A Lovely Piece of Baguazhang Art

A lovely piece of art entitled
"Pa Kua Guard Posture"
Chinese ink on rice paper. 19x16cm, 2006.

by Assis Ben Porat
The artist's webpage (and many other lovely
pieces based on Chinese internal martial arts)
can be found at http://www.arttaichi.com ,
including originals available for purchase.

Interesting Uses for Freemind....

Since it came up in a thread on the Flowah I decided to
upload a mindmap (minus the copyrighted video content
I originally cut down and placed in situ for private lawful
learning purposes) of the Gao curriculum to megaupload.

Since I put in on the Flowah I figure might as well get a
Blog post out of it.



Enjoy.

Mindmap

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7H4TVI4B

Footwork...

Footwork is the root of internal.

In some ways footwork is where all the internal comes
from.

DHQ said something to the effect....

"Practicing martial arts ceaselessly is inferior to
walking the circle"

Footwork is basic.

high level skill means high level basics.

High level bagua means high level footwork.

Question and Answer...

From the Flowah(10/28/06)....
Paul E. writes...
"Where is it written that bagua was designed to fight 8 people at once?"

Just a principle. "If something seems like a good idea.. find eight
variations on it and try all of those too. Good things come in eights."

Eight palms. Eight changes. Eight stances. Eight directions. Eight
attacking joints above and below. Eight corpses lying about at
the end of the dance.

Catchup Blogs from NYC Fall Trip

Oct 25th, 2006, 5:45pm
Hey guys,
I'm presently enjoying a vacation in NYC and went to see the
Systema classes in Manhattan.

Apparently the people at fighthouse rent out their space to many
other teachers....
I went to see a class and there was upteen different things
going on besides the Systema (this was stuff not on the schedule
on the web). I counted Ki-Aikido, Wing Chun, BJJ, Muay Thai,
some sort of standup jujitsu, some sort of generic karate, boxing.

I'm watching the systema and along comes what I pegged
as "guys in dirty gi's". (hmm means they are either sloppy
or train hard.. it's not BJJ/judo gi's.. hmm.. whatevah).

I'm busy watching the systema and I notice the guys in
gi's are wearing shin guards and using escrima sticks.

Odd. People in gi's doing something that is.. I dunno.. from
a distance maybe it's some kind of kempo with a dash of
FMA (the dude at the desk says "that's vee-jitsu.. it's not
related to kali".. i'm thinking he's FOS).

Halfway through the class I meander over to the back side
cause i noticed they are doing sinawali (simplified... 1-2-3 hitting..
good stuff that!). Saw the instructor move (he was out of my line
of sight earlier... the Muay Thai circuit was in the way), and this
cat is BADASS.

Obviously has some serious FMA background, mad street intent
etc.

Turns out he's a senior student/successor to Florendo Vistacion.
Name of David James.

OMG!.

I chat, agree to come back, etc.

I do some web searching at the house and it turns out Prof. Vee
studying "paqua" and incorporated "paqua circular stepping"
into his Vee-Arnis-Jitsu. There isn't much info on this
system's details that google can locate however.

I'm getting a private next week with Mr. James.. have him
look at my game and suggest areas for improvements.

I was wondering if anyone else has anything to share about
the intersection between V-A-J and bagua. Any tidbits will
be helpful in asking "leading questions" to hopefully get
some answers from the man.

cheers....
I will report on the "untraditional Arnis hybrid made to survive
in the streets of Brooklyn" a bit later.

This should be FUN FUN FUN



Oct 26th, 2006
Well after participating in a group class a few general conclusions
about this stuff (obviously this is generalizing from a single data
point etc.).

Vee Arnis Jitsu (as taught by Dave James) appears to be a fusion
of RBSD ideas and FMA. No wingchun, silat, or classical gongfu
was apparent in hand or footwork. Both the classes I observed and the
class I participated in began with some calisthenics (100 jacks,
50+ pushups and 3 minutes of crunches) then moved directly into
what I'm calling "confrontational script training".
This "script training" is a form of role playing (not LARPing though...)
where one person takes the role of potential aggressor and
one takes the role of defender.
The potential aggressor begins posturing and verbally abusing
the defender, advancing to chest-to-chest range.
The defender is responsible for putting up a hand barrier (preferably
2 handed) which is basically the same as "The Fence" a la Geoff
Thompson.
It is Mr. James contention that very few people (outside of
a trained MA type) are going to "talk through your hands".
I know I like to think i wouldn't follow this script as the aggressor.
The hands (which are usually lightly touching the aggressor if
he has advanced to meet them) will be slapped away or down
by the agggressor. The hands immediately come back up
to the same position.
One important thing to note.. the V-A-J guys are very insistent
on not going into a bladed guard stance ( a la San Ti) if the "script"
is going to be followed. I had difficulty with this (what? stand squared
off while someone is advancing on me? WTFHuh)
Somewhere betweeen the 2nd and the 4rth time the hands
get slapped down or away.... the Vee-Arnis-Jitsu practioner
"sucker-punchs" the attacker using either a couple of
nasty RBSD style attacks (claw/palm to the face to send the
head back and bring the groin forward, push kick to the groin)
or a cinco teros based emptyhand attack (1-2-3), or a combination
of the two.
This is followed by various sorts of destruction, including
"attack any weapons", "change the focus","don't look at me",
"destroy the knee", "take anything left".

There was no sparring, fancy drills were completely absent.
No tapi-taip, hubud-lubud, tuishou/roushu/chisau, formalized
footwork.
The "jujitsu" portion of the curriculum... while it's obviously
there.. is apparently more emphasized as an aspect of "preservation
of the art" as opposed to "preservation of the ass".

Mr. James stressed the difference between these two goals in MA,
affirmed the primacy of the "ass preservation" over the "art
preservation"... and recommended that 60% minimum of one's
training time should be dedicated to ass preservation.

All in all.. a very interesting evening and well worth the time and
a few bucks to work in with these folks.

Gao Style - Outline and 24 Demands of the Post-Heaven (Hou Tien) Baguazhang

The Post-Heaven Palms concentrate on practicing the forms of attack and defense. they take the eigh palms and eight lines of the Pre-Heaven Palms to become the sixty-four palm methods. Each palm is then expressed alone as a single movement principle. The essential point of single movement practice in the Post-Heaven Palms is to catch the situation and fa-jing (emit power). The main point behind the practice of each line of the Post-Heaven Palms is as follows...
1. The First Line- The Key Methods
2. The Second Line - The Hitting Methods
3. The Third Line - The Skillful Methods
4. The Fourth Line - The Sophisticated (Subtle) Methods
5. The Fifth Line - The Elbow Methods
6. The Sixth Line - The Kicking Methods
7. The Seventh Line - The Stepping Methods
8. The Eighth Line - The Body Methods

The Sixty-Four Post-Heaven Entwining and Changing Palms

The 24 Key Demands of the Houtien Palms
1. The eyes should be clear.
2. The ears should be lively.
3. Tha hands should be fast.
4. The elbows should stick next to the body.
5. The legs should spring.
6. Moving inwards the hand should close and turn.
7. Moving outwards the hand should open and twist.
8. When the hand goes up, it should intercept.
9. When the hand moves downward, it should block.
10. Ling (leading) One hand will pull across.
11. Dai (leading, bringing along) Two hands pull along with the movement
12. Lou (embracing) should be real
13. Zhua (grabbing) A grab must be solid
14.Dun (Shocking and pulling down) should be done suddenly
15. Tuo (Lifting up) must be accurate
16. Ye (clasping) should be connected
17. Ji (pressing) should stick
18. Diao (hooking) should be explosive
19. Beng (smashing) should be quick
20. Zhuang (crashing) should be done close
21. Ban (pulling against) should be firce and swift
22. Kou (hooking) should be merciless
23. Footwork and stepping should be distinct
24.The body must be lively

Gao Style - the 24 Demands of the Pre-Heaven (Xiantien) Baguazhang

The 24 Key Demands of Pre-Heaven Baguazhang
Practice the internal and cultivate a base.
1. The mind must be peaceful
2. One’s Qi should be smooth
3. The head should be erect
4. The tongue should touch the roof of the mouth
5. The neck should be straight
6. The eyes should follow
7. Hold the dantien
8. Lift the anus
9. The shoulders should hang down
10. The elbows should sink
11. The chest should be collapsed
12. Twist the waist
13. Sit into your kua
14. Hold the knees
15. Stretch your arms
16. Bend the legs
17. The wrists should sink
18. The fingers should firmly separate
19. The fingers are aligned with the elbows
20. The elbows should cover the heart
21. The feet should be jabbing
22. The toes should hook
23. The steps should be quick
24. The walking should be stable

Gao Style - "Songs"

Song of the Turning Palms
The Eight Trigram turning palms follow the origin.
In taking the circle as the method, you must walk the circle.
Within the circle, there are inner circles and outer circles.
The circle is the basin of the Pre-Heaven Bagua.
The objective is to practice the internal and cultivate the base.
As the days grow old and the nights become deep, your skill must
become complete
Adjust the yin and yang with the qi and blood.
Benefit the cultivation of the body by becoming skillful and subtle like an immortal

Song of the Changing Palms
The changing palms is the mother and beginning without end.
The eight overturning body lines are given birth to inside.
One overturning body line gives birth to eight forms.
Eight lines also give birth to the sixty-four names.
The sixty-four forms give birth to change.
Yin and yang, movement and stillness, sophistication without end.
The eight overturning body lines adhere to the Eight Trigrams.
Black Dragon Swings Tail gives birth to a whirlwind.

The Song of Cultivating the Body

Moving through the turning palms will rid the body of the one hundred sicknesses (will benefit your general health).
If the body is weak then study the changing palms.
The Snake form smooth body palm will alleviate heart fire in the body.
The Dragon form piercing hand palm will regulate the three burners.
The Returning body, strike the tiger palm will soothe the liver and lungs.
The Swallow overturning covering hand palm will solidify the kidneys,
waist and lower back.
The Turn the body over the back palm will add to your long power.
the Twist the body, searching horse palm will adjust your spleen and stomach.
The Overturn the body, through the back palm will strengthen the tendons
and bones.
The Stopping body, move and hook palm will abate the one hundred sicknesses.
For fatigue, sports related injuries, and chronic injuries you must shake the
dragon’s tail (practice Black Dragon Swings Tail)
In order to strengthen the body you must refine the palms to a high level.

Gao Style - Origins and Structure

Gao Style Baguazhang

Gao Yi-Sheng (1866-1951)
Gao Yi-Sheng, also named Gao Deyuan, was born in Shandong province, WWuli county, Dashan village in 1866 and died in 1951. At an early age he followed the practice of his family’s martial art, Dahongquan (Big Red Fist). After that he also began to study Xingyiquan, later coming under the instruction of the famous teacher Li Cunyi. At the age of thirty he met Wuqing Wafang village’s Zhou Yuxiang. Zhou Yuxiang was a highly skilled pupil of Cheng Tinghua. His skills were very deep, especially in fighting. he was so adept at the use of his palms in attack that he earned the nickname “Peerless Palm”. Upon the first meeting of Gao and Zhou they decided to compare each other’s martial arts. In this first contest Zhou soundly defeated Gao three times in a row, immediately after having Zhou’s skills proved to Gao beyond all doubt, he bowed down and asked Zhou Yuxiang to become his teacher. Because of their ages being similar, Zhou desisted and instead took Gao Yisheng to Beijing to formally introduce him to his teacher Cheng Tinghua (known to the martial world as “Eyeglasses Cheng”). Based on the basic palm movements that his teachers taught him, after 40 years of refinement and organizing the system it became Cheng Branch, Gao style Baguazhang, also called Swimming Body continous Baguazhang with its own unique style.
The martial arts of our school began being passed down since the time Zhang Zhunfeng arrrived in Taiwan in 1947. Zhang Zhunfeng was extremely strict when teaching, especially in fighting and training the body. Every time he had class he led the class on his own and he would pass along the forms on his own. Therefore many of Zhang’s students had solid and real fighting skills. Real fighting is the tradition within this school.
This system has two parts. The first, Xiantianzhang (Pre-Heaven Palms) is done walking the circle; the second Houtienzhang (Post-Heaven Palms) is done in straight lines. The research methodology for the system is that of the Pre-Heaven Palms being the foundation of the Post-Heaven Palms and the Post-Heavvveen Palms being the application of the Pre-Heaven Palms. The Pre-Heaven Palms takes the Danhuanzhang (Single Palm Change) as the head of the dragon and the eight lines evolve from there. The contents of the Pre-Heaven Palms are:
I. Danhuanzhang / Single Palm Change (4 major variations)
1. Dan Huan Zhang (single palm change)
2. Fan Huan Zhang (reverse / outward palm change)
3. Chuan Zhang (piercing / simple palm change)
4. Xia Shi Dan Huan Zhang (lower form single palm change)
II. 8 Big Palm Changes
1. Snake form smooth body palm
2. Dragon form piercing hand palm
3. Returning body, strike the tiger palm
4. Swallow overturning covering hand palm
5. Turn the body over the back palm
6. Twist the body, searching horse palm
7. Overturn the body, through the back palm
8. Stopping body, move and hook palm
The tail of the dragon is the form of Wu Long Bai Wei (Black Dragon Swings Tail),
which ends the form.

Gao style

Kindergarden Taiji

http://www.littleriverkungfu.com/articles/children.html

Pre-Taiji Course for Kids



Introduction to philosophical concepts and Chinese terms
Yin Yang (Taoist principle similar to Western dialectics)
("Opposites like - Up/down, left/right, male/female, in/out ...")
Ch'i (energy which can be cultivated)
("Seeds turn to plants when nurtured by soil, water and sun.")
Shen (spirit)
("How you feel after winter's first snowfall ...")
Jing (innate, finite energy)
("Jenny is a good jumper and Jimmy runs fastest.")



Chinese meditation for health and energy (Chi Kung)
breathing practices
Buddhist breath
("Inhale - push tummy out, exhale - squeeze tummy in.")
movements form Taiji form coordinated with breath
calms and focuses the mind

Introduction to physical exercises
warm-ups, stretches, joint rotations
use of imagery ("Your head is hanging from a string from above.")
shapes, alphabet ("Make a 'V' with your feet.")
Stance training
leg strengthening and coordination
sinking weight, finding root and center
("Your leg is like a tree, with roots that grow to the center
of the earth.")
jumps and turns, landing silently



Introduction to Tai Chi principles
slow, synchronized movement that radiates from the waist (dantien)
connects the mind and body, generates awareness and control
light stepping ("Jump and shhhhhh...")
generates control
relaxation
reduces stress, produces calmness


Turtle Races
move across room in a group
"Slow, Big and Quiet" are the commands
the last one there wins
repeat going backwards


Push hands solo exercises ("Rock and Roll")
rocking - stepping forward, shifting back
develops spatial awareness
develops ability to advance with a firm root in back
rolling side to side
develops spatial awareness
develops ability to roll with force by turning the waist
teaches how to stay relaxed by using whole body coordination, not stiff arms




Push hands with partners
develops sensitivity to others while maintaining one's own center
("Stiffness is not strength.")
spatial awareness
move harmoniously, not competitively ("Feel your partner's energy.")
further integrates mind and body


Taiji Field Games
Follow the leader
partners touch lightly (as if holding a piece of tissue paper in between the wrists) on backs of each other's‚ wrists (both rights or both lefts)
leader initiates movements, from slow to fast, up and down, etc., then switch hands, then switch roles.
follower must stick and follow
develops awareness of ones own movements in space while feeling partner's energy
develops correct Taiji body frame
moving from the ground up with relaxed, but firm arm position


Sword fingers
"A" points fingers towards "B's" chest and walks straight in, certerline
"B" backs up with fingers up on outside of "A's" palm after a few steps back, "B" turns, rotating waist
the fingers roll off the chest
"B" must attack as "A" steps back
switch hands after a good while
partners may build up to running
teaches rotating to deflect force
teaches changing from offense to defense, and vice-versa


Group Meditations
group forms circle and touches palms lightly
teacher initiates movement, by looking towards and lightly pressing adjoining person's hand to send energy around whole circle
teacher announces when energy arrives, then without looking, sends it by pressing the other side, other direction
same exercise with eyes closed
same exercise without touching, palms on dantiens, just feel the energy circulate
remain standing for meditation session
kids feel their own energy centers
stimulation from controlled group interaction
kids feel calm and stable

Kuatro Konto 12 Cuts (Doce Teros)

(reposted from the Flowah)

(for the right hand) (directions are for feeder.. not
receiver)
1. Right shoulder to left hip
2. Left hip to right shoulder
3. Right hip to left shoulder
4. Left shoulder to Right hip
5. Center Thrust
6. Head to Feet
7. Feet to Head
8. Flat cut Right side to left side
9. Flat cut Left side to Right side
10. Thrust to the their right eye/face from your left
11. Thrust to the their left eye/face from your right
12. Upward Center Thrust to their throat


Pretty simple... you just do it a few zillion times and
you're nastier than hell. it's like magic.


(this is the Kuatro Konto 12. I do this 12 cause it
works for me. 9-10, 10-11, and 11-12 have
rolling/sawing actions in the transitions. The order of
the last 3 thrusts varies and is the template for the
C and J cuts I use for my knife work. The KK-12 can
be double-tapped, live-hand augmented and cooked
in endless variations. ).

Bagua

Bagua vs. Aikido

"The Four Basic Principles
1. Keep One Point to Develop Calmness
2. Relax Progressively
3. Find the Correct Posture in Everything
4. Develop your Positive Mind
by Shuji Maruyama Sensei"

Interesting.
Sounds like
1. Sink the Qi to the Dantien
2. Sung
3. Six Harmonies
4. Unify the Yi, Qi and Li

LST Curriculum

The LST curriculum (basically everything in
Fundamentals vol.1 & 2, plus bits of basics
taught by GW, and stuff from the PaKuaChang
Journal) as I know it.

"Warm-up/ Neigung Set"
1. Bent Over spine rotations
2. Neck Rotations
3. Side to Side Bends, Hands Overhead
4. Clasp Forearms, Bend Forward and Back
5. Elbow-Toe Touchs
6. Hip Rolls
7. Front Kick
8. Swinging Back Kick
9. Side Kick
10. Straight High
11. Diagonal Kick
12. Outside Crescent Kick
13. Side Squat and Reach
14. Open and Close Arms, Strike the Back


"Eight Basic Stances"
Stance #1. Bow Stance
Stance #2. Horse Stance (Mabu)
Stance #3. Kneeling Stance
Stance #4. Cat Stance
Stance #5. One-legged Stance
Stance #6. Leg Sweeping Stance (Lower Palm Change Posture)
Stance #7. Twisted Step Stance ("Dragon Twists from XYQ)
Stance #8. Dragon/Guard Posture

"Forty-eight Month Palms"
Preparatory Exercises
1. Du Zhang / Shaking Palm
2. Lungji Zhang / Dragon Back Palm
Main Eight
1. Single Palm Change
2. Double Palm Change
3. Throwing Palm
4. Lifting Palm
5. Slapping Palm
6. Chopping Palm
7. White Clouds Chasing the Stars Palm
8. Sliding the Window Shutter to Look at the Moon


"Standard Eight Qi Gong"
1. Fan Zhang, Circle Fan zhang, T'ien Fan Zhang
2. Sliding the Window Shutter to Look at the Moon
3. Double Palm Change
4. Unicorn Turns It's body
5. Serving Teacups
6. Serving Teacups with Throwing Palm
7. Yin and Yang Opposing Palms
8. Scooping the Moon from the Sea Bottom

"Eight Elbow Combinations"
1. Up & Across
2. Up, Across, & Spike
3. Across, Spike, Pierce
4. Up, Across, Backfist
5. Across, rear, du zhang
6. Diag-Down, Side, Split (clouds chase stars)
7. du zhang, elbow block, high elbow block, chop
8. du zhang, elbow block, rear, across

Eight Animal Palms (Mother Palms)
1. Lion
2. Snake
3. Bear
4. Monkey
5. Unicorn
6. Phoenix
7. Dragon Flying
8. Swallow



(................in progress..............)

San Ti

" Santi, piquan-nine breaths each posture. Gods and ghosts will fear you." -Buddy on EF

Ruminations on the nature of the art

Quick review... on Fan's marvelous martial arts journey.
My very first art studied was baguazhang or "Eight Diagram
Palm". Not the easiest thing to start with (putting it mildly)..
but since then very few arts I've dabbled in have posed much
in the way of a conceptual challenge. After spending a few
years mucking about with my Nashville teacher I went away
for work purposes and started training with my one of my
original teacher's kungfu brothers (my "grandteacher" showed
up from time to time to watch.. give correction.. collect his % of the
take etc.).
When work transferred me away from the Baltimore/DC area
to Virginia Beach I began studying filipino martial arts (Lastra Family
Arnis). I was still full of amazing prejudice about other styles...
in retrospect I lost lots of time by not training my bagua enough..
and more time by not going and exposing myself to the JKD people
in Virginia Beach (also the brazilian jiujitsu, the other filipino martial
arts teachers etc.). While in Virginia beach I got my walking papers
from Artume's predecessor ("Draga") but found myself back in the
DC/Arlington training with the guys at Zongwumen, a Gao style bagua
and xingyi school in Luo De-Xiu's lineage. Sadly since leaving my
position in VA Beach (and yes I'm being evasive.. I don't like to talk
about that section of my life) getting back to DC has been a serious
bitch. It's been over a year since I've seen Geo (the instructor) and
my other bros.
Recently I've been going back into my immense amounts of practice
material to try and get to the root of what I've been playing with for
all these years now (has it been 7 years aleady? wow!).
I broke down and got a large bagua saber from ATS, and began
feeding my arnis de mano (filipino sword and longstick style) to
the bagua drills.
Btw this saber is about 5.5 ft long. I'll probably post pics fairly soon.

I'm thinking eventually if the saber blends well (and it certainly
seems to be the way... since I'm *ALL* about knife work), and
if I can get my old Yin lineage rehabbed into usefulness(my first
teacher was Dong Hai-quan/Yin-Fu/He Jinkei/Lu Shu-Kui/Lu
Shui-tian lineage) for work with saber and short knife.. I may
start in on the Lion system of Yin style Bagua.
My bagua seems to be a solitary sort of art... I get most of my
partner practice with other live bodies doing jiujitsu/grappling
or the occasional bits of weapons work.

One conclusion I've come to is one reason why my first bagua
school didn't teach me to fight effectively was 1.) I didn't train
hard enough (very true.. this is the reason I always assumed
was true).. but more importantly.. 2.) insufficient partner
practice.

Once a week, for a beginnner, where much of the class is
effectively being led through solo exercises. This simply
isn't going to get you very far in terms of martial ability.

Gladly I am no longer quite so green... and I know a bit
more (most of it courtesy of the rabid stick/knife fiends
of the kali/arnis/escrima world).

Pics coming up I think... sadly Artume's videocam is
berift of it's charger (she's visiting.. how great is that?)
so no vid. But pics we can do I think.

Training blogs and keeping at it.

This is a training blog, originally prompted by Artume's LJ and a thread over on Emptyflowah on He Laoshi's students putting up a group training blog. I'm not thinking of pointing anyone I know this way.. but it will probably come to someone's attention... giving how much time most Emptyflowah posters spend dredging the martial arts portion of the net.