Foundations class, Week 2: Introduction to circle turning

...and then there were two: two classes in our Thursday night series for introducing the foundational practices of Yin Style Baguazhang to the community in and around Knoxville, Tennessee. In all, this class was very productive, and it centered its theme upon introducing the circle turning training method of (Yin Style) baguazhang.

We opened up the class, of course, with a discussion of what turning the circle is and what it is good for, particularly noting its usefulness as a training method to improve fighting ability. In response to stated interest in the matter, some mention of the internal development side of the circle turning practice was also provided. Being that beginners often find it surprisingly difficult to manage walking in a circle, we started slowly by having all of the students slowly walk the circle, adding requirements toward turning in the Lion System representational posture as we went along.

1. First, we walked in a circular fashion to get comfortable with finding and maintaining a circular stepping pattern, which is surprisingly difficult at first (give it a try if you don't believe me!)
2. Then we made the legs more precise: first make the stepping more accurate, then lower the weight into the legs, then attend to the detail of the proper feeling of Lion--that you are continuously walking down a hill, legs sloshing through ankle-deep water.
3. Then we had the arms come up to the sides naturally and transitioned to the Lion representational posture, letting people get a feel for turning in the Lion posture for a few minutes, giving basic corrections.

This underscores the general approach to learning embraced by Yin Style Bagua: start simple, add details over time. Everything should be learned in an intelligent progression, from simple to complex, taking time to extract the value from each stage.

Since all of the turning above was done in only one direction, we then broadened the practice by introducing a "direction change method" from the canon of foundational practice of the Lion System: the "rising sweeping/slicing direction change method." Other lineages of baguazhang refer to "direction change methods" as "single palm changes," and what they are, in brief, is a short combination of techniques that can be used to transition smoothly from turning the circle in one direction, to fighting techniques in an effective combination, to turning the circle in the opposite direction. The rising sweeping direction change method of the Lion System was drilled in short but continuous fashion (turn a circle, change, turn a circle, change, etc.) for a couple of dozen changes on each side to build familiarity with the techniques.

He Jinbao using a opening sweeping strike from the direction change method.

Here we see another important theme arising: Circle turning, combined with direction change methods (and thus forms, which are more complicated sets of techniques that facilitate the same purpose) is a continuous practice. It has no de facto beginning or ending point; those have to be wilfully chosen by the practitioner. This is distinctly different from the way many martial arts are structured, where there is a definite beginning and ending to each set of techniques (kata or forms) or the end of a match.

To emphasize that point, we then turned the circle in the Lion representational posture for fifteen more minutes continuously, without dropping our hands. Students received hands-on correction as they sought to find the proper position and use of the hands, eyes, body, waist, and footwork.

After the introduction to turning, which took an hour total, we switched gears and reviewed the foundational sweep/slice strikes from last week: rising and inward sweeping. Then we introduced the capturing sweep, drilling it in single-action and in two-strike combination. It was then applied for tactile feel and accuracy in usage.

To finish, we had a resounding discussion based upon a question raised by a former karate practitioner. He wanted to know how to make the techniques more real-world applicable, since the learning-speed applications setting tends to assume an opponent who isn't too dynamic. In particular, he noted how effectively and accurately Yin Bagua stylists are able to trap the feet and execute knockdowns and throws to finish their techniques, and he wondered if a dynamic opponent would provide that same opportunity or might thwart the efforts of the Yin stylist.

To find out, we explored the matter. I had him go a bit live on me with the specific intention of using his former training to control the distance and keep away from me. I never succeeded in trapping his feet with my first or even second technique, but, as I expected, the interlocked nature of the techniques in the Lion System, particularly in transitioning from striking to grasping to striking again at need, very quickly overwhelmed him and opened the opportunity to get his feet and achieve the throw or knockdown, usually within a few seconds.

A similar question involving the clench position was raised from a former grappler, and proper use of sweeping strikes was sufficient to create the necessary set up to change from grappling to striking when the grappler is good at controlling access to his body and feet.

It was very exciting and interesting, so big thanks to everyone who made it out!

The quote of the evening from one participant was made on his Facebook wall after he got home:
"Week two of bagua seminar went really well. For someone new to martial arts it might be hard to see the method behind the madness at first but I have been involved in martial arts for over 13 years and I've got to say, to those still thinking about training, you don't know what you are missing. For what very little I've grasped so far it is unlike anything I've ever studied. It truly is an intellectual art. I know why my instructor refers to it as graduate studies for martial artists. The Chinese don't just make great egg rolls!!"