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Glossary
- Aikido
- A Japanese internal energy-based martial art. Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba in the 1930s from a unique blend of Daito Ryu aikijitsu (a form of jujitsu), sword techniques, and the teachings of a mystical Shinto-like religion that included mantra and sound work called the Kototama. In addition, aikido incorporates certain realizations encountered by Ueshiba during his journey towards his own spiritual enlightenment, and (as hypothesized by the author) ba gua chang and other chi gung methods learned by Ueshiba during his time in China.
- Aikido styles
- Originally aikido was only one school, where its founder Morihei Ueshiba taught and where members of his family continued to teach. This is called the Hombu style, which means headquarters. As time passed, Ueshiba’s senior students created their own different styles. For example, the Tomeki style, a fusion of aikido and judo, emphasizes competitive practices. Other formal styles include the Yoshinkai, Ki Society, and Iwama.
- Alchemy
- The process of changing one substance into another. In the esoteric field, alchemy has two main branches—external and internal. External alchemy occurs in a laboratory in order to focus human spiritual energies to transform ordinary herbs and minerals into super medicines, to change base metals into gold, to create the Philosopher’s Stone (which alchemists believed conferred physical immortality), and to gain direct knowledge of God. Internal alchemy (known in Chinese as nei dan) seeks through meditation and certain mind/body/spirit exercises to: (1) work with the consciousness of an individual in order to become aware of the cellular vibratory energetic level of the body to heal disease; (2) raise, bring out, and transform normally hidden capacities of the body/mind; and (3) elevate ordinary consciousness to higher and more refined levels of superconsciousness until the mind expands to encompass the whole of the |universe. All this is done inside an individual’s mind/body/spirit without the use of any external laboratory equipment.
- Application
- The practical use or range of uses of a particular technique in the martial arts, Chinese medicine, or meditation.
- Aura
- The energetic or bioelectric field that surrounds the living human body. See also Etheric body.
- Ba Gua
Also known as ba gua chang, ba gua zhang, pakua chang, ba gua jang. Eight trigram palm ba gua is one of China's three main internal martial arts. It is a Taoist practice based on the I Ching, which is simultaneously a longevity practice, a martial art, a healing modality, and a spiritual/meditation practice.
- Ba gua men
- A ba gua chang school that has the complete martial tradition of ba gua chang intact, usually from a lineage source.
- Ba ji chuan (pa chi ch'uan)
- An external/internal martial art of North China.
- Ba Mu Chang
- See Eight Mother Palms.
- Ba shr
- One of the forms of hsing-i, based on the Five Elements.
- Bai bu (pai pu)
- Toe out. The toe-out step of ba gua chang Circle-Walking, which allows a practitioner to step outside the circle.
- Bai shr (bai shi)
- The formal initiation ceremony that confers discipleship upon an individual in Chinese culture. Also known as a kowtow.
- Bando
- A martial art from Burma.
- Basic Power Training
- See Ji Ben Gung.
- Beng chuan (beng quan)
- Crushing Fist. One of the five basic techniques of hsing-i chuan.
- Bien hua (pien hua, bian hua)
- To change; changes. The nature of change itself. Basic to Taoism and the I Ching is that everything in the phenomenal universe is in the process of changing, except the Tao, which remains changeless. What occurs during the shift, how that change transpires, and the final result of the change are all aspects of bien hua. The term also applies to the shift experienced during Taoist alchemy between one level of energy or consciousness and another level, either higher or lower. Refers also to the way you change from one fighting technique to another technique in internal martial arts or from one healing intervention to another in chi gung tui na.
- Broadsword or knife (dao or tao)
- Both English terms are used interchangeably for the primary curved blade weapon used in chinese martial arts for fighting multiple opponents. This sword is relatively narrow at the bottom, widens in the top third of the blade, and again narrows down to a sharp point at the top. Either one or both sides of the blade may be sharpened.
- Bu diu bu ding
- A technical term in tai chi chuan for combat at touch, where the practitioner neither wants to push against, nor let go of, the point of contact between himself and his opponent.
- Buddhism
- One of the world’s major religions. Buddhism is based on the meditation teachings of Gautama the Buddha who lived and taught in India in the sixth century B. C. Buddhism has mostly vanished from India since the Muslim invasions occurring from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, and is most prevalent in the cultures of Oriental Asia—China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Tibet. The four main branches of Buddhism mentioned in this book are , Tibetan, Tien Tai (Tian Tai), Vipassana, and Zen/Chan.
- Budo
- Japanese martial arts whose goal is to simultaneously cultivate martial technique, character, and spirituality.
- Bujitsu
- Japanese martial arts whose sole goal is the development of efficient fighting and killing techniques.
- Bunkai
- The fighting applications of a Japanese martial art move.
- Central channel
- Also known as zhong mai, chung mai, or jung mai. The main energy channel located in the exact center of the human body between the perineum and the crown of the head and extending through the bone marrow of the arms and legs.
- Chan sz jin (chan si jin)
- The silk-coiling technique of chen style tai chi chuan, wherein the soft tissues of the body twist and turn dramatically.
- Chang chuan (chang quan)
- Long fist. The basic method of Northern Shaolin external martial arts that forms the core of the official, state-sponsored Wushu martial arts program in Mainland China.