Thoughts on Learning Baguazhang by Michael Babin (2004).pdf

Thoughts on Learning

Baguazhang

Michael Babin

Thoughts on Learning Baguazhang

A Dank & Dusty Basement Production

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication:

Babin, Michael, 1952–

Thoughts on Learning Baguazhang

ISBN 0-9735370-0-0

Feel free to download and photocopy this text for your personal use although I,

as the author, reserve all rights to this handbook. Please do not plagiarise or edit

the contents in any way and include this page for copyright purposes.

If you like the text and ﬁnd it useful and get the urge to send me $10 US ,

in the tradition of shareware, I will be happy to accept it and your comments,

positive or otherwise.

Send cash or an international postal money order to:

Michael Babin

2207 Halifax Drive

Ottawa, Ontario K1G 2W4

Canada

You can also contact me at michael.babin@sympatico.ca

February 2004

Photography by Anjela Popova

Cover artwork by Kaia Knightingale

Graphic design and layout by Vassili Bykov

As an instructor and writer, I try to provide something for everyone.

For those who are only happy ﬁnding fault,

I have generously included a few errors to meet this need.

I also have a sense of humour and refuse to curb that tendency

just to appear more scholarly. Bagua is too serious a subject

to not take a light-hearted approach to the training.

If there were fewer humourless obsessives and fanatics

in the world today—there would be no need to study

the martial side of Baguazhang or any of the combative arts!

Acknowledgements

A special thanks is due to Erle Montaigue. If in the last decade I have ﬁnally begun to understand

what “internal” can mean in the the context of bagua, it has been largely due to his instruction,

example, and encouragement.

Good bagua instructors are rare, but so are good students. I would like to thank all those that have

studied with me since 1994 but particularly Sean Kelly, Jeff Campbell, and Stephane Trepanier for

their patience and persistence in travelling along this difﬁcult road with me.

Thanks to Ron Beier and John Kavanagh, my colleagues in the WTBA , for the pleasure I have had

from our correspondence in the last few years on bagua and a variety of internal arts subjects. Some

of those email discussions were reworked for this handbook.

I would also like to thank Kaia Knightingale (http://www.kaia.ca) for the original artwork for the

front cover.

A special note of thanks to Anjela Popova and Vassili Bykov for their work on the layout and design

of this book and to Anjela, in particular, for allowing me to use the photograph she took. She can be

reached at anjelapopova@hotmail.com .

Michael Babin

Ottawa, Canada

February 21, 2004

Contents

I NTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1

Video/DVD Instruction 5; Learning from Books, Periodicals & the Internet 7;

A Final Caveat 9

L EARNING HOW TO L EARN B AGUAZHANG ..................................................................10

The Learning Process 11; Key attributes for a student 13; Conclusion 22

F UNDAMENTALS : S TANDING AND M OVING Q IGONG ...................................................23

An Introduction to General Qigong Theory 24; Regulating the Three Treasures 28;

Bagua Standing Qigong Methods 30; General Guidelines for Qigong Practice 38;

Common Symptoms Experienced During or After Training 41; Conclusion 43

F UNDAMENTALS : T HE E MPTY -H AND S OLO F ORMS ....................................................45

Details Of Posture 45; Xian Tian & Hou Tian Concepts 50; Pre-birth Training: the

Circular Form of Jiang Jung Chiao 51; Post-heaven Training: the Linear Form 51;

General Training Tips for Empty-Hand Forms 52; Conclusion 58

F UNDAMENTALS : B ASIC M ARTIAL T RAINING ..............................................................59

What Makes Bagua Different in Martial Terms 59; The Basic Martial Curriculum 61;

Hammer Hands Applications Set 68; Form Applications 69; Conclusion 72

B EYOND THE M ARTIAL B ASICS ..................................................................................74

Advanced Martial Training 75; Self-defence 85

C ONTROVERSIAL I SSUES ............................................................................................96

Thoughts on Lineage 96; Is Bagua a Healing Art or a Martial Art? 99;

What Leads: the Hands or the Waist? 100; What is the Role of Pushing? 101;

“Empty” Force 102; “Light Body” Skills 103; Sexuality 104; Cross-training 105

W EAPONS F ORMS & F UNCTION ..............................................................................109

Traditional Weapons Training 110; The Broadsword 111; The Long Staff 113;

Double Sword Form 114; Deer Horn Knives 116; Conclusion 117

T EACHING AND E THICS ..........................................................................................119

Should You Teach? 120; What and How You Teach 120; Where you Teach 123;

Whom You Teach 124; Observers 125; Frustrations & Rewards 126; Conclusion 131

F INAL W ORDS .......................................................................................................132;

A BOUT THE A UTHOR .............................................................................................134

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