November 2010
3 posts
Ten thousand variations
In all styles, no two people will perform a movement, routine or application in exactly the same way. Differences in skill and understanding; differences in physical build and ability; differences in personality and temperament will all shape the performance.
But this is not permission to change the form according to the person. There are underlying principles within every style. To ignore these...
Contradictions
While learning the internal martial arts grappling with contradictions is an important part of learning. In Taiji it is about finding an internal hardness while maintaining an external softness. For Magui Bagua it is cultivating a full, heavy, square power within a turned posture and constantly pivoting movements. While in Xingyi the challenge is to combine a settled and calm mind-set with the...
Taiji Sword, Bagua Sabre, Shaolin Staff, Xingyi...
Taiji, Bagua, Shaolin and Xingyi each share characteristics with one of these four weapons. For Bagua, it is the saber.
The saber is sharp on one side and flat on the other. This makes it not only a sturdier weapon, it allows one to “wrap” and “twine” the blade close to the body. In skilled hands, the saber can block to all angles and strike from unexpected directions.
