Baguazhang's general theory
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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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Do not miss our
Baguazhang material
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Healing
and fighting daoist training methods of Lu Zijian are presented in
this video by Lu himself.
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