The Living Practice of Nine Dragon Baguazhang
Welcome to the Jiulong Journal. Here you will find information in a variety of media, highlighting the Nine Dragon experience. Nine Dragon Baguzazhang has been a force in the internal arts world for … [Read More...]
Many of you have asked about the rarely revealed PKC system of practical defense taught to the police. This is an adaptation of the Nine Dragon methods that are applicable to the specific situations the police can encounter.
We want to share a bit of what this system contains, but obviously cannot reveal certain information due to police safety reasons. But here is a method of escaping from an arm bar that anyone can use once they have learned and practiced the principles.
London England withJohn P. Painter PhD. ND
Lineage holder of Li family Jiulong Baguazhang
September 11 – 12, 2010
DRAGON ROLLING THE PEARL BAGUAZHANG PRINCIPLES
Contact Instructor Bowen at 07949 535 812 or email rey@baguaengland.com
You will learn:
Immortal Man Step/Rolling Step Explained
The Swallow Step & Ba Step Turning Patterns
How to be in motion and stay rooted
The Wedge: structure and usage
Correct turning methods for speed power and saving the knees
Select Applications based from Dragon Rolling the Pearl Template
About Dragon Rolling The Pearl:
This is the foundation training of the Jiulong Baguazhang schools located in the USA, Canada and the UK. These workshops offer the same material for those attending the annual Jiulong Baguazhang workshops around the world.
The seminar starts at 9:30am on Saturday with Quiet Sitting, Kai Men Daoyin Warm-ups followed by Power Standing. After the warm-ups, the Rolling the Pearl template will be reviewed alongside an explanation of how these relate to Jiulong Baguazhang training.
Jiulong England, the only recognized UK club of the Nine Dragon system of combat Baguazhang (Eight Trigram Palm), will welcome its Shifu, Dr John Painter in September for a weekend of intensive instruction and training.
Nine Dragon Baguazhang was founded by Dr John Painter who was instructed in the Li family style of Baguazhang by Master Li Long-Dao, originally from Sichuan in China. Master Li’s family moved to East Texas, USA in the 1950s and Dr Painter, then a thirteen-year old boy and neighbor, was one of his two last students.
The young Dr Painter was taught the comprehensive range of internal martial arts including Daoyin, Xingyiquan (Mind Intention Boxing), Baguazhang and Taijiquan by Master Li, alongside other external styles of martial arts such as Tibetan snake boxing. Dr Painter has spent the last fifty years perfecting his art and is still learning daily as he teaches at his school, The Gompa in Arlington, Texas. A well-respected martial artist, Dr Painter has trained and exchanged ideas with the likes of Master Jou Tsung-Hwa, Willem De-Thouars, B.P. Chan, Wang, Jiurong, Master Henry Look, and Dr Yang Jwing-Ming just to name a few. This is the first time visit of Dr. Painter to our school in the UK at a weekend intensive, hosted by Jiulong England’s chief instructor, Mr Rey Bowen.
Rey Bowen said, “I feel very privileged that Dr Painter has accepted my invitation to come to London to teach me and my students. This is an enormous honor.”
“My own martial arts journey started over thirty years ago when I studied kung fu, Taijiquan and then, I chanced upon Bagua. I was taught by a few notable practitioners but when I came across Jiulong Baguazhang, the system felt right for me and I have never looked back since.”
The Jiulong system of close-quarter Baguazhang is a practical ‘street’ martial art that is suitable for anybody regardless of age, body type and initial ability. Previous experience in the martial arts is not required for the beginner but consistent practice and hard work is required to gain proficiency. Portions of this art are taught to US law enforcement officers, including sheriffs, corrections officers, police trainers and members of the DEA and FBI.
The main approach behind the system is the building and cultivation of internal strength that can be called upon at will, manifesting itself in explosive power. Normal classes start off with qigong (meditation and breathing exercises), Daoyin (yogic exercises) and Zhan Zhuang (standing exercises). This is followed by circle-walking, using the principles based upon biomechanics and at the higher levels the I-Ching.
If you live in the vicinity of London England please come welcome Dr. John Painter to our city and spend two days learning and having a great time as well.
Contact Instructor Bowen at
07949 535 812
or email rey@baguaengland.com
Limited space available please register early
More information at
Shifu Painter demonstrates some application ideas with the Heaven Palm.
Never let is be said that the Jiulong folks don’t have fun! Ohio student Fabian Ferreri sent this little gem along with his unique impressions of it. Enjoy!
Lord knows how I tried to get the group to be serious… But there are some characters in every congregation of people that are pure hams and under no circumstances will be the inscrutable characters that we all would like to see. Wouldn’t it have been better if the t-shirt wearers lined up and looked like that austere and contented couple in Wood’s American Gothic? Or perhaps a better pose would be for the t-shirted to have that far-away and contemplative look that Dorothea Lange captured in those gentle migrant people during the depression/dust bowl. ’Migrant Mother’ immediately comes to mind.
But no! My artistic thoughts were waylaid by that loud and crass person that’s right behind Darlene in the photo. I’ll not mention his name in keeping with the spirit of the four virtues. Good-bye Pulitzer… Good-bye Noble… Hello National Enquirer!! Oh, the indignity! (sigh)
- Fabio
A while back, Shizi Orchard wrote this piece for folks who are new to internal arts in general and Jiulong in particular. If you know someone who is curious about the facts behind Qigong, Tai Chi, Bagua, and yoga, please refer them to this excellent article.
It is mildly ironic that, at the height of our culture’s technological advancement, the populace is turning to the teachings of ancient mystics in order to re-connect with themselves, each other, and the surrounding environment. Part of people’s attraction to taijiquan (tie-jee-chwan), yoga, and qigong (chee-gong) may be the depth to which the mind and senses are integrated with body movements. This three-way connection is extremely important to one’s sense of completeness. Properly practiced qigong seamlessly integrates body, heart, and mind into a single unit enabling one to live a balanced and joyful life.
Qigong is a relatively new term used to describe an ancient practice. It is made up of two parts: ‘qi’ and ‘gong.’ Gong translates simply as ‘refined skill.’ Qi is not so simply translated. Some people translate ‘qi’ as breath, air, universal energy, or life force. The Chinese character for ‘qi’ is made up of parts that create an image of rice cooking in a stove while steam raises the pot lid. This alludes to the animating action of the ‘invisible’ steam. Qi can thus be thought of as the quality, or force, that exists within all things that imbues each thing, animate or inanimate, with its own particular essence.
Qigong is, therefore, the skill of developing one’s essence. When one’s essential being is stifled, or under tension, qigong theory says the qi is sluggish, or stagnant. When one’s essence is expressed freely and without hindrance, it is said that the qi is abundant and flowing freely.
There are thousands of styles of qigong. All styles are based on the universally accepted principles of relaxed and grounded posture, diaphragmatic breathing, fluid and effortless movement, and fully awakened, yet tranquil, awareness. Different styles of qigong were created for different purposes. A style may have been designed as a therapy for a specific health problem, as a daily wellness practice, as a method of attaining spiritual enlightenment, or as a method of developing martial power.
A well-known clan of caravan guards from Sichuan Province, China preserved many traditional health and martial skills in their family art. The Li family used the term ‘Wu ho’ (woo-hoe) to describe their qi development theory. ‘Wu ho’ literally means ‘no fire.’ The fire referred to is the collection of ‘burning desires’ that we tend to use to justify our actions throughout life. ‘No fire,’ or Wu ho, refers to being able to direct one’s actions with a calm mind in all situations.
Normally, we waste much energy by responding inappropriately to the conflicting desires generated by the three energy centres, or dantian (dan-dee-en), that direct our behaviour. The lowest energy centre is called the Jing Dantian. It is located in the abdomen at the urogenital plexus. This centre is associated with our inherent genetic potential, procreative drive, physical expression, and sense of sensuality. The Qi Dantian, in the middle of the body at the solar plexus, is associated with our emotions, circulation, communication, and breath. Our passion for all things emanates form this centre. The pineal gland, in the centre of the head, houses the Shen Dantian. This energy centre is associated with our cognition, intention, imagination and creativity.
The Daoist qigong taught by the Li family is expressly designed to align and unify the three dantians (Jing, Qi, and Shen) so they work together harmoniously. The particular details of any method can be overwhelming. There are innumerable postural adjustments, breathing instructions, methods of visualization, energy pathways to open, connections to make, movements to polish, and a tranquil mind to maintain on top of it all! The ancient saying, “The mind commands, the body moves, and the qi follows,” gives the secret to simplifying one’s qigong practice. In the final analysis, one must train so the intention-mind, or Yi (yee), clearly leads the heart-mind, or Xin (shin), and the energy, or qi, will manifest as needed and whereever it is needed.
Qigong theory also explains that qi will not flow if there is tension. This tension includes muscular tension, emotional tension, mental tension, and spiritual tension. Thus, the Li family places pre-eminent value on what they call the ‘Four Virtues’ in their practice of wu ho/qigong. By living the principles of Honesty, Humility, Patience, and Sincerity, the student is able to calm the passions of the Xin (heart-mind) and achieve emotional balance. If one truly lives the Four Virtues, one stops internally generating mental and emotional conflicts, and this lack of internal tension frees up energy, or qi, for more productive use. One stops operating from a fear-reactive basis and moves to a mindful-responsive basis of interaction.
It is well documented that mental and emotional stress, or tension, can lead to physical tension. Thus, clearing out conflict in the heart and mind by embracing Honesty, Humility, Patience, and Sincerity in every moment also reduces muscular tension. It is less well known that bodily tensions and distortions affect how you feel and think. For instance, it is very difficult to feel truly happy and free if you are hunched over and frowning, with your fingers, wrists and arms twisting into your chest. Conversely, it is difficult to feel truly morose with your head back, arms outstretched, and a huge smile upon your face.
Thus the Yi (mind) and the posture (body) combine seamlessly to calm the Xin (passion). Once the Yi and Xin are united, the spirit becomes indomitable and the body becomes filled with qi. In the Li family qigong, Quiet Sitting is the first method introduced. By just sitting, one develops a clear mind, the passions settle, the body relaxes, the posture straightens, the breath deepens, and the three dantian (energy centres) align. After learning to sit, the student learns standing and walking exercises that build upon and deepen the rich process of aligning the will, passion, and action initiated by the practice of the Four Virtues.
Clearly, chasing your qi is not the answer many people think it is. Merely focusing on developing magical qi, or breathing exercises, or escaping into meditation is not as helpful as the advertisements suggest. To truly develop internal energy, one must do the very hard work of using honest self-observation to eliminate the internally-generated illusions impeding one’s progress and skilfully balance the needs of one’s genetic potential, passion and will.
The good news is that with thirty to sixty minutes of daily practice, anyone may access better health, improved vitality, and peaceful clarity. Some of the well-researched health benefits of qigong include improvement in blood pressure, cerebral blood flow, posture, balance and respiration as well as a decrease in anxiety, depression, stress responsiveness, and sensitivity to pain. So sit, breathe, clear your mind and enjoy more quality in your life!
Dr. Yancy Orchard, a Saskatoon chiropractor, began studying Jiulong Baguazhang with Dr. John Painter in 1994. Dr. Painter is the inheritor of the entire Li family system of health and martial skills called Daoqiquan. Dr. Orchard presently shares his knowledge of Bagua and Qigong at the Sheng De Wu Guan in Saskatoon. Inquiries welcome, please call 306-652-7026 or email saskatoonbagua@sasktel.net.
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