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Pa Kua Chang

Vol. 4, No. 6

J O U R N A L

$3.

IN THIS ISSUE:

The Circle Walk Practice

of Ba Gua Zhang

Advanced Circle Walking:

Training to Fight

What is Ba Gua Zhang?

Ba GuaZhang's CircleWalk Practice

Sept/Oct 1994

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Pa Kua Chang

J O U R N A L

About the Pa Kua Chang Journal

The Pa Kua Chang Journalis published sixtimes a year. Each issue features an interview

with, or article by, one or more Ba Gua Zhanginstructor(s) from mainland China, Taiwan, theUnited States, and/or Canada. The interviews

will report on each instructor's background,current program, training methods and teachingphilosophy. By utilizing this format, the intentionis to give students an opportunity to get to knowprospective teachers and to let teachers possiblygain insights and ideas from learning about theactivities of their colleagues.

Chinese names and terms will be romanizedusing the pinyin system of romanization except

when an instructor prefers his name romanized

differently. The title of the Journal appearsin the Wade Giles system of romanization asit was the system we started with and we keptthe original title. Whenever possible, Chinesecharacters will be listed in parentheses followingthe rst appearance of Chinese terms and namesin each article.

The ideas and opinions expressed in thisjournal are those of the instructors be inginterviewed and not necessarily the views of thepublisher or editor.

We solicit comments and/or suggestions. All Rights Reserved, High View Publications.

The authors and publisher of this Journalare not responsible for any injury which mayresult from following the instructions containedherein. Before embarking on any of thephysical activities described in this Journal, thereader should consult his or her physician foradvice regarding their individual suitability forperforming such activity.

Published bi-monthly by High View Publications,P.O. Box 51967, Pacic Grove, CA 93950Phone: (408) 655-2990Fax: (408) 655-4984Editor: Dan MillerISSN: 1065-2264

On the Cover

Eighty-ve year old Ba Gua Zhang instructorLiu Xing Han practices the Ba Gua circle walk inBeijing's Temple of Heaven Park (Oct 1991).

Thanks for the Continued Support

I want to thank those individuals who havecontinued to support my articles on traditionalmartial arts instruction. I have received toomany letters and phone messages to reply toeveryone individually. Please know that yourcomments are appreciated. The overwhelming positive response I havereceived concerning these articles confirmsmy original assumption that most of the Ba

Gua practitioners in this country are verytired of wushu dance routines and "new age,""metaphysical," "esoteric" martial arts. I thinkit is fine if the dancers want to go to theirtournaments and dance and the new agers wantto follow their teacher off to fantasy island and

believe that reading auras, getting in touch withyour "inner child," and trying to push peopleover without touching them has anything to do

with real martial arts skill. But I am very happyto see that most of you want to live in the real

world and learn real martial arts. The support I have received for these articles

has not only been from subscribers in thiscountry. I've received letters and faxes fromEurope, Brazil, and Asia. One of our Chinesesubscribers in Taiwan liked the rst article somuch that he translated it into Chinese andsubmitted it to Li Yu Mei magazine (Taiwan'sleading martial arts magazine). Li Yu Mei will

be printing the article later this year. I guesspeople all over the world are getting a little tiredof "modern wushu." This issue is my response to those to thoseclosed-minded individuals who like think that

"my way is the only way." Those who think thatthere is only one correct way to walk the circle, orone correct way to execute single palm change,or only one way to do anything in Ba Gua areliving in a very isolated little world. Hopefullythis issue will allow them to see that there ismore than one way to skin a cat.

Editor's Corner

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The Circle Walk Practice of Ba Gua Zhang

In Ba Gua Zhang, mobility is primary.Store then release, evade then return,

False and true change inside the steps.Move like the wind . . .

So begins the Song of Ba Gua Zhang handeddown by the arts founder Dong Hai Chuan ( )over a century ago.1 Its message to practitioners isclear - practice the footwork! While there are a varietyof footwork components which are practiced by theBa Gua Zhang practitioner, the major component istrained while the practitioner walks in a circle, ormultiple circles, and thus the circle walking practicehas become the trademark of Ba Gua Zhang. While onegoal of training the circular footwork is to develop Ba

Gua Zhangs characteristic evasiveness and mobility incombat, the depth of this practice reaches far beyondits application in self-defense. A good Ba Gua Zhang practitioner spends a lotoftime walking in circles; the question on everyone elseslips is, Why are you doing that? If Kwai Chang Cainepracticed Ba Gua Zhang his answer to this questionmight be something like, Those who practice will know.

Those who dont practice will never know. A veryshort answer which holds a lot of truth, however, sinceI cant ll up the rest of this article with a ashback tomy youth at the Shaolin Temple, I guess I will have tocome up with something a little more concrete.

The Ba Gua Zhang practitioner will benet in manyways from the circle walk practice. Health, longevity,body strength, stamina, coordination, balance, Qicultivation, calming of the mind, mental concentration,mobility in combat, body/mind unity, stillness inmotion, etc. - all of these aspects of physical, mental,and spiritual* health can be improved through simplecircle walking. As third generation Ba Gua Zhanginstructor Li Zi Ming ( ) states in his book LiangZhen Pu Eight Diagram Palm, When cultivated tothe highest level of prociency, circle walking servesto regulate physiological functions by balancingmetabolism, improving the physical constitution andenhancing the overall health. Therefore, it is not onlya way to maintain health, but also a key to longevity.Furthermore, it is a good method for vanquishingenemies.2 As Li lived to be 92 years of age, he cancertainly validate the longevity claim. Every system of Ba Gua Zhang containsnumerous variations to the circle walking practice.

While certain principles are always adhered to while

walking the circle, variations on the theme are manIn this article we will explore the history of Ba Guacircle walk practice, examine the underlying principle

which are common to all circle walking methods, anthen take a look at some of the many variations the circle walk practice available to Ba Gua Zhanpractitioners.

Origins of the Circle Walk Practicein Ba Gua Zhang

The art of Ba Gua Zhang was developed during thmid 1800s by Dong Hai Chuan, however, the circ

walk practice which he used as a basis for his awas developed by Daoists long before Dong combinethis practice with his martial arts training. ExplorinDongs discovery of this Daoist practice may help threader understand some of the benets the Ba GuZhang stylist derives from this practice and therefor

before we discuss the practice itself we will take look at its origin.

* When we refer to "spirit" or "spiritual" here we are notspeaking in religious terms. The term is use here in thecontext of describing one's individual spirit as it is dened inChinese Medicine. It relates to a quality of vitality

Ba Gua Zhang instructor Sha Guo Cheng(1904-1992) walks the circle holding the"Rubbing Body Palm" posture

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While conducting research for his mastersdegree thesis on the origins of Ba Gua Zhang during1980-1982, Professor Kang Ge Wu ( ) of Beijing,China, discovered the following concerning Ba GuaZhangs origins3: Dong Hai Chuans ancestors were originally fromHun Dong County in Shanxi Province. Close to the endof the Ming Dynasty the clan started moving North,

rst ending up in Gou Sheng County, Hebei Province.From there the family split into two branches, one wentto Kai Ko village and the other went to Wen An (both inHebei). Several generations later (around 1813), youngDong Hai Chuan was born in Ju Jia Wu township,

Wen An, Hebei. Around the same time, another Dong,known as Dong Xian Zhou ( ), was born in Kai Ko

village (he will become important later in the story). In Ju Jia Wu township, there were two predominantfamilies, the Dongs and the Lis. The Li family wasliterary, a few of them passed examinations and becamegovernment ofcials. The Dong family was poor, butthat was all right with young Hai Chuan because he

was only interested in practicing martial arts, notstudying for scholarly examinations. It is not knownexactly which arts Dong studied when he was young,however, it was most likely some form of indigenousNorthern Shaolin. Systems that were known to have

been practiced in Wen An around that time were: BaFan Quan( ), Hong Quan( ),Xing Men Quan( ), and Jin Gang Quan ( ). It is said thatDong practiced hard and gained a reputation as askilled martial artist. For some unknown reason, the Lis had a rivalry

with Dong Hai Chuan. The Li family, being ofcials,had friends in high places and used their inuence to

persecute Dong. Eventually he grew tired of the Lgames and decided to leave Wen An in about 1853. Athis point in Dongs life, the story becomes vague. Hmost likely went from Wen An to Kai Ko to live withis relatives. Remember Dong Xian Zhou? It turnout that he was also a martial arts enthusiast and ha

become very well known in and around his village fhis skill at Ba Fan Quan. He was so well known th

bandits in the area avoided his village so they wounot have to confront him. It is very possible th

while in Kai Ko, Dong Hai Chuan studied Ba Fan Quawith his relative Dong Xian Zhou. Professor Kanginvestigation of Ba Fan Quanrevealed that many of thmovements and techniques of this style can be founin Dong Hai Chuans Ba Gua Zhang. After leaving Kai Ko, Dong continued south. Reporhave him stopping in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, and athe Da Ba mountain area somewhere along the bordof Shaanxi and Sichuan. Although Kang was unabto determine exactly where Dong went and what hdid during his travels, the one pertinent piece information that Kang was able to uncover was thsomewhere along the way Dong became a member the Quan Zhen ( - Complete Truth)* sect of Daoism

This sect was part of the Long Men ( - Dragon Gatschool of Daoism which was originated by Qiu ChanChun ( ). Interestingly enough, Qiu also inventea method of meditation whereby the practitioner wou

walk in a circle and, wouldnt you know, this methowas practiced by the Quan Zhensect. Delving furthinto this Daoist connection, Kang was able to nd section in the Daoist Canon which reads:

A persons heart and mind are in chaos.Concentration on one thing makes the mind pure.

If one aspires to reach the Dao, one should practicwalking in a circle.

This bit of evidence inspired Kang to try and nd omore about the circle walk meditation method practice

by the Quan Zhen Daoists. What he discovered wathat this practice, which the Daoists called Zhuan TiaZun ( - Rotating in Worship of Heaven) is vesimilar in principle to the circle walk practice of BGua Zhang. Researching Wang Jun Baos book, DaoiMethod of Walking the Circle, Kang found that whi

walking, the Daoists repeated one of two mantras. Thrst of these mantras was used in the morning practi

and translates to mean When Rotating in Worsh

*The Quan Zhensect of Daoism can be traced back to thTang period (eighth century) in China. It evolved as one the two main schools of Daoism. The other main school, thof the "Heavenly Masters," has been passed on hereditarisince the Han Dynasty. The Quan Zhensect was based othe Buddhist model of monastic communities. The Westermissionaries in China refered to the Quan ZhenDaoist as th"Daoist popes." In 1222 Genghis Khan's religious teachQiu Chang Chun, a Quan Zhen Daoist, was installed bGenhis as head of the religious Chinese. (Reference: ThTaoist Body, by Kristofer Schipper, translated by Karen

Duval, University of California Press, 1993.

Professor Kang Ge Wu (left) of Beijing, China,interviews Daoists to investigate the origins of the

circle walk practice

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of Heaven, the sound of thunder is everywhere andtransforms everything. The second mantra was usedin the evening practice and translates to mean WhenRotating in Worship of Heaven, the great void savesus from the hardship of existence. It was said thatthe practitioner should repeat the mantra with eachmovement in the circle walk practice so that onereplaces ones myriad thoughts with a single thought inorder to calm and ease ones mind. The Daoists saidthat in walking the circle the bodys movements should

be unied and the practitioner strives for "stillness in

motion." This practice was described as a method oftraining the body while harnessing the spirit. When instructing his students Dong Hai Chuan

was noted as saying, Training martial arts ceaselesslyis inferior to walking the circle. In Ba Gua Zhangthe circle walk practice is the font of all training.Ba Gua Zhang instructors instruct their students to

walk the circle with the spirit, Qi, intent, and powerconcentrated on a single goal. This is similar to theDaoist method whereby one clears the mind with asingle thought. Although Ba Gua Zhangs circle walkpractice trains footwork to be used in ghting, it alsoshares the Daoists goals of creating stillness in motion

and developing the body internally. The general requirements of the Daoist practice

was to walk with the body natural and the movementscomfortable. The practitioner strived to achieve afeeling of balance while moving slowly. The Daoistpractitioners were to walk slowly and gently in sucha manner that their Daoist robes were only slightlydisturbed by the walking movement. The Daoistsstarted the practice on the Eastern side of the circle

with their body facing North. After three revolutions,they walked through the center of the circle to theother side following an S shaped pattern like that

described by the Tai Jidiagram (see illustration). Thethen reversed the direction and walked South to Wes

There was no set circle size. The size of the circwas determined by the practice area. As most Ba GuZhang practitioners know, the Ba Gua Zhang circ

walking practice is very similar. The practitioner wusually start in the East and face North. In mosystems the beginning practitioner will walk slowlincreasing speed gradually. The requirements comfortable, natural movements while walking in

balanced, smooth manner with no bobbing or weavinare the same as in the Daoist method. While the BGua Zhang practitioner employs numerous methodin changing the direction of the circle walk, the Tai diagram pattern is one of the many changing pattern

which is practiced by most major schools of Ba GuZhang today. Convinced that Dong Hai Chuan had learned thDaoist circle walk practice as a member of the QuaZhenDaoist sect and had then integrated this practic

with the martial arts he had learned in his youth form Ba Gua Zhang, Kang Ge Wu began to researcthe arts that Dong was known to have practiced to seif he could detect similarities. Since the Dong fami

was known for its Ba Fan Quanand thus Kang wafairly certain that Dong Hai Chuan had studied this ain his youth, Kang investigated the forms and postureof this art with the elderly practitioners of today. N

Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park has worn dirtpaths around many of the trees from the practic

of circle walking

1

2

3

Footwork method for changing directions on thecircle in the Daoist circle walking practice of the

Quan Zhen sect

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only did he discover that Ba Fan Quantechniquesrely heavily on the use of palm striking, he also foundthat many of the postures and movements of Ba FanQuanare identical to Ba Gua Zhang. Included in Kangsthesis are photographs of Ba Fan Quanpractitioners'postures compared to Ba Gua Zhang postures found inBa Gua Zhang books by third generation practitionersGuo Gu Min ( ), Sun Lu Tang ( ), Sun Xi Kun( ) and Huang Bo Nian ( ). He concluded that

many of the Ba Gua Zhang postures and movementsare identical to those found in Ba Fan Quan,Xing Men,Hong Quan, andJin Gang Quan. Having found no solid evidence to prove otherwise,Kang concluded that Dong Hai Chuan was the originatorof Ba Gua Zhang. He states that after practicing thecircle walk practice with the Daoists, Dong recognizedthe utility of this footwork and body movement inmartial arts. Kang believes that Dong Hai Chuansgenius was in coming up with a system of martial arts

whereby the practitioner could deliver powerful strikeswhile remaining in constant motion. Due to Ba GuaZhangs combination of unique footwork and body

mechanics, the Ba Gua Zhang stylist never has tostop moving. The feet are in continuous motion even

when applying a block or strike. Kang said that Dongsdevelopment of the Kou Bu ( - hooking step) andBai Bu ( - swinging step) footwork in directionalchanges was also an important addition.

The Circle Walking Method

Practitioners who have studied Ba Gua Zhangfor any length of time are no doubt very familiar with

Ba Gua Zhangs circle walkinpractice. Walking the circle is thcornerstone of the art, all systemof Ba Gua Zhang practice thmethod and thus walking in circle has become Ba Gua Zhangtrademark. However, even thougthe circle walking practice common to all major systems, student who has studied the afrom a variety of different teachecan quickly become frustrate

when trying to investigate exacthow the circle walking practice performed.

There are at least a dozedifferent circle walk steppintechniques and each teachseems to have his or her owdetailed criteria for practicinthese techniques. Investigatinthe art of circle walking, one ma

run across some of the followinthe lion step, the dragon step, thchicken step, the tiger step, thsnake step, the crane step, th

rippling step, the mud walking step, the shake stethe stomp step, the hesitation step, the continuoustep, the sliding step, the digging heel step, the glidinstep, and even steps such as the camel step and thelephant step. Some of these are different namedescribing the same step and others are steps useonly for specic leg strength and body training. On

will also encounter Ba Gua Zhang schools who wathe circle painstakingly slow and others who walk ve

fast. Then one may also encounter the lower, middland upper basin walking positions along with a wid

variety of upper body postures one might assume whiwalking. Additionally, there are various sizes ancombinations of circles as well as different grounsurfaces and apparatus (such as bricks, poles, ostones) that the practitioner will walk on. To th

beginning student who simply wants to know how walk the circle and why circle walking is important, aof this may seem very confusing. The truth is that the circle walking technique w

vary depending upon the result one intends to derivfrom the practice. There is no one "correct" metho

Every school of Ba Gua which is teaching a compleart will have a wide variety of circle walking method

which they practice and each method will be designefor a specic training purpose. Some practitionerlike the Daoists, practice for meditative purposes anthus the walking will be slow and steady with the mincalm and focused; others practice to build leg strengtand thus the posture is very low and the step is sucthat the legs work very hard; others practice to improvstability and balance while in motion and thus thstepping foot is lifted high while the practitioner moveslowly; others practice to improve cardiovascula

endurance and develop a high degree of mobility and

Ba Gua Zhang instructor Li Zi ming (1900 - 1992) of Beijing,China, holds the "Millstone" posture. This is the basic circle

walking arm position.

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thus the walking is very fast and the directional changesare frequent; others practice to develop a balanced Qiow in the body and thus the movement and breathingis very smooth, the dan tianis stable, and the steppingmethod facilitates a full circulation of Qifrom head-to-toe; others practice to build upper body strength andfull body connection and thus the various upper bodypostures are held for long periods of time, consequentlythe change of direction is infrequent and the walkingposition is at a middle or upper level so the legs will not

tire before the arms. While some practitioners mightpractice only one of these methods, others practicemany of them. Practice method depends on whatcomponent of martial arts development the practitionerdesires to improve or at what stage of developmentin the training process the individual practitionerhas reached. While Ba Gua Zhang practitioners will sometimesargue about the correct circle walking technique,the fact of the matter is that there is not one correct

way to practice this exercise. Those that believe thatthere is only one way to walk the circle have only beenintroduced to a very small portion of a vast art form.

The incompleteness of their training leads to ignorance.There are, in fact, many valid techniques utilized incircle walk practice, the technique used depends onthe results desired. The primary guidelines in practiceinvolve maintaining a relaxed, comfortable posture andfocused intention while walking. If these guidelines arefollowed, variations on the theme are endless. Because Ba Gua Zhang is an internal familymartial art, the primary guidelines one will followduring practice are; (1) to allow the body to feel natural,relaxed, comfortable, and connected when walkingthe circle so that one can encourage a balanced

ow of energy in the body and stabilize the body toimprove balance in motion, (2) to walk smoothly andcontinuously so that the body does not waiver, bob or

wobble and the overall ow of the movement is alwayssmooth and continuous, never choppy (even when thepractitioner changes rhythm and speed or executes afa jing( ) maneuver, the movement ows smoothly),and (3) to maintain focused intention so that the mindand body are in harmony.

Tension restricts the ow of Qi and throws the bodyoff balance; a comfortable, relaxed body and focusedmind promotes a balanced ow of Qi, a stable, mobile

body, and facilitates quick movement. Additionally,

if the practitioner feels natural and comfortable, lessfatigue will be experienced and the practitioner canpractice longer. Even practitioners who practice todevelop upper body and/or leg strength should try toremain relaxed and comfortable while experiencing themuscle fatigue. Important points which most teachersstress to the beginner are all aimed at allowing the

body to feel relaxed and comfortable while maintainingcertain structural alignments. In the chapter entitledExercise Method Conforms to Natural Principles inthe book Liang Zhen Pu Eight Diagram Palmauthor LiZi Ming states that, In practice, it is necessary to payattention to these important details:

1) The lower body is sunken downward while theupper body is held erect.2) The head is held straight up while the shouldersand elbows are dropped.3) The back is rounded yet straight and erect whilethe chest is held in a hollow.4) The wrists are sunken while the palm remainspressing.5) The waist is relaxed while the buttocks are tilted

up and slightly forward.6) The knees are exed with the toes graspingthe ground.

In summary, each part of the body has speciconditions to meet and maintain during the executioof Eight Diagram Palm, but the coordinated synthesof all these conditions, when performed in synchronallows the practitioner to move in a completely naturmanner, breathing at ease and moving relaxed. It a manner of moving in accordance with the laws onatural physiology that we can cultivate more energthan we expend thereby enhancing ones life force.4

The upper body posture held while walking thcircle will vary from school to school. Typically eacschool will have a set of eight postures which are hein succession while performing the basic circle walkinpractice. These eight postures are known as the Eigh

Xie Pei Qi, a Yin Style Ba Gua instructor in Bei-jing, China, walks the circle in the "lower basin"

position.

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Mother Palms, the Eight Great Palms, the "Nei GongPalms," or the "Inner Palms." In the most commonposture, the hips are rotated in towards the center ofthe circle (about 45 degree off the path of the circle),the forward (upper) palm is held at eye level and isfacing the center of the circle, and the eyes are lookingtowards the center of the circle through the index ngerand thumb of the upper hand. In most schools, thelower hand is held 3 to 5 inches below the elbow of the

upper arm, however, some schools hold the lower handdown in front of the dan tian (see the "guard stancegallery" on pages 16-17). The shoulders are relaxedand allowed to drop down, the back is slightly rounded.

The elbows are bent slightly and allowed to sink down.The upper body is relaxed.

The head is positioned so that the eyes are lookingstraight into the center of the circle (not up, down, orto the side). Typically the practitioner will walk arounda tree or pole so that there will be an object of focusduring practice. The head and neck position is criticalto avoid stress and strain in the neck and eyes after

walking for an extended period of time. If the eyes are

not looking straight and the neck is not held erect, theyes and/or neck can become tired or stiff after 10 t15 minutes of walking. When muscles become tireor stiff, Qi does not circulate properly and becomestagnant in that area. When Qibecomes stagnant ithe head and around the eyes, it can be dangerou

The Ba Gua Zhang classics say Hollow the chessuspend the crown, and sink the waist.

Why Walk the Circle?

The circle walk forms the foundation of Ba GuZhang training for a number of important reasoneach of them having to do with the development fundamental physical skills, internal cultivation skilland fighting skills. In this section of the article

will describe some of the physical benets, internskills, and fundamental fighting skills the Ba GuZhang practitioner gains from the practice of circ

walking.

Physical Benets The physical benets of the circle walking practicinclude an increased overall physical strength, improve

ba lance, fu ll body coordination, and functi onexibility. Additionally, cardiovascular health can bimproved with the walking conducted at a semi-rapipace for a sustained period of time. While the bascircle walking practice will give the practitioner benein all of the above mentioned areas of physical skithere are also circle walking variations and specimethods which will specically focus on each of thesareas.

Legs: In terms of physical strength the circle wapractice will benefit both the legs and the uppebody as well as torso and upper and lower bodcoordinated strength. Obviously the legs benet frothe walking itself. A practitioner who wants to focuon strengthening the legs will walk in a lower postur

Additionally, all circle walk variations (as outlined in thnext section of this article) benet the legs in differen

ways. In other words, the stepping method can bmodied depending on what aspect of leg strength thpractitioner is trying to develop. For example, sompractitioners practice a high "crane step" whereby thfoot of the stepping leg is lifted to about knee heigh

before stepping forward. This trains the practitioner be stable and balanced on one leg and thus providea foundation for Ba Gua's leg trapping and sweepintechniques. Some practitioners take this idea a bfarther and walk on top of bricks, poles that have beedriven into the ground, or different sized stones thahave been arranged in a circular pattern. These aall methods of improving balance and stability whiremaining in motion.

In addition to walking the circle in a low stancto improve leg strength or walking while utilizing th"crane step" to improve balance, there are other varioumethods of improving leg skill while walking the circl

Cheng You Xin's son, Cheng De Liang, walks thecircle holding the "Embracing Moon at Chest" pos-

ture. This posture is one of the eightnei gong palms in both the Cheng Ting Huaand Liang Zhen Pu styles of Ba Gua.

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Some practitioners will pick up the stepping leg andthen shoot it straight forward with force as if kicking tothe lower part of an opponent's shins with their toes.

This step, called the "thrusting step" or the "shakestep," provides a foundation for some of Ba Gua'skicking methods. Some practitioners from the Yin Fustyle will walk the circle with the stepping foot alwayslanding in the bai bu, or toed out, position in orderto train the use of this step in hooking an opponent'sleg or kicking to the opponent's shin with the bottom

of the foot. In general, a Ba Gua practitioner who iswalking the circle with the focus on developing legstrength will primarily be concerned with leg strength

which facilitates stable, balanced, and smooth wholebody movement.

Upper Body: When training specically for upperbody strength the Ba Gua practitioner will walk thecircle for long periods of time while holding static upper

body postures. This practice facilitates the trainingand strengthening of secondary muscle groups andtendons. When holding the static upper body positionsthe practitioner will try to relax the major muscle

groups and thus access the smaller secondary musclesand tendons which are responsible for body alignmentand stability. These muscle groups are not usuallyunder conscious control because they are not themuscles which actually perform physical bodymovements. Their function is to keep the body inplace and stable while the bigger muscles are actuallyperforming the movement of the torso and limbs. Byholding upper body postures until the major musclesare fully fatigued, the secondary muscles have to workharder and thus they are trained more completely.Exercise such as weight-lifting work to strengthen themajor muscles, however, do not train the secondary

muscles and "stability" muscles fully. The result ofstatic posture holding is a very stable, connected, andintegrated whole body power. Practitioners who really

want to get fanatical about this aspect of trainingwill hold light weights in each hand (the practitionersof old used balls of mud or stones). However, mostinstructors recommend that students spend a verylong time holding the postures without weights beforeadding light weights.Torso: In Ba Gua it is extremely important that thetorso (which will include the areas of the waist, hips,pelvis, and inner thighs) is strong and exible. Thetorso provides the connection between the upper and

lower extremities. In all internal styles the principle ofpower "coming from the legs, directed by the waist,and expressed in the hands" is very important. The"waist" in this case includes the inner thighs/groinarea, the hips and pelvic region, and the lower torso. Ifthe movement of the torso is not strong and coordinated

with the entire body, the power in the legs will not beexpressed in the hands.

During the circle walk practice the torso is trainedduring the change of direction. While practicing the

basic circle walk practice most schools will changedirections by executing the single palm change. The

movements of the single palm change are extremeimportant in training the torso. When changindirections and executing the twisting and turninmovements of the single palm change the practitionefocuses on the movement being driven by the legs an

being directed by the inner thigh/pelvic region. Whole body coordination relies on the propemovement of the upper legs and lower torso and thuthe change of direction on the circle during the circ

walk practice also develops the practitioner's abilito coordinate the upper and lower body. Additionallthe turning and twisting movements executed durinthe change of direction on the circle serve to develoa functional exibility.

By functional exibility I am referring to traininwhich works to stretch and loosen muscles that wneed to be supple and loose during the execution of BGua. It is great if someone can perform the full split

Li Zi Ming's student, Zhang Hua Sen, walks thecircle holding the "Heaven and Earth" palms

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Sun Zhi Jun of Beijing, China demonstrates the

extended mud walking step

however, performing the splits or being able to put yourfoot behind your head is not nearly as functional in BaGua as having a loose and supple twisting and turningmovement throughout the whole body, especially inthe pelvic region. There are many individuals whohave very limber leg muscles, however, when askedto stand with their feet and knees facing forward andtwist their hips as far as they can to one side orthe other, they discover that the muscles in their

pelvic region are not so loose. In Ba Gua functionalexibility involves twisting and rotating the musclesand suppleness in the joints. Twisting the legs,twisting the hips, twisting the torso, twisting theshoulders, and twisting the arms. Additionally, thetwisting is executed in a coordinated fashion whilemaintaining whole body connection. These elementsare all trained in the single palm change.

Internal Cultivation Internal cultivation during the circle walk practiceinvolves the cultivation of a mind/body connection,the development of what is referred to in Chinese

as "stillness in motion," a connection between the"inside and the outside," and a keen awareness of one's"center." During the circle walk practice the mind iscalm and the breathing smooth. The combination ofa calm mind and smooth breathing is the rst step increating a strong mind/body connection and a feelingof being "still while in motion" (the inside is "still"

while the outside is in motion). Beyond that therare many different images and visualizations thadifferent schools of Ba Gua will utilize during the circ

walk practice in order to create a stronger mind/bodconnection. Some use something as simple as focusinon an object such as a tree or pole which is placed the center of the circle while others have more elabora

visualizations. Some imagine walking through watethick air, or waist deep mud, others imagine that the

are walking on thin ice or on a very slippery surfacwhile others imagine energy moving in their body various ways. The images and visualizations that cabe used are endless. Personally, I have found thKISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle to be the moeffective. The more elaborate the visualization, thfarther removed from the concept of "stillness imotion" one becomes. Awareness of one's center and how that centrelates to the rest of the body while walking the circand changing directions is another important concepIn Ba Gua the practitioner is very concerned with threlationship between his center and the opponent

center. He will want to "protect" his center while tryinto off-balance the opponent's center. Additionallymost of the movements in Ba Gua require that thpractitioner become skilled at moving from his centeor moving around his center. Thus, the keener thawareness of the center and how it relates to the reof the body during movement, the more effective anefcient the practitioner will become. The practition

works to become aware of his center in the circwalk practice both during the walk and during thdirectional change.

Fighting Skills In Ba Gua Zhang ghting, footwork is primary. Thfootwork must be executed such that the upper body always stable so that no movements are "telegraphedand that the body is always rooted into the legs anground. Additionally, this stability must be maintaineeven when the practitioner is moving quickly. Aof the skills mentioned above, strength, flexibilitycoordination, balance, awareness of one's center, etcare important ghting skills which are trained, at themost basic level, during the circle walk practice.

In a combat situation, the most important skfor the Ba Gua practitioner is the ability to chang

directions rapidly and smoothly while maintaininbalance and stability (rootedness in motion). Bendinthe knees slightly and sinking the qi to the dan tia

when walking the circle in a smooth, continuoumanner stabilizes the body and places the centeof body mass and center of gravity in a positio

which optimizes the ability to maintain balance anrootedness while in motion.

The walking practice trains stability in motion anstillness in motion. Here the concept of "stillness motion" not only refers to stillness on the inside, bualso refers to stillness of the upper body while the legare in motion. If the upper body is bobbing, swayin

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The Mud Walking Step (Foot Remaining Flat)

The Mud Walking Step (Heel Raising Up)

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out parallel to the ground. These practitioners areless concerned with working the psoas muscle andmore concerned with the forward extension of the footportion of the step.2) Stepping forward: At least two variations on thistheme exist, one where the foot is never lifted off theground at all, but slides along in contact with theground when stepping, and the other where the foot islifted off of the ground slightly and hovers just over the

surface of the ground when stepping.While most practitioners will step forward smoothly

with a consistent movement of the stepping foot,practitioners who practice the "hesitation step" willstop the forward movement of the foot momentarily

when it reaches the position of the other leg. Thestepping foot is held parallel to the ground and aboutan inch high off of the ground. The momentary pausehelps the practitioner work on balance and stability

while executing the step. This step is also referred toas the "chicken step" by some schools.3) Placing the stepping foot down: In the mud walkingstep, when the stepping foot moves forward and is

placed in position on the ground it can be done so inseveral different ways. Practitioners who allow thefoot to slide along in contact with the ground duringthe entire transition forward will either allow the footto stop sliding when they reach a natural steppingdistance or they will push the foot forward a bit farther

after it has reached the comfortable stepping distancand thus they will execute an extended step.

Those practitioners who allow the foot to hover ovethe ground slightly as the foot is brought forward wiplace the foot down in one of four different ways. Thrst is to place the foot down at so that the entirsurface of the foot contacts the ground at the exacsame time. The second is to place the foot down sthat the toes dig in rst and then the heel is set down

The third is to allow the toes to come down rst anthen continue to push the foot and allow it to slidforward in an extended step. The fourth is sort oa combination between the two different methods o

bringing the foot forward. These practitioners allothe heel to rise up off the ground when they step anthen they will atten the foot so that it is parallel witthe ground by the time it reaches the position of thopposite foot. At this point the foot is placed on thground toes rst and then slid forward on the grounand stops at a natural stepping distance. The sliding of the foot forward in an extended step trained primarily by individuals who like to use trippin

and sweeping techniques. As they move towards thopponent they will quickly slide their forward foo

behind the opponent 's fr ont foot or in-be tweethe opponent's legs so that they can set up tlock the opponent's feet and legs before theexecute a throwing, trapping, or tripping techniqu

The Rolling Step

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The Crane Step (Foot Landing Flat)

As you can see, there are numerous variations ofthe mud walking step in the execution of lifting of thefoot, the transition forward, and the placing down of

the foot. Other variations and combinations exist andeach instructor will have their own methods of teachingand points of emphasis. Above I have simply describedthe most common variations in general terms. Noone technique is more "correct" than the other, theyall have merit.

The Rolling Step: The "rolling step," also commonlyreferred to as the "lion step," the "continuous step,"and the "small fast step," is executed in a comfortableheel-toe walking fashion. Since it is the quickest mostnatural step and is easily and efciently combined withthe kuo buand bai busteps, it is often used in combat

when speed and agility in motion are required. The rolling step is very similar to natural walking,however, the knees are bent lower and the practitionerkeeps the upper body stable without allowing it to bobup and down, wobble forward to back, or sway side toside. The hips, shoulders, eyes, and top of the headare all held level and the only movement occurs belowthe hips. The entire upper body remains relaxed,comfortable, and motionless. If someone were watchinga practitioner walk the circle in this manner from theother side of a wall that was about hip height, thepractitioner's upper body should be so smooth thatit would appear as though the practitioner is sitting

on an object which is moving around in circles. Thupper body should give no indication of what thfeet are doing.

In order for the walking to be smooth and the uppebody motionless the legs must act as shock absorberand the heel-toe rolling motion of the feet must b

very smooth. When the practitioner's heel is set dowthere is no thud, it is set down very light and soft. Thtransition from heel to toe is very smooth, as if thpractitioner had small rocking-chair type rockers on th

bottoms of the feet. The transition of weight across thstepping foot is very smooth and continuous.

The Crane Step: The "crane step," which is alssometimes called the "chicken step," is executed witthe stepping foot being lifted to about calf or kne

height before it steps out. This step is primarilpracticed to improve balance and rootedness on onleg for use when kicking, trapping, and sweeping witthe legs. Yin Fu ( ) was said to have been fond outilizing the crane step. Yin Fu was also said to bso skilled at leg trapping and sweeping that his feeand legs were as sensitive as a skilled push-handpractitioner's hands and arms. Walking with the cranstep will help to develop the balance and stabilitnecessary for these leg skills.

In stepping forward with the crane step sompractitioners will slide the foot out as in the mu

walking step, some will step out heel-toe as in th

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rolling step, while others will allow the foot to land atso that the entire surface of the foot arrives at the sameinstant. In executing the crane step, some practitioners

will step out smoothly while others will hesitate andbalance on one leg before stepping out. The hesitationoccurs when the stepping leg reaches the calf or kneeof the other leg. The crane step is also typically thestep which is used when practitioners practice walkingon top of bricks, stones, or poles.

The Foot Placement: When practicing the circlewalk, almost all schools that I have encountered havea similar foot placement in terms of the angle at whichthe foot is placed in relation to the line of the circle. Theoutside foot (foot furthest from the center of the circle)cuts in at approximately 45 degrees to an imaginaryline which is tangent to the circle. The inside foot stepsrelatively straight ahead (parallel to the line which istangent to the circle). Angling the outside foot helpsthe practitioner circumnavigate the arc of the circle.

The exact angle of the outside foot will depend on thesize of the circle, however, as stated above, this foot

will usually angle in approximately 45 degrees whenwalking in an average sized circle (see illustration).

While each of the above mentioned stepping methodshave their unique purpose in terms of foundationalskill development, they also have purpose in ghting.Each of the stepping methods has an optimum time itcan be employed in a ghting situation. Some stepsare ideally suited to different kinds of techniquesand different kinds of terrains. The stepping methodemployed (both linear and circular) in combat will

constantly change depending on the situation, thopponent, and the environment. In all complete systemof Ba Gua there are complete methods of training anthis means the usage of a wide variety of steppinmethods in both practice and application.

The Body Here I will use the term "body methods" to descrithe height of the body, the alignment of the body, an

the upper body positions used when walking the circWhen speaking of body height in reference to Ba Gucircle walking practice, practitioners often refer to t"three basins" (san pan - ). The three basins athe upper, middle, and lower, and refers to the heigof the body as determined by the bend in the kneeIn the upper basin posture the knees are only beslightly. In the middle basin posture the knees are bemore and thus the body is lowered, and in the low

basin posture the knees are bent so that the thigare almost parallel to the ground while the practition

walks the circle. Obviously, the lower one bends the knees wh

walking the circle, the stronger the legs will becomLower basin posturing is primarily a leg strengtheninexercise. The normal circle walking position is midd

basin. One will walk in the upper basin posture if thare a beginner and have weak legs or if they are focusithe practice on the development of the upper body ando not want the legs to tire before the arms. The alignment of the body when practicing the circ

walk primarily has to do with the position of the torswhich includes the waist, hips, pelvic region, and innthighs/groin area, and the spine. Some schools wteach the beginning students to walk the circle withe hips, shoulders, and head square to the path of t

circle instead of looking in towards the center of thcircle. In this practice the beginner is concentrating the foot work and the hands are either held down by tsides of the body with the palms pressing downward are in front of the body (either at lower abdomen or chelevel) in an "embracing" posture. Some schools alutilize this body posture while holding arm positio

where both hands are extended out to the sides the body in some fashion (there are many variatioon this theme).

Eventually all schools of Ba Gua teach the studento walk the circle with the eyes looking in towards tcenter of the circle. The body is twisted from the innthigh area so that the hips are facing at a 45 degrangle in towards the center of the circle. The shouldeare aligned with the hips. The different upper bopostures the practitioner will hold while walking tcircle in this manner are many. Each school will hatheir own set of eight separate postures that they us

The most common posture is the "guard stance," whiis also known as the "millstone" posture, the "dragoposture, or the "green dragon thrusts its claws" posturSee the "guard stance gallery" on pages 16 and 17

Circle Walk Foot Placement

Line of the Circle

45 Line

Tangent Line

Continued on Page 1

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The Signature Ba Gua Zhang Circle Walk

Zhang Zhao Dong ( )

Wang Shu Jin ( )

Huang Bo Nian ( )

Sun Xi Kun ( )

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Posture - A "Guard Stance" Gallery

Cheng You Xin ( ) Fu Zhen Song ( )

Liu Feng Cai ( ) Cheng You Long ( )

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this issue for examples of this posture. Another variation which occurs in the circle walk

body posture is the position of the spine. While mostschools will maintain a straight spine, some teachers

will have their students hold the spine perfectly verticalwhile others will have their students tilt the spineforward slightly. The tilted spine, characteristic of the

Yin Fu style, brings the body weight forward a bit sothat it is centered between the legs (or just slightly in

back of center). When the weight of the body is moretowards the center, between the legs, the change ofdirection can be executed faster.

The Mind Mind/Body integration is one of the most importantaspects of any internal martial art. Therefore, themind plays a very important part in the circle walkpractice. At the beginning levels, when the studentis trying to work on becoming comfortable with thephysical movements of the circle walk, the mindremains calm and relaxed, focused on the center of thecircle, while gently reminding the body of the importantpoints of practice. Basically the mind is trying to

become aware of the physical body and thus takes aphysical inventory. Are the elbows sinking downward?

Are the shoulders relaxed? Are the steps light? AmI bobbing up and down or wobbling back and forth?

Am I allowing my energy to sink to the dan tian?These kind of gentle reminders serve to increase bodyawareness and help the practitioner remember theimportant points of the practice. After the practitioner becomes comfortable andfamiliar with the physical movements of the practicethe mind can become increasingly aware of what is

happening in the body. Some schools of Ba Gua wteach certain mental visualizations designed to movenergy in the body. While some of these visualizationcan become quite intricate, most teachers feel that thmind should begin to become more quiet instead more active. The physical movements of the circle waand the changes of direction will move energy where needs to go in a naturally correct manner. Thereforthe student should allow the energy to move as it w

and simply observe the movement and become aware how the energy is naturally moving in the body. Onthere is an awareness, the student can then follothe natural movement with the mind. Most teachesimply recommend that the mind be relaxed, the energsink to the dan tian, and that the mind have keen awareness of the physical movement. If amovements are executed smoothly and continuous

wi th focused intent ion then there can be a fumind/body connection.

Changing Directions

In terms of learning how to apply Ba Gua in aactual combat environment, the change of direction the most important component of the basic circle wapractice. It is within the change of direction that thtechniques of Ba Gua are usually applied. The changof direction in the circle walk practice also trains the BGua body coordination, full body integration, functionexibility, and whole body power. The torso is traineso that the upper and lower body are in harmonand Ba Gua's rotational power is developed whiexecuting the change. The primary movement utilized to change directioduring the basic circle walk practice is the single pal

Ba Gua Zhang instructor Liu Xing Han teaches the circle walk practice to a group of studentsin Beijing's Temple oif Heaven Park in the early 1980's.

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change. The single palm change is the most importantmove in Ba Gua in terms of training the body anddeveloping the power of Ba Gua. The single palmchange is also the most important component of BaGua in its combat application. If a practitioner canlearn how to execute and apply the single palm changeproperly, he will be well on his way to developing ahigh level of Ba Gua skill.

Like everything else in Ba Gua, there are many

variations of the single palm change. Each school willexecute the single palm change in a slightly differentmanner and within each school there are also many

variations that are practiced. Ba Gua is based onthe principle of change, therefore, nothing is xed.In practicing any aspect of the art, whether it bestepping method, the single palm change, or any giventechnique, the Ba Gua practitioner will execute a wide

variety of variations. I know of no complete systemof Ba Gua that only executes one variation of singlepalm change. Most schools will have at least ve or sixdifferent ways of executing this movement. Everythingfrom the hand and arm positions, to the direction

the body twists, to the positioning of the feet, to thepositioning of the body are varied in the practice ofsingle palm change.

The Benets ofCircle Walking Practice

No matter what circle walking technique is utilized, ifthe practitioner is relaxed, the body is aligned properlyand the intention is focused, positive results in thephysical, mental, and spiritual realm will follow. Thepractitioners primary goal in practice will determine

the walking technique employed and the techniqueemployed will result in a more pronounced level ofgrowth in one or more of the components which makeup our physical, mental, and spiritual existence. Inthis section I will briey describe some of the direct

benets a practitioner might experience if the focusof the practice is in one of three areas: meditativepractice, Qi development practice, and/or physicaldevelopment practice. The Ba Gua Zhang purist will

be concerned with development in all three of theseareas in training the complete art.

Circle Walking as a Meditative Practice The circle walk exercise of Ba Gua Zhang originatedas a Daoist Qicultivation and meditative practice. Inthe world of Chinese martial arts, this practice can

be compared to the Zhan Zhuang ( ), or standingmeditation practice which is an integral part of theShaolin and Xing Yi Quan training systems. However,there is one important difference; in Ba Gua Zhangcircle walking the practitioner is constantly moving.Zhao Da Yuan ( ), a well known Ba Gua Zhangstudent of Li Zi Ming in Beijing, China, states thatthe circle walk, or moving, meditative practice directlyreects the Daoist inuence. The Daoists of the Long

Men sect were concerned with a unication of ManHeaven, and Earth and therefore believed that if thmeditative practice was conducted while in constanmotion, one could better blend with the patterns onature and absorb the Qiof Heaven and Earth. Zhacontinues by saying that nothing in nature standperfectly still and thus remaining in constant motio

while meditating is more natural. Whereas the Buddhimeditation is static and the focus is inward, the Daoi

circle walking practice is a moving meditation witthe intention focused outward. In this circle walkinpractice, the practitioner seeks to blend with thnatural world. The practitioner who walks the circle with thmeditative aspect of the training as a focus will walat an even, uid, steady pace. The speed of the wacan be slow to moderate. The walking step shou

be natural, comfortable, and continuous. The kneeshould be bent and the hips and waist sunk slightly sthat the Qisinks to the dan tian. Lowering the centof gravity encourages the Qi to sink; maintaining smooth, uid walking motion stabilizes the dan tians

that the Qiwill settle. If the body bobs up and down

Lai Tian Zhao, a student of Wang Shu Jin whoteaches in Tai Chung, Taiwan, lifts his leg highwhen changing directions on the circle to help

train balance and stability

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wobbles back and forth while walking, the dan tianwillbe disturbed. When the Qi sinks to the dan tian, themind can more easily maintain a meditative focus. While walking, the practitioner will maintain focusedon an object such as a tree or pole which is placed atthe circles center. The breathing is smooth and relaxedand the practitioner may choose to repeat a mantra

while walking as in the Daoist practice mentionedearlier in this article. This mantra does not need to

be of religious significance, it can be as simple asrepeating, in your mind, the number of times you have

walked around the circle. It can be anything that willkeep the mind from wandering.

Typically the practitioner will walk in one directionfor a desired number of rotations and then switchdirections and walk the other direction for the samenumber of rotations. Training sessions last between30 minutes and one hour with the practitionercircumnavigating the circles perimeter, alternating

between the clockwise and counterclockwise walkingdirections. The method utilized to change directions

will vary from school to school. When training the circlewalk as a meditative practice, the change of direction is

always very simple and executed in a smooth and ufashion so as not to disturb the practitioners mentfocus and concentration. The upper body posture thpractitioner assumes while walking will also vary froone school to another. The practitioner may chooto hold the same upper body posture throughout thpractice session, or change the upper body posture

with the change of directions on the circle. Each of thdifferent upper body positions is designed to have

specic inuence on the bodys energy.

Circle Walking for Qi Cultivation Walking the circle with Qicultivation as the mapriority in practice will not differ greatly, in termof mental focus, from the meditative circle walkinpractice discussed above. In the meditative practithe practitioners goal is to maintain a calm mind anfocused concentration while the Qi collects in thdan tian. In walking the circle for Qicultivation, thmental focus and breathing pattern will remain thsame, however, the walking step, body posturing, andirection change will become a bit more complex.

When walking as a meditat ive practice , thpractitioners step is smooth and natural. A naturheel-toe walking step executed in a smooth, flunatural walking manner is well suited for meditativpractice as it is the most natural and comfortable. Thstep is sometimes referred to as the lion step or thtiger step by Ba Gua Zhang practitioners. In walkin

with Qicultivation as a priority, the practitioner mawant to change the walking step to the snake ste(also known as the dragon step or the mud walkinstep) or the crane step as these stepping methodare designed to encourage a strong ow of Qi frohead-to-toe. In the snake step the heel is only brought uoff the ground slightly when stepping, and as the foois brought forward, the bottom of the foot remainparallel to the oor and hovers just slightly above thoor. When the foot has come forward and is readto step down, it is placed on the ground such ththe entire foot lands atly on the ground at the saminstant. There is no heel-toe rolling motion as in thlion step. The snake step is a bit more difcuto perform than the natural heel-toe walk of the liostep, however its advantage is that it helps bring Qdown to the legs and feet and thus it is a good metho

to employ in Qi Gong circle walking practice. Thcrane step is similar to the snake step, in that thstepping foot slides out above the ground and is placedown at, however, in the crane step when the bacfoot is picked up off of the ground it is brought up tthe level of the knee of the other leg before it slides outo take the advancing step. Lifting the leg helps pumpthe Qi down to the stepping leg and also helps thpractitioner develop balance and stability. While the snake step or crane step footworencourages a balanced ow of Qi to the legs whi

walking, the practitioners static upper-body postuand focused intention will inuence Qimovement

Liang Zhen Pu style Ba Gua practitioner

Guo Guang Quan practices the circle walk in Bei-jing's Temple of Heaven Park everyday

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the upper body. Each school of Ba Gua Zhang willtypically have eight different walking postures whichthe practitioner will transition through during thecourse of the Qi Gong circle walking practice. Eachposture is designed to have a different inuence on the

body physiologically and energetically.Typically the practitioner will walk in one direction

holding a certain upper body posture for a desiredlength of time and then change directions and walk inthe opposite direction holding the same posture. Uponthe next change of direction the practitioner willthen change to a different upper body posture andperform circle revolutions in both the clockwise andcounterclockwise directions holding that posture beforechanging to another posture.

By the end of the practice the practitioner has spenttime walking in both clockwise and counterclockwisedirections holding all eight of the static upper-bodypostures. Each posture is usually held for the samenumber of circle revolutions, however, since eachposture influences the Qi circulation to the bodys

vital organs in a different manner, a student who is

experiencing a particular health problem may be advisedto hold one or two postures longer than the others inorder to help his or her body seek a balance. Holding a static upper-body position while walkingthe circle with focused intention and calm mind helpsto balance the Qiin the body and gather Qiin specicareas as influenced by the unique posturing. Themovement sequence executed while changing directionson the circle is designed to take the Qithat has beengathered and direct it to new locations. The movementof Qiwill differ with each different changing maneuver.Some changes will promote a spiraling movement of theQi, some changes will inuence its movement upward or

downward, while other changes will encourage the Qitocollect or disperse. Each change effects the movementof Qiin the body in a different way.

Through the process of continually gatheringQi during the static-posture walking phase of thepractice and then moving it through the body during the

various changing maneuvers executed when changingdirections on the circle, the aware practitioner will gain

valuable experiential knowledge concerning the ebband ow of Qiin the body.

In his book, The Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang,5Park Bok Nam recommends that the student practicingthe Qi Gongcircle walking method walk in one static

posture until a Qifeeling is developed throughout thebody. After the practitioner has cultivated the feeling,he or she should then execute the directional changein a smooth, uid, and connected manner so that the Qifeeling remains constant during the change. The focus

while walking in the static posture is to feel the bodyll with the energy of that posture. When executing thechange, the awareness is placed on maintaining thefull body Qifeeling while the bodys energy shifts andadjusts with the physical movement of the change.

Upon ending the circle walk practice, Park Bok Namrecommends that the practitioner remain standing ina comfortable posture with the hands resting down by

the sides of the body for several minutes. Attentiois focused on the palms and the Qi that has gatherethere. The student allows the hands to hang loose

by the sides, relaxes all of the bodys joints, and placethe concentration on the Qi feeling. Typically thQi feeling will rst manifest itself in the hands afullness, heat, and/or tingling.

When the practitioner has obtained this Qifeelinduring the execution of any exercise, he or she w

want to relax for several minutes and concentrate othis feeling after the exercise has been completed. Bconcentrating on the feeling, a mind/body/nervousystem connection associated with this feeling wdevelop. The more developed this connection becomethe easier it will be for the practitioner to bring Qithe palms or other parts of the body. With continuepractice, the student will be able to produce this effe

just by thinking about it. Later, increased amounts Qiwill ow to the palms naturally, when it is needed

without conscious thought.One goal in practicing Ba Gua Zhang as a sel

defense art is to be able to move Qivery rapidly to th

palms (or any other part of the body) when strikinWhen the mind/body/nervous system connectiohas been fully developed, as soon as the body movethe Qi will be there and the movement of Qi to thpalm will be rapid and spontaneous. Forging thmind/body/nervous system connection during anafter the circle walk practice will help the practitionereach this goal.

Circle Walking to Train Physical Strength Training physical strength while executing the circ

walk practice can be accomplished in a variety of wayIf the practitioner wants to train the legs, he or sh

can walk in a very low posture or walk very slowholding each step with the weight on one leg; if thpractitioner wants to train balance and stability he oshe can execute a walking technique which incorporatehigh steps, or walk the circle on top of bricks; if thpractitioner wants to train the respiratory function oimprove cardiovascular tness, he or she can walk verfast for an extended period of time.

There is no set walking pace for the circle wapractice. I joined one class in Taichung, Taiwan, their circle walk practice and it took us 45 minutes tcomplete 10 revolutions of a circle which was abou10 feet in diameter. Later, when I was in Beijing,

was walking the circle in a class where the teachekept yelling faster, faster! At his pace I could havcompleted about 300 revolutions of the circle in 4minutes. There is also no set circle size. While a circof eight steps is standard, a larger circle is used bpeople practicing in big groups while a very small circis used by those practicing advanced footwork driland hip/waist exibility training. Practitioners wishing to improve upper body strengtand full body integration will typically hold the statupper body positions for long periods of time beforchanging postures. When this practice is execute

with the major muscle groups in a state of relaxation

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the secondary muscle groups and tendons begin todevelop and the body is trained to work in a uniedmanner. This integrated and unied whole bodystrength is an integral part of developing power in theinternal martial arts. Zhao Da Yuan, of Beijing, China, states that theelement that makes the circle walk practice internalis the link between mind and body that is forged duringthe circle walk practice. He explains that when theaverage person contracts a muscle, 45 to 50 percentof the muscle bers in that muscle re. A trainedathlete, or a person who repetitively works a set ofmuscles performing a certain task, may contract about70 percent of the muscle ber in a given muscle for agiven purpose. His theory is that if the practitionerholds a static upper body posture with focusedconcentration for an extended period of time, as in thecircle walk practice, he or she will be able to developthe ability to get more muscle ber to contract at thesame time for the same purpose. Holding a staticposture for an extended period of time, or moving veryslowly as in Tai Ji Quan, a more complete physical

development occurs than in exercises where the bodymoves rapidly. Secondary muscles are conditionedand the body learns to act in an integrated and uniedfashion. Zhao states that if the practitioner trains the Yi

( - intention) during the circle walk practice, and thusdevelops a highly rened physical awareness, the mindcan better focus and control the bodys function. Walking in very low postures, walking on top of

bricks, holding ones arms out until they are about tofall off, or walking around the circle at high walkingspeeds are all fairly extreme methods of practice. Thetruth is that if the practitioner walks the circle forapproximately one hour per day, bending the knees

so that body is at a mid-level stance allowing the Qito sink to the dan tian, and walks at a moderate pace,changing directions on the circle every ten to fteenrotations, and constantly insures that the bodydoes not bob up and down or wobble back and forth

while walking, the physical benets in terms of legstrength, upper body conditioning, respiratory function,cardiovascular function, nervous system function,immune system function, Qidevelopment, and peaceof mind will be phenomenal.

Conclusion Ba Gua Zhang circle walking is not one exercisepracticed for one specic purpose, but can be manyexercises practiced to achieve a variety of physical,mental, and spiritual benefits. Variations on thetheme are numerous. What we have presented inthis article are only some of the most common circle

walk methods. There are many other methods thatwe have not mentioned. Some schools walk the circlebackwards, others walk the circle while facing outsideof the circle instead of facing the center of the circle.

Anything is possible as long as the practitioner adheres

to the basic principles.Aside from the fact that the circle walk practice w

help improve concentration and focus, develop stronlegs, aid in Qidevelopment, and improve physical anrespiratory stamina, this practice helps the practitiondevelop the ability to remain relaxed, integrated, stabland rooted while in constant motion and teaches thpractitioner how to execute the highly evasive footworrequired in tactical application. This ability is vit

when applying Pa Kua Chang as a ghting art. Holding static upper-body postures while walkinenables the practitioner to develop his or her body anforge strong structural connections and alignmentMaintaining structural integrity and root whiconstantly walking is the rst stage of learning how apply powerful strikes to an opponent while remaininin constant motion. As discussed previously, thability is characteristic of Ba Gua Zhang.

In his book, Liang Zhen Pu Eight Diagram Palm, Zi Ming states: Footwork and circle walking in EigDiagram Palm requires the ability to walk quickly anslowly, to walk lightly and freely, and also to be able

walk gently with strong force. Proper training of thfootwork requires strict adherence to these guidelineThis demanding regimen of leg training enables onto embody gentleness within lightness and to appeagracefully soft externally while concealing rm strengtin the interior. The skill derived from this traininenables the practitioners footwork to tread witstability, rmness, and nimbleness while maintaininexibility and liveliness in the waist, arm and palstriking quickly and with agility. Only in this way it possible to harmonize the three parts, that is, thupper, middle and lower and realize the goal of th

body following the steps to turn, the palms followin

the body to change and the steps following the palto turn. This is the method to manifest the form walking like a swimming dragon, changing gestures likan eagle and turning the body like a monkey. "6

Footnotes1) Li Zi Ming, Liang Zhen Pu Eight Diagram Palmtranslated by Huang Guo Qi, Compiled and Edited b

Vincent Black, High View Publications, 1993, pg 43.2) Ibid, pg 7.3) Kang Ge Wu, Studying the Origins of Pa KuChang, 1984.

4) Li Zi Ming, pg. 14.5) Park Bok Nam and Dan Miller, The Fundamentaof Pa Kua Chang: The Method of Lu Shui-Tien a

taught by Park Bok Nam, High View Publication1993, pg. 96.

6) Li Zi Ming, pg. 9.

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Advanced Circle Walking: Training to Fight

Everyone who has ever practiced Ba Gua Zhanghas been given the lecture about the importance ofthe circle walk practice. Stories abound about the oldmasters having been allowed to practice only basic

circle walking methods for the rst several years oftheir Ba Gua training. While the previous articlein this issue discussed some of the great benets ofthe circle walk practice, many readers may still be

wondering exactly how this footwork is employed ina combat situation. The basic circle walk practice is primarily a trainingexercise that the beginning and intermediate levelstudent practices to build a strong Ba Gua Zhangfoundation. The advanced Ba Gua practitioner will alsocontinue to practice the basic circle walk to continuallyreach deeper levels of internal awareness. No matterhow long an individual practices the basic circle walk,

there are always deeper levels to discover. When BaGua Zhang instructor Park Bok Nam was training

with his teacher, Lu Shui Tian ( ), in Korea, histeacher required that Park practice the basic circle

walk exercise every morning for one hour. At the endof one year of practice Park came to his teacher andsaid, "After practicing for one hour everyday for thepast year, I now understand this circle walk practice."Lu only shook his head and laughed. He said, "Justkeep practicing." After another year of practice Parkcame to his teacher again and said, "I now know why

you laughed at me last year when I told you that Iunderstood the circle walk practice. After practicing

another year my knowledge is much deeper and I cansay that I now really understand this practice." Again,Lu laughed, shook his head and told Park to keeppracticing. Park has now practiced the basic circle

walk exercise for nearly 35 years and he says that thereis always something more to learn. Although there are always deeper levels of experienceone will gain from the basic circle walk practice, askilled Ba Gua practitioner engaged in a ght is notgoing to walk in complete circles around his opponent.

This is just not practical in a realistic situation against aseasoned ghter. If you are ghting a skilled opponentand take more than two or three steps in one direction,

you have set up a pattern that he will immediatelyuse against you. It is ridiculous to think that you will

be able to stalk your opponent by walking in circlesaround him waiting for an "opening." If this is youridea about how Ba Gua circle walking is used in a realght you are going to be in for a rude awakening when

you meet a skilled opponent. The key element in Ba Gua's employment of footworkis not to try and move in circles around the opponentat arm's length, but it is to either try to out ank theopponent or open up his center. In either case, assoon as you move, you are closing with the opponent,

not running around him. Your goal is to gain aadvantageous angle of attack. Simply running arounsomeone at arms length is a big waste of time in a reght. A skilled opponent will eat you alive before yotake your third step if you try such a thing. The ontime this tactic might be used is if you are trying t

bait the guy to set him up. We can look at Ba Gua's employment of circ

walking footwork from two perspectives; one is whethe opponent initiates the attack and the other is

you want to initiate the attack yourself. Preferably yowill initiate the attack yourself or bait the opponeninto attacking you where you want him to attac

you so that you can set him up. The idea that sompractitioners have of Ba Gua being a "passive" an"defensive" martial art is a pile of "new age" nonsensIf you are going to ght with someone, you do not s

and wait for him to attack or walk in circles arounhim waiting for him to attack. You move in withouhesitation and you atten the guy in most efcient aneffective way possible.

If the opponent initiates the attack and you chose temploy the circle walking footwork (circular footworis not the only stepping method used in Ba Gua), thinitial idea is to move out of the way of the opponent

Park Bok Nam executes advanced

circle walk pole training practice

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many martial artists who feel that they can hit so harthat one shot is all it will take to defeat the opponen

There are others who think that they have some specitechniques that no one can counter. "Welcome fantasy island." If your opponent is skilled it will b

very difcult for you to ever land your rst shot andwill be even more difcult to land a direct hit with fuforce. You must be prepared to continuously attac

while changing and adapting to the situation.When training to ght you always imagine th

your opponent is much bigger, much stronger, and a much higher skill level than you are. You also murespect Murphy and consider that what can go wron

will go wrong. Your mind must stay one step ahead your body at all times, you use your listening skill anas soon as you feel how the opponent is reacting to youinitial attack, you immediately change appropriately ancontinue attacking. The art of Ba Gua is philosophicalrooted in the concept of change and physically rootein the footwork and single palm change. Being abto change directions rapidly with balance, stabilitand power is the important part of Ba Gua's us

of the circle walk practice in fighting. Thereforadvanced circle walk training is focused on traininthese components. In the second instance mentioned above, that

you yourself initiating an attack, the same principleapply. Initiating an attack is a three step procesgain a reaction, bridge the gap, nish him off. Thrst step is to gain a reaction from the opponent. Thcan be accomplished in any number of ways. This caalso be viewed as a "set up" or a "jab," however, it not simply a false ploy. Most of the time it is a realistmovement which will hurt the opponent if he does nrespond to it. But we will always assume that he is

good ghter and will be able to successfully countour initial movement.

The next step is the "bridge." The bridge is useto open up the opponent and get inside where we careally do some damage. The type of bridge which used will depend upon the opponent's initial reaction the rst move. If the bridge is successful, then we cafollow up with a nishing technique. If the opponent skilled, we may need to employ several quick, repetitiv

bridging maneuvers before we can get inside on him out ank him. Also, once inside we may need to appa series of fast, powerful nishing techniques befothe opponent is thoroughly defeated. Once the Ba Gu

Zhang practitioner gets inside on the opponent, he wcontinue to stay inside until the job is nished. Theis no bouncing in, striking once, and then bouncin

back out as in sport ghting for points. Once you ainside, you stay until the job is nished. Again, it

your footwork that keeps you there.A skilled opponent is not going to let you continu

hitting him from a vulnerable angle, he is going to movUtilizing your footwork, you stick on the opponent likglue. Were he goes, you go and you don't let up unthe job is done. Park Bok Nam calls getting inside othe opponent "opening his door." He says that onc

attack. However, we do not want to simply run away,we want to move in such a manner that we avoidthe opponent's attack while simultaneously settingourselves in a position for immediate counterattack.Evasiveness in Ba Gua is not about running away fromthe opponent, it is about closing with and destroyingthe opponent as quickly as possible without meetingforce against force. We do not want to engage directly,

we want to be a bit sneaky about how we close with theopponent. We want to use optimum angles of attackand use the opponent's force against him, but we

will do so very efciently with no wasted movement andallowing no gaps for him to move. This means movingaround his attack, but at the same time moving towardshim and inside his defenses. A skilled opponent willimmediately take advantage of any gap in either timeor distance you give him to work with. Your footwork,

body movements, and hand techniques should beexecuted such that the opponent has no time to reactor space to move. While evading an opponent's attack and instantlydelivering a magnicent, ght stopping, counterattack

is a dream come true, more times than not, it is notreality. If the opponent is skilled, he will not let you getaway with it. We can also never forget about Murphyand his laws. If something can go wrong, it will go

wrong. This is where having the ability to changedirection very quickly while remaining stable becomes

vitally important. When you launch your counterattackagainst your opponent's initial attack you are already"thinking" about what comes next and you are preparedfor anything. (This "thinking" is more a body knowledgethan an actual thought process. In other words, your

body is prepared to continually attack, adapt, andmove.) You never assume that your rst technique

is going to work. You never want to think like a "oneshot wonder" who imagines his rst attack, or rstcounterattack, will devastate his opponent. There are

Park Bok Nam executes the "gure eight" walkingpattern around a set of three poles

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the door is open, you do not let the door close untilyou have nished the job.

Skillfully executed rapid changes of direction inconjunction with changing the palms and whole bodypower provide excellent opportunities to bridge thegap and open up the opponent. If you can executerapid change of direction in combination with stablesteps and anking movements it will be difcult forthe opponent to keep up with the changes. This is

why the change of direction is so important in BaGua. In advance circle walking practice the circles

become smaller and the change of direction morefrequent.

In advanced circle walk training the practitionerlearns to change directions rapidly while changing thepalms and maintaining balance, stability, and full bodycoordination. While these concepts are also trained inthe basic circle walk practice the difference here is thatinstead of continually walking around the center ofthe circle, in the advanced practice, the practitioner

walks around the center while also moving towards thecenter. The circles become very small and the walking

patterns turn into "gure eights" or spirals. Becauseof the difculty of walking in tight circles and changingdirections rapidly while maintaining balance, speed,and coordination, all of the important concepts thatare trained during the basic circle walk practice must

be in place before the practitioner moves on to theadvanced circle walk training. While each school of Ba Gua will have their ownmethods for developing the advanced circle walkpractice, in this article we will explain the advancedpractice as it is taught by Park Bok Nam. In Park'ssystem the rst practice a student will graduate toafter the basic circle walk is the yin-yang circle walking

pattern as shown in the diagram below (the arrowsindicate the walking pattern) and the photographson the previous page. The changing of the palms inthis pattern is executed as the practitioner transitions

through the middle of the circle. A pole or tree is placein the center of the circle and the changing of the palmand the directional change of the body is coordinate

with the movement towards and around the pole asthe pole was an opponent. The important component of this practice is thtiming of the palm change, the smoothness of the stepand the ability to keep your center facing the opponenIn order to accomplish this, the turning of the bodaround its center as the palms are changed while yomove around the pole becomes very important. Yomaintain a consistent optimum angle in relation

your opponent by turning your hips and shoulders the appropriate time during the transition. The timinof the palms changing position and the rotationmovements of the arms in conjunction with the rotatintorso are also important points in this practice.

The yin-yang pattern is the rst of the many patternthat are practiced as part of Park's "pole training

After the student has practiced the yin-yang patteraround one central pole and become proficient ithe mechanics and timing of these movements, th

practitioner will then begin to practice walking "gure-eight" pattern around two poles. From there thstudent will progress to walking a double gure-eigharound three poles. This pattern is demonstrated the photographs on the opposite page.

When working with either the two or three poconfiguration, the distances between the poles a

varied so that the student will become accustometo navigating smaller gure-eights and larger gureights. When working with three poles, the distan

between each of the poles will be varied so that thrst gure-eight around pole #1 and pole #2 might bsmall and the subsequent pattern around pole #2 an

pole #3 might be larger. In addition to the gure-eigpattern, the student will also practice small circlearound the various poles in conjunction with thgure-eight patterns. In other words, the practitionmight execute two consecutive gure-eight patternaround the three poles, then execute a full circor two around pole #1 before continuing the gureight pattern. Varying the patterns gives the studeexperience in varying the timing of the palm change

varying the footwork patterns, and the varying thcoordination of the body's turning and twistinmovements. Walking in smaller, tighter circles, and changin

directions frequently facilitates the development the kuo bu ( ) and bai bu ( ) steps. The abilito apply kuo buand bai buquickly and efciently nonly teaches the practitioner how to change directionrapidly while remaining stable, it also develops exibiliand adroitness in the pelvic region. Additionallthe student begins to develop the ability to utilizthe kou and bai steps in hooking and trapping thopponent's legs.

In addition to utilizing the fan zhang ( ), overturning palm movement when navigating amongthe poles, the student will also practice changinamongst the "eight mother palms" that were alsThe Yin-Yang circle walking pattern

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practiced during the basic circle walk exercise. Byexecuting these movements the student not only becomesfamiliar with the rapid twisting and turning movementsof the body, but he also becomes familiar with various

basic arm movements. When the arms, body, andlegs can all be coordinated while the practitioner isnavigating the tight twists and turns amongst the poles,he will discover many new applications of these basicmovements. Many of Ba Gua's throwing techniques

come out of these changes. Once the student becomes adept at changing amongstthe poles utilizing the basic arm movements of the "eightmother palms" he will then begin adding striking andkicking maneuvers to the pole training practice. Thepoles are made from bamboo, rattan, PVC pipe, or someother exible material that is buried into the ground.

The practitioner can kick or strike the pole and the polewill have some give to it so that it absorbs some of theenergy of the strike and bounces back. In this practicethe practitioner will never stop moving amongst thepoles while simultaneously kicking, striking, and rapidlychanging directions. Some poles are kicked, some

are hit, and others are not touched but evaded as thestudent continually moves around the poles. In thispractice, the student learns to strike while remaininghighly mobile and learns how to quickly change andmove after a strike has been applied. After the three pole practice, the student will moveto four