Structural training on daily commute

This is my very own method of training.  I stand on a train without holding on to a rail.  This type of training teaches how to adjust and adapt your body structure when you are pushed or pulled to the front, back, left, or right.  I believes it helps improve balance and the way one deal with incoming force.  The training is particularly helpful in close quarter fighting when you are grabbed, pushed, and pulled ,such as in pushed hand competition or standing wrestling competition.

The goal of this practice is to keep the body balanced when the train takes off or comes to a stop.  You will also have to keep the body balanced when the train rocks from side to side.   The trick is not to stiffen up the body.  I have learned to keep my body relaxed but also not losing the integrity of the structure.  It is in the fine movement of the small muscle that adjust to the incoming force.  Usually, when you are being push to the right, you will have to align your left shoulder to your right foot.  When you are being push to the left, you will have to align your right shoulder to your left foot.

I have also realized that the best way to keep balance is to resist horizontal force, vertically.  Another obstacle with this type of training is that the train accelerates too abruptly.  As the train accelerates, you resist by pushing really hard to the opposite direction, but when the train stops accelerating, you can't stop your own initial resisting force fast enough.  This causes your body to fall forward.  In another word, your reaction causes a momentum that can be exploit by your opponent.  But how to react to a incoming force with out momentum then?  I believe reacting vertically to a horizontal force is the answer.

Imagine, a pole or staff that is about a shoulder height in length.  One end of the staff is on the floor another end of it is in your hand.  If you tilt the staff about 10-15 degree angle and push the upper end of the staff downward, you will notice that the lower end of the staff that is resting on the floor does not moves down but it moves outward side way because the floor prevents it to move further downward.  In another word, your action of pushing vertically downward on top of the pole creates horizontally pushing outward on the lower end of the pole.  Like the pole, your shoulders and feet are the two end of the pole.  After you align your shoulder and feet so it forms structural line, you pushing down vertically with the shoulder will create horizontal force on your feet.  Pushing left shoulder down will create pushing out with right foot and vise versa.

In conclusion, if you decide to adapt this training method, please make sure that you have a rail close by in the event that you are not able to keep your self balanced.  I am not responsible for any injury if you practice blindly... ^^;;  I have been practicing this way on my daily commute for 3 years now.  I can attest to you that it has improve my balance greatly.  Also people will be amazed how you could keep your balance even when the train conductor thinks he is a Nascar driver. :)

ps.  I discovered later that this type of training has been done before by Pak Bok Nam.  In his book, Pak Bok Nam describes how  his teacher would have him standing on a horse carriage to practice his balance.

Wu Style Taiji Classic by Wu, Gong-Zao

I was reading Wu Style Taiji book written by Wu, Gong -Zao today. The first sentence of the book makes me re-think about how I should practice YSB. It reads

"The Dao of the fist techniques is no more than strengthening the tendons and bones, and regulate and harmonize the Qi and blood."  

Circle walking seems to satisfy the requirement of the sentence perfectly.  The practice is of twisting and extending action, hence strengthening the Tendon.  Walking in circular pattern for extensive of time helps increase your heart rate, hence harmonizing and regulating the blood.  Currently, I do not know how strengthening the bone works.  However, I have received a complement from my training partner that my bone seems to be hard and sharp... It bruises him just by I turning and rubbing my arm against his forearm.  I assume circle walking has something to do with that as I practice it consistently.

As for harmonizing and regulating the Qi,  I am completely at lost.  I have not feel anything in this this regard beside occasional tingling on my arm (This is not a tingling sensation due to blood not reaching the extremity, as I can tell the difference).    Some other note is that I could make my hair stand up on command accompany by a goose bump, this phenomenon is similar to you feeling very cold.  The different is I can do it even in the heat of summer when I'm sweating.  Amazing these phenomena are, they are not very useful to me at the moment in the fighting art. They do not make me hit any harder or faster.  I just feel tingling and able to make a goose bump occupationally....that is all.  Hopefully as time passes I will get a better understanding of these phenomena....

The Art of Appropriateness

Everyone knows that Bagua is an art of change.  But why are we changing?  Is changing always better than status quo? Can changing be WORST than status quo !?  Does it matter how we change ?  Of course,  common sense would tell you that changing is actually neutral.  It is neither good or bad.  Changing is only good when you are changing for the better.  Hence, changing is only a mean to an end, which is appropriateness.  Baguazhang is an art of doing the right thing at the right moment.

While practicing the form, you should know its appropriateness(what does the opponent do to force you to change into this position?   How strong is his force?  What is the direction? ).  This ,by all mean, is not a small task.  However, I believe that if you want to truly progress in fighting skill, it is crucial that you know what each move in each form is appropriate for.  Without this kind of intention, your form practice is not a lot better than a calligraphic dance!

Between 2 and 5 , the development is real!

This phase has been on my mind since I read it from He Jinbao's paper.  According to HJB, this phase came from a book written by Men Baozhang.  The 2 is referring to the theory of Taichi.  The 5 is referring to the theory of Wu Xing.  It is these 2 principles that we must follow in order to make a real progress in Baguazhang.  As I was thinking about how to apply these 2 principles in to my practice,  I suddenly realized that may be I should learn these principles from  the art that directly related to those 2 theories.  Studying the principle of the movement in Taichi chuan and Xing yi qhaun seems to be a good place to start my quest of improving my Baguazhang.