Internal and external training in
Baguazhang by Ao Qinghai
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 The
real beauty but also the efficiency of Baguazhang as transmitted by
Dong Haichuan are requesting the correct applications of Pre-Heaven and
Post Heaven Bagua (Eight Trigrams) principles: applying Pre-Heaven
Bagua principles require an exocentric circling from a center while
Post-Heaven principles require a concentric circling to a
center.
Baguazhang Martial artists who are following this way will then be
unparalleled fighters and execute divinely their forms. But of course
their martial skills and mastery of movements are just the logical
results of body and mind conditioning.
One amazing skill is the
ability to respond to any situation with an infinite combination of
palms techniques which inspired from a determined set of basic palm
techniques.
This is in pure application of the Yijing theory where myriads of thing
are progressively generated from a unique cell.
0. Some
theoretical background
Most
important sources on Ancient Chine philosophy were regrouped under the
school of Taoism, they include I Ching or Yi Jing (Book of Changes),
the Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing (Book of Tao), Confucius writings,
etc…. The very nuclear principles in Taoist philosophy concerns the
Process of Creation in Universe, it is described as followed in the I
Ching: “...From nothing came one, then one produced two. Two produced
four, four produced eight. Eight produced sixty-four, which then
created myriad things of life and non-life....”
Baguazhang Palms are
following this same way of development: from its eight (8) basic (also
called Old) Palms it will generate a total of sixty-four (64) palms.
Baguazhang
is meant to be a physical manifestation of the trigram properties (Gua
in Chinese); this martial art style emphasizing the applications of the
open hand. Though for hitting, the fist and feet are also used---in
fact, the whole body is used. This art can tune itself with any
situation, but cultivating this skill requires commitment.
Most
Baguazhang techniques originated from other Northern Chinese systems.
But its main contribution was its circularity and evasive footwork.
Employing the strategy of change, it is a circular style utilizing body
turning and twisting movements. The footwork, coupled with the logical
body mechanics and ingrained patterns, allows the martial artist to set
up and execute techniques while rapidly changing movement, direction
and alignment. Thus, the trigram artist learns to be cunning and
adaptable. As a bonus, body energy is reserved via the decreased amount
of the muscle power needed to defeat opponents.
Solo exercises are
particularly important as they are used to condition the beginner in
maintaining alignment and focus while in motion. Later forms will help
develop to use the power of whole body behind every movement. They will
also convey these principles into another level. Progression to partner
training exercises familiarizes the student with physical contact,
putting theses principles to work. The energy cultivated is flexible,
resilient and elastic.
1. Pre-Heaven and Post-Heaven methods
Now
Pre-Heaven and Post-Heaven
Bagua principles constitute the real theoretical guidelines of internal
and external cultivation in Baguazhang:
- Pre-Heaven Bagua focuses more on Qi and mental
cultivation,
-
Post-Heaven Bagua combined in the form cultivates the martial spirit of
the practitioner and eases his expression of internal power.
The
ones who just train the internal aspect through Pre-Heaven Bagua would
be in half way of its potential development, unable to express what
they have cultivated, they will hardly deepen their own understanding
of their acquired abilities, especially when Qi is stagnant or
decreasing they will be even not able to perceive and will it dry it…
The
ones who just train the form (Post-Heaven Bagua) called generally in
Chinese martial arts “Hua Quan Xiu Tui” (Flowering fists and weak legs)
will lack of decisive martial power and even general balance in each
posture.
Then both cultivations are required: deepening your mental,
increasing your internal power, form and mind simultaneously developing
are the essential steps in authentic Baguazhang.
The internal
training in Pan style Baguazhang is one of the most important of parts
of its training emphasizing in the proper development of Yi
(Intention), Qi and Shen (Spirit). Baguazhang is in fact a body mind
method to develop one’s overall potential. In full accordance with
Chinese Traditional Medicine principles it will increase Qi and blood
circulations in the body natural vessels catering any smallest parts of
it and evacuating naturally perverted chemical substances. For this
reason combat applications and forms as external practice are the other
important part that should not be neglected, extending and
materializing this new level of achievement of the practitioner, he
will then be able to correct further each component of his new
abilities, amplifying where its is still defective and moderating where
it is too excessive everywhere in the body.
2.
Stillness and dynamic training
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Stillness
techniques in internal cultivation for spirit and Qi accumulation have
proven beneficial regulating effects on Qi and blood, through energetic
meridians and blood vessels.
Dynamic exercises included in the forms train your mental
and your spirit, while body and mind should remain united,
Stillness
and dynamic exercises have their own advantages but also their own
limits and should be balanced just as Yin and Yang should be
appropriately balanced. So practice shape not leave spirit and mind,
practice spirit and mind not leave shape quality, shape and spirit
should combine one, dynamic and stillness should have limit, Yin and
Yang should appropriate. If your mental is not adjusted then Qi will
hardly condense and will disperse disorderly, if body not adjusted then
Qi will hardly penetrate deeply the form itself, if your breathing is
not correct then you will hardly gather your internal power and of
course unable to develop it. If your mental is not dispersing all
around, Qi will naturally gather inside your body, if your spirit is
invaded by random your internal power can naturally gather by itself
and reach a higher level of development. When you are gathering Qi then
you are nourishing your blood and your bones, therefore strengthening
muscles and tendons which will definitively be perceived in each of
your movements: you reach an incomparable melting of beauty and
perfection.
Mental driving Qi during Baguazhang exercise is a key
feature in internal cultivation and moreover in healing or health
preservation as it will help to purify Qi itself, separating it from
the turbid Qi originated from pathogenic or external factors we are
perfect coherence with principle of Yin and Yang.
3. Taoist alchemy and three levels Dantian cultivation
Baguazhang internal cultivation is comparable to other alchemic
Taoist cultivation: the aim is to stimulate the Qi up to a certain
level in order to let release his multitude facets, then it will merge
with the form and strengthen the muscles of the practitioner.
According
to ancient Chinese human body has three Dantian, the Upper Dantian is
supervising all Qi’s maneuvers in the whole body, the Middle Dantian is
the logistic center where Qi is dispatched in the body, the Lower
Dantian is the place where Qi is cumulated and prepared for the special
Heaven circulation. In ordinary human body Qi is mostly sunk in the
chest level and has difficulties to descend and move in lower levels,
as a result the lower limbs cannot be solidly rooted to the ground and
the lower abdomen not substantial. Besides the lack of balance that it
results the absence of Qi in Lower Dantian makes impossible for the
practitioner to step with suppleness while firmly rooted and to burst
out an exploding inner power. The request of lowering Qi in Lower
Dantian is the very first and important of mastery in Qi cultivation.
4. Back to
basis with post standing in Pan style Baguazhang
Mr.
Ao Qinghai teaches Pan style Baguazhang where stillness exercises are a
very important part of their training program: each fist and palm
technique has its corresponding fixed. It is believed that post
standing combined with mental induction will build the first concrete
step of internal and external cultivation. Post technique and Xinfa’s
main point combine to proceed internal and external cultivate. For an
external observer post standing may be perceived as fully static or
uninteresting but once we made the first step in this internal work, we
will understand that it requires a very fine adjustment to have body
and power correctly positioned and solicited, without excess, relaxed
but not slacking, mental focused, active but not contracted, expanding
but in the same time condensed internally, eyes looking forward, like
able to see very far but in the same time very conscious of close
objects, inside your body you will like a large spring compressed ready
to stretch out, as a result your body is erected and you reach a very
bright spirit: an exquisite beauty of your movements while inside your
Lower and Middle Dantian are stimulated and fully interconnected.
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