THE PROPER METHOD IN A NUTSHELL

To understand why BaGwaChang is an internal martial art, one must understand the concept of chi or vital breath. There are many internal styles of martial arts in which the practitioner should train daily on the conjuring of chi. But first let us begin with clarifying the concept of chi, and how you, the student, can cultivate it. Very few founders of external martial art systems recognized the importance of honing the nervous system to enhance chi flow for hardy health, and its utilization for self-defence purposes. Today, therefore, many instructors of martial art systems dismiss chi development and its benefits as esoteric folly.

Chi is developed by meditation in conjunction with deep breathing, often referred to as lower level (or spiritual) breathing. The mind then directs the chi, using the nervous system as its pathways. When the student begins this process of chi cultivation, he/she should meditate in a quiet or soundless, well-lit locality (preferably a naturally bright place) with absolutely no disturbances. An empty white room is ideal. He must clear the mind and relax, reflecting nothing except concentrating on slackening the muscles, calming and then controlling the breathing.

To attain this meditative state, one must let go of the material world. The more you let go, the more your subconscious mind will attune to the magnetic might or life force which emanates from the earth and penetrates every living and nonliving substance. By emptying yourself, the nervous structure will become a replenished receptor of this enormous electromagnetic energy. One must recapture the consciousness of childhood: innocent, immaculate, virtuous; and rediscover the way a child breathes. Without this type of rebirth, to try will only result in futility.

To begin this rebirth, the BaGwa practitioner uses the quiet standing posture, or standing comfortably with the feet separated shoulder width apart. It is vitally essential to have the spine straight: legs/back/head flawlessly aligned for the chi to circulate correctly. One should parallel a puppet suspended on its strands. When the body is relaxed, free from all tension, and the mind emptied, proceed by lying flat on your back to continue the meditation. Be aware only of your breathing. Never force your breath: inhale/exhale soothingly and spontaneously. If the novice has difficulty pacifying his breathing, the subsequent gasping gesticulation or method will help ameliorate the obstacle: breathe very high in your chest, and during the next inhalation/exhalation, breathe from the lower stomach area. Finally, on the third respiration, inhale calmly, imagining the air being drawn down through a constricted column into the groin region. Inhale through the mouth and nose, whilst tending the tongue to the top of the mouth.Exhale smoothly in the same manner, inverting the flow of air. By repeating this Taoist routine several times, the breathing process will become more composed and controlled. Remember: empty your mind of thought and release the tensions of your body. Only when this is attained can you open the first heavenly gate to higher consciousness. Concentrate only on the breathing with your subconscious mind. Eventually, through several weeks of daily morning and/or evening practice, your breathing will sink below the navel. When you can easily expand and contract the Tan Tien or Tanden, the often unused muscles located approximately three inches below the navel, you have accomplished the first important step. This low level breathing process is what produces the chi, and like an oven, it generates heat---hence, its often obvious mention to starting the fire.

During inhalation, the tanden contracts; during exhalation, it expands. This is the basis of Taoist breathing; (the Buddhist method of meditative breathing is essentially the same, except that the expansion and contraction of the tanden is reversed while breathing). The tanden also serves as a pump to move the chi throughout the body, via the nervous route, with the mind manipulating/maneuvering it.

The mind then directs the vital breath through a narrow passage into the groin area. Never use force to attain this step, or failure will prevail. When this stage is accomplished and practiced for at least eight weeks, one then moves into a Shuang Pan, or Full Lotus sitting posture: legs crossed, with the palms facing up and resting on the thighs so as to continue in the cultivation and willed movement of the chi throughout the human nervous system---which includes the brain.

The student then continues creating, pumping and guiding the chi from the tanden/groin area into the tailbone. When this is reached, the next step is to guide the chi or electrical energy up along the spine to the cavity (acupuncture point) directly behind the heart. From here the chi is willed to the next cavity located at the base of the neck. The above three cavities along the spine are commonly called The Three Gates in Eastern Meditation.

After the chi passes through the base of the skull, it continues over the crown of the head, down the middle of the face, and along the chest and then back to the tanden. This cycle then repeats. One complete revolution of the chi around this path is done during one respiration. Later, after a few years of diligent practice, this cycle may be achieved with one-half breath: either an inhalation or an exhalation, or simply willed with the mind without respiring, radiating around the body to be used as a protective buffer. The chi circulation transfers through these thirteen obstacles or gates of heavenly palaces. In Taoism, the body is perceived as a temple of the Great Ultimate force (Holy Spirit in Christian belief) with gates or acupuncture points and nerve centers leading to the obtainment of improved health and awareness; power and immortality (In Chinese cultural belief, immortality means to eminently enhance the quality of one's life and extend one's existence). For most people, these gates are primarily partially blocked nerve centers, which may be honed to become unblocked, so that these nerves become a refined receptor of the circulation of chi (or sexual/spiritual energy).

A master of the martial arts from Toronto, Canada, Bill Hind, once told me, "...to cultivate chi, you must first free yourself. Go to a park and sit. Clear your mind, make peace and find yourself. When you have done this, only then will you renew your oneness with the natural forces of the universe, and begin to build this spiritual energy or chi...."

Gates of heavenly palaces

1. Tan Tien or tanden, the muscles located three inches below the navel.
2. Hai Di or groin area. For the female it is called the Kuan Yuan or Ovarian Palace, and for the male it is called the Jing Gung or Sperm Palace.
3. Hui Yin, the bony muscle area between the groin and anus.
4. Yang Yu Wei Mo, the tailbone.
5. Jar Chi, the vertebra on the spine directly behind the heart.
6. Chun Bei, the large vertebra on the spine at the base of the neck.
7. Yu Chen, the base of the skull.
8. Ni Wan, the crown of the head.
9. Ying Tang, the pineal gland located in the middle of the forehead just between the eyebrows, and is often referred to as The Third Eye.
10. Tzu Chiao, the bridge of the nose.
11. Hsuan Chi, the center of the breast bones.
12. Shuan Chung, the center of the chest in front of the heart.
13. Chung Gung or Central Palace, the sternum.

When this chi circulation can easily be maintained with all gates open when practicing BaGwa movements, the practitioner has accomplished small heavenly circulation (or small cyclic breathing). A person possessing this esoteric skill or divine gift is called a master or a chi gung master. Spiritual energy or chi will eventually enter the legs, arms and hands, then permeate the bones and surround the entire body. When this is achieved, the state is called grand heavenly circulation or grand ultimate circulation. The mind and nervous system (the brain and mind are part of the nervous system) is honed so that it is sharper, and responds intrinsically without conscious thought nor hesitation. The chi surrounding the body is also used as a protective buffer from blows, and assists in the sensitivity required to manipulate the attacker's moves. This amplitude of chi circulation creates a colossal charge and a sharpened command for the martial artist. One who has evoked this elevated eminence or Elysium is often referred to as a grandmaster or a chi gung grandmaster.

Before meditation one should avoid:

• smoking, drugs and alcohol



• eating and retaining bodily wastes (constipation)


• concupiscence, coition & that nasty, nightly succuba 1 day before/after


• tight clothing (this will hinder chi flow)


• hellishly foul or stale air

One should have plenty of rest and clear the body of impurities before beginning. Meditating in a flower garden supplies the practitioner with an abundance of clean oxygen. Facing in an easterly direction during dawn, and/or facing a body of water such as a waterfall are also preferable. Wear loose, warm clothing---it is better to be a little too warm than chilled when practicing.