Pa-kua. Robert W. Smith

will help you to feel united with the universe.

      3. Chen, the Arousing principle, incites movement and vibration and is associated with thunder. When practicing HAWK SOARS UP TO HEAVEN, keep your upper body soft and lower body hard, externally quiet yet internally moving. Though still, you have the potential to move, and your enemy will be misled by your seeming lack of movement. Physically, the ch’i of your liver will be harmonized rather than agitated if you perform this form correctly.

      4. K’un, the Receptive principle, is associated with yielding and with the Earth. YELLOW DRAGON ROLLS OVER stresses the unity of the upper and lower body, of the internal and the external. Practiced correctly, this form will make your body feel as light and agile as that of a fine horse.

      5. K’an, the Abysmal principle, is associated with danger and with water. It indicates that in the midst of trouble you must persevere with self-confidence, which will lead to success. WHITE SNAKE STICKS OUT TONGUE stresses an appearance of softness but with a strong inner core: a strong mind and a soft hand movement. Practiced correctly, the form will help you to feel calm and centered, and will keep you from becoming dizzy.

      6. Ken, the Stillness principle, represents the state of rest and is associated with mountains. When a bowl rests upside down, you cannot see what is in it. GIANT ROC SPREADS WINGS shows a tendency to be motionless. Practiced correctly, it will reduce the fire in your heart and enable your ch’i to reach the four extremities.

      7. Tui, the Joyous principle, is associated with lowness and with lakes. In doing WHITE MONKEY PRESENTS A PEACH, keep your upper body soft and your middle and lower parts hard. Lower your body like a tiger squatting, prepared to pounce. Practiced correctly, this form will help your lungs to feel clear and will keep you from panting.

      8. Sun, the Gentle principle, is associated with penetrating and with the wind, which can penetrate any opening. WHIRLWIND PALMS is characterized by a strong top and a soft bottom, and the body turns like a wheel. Done correctly, this form will help your ch’i penetrate every part of your body and make your movements as fast as the wind.

      HISTORY AND MASTERS

      The origin of Pa-kua is unknown. The first specific reference to it is 1796, when it was recorded that a boxer in Shantung named Wang Hsiang taught the art to a certain Feng Ke-shan. In 1810 Feng met a Niu Liang-ch’en, who also taught him certain aspects of the art. The traditional teaching, however, is that Tung Hai-ch’uan (1798-1879) of Hopei Province is its modern progenitor.

      Tung Hai-ch’uan was a poor boy from Hopei province who, after some scrapes in Peking, journeyed to Mount Omei in Szechwan Province, where he met two Taoists, Ku Chi-tzu and Shang Tao-yuan (the surnames are standard but the given names have strong Taoist connotations, and hence are probably “religious” names), who taught him Pa-kua for eleven years. For seven years he reportedly walked around a tree until it seemed to lean toward him, at which time he became enlightened and reported his experience to the Taoists. They then had him do a figure-8 walk circling two trees, which he did for two years until it seemed that the trees began to “pursue” him. The Taoists praised him and asked if he were homesick. When he acknowledged that he was, they congratulated him on not losing his natural feelings and then taught him hand changes and weapons techniques for two years, after which he returned home to Hopei and then went to Peking, where he taught a number of students.

      After becoming famous in Peking, Tung was challenged by Kuo Yun-shen (“Divine Crushing Hand”) of the Hsing-i tradition. Throughout two whole days of fighting, Kuo, feared for having killed a man with his famous “crushing” hand, could not gain any advantage. On the third day, Tung took the offensive and so completely defeated Kuo that the two became lifelong friends. They were so impressed with each other’s level of accomplishment that they signed a brotherhood pact requiring all their students to train in the other’s discipline as well. For this reason—a most unusual outcome for any fight—both Pa-kua and Hsing-i are to this day coupled and complementary.

      About the time of the T’ai Ping Rebellion (1850-64), Tung is thought to have been involved in a revolt against the foreign Manchu government, after which he escaped by fleeing to Peking and became an official in the Imperial court. He did not get along with the other officials, however, and was soon thereafter transferred to the household of Prince Su, a relative of Ching-dynasty emperor T’ung Chih (r. 1862-75), to work as a servant, since no one knew of his prowess as a Pa-kua master. Prince Su employed Sha Hui-tsu, a Moslem boxer, as the Chief of the Royal Guards who protected his residence. Sha held every member of the household staff to strict and immediate obedience, and his wife, an expert with a pistol, effectively reinforced her husband’s orders. Once, at a crowded banquet, Tung served tea to the guests by lightly scaling the wall and crossing the roof to the kitchen and back. Prince Su recognized from this that Tung must have great ability in some martial art, and subsequently ordered Tung to show his art. Unable to refuse, he demonstrated Pa-kua. His sudden turns and flowing style enthralled the audience. Seeing that, Sha challenged Tung to a fight but was soundly defeated. Thereafter, Tung watched for Sha to try to get revenge. Late one night Sha crept into Tung’s bedroom, knife in hand, while his wife aimed her pistol at Tung through the window. Before they were even aware that he was moving, Tung had taken the pistol away from the wife and stood there pointing it at Sha, who thereupon fell to his knees and pounded his head on the floor seeking forgiveness. Tung not only forgave him; he accepted him as a student.

      As he aged, he felt the need to pass Pa-kua on and so he retired and began to teach Pa-kua to a few select students. Although Tung gradually withered, the stories about him did not. One tells of how he once found himself surrounded by a group of thugs trying to kill him—but he not only emerged unscathed; he actually defeated the whole band of attackers. Another relates that once Tung was sitting in a chair leaning against a wall when the wall collapsed. His disciples, fearing that he has been buried alive, rushed in looking for him, and found him sitting in the same chair, leaning against another wall! A similar anecdote tells of how he was napping one autumn day and, as the air was quite chilly, his disciples picked up a sheet and quietly tried to cover him. When they put the sheet down, however, there was no one there! “What’s the matter with you?” asked Tung’s voice from where he was sitting near the window. “Why did you try to startle me?”