Andrea Falk Bagua & Xingyi Seminar Summaries June 15-16, 2019
Xingyi Sabre In the first half of the Xingyi seminar, Andrea Falk taught the five Sabre techniques: Chop, Drill, Thrust, Slash and Cosscut. In Andrea Falk’s translation, Di Guoyong On Xingyiquan vol.3, it has the following advice on learning Xingyi weapons; “The weapon must become one with the body. You must learn to fully utilise the character of each weapon with each technique - each weapon has its own characteristics due to its structure and use and each original technique of the five elements or 12 animals has its characteristic power.”
In practicing it’s important to maintain proper structure and apply full body power. Attention needs to kept on proper grip techniques: full grip, inverted grip, pinch grip and coiled grip. Some key points foreach of the five techniques: Chop - Pi Dao With the pierce, ensure the wrist is straight with the inverted grip. With the coil, ensure the spine of the sabre is kept close to the body with the tip downwards (pinch grip). With the chop, use the full grip. The blade should cut then slice in a single motion.
Coil - Zuan Dao Advance with the defensive Draw, circling the sabre with proper control. The Draw involves both blocking and drawing actions. With the downward Drill use the inverted grip. With the upward Drill, use the coil grip.
Thrust - Beng Dao This technique was taught combining hook and thrust. With the hook ensure the spine of the sabre is 90 degrees, slightly off the centre-line, setting the wrist. With the thrust, lift the hilt and thrust at chest height.
Slash - Pao Dao The slash combines slash and hack techniques. The slash comes forward and up from below with the edge of the blade upwards. Changing to the hack requires using the wrist as a pivot and proper adjusting the grip. The Hack come down diagonally.
Crosscut - Heng Dao The crosscut is a combination of a brandishing block with a horizontal cut. Keep the movements continuous with attention to the forward motion that starts the brandishing block and the drawing in motion that completes the crosscut.
Xingyi Partner work The second half of the seminar was devoted to partner work. The routine An Shen Pao was reviewed and practiced, while beginners were taught key combinations from the routine.
These included:
Bengquan countered by Covering Palm followed by Bengquan countered by Piquan;
Bengquan countered by Monkey Pulls the Rope countered by Hengquan Chop countered by Block; and
Palm countered by Hengquan, followed by Paoquan countered by Hengquan.
Jiang Bagua The day long workshop began with the Jiang warm-up: joint extension with 8 hand positions; stepping right and left with 8 hand positions; hip loosening circle walking with 8 hand positions; and eight techniques circle walking. An unlisted video outlining this warm up is on youtube. Dragon stance circle walking was practiced to train proper hip position while doing lower basin walking. Andrea Falk then reviewed the Eight Changes and provided individual instruction and corrections. The teaching progressed from learning the movements within each Change, to understanding the directions and lines of force within each Change, to developing the unique coiling movements of Jiang style.
Andrea Falk has published a revised Chinese-English edition of “Jiang Rongqiao’s Baguazhang.” This summary uses the English move names as translated in this book.
Key points for each Change included: First Palm Change Violet Swallow Tosses It’s Wings - Close Door and Push The Moon keep the movements linked and continuous step into a horse stance
Second Palm Change Pick A Helmet Behind the Head When wrapping around the head, keep the arm high and extend fully to the rear, pressing the upper back in the opposite direction to drive the movement of the arm.
Third Palm Change Beautiful Girl Presents a Book - Mount Tai Bears Down its Weight Lift the upper palm vertically, pushing up over the head as the foot steps the outward hook step. Yellow Eagle Clutches the Throat This can be done as a grab followed by a small lift of the wrist
Embrace the Moon Following the drop stance, the feet can adjust to shorten the stance for Embrace the Moon.
Fourth Palm Change Pull Up the Cloak While Walking Along keep the force evenly balanced between both arms and coil through the body.
Fifth Palm Change Sweep Aside An Army of A Thousand Ensure the striking palm finishes positioned into the centre of the circle, the front foot hooks out as a trampling step onto the circle-line.
Sixth Palm Change Water Buffalo Gazes At The Moon Connect the movement across the shoulders and block upwards with the upper forearm.
Seventh Palm Change Keep the movements smooth and continuous with the torso remaining upright. Lion Opens Its Mouth ensure the upper palm lifts adequately.
Eighth Palm Change Pull A Bow Astride A Horse Step into a proper horse stance. Wild Steed Charges A Manger - do a full arm lifting strike.
The Chinese-English edition of “Jiang Rongqiao’s Baguazhang” in Part One - Training Methods of Baguazhang includes the following commentary:
“Have a dragon shape and monkey manner, crouch like a tiger and roll like an eagle. This explains the body shape, body techniques and footwork. The first characteristic of Bagauzhang is walking. This continuous circular walking must be done like a swimming dragon…The second characteristic of Baguazhang is looking… This spirit shown in the eyes should be alike a monkey hunting. The third characteristic os Baguazhang is sitting….This squatting is combined with leg techniques, so should be like a tiger, settled and strong. The fourth characteristic of baguazhang is rolling…it should be as agile and sudden as an eagle soaring in the sky then suddenly rolling over and dropping to earth.”
Andrea's next visit Guelph will be end of January 2020.
