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I’m curious if any of the “new folks” from this winter’s course opening have started practicing? If so, how is it going?
Personally, I started watching the videos a little, but don’t feel ready to jump into new-to-me stuff yet. I’ve studied bagua before, and started “ramping up” my practice in late Dec in prep for this porgram. At this point in time I remain in ramp up and stabilize mode on old stuff but hope to start adding in new things in the near or semi-near future. I was always trained in circle walking, but definitely see myself putting a lot of time into line walking. I learned both the meditative and martial hand postures [inner and outer palms, is that the right terminology?], but largely have done the latter. I see myself spending a lot of time working on and alternating between line walking, circle walking inner palms, and circle walking outer palms.
Just don’t rush it. I know from various other things that prior knowledge can cause you to want to skip the basics and get to the more advanced stuff. Consider it a good time to iron out the basics and make sure you’re doing those parts well.
I haven’t received anything yet so I’m just doing my normal qigong and tai chi practice, with a bit of san ti.
The wuji posture with scanning and cloud hands portion of Energy Gates is an important part of my practice. Put a lot of time in those two practices and it feels like I’m building the ”internal” of Baguazhang.
Bruce does say often that Bagua is more about circle walking than standing still. It’s still not a bad idea to put some time standing, then shifting, then walking.
Hi
Just received the new bagua course and feel a bit daunted LOL. I am starting on the warm up exercise and wondered how long is it advisable to do this for. If it is being done correctly what will it feel like – warmth etc.
Thanks
I started this about a year ago, in the first wave. I’ve also found a class here in the Boston area with one of Bruce’s senior students.
I do some general stretching and loosening to get the blood flowing for about 15 minutes. Then the 5 warmup exercises in the book take about 10 or 12 minutes. The body unification exercises take around 10 or 15 minutes. These times are rough. I don’t do it by the clock as much as just sort of following my gut instinct about how long to do each one.
This usually gets me ready. I don’t feel warmth or anything special as much as I feel connected, whole, and energetic when I’m done. One thing Bruce emphasizes in later parts of the program is learning to follow your intuition. I’ve never really done much with that so I’m using this program as a way to dig into that.
All that said, I would also remind you about the 70% principle and just generally erring on the side of ease and caution.
Have a great time!
best, matthew
My Bagua Mastery Program materials arrived safely here in Kentucky around Jan. 12. So far, I’ve read through Module 1 and have started practice on some of the warm-ups and the straight-line walking drills, which I’m finding much harder than they look. I’ve tried some other Bagua programs in the past, but I always failed to make much progress. They might tell you, for example, how important mud walking is, but they wouldn’t explain how to actually perform it. This program from your organization looks like it’s going to be much more in-depth on basics, which is what I need. Assuming I get the walking drills under control, I’ll move on to Module 2 sometime in early February.
Took some time for my dvd’s to arrive so I’m still just going thru the details.
Read bagua and tai Chi book for background and I’ve now reached the warm-ups. hopefully start tomorrow.
I received the materials in mid-January and started reading Bagua & Tai Chi. I’ve listened to the first 2 audio disks, watched the first 2 videos, run through the warm-ups, and started on straight line walking. My engagement so far has been more exploratory with the aim of getting a feel for Bagua, which is entirely new to me.
I believe my first challenge will be to figure out how to incorporate the Bagua training and principles into my current martial art training in Hapkido, which is also relatively new to me (3.5 years).
If any one has experience incorporating Bagua into their training in another martial art or meditation/nei gong practice, I would appreciate your thoughts.
As some background: The style of Hapkido that I train in is both broad and deep and is considered somewhere between a palace and a monastic approach (as apposed to a strictly monastic, palace or military approach). We train in open hand forms and defense techniques, weapons forms and defense techniques, sparring, meditation, and ki-breathing exercises. My sense is that Bagua can, if incorporated correctly, enhance and deepen my training in Hapkido and related pursuits, including a growing meditation and chi kung practice. It is now a matter of figuring out how best to do that.
Thoughts and advice are most welcome. Thank you.
Hi,Scott: I have found the course daunitng in that there is so much material in it,however each section{ Video,Audio,Text} blends together as a whole foe Bua Gua practice.Mr. Frantzis has presented the whole Taoist Art in this.See,Reread and do again and as it opens up. I have been doing the staight line walking and getting a feel for it at first it was kinda thump thump thump now it flows a little better as per the aligments and moving the Kwa and et. all.I have been slipping in alittle practice as I can in public Hands Down pretending to stroll across the parking lot not wanting to draw attention as to what I am doing. Ay night in my truck I do standing chi kung and seated meditation and things like that.One thing I caught in the manual was” Energy Centers in the Spine” Chakras without saying it outright… which helps mention the totallity of the program and arts available with Mr. Frantzis.Straight line walking gets you started” getting your feet wet as it’s said” . What can be done is full visuals and energy with this…practice.Hint Hint Hint.Thanx Al Ray.
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