White Out and Eight Immortals

4 January 2015

In the new year, I have decided to focus my martial arts efforts to continued regular participation in two schools -- Yin Cheng Gong Fa and the Hobyokan. I am looking forward to the Masakikai & Hobyokai Kagami Biraki later this month. I am hoping to demonstrate some Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu as well as some Chinese martial arts at the gathering. This weekend, I traveled to Pittsburgh for further training in YCGF. Travel was a bit rougher than usual. I-70 was crowded with many Steelers Fans traveling to the playoff game against the Ravens and weather was poor, with heavy rain and white out fog conditions in the mountains. However, despite visibility being poor at times, I made it safely to Pittsburgh for training and back home again without incident.


Depiction of the Daoist immortal Lü Chunyang, also known as Lü Dongbin

This trip, I began learning a bagua straight sword (jian) form called Ba Gua Chun Yang Jian ( 八卦純陽剣 ) or "Bagua Pure Yang Sword". The English translation of Chung ( 純 ) can mean "pure" or "completely" or "entirely" and Chun Yang ( 純陽 ) is a reference to Lü Dongbin ( 呂洞賓 ) who is revered as one of the members of the group known as the Eight Immortals, and is commonly depicted wearing a sword. Lü Dongbin's literary name is Chunyang Zi ( 純陽子 ) or "Master Pure Yang", which is what the form's name derives from -- pure, complete, entirely transformed. This variant of the form itself likely dates back to the mid to late 19th century and is likely arranged by Liu Dekuan.

Previously, I had focused on Bagua circle walking with the jian and a subset of Cheng-style circle changes with the jian. This is an excellent, spontaneous, practice, that helps a practitioner learn how to change smoothly between postures and react to threats from many directions. I am very happy to complement that practice with the Bagua Chun Yang Jian, which has many low postures as well as long range movements useful against a staff or spear.

I also received corrections on my Liu style bagua practice, gaining a better insight into applications of the set -- which consists of powerful short and long range strikes, sudden changes of posture, and powerful elbow strikes and locking techniques. I am excited to continue to practice bagua diligently in 2015 and regularly pursue additional training in YCGF.