The "Magic Turtle" with Post-Heaven Trigrams
Baguazhang's "Water Palm"
Bagua's Water Palm is characterized as a drawing palm (liao zhang) in which joined palms often diverge and wrap or solo palms rise and pull, drag, or twist. It is used primarily to redirect or ward off an opponent's clench, grab, or strike, and twist or hyperextend their joints. The action can also be used to reach and pull a far arm or leg, or establish a strong position close to the opponent's center or spine whether in the standing phase or on the ground. In this particular application, the Water Palm is used to redirect a rear attack, and divide the opponent’s upper and lower hemispheres. As such, their center of gravity is in a position to be compromised, and a "hyperextension of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae" may very likely occur. This particular symbol represents the Emperor Yu's discovery of the Post-Heaven Bagua and its cyclical pattern, which developed a new view of the trigrams based on seasonal and atmospheric changes. As legend would have it, Emperor Yu observed a unique turtle in the Yellow River and noticed that the dorsal aspect of its shell contained nine squares, and individual markings of value in each square, that added up to the number 15 in every column, row, or diagonal. He then observed a similar pattern of stars in a night sky. He followed celestial arrangements based on their cyclical movements for ordering planting, irrigating, or harvesting in conjunction with 8 seasonal cycles. The magic square is utilized by some practitioners of Feng Shui and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to influence choices and ideas. The internal art of Baguazhang synthesizes and utilizes eight gates to determine the origin of the opponent's center of gravity during aggression and (or) as a way to make balance in one's life by going along with daily and seasonal changes. The internal arts of Taiji and Xingyi are also profound in promoting balance, circulation, and flexibility.
Check out the following popular pages: Yi Quan, Liangong, and Applications of the Mother Palms
The T'ai Chi Power Combo! Our T'ai Chi Power Combo combines Two Complete Video Series in One: The Power Push Hands Video Series (Single Hands, Double Hands, Moving Push Hands, and Self-Defense Concepts) with The Wu T'ai Chi Power Training Video Series (Includes 3 Wu Style T'ai Chi Inner Door Sets, Hand and Spear Power Cultivation, Deriving Power from Form's Practice, and Integrating Power in Push Hands.)
We have combined two of our best stand-alone Chi Kung instructional videos to create the Chi Kung Duo (Ancient vs. Modern). The Swimming Dragon Chi Kung, is thought to have originated with the Yellow Emperor, and, with one look at its shapes and simplicity of movements (based on the Five Elemental Phases) it's easy to conclude that this may very likely be something special that has survived the ages-not to mention the fact that some people swear by the wonders it does for their spine and posture. The Soaring Crane Chi Kung was created by Zhao Jin Xiang in the 1970s, and is one of the most popular forms of Chi Kung worldwide. With its specific focus on therapeutic points, patience, and stillness in movement, it rivals the chi cultivation sets of the ancients. The unique "sixth section" (or, Advanced Meditation) is a marvel amongst any and all Chi Kung practices. NEW to this series is the "seventh section" or Walking Methods. This completes the series and supports comprehensive instruction for students and viewers. While we don't advocate practicing two types of Chi Kung at the same time, these two popular and useful forms of Chi Kung practice, that we have combined in the "Chi Kung Duo" are certainly worth utilizing to compare, contrast, and ultimately cultivate.
