From Beijing, just some pictures, Liu Laoshi teaching a Greek man in Tao Ran Ting Park, Beijing. From Tokyo, just a few words. Liu Laoshi is safely back in Beijing, I am safely back in Tokyo after 3 days with the young kids (see previous post). That gasshuku was an excellent chance to intensively review 六四手, a bagua zhang form freshly learned during Liu Laoshi's Tokyo visit. The 64 hands form is significant because it was created by Liu Laoshi, based on the more widely known 六四掌 or 64 palms. The 64 hands form is made up entirely of motions connected in a straight line, though filled with characteristic circular motions of bagua zhang.
On the final day of his seminar, he challenged us to do more than memorize a sequence of motions - of course we should already be thinking of how to apply these motions in response to high, middle, and low level attacks. We practiced several sequences in pair drills and of course things made much more sense. I need more of that kind of practice. This is one thing I really miss from karate, where everything was put to the test in kumite, or free fighting. We do some pair work in bagua, but nothing like free fighting. This is something I will be working on in the future - trying to adapt the pre-arranged and free fighting drills of karate to the motions of the Chinese arts on which I am now focused.
On a similar note, regarding the bagua jian or straight sword (beginning of the seminar), I have heard there is a partner routine for this weapon. Of course I want to learn it in the future. But another long-term project I envision is working out some way to practice armored fighting with swords of Chinese origin, drawing upon my ongoing study of kendo, in which we put on the armor and bang away with bamboo swords in every practice.
