The Particulars of the Basic Pa Kua Step

Matt laid down the basics of a simple step today.

• Standing with the feet together touching, sit into the legs as if sitting on a stool. Matt said that the walking is a stool with wheels.
• As you sit, straighten and open the lower back, allowing the mingmen (gate of life) to fill. This opening continues through the sacrum. The sitting will also form the creases to define the hip gua(s)
• As you step out, the stepping foot will turn a little inward naturally. You may sink the stance as long as it's comfortable and you retain the internal gung.
• The knees touch through the passing step
  

You cannot go by feel with some of the internal application stuff. Matt told a story of Feng Zhiqiang. A visiting Tai Chi practitioner was invited to push hands with Grandmaster Feng. As they pushed hands, he suddenly thought, "How is that old man moving back so fast?" Actually, he was send backwards flying and had felt no force.
The sense of internal force/jin is like the Kinetic Balls (Newton's Cradle) bouncing out the other balls. Matt said that when internally connected, one feels the absence of tension - which feels like nothing, except spacious presence. And when receiving an issuing of energy, it is disconcerting because there is no acceleration, as with Newton's Cradle."

Learned the rising, falling, drill and overturn action of the single palm change today. Very cool.
The wrist overturn in the basic posture in the 2 man exercise utilizes the coiling quality of the whole body and opens the line to your partner's lateral side. When you connect with the palm up, do not press into the contact points. The extension goes out long and the contact point is light.
If you press sideways, it will be using external force, and this very action opens and gives your partner the lateral line.