WU TANG P.C.A.

BA GUA ZHANG(PA KUA CHANG)

/HSING-I CHUAN

FRANKFURT AM MAIN

PREPARED BY JAMIE DIBDIN

CONTACT:baguamonkey@gmx.de or call 0049 69 61994710

Photo 1.Sifu Frank Allen and Jamie Dibdin

New York Wu Tang P.C.A.

2000

Since my first meeting with Sifu Frank Allen,in 2000, I have wanted to affiliate at least the Bagua Zhang(Pa Kua Chang)and Hsing-I Chuan part of my school to his Wu Tang P.C.A. New York City.

During his autumn 2002 teaching visit in Frankfurt Frank said he would be happy if I used the name somehow as a way to identify my school,I have decided the best way to do this is to establish myself as the Wu Tang P.C.A. Frankfurt Am Main,this became effective as of the beginning of December 2002.

Aims

The primary purpose of the Wu Tang P.C.A.Frankfurt Am Main is to promote Bagua Zhang and Hsing-I as Internal systems that develop health,fighting skills and meditative development through using the Outer Dissolving Methods of Water Method Taoism as taught by B.K.Frantzis of Energy Arts Inc.

What is Bagua Zhang (PA KUA CHANG) ?

Photo 2.Master Liu Hung Chieh and his disciple B.K.Frantzis

Eight Trigram Palm is a whole system of health exercise,martial arts and meditation.Ba Gua offers all the internal benefits of Tai Chi while being an aerobic exercise which also stretches and tones the whole body.The foundation of the system is a meditative Circle Walking Practise and the Single Palm Change which was developed in Taoist Monasteries about 4,000 years ago.

The modern system of Ba Gua traces its roots to these ancient beginnings and has expanded over time to include palm changes based on each of the trigrams of the I-Ching (Classic of Change).It makes the body flexible and able to move with grace,speed and power.In fact Ba Gua creates a strong yet supple body and involves gaining the ability to be able to change freely in terms of movement,energy and angles.

As such the whole of Ba Gua is based on the development of the capacity for change-whether that is changing through meditative health practises or using angles and spiralling redirections in fighting training.In fact Ba Gua helps you to have stillness of mind in the midst of intense physical activity.

At the Wu Tang P.C.A. Frankfurt Am Main two types of classes are offered in Ba Gua one focuses on health and meditative practises for those who would like to try a more vigorous alternative to Tai Chi.The other class is for those interested in pursuing a more practical approach to Ba Gua.These classes will include fighting applications as well as the health aspects of this fascinating art.

Photo 3.Sifu Allen Demonstrating The Wind Gua

of the Beijing Bagua Zhang

THE BEIJING BAGUA ZHANG OF LIU HUNG CHIEH

AS TAUGHT BY MASTER B.K.FRANTZIS

Liu Hung Chieh was the youngest and last member of the Original Beijing Bagua Zhang School,he studied with representatives of the Yin Fu and the Cheng Ting Hua branches of that school as well as with several Hsing-I masters and later on with the founder of Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan,Wu Chien Chuan, in Hong Kong.

When Liu Hung Chieh returned to Mainland China he spent time studying Daoism in Western China,it was there that Liu continued his studies of Daoism and the I-Ching.Liu returned to Beijing to continue developing his practises and take his place as Head of a Lineage of Daoism.It was probably for this reason that Liu's Bagua Zhang,Hsing-I and Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan had an emphasis on energy building and meditation practises.

The Bagua Zhang system of Liu Hung Chieh includes clearly defined exercises to develop the practioner's health,energetic awareness,fighting abilities and meditation-for clarity of mind.

(for a more complete history please refer to B.K.Frantzis' Power of Internal Martial Arts.North Atlantic Books)

Photo 4.B.K.Frantzis in Chris Chappel's

London Studio circa 1998

(Notice the great Background

Painting)

The system was brought to the West by B.K.Frantzis the martial arts and meditation Master who has founded the Energy Arts Inc.to help spread high level health and martial arts in America and Europe.In the early 1990s Master Frantzis taught the 8 Beijing Palm Changes in New York City and that is where Sifu Frank Allen learnt them.Since then Frank has continued to promote and teach this systematic approach to the energetic,meditative and martial application art of Beijing Bagua Zhang.

This system of Bagua Zhang is made up of two parts1. Preparatory Exercises and 2.Circling Palm Changes.The first consists of exercises both static and done walking the circle that develop the body alignments and strength-essential for successfully learning the second part,the Circling Palm Changes.

PARTNERWORK:ROU SHOU AND APPLICATIONS

In addition to the above there is also Rou Shou(Soft Hands)-which teaches hand sensitivity and awareness of angles and the ability to emit/absorb power from/into the body and application work-which involves learning how to use the postures and energies of each palm learnt in a more fighting context.

MY COMMITMENT

Beginning in 2003 I have decided to work on teaching the Preparatory Exercises of this system and the first four Outer Palm Changes,that is Single Palm,Double Palm,Wind Palm and Thunder Palm.This commitment will continue for the next five years after which time I will begin teaching the other palms of the system.

B.P.CHAN'S COMBINED JIANG RONG JIAO BAGUA ZHANG (PA KUA CHANG)

This is the system of Bagua Zhang that B.P.Chan taught when he arrived in New York City in the 1970s.It was founded by Jiang Rong Jiao a 4th generation master who was also one of the martial arts scholars in Mainland China in the 20th Century.

He was a student of Bagua Zhang and Hsing-I Master Chang Chao Tung-the first "style"Jiang Rong Jiao developed became known as the Original Bagua Form which is based on the 8 Orthodox Palm Changes,is popular both in China and abroad.The Combined Form-which has mixes of elements of Hsing-I movement and energy within the Bagua Zhang-was his second "style" and is relatively rarer.

Photo 5.Sifu Frank Allen Showing Jamie Dibdin the Finer Points of Locking from the Jiang Rong Jiao 2 Person Form

This system is made up of the Dao 10 Chi Kung,Meditation Palms,the Solo 8 Palm Changes and an eight set Two Person Form based on the Solo Form.In addition to the above there are several exercises that are taught derived from the set that are based on developing circling motion and fighting techniques in a more spontaneous manner.

MY COMMITMENT

Again as in the Beijing Bagua Zhang section I have decided to concentrate my teaching,as of 2003,on the first four Palms of the set,the Meditation Palms and Applications of the Solo Form.This will continue for five years after which I will begin to teach the other remaining parts of the system.

B.P.CHAN'S FIVE ELEMENTS OF HSING-I CHUAN

The Hsing-I Chuan I teach is based on the system of Hsing-I that B.P.Chan taught in New York-often with internal principles from Frank Allen's teacher B.K.Frantzis included as a supplement.

Photo 6.The Late B.P.Chan

Demonstrating the Wood Element

At first I teach the practise of standing exercises to develop power and alignments for use in the elements.Univeral Post is the first of these as well as static standing performed in the posture San Ti Shi.

Photo 7.Sifu Allen in the Hsing-I San Ti Shi

Then each of the elements Metal,Water,Wood,Fire and Earth are taught-first statically to gain the feeling of the essence of the element concerned and then the line drills are introduced.Hsing-I Chuan is North China's centreline martial arts system and this is nowhere more apparent than in the line drills of the art.

CONTACT: baguamonkey@gmx.de

:or (0049) 69 61994710 ask for Jamie Dibdin