Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

We have been shooting self-defense applications for the Bagua 8 Basic Palms form for the website. This is the first form that my Bagua students learn. It helps train circle-walking and the energies of the eight palms.

This is a quick video clip that was done while we were walking through the applications for "Embrace the Moon to the Chest," the fifth section of the form.

I drove home a quick point about peng jin and the "bubble of protection" that we try to establish. It is a zone around me -- a circle -- that means trouble for the attacker if they enter it.

Bagua is a lot like a spinning wire ball. If you punch into it, you get caught up and spun out in random directions, leaving you on the ground and broken.

There are a few quick applications at the end from "Embrace the Moon to the Chest," "White Ape Offers Fruit," and "Lion Opens its Mouth."

David Roth-Lindberg interviewed me for his blog, "Thoughts on Tai Chi." 

The Q&A was published today. Here is a link.

https://taichithoughts.wordpress.com/2018/12/21/qa-with-ken-gullette/

Would your Bagua applications work against an opponent who was 35 years younger, stronger and 120 pounds heavier?

If he decided to shoot in and grab your legs, how would you deal with it?

We had a great practice yesterday, recording self-defense applications using some of the principles and energies from the Bagua 8 Basic Palms form.

The last time I recorded applications for this form was in 2008, with Sean Ledig, who is a member of the website. I didn't go into a lot of depth in the video, so after 10 years, I am shooting it again and adding more information and applications.

Downward energy is an important internal concept, and the first section of the form, "Fierce Tiger Emerges from Mountain," depends on downward energy.

Theoretically, it should work on a shooter, so we put it into action. Two of my students, Justin Snow and Chris Andrews, are big, strong guys who outweigh me by 120 pounds each. They put the pressure on me.

All martial arts require practice. Even boxers will ...

The students filed in on the first day of my first class. I spent a LOT of time working on an entertaining and informative PowerPoint and lecture.

A couple of students looked at me, smiled and said hello as they found a seat. Most of them walked in without acknowledging me, found a seat, and began staring at the computer screen that they each had on their desk. There was no attempt to engage by most of the students.

I have always enjoyed kids, and young people, and have always found ways of making them laugh and have fun.

But a college setting was different.

It was fascina...

There is a popular saying that is very true -- "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

This means you can coast along, expecting good things to happen, but if you don't set serious goals and take the steps to meet those goals, then you get the same thing you have always gotten when you put no effort into it.

Nothing. Unless you are lucky, and most of us are not lucky very often.

2018 will come to a close in just three weeks. It is a great time to begin setting your goals for 2019.

I'm not talking about New Year's Resolutions, I'm talking about serious goals for your internal arts development.

It is very easy to talk about training in Tai Chi, Xingyi or Bagua. It is very easy to watch some YouTube videos and practice some moves.

It's a very different thing, and a lot more difficult, to actually build skill. It takes a step-by-step approach and it requires an instructor -- a coach -- to guide you and give you feedback and corrections.

Here are some goals you can reach through thi...

I'm not sure where these tips came from, but I thought I'd pass them on because they're good ones for the practice of Baguazhang.

1. Keep the head upright and neck straight (but not tense) with spirit and intention.

2. Keep the back rounded, stretched and natural, not stiff.

3. Keep the shoulders relaxed and dropped (so power can reach the hands).

4. Keep the arms closed inward -- front arm bent and extended; rear arm protects the body.

5. Drop the elbows. The role of elbows is to protect within attack.

6. Palms - the thumb is spread outward, fingers extended and fanned as if holding a teacup. The tiger's mouth is round and separated.

7. Waist is like an axle - hardness and softness exist together. There is twisting and turning with strength and agility.

8. Keep the hips under the body - don't let them protrude. Relax the lower back.

9. The front thigh leads the way and the rear thigh supports. Knees are kept together and both thighs protect the crotch.

10. The inner foot (th...

In class Wednesday night we did some "connecting" drills. 

Remaining centered and connected to the people and the world around you is a noble pursuit--one that we naturally fall short of at times because of human nature, but that's true with any philosophical or religious pursuit, isn't it? We can really try to live our philosophy, but there's always the occasional slip-up.

The practice of kung fu, at its core, is about mastering ourselves. Let's face it--I hope I'm never in another real fight. I haven't been in a real fight since high school. I've managed to calm down potentially violent situations several times as an adult, and I've always felt good about that. The reason we practice the martial art is to gain control over our minds and bodies.

But if we fail to control ourselves in daily life, our martial arts training isn't very effective.

I've told this story before, but the first time I realized I was incorporating the philosophy and the centering skills into my life was when...

"Standing stake" is one of the fundamental exercises in Chen tai chi, and it's also, in my humble opinion, the best chi kung exercise you can do. If you spend a few minutes a day doing this, you can begin the journey to use the internal arts to create a more healthy and positive life.

A centered life.

Here's a very basic guide -- stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your feet should be parallel. Relax the knees--don't lock them out. Keep the head up and the chin slightly tucked in (slightly). Relax the lower back by slightly tucking the hips under. Raise your hands so that it appears you're embracing a tree. Your palms should face your body, your fingers are pointing toward each other.

Relax your shoulders. Working your way down your body, focus on relaxing every muscle.

Calm your mind and place part of your awareness on your dan t'ien (the fist-sized area about 1.5 inches below the navel and an inch or two inside the body).

When I do this exercise, I use mental imagery. I ...