Pa Kua in Eugene, Oregon

Eight Diagram Stepping hint

2010-05-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

When walking the circle in the 45 degree eight step circle ...
the toe in step is coil in.
the toe out step is coil out and basically to release the coil. This is done as one action.

In the second palm change, the arms have the appearance of wrapping around a tree trunk.
Bagua coiling is different from chen tai chi. It concerns wrapping from the chest area.

Tension and collapse are the 2 sides of the same coin. Tension held in one part of the body causes the other to collapse to support the shape/structure.

When walking the straight line slowly, your partner should press his fist above the sacrum to press you forward. Sink into the foot taking the pressure into the ground. This evaluates whether you are falling forward or backwards when walking.

3 into 1

2010-05-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Inner Gaze
Inner Listening
Inner Intent

Keyword = through

The motive through all movements is through to signify the movement threading throughout the whole body. Matt illustrated this thru a finger chin na which locks the body by extending the finger joint connection deeper into the body core.

Remember the 6th and 7th shapes are connected through the sacrum.

In the 7th inner palm spread the elbows straight out to the side. Not behind or forward. It is the only way to stretch the shoulders in that shape.

Peng is created from stillness. As the alignments begin to fill out the structure ... It is like a balloon that is deflated and has kinks. As it becomes full, the kinks disappear.

Note the turnaround point of a movement. Throw up a set of keys and watch when the turnaround occurs. All movements should reach their end points and be through to fulfill the condition for return.

Gloria Swanson doing Pa Kua

2010-04-27T16:31:00.001-07:00

Gloria Swanson (1899 – 1983)

Maybe single palm change?

Vertical Axis in the Double Palm Change

2009-04-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Tips on the Double Palm Change
Simultaneously while turning the waist from one side to the other, use the vertical axis felt through the spine, expressed through the right angle of the elbow rising, falling and palm overturning.
The application works very close to the opponent to take his real estate and throw him down.

The arms work like twisted prayer beads holding a strong rounded and connected shape.
The legs work free. The loose contrast to the prayer beads analogy. Loose. Relaxed. Able to change direction. Note the relaxed sacrum and it's relation to the whole leg. When stepping, let the whole foot contact and then fill from driving into the ground. Remember you are rolling the earth pass you with your feet.

One thing about the pa kua stepping is that there is no gap falling into the forward step. The forward stepping leg is placed whole foot and then the weight shift occurs. Don't rush the placement or the shifting. Minimize the gaps and overt falling.

Reviewed the 8 static shapes for strengthening structure and creating the proper feel for the postures. The 4th posture resembles the picture above of Wang Shu-Chin doing the hawk pose.

Finding the finesse in motion

2009-03-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Learned some great variations with the spiraling teacup exercises. Note when the thumb leads the coiling and when the little finger does. Don't bind yourself, but find enough space to spiral by turning the waist. Keep the spiraling in one spot vertically as you circle around it. The walking creates the spiraling action. Great way to identify the bound areas in the body and by freeing space, squeeze thru without resistance or gaps. Another variation is to walk the circle with a single palm oriented to one direction. For example, if a tree is present in front, walk orientating the right palm pointing to that tree as you circle.

It seems that when one is holding or walking a sequence correctly, you get feedback from the connection thru a greater relaxed awareness, pulsings or streaming sensations in the arms and fingers.

Most of the basic exercises have a martial application. It seems that it has a covering effect in acquiring the opponent's internal real estate.

In the 1st change when closing, bring the underpalm just below the armpit and when setting the palm, let it come from settling the lower back and sitting into the back leg.

Matt makes reference to 3 empty and 3 full in doing the Pa Kua walking. The arms are full and the legs empty meaning that the arms are full thru to the fingertips and the legs free to shift and change to any direction.

When doing the rise, drill, fall, overturn standing pattern... allow the movement to carry, finish through the whole body ending in the legs. This is necessary for the development of gung. Do not terminate the motion in the back or mingmen.

The Particulars of the Basic Pa Kua Step

2009-03-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

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.

Physical Qualities of the Eight Palms

2009-03-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

"The lengthening of soft tissue, opening and closing of joints and body cavities, and twisting of the muscles, fascia and ligaments that this art requires is what makes the body physically strong" - B. K. Frantzis

Learned a cool turning to reverse the single palm position from one side to the other. Matt is having us work the eight inner palms as extended arm postures held statically as well as slow walking them in the circle.

There is the problem in the static holding of finding the inner structure of the form that allows it to be comfortable. I figure there must be a balanced releasing throughout the whole body's interior to letting the shape form naturally (or least, more so). To acquire the shapes, one has to dissolve the resistances and breaks in the body's internal line. At this level, it's pretty much surface adjustments to get the form's outline.

Folding and Coiling

2009-02-21T22:56:00.000-08:00

Reviewed the single palm change today. Matt stressed keeping the tiger's mouth stretched open since that is intrinsic to the Cheng Ting Hua lineage. There are degrees of folding and coiling that happen when doing the single palm change. Currently we're working with a rough outline just to define the general shape. Matt showed a more advanced version utilizing advanced folding and coiling throughout the single palm change. Man! It was sweet. It gave a flavor of the internal mechanics of the change. Need to work on freeing space in the upper chest and shoulders to appreciate their work as a joint when closing to opening into the primary posture. Much of the upper work in Pa Kua occurs in the middle of the upper back. Remember to settle the wrist at the end by extending the lower forearms.

Long Energy

2009-02-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Extend the feel of the interior connection through the body, out through the fingertips. You can test this in the partnered exercise when rolling out the single palm. If the path is incorrect the connection to your partner will be insufficient.

Learned this funny looking exercise to transfer the weight between the legs when together while stepping. It basically shifts the weight from hip to hip without too much overt movement.

Open the hip to take the direction of the circle. This will minimize taking the pressure in the ankle and help with relaxing.

Practice single palm change slowly without breaking the movement flow. Keep the dynamic tension built from the movement from entirely playing out in the body and let it drive the palm change.

Eight Inner Palms

2009-02-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

Last saturday we delved into the shapes of the eight inner palms. We began walking the circle for the 1st time assuming the eight shapes. Matt spoke about the upper chest functioning as a joint. It opens and closes. Note that in circle walking that the weight is held in the back leg for stability. Matt clarified this by having me push his palm when he was weighted in the front and then the back. The push energy just feeds into the feet when back weighted and doesn't break structure.

The pic above is Cheng You Xin's son, Cheng De Liang, holding the
"Embracing Moon At Chest" posture

We also went thru a score of warms ups. The one that focuses on loosening the sacrum was neat. Legs shoulder width apart and by driving throught the legs and hips relaxed, you articulate the sacrum and the surrounding area in a spiral 8. It gets motion through the area and exercises the space not usually paid much attention to. All the warm ups serve to prepare the body for the circle walking and work on increasing range of motion interiorly. It softens the edges by rounding.

Illusion in movement

2009-02-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

One of the definitions for illusion is:
'A fine transparent cloth, used for dresses or trimmings.'

There is a transparency in pa kua.
Such is my expeience of watching Matt. When performing an exercise, it makes one wonder what the thread of motion originates from. It's a simultaneous series of spirals threading thru a relaxed single weighted body.
You really get the feeling... "Yow! This is really complex. I can't tell from watching what's the line he is going to." Matt really lets the movement play out through the entire body without holding thru the legs. And you have to watch the hands. They curl, fill and release in really interesting ways. Instructing that the feeling thru the arms be full and relaxed and that you should feel thru the center/core of the arms... It may a way to unite thru feeling while sensing structure and being soft at the same time. You can feel how this opens the palms and sends fullness into the fingers. Tiger's mouth and the little fingers is where you put your attention in forming the palm. The wrist is settled to form it. When doing single palm change in the turn, the shoulder leads reversing the motion to the opposite hand as a transitional phrase.

In holding the ball, there is a correspondent between the two hands. Do not lag or let a gap develop.

Starting Pa Kua Chang

2009-01-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

Kuo Lien Ying doing Pa Kua.

I've looked around Eugene for a Pa Kua teacher. I met Matt Sieradski at one of the free play days at the Natural Arts Center. Matt is a home grown (raised in Eugene) Tai Chi/Pa Kua teacher and licensed acupuncturist. He teaches Pa Kua at 8 am Sat in Tugmen Park. I decided to give Pa Kua a go. When I arrived the park was cold, but bracing. I saw in the distance Matt walking the circle with crisp intricate turnings. The coolest thing about the lesson was Matt's statement that when doing pa kua walking you should feel that you are rolling the world with your feet. You are stationary and the world is moving pass you. Pretty much the opposite of how I normally feel.