Simple Questions: Ba Gua circle walking

[dogson]

I'm taking beginner's mind approach here, I'm going to start asking really, really stupidly simple questions to the community. Sometimes my phrasing will be stupid, too. Please be gentle!

 

#1: Ba Gua circle walking. What is it? What is it supposed to do? What does it actually do?

 

 

[Andrei]

 

Just do it and you'll see afterwards.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Andrei

[Bearded Dragon]

Well there are 2 reasons you'd do it. One for martial arts and the other for meditation.

 

The most basic reason in terms of martial arts is to train how to step in that manner. It's much more than that though. It would be best explained by someone who actually trains it. There is a lot of detail in regards to changes and different types of energy.

 

The monastic tradition uses it for meditation as a means to stir up deeply bound energy and resolve it. Just sitting for mediation can lead to stagnation so you could alternate between sitting and walking to make the most of your time.

 

My experience is limited. I taught myself basic stepping which I found was really good for making a connection to the ground. There is a part of the stepping where you sink your energy down the front leg until you've partially stepped then you change and that front leg sucks energy up which pulls you the rest of the way. The effect was quite profound.

[GrandmasterP]

Give it a go in order to experience whether or not it suits you.

If you are a young man try the MA form.

If not then the meditative approach to the circle walking would possibly suit you better.

In every case, go to a teacher for correct instruction.

Books and DVDs will only get you so far and may even compound mistakes.

Only a Bagua teacher can coach and mentor you during training to correct any mistakes right there and then as those arise.

Which they will.

Edited August 4, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[idquest]

Watch your knees. Very few instructors explain how to circle walk so that your knees remain healthy. The problem is that the misalignment in the knees don't manifest right away but rather accumulate over years and closer to 45-50 a person might get in real trouble.

 

What helped me - 3 swings as taught by BKF. For some people they are obvious; but for me it took more than a year to fully appreciate them. I started them after 50, so for younger folks all that could take much faster.

[Daeluin]

#1: Ba Gua circle walking. What is it? What is it supposed to do? What does it actually do?

 

What is it: Imagine your are standing parallel to the circumference of a circle with feet together. Now turn the waist to face the center of the circle. Remain turned to the center of the circle as you sink the weight to the inside foot and lightly step with the outside foot. This foot will naturally step along the circumference of the circle as long as you maintain turning the waist towards the center of the circle.

 

In this stance, the weight is fully on the back foot and the front foot is light and could reposition or pivot with ease. Now shift the weight towards this foot, transferring the weight to the front foot while rooting with the back foot, then become light with the back foot and make an inside step. Again, because the waist is turned to the center of the circle, the foot will naturally position along the circumference of the circle.

 

Now walk like this, slowly shifting weight and maintaining focus on the center of the circle. Keep the head level as you move around the circle. Go slow at first and try to stay low and avoid bobbing up and down. Use a tree or post to walk around to get used to it. Explore walking a wide circle at first, and as you get better, walking a smaller circle. The hands can be held in different postures, such as both palms pressing down, palms flat thumbs open, forming a triangle pointing towards the center of the circle, but not touching each other. Or with the inside palm facing the center of the circle, index finger aligned with the tip of the nose, elbow dropped, elbow and shoulder relaxed, outside palm protective underneath the elbow of the inside palm, both palms alive.

 

Change periodically. When the inside foot steps lightly forward, pivot on the heel, swinging the ball of the foot to the outside of the circle, then shift the weight to this foot. Both feet are now "pidgen toed." now pivot the other foot and adjust the waist to turn back to the center of the circle and begin walking again. To change when stepping forward with the outside foot follows the same principle, but you pivot inside.

 

What does it do: Helps create circular flow of energy in the body. Walking around a central point with the head level starts implementing a circular energy movement. When you change, you spin the body in the other direction and the energy adjusts, spinning inside the body. At first going slowly allows the energy to sink more deeply... but as one progresses one speeds up, and is able to spin more rapidly.

 

Have you ever spun around in a circle until you were dizzy, and maybe even fell over? Training in circle walking harnesses and develops this circular power so that you won't get dizzy, but will be able to pivot and change directions very rapidly without losing orientation. One learns to utilize the momentum of pivoting as a force to push against. Ever see a cat falling up-side-down suddenly twist mid-air to land on its feet?

 

After regularly walking the circle, one will develop an ease of adaptability, nimbly responding to situations rather than remaining stuck looking from one perspective. The linear slowly ceases to be the predominant dynamic, and one becomes able to see things from different angles and perspectives. Rather than face a situation head on, one may naturally slip around the edges.

 

There is much much more involved with this. The circle hides many subtle mysteries. They say one should walk the circle for ten years before learning bagua chuang. They say one walks the circle to find the tao. After one walks the circle long enough one becomes invisible.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Daeluin

[Protector]

It's like horse stance but worse

[zerostao]

What is it: Imagine your are standing parallel to the circumference of a circle with feet together. Now turn the waist to face the center of the circle. Remain turned to the center of the circle as you sink the weight to the inside foot and lightly step with the outside foot. This foot will naturally step along the circumference of the circle as long as you maintain turning the waist towards the center of the circle.

 

In this stance, the weight is fully on the back foot and the front foot is light and could reposition or pivot with ease. Now shift the weight towards this foot, transferring the weight to the front foot while rooting with the back foot, then become light with the back foot and make an inside step. Again, because the waist is turned to the center of the circle, the foot will naturally position along the circumference of the circle.

 

Now walk like this, slowly shifting weight and maintaining focus on the center of the circle. Keep the head level as you move around the circle. Go slow at first and try to stay low and avoid bobbing up and down. Use a tree or post to walk around to get used to it. Explore walking a wide circle at first, and as you get better, walking a smaller circle. The hands can be held in different postures, such as both palms pressing down, palms flat thumbs open, forming a triangle pointing towards the center of the circle, but not touching each other. Or with the inside palm facing the center of the circle, index finger aligned with the tip of the nose, elbow dropped, elbow and shoulder relaxed, outside palm protective underneath the elbow of the inside palm, both palms alive.

 

Change periodically. When the inside foot steps lightly forward, pivot on the heel, swinging the ball of the foot to the outside of the circle, then shift the weight to this foot. Both feet are now "pidgen toed." now pivot the other foot and adjust the waist to turn back to the center of the circle and begin walking again. To change when stepping forward with the outside foot follows the same principle, but you pivot inside.

 

What does it do: Helps create circular flow of energy in the body. Walking around a central point with the head level starts implementing a circular energy movement. When you change, you spin the body in the other direction and the energy adjusts, spinning inside the body. At first going slowly allows the energy to sink more deeply... but as one progresses one speeds up, and is able to spin more rapidly.

 

Have you ever spun around in a circle until you were dizzy, and maybe even fell over? Training in circle walking harnesses and develops this circular power so that you won't get dizzy, but will be able to pivot and change directions very rapidly without losing orientation. One learns to utilize the momentum of pivoting as a force to push against. Ever see a cat falling up-side-down suddenly twist mid-air to land on its feet?

 

After regularly walking the circle, one will develop an ease of adaptability, nimbly responding to situations rather than remaining stuck looking from one perspective. The linear slowly ceases to be the predominant dynamic, and one becomes able to see things from different angles and perspectives. Rather than face a situation head on, one may naturally slip around the edges.

 

There is much much more involved with this. The circle hides many subtle mysteries. They say one should walk the circle for ten years before learning bagua chuang. They say one walks the circle to find the tao. After one walks the circle long enough one becomes invisible.

edgework is fine art. nice post

[BaguaKicksAss]

I'm taking beginner's mind approach here, I'm going to start asking really, really stupidly simple questions to the community. Sometimes my phrasing will be stupid, too. Please be gentle!

 

#1: Ba Gua circle walking. What is it? What is it supposed to do? What does it actually do?

 

It is the foundation practice of Bagua, to build your Bagua body . It helps build, strengthen and elasticize (the tendons in this case) your body. It also helps get you rooted, grounded and sunk during the entire practice. It also involves much twisting and turning. The circle walking process completely changes you from the inside out, and outside in, on many many levels. It tears you apart then puts you back together, completely changed. It is also about change, continual change, which is one of the principals for the martial art. It is also an amazing healing practice; with all those channels and energy paths being worked at the very precise angles and ways they need to be for clearing and healing. It also builds power, again on many levels.

 

Sink, twist, tork, then walk. That is all.

 

Enjoy .

[Gerard]

One simple answer:

 

It will open your rigid mind.

 

This reason is more than enough to pursue this limiltless art.