READ Bagua circle walking PART ONE here
A famous practitioner of 形意拳 Xingyiquan and student of 李洛能 Li Luoneng aka 李能然 Li Nengran was 宋世荣 Song Shirong (1849 - 1927), and having had seen the benefits of Baguazhang's Circle Walking firsthand he then had incorporated the Circle Walking into Xingyiquan and called it 宋氏形意拳纳卦 Song Style Xingyiquan 'Nagua' (Incorporating the Trigrams) or 盘根 'Pan Gen' (Coiling Root) as it's more commonly known...
盘根功法，是宋世荣先生在数十年实践中，融汇内功纳卦、易筋、洗髓等，创编完成的一项养气健身和武术行桩的功法。该功法老幼皆宜，是行之有效的锻炼手段。它运动量小，没有高难度动作，易学易练，容易掌握。
{Pan Gen Gong Fa (Coiling Root Strengthening Method) is Teacher Song Shirong's daily foundational exercise to combine the Internal Strengthening of the Trigrams, 'Yi Jin' (Muscle/Tendon Changing), and 'Xi Sui' (Bone Marrow Washing), so that one can begin to merge the cultivation and raising up of Internal energy and strength of the body with the Martial practices of 'Xing Zhuang' (Moving Standing) and into one single exercise method. Whether one is young or old, if the method is practiced correctly there will be a toughening/ tempering of the body, especially the arms. There is not a lot of movements involved and the movements aren't difficult nor done to an extreme degree. It's easy to learn and the body easily adapts to the practice. So it's easy to understand and one can quickly practice it on their own.}
经常操练能使人全身的经络气血畅通，并可以得到充养肌体、气血充盈、五脏六腑调合、精力旺盛、肌肤润泽、耳聪目明、老当益壮的功效。习武者长期练习此功法，可使人下盘稳固，步步为桩，在攻防实战中，能运用自如，先入为主，围绕对方闪转腾挪，变化莫测，使对方万招皆空，从而取得主动权，正所谓功夫练至通灵处，左右明拨任意行。
{Practicing this exercise on a regular daily basis can promote the flow of energy through the meridians and Qi & blood [through the vessels and capillaries], and grows/ builds up the muscles of the body, which in turn allows for a surplus of more Qi & blood, the five major organs and six lesser organs support one another and work in harmony, the intrinsic strength of the body is increased and one has more vigor, the skin and flesh (fascia) is properly lubricated and supple, the ears are more alert while the eyes are keen, and one is hale and hearty despite the years they may have accumulated.
Studying and practicing this martial exercise over a long period of time can make one more stable and steady when standing and moving low to the ground. Every step is like a 'Zhuang' (a tree stump rooted in the ground), and one can remain 'centered' or maintain their balance even when attacking and defending in the midst of an actual fight; The capability to move freely and have free access to all of one's skills; When you 'Enter' [to the center door of the opponent] you will be strong, when 'going around' [attacking the side-door of the opponent] you will be able to fluidly evade, turn, vacate, and shift; One will be able to move unpredictably and cause your opponent's efforts to come up empty and thereby obtaining the initiative and overpower the opponent.
Correct or so-called "Good Gongfu" (efficient use of one's practice time) is to know and practice both the physical and mental side at the same time and be merged into a single state. There should become no difference between the left and right sides of your body, both should be able to move and respond at will.}
Baguazhang's Circle Walking and XYQ's Pan Gen (Coiling Root)/ Na Gua (Incorporating the Trigrams) somewhat diverge at this point, and while they both turn around an imaginary point in the center of the circle, and there is some resemblance in the hand postures. The essence of both practices is to 'Open the Three Gates' (通三關 Tōng Sān Guān) in the spinal column so that one can develop a 丹田 Dāntián and effectively be able to use the 波浪勁 'Bolang Jin' (Crashing/ Surging Wave Power) of the spinal column to 發力 Fa Li (Issue Force/ Power) -
静如山岳，动如江河。
{Be steady and strong like a mountain, but move fluidly like a river.}
蓄劲如开弓，发劲如放箭。
{Store/gather up Jin like drawing back a bow, emitting jin (fajin) is like releasing the arrow.}
曲中求直，蓄而后发。
{Bend the middle in order to straighten, first gathering up and then it's emitted (fa).}
力由脊发，步随身换。
{Power comes from the spine emitting (Fa), and the stepping follows the changes of the body.}
The skill or ability to use the spinal column to add in a secondary force to a strike or throw is called 波浪勁 Bo Lang Jin (Crashing/ Surging Wave Power).
When the 尾閭骨 tailbone/coccyx is quickly tucked under, from it's neutral position, this jolts the Lower Dantian and starts the wave-like movement of the spine. The tailbone tucked under also opens the 命門 Mingmen point (below L2 vertebrae- middle of the lumbar), which allows the power from the Dantian to exit into the back and travel up the spine to 大椎 Dazhui point, where it diverts the power out to the shoulder and to the hand.
大椎 Dazhui point (C7 vertebrae) and the cervical vertebrae above, is blocked off by raising the crown of the head (stretching up the neck vertebrae) then tucking in the chin which locks-in and holds the whole neck and head strong as if resisting someone pressing against the forehead. This is what diverts the power out to the hands.
This method of using the spinal column to add in a secondary force to a strike or throw is called 波浪勁 Bo Lang Jin (Crashing/ Breaking Wave Power).
Xin-Yi and Xingyiquan have 'Dantian Gong' (Work to develop a Lower Dantian) (a type of self massage of the lower Dantian and abdomen), this is/was previously done while standing in place.
Baguazhang only uses the Circle Walking practice to achieve the same 'Dantian Gong' and it works as a self-massage from the inside to out, as you're following all the principles and twisting the abdomen in to the center.
So XYQ's Pan Gen (Coiling Root)/ Na Gua (Incorporating the Trigrams) is kind of a blend of the two, likely because they were skeptical and didn't want to entirely give up their tried and true practice of 'Dantian Gong'.
'Circle Walking/ Turning the Circle' should be practiced everyday but it's okay to skip a day or two but you shouldn't skip 3 or more days in a row. At first the practice will only be building up one's 'Foundation', which could take anywhere from 3 months to a year, depending on one's state of health. The Foundation stage can be sped up by augmenting one Circle Walking with Zhan Zhuang (Standing Postures), which ideally should be the same posture that you're using to Turn the Circle. Once the Foundation Stage is progressing and the practice is smooth and flowing: Meaning, it is something you know and don't have to put too much thought on the postural requirements (the requirements and stepping is 'Ziran' (a new-natural) way of moving), then the practice will naturally (on it's own accord) start progressing towards the 2nd stage of 'Opening the Three Gates [of the spine]' (通三關 Tōng Sān Guān), which is a natural body process that normally only occurs when we are sleeping.
Eventually, within a single Circle Walking session, one will experience the opening of these three gates, which are described as: one begins at passing through the first/ 'Tailbone Gate' by pulling under the tailbone then carefully take a step and start to walk slowly around like a Goat pulling a cart. When working at passing through the 'Middle/ Spine Gate' one begins to move a little quicker like a Deer pulling a cart, where you're taking large strides, rapidly moving forward. Then, Passing through the 'Upper Gate', the road/ path is now comparatively narrow and you must be more like an Ox pulling a cart, physically exerting and charging forward. Then finally, cooling down, slow down the walking and you let the energy flow downward from the pituitary gland (Mud Pill Palace), joining with and immersed in the calming of the breath. Slowing down the breathing combined with the slowed stepping. As the stepping and breathing is slowed the Elixir (炁 Qì) is gradually brought back into the 丹田 Dāntián.
But it's important that the diameter of the circle is no larger than your own height. As walking around in a circle require the hips to open and close, which is also putting pressure on the coccyx and sacrum, which in turn also needs to slightly move to adjust to the hips and thighs continuously moving past the sacrum, these subtle movements are key to 'Opening the Three Gates [of the spine]' (通三關 Tōng Sān Guān).
See my previous article on Baguazhang Cultivation Theory for more details.
Continued in Part Three
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