Baguazhang is an internal martial arts, and many of its skills are passed down orally and taught by example. Although many internal martial arts masters have written many books and talked about many skills, such as: three-step skills, three-level principles, and three training methods. It is indeed very good, but how to practice it, how much time it takes to practice it, and what kind of movements to use to practice it are not mentioned. In fact, the body also undergoes many changes during practice, and many people do not know how to deal with them. The theory of internal martial arts is good, and the results of practice are good, but if you don’t know what method (kung fu) to use to practice it, what’s the use if you can’t practice it on yourself. Many martial arts practitioners like to say; how good our boxing is, I admit this, the question is how well you practice it yourself, and whether you have mastered the kung fu. I hope that people who like Baguazhang can practice real kung fu and not waste their energy and time. The following is a brief introduction to my experience in practicing Baguazhang:
Baguazhang Kung Fu 1: “Whole Force”
The main kung fu of Baguazhang is palm turning. It is very important for practitioners to always maintain a whole force throughout the body during the palm turning process. The kung fu is called “full pull” (common saying: like sailing with full wind). If the practitioner does not maintain “whole strength” during the changes of Baguazhang movements, and the strength is intermittent due to the changes in movements, it is easy to be hit by the broken strength when fighting, and he is not a good practitioner. How to see whether the practitioner’s strength is intermittent? (If the opponent agrees) You can put your hands on the practitioner’s fingers or forearms. When the practitioner’s movements change, you can hear whether his strength is intermittent, and you can also check whether the opponent’s whole strength is practiced on the body.
Baguazhang Kung Fu 2: “Finger Strength”
There are many kinds of Baguazhang techniques, and the role of each finger is very important. The Baguazhang master has a metaphor, saying: a cannonball hits, and a dragonfly turns it. It is about a person with infinite strength. When he hits you with his palm or fist, when the palm or fist hits you, you touch one finger (you must know that you have to touch the opponent’s weak point), and the person’s strength will be dissolved without a trace. There is another saying about “finger strength”, which is to compare the strength of the body to a gun, and the finger is the tip of the gun. When fighting with others, if your fingers are soft (afraid of touching), you can’t hit anyone. How to know the strength of finger strength? Let your fingers press against the opponent’s chest, and let the opponent exert all his strength on your fingers. At this time, your own fingers can withstand the opponent’s force without bending, and the opponent can retreat with your fingers. Only then can it be said that the “finger strength” of practicing Baguazhang is available.
Baguazhang Kung Fu 3: “Eight Palm Turning Styles of Fighting Techniques”
Baguazhang has a total of 8864 styles, and each style has more than a few fighting methods. In fact, the most basic skills of Baguazhang come from the eight palm turning styles, namely, stepping on the palm, roc spreading wings, lion holding a ball, immortal pointing the way, black bear returning to the back, white ape offering fruit, pointing to the sky and hitting the earth, and green dragon reaching out the palm. If you can master the usage of the eight styles, that is, do not change other styles (such as only using the “stepping palm” style, and cannot change other styles), and use each style for both attack and defense, attacking is defense, and defense is attacking, then you can be said to have entered the door of Baguazhang. There is also an important usage principle. When trying your hand with others, only talk about one thing and not two. That is to say, when fighting, one move is both defense and attack, and one move is completed. If I use one move to defend the opponent and then another move to attack the opponent, it is actually slow and I have been beaten.
Baguazhang Kung Fu 4: “Penetration” (also known as power)
When practicing turning palms in Baguazhang, there are also many standing exercises, including the walking exercises of the eight styles of turning palms. Practicing standing exercises is to practice power. The power generated by the combination of power and striking techniques is called power. The master said: If you have power but no art, you can’t beat people, and if you have art but no power, you can’t hurt people. If you don’t have both, you are practicing the performance art of Baguazhang. Here is a test method, that is, when you use your finger force to hit the opponent, you can knock the opponent away several steps.
Baguazhang Kung Fu 5: “Dantian Qi”
Practicing Dantian Qi in Baguazhang requires several processes, namely five thresholds: The first threshold: After a period of Baguazhang practice, beginners gradually dissolve the original stiffness of their bodies, and the coordination and flexibility of the body are manifested. The movements of Baguazhang show stability, smoothness and vitality. Sometimes practitioners will feel that their fingertips will jump lightly. The second threshold: After a period of Baguazhang practice, the practitioner unconsciously begins to practice the reverse breathing method. The third threshold: After a long period of Baguazhang practice, the practitioner begins to pay attention to seeking stillness in movement and keeping the mind free of distractions during the process of Baguazhang palm rotation. During this period, the practitioner’s abdomen will make sounds, which experts call abdominal rumbling, which can also prove that the practice of Baguazhang has begun to enter the hall. The fourth threshold: after a long period of Baguazhang practice, the practitioner has basically achieved all the requirements from the top of the head to the soles of the feet. When practicing turning the palm, the practitioner also achieved tranquility in movement and kept his mind free of distractions. During this period, the practitioner’s Dantian began to have “qi”. The fifth threshold: after a long period of Baguazhang practice, the practitioner’s Dantian Qi is sufficient. There are many kinds of Baguazhang kung fu, such as the ones I know: footwork, footwork, the use of sixty-four, walking the nine palaces of Baguazhang, etc. I just introduced the above-mentioned kung fu here, hoping that more Baguazhang enthusiasts can practice good kung fu.