Stone Lantern Internal Arts

SEMINAR SUMMARY

Cultivating Deep Skill: Bagua Seminar with Andrea Falk

January 29 & 30, 2011

 Bear posture circle walking is the fundamental training for Magui Bagua. During the weekend Andrea Falk highlighted some key points for this practice: maintaining an upright torso, keeping the chin tucked, setting the shoulders and finding stability in the legs. Three second stepping was introduced as a training technique as was moving walking for intermediate students.

Refinements to the first change, Single Palm Change, clarifying the stepping and the generation of power was covered. The second change, Double Palm Change, was reviewed with an emphasis on using the lower back to power all arm movements including the liao (upward slice).

Two applications, gai zhang and zhuang zhang were practiced on the first day. Emphasis was placed on proper kou bu and bai bu stepping and finding how to generate power internally rather than using either a shift in weight or momentum for power.

On the second day all eight animal postures (Bear, Dragon, Eagle, Crab, Snake, Yin Yang Fish, Lion, and Spearing Heaven and Earth) were covered. Key pointers for each posture were taught. Beginners were taught the third and fourth Dragon changes, Following Palm Change and Triple Palm Change. Intermediate students were taught all eight Lion changes. The Lion posture trains for sabre. It’s characteristic ball rolling needs to connect through the shoulders to the low back. In addition, the eighth change, Spinning Body Change, was reviewed.

And Mike lucked out getting personal instruction on all eight Dragon changes.

“When the footwork and bodywork are perfect then the hand techniques will be natural. So the changes must be done perfectly, very accurately, very strictly. There must be no ambiguity in any movement, so matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Although there are hundreds of changes, the footwork and bodywork are always the same – turning with koubu and baibu. All the techniques grow out of these.”

Andrea Falk. Magui Bagua Training Manual. Section 2, pg.3.

The Magui Bagua Training manual is a downloadable e-book that can be purchased through Andrea Falk’s sales website: www.thewushucentre.net. Members of the Magui Bagua Association have access to the discussion forums on the Association website: http://www.maguibagua.org. Members should contact Philippe Plante (philippe@maguibagua.org) for their i.d. and password.