You are here: Home / 2010 / Archives for January 2010

3 Days at the Gompa

January 29, 2010 By

Sounds like an exotic journey to a far off land doesn’t it? In way that is exactly what members of the Toronto Study Group experienced during a training session a few years  back. We found ourselves in a martial arts heaven. I hope a brief story about our trip will be an enticement to others.

Due to our flight arrangements, we landed quite late on a Wednesday night, arriving at the Gompa at 1:30AM. Even at this late hour, Shifu Painter had arranged for us to organize our sleeping arrangements so as to get to bed as soon as possible after our arrival. This was good since we knew the day was going to start at 8:30 sharp.

Thursday began with an hour of meditation and Dao Yin yoga with Shifu Painter. There is no adequate way to describe this experience other than to say that it was peaceful, healthful and a completely delightful way to begin our training. We all went to breakfast after this and enjoyed discussing the coming three days of training.

The first martial training session was in Master Jou’s garden. This is an outdoor training space dedicated to the late Master Jou, Tsung Hwa, author of several books and a pioneer of Taijichuan in the west. The garden itself consists of several sections, each with different training tools and environments. There is a wooden deck used for multiple purposes such as meditation, stepping patterns, qigong etc. Beside this is the famous Baguazhang Nine Post Training area which involves nine wooden posts arranged in three rows of three posts, all situated on a surface of loose gravel. You need to step carefully since the gravel slips out under your feet. Next is an area of raised stone steps arranged in a circle so one can practice stepping onto very specific targets. If you miss, you fall over. There is also a place for practicing light body skill. If this was not enough, there are also lengths of narrow beams on which two people can stand and play push hands games. There are practice dummies for arm work, and space to swing weapons. The largest area is a patio with a beautifully inlaid yin/yang symbol surrounded by the eight gua of the Yijing. (I Ching). Here there is plenty of room for combat games with multiple opponents. And there is one unforgettable piece of equipment; a 12 foot length of 4 inch PVC filled with concrete, weighing about 150lbs and hung from a high tree branch so it swings far and wide. This thing is a challenge to one’s walking and rooting skills that has to be experienced to be understood. Does all this sound cool or what??!!

We spent the day in the garden working on our body structure. This involved fine tuning the various alignments that are needed to produce whole body power. This is not a mysterious force, but rather the effect of the various muscles and bones being used in a synchronized way to create more force than any single muscle or group of muscles by themselves. To accomplish this, one must spend time finding the weaknesses in the way the body is held and make the necessary corrections. This we did for the entire day with well-timed rest periods.

After dinner we had some free time and chose to spend it once again in the garden, just lightly playing a game called “Two Dragons Circling Among the Clouds”. The garden is lit at night via well placed lamps, consisting of subdued white light in waist high stands, and blue spotlights overhead which have the effect of moonlight. It is quite magical to be in that place at night playing sensitivity games. We did this for the entire evening until we were just too tired to continue. A fabulous fatigue!

The next day started once again with meditation. After breakfast we spent the morning with Shifu Robert Castaldo. He is one of the official Gompa instructors and he had made some discoveries about stepping that he wanted to share with us.

It was a very detailed examination of the way one’s foot is placed when walking and the effect it has on the ability to deliver power while maintaining balance and root. You may wonder how we can spend so much time on something so seemingly small and specific. Yet we easily filled up the entire morning on this and could have gone on longer. Questions were posed and examined; ideas were tossed around and experiments designed to explore those ideas.

For anyone interested in really exploring body mechanics and their most efficient use, I highly recommend that you try to spend some time with Shifu Castaldo.

After lunch came our session with Shifu Alan Marshall. He asked us what we were working on as a group in Toronto, and we mentioned the “Two Dragons” exercise we had done the evening before. So he graciously spent the afternoon sharing his ideas and approaches to this game. It was eye opening to say the least. It must be said that the Gompa teachers are very adept at assessing where you are and then working to fill in any holes and subsequently adding information to move you forward. Shifu Marshall saw right away where the weaknesses were in the way we were playing and was able to make very specific suggestions for improvements. And, of course, he demonstrated his meaning with each and every suggestion and we learned a great deal about how to improve our practice and make progress. The time flew by and when were just getting started, it was time for dinner. The evening was spent watching a movie and just relaxing with Shifu Painter. It was simply pleasant and relaxing.

The next morning was Saturday. This is the busiest day there as there are classes running all morning. Once again we spent the morning in the garden, this time with Shifu Andy Garza. And once again he wanted to know what we were working on and we told him “Two Dragons”. He watched us play for several minutes and, as with Shifu Marshall, he had some ideas and suggestions for us. But here is the best part, Shifu Garza had different ideas to show us with this game than Shifu Marshall, none of which were contradictory and once again we were shown information which would elevate our practice, yet in different areas.

So we again found ourselves being taught in ways that enhanced our practice without losing any of what we already knew. The reason for this is that the Gompa teachers focus on principles, rather than specific techniques. Principles can be adapted to various specific situations while specific techniques are only applicable to the situation in which they are effective. Also, the focus on principles allows each teacher to share their understanding from a personal standpoint without contradicting the other teachers. In this way each personality, and they are quite different, can be freely expressed while the information is complimentary. If this sounds too good to be true, keep in mind that they have been refining their approach for many years. We are the happy recipients of these years of work.

Saturday afternoon was spent once again with Shifu Painter….hmm, we have come full circle…..going over more details about various aspects of our practice. Circle walking, ba step turns, more alignments, ideas on using weights (water filled balls) to enhance practice etc. etc. This story is already long enough without attempting to get into all that detail. After dinner, we returned to the Gompa for a final in depth discussion with Shifu about various aspects of the art. He clarified and confusions, told some illustrative stories, shared more ideas, and this went on until after midnight.

Here is the bottom line: The level of generosity and care with which each of the Gompa teachers approaches one’s learning is evident and inspiring. How you are doing really matters to them. Nothing is held back and every effort is made to be sure you are learning what you need to learn. Going to the Gompa is like stepping into an isolated training compound, with the feeling of a being a world apart. This is so conducive to focused learning that I felt I was picking up information without being directly taught anything. Just seeing some of the equipment at hand give one ideas for practice. Each of us is naturally drawn to different aspects of practice, and since the environment totally supports all these aspects, one only has to be there to get some inspiration.

The best thing about the Gompa is the Gompa. The word means “place of quiet study” and that is exactly what it is. So if you are in any way considering experiencing this unique place, do your utmost to make it happen. You will be unbelievably happy you did.

Filed Under: Lessons Tagged With: , ,

Peripheral Vision in Jiulong

January 14, 2010 By

I saw him move like a wisp of cloud dancing across a winter lake; yet within lay the power of the dragon. Younger students practicing so intensely paid no attention to him. He was older and not necessarily a man that you would give a second glance. While they pushed and punched their bags causing them to swing wildly, he looked as though he could push over mountains without effort. I watched this scene for awhile: the contrast between the youths and this older man was striking. It was like watching tiger cubs playing around a mature tiger.  Every move he made spoke volumes of practice and study. His eyes were pools of deep blue calmness that reflected the chaotic commotion of those around him. As the younger students finished their workout, sitting down, wiping up the sweat, and gulping down water to quench the thirst of the effort they had just put out, the older man quietly changed his shoes and walked out the door of the gym. But it was the way he used his eyes that really stood out. As he danced though the bags, he never seamed to be staring at any particular one, yet he comprehended everything around him. Then it stuck me: he was merely using his peripheral vision. Thus began my journey into the world of peripheral vision in Jiulong Baguazhang.

Typically, in Western society, we use what is known as foveal vision; we focus on one point in front of us and observe all the details about that one point — watching TV, looking at a computer screen, reading, or talking to someone — and ignore everything else around it. The other kind of vision we use is peripheral vision. This type of vision takes in the whole scene in front of us and around us.

The human visual system has two types of photoreceptors, rods and cones. These two types of photoreceptors are distinct in their response to light, their position on the retina, and their role in producing visual images for the brain to interpret. Peripheral vision relies on the area of the retina that is dominated by rods. Rods are very sensitive to light but do a poor job in detecting color; there are also far denser ganglion nerve connections between rods than between cones. Since rods dominate the periphery of the eye, they are more sensitive to motion too. Cones respond to radiation to produce color vision. Long (red) and middle (green) cones predominate in the fovea, with some short (blue) cones also present. The relative density of short cones increases in the foveal vision region. Throughout the peripheral region there is a low density of all three types of cones.

When you use peripheral vision, you may experience certain physiological changes, perhaps a shift in your breathing from high up in your chest to lower in your abdomen, to a point we in the Jiulong Baguazhang arts call the dantien; a relaxation of your face and jaw muscles; and eventually warmth in the hands. If you normally have “internal conversations” – thoughts bouncing back and force in your mind — you may have notice them quieting down or stopping altogether.

Foveal vision is directly associated with stimulation of the sympathetic (involuntary) nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system seems to be linked to adrenaline secretion and stress manifestations which can trigger the “fight or flight” response. Peripheral vision is linked with the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows the heartbeat, increases glandular secretions, relaxes the digestive system and is strongly associated with: spontaneity, creativity, relaxation, calmness, intuition, wisdom, and feelings of elation. Deliberate use of peripheral vision increases stamina when engaging in physical activity. If you are actually in the peripheral vision state, you can prevent anxiety as the two states are physiologically incompatible.

Peripheral vision was recognized and applied in numerous ancient cultures as a tool for survival. One example from hunter-gatherer cultures is the use of peripheral vision while hunting. It allows hunters to recognize the movements of birds and animals, and to make positive identifications without actually looking directly at the movement. Using peripheral vision allows one to see and observe motion, to navigate safely, and develop keen night vision. It also can disperse fears and stress thereby allowing you to see things for what they are. In Jiulong Baguazhang, peripheral vision allows us to be aware of any movements an opponent would make with his hands or feet, while keeping the whole of his body within view. That is useful when dealing with more than one person.

A simple exercise to help develop your peripheral vision is to find a point on the wall straight in front of you and focus on it. Now gradually become aware of what is around it and let your vision spread out so you can see the floor and ceiling along with the corners of the room. As you continue to allow your vision to spread, slowly stretch out your hands to either side of you, until you find the point at the edge of your vision where you can only see your hands when you wiggle your fingers. Now continue to expand your awareness so it also spreads around and behind you. Now while you cannot literally see behind you, your senses of hearing, touch, smell and spatial awareness spread out as as well. Notice what adjustments occur in your physiological state while doing this exercise. In Jiulong Baguazhang, peripheral vision, or as we call it “Soft Focus”, is very important. So let’s look at in terms of the three areas that we practice: Body, Mind, and Spirit.

Body

Jiulong Baguazhang encourages peripheral vision as a means to relaxed alertness. Jiulong Baguazhang circle walking is a perfect opportunity to practice working with peripheral vision. Walking the Circle requires relaxation and calmness of movement; this is exactly what peripheral vision does as it does not use a concentrated attentive focus, but a soft focus. With the arousal of the parasympathetic nervous system through peripheral vision, your movements should become relaxed and calm.

In contrast, foveal vision will induce your body to move in short blocks of movement. To explain this block movement, let’s look at how the foveal vision works. The visual field, though very clear in the foveal area, is only a snapshot of information obtained by quick unconscious movements of the eye. This type of information where you focus and move, focus and move will cause your body to move with jerks of motion. If we walk the circle and concentrate on looking directly at center post, we start moving with the short choppy movement associated with foveal vision.

With peripheral vision, there is no concentrated, attentive focus on person or objects. With people, we begin to notice the rhythm of their body movements. Our bodies can understand and start to match these rhythms with our own movements. With this connective rhythm of movements in most cases, we find ourselves understanding and acting on that motion at an intuitive level, before that person can comprehend what is happen. This is not literal imitation; imitation will get noticed and understood. In Jiulong Baguazhang, the intent is to match the rhythm by making some discreetly different form of movement within the same rhythm but without drawing conscious attention to it. By doing something subtly different and noticing what they are doing in response, we can lead them into a different rhythm or possibly influencing their movement.

With groups of people, if we observe them with open peripheral vision and internal quietness, we can recognize the group leaders. They are usually the people with others around them, and whose movements may be slightly ahead of the others and change first. To influence the whole group, these are the people we need to match. It is possible to establish a connection with group leaders individually, or simultaneously; we can do it simultaneously if we are within their visual field and matching their rhythm for a few minutes before engaging them. It is possible to change the direction of quite a large gathering in this way.

Mind

Our modern society seems to have forgotten the value of peripheral vision. Technological advances such as literacy, television, and computers have led us to spend the majority of our time in foveal vision. Peripheral vision has a lengthy history in pre-modern cultures. In some Shamanic rituals, peripheral vision was a way to enter altered states of reality. Carlos Castaneda’s books on Mexican shamanism refer to peripheral vision as a way to a “different world”. We also can shut down the internal dialogue or ‘inventory’ with which, Castaneda maintains, we create our everyday consensus reality. Interestingly, visual hallucination can not take place within the peripheral visual system.

We often see things with a kind of mild tunnel vision, where we are focused on one thing or task and ignore everything else around us. A good example of this is a rock climber climbing a crack in a rock. He is focused on climbing the crack, where his hands and feet are going to be placed in the crack, when not two inches away, out side of the crack, a nice ledge waits. This also happens when you watch TV and you don’t really notice the rest of the room; or you use a computer, whether for work or play, where the screen becomes your only world; or in reading or writing, where we only really see the page. Even in conversation, we have a tendency to focus on peoples’ eyes and faces and pay no attention to the rest of them. This foveal vision also seems to result in an inner tunnel vision. Sometimes we become preoccupied with something and lose contact with the happenings around us. Worry, obsession, and fixation seems to be correlated with rushing around; this arouses the sympathetic nervous system, thus producing adrenaline and other stress chemicals. Remember, it is hard to remain depressed while employing peripheral vision.

Again in Jiulong Baguazhang, the preoccupation or fixation on accomplishing a type of training will cause that training to be mentally stressful and produce unwanted results. When using peripheral vision in our practice, we open up the mind to see the reality around us, and unlike the rock climber, see that nice ledge.

Spirit

Peripheral vision “recognizes” objects by deciphering patterns and textures rather than details, which is the function of central or focused vision. When you suddenly turn and notice a familiar face in a crowded room, you have already caught a glimpse of the face peripherally, processed the structure subconsciously, found it to be of interest, and then shifted to conscious, foveal vision. This process is at work all the time and is especially apparent when you are out at night. Notice how you recognize particular kinds of trees in your peripheral vision, how you know the difference between an oak tree and a pine without any awareness of the details. It’s a feeling of oak or pine that tells the difference and this feeling is supplied by peripheral vision.

Since much of what is seen peripherally is processed subconsciously, you will find that using it to walk requires an act of internal spirit. This will take a bit of determination to get used to the fact that you can see without being conscious of the fact that you are seeing. But with practice, it becomes more natural, and you will find that you will have an increase in some of your instinctive but dormant abilities. It also reasons, that relying on peripheral vision while walking requires that the conscious mind develops a dependence on the subconscious: this dependence could be the essence of relaxation itself. With perseverance, you will learn to develop subconscious dependence and then there may be moments when you will be able to experience these subconscious processes directly and suddenly distinguish the objects as if in a murky fog.

The peripheral vision could be possibly, our original visual system, and with the process of evolution, a central or foveal vision developed along with the neo-cortex. If this is true, when we use our peripheral vision we could be seeing as an animal sees, and perhaps feeling as an animal feels. While this is certainly speculative, we know when we are the peripheral state we feel comfortable, alert, relaxed, open, happy and very alive. The feelings of fear, anger, worry, doubt, and lust seem to be bypassed, as if the neural connections cannot support these strong emotions. This type of feeling is best described as neutral.

In the development of the spirit in Jiulong Baguazhang, we begin to notice things and react in an appropriate way before we lose control over the situation. In dealing with people we can start to see past the masks of illusions that some try to use to cover their fear.  This also allows the aspects of the eight gua to reveal their nature to us. I believe that this is when the peripheral vision system is working correctly and the subconscious has quit depending on the conscious for sensory information and acts on your instinctive and now active abilities. As Shifu Painter says, this is the Dragon of Jiulong Baguazhang teaching him.

Filed Under: Lessons

The Goal of Zhandouli

January 4, 2010 By

When you practice Baguazhang, your attacker will be confused because he cannot know what you will do and you also will not know what you are about to do but your body will know instinctively how to react.”
Li, Long-dao

Martial ability (zhandouli ) is a term we use frequently in Jiulong Baguazhang.  At one level, the meaning of the term is obvious from the translation:  martial ability is the capacity to face an opponent or opponents in combat; the greater one’s martial ability, the higher the likelihood that one will emerge victorious.  Most students of Jiulong Baguazhang, however, will never have to fight for their lives – and so much the better.  Even in the face of danger, we are better off if violence can be avoided.  As Sun Tzu says, “To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill.  To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”  So what does zhandouli, really mean for practitioners of Jiulong Baguazhang? The answer lies at the very heart of our art.

No Formalized Forms Training

Jiulong Baguazhang does not consist of memorizing hundreds of forms. In the final stages there are no formalized forms or kata in the traditional sense. The core of this art consists of total training with exercises to develop external skill (waigong), subtle skill (neigong) and internal energy skill (qigong).
These exercises — standing meditation, waigong, neigong and qigong exercises performed while walking in a straight line and on the circle holding the eight mother palm postures — strengthen the body and neurological system.

Jiulong training also includes a study of the meaning and images of each of the eight basic three-line diagrams (gua) of the Yijing as they relate to attitude, action, and use of each of the hand.

The term, “the eight mother palms”, refers to whole body postures incorporating all of the body’s energies.  The palms become mental attitudes permeating the entire psychological and physiological makeup of the student. The martial and qigong practices use the Yijing symbols as visual images to empower the student through the focus of his intention (yi) and heart (xin) until imagination becomes reality.

Immediate Feed Back

One of the great things about Jiulong Baguazhang is that all postures and physical positions can be tested for the correct energy (jin) pathway. A jin pathway is the alignment of body segments in such a way that energy can move uninterruptedly up from the ground, through the legs, to the torso, and out into the limbs. Developing power skill is called jingong.

This pathway can exit at the palm, forearm, shoulder, or almost anywhere one wants to strike or push. When the pathway is correct, pressure on the arms or any other body part will result in a feeling of an uninterrupted line of energy sending pressure in the corresponding foot or feet in accordance with our “Cross the Great River” principle. This principle states that the arm in use for striking or neutralizing is opposite from the leg upon which the body weight is being supported. Thus the left hand is pushed by the right leg through the torso and the right hand with the left leg.

This principle is easy to understand in static training but is quite difficult to master while performing continuous linear and circular walking. Nevertheless, it is one of the major components of the Jiulong Baguazhang method that allows us to strike, throw, or bump with full body force yet still carry power in reserve.

The Arms Are Important

In any posture, when the shape is correct the arms will have the same bend in the elbow that they do in the standing posture we call “Dragon Embraces the Pearl”, and other systems call “Holding the Ball” or “Hugging the Tree”.

Many persons who stand do not attain the correct alignment of the elbows and thus cannot manifest the jingong easily through their arms. It is this correct bend in the elbows that creates an “energy sink” leading the force into the spine (the ridgepole), thence to the thighs and into the ground. Every shape in Jiulong Baguazhang can be tested in this way. Start with your standing forms and later try it with the other shapes of Heaven Palm.

Entering The Dragon Gates

In Jiulong Baguazhang, we study each of the eight palms individually, as a complete system, for one year or more. With each palm, students experiment with qi development, meditation, and martial skills in stationary stances, linear movements and walking the circle while changing directions.

There will also be work with both healing and martial training comprised of coordination drills, study of anatomy, health benefits from traditional Chinese medicine and qigong as well as modern Western medical implications of the practice.

Jiulong Baguazhang is a total system of training for mind, body and spirit. As a martial practice each posture will be carefully examined and incorporate both internal and external power training called Nei-gong and Wai-gong. Balance training and deft footwork will precede the study of realistic combat applications for locking (qinna), throwing (shuaijiao), and striking (da) using each individual posture.

A Jiulong student is striving to achieve the “virtue of one palm” (yizhangde) as he does this he will pass through one of the eight dragon doors (balongmen). After all eight are absorbed he will have eight forms of palm virtue (baguazhangde). In the more advanced stage, the palms are combined one with the other. At this level, movement begins spontaneously to generate forms.

As a student comes to know all of these postures and their internal and external energies intuitively, they begin to exist on a subconscious level, coming and going as naturally as any other habitual activity.  At this level he has passed though the ninth dragon door. He is now a Jiulong Baguazhang boxer.

The ultimate goal of this style of Baguazhang is to learn to move naturally with such power, grace and balance that, no matter what happens, you are able to go along with the now moment; merging and emerging with external forces while preserving your own energy. Although the art of Baguazhang has many faces and forms it is this spontaneity of action and continuity of change that is the goal of every Jiulong Baguazhang student.

This is the essence of Nine Dragon Baguazhang. The art is simple but there is a great deal to do before we attain mastery.

Go to the Jiulong Discussion group to talk about this article:



Filed Under: Lessons, Philosophy Tagged With: , ,