Emei Swimming Body Baguazhang Bagua Palm. Instructional DVD, 45 minutes, 2007. Instruction by Master Helen Liang. Directed by Helen Liang.
Links Bibliography Quotations Bagua Qigong Trigrams of I Ching
Walking Meditation Walking Quotations The Ways of Walking
April 27, 2008
Links and Bibliography
Baguazhang, BaGua, Pa Kua Chang, Eight Trigrams Boxing
A Note to Readers: The Cloud Hands website has been online continuously since 2001. In this past year, 2007, over 1,041,000 webpages (excluding graphics) were served to readers around the world from the Cloud Hands website. Since 2005, I have also provided an associated blog to point to changes and additions at the Cloud Hands website: The Cloud Hands: Mind/Body Movement Arts Blog. Since Cloud Hands is a very well-established and stable website, it provides readers with a good and secure starting point for their online research into Taijiquan and Qigong. The Cloud Hands website is funded entirely by Green Way Research, with volunteer efforts by Michael P. Garofalo.
Unfortunately, as everyone knows, many other websites and webpages appear and then disappear from the Internet scene. Authors do not pay to keep up their web hosting services, loose a "free hosting" option, change filenames, or decide to remove webpages for various reasons. Consequently, links to some good webpages become invalid and the files are no longer found on the Internet. You may find a some of these "dead links" to nonexistent webpages cited below; and, there is no way to avoid this troublesome situation. For this reason, when you do find a good and useful webpage, be sure to save the webpage to a folder on your hard drive or server.
I welcome and encourage your suggestions for how to improve this webpage. Your comments, ideas, contributions, and constructive criticism are encouraged. Send your suggestions to my email box.
American Society of Internal Arts
Association for
Traditional Studies Yin Style BaGua Zhang.
Bagua
Dutch website.
Bagua Broadsword.
Instructional videotape by Jiang Jian-ye. 70 minutes.
Detailed instructions, repetitions, and demonstrations. Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos.
Bagua
Daoyin: A Unique Branch of Daoist Learning - A Secret Skill of the Palace.
By He Jinghan and David Alexander (Translator). Singing Dragon, 2008.
148 pages. ISBN: 1848190093. VSCLC.
Bagua
Diagram With Feng Shui Values By Stanley
Bartlett.
Bagua Diagram
European Yin Style Bagua Zhang
Bagua Chart
By Mike Garofalo. 100Kb+.
Ba Gua: Hidden Knowledge in the Taoist Internal Martial Art. By
John Bracy
and Liu Xing-Han. Consulting editors: Li Zhong-Quan and Liu Men-Gen,
Beijing, China. Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books, 1998.
Index,
bibliography, notes, 139 pages. ISBN: 1556432763. VSCLC.
BaGua Lian-Xi
Fa. By Jiang Rong Qiao. Translated by Joseph Crandall.
97 pages. Introduction to BaGua Eight Changing Palms. "Shihfu
Mancuso, professor Kang GeWu and many others teach this series as a foundational
form.
Beautifully illustrated by famous martial "artst" Zhou
Yuan-Long."
Bagua Library
58Kb. Undated, no author. Some use for
bibliographers.
Ba Gua Links
The most extensive collection of links and largest bibliography about Ba Gua Zhang on the Internet. 126Kb. By Mike
Garofalo.
Ba Gu Links
Many useful links. 40Kb.
Baguaquan and Its Relationship with the Bagua. By He Jinghan.
Translated by David Alexander.
Bagua Quan Association (UK) Includes numerous translations of articles
by He Jinghan.
Ba Gua Series
Translations by Joseph Crandall, 13 Books.
Baguazhang
Comparison of styles.
Baguazhang: Eight-Diagram Palms
Shadow Boxing. By Cardinal. 22Kb.
BaGauZhang Numerous short articles,
interviews, and information.
Baguazhang 33Kb. ChiFlow. Gerald A
Sharp. Glendale, California.
Baguazhang
Shi Gung Black 14Kb
Baguazhang Artilces
from Netopia Annotated index to scores of articles on
BaGua.
Ba Gua Zhang
(BGZ) - Eight Diagram Palms 35Kb.
Baguazhang (Emei Baguazhang): Theory and Applications. By Liang,
Master
Shou-Yu, and Wu, Wen-Ching, and Yang, Jwing-Ming. YMAA Publication Center,
1994. 364 pages. ISBN: 0940871300. Instructional videotapes
are also available. Chinese Internal Martial Arts. Excellent introduction to the
subject. Includes many
translations of seminal Baguazhang texts and sayings. Index, glossary,
appendices,
lists of movements. Another excellent YMAA publication. This
text includes many
detailed charts of Baguazhang lineages.
One reader is of the
opinion that the "8 palms Master Liang presents comprises the basic
Baguazhang set that seems to have been taught at the Central Kuoshu Institute at Nanking. The
lineage is Fu Chen-Sung's, and the form is also known by the name of 'Old Eight Palms.'
...
The "Swimming Dragon" form presented seems to have come from Sun Lu
Tang's lineage." VSCLC.
Baguazhang
(Emei Baguaxhang) #1, Basic Training, Qigong, and Eight Palms.
Instructional VHS videotape. YMAA Publications, 1999. Performed and
directed
by Liang, Shou-Yu and Yang, Jwing-Ming. ASIN: 1886969280.
VSCLC.
Baguazhang
(Emei Baguazhang) #2. Swimming Body Bagua and its Applications.
Instructional VHS videotape, 47 minutes. YMAA Publications, 1999.
Performed and directed
by Liang, Shou-Yu and Yang, Jwing-Ming. ASIN: 1886969299.
VSCLC.
BaGuaZhang Internal Martial Arts Ed Ramirez.
BaGuaZhang
- Introductory Essay
Baguazhang
Lianxi Fa. By Jiang Rong-Qiao. Translated by Joseph
Crandall. 97 pages,
300 line drawings. Translation go the 1963 clasic on the Old Eight
Palms.
Baguazhang
Mail Lists at Yahoo
Ba Gua Zhang (Pa
KuaChang): Bibliography, links, resources, quotes, and notes.
Circle walking internal martial arts. By Michael P. Garofalo.
150Kb+.
Baguazhang
(PaKuaChang) Atlanta Marital Arts Directory
Bagua Zhang Resources
Articles, history, information, an extesive list of links, books, videos, products, news. Circle Palms by Fred Kaye.
Baguazhang - Shen Wu
By Time Cartmell. Excellent introduction, links, instructions.
Baguazhang:
The Hidden Meanings By Erle Montaigue.
11Kb.
Bagua Zhang Volume 1: San Yuan Zhang. Instructional DVD
(Region 2 Format), 90 minutes. Instruction by Jean-Jacques Galinier.
Directed by Chirtophe Diez.
Bagua Zhang - WuYuan Munchen In German.
BaGaZhang Xue Yuan
Italian.
School of Yin Fun
lineage from Gong Bao Tian, Wang Zhuang Fei and his son Wang Han Zhi.
Beginning BaGua Qigong Practices
Beginner's Guide to
Bagua Zhang
Beijing Baguazhang Information, history, biographies,
photographs, video clips, news, links, products.
Black Taoist. The Brothers
of Wu-Dang
Canadian Jiulong Baguazhang Association
Cartmell, Tim - Shen Wu Martial Arts
Cartmell,
Tim - Shen Wu Discussion Board Topics
Central Oregon Internal Arts Association: T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Baguazhang,
Xingyiquan and Qigong.
Board Members: Chris
Matthews, Charla Quinn Ranch, and Steven Foster-Wexler. The
work in the areas of Bend, Redmond, Sisters, LaPine, and Prineville.
Cheng Family
BaGua Palms. By Ma You-Qing and Liu Jing-Ru. Translated
by Joseph Crandall. 88 pages.
Cheng Tinghua (1848-1900) Style of
BaGuaZhang
Chico, California or Redding, California. Seeking a Ba Gua Zhang
instructor!!!
Write to Mike Garofalo.
China From Inside: Traditional Culture
of China Without Secrets by Szymanski, Jared.
Chinese
Boxing: Masters and Methods. By Robert W. Smith. North
Atlantic
Books, 1990. Second Edition. ISBN: 155643085X.
Chinese Internal Martial
Arts. Dr. John Baker.
Classical Bagu
Texts Translated by Joseph Crandall.
Classical Cheng Style - Eight Basic Palms - Ba Gua Zhang. By
Tina Chunna Zhang and
Frank Allen.
"This instructional DVD is for learning and reviewing a study of the fundamental
set of Classical Cheng Style Ba Gua Zhang - "The Eight Basic Palms", as taught
by Cheng Style Ba Gua Zhang Grandmaster Liu Jing Ru, of Beijing, China. The
Eight Basic Palms are demonstrated and taught along with their primary martial
applications and a brief history of the art of Ba Gua is presented. This
DVD is a companion to the book "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang" by
Frank Allen and
Tina Chunna Zhang. "
The production quality of this video is poor: the camera is too far from
the subjects, the area behind the teacher and student is lit up by a bright
window, and the sound quality is poor. VSCLC.
Classical Pa Kua Chang. By Jerry Alan Johnson and Joseph
Crandall. 1990.
Cloud Hands Website:
Taijiquan and Qigong
Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong - Index
Cole, Jessie. Teaches
Bagua Zhang in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Phone: 360-772-8418.
Combat
Baguazhang Nine Dragon System: Forms and Principles, Volume 1. By John
Painter. Unique Publications, 2007. 252 pages. ISBN:
0865682550.
Combat
Baguazhang Nine Dragon System: Warrior Training and Applications, Volume 2.
By John Painter. Unique Publications, 2007. 196 pages. ISBN:
0865682690.
Combat Techniques of Taiji, Xing Yi, and Bagua:
Principles and Practices of Internal Martial Arts. By Lu Shengli. Translated and Edited by Zhang Yun and
Susan Darley. Berkeley, California, Blue Snake Books, 2006. 369 pages.
ISBN:9583941452. General history and principles of 3 internal arts, basic movements, basic
gongfu
training techniques, and a detailed description with photographs of the
Sixteen-Posture
form (pp. 231-356). VSCLC.
Combined Form
Pa Kua (Ching Kung and Palm Changes). Instructional videotape
presented by Sifu Frank Allen.
Cook
Ding's Kitchen: Ba Gau Zhang: Eight Diagram Palms Boxing
Crandall, Joseph,
Translator, Ba Gua Series - 13 Books
Dao (Saber, Broadsword): Bibliography, Links, Resources,
Notes
The
Deterioriation of the Complete Martial Arts System. Dan
Miller. 30Kb.
Dong Hai Ch'uan (1798-1879) Lived in Zhujiawu, south of Wenan County
in Hebei Province was the founder of Ba Gua. Also called: Tung Hai
Chuan.
Dragon Journals
Personal experiences of Sandy "the Mystery Woman" during
her Baguazhang training.
Dragon List Kung Fu Community - Ba Gua Zhang
Dragon Stretches Its Claws. An Illustrated Training Manual of BaGua
Zhang. By Liu JingRu and C. S. Tang. Plum Publications. 133
pages.
Eight
Energies Circle Walking. "In
this popular DVD, we (Frank
Allen and Tina Chunna
Zhang) present three
popular and widely practiced versions of "Steady Posture Eight Palms" circle
walking with Yi Jing (I Ching) correlations and fighting applications. It
is good for all related internal martial arts, Yoga, Qi Gong, and
meditation teachers and practitioners to learn and practice this arts that based
on ancient Daoist Circle Walking. Walking in
a circle and maintaining the internal principles give the practitioners
practical health improvement and powerful self-defense techniques through the
twisting, coiling and spiraling of the body, the circle walking palms sets are
one of the trademark foundations that create the art of Ba Gua Zhang. This
practice contains the seed elements of Ba Gua martial techniques as well as the
method of understanding the Yi Jing in motion. Along with walking in a
circle while holding the body in eight different positions also can be a
receptacle for the deepest level of Taoist meditation." The production
quality of this instructional DVD is mediocre: many background noises distract
the narrator's soft voice, the set needs more lighting. VSCLC.
Eight
Healing Sounds of Yin Style Ba Gua. By Xie Peiqi. Translated by
Andrew Nugent-Head.
San Francisco, Association for Traditional Studies, Traditional Studies Press,
1995. 173 pages.
ISBN: 1888179503. Available from Plum
Flower Publications.
Eight Healing Sounds of Yin Style Bagua. An instructional video/DVD
by Dr. Xie Peiqui. Plum Flower Press. Part of the 13 volume DVD series on The
Energy-Bodywork Basic Hand Techniques of Yin Style Bagua.
Eight Palm Products: What is BaGuaZhang
25Kb By Frank Granovski.
Eight Storing Qi and Developing Sensivitiy Exercises of Yin Style
Bagua. An instructional video/DVD by Dr. Xie Peiqui. Plum Flower Press. Part
of the 13 volume DVD series on The Energy-Bodywork Basic Hand Techniques
of Yin Style Bagua.
The Eight
Storing Qi and Developing Sensitivity Exercises of Yin Style Bagua - 09/23/03
(221 Kb) Chapter 1. Translated by Andrew Nugent-Head. 2003
Eight Trigram Palm Information
By Frank Granovski. Articles
Informative and detailed articles.
Eight Trigrams and
the I Ching
By Michael Garofalo. 100Kb+. Various charts with
trigram associations.
11 Sword Forms
Demonstration and Workshop. Presented by Jiang
Jian-ye. Instructional VHS videotape, 120 minutes. Tai Chi, bagua, and xingyi sword
forms. Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos.
Emei Shan (Mountain)
Sichuan Province, China. "Traditional Emei Wushu is both
Buddhist and Daoist in nature as well as a mixture of internal and external martial arts. At the same time, the Emei school has extracted the essence of Shaolin, Wudang and other schools
of Northern China." Dr. John Painter.
Energies of Pa Kua
Chang's 8 Palm Changes
Energy Arts. Bruce Kumar
Frantzis Energy Arts.
The
Essence of Internal Martial Arts: Esoteric Fighting Techniques and Healing
Methods.
By Jerry Alan Johnson. Pacific Grove, California, Ching Lien Healing Arts
Center, 1994.
Appendix, glossary, 316 pages. ISBN: 1885246005. A
detailed and informative
book, with a strong BaGua emphasis. VSCLC.
The
Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang. By Gao Ji Wu and Tom Bisio. 570
photographs. ISBN: 097915880X. VSCLC.
"The Eternal Spring of Bagua's Basic Steps." By Gerald A. Sharmp
. Art and translation by Yang Ying. Found in the magazine: Qi: The Journal of Tranditional
Eastern Health and Fitness,
Volume 16, No. 1, Spring, 2006, pp. 18-27.
Famous Bagua
(PaKua) Texts Translated by Joseph Crandall
European Yin Style Bagua Zhang
Association
Frantzis, Bruce Kumar - Energy Arts
The
Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang. The Method of Lu Shui-T'ien as
Taught by Park Bok Nam. By Park Bok Nam and Dan Miller. Burbank,
California, Unique
Publications, 1999. Volume 1. 206 pages, 500 photos. ISBN:
0865681724. Volume 2, 212 pages, 700 photographs. ISBN: Info
Companion videos to these
two books and Spanish
language versions of the books.
Lu Shui-T'ien (1894-1978). Books and videotapes available from Plum Flower Press, Wayfarer
Publications, Amazon
and others.
Gao Style Bagua - North
Oakland Tang Shou Tao
Garofalo, Michael
Red Bluff, California, Valley Spirit Taijiquan
Gompa Online Dr. John
Painter.
The Guen System:
One Effort Living. Michael J. Guen, Ph.D. (Psyschology), L.AC. Wasah
Institute, Vertical-Force, Santa Rosa, California. Address:
Wasah Integrative Medicine, 1049 Fourth Street, Suite G., Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
Phone: 707-815-4014. Mr. Guen teaches Dong
Haichuan - Yin Fu - Gong Baotian - Gong Baozai style ba gua quan as well as Yang
Shouzhong style tai ji quan. [An
Interview with Dr. Michael Guen, Ba Gua Quan Master, conducted by Robert Chu,
L.Ac., QME, PhD.] The website includes a training schedule,
articles, and information on Dr. Guen. Take a look at: Baguaquan Pao Chui
Video, 2:24 min.
Hsing-Chen Internal Martial Arts
Hsu, Adam Sifu Kung Fu,
Palo Alto, California
I Ching and the Eight Trigrams
"Imagery for Taiji Stance and Stepping." By Martin
Mellish. Found in the magazine: Qi: The Journal of Tranditional Eastern Health and Fitness, Volume 16, No.
1, Spring, 2006, pp. 44-49.
Internal Arts Center
(IAC). Nine Dragon Jiulong Baguazhang. Articles, links,
videos, and news from Sihing John Adams. Los Angeles.
Introduction to Ba Gua Zhang by Tim
Cartmell. Excellent overview.
25Kb.
Jared's Martial Arts Pages: China From
Inside: Traditional Culture of China Without Secrets .
Jiang
Rong-Qiao's Baguazhang. Translated by Andrea Falk. 148
pages. 300 line drawings, 200 photographs.
Jiulong
Baguazhang - California John Adams
Johnson, Jerry
Alan Ph.D., D.T.C.M., D.M.Q. Pacific Grove,
California. Website
Key Arts Media. By Paul
Zabwodski. Numerous articles and photos.
Knecht, Ted W.
USA Yongnian Taiji Center, located in Cleveland, Ohio.
Labyrinths:
Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes, Notes
Lian Zen Pu Eight Diagram Palm. By Li Zi Ming. Compiled and
translated by Vincent Black. 154 pages.
Liang, Qiang-Ya.
Fu Style Internal Martial Arts in Oakland. Bagua, weapons,
taiji.
Liang
Zhen Pu Eight Diagram Palm. By Li Zi Ming. High View
Publications, 1993.
ISBN: 1883175003.
Lion Books of Taiwan
- BaGua. Books in Chinese.
Liu
Bin's Zhuang Gong Bagua Zhang: Foundation Practices, Volume One. By
Jie Zhang. Contributions by Richard Shapiro. Blue Snake Books, 2008.
380 pages. ISBN: 1583942181.
Long Hsing
Baguazhang. By Sifu Frank Allen. Book, instructional
videotape or DVD. Book
by Tina Zhang.
Luo Bagua
Chinese language website.
The Master's Manual of Pa Kua Chang. By Jerry Alan Johnson. Ching
Lung Martial Arts Association, 1984.
Nei
Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts Teachers of Tai Ji
Quan, Xing Yi Quan and Ba Gua Zhang. Edited by Jess O'Brien. Berkeley, California, North
Atlantic Books, 2004. 326 pages. ISBN: 1556435061. Description. Extended interviews with Tim Cartmell, Gabriel Chin, Gail Derin-Kellog, Bruce K.
Frantzis,
Paul Gale, Fong Ha, William Lewis, Luo De Xiu, Allen Pittman, James Wing Woo,
Tony Yang, Zhao Da Yuan, and Albert Liu.
Nine Dragon Arts.
Ontario, Canada.
Nine Dragon Baguazhang
Presented by Dr. John Painter. Includes "history of Baguazhang, Emei mountain, famous Baguazhang masters, articles from magazines, a catalog of
Baguazhang videos and books, as well as links to certified instructors. Our Jiulong News
has informative articles updated monthly and much more."
Nine Dragon Baguazhang
for Street Combat. Instructional videotapes presented by Capt.
John Painter, Ph.D. Volumes 1-6.
North American Yin
Style Bagua Association Lineage: Dong Haichuan (1804-1880),
Yin Fu (1841-1909), Men Baozhen (1873-1958), Xie Peiqi (1920-2003),
and He Jinbao (1955-).
Northern California - Ba Gua Zhang Instructor's Directory.
If you teach Ba Gua Zhang please
send information to Mike Garofalo. I also
include teachers from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia - the Greater Northwest, North America. Also, I am
looking for a
Ba Gua Zhang instructor in Chico or Redding, California.
North Oakland (California) Tang Shou
Tao - Three Treasures Internal Arts
MatriX: Wuyiquan Intutitive Learning Combat
Methods
Opening
the Energy Gates of Your Body (The Tao of Energy Enhancement. By Bruce
Kumar Frantzis. Illustrated by Husky Grafx. North Atlantic Books,
1993. Second
Edition. 174 pages. ISBN: 1556431643.
Oregon Yin Style Bagua Association.
Sifu: Kevin Nakaji. Lion System of Yin Style Bagua.
Lineage: Yin Fu, as taught by He Jinbao. The Bamboo Grove, 134 SE 2nd and
Taylor,
Portland, Oregon. Email:
kevin_nakaji@yahoo.com.
Pa Kua A
message from grandmaster Frank DeMaria. 25Kb. American
Center for Chinese Studies.
Pa Kua: An Ancient Knowledge for Modern Times
By Master Eli Chaikin.
PaKua (BaGua): Pa Kua Chang and
BaGuaZhang History, mind, spirit, overview. Hsing-I
Martial Arts Institute.
Pa Kua Chang (Ba Gua
Zhang): Bibliography, links, resources, quotes, and notes.
Circle walking internal martial arts. By Michael P. Garofalo.
126Kb+.
Pa Kua Chang: A Beginner's Guide.
By Peter Stafford.
Pa Kua Chang: Fighting Systems and Weapons. By Jerry Alan
Johnson. International Institute of
Qigong. 188 pages.
Pa Kua Chang Journal. High View Publications.
Publisher/Editor: Dan Miller.
All 38 issues from November 1990 to February 1997 on CD in PDF
format. Distributed by Wayfarer Publications,
Plum Flower Press, Plum
Publications.
"Finally available in CD-ROM format, the Pa Kua Chang Journal is a
high-quality, advertisement-free scholarly journal, with history, lineages, training methods,
and interviews with famous Pa Kua teachers in China and the U.S." CD ROM
runs
the PDF files on Windows or Mac OS. Includes index. Over 1,000 pages
of information. VSCLC.
The Pa Kua Chang of Lu Shui-Tian
Master Park Bok Nam. Information, training and seminar schedules, links, videos, books.
Pa Kua Chang of the
Wu Tang Physical Culture Association. Eleven Pa Kua Chang
videotapes featuring Sifu Frank Allen.
Pa Kua Chang Overview
23Kb. Gerald A. Sharp.
Pa Kua:
Chinese Boxing for Fitness and Self Defense. By Robert K.
Smith. North Atlantic Books, 2003. Originally published in 1967, Tokyo. 160 pages.
ISBN: 1556434391. Sun Lu Tang's Circle Walking form on pp. 113-160.
Pa Kua Chang (Ba Gua
Zhang) - Eight Palm Boxing 17Kb. Includes MPEG
video.
Pa-Kua Chang for Self Defence. By Lee Ying-arng and Te-hwa.
Pa Kua Chuan
China Hand KuFu Academy
Pa-Kua:
Eight Trigram Boxing. Chinese Martial Arts Library. By Robert W.
Smith
and Allen Pittman. Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1990. ISBN: 0804816182.
VSCLC.
Pa Kua:
The Gentleman's Boxing. By Francisco J. Vargas. Vision
Press, 1983.
284 pages. ISBN: 1929549016.
Palm Change Gao
style BaGua.
Palms of Infinity.
Ba-Gua Zhang Research and Boxing Association.
Park Bok Nam Noted BaGau
Master.
Pa Kua Chang Website of
Sifu Park Bok Nam.
Pa Kua Chang. Instructional videotape by Cheng,
Jian-Je. 1994. Sun style BGZ.
Pa Kua Chang Directory (PKC
Directory)
Plum Flower Press. Internal
Chinese Martial Arts Numerous BaGua instructional
videotapes and books. Plum Flower Press, P. O. Box 843, College Park,
MD
20741. Phone: 301-422-2474. FAX: 301-560-4502. Orders:
800-531-0693.
E-mail: mail@plumflower.com.
Website: www.plumflower.com.
Plum Publications
Santa Cruz, California. Offers VCDs from Sun Jian Yun.
The
Power of Internal Martial Arts: Combat Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi, and
Hsing-I. By Bruce Kumar Frantzis. North Atlantic Books, 1998.
300 pages.
ISBN: 1556432534. Considerable attention is given to BaGua. VSCLC.
Qigong (Chi Kung) Bibliography, quotes,
links, notes.
Qigong and Walking Bibliography, quotes,
links, notes.
Qigong for
Women. By Tina Chunna Zhang. Cheng Style Ba Gua Zhang.
Instructional DVDs from Tina
Zhang and Frank
Allen.
Recovering the Lost Meaning of
the Yijing Ba Gua. By Stephen L. Field.
Redding, Chico or Northern California. I am seeking a Ba Gua
Zhang instructor!!!
Write to Mike Garofalo.
Saber (Broadsword) and Taijiquan
Bibliography, links, resources, quotes, notes.
Shambhala Warriorship: Tibean
Buddhism
Shen Wu Baguazhang By
Time Cartmell. Excellent introduction, links, instructions.
Sheh Wu Martial Arts Tim
Cartmell
Shou-Yu Liang Wushu
Taiji Qigong Institute - Bagua
Structure of Yin
Style Bagua 6Kb.
Studying Pa Kau Chang
By Michael Babin
Styles of Ba Gua
Zhang Discussion List.
Styles
of Pa Kua
Sun Lu Tang's Style of Baguazhang
Bagua: Dragon Bagua Animal Forms. Taught by Grandmaster Wing Lam. Dragon Ba Gua is the style taught by Sun Jian Yun. This DVD/video will reveal to you the eight animal forms of Dragon Ba Gua: Lion, Unicorn, Snake, Hawk, Dragon, Bear, Phoenix, and Monkey. In DVD or VHS videotape formats.
Bagua: Dragon Straight Sword.
Taught by Grandmaster Wing Lam.
The 8 sword techniques contain all the essences of the straight sword techniques. Each of the techniques can be combined with another, at different sequences, to create an infinite number of combinations of sword movements. The training requires the mind, the Chi, the body movements, and the sword to combine an integral unit. In DVD or VHS
videotape
formats.
Bagua: Introduction to Dragon Bagua. Taught by Grandmaster Wing
Lam. Dragon Ba Gua is the style taught by Sun Jian Yun. This DVD/video will introduce you to the basic principles of Ba Gua, along with its basic stances, theory and techniques.
In DVD or VHS videotape formats.
Bagua - Sun Style.
Sun Lutan Bagua demonstrated by Andrey Fomichev, 2007. UTube, 3:01 min,
color. Swimming Dragon bagua form.
Baguazhang
(Emei Baguazhang): Theory and Applications.
By
Master, Liang, Shou-Yu Liang,
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, and Mr. Wu, Wen-Ching. Boston, MA, YMAA Publications,
Second
Edition, 1994. 363
pages. ISBN: 0940871300. Includes translations from Sun Lu Tang's "The Study of Bagua Fist" (pp. 112-132).
Cartmell, Tim Shen Wu
Glossary of Sun Style
Taijiquan Terms and Movement Names in English and Chinese
Sun Lu-Tang (1861-1933) Baguazhang,
Hsingyi, and Taijiquan master, writer, and teacher.
Sun Lu Tang Bagua.
Swimming Dragon. UTube, 3:12 min, color.
Sun Lu Tang:
Books, DVDs, VCDs, Pamphlets. Plum Publications, CA.
Sun Lu Tang's
Internal Martial Arts: Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, and Qigong.
Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Resources, Instructions.
Sun Lu Tang's Swimming
Dragon Baguazhang. Demo by Sifu Joshua Brown. UTTube, 3:09 min.
Sun Style Bagua Sword, Traditional, Level 1. Presented by Jiang
Jian-ye. Instructional VHS videotape, 120 minutes. Step by step instructions,
multiple views,
demonstrations. Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos.
Sun Style
Baguazhang. BaGua Quan Xue and Bagua Jian Xue. By Sun Lutang. Translated by
Joseph Crandall. Classical Baguazhang Series, Volume XIII.
Pinole, California, Smiling Tiger Martial Arts, 2002. 108 pages. ISBN: 192904738X. MGC.
Sun Style
Baguazhang. Instructional DVDs presented by Johanna Zorya and Julie
Hinder.
Sun
Style Baguazhang - Google Search
Sun Style Bagua with Tim Cartmell
Sun Style Taijiquan: Lists, instructions, links, bibliography, quotes,
notes. Grandmaster Sun Lu-Tang was an accomplished BaGuaZhang master. Includes some information about the Sun
style of Baguazhang and Hsingyi. 350Kb+. Research by Michael P.
Garofalo.
Sun Style of T'ai Chi
Ch'uan: Standard Competition 73 Movements Form. Research by
Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.. Webpage: 450Kb, June 2008. This webpage
includes an introduction, information on the history of the Sun Taijiquan forms, a
detailed bibliography, extensive links, references to video resources, a large
collections of quotations about Sun Taijiquan, recommendations on the best media
resources on the topic, and suggestions for learning the
73 competition Sun Taijiquan form. A detailed comparative list of the names of each
of the 73 movements is
provided, with
source references, and the movement names are given in English, Chinese,
Chinese characters, French, German, and Spanish. This webpage includes detailed
descriptions of each of the 73 movements with black and
white illustrations for each movement sequence along with
commentary and comparisons. Many additional nomenclature lists and section
study charts in the PDF format, photographs and graphics are also provided -
over 1.3 MB of information. This webpage is the most detailed
and complete document on the subject of the Sun Taijiquan Competition 73 Form
available on the Internet. This document was published by Green Way
Research, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California, 2008. URL:
http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/sun73.htm.
Zorya,
Joanna Sun Style Baguazhang: The 10 Sun Style Palm Changes as
described in Sun Lu Tang's book. The Martial Foundations of Baguazhang.
Two instructional DVD's, 55 minutes each disk. Instruction in English.
.
"The post-Heaven form, commonly known as You Shen BaGwa or
the Swimming Dragon Body Palm, was supposedly to have been developed in the Omei Mountain region. Master
Liang Shou Yu of Vancouver, British Columbia writes: "Its movements are light and swift.
It is externally soft and internally hard. Movements are continuously changing directions, with no
interruption. Its movements are like a swimming dragon...." This form too incorporates the
pre-Heaven movements, but also incorporates some sound fighting tactics. Like Sun's form, it is not demanding
on one's body; and the practice of these two forms is only slightly more demanding than the
practice of a classical TaiChi Chuan form. It is interesting to note that Sun Lu Tang also taught
this form. Another form Sun Lu Tang created was a lively, eight palm post-Heaven form performed around a
circle. He also named this form, Swimming Dragon Palm. It should not be confused with the
sixty-four palm, You Shen post-Heaven form."
- Frank Granovski, 8
Palms - Ba Gua
"Cheng Tinghua styles of Baguazhang features movements that are executed in
a smooth flowing and continuous manner, with a subtle display of power. Popular
variations of this style include the Gao Yi Sheng system, Dragon Style Baguazhang, "Swimming
Body" Baguazhang, the Nine Palace System, Zong Changrong's style (probably the most common form
practiced today), and the Sun Lutang style."
- Baguazhang,
Eight Diagram Palms Shadow Boxing
Szymanski, Jared. China From
Inside
Tang, C.S. C.S. Tan's
Martial Arts World. Gao Style Bagua
Teachers of Pa Kua Chang - Neijia
Teacher's Directory
Ten Important Points and Eight Methods.
By Liu Jingru.
Terminology, TAGS, Search Terms: Ba (Pa) - Eight. Gua (Kua) = Diagrams or
Tri-grams. Chang (Zhang, Ch'uan or Ch'uan) = Palm or Fist or Boxing.
BaGua, Ba Gua Quan, Baguaquan, Bagua, BaGua, Ba Gwa, Ba-gua, BaGwa, Ba
Kua, Cheng Bagua, Eight Diagrams Palm, Pa Kua Chang, PakKua, PaKua Chang, Pa Kau Ch'uan, Pat Kwa Chuan, Wudang Baguazhang, Wudang BaGua, Yin BaGua
Three Treasures Internal
Arts Bagua, Xingyi. Oakland and
Berkeley.
Tiger Claw School of Self-Defense
Winnipeg, Canada
Traditional Bagua Sword. Presented by Jiang
Jian-ye. Instructional VHS videotape, 121
minutes. Step by step instructions,
multiple views,demonstrations. Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos.
A 37 posture form created by Grandmaster Liu Jingru.
Traditional Bagua Zhang, Basic Form and
Applications for Beginners and Seniors.
By Jiang Jian-ye. "This introductory form comes from the system of
Bagua founder
Dong Hai-Chuan." Detailed teaching of each form with numerous
repetitions, and with
applications at different speeds. Hand movements, stepping, and circle
walking
are all taught. Part 1 and Part 2 on VHS videotape or DVD
format. New York,
Capital District Tai Chi and Kung Fu Association of New York, 1997.
Part 1, 97 Minutes, Color. Part 2, 97 Minutes, Color.
Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos.
Traditional Dong
Haichuan's Old Bagua Zhang. Form and Applications, Level
1. Parts 1 and 2 in either VHS videotape or DVD format. All hand forms,
stepping
techniques and circle walking are taught. Multiple repetitions from
different angles.
The traditional old form of Dong Hai-Chuan is taught. Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos.
Traditional Dong Haichuan's New Bagua Zhang. Form and Applications,
Level 2.
Parts 1 and Part 2 in either VHS videotape or DVD format. All hand forms,
stepping,
and circle walking are taught. Multiple repetitons from different
angles. These forms
were developed by students of Dong Hai-Chuan. Jiang's
Tai Chi Videos.
The Triangle Jiulong
Baguazhang Study Group North Carolina.
Tung Hai-Ch'uan (Cheng
Ying-Fan) 1813?- Southern City PaKua.
24 Essentials of Ba Gau Zhang.
By C. S. Tang.
Understanding
Yin Style Bagua. By Andrew Nugent-Head. 47Kb. Excellent
article. By the Director, Association for Traditional Studies.
Valley Spirit Center, Red
Bluff, California. Mike Garofalo, Taijiquan Instructor.
Mike Garofalo and a Bagua Circle Training Area
Valley Spirit Center, Red
Bluff, California
VSCLC = Valley Spirit Center Library Collection
Valley Spirit Center Taijiquan
Walking and Taijiquan
Links, bibliography, and quotations.
Walking - Baguazhang (Pa Kua Chang) Links, bibliography,
resources, quotes, and notes. Circle
walking internal
martial arts.
Walking -
Labyrinths:
Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes, Notes
Walking: Links,
Bibliography, Resources, Quotes, Notes
Walking Meditation:
Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Resources, Notes
Walking Meditation: Pakua-The Martial Art of the I Ching. By
Paul Crompton. Shaftesbury, England, Element Books, 1996. Glossary, resources,
index, 163 pages. ISBN: 1852308974. VSCLC.
Walking Principles and BaGuaZhang
Walking - Quotations,
Quips, Wisdom
Walking
the I Ching: The Linear Ba Gua of Gao Yi Sheng.
By Allen Pittman. Berkeley, California, Blue Snake Books, 2008. 224 pages. ISBN:
1583942149. Good information
on relating the concepts of the Ba Gua and I Ching to Chinese internal martial
arts. VSCLC.
Wayfarer Publications.
A fine source for Tai Chi Chuan books and
videotapes.
Way of
Walking: Eastern Strategies for Vitality, Longevity, and Peace of Mind.
By Jacques
Moramarco, O.M.D., L. Ac., with Rick Benzel. Chicago, IL, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 2000. Resources, 213
pages. ISBN: 0809225867. MGC. Chapter 6, pp. 121-146.
What is BaGuaZhang: Eight Palm
25Kb
The
Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang: The Art and Legends of the Eight Trigram
Palm. By Frank Allen and
Tina Chunna Zhang. Berkeley, California,
Blue Snake Books, 2007. 238 pages. Illustrated with black and white
photos. ISBN: 1583941894. Frank Allen and
Tina Chunna Zhang and
Terri Ferrari offer numerous instructional DVDs on Ba Gua Zhang. "This is
the most complete book on the art of Ba Gua Zhang ever presented in English. It
tells the story of the history and legends of the art and its most famous
masters as well as presenting the basic training, Classical Cheng Style forms,
fighting and weapon of Deer Horn knives of Ba Gua Zhang. The text also includes
a new translation of the classic Ba Gua 36 songs and 48 Methods as well as the
Daoist meditation roots of the art and the method in which Ba Gua becomes at its
ultimate level a physical and energetic manifestation of the Chinese Classic of
Change, the Yi Jing. This book will be of interest not only to practitioners and
enthusiasts of Ba Gua Zhang, but also to everyone who is interested in the
history, philosophy and methods of Chinese Internal Martial Arts." Frank
Allen and Tina Chunna Zhang have produced numerous instructional DVDs to support
the teaching in this book. VSCLC.
White Star School of Pa
Kua Chang
Wing Lam Enterprises.
Martial Arts Supplies, videotapes, DVDs.
Workshops, Seminars, Retreats in Northwestern USA
Send Mike Garofalo information about your Bagua Workshops.
Refer to my Northwestern Tai Chi Directory
Wudang Baguazhang In Italian.
Wudang
Baguazhang In English
Wudang Internal
Montreal, Canada
Xie Peiqi (1923-2003) Interviewed
by Jarek Szymanski. Dr. Xie (TCM) is a Yin style
BaGuaZhang teacher from
Beijing.
Xie Peigi and Yin
Fu's Eight Animal Style of Baguazhang 18Kb
Xin Qi Shen Dojo Seattle, WA.
Excellent resouces and information.
Xu Shi Xi Yin
style BaGua Grandmaster
The Yin and Yang of Ba Gua Zhang. The Legends of Thin Yin and
Spectacles Cheng.
By Frank Allen and Clarence Lu. Part I: Tung Hai Chuan and Yin
Fu.
Yin Style Baguazhang
European Yin Style Bagua Zhang Association
Great Lakes Wushu.
Instructor Richard Miller.
Interview
with Master Xie Peiqi. By Jarek Szymanski in 1999.
Yin Fu (1841-1909)
Yin Style, Dong-cheng Zhang (Eastern City Palm), Niu-she Zhang (Ox
Tongue Palm) style.
Lineage: Dong Haichuan (1804-1880), Yin Fu (1841-1909), Men Baozhen
(1873-1958),
Xie Peiqi (1920-2003), and He Jinbao (1955-).
Yin Fu and Cheng Ting Hwa
Yin Stil BaguaZhang Martin
Langemeyer. German language website.
Yin Style Bagua
Presented by Dr. Xie Peiqi. Webpages on history and structure of
form.
Yin Style Bagua - A
Historical Perspective
Yin Style Bagua Bear System, Volumes 1-10. Presented by Xie Peiqui and He
Jinbao.
Each DVD is over 2 hours long. Plum Flower Press. Instructional
media. Yin Style Bagua
Martial Arts Series. Produced by the Association
for Traditional Studies. Demonstrations
and instructions by He Jinbao. Voice over in English. Foundation
static postures, walking
routines, drills. .
He Jinbao in Yin Style Bear Posture
Yin Style Bagua (Pau Kua)
A variety of instructional Chinese language VCDs taught by Yin Bagua
Master Wang, Shang Zhi, Vice Chairman of Bagua Group of Beijing Wushu
Association..
Yin Style Bagua Dragon System, Volumes 1-10. Presented by Xie
Peiqui and He Jinbao.
Each DVD is over 2 hours long. Plum Flower Press.
Instructional media. Yin Style Bagua
Martial Arts Series. Produced by the Association
for Traditional Studies.
Yin Style Bagua Large Saber. Presented by Xie Peiqui and He Jinbao.
This instructional
DVD is 54 minutes long. Plum Flower Press.
Yin Style Bagua Lion System, Volumes 1-10. Presented by Xie Peiqui
and He Jinbao.
Each DVD is over 2 hours long. Plum Flower Press. Instructional
media. Yin Style Bagua
Martial Arts Series. Produced by the Association
for Traditional Studies.
Baguazhang Yin Style Bear Posture
Mike Garofalo practicing in a Bagua Circle Training Area
Red Bluff, California
Yin Style Bagua Phoenix System, Volumes 1-10. Presented by Xie
Peiqui and He Jinbao. Each DVD is over 2 hours long. Plum Flower Press.
Instructional media. Yin Style Bagua
Martial Arts Series. Produced by the Association
for Traditional Studies.
Yin Style Ba Gua Zhang.
An interview with He Jinbao. Tai Chi Magazine. By Richard
Miller.
Translations by Garth Reynolds. 289Kb.
Yin Style BaGuaZhang
Numerous instructional videotapes and books from Plum Flower
Press.
Yin Style Baguazhang
Association
Yin Style Ba Gua Zhang -
Dutch site
Yin Style Ba Gua Zhang By Novell C. Bell.
Yin Style Eight Trigrams Continuous Palms #9. By Zhu
BaoZhen. Translated by
Joseph Crandall. Plum Publications. 127 pages.
Instructional media.
Xie Peiqi (1923-2003) Interviewed
by Jarek Szymanski. Dr. Xie (TCM) is a Yin style BaGuaZhang teacher from
Beijing.
Xie Peigi and Yin
Fu's Eight Animal Style of Baguazhang 18Kb
"The distinctive trademarks of the Yin Fu style
are the large number of percussive techniques, multiple quick-strikes combinations, explosive movements and very quick and
evasive footwork.
Yin Fu was said to "fight like a tiger," advancing forward and
knocking his opponent to the ground swiftly like a tiger pouncing on its prey."
- Cardinal, Baguazhang,
Eight Diagram Palms Shadow Boxing
"Thus, the two major classical BaGwa solo exercises, the
ones which were used a guides in developing new forms, where Yin Fu's, Mother Palms, and Cheng Ting Hua's, Old
Palms. These were the standards. This is why such masters as Sun Lu Tang and Fu Chen Sung,
students of Cheng, practised and taught the Old Palms form. However, since Yin
Fu was Tung's longest and most skilled student, Yin's basic form was at a much higher level (or more difficult
to learn and master).
Nevertheless, the Old Palms form though simpler, incorporates effective combat
techniques.
Yin Fu emphasized punching and kicking etc., in his training and teaching,
whereas Cheng Ting Hua emphasized close range contact utilizing Shway Zow
(Chinese wrestling) and Chin Na (Chinese joint locking techniques). However, both of these masters' basic BaGwa was
essentially the same."
- 8 Palms - Ba Gua
"The distinctive trademarks of the Yin Fu
style are the large number of percussive techniques,
multiple quick-strikes combinations, explosive movements and very quick and
evasive footwork.
Yin Fu was said to "fight like a tiger," advancing forward and
knocking his opponent to the ground
swiftly like a tiger pouncing on its prey."
- Baguazhang - Eight
Diagram Palms
"Legends are apt, however, to be as right in substance as they are wrong in detail."
- R. H. Tawney
YiZong Bagua. Gao style
BaGua of Zong Wu-Men, Washington, D.C. . Zhang Zhunfeng's Gao style Bagua through the teachings of Luo Dexiu.
Quotations
Ba Gau Zhang, Eight Diagram Palms, Pa Kau Chang
"All power comes from the legs. Through the correct
training of stepping, the martial artist
will be able to make quick and agile transitions during combat. Victory in
fighting depends
on the proper use of footwork. There is an old Chinese martial arts
proverb that states:
"To practice boxing without training the legs is a foolish and hazardous
venture." It is very important to develop the power and energy of the legs; only then can true
martial
power be cultivated."
- Jerry Alan Johnson, The
Essence of Internal Martial Arts, p. 21.
"The power of the eight diagram palms knows no bounds -- the palms seem to strike even before the hands move. When the hand threads upward, it's like a hundred birds paying tribute to the phoenix; when it threads forward, it's like a tiger swooping downhill. Walking round and round, he is like a stray wild goose that has drifted from the flock; but when the palms are thrust forward, they can move a mountain. Now dodging, now ducking, his body slithers in and out; using the opponent's force he delivers a counter, blow, with as little effort as pushing a boat down the stream."
"Ba gua is most likely the only purely Taoist martial art. As
such, it contains a great deal of
original martial information that has not been changed or adulterated by
time. Ba gua is considered by highly respected internal masters to be the most technically
sophisticated
and effective of the internal martial arts. Ba gua includes all the
internal and external circling and spiraling techniques completely or partially absent in the linear
martial arts.
Ba gua is one of the clear antecedents of aikido, the major internal art of
Japan, and includes the overt health and energy practices usually missing in aikido.
Ba gua has the
grace and beauty of the other internal arts, but its movements are done and
normal and/or
fast aerobic speeds, rather than in the slow motion of tai chi, which many
martial artists
shun. Ba gua include the complete spiritual tradition of the martial arts,
which is found
much less often in tai chi and hsing-i. Ba gua fulfills many of the
reasons people like
to do tai chi, but with heightened internal awareness and in a much more dynamic
form
of relaxation."
- B. K. Frantzis, The Power of Internal Martial Arts, 1998,
p. 54.
"Pa Kau Chang is a complete and effective martial art system which utilizes
natural and efficient physical skills and strengths and emphasizes the use of evasive
footwork, powerful palm strikes, and turning and twisting body motions while maintaining whole body
strength and mind/body unity."
- Dan Miller, Pa Kua Chang Journal: Vol. 4:6, 29.
"I believe the concept of "center" in Jiulong and the
Daoqiquan arts is broader than the concept of "center of gravity" in
mathematics/physics. In addition to your physical center of gravity, the
"centeredness" of your mind, your intent, and the state of your Song
are part of the equation as well. If fear causes you to "rise
up" to flee, then fear has raised your center. And that's not
necessarily bad, if your intent is to be light on your feet and run as fast as
you can."
- Stewart Warren, Jiulong
Baguazhong # 1360, 31 Jan 2006
"As for walking around stupas, the stupa is your body and mind. When your awareness circles your body and mind without stopping, this is called walking around a stupa. The sages of long ago followed this path to nirvana. But people today don't understand what this means. Instead of looking inside they insist on looking outside. They use their material bodies to walk around material stupas. And they keep at it day and night, wearing themselves out in vain and coming no closer to their real self."
- Bodhidharma, 515 CE, The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma, p. 101. Translated and with an Introduction by Red Pine. One of many stories told about Bodhidharma, the first Zen Patriarch in China and the legendary founder of Shaolin qigong and gungfu, is that he spent seven years in seated meditation while facing a stone wall. Talk about "wearing yourself out in vain!"
Thankfully, monks thereafter were required to move about a bit more.
"Baguazhang is one of the more famous of the traditional Chinese martial arts that possesses many distinctive practice skill methods and its palm method changes unfathomably. It also has a good balanced reputation in the martial arts community. From the time of Qing Chengfeng (1851-1862), when Mr. Dong Haichuan (of Wen'an County in Hebei Province) introduced it until today, it has been practiced daily and enjoyed by martial artists in China and overseas.
Baguazhang is an exceptionally beautiful martial art emphasizing the use of spiral movements and a sophisticated use of footwork and fighting angles. It makes the body extremely flexible and able to move with tremendous grace, speed and power. Bagua practice is vigorous and aerobic. Many consider Bagua to be the most advanced of the Chinese Martial Arts. The foundation of the system is a meditative circle walking practice and the "Single Change Palm" which was developed in Taoist monasteries over 400 years ago. As a meditation practice, Bagua allows one to produce a stillness of mind in the midst of intense physical activity. This esoteric system at its highest levels becomes a method of manifesting the energetic patterns of change described in the I-Ching or Classic Book of Changes.
Technically, the correct performance of this exercise increases the practitioner's energy through simultaneous circle walking, forms practice, and breath control.
The practice of Baguazhang is very Zen-like in its approach to calming and focusing the mind. The basics are a series of movements done while walking in a circle. The goal of this exercise is for the individual to understand proper body alignment and relaxation. Once this practice is consistent, the movements become faster and more intricate with turning and twisting, moving the body in all possible angles and directions for fitness, centering and agility. Baguazhang uses quick footwork and turns as part of as its self-defense strategy."
- Cardinal
"The fighting concepts of Bagua Zhang are: never stop
walking and never stop changing; always combine the
qualities of soft and hard with thos of internal and external; appear suddenly
and disappear suddenly; move
close quickly and leave quickly; and never struggle directly with an
opponent. If a movement seems difficult,
change it so that it becomes easier; if a movement begins as direct, change it
so that it comes from the side and vice versa."
- Lu Shengli, Combat Techniques of Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua, p. 97.
"The solo aspect of its circular solo practice is beautiful, yet exotic,
full of graceful twisting movement, sudden stops and changes of direction, swooping and lifting actions as well as
explosive hand movements. The functional aspect is harshly effective, without sporting elements as its martial
effectiveness was refined by the many practitioners at the turn of the century who earned their living as personal bodyguards and
merchant convoy escorts.
Like the other internal arts, pa-kua emphasizes balance, natural breathing and
relaxation, stability of stance, the development of twisting strength and internal power both for healing and martial
purposes as well as the use of the mind to create intent and lead chi flow.
Most defensive and offensive movements are done with the open hand; the
horizontal energy of the twisting torso is emphasized; the weight of the body stays on the back foot when walking in a
circle (though not necessarily when doing postures within each "change"; the steps are rather tight, the
knees staying in close proximity one-to-the-other; and, kicks are normally
aimed low, to the ankles, shins and knees. The essence of the art is learning to be upright, stable and comfortable in your
posture and body mechanics while cultivating the ability to change quickly to deal with the tactics of an
opponent. The smaller student learns to evade strikes while counter-attacking and the larger learns to batter his/her
way through the attacker's arms as a prelude to counter-attacking."
- Michael Babin, Studying
Pa Kua Chang
"One of the most important areas of this 'movement' is that we must learn to be still within every movement we make. This is called in Baguazhang, "Clouds Following". This means that whenever we make a movement, even a minute movement, or a large step, there must be internal stillness and equilibrium within that movement. In this way we are able to either continue with the attack or stop and go in another direction etc, instantly. This is also called the "Bagua Post".
This gives the Bagua practitioner the upper hand where combat is concerned as we are always in control of our own body and movement and therefore in control of any attacker's body and movement.
We are able to move at any time to change direction because no matter what foot we are standing on or what movement we are making, it has internal stillness enabling us to 'move without moving'. That is the reason why it is said of so many of the old Bagua masters that they "seemed not to move, and yet his opponent was defeated". His movement came out of stillness, like a tree rooted to the ground, its branches sway with the breeze but physically it is solid. And it is the same with Bagua, the only difference being that our roots are internal.
In the beginning, we are taught to walk the circle very slowly. The reason is to gain the most important part of Bagua - internal stillness while moving. Every time we pass one foot by the other during walking the circle, we must scrape the moving foot past the standing foot and we must hear the sound of the trousers as they pass each other. As the foot passes and at precisely the same time that we hear that sound, we are 'still' within. To an onlooker, the movement will be seen to continue as if we are just walking. however, internally at that moment, we are rooted to the ground from the crown down to the
standing heel and into the earth. So the internal movement will stop for a split second and then catch up with the physical step. In this way, we are able to also stop the physical step at any time, take it back, move it to the side, kick etc, without thinking about it and without losing balance, like a cat walking
stealthily along, being able to change direction at any time."
- Erle Montagiue, Baguazhang:
The Hidden Meanings
"Energy exercises can de divided into two categories- 'Post-Birth' and 'Pre-Birth'. Post birth practices deal with developing the chi that you gain after leaving the womb that generated by breathing, eating, sleeping, and normal exercise, whereas pre-birth practices focus on generating the chi that you receive from the cosmic forces whilst in the womb. This pre-birth chi is incredibly strong and s responsible for giving a body abundant health and flexibility. When these pre-birth exercises are used correctly they can be used to heal disease, make a weak person strong, to restore elasticity to old, hard or scar
tissue and to return the body to the state of a new-born baby, with the control and understanding of an adult.
Walking the circle and repeatedly changing direction is the basic Ba Gua pre-birth chi practice and it is here that you tune into, open, heal, upgrade and strengthen all of your body's soft tissue, joints, fluids, organs, bones, systems, and sub systems.
This takes time, energy, and practise and how far one takes this work depends upon the individual's intelligence, commitment and the effort that he or she can give to this ancient and profound Art. It is considered an Art because you can never make a perfect movement -it can always be improved.
Also, because to watch the continuous circling, spiralling movements is a pleasure to the eyes."
- Ba
Gua Chang by Paul Cavel
"The above is a diagram depicting the use of sacred movements from the fifth century Taoist Rite of the Great Bear Polar circle. In Taoist practice, such sacred movements enhance the dancers to resonate with the circle of the cosmic forces. This embraces the central Taoist concept of human as microcosm
mirroring the macrocosm.
Taiji Quan movements evolved from this ancient lumbering gait of a bear, unfortunately due to the linguistic drift and misinterpretation, the Great Bear Polar Circle remains hidden for most practitioners. If one retraced to an older practice of the Five Animal frolics, one can still see the original lumbering Gait of a black bear frolic swaying side to side. If Taiji Quan did evolve from the Five animal frolics then the Taiji form must contain within its structure a Bear movement. It is my most sincere wish that you could discover it for yourself the Bear movement within the Taiji Form.
Such discovery re-connects me to the ancient Complete Reality Sect of Taoist Ritual and opens my eyes to the depth of Taiji practice. That the very functioning of the Taiji form is a Shamanistic journey of recreating the Heavenly drama of the Ursula Major constellation which contained the Big Dipper.
With the Great Bear Rite as part of my practice of Taiji movements, this transported my consciousness to a level that is universal. My body became part of the Cosmo. The movements took on a numinous quality. Sometime, when I practiced late at night I could almost hear the song of the stars. Suddenly, the meaning of Taiji—Supreme Ultimate revealed to me as the universal movements of unifying between human and the whole of the Universe. At that moment, my body became utterly transparent and different part of the body lights up.
From my own meager experience of the Grand Ultimate—Taiji, I entered the vast field of Taoist Alchemical cultivation. It is this transformation from the profane physical movements into the sacred Taoist rite that the power of the Great Bear Step becomes so necessary."
- Sat Chuen Hon, Founder of Dan Tao, 2001.
Also, refer to my webpage on the Five
Animal Frolics
Beginning BaGua Qigong Practices
First BaGua Qigong Exercise
Qi Still and Step on the Earth - Charging the Tan Tien Qi
[Bracy, 1998]
Preparation Posture [Liang, 1994 and Wu Ji]
Second BaGua Qigong Exercise
Extend Energy Through the Middle Basin [Bracy, 1998]
Nourish Elixir Posture [Liang, 1994 and Embrace
the One]
Third BaGua Qigong Exercise
Young Man Shoulders the Mountain [Bracy, 1998]
Push Mill Posture [Liang, 1994]
Fourth BaGua Qigong Exercise
Embrace the Moon - Turning the Joints Outward [Bracy,
1998]
Rotate Palm Posture [Liang, 1994]
"Embrace the Moon" Baguazhang Qigong Posture
Fifth BaGua Qigong Exercise
Bear Lifts Roof [Bracy, 1998]
Spiral and Rotate Posture [Liang, 1994]
Sixth BaGua Qigong Exercise
Lion Holds Ball [Bracy, 1998]
Twist Turning Posture [Liang, 1994]
Seventh BaGua Qigong Exercise
Lotus Palm [Bracy, 1998]
Bore and Turn Posture [Liang, 1994]
Eighth BaGua Qigong Exercise
Acquire the Heart Palm [Bracy,
1998]
Closing Gong Posture [Liang, 1994]
"Acquire the Heart Palm" Baguazhang Qigong Posture
Reference Sources for Beginning BaGua Qigong Practices
Bracy 1998 Ba Gua: Hidden Knowledge in the Taoist Internal Martial Art. By
John Bracy
and Liu Xing-Han. The Bagua Qigong set is described on
pages 65-74. All exercises in this set are done while walking the circle. Only one
photograph
for each exercise is provided.
Liang 1994: Baguazhang (Emei Baguazhang): Theory and Applications. By Liang,
Master
Shou-Yu, and Wu, Wen-Ching, and Yang, Jwing-Ming.
The "Bagua Turning-Spinning Qigong," is found on pp. 36-151. The
qigong
instructions Include detailed descriptions, multiple photographs for each exercise, and translations of Chinese texts. Only the last exercise
in this
set is done while walking the circle.
Basic Eight Palm Postures Circle Walking
1. Fierce Tiger Comes Out of the
Mountain
2. Big Roc Spreads Out Its Wings
3. Lion Opens Its Mouth
4. White Ape Presents the Peach
5. Embrace the Moon
6. Black Bear Stretches Out Its Paw
7. Pointing to Heaven and Plunging to Earth
8. Green Dragon Stretches Out Its Claws
The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang: The Art and Legends of the Eight Trigram Palm. By Frank Allen and Tina Chunna Zhang. pp. 74-82. From the Cheng Style of Bagua Zhang.
Online Videos on Bagua Quan
Bagua Training
UTube, 6:56 min.
Bagua Zhang Swimming Dragon. Demonstration by Master Han Yan Wu. UTube, 3:01 min.
Sun Lu Tang's Swimming Dragon Baguazhang. Demo by Sifu Joshua Brown. UTTube, 3:09 min.
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Coming |
Coming |
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Lion Interlocking
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Lion Interlocking |
Lion Palm Gan YangYang Fire Lion Opens Its Mouth Head Above the Shoulder |
Coming | Coming |
 Sun Xun 巽 Wind 風 |
Phoenix Windmill |
Phoenix Windmill |
Wind Mill Palm Xun Yinyang Water Roc Roc Spreads Its Wings Middle and Lower Back Lower Edge of the Shoulder bone to the Pelvis |
Coming | Coming |
 K'an 坎 Water 水 West |
Snake Moving with the Force |
Snake Moving with the Force |
Moving with Force Palm Kan Yinyin Water Snake White Snake Slithers Through the Grass Kidney Kidneys and Bladder System |
Coming | Coming |
 Ken Gen 艮 Mountain 山 |
Bear Turning the Back |
Bear Turning the Back |
Turning the Back Palm Gen Yangyin Earth Bear Black Bear Comes Out from the Cave Back Lower Edge of the Shoulder Bone to the Shoulder |
Coming | Coming |
 K'un 坤 Earth 地 North |
Unicorn Reversing the Body |
Unicorn Qilin or Chilin Reversing the Body |
Reversing Body Palm Kun Yinyin Earth Chilin Chilin Swallows the Book Abdomen Below the Diaphragm |
Coming | Coming |
 Chen Zhen | |||||
