaching experience to every lesson.
His approach emphasizes careful explanation, progressive development, honest feedback, and the preservation of complete martial traditions. Rather than asking students to imitate movements without understanding them, he teaches the principles that connect posture, stepping, coordination, power, application, and internal development.
Through the Online Academy, students throughout the United States and beyond can receive the same thoughtful, structured instruction that guides students at Dragon Phoenix in Western North Carolina.
Traditional Arts With Traceable Roots
Lineage is more than a list of names or a marketing title. It is a way of being honest about where the material came from, who carried it forward, and the responsibility involved in passing it to another generation.
The Cheng Baguazhang taught through Dragon Phoenix follows a documented line from Dong Haichuan through Cheng Tinghua, Cheng Yousheng, Sun Zhijun, Li Chunling, and Aaron Dison. In 2023, Shifu Aaron was formally accepted as an inner-door disciple of Shifu Li Chunling, a fifth-generation Cheng Baguazhang master and senior disciple of the late Grandmaster Sun Zhijun.
Shifu Aaron has studied Chen Taijiquan for more than twenty years. In 2024, he began studying directly with Master Chen Bing, a twentieth-generation representative of the Chen family tradition from Chen Village, and he continues to learn as Master Chen Bing’s student.
The Academy presents these arts as structured traditions received through specific teachers and training methods—not as an invented collection of movements. Students receive additional historical and lineage context as they progress through the curriculum.
What You Will Find Inside the Academy
Every student begins with an orientation and a shared foundation in posture, alignment, stepping, practice methods, and the principles that connect the internal martial arts.
From there, you will enter your chosen Cheng Baguazhang or Chen Taijiquan curriculum. Lessons are arranged progressively and unlock in sequence, giving you time to understand and practice each stage before moving forward.
Your membership also includes supporting lessons on Daoist philosophy, meditation, martial applications, training methods, and the ideas that give the physical curriculum greater depth. Personal video feedback allows you to receive corrections and direction as your practice develops.
Rather than searching through an unorganized video library, you will have a clear path from your first foundational lesson through increasingly advanced study.
Choose the Level of Guidance That Fits Your Training
Begin with one martial art, receive access to both complete pathways, or work more closely with Shifu Aaron through direct mentorship.
One Pathway — $69 per month
Choose either Cheng Baguazhang or Chen Taijiquan.
Includes Academy orientation, shared foundations, your selected progressive curriculum, Daoist philosophy, the student community, group live questions and answers, and one private video review each month.
Complete Academy — $99 per month*
*most popular
Study both Cheng Baguazhang and Chen Taijiquan.
Includes everything in One Pathway, complete access to both progressive curricula, all shared supporting material, the student community, group live questions and answers, and one private video review each month.
Direct Mentorship — $179 per month
For dedicated students who want more frequent guidance.
Includes complete access to both martial arts pathways, up to four private video reviews each month, priority responses, a smaller mentorship group, periodic small-group coaching, and early access to future intensives.
Additional video reviews may be purchased for $35. Formal advancement assessments are $75 and count as the included review for that month. Teacher certification is a separate course of study and is not included with Academy membership.
Choose Your Pathway
Select the tradition you would like to study first. Each pathway membership includes Dragon Phoenix Foundations, your selected curriculum, and the Dao Philosophy Library for $69 per month.
What Students Say
The Academy is new, but the teaching behind it has been developed through years of working directly with martial arts students. Here is what students have shared about learning with Shifu Aaron and Dragon Phoenix.
“I have been involved in martial arts for decades. Sifu Aaron and the classes at Dragon Phoenix were some of the best martial arts training in my life. He teaches from both the heart and the mind. He explains and demonstrates in a way that is enlightening.”
— Laurent
“I’ve studied several styles over the years. Aaron is authentic as you can get in a kung-fu teacher. Highly recommend his school.”
— Larry
“Learning Tai Chi as an adult has been challenging and rewarding. Aaron Dison and Bonner as the co-teacher have been patient, and generous of spirit. The lessons we learn during the classes spill into our everyday lives.”
— Rachel
Frequently Asked Questions
Can traditional martial arts really be learned online?
Online instruction works particularly well for foundational exercises, posture, stepping, forms, conditioning, meditation, and individual practice. The Academy combines detailed instruction with personal video feedback so that you are not left to interpret the material entirely on your own. Partner training and in-person experience remain valuable, but you can build a substantial foundation from home.
Do I need previous martial arts experience?
No. The Academy begins with foundational material and is designed to guide committed beginners as well as experienced martial artists. You will not be expected to understand specialized terminology or perform advanced movements when you begin.
How much space and equipment will I need?
Most foundational lessons can be practiced in a small, clear area where you can step and turn safely. You will not need special equipment when you begin. Weapons and other training tools are introduced later in the curriculum and are purchased separately when you reach the appropriate stage.
How does personal video feedback work?
Record a short video of your practice and submit it through the Academy. Shifu Aaron will review the material covered by your membership and provide corrections and direction for your continued training. Each plan includes a specific number of reviews, and additional reviews may be purchased for $35.
Should I choose Cheng Baguazhang or Chen Taijiquan?
Choose Cheng Baguazhang if you are especially drawn to circle walking, changing directions, evasive footwork, and continuous transformation. Choose Chen Taijiquan if you are drawn to grounded movement, coordinated power, spiraling mechanics, health, and form practice. The Complete Academy membership gives you access to both paths.
How do I progress through the curriculum?
Lessons are arranged in sequence so that each stage builds upon the material that came before it. Watching a video does not automatically demonstrate mastery. Major curriculum milestones require instructor approval, and formal advancement assessments are available for $75.
Can I explore the Academy before joining?
Yes. You may begin with the free introductory course without entering payment information. A seven-day full Academy trial is also available with a payment method, allowing you to experience the broader program before continuing with a membership.
Can I participate if I live outside the United States?
Yes. The Academy is designed for students throughout the United States and internationally. Most lessons can be completed according to your own schedule, making the program accessible across locations and time zones.
Begin Your Training From Wherever You Are
You do not need to live near a traditional school to begin a serious study of Cheng Baguazhang or Chen Taijiquan.
Start with the free introduction, experience Shifu Aaron’s teaching approach, and learn how the Dragon Phoenix Online Academy can guide your practice from the foundations forward.
No payment information is required to begin.
