八卦掌简介与培训课程 Introduction to Bagua Zhang and Bagua Zhang Training Course

八卦掌是中国著名的内家拳术,它是一种以掌代拳, 以行步走转为主的拳术. 由于它运动时纵横交错﹐分为四正四隅八个方位﹐与“周易”八卦图中的卦象相似﹐故名八卦掌.

其特点是 姿势舒展, 刚柔相济, 开合虚实. 摆扣转换, 注重内舛兼修, 强身健体, 延年益寿, 防身制敌的拳种。

八卦掌的运动特点是 身捷步灵﹐随走随变﹐与对方交手时身体起伏拧转﹐敏捷多变。拳谚说它“形如游龙﹐视若猿守﹐坐如虎踞﹐转似鹰盘”。其基本功以桩步﹑行步为基础。 其锻练方法松肩沉肘, 实腹畅胸, 滚钻争裹, 奇正相生, 流传至今大约有一百多年。

主要手法有推﹑托﹑带﹑领﹑搬﹑拦﹑截﹑扣﹑拿﹑打﹑封﹑闭﹑12法。要求能进能退﹐能化能生﹐虚实结合﹐变化无穷。每掌发出﹐皆要以腰作轴﹐周身一体﹐内外相合﹐外重手眼身法步﹐内修心神意气力。

八卦掌分为“定架子”﹑“活架子”﹑“变架子” 3步功夫。“定架子”是基础功夫﹐要求一招一式﹐规规矩矩﹐宜慢不宜快﹐以求姿势正确﹐桩步牢固﹐行步平稳。

八卦掌的基本内容是八母掌﹐也称老八掌﹐即单换掌﹑双换掌﹑顺势掌﹑背身掌﹑翻身掌﹑双抱掌, 磨身掌﹑和平展掌﹐各地流传内容不完全相同﹐有以狮﹑鹿﹑蛇﹑鹞﹑龙﹑熊﹑凤﹑猴八形代表的﹐也有用双撞掌﹑摇身掌﹑穿掌﹑挑掌等作为基本八掌的内容。其中每一掌都可以衍化出很多掌法﹐素有一掌生八掌﹑八八六十四掌之说。

新加坡形意拳法即将在来临的八月份开始开办一系列的八卦掌培训班。您可在这部落格的右边面板查询相关的训练内容与时间表。

Bagua Zhang is an renowned Chinese Internal Style Martial Arts. It uses palm strikes to replace punches. Due to its unique footwork that takes great resemblance to the Eight Trigram Diagram in Zhou Yi (Book of Change), this set of martial arts is named as Bagua Zhang (lit.Eight Trigram Palm).

Bagua Zhang's features are agility, flexibility and adaptivity.

Xingyi Kempo (Singapore) is conducting a series of Bagua Zhang Training Course starting this coming August. Please refer to the right-side panel for details in training schedule and content.

Introduction on Chan Men Taijiquan / Zen Taichi 禅门太极拳介绍

禅门太极拳乃独树一帜的太极拳种也是新加坡形意拳法所要教授的拳法之一。

Chan Men Taijiquan / Zen Taichi is an unique style in the Taijiquan genre. Xingyi Kempo is keen in promoting Zen Taichi in the near future.



Chan Men Taijiquan / Zen Taichi 禅门太极拳

Xingyi Kempo Training Diary: 24.07.10

The Crossing Fist was not taught today. We practiced the Pounding Fist with footworks.

A more interesting activities took place during the analyze strength exercise. I was paired with a course mate who could really deliver heavy and fast punches. I am slow in my reaction to begin with.

Although I was hit on the chest quite a few times, I was glad on my own that I could actually feel the changes on his body when he was about to strike me. It was only my fault that I was not well trained enough to react to the strikes properly.

I was reminded by a friend's statement that I have heard, "Getting hurt in training ground is to prevent you from getting really serious harm in the battlefield!"

Xingyi Kempo Training Diary: 17.07.10

A drizzling morning and we learn the 4th basic strike, that is the Pounding Fist. We only got to practice the hand movement for the Pounding Fist and not with the footworks. Pounding Fist, representing the element fire, has its unique combat characteristic.

It's interesting to study the unique characteristics of each of the 5 basic strikes and to understand them so that to better use in self defence situation.

Looking forward to learning the Crossing Fist this Saturday.

Xingyi Kempo Training Diary: 10.07.10

A bright and sunny morning, a morning that was packed with energy too. After the Yangshen Gongfa and warm-up exercises, we revised our Splitting and Drilling Fists. This time round, we practiced by combining both hand movements and footwork. I will need more practice to get used to executing my moves. Martial arts, like other forms of arts are about practice and nothing but practice. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect!

Today we got to learn the third basic strike in Xingyi Quanfa, the Crushing Fist. We practiced the half-step Crushing Fist. As compared to the footwork of Splitting and Drilling Fists, the half-step Crushing Fist reach is noticeably shorter. However, with the correct coordinate movements from the body, the half-step Crushing Fist is still enable to deliver an overwhelming blow. And of course, it takes practice!

I seems to be reminding myself about practice and more practice!

Besides target-striking practice, we also had a analyse-strength (听劲) practice. The exercise is to practice how to feel the strength of an opponent's strike. The interesting experience that the softer I allow my arm to be, the better I could feel the opponent's strike. But it's so difficult to maintain being soft consistently.

Well...I will just have to put in more practice!

Xingyi Kempo Training Diary: 03.07.10

It was a raining and drizzling Saturday morning. A perfect condition to snooze a little longer in the bed. However, I was already up and ready for our training! After warming up, we went on to practice our Santi Shi and Splitting Fist. Splitting Fist is one of the five basic strikes that every Xingyiquan exponent has to learn. These five basic strikes were choreographed with the concept of the Chinese classical five elements theory. Splitting Fist belongs to the element of Metal. Splitting Fist is know as 劈拳 in Chinese and 劈 literally means chopping.

Master Tay reminded us that the motion of Splitting Fist is akin to chopping our target with an axe. Its motion is a downward swing with our striking palms from a higher position towards our target. I mentioned striking palm instead of striking fist is because the Splitting Fist that we are learning is in open-hand form and not in clenched fist form. This variation was introduced by Master Li Luoneng, the founder of Hebei Style Xingyiquan.

Everyone got to try the application of Splitting Fist by striking on the punching pads again!

Teck Tiong's' attempt!

My attempt!

I find that the target-striking exercises are very interesting and useful. They help me to understand that I can hurt my myself if I land my strikes on the wrong time and wrong way.

After striking with Splitting Fist for some time, Master Tay taught us the Drilling Fist as well. Drilling Fist belongs to the element of Water. I think the remaining Fists will be taught in the five elements generating cycle sequence. So after Drilling Fist, we should be learning Crushing (Wood), Pounding (Fire) and Crossing Fists (Earth).

As usual, we end the training by cooling down, Yangshen Gongfa and sitting meditation.

Sitting meditation at the end of lesson.

The practice of such meditation is to calm ourselves down. Such sitting breathing meditation can be practiced at any quiet place. It helps to ease and calm our monkey minds. A good sitting will make one feel refreshed, or even better, bring us clarity.

Looking forward to the next training!