Bagua is an internal martial art and a form of moving meditation. It teaches you how to generate and store power in your body and how to express it in different ways. This post and video teach you four new ways of developing power through the bagua circle walking practice. https://youtu.be/B9NAtCzKmL8… Sorry but to access this course or article you will need a relevant subscription. CLICK HERE to get your […]
Although bagua is famous for its circle walking practices it is during the changes of direction that the magic really happens. There are many methods of changing direction. Each develops different skills. Some of them are very simple, others very complicated and challenging. The video below will show several key ones. Practice diligently until the movements are smooth, balanced and effortless and require no thought on your part. https://youtu.be/38ZD9emILIQ… Sorry […]
For thousands of years the Chinese have cultivated silk. Silk is a very delicate material to work with. To draw a silken thread out of a cocoon the action must be very smooth and even with no jerkiness or changes of direction. Otherwise the thread will snap. Too fast and the silk breaks, too slow and it sticks to itself and becomes tangled. The concept of reeling silk has been […]
Fan Chang is an arm movement that takes power from a rotation of the legs and waist and projects it out through the palms. With practice you open up the energy channels and can feel a strong connection of energy all the way up from feet to palms. Rotation is extremely important in baguazhang. Being able to rotate in a way that is balanced, coordinated and integrated is essential for […]
Improve your strength, balance and stamina Train your mind to remain calm through this moving meditation practice Open your joints through the twisting and coiling movements of baguazhang Become light-footed and sure-footed Baguazhang (pronounced bag-wa-jang), or bagua (pakua) for short, is a fascinating practice of moving meditation and self development that became the most sought after martial art in China. This post, and the video at the end of it […]
These are the as yet undescribed movements of the final section of the form. Some of the pics below also feature the great master Professor Cheng Man Ching who developed this form and is widely recognised as one of the greatest tai chi masters of the twentieth century From single whip go down into descending single whip aka snake creeps down. From here bring your weight forward onto your left […]
Learning to move in fluid wave-like patterns is good for your health, open your joints and allows power to flow through you in the most efficient way. The tai chi move ‘push’ is an ideal move to incorporate this wave movement. Do practice the basic move first. Then check out the video below. https://youtu.be/SEfnzU7fNpk… Sorry but to access this course or article you will need a relevant subscription. CLICK HERE […]
The heaven figure 8 stepping pattern is very useful for tai chi practitioners to learn and essential for students of Jade Dragon Kung Fu. It forms a part of many of our styles and movements. You will find it in our leaping tiger form and discover many ways to use it. Practice the static heaven figure 8 until you have mastered it first before you even attempt to do it […]
This is the longest single movement in the tai chi form and takes up most of the fifth section. The practitioner steps out to all 4 diagonals, blocks up and pushes outwards then draws his energy back in. The arms The arms are fairly easy to understand. From a ‘holding the ball’ position you raise your lower hand turning it palm outwards as you do so that the fingers are […]
In both tai chi and kung fu our aim is for power to flow through the body and out again. Energy usually travels in waves so by creating wave movements we can prevent ourselves tensing up and let the movement flow. The power this can generate is enormous yet effortless. It also teaches you to move your arms in ways that don’t hold tension in your chest, neck, back or […]
This is the second of the two figure of eight arm movements. In a previous post we covered the heaven figure 8 movement. This one goes the opposite way round. Both movements have the following benefits They open, relax and exercise your shoulders They teach you to move your body as one connected unit They help develop the twisting, wavelike power that is the hallmark of all good Chinese movement […]
The fourth section of the form is possibly the most physically demanding as part of it is done on one leg. The second half can be challenging regarding the footwork. Anyway, here is how it all fits together. Practice Practice Practice… Sorry but to access this course or article you will need a relevant subscription. CLICK HERE to get your Basic membership access (£8pm) CLICK HERE to get your Intermediate […]