A lifelong practice

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(Liang Zhenpu style Baguazhang)



I have based my training routine around the following two systems:

1. Taoism (Chinese Daojiao).

2. Theravada Buddhism.

In the first case, I have adopted Baguazhang as my main physical exercise due to its great benefits. It will enlarge one's physical, mental, and even psychic horizons. Physically, it will tone and invigorate your muscles and sharpen and soothe your nerves, teaching you to relax and improving your overall health. Mentally, the bodily relaxation will produce a calm mind, one capable of great concentration. Psychically, it will stimulate the various psychic channels of the energetic body, carriers of the life-force which nurtures and sustains the person.

Baguazhang (or Bagua), is one of the three main branches of the neijia (internal family or system) of Chinese boxing. The other two are Tai Chi Chuan and Hsing I Chuan. The name as well as the rationale derive from the system of philosophy growing out of the I Ching (Book of Changes), 3,000 years old, but timeless.

The text describes an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy that is intrinsic to ancient Chinese cultural beliefs. It is centred around the idea of the dynamic balance of opposites (yin and yang), the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change.

Eventually, the I Ching evolved to ethical enumerations becoming a book of wisdom, one of the Five Classics of Confucianism. It became a common source for both Confucian and Taoist philosophy. Baguazhang is based around the concept of continuous change and transformation giving expression to a system of exercise and defense.

I train every Sunday in a small and secluded park located in the city where I currently live. I follow the Liang style, which seems like a mix of both Yin and Cheng styles and it is only found in Beijing area. Liang style is descended from Liang Zhenpu, the youngest disciple of Baguazhang's founder, Dong Haichuan. My teacher is a student of the current lineage holder, Wang Tong, who studied under Li Ziming (one of Liang Zhenpu's students). In Chinese martial arts, the concept of "lineage" is very important since it symbolizes the strong bond between master and apprentice similar to that of father and son.

Aside from Sunday training I practice during the week, 4 times per week depending on how I feel that week since I find Bagua extremely demanding on my energetic system. In addition I find training in Australia very demanding due to yang being dominant which is not really compatible with my own energetic system: I am a fire horse. Horse represents fire (yang) and 1966 is a fire year. In other words, I have to manage this excess yang carefully or I will burn out easily. Check my post about Five Elements Theory.





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I also practice Vipassana daily, early morning and late evening sessions, in which the practice is split into two defined components: walking and sitting. Check my post about walking and sitting meditation. However, I am quite careful with the walking component because Bagua is already taxing the legs during practice, which will lead to overtraining. As a matter of fact, I got a cold this week that ended up in a mild bronchitis from which I am almost recovered because my chi is strong after so many years of practice.

Any form of physical exercise, aside from Vipassana itself, is highly discouraged during retreat because of that very reason.