Pakua

The pa kua or ba gua ('eight states of change') is the name given to a symbol of Chinese origin composed of eight trigrams (groupings of three lines, one above the other, some whole and others cut) arranged in a certain way around of a center, the yin-yang.

八卦, in Chinese

pakua in Wade-Giles

pinyin: bāguà

The translation of the Chinese words, pa means 'eight', and kua 'mutations', 'transformations' or 'changes'. Each of the eight states of change is represented by three lines, which can be complete or broken, yang or yin (⚊ or ⚋). According to legend, it was the mythical Chinese emperor Fu-Hi who saw the existence of similarities between the marks inscribed on the shell of a turtle on the banks of the Yellow River and the constellations in the sky. From this observation, he created the eight trigrams, which govern the universal laws, the order of the world, the phenomena of nature, and the human being. Each trigram is related to one of the eight cardinal points.1 There are many ways to order the trigrams; the one exemplified below emphasizes their family structure.

Meaning

CH'IEN (☰), Three superimposed lines, represents Heaven and the father. It reigns in the south.

K'UN (☷), Three overlapping broken lines, represents the Earth and the mother. It reigns in the north.

CHEN (☳), A solid line at the base and two cracks above, represents the thunder and the eldest son. It reigns in the northeast.

K'AN (☵), Two broken lines and a continuous line in the center, represents water and the middle child. It reigns in the west.

KEN (☶), Two overlapping broken lines and one continuous above, represents the mountain and the youngest son. It reigns in the northwest.

SUN (☴), A broken line at the base with two continuous lines on top, represents the wind and the eldest daughter. It reigns in the Southwest.

LI (☲), A broken line in the middle of two continuous lines, represents fire and the daughter in the middle. It reigns in the east.

TUI (☱), Two superimposed solid lines, with a broken line on top, represents the lake and the youngest daughter. It reigns in the southeast.

(Remark: The compass directions are those of the "early sky sequence". The diagram shown alongside represents the "late sky sequence".)

Pa Kua Chang

Pa Kua Chang exercises

Pa Kua Chang (Baguazhang) is one of the traditional Kung fu systems that was jealously guarded by the masters of China, and they have believed in the need to offer it to the world through their most qualified disciples as a dissemination tool. effective. It is well known to most martial artists that within Pa Kua Chang Kung fu there is a characteristic feature that distinguishes it from other martial methods, and that is its famous circle walk. Students of the system spend hours walking in a circle trying to understand and perfect the step called Tang Ni Bu, which develops the ability to slide and interact with the opponent.

Another distinctive feature is the use of the palm (Zhang) as a boxing tool. In this regard, it is important to clarify something that most people believe with respect to Pa Kua Chang, and it is the fact of assigning exclusively the aforementioned use of the palm within the Pa Kua techniques, and this is wrong. What is correct, is that Pa Kua Boxing contains approximately 80% use of the palms and, in addition, uses the fist in different tactics of this boxing.

The use of the palms within the system contains a technical thought of the proper use of YIN power as opposed to the characteristic strength attributed to the fist. It comes from the circulating energy within and through the tendons. This is the basic technique thinking. In this way, Pa Kua Chang's stylist can "reach" in the attack, not only the opponent's body but also affect his blood (trying to hit his energy in an internal sense).

Circle walk

Circular walking style or method

The best way to train this art is undoubtedly the circular walk. My Sifu, Master Huang Zhi Cheng, one of the most famous and respected masters of traditional Pa Kua Chang in China, always emphasizes that one should keep practicing the most basic of the art, which is precisely his circular walk.

This apparently simple technique has very specific martial (defensive) possibilities, as long as its training is directed and observed by a "true" Master of Pa Kua Chang. Its benefit is martial, but in addition it has the particularity of fortifying health, through the circular steps of the feet, constant repetitions of the exercises, samples of rapid changes in the direction of the techniques, sessions of stationary exercises aimed at mastering our Chi, and the development of the capacities coming from the Dantian, thus reaching a balance between Internal and External training.

In its development, we find innumerable techniques performed with the palms of the hands, which are "monitored" with the activity of the "eyes", at the same time that the circular steps of our "feet" contain the ability to move and exercise the "trunk", the movements of arms - trunk - legs, exercise our "joints", which are underpinned by the work of our "muscles". Thus, undoubtedly our External aspect is diligently trained: head, eyes, arms, hands, trunk, legs, feet, ... etc.

Eight animal figures

In the Pa Kua Chang - Baguanzhang (palm of the eight trigrams) the eight animal figures used in the style are used:

QUIAN trigram (Sky): symbolic animal Lion. Body part: head. The lion, an animal not native to China, became part of the mystical zoo of Chinese martial arts from Buddhist ideas. At the entrance to temples or palaces, two lions guard the entrance: the male holds a ball, and the female touches a lion cub. This animal means vigilance, strength, courage. Despite their languor (they sleep up to 20 hours a day, there are lucky ones) as soon as something attracts their attention, they immediately raise their majestic head to observe, hence the bagua is assigned the trigram Heaven, which corresponds to the head .

The eight trigram figures of animals

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KUN trigram (Earth): symbolic animal: Chinese unicorn (qilin); body part: belly (Dantian). The Chinese unicorn is a legendary animal that symbolized the occurrence of something unusual, magical. It moved at night, between mountains and represents the Yin energy. Sun Lu Tang wrote: "The unicorn is a benevolent animal. It uses the technique of the flying body and resorts to unfathomable transformations."

KAN (Water) trigram. Symbolic animal: Snake; body part: kidneys. The snake draws all its strength from the spinal column, curls around itself to keep its Qi intact, and in winter it gathers itself, so as not to lose its Yang. In the body, the energy that controls the spine, the bones in general arises from the kidneys, so practicing the snake pose will strengthen the renal system and the adrenal glands.

Trigram LI (Fire). Symbolic animal: hawk. Body part: heart. The Chinese hawk "Yao" is a small raptor (that fits in a fist) of extreme agility, speed and power in the wings. It is capable of climbing absolutely vertically towards the sky, and entering a deep forest avoiding the most leafy branches. Hence, her cardiovascular system is thought to be exceptional. Practicing the hawk movement, which includes a vertically upward flick of the fingertips, (mimicking the bird ascending to the sky) helps open the front of the rib cage (sternum) allowing the heart to settle into the chest and lower tensions, both in the heart muscle and emotions.

ZHEN trigram (Wood, Thunder). Symbolic animal: Dragon. Body part: liver. The dragon is the symbolic animal that announces spring, rebirth, the growth of plants, so in the body it is equated with the wood organ, the liver. Practicing the dragon pose (a movement in which the arms are kept horizontal on both sides as if holding two cups of tea) allows, by separating the ribs, the liver has room to move its energy, while stimulating the end points of liver meridians.

GEN trigram (Mountain). Symbolic animal: Tiger (sometimes Bear). Body part: shoulder blades. The tiger attracts attention for its relaxed power, for its calm and concentration. It is impressive to see how he walks: he moves smoothly, with his shoulder blades going up and down alternately. If you have seen traditional Chinese paintings that represent tigers, you will always see them coming down from a rock, or from a mountain, because you have to represent the strength of the tiger, which resides on its back. Practicing the tiger movement opens the shoulder blades, allowing great ease in the back, a sudden release of very comfortable force and a lot of relaxation (opening and lowering the shoulder blades is a secret point of attention for all Taiji practitioners).

Trigram XUN (Wind): symbolic animal: Phoenix. Body part: spine (especially lumbar). According to Taoist physiology, energy passes through the gaps in the spine quickly and powerfully, just as a stream of air can find the smallest gap and seep through it. The movement of the Phoenix (mystical bird that could travel thirty-six thousand kilometers with a single flap) induces the "wind" in the column, speeding up movement and eliminating tension. The free, loose and light spine is a special tool for all martial artists.

DUI trigram (Lake, Metal). Symbolic animal: Monkey. Body part: lungs. The way monkeys move, with their arms lowered in front of the body (even resting their hands on the ground) coupled with the fact that they never catch a cold (comment made by a Chinese veterinary acupuncturist) allowed the ancient Taoists to associate the picture of the monkey to have a very strong respiratory system. Monkey poses in Baguazhang allow the upper back to be rounded to unblock the muscle tension around the lungs (which are closer to the back than to the chest; and if not, where does the doctor place the stethoscope to listen to the lungs? ).

Characteristics of the forms

Technically speaking, it begins with the provision of the correct step called Shuang AnZhang, which indicates the way to preserve balance by providing fluidity and strength in the structure of the step. Among the characteristic forms that this school of Pa Kua Chang develops, is the multiple use of the skills of the legs.

This comes from the inheritance left by Master Yin Fu, who was an excellent "kicker", the combinations of his kicks were truly agile and fast (a curious question about it, is that many people ignore the kicking skills (Tuey) within of Pa Kua Chang). In this case, Pa Kua's legs have such enriching characteristics not only linked to the action of kicking, but also developing different abilities (some similar to arms).

In the forms themselves, there are transitions between the methods of the Pa Kua Chang and the methods of Shaolin Boxing, coexisting a variety of circles and displacements that develop a large number of boxing techniques of an enriching spectrum. This school uses distinctively in its forms an image of the palm called Niu He Zhang (ox tongue palm). It fulfills purely offensive and devastating boxing functions.

Suggestively, different "forms" of palms, insistently attack several of the 360 ​​points of contact with severe damage in the human body, and each one of these palms is nourished by a special technique that arises through the continuous and constant change of the spiral exercise. similar to the sea serpent or the dragon.

Another contribution from Master Yin Fu is the Chin Na Shu technique within the parameters of art. There is a knowledge that said master had perfected a rare grip, known as the Iron Bracelet technique, which had the peculiarity of smashing the wrist of the occasional opponent.

Among the forms with weapons studied in the heritage of the school, we can mention some that were liked by Master Yin Fu, such as the Yin Yang Brushes (used within the "Cascade Hands" techniques), the Ziwu Yue Blades, or the so-called Ziwu Yuanyan Yue (preferred by the G: M. Dong Hai Chuan), the Bagua Dao (Great Saber characteristic of Pa Kua), and weapons such as Bagua Jian (the Great Two-handed Sword), etc.

In an outstanding way, I wish to inform that this school of ancient tradition is the one who preserves the knowledge and study of some of its internal forms through the use of "Stone Balls" of different sizes and weights, which increase the skills found in the stylists of the Pa Kua Chang in ancient times. The correct execution of his movements has been jealously preserved in it, to be transmitted from master to disciple only. With the exposed elements, it is simpler to understand the forms of Pa Kua Chang, or the idea of ​​its operation as boxing art, or in any case a better approach to it.

The Pa Kua Chang was the system chosen and used (for its effectiveness) to escort the ancient merchant caravans and the collection of taxes in ancient China, as well as the art that took care of the backs of Chinese Emperors (such as the case of the Empress Dowager during the Boxer Revolution in 1900, being Master Yin Fu himself who did it, as well as the art chosen for Chairman Mao's bodyguards, in the People's Republic of China.