Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions 48 Methods of Shi Family1 1.

Shen Fa -- The Body Method: The body is like a swimming dragon, a wild goose soaring in the air. Zigzagging, curved and straight, it moves like a snake. Overturn, roll, revolve and turn are dominated by the waist. Move to the corners and side-to-side, advance and retreat, talking and laughing in the center. 2. Mu Ce - Range Estimation: To resist the enemy when you cross hands, you must first estimate the range. If there is no movement, gaze at the man's shoulder. Calmly and carefully examine his posture. Seek out the way to go. Reconnoitre and reflect. Only the eyes look forward. 3. Yanming - Sharp Eyes: The heart's emotions are reflected in the eyes like a mirror. See the situation create the emotion, then the posture responds. If you are very fearful and the mind is confused, your eyes will not follow. The hands will be occupied, the feet confused, and you will lose your cleverness 4. Xianxing - In Advance: The eyes first seek out the enemy's condition. The four sides and eight directions need to be observed clearly. Allow your movement to change irregularly many times. What enters my eye, I instantly understand. 5. Shen Shi - Careful Posture: The eyes watch the four directions, form and posture are understood. The ears hear in eight directions, movement and stillness are known. The feet tread the eight trigrams, walk the complete circle. Look 1 Thirty-Six Strategies from http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php? l=36ji ahead and behind, capture the enemy's emotion. 6. Bu Fa - Stepping Method: If you wish to move the extrmeities, the root must move first. Quick hands are inferior to agile stepping. Turning, moving, entering, yeilding only require half a step. The outer boundary is peaceful, the whole form changes. 7. Ta Zong Men - Tread the Center Gate: Stride forward like a tiger and with the aspect of a hero. Advance and retreat, look around, look for the enemy's trace. The feet tread the center gate and interlink with the enemy's path. The enemy has to defend against strikes to the center. 8. Xie Chu Cheng Ru - Diagonal Leaving, Straight Entering: With footsteps firm and stable, seek adroit movement. By advancing, retreating, turning, and shifting, seek out the enemy's path. Walking follows the triangle. The toes grip the ground. Diagonal leaving, straight entering, is wonderful and unlimited. 9. Xu Jin - Continuous Advancing: Develop an offensive posture, the enemy can not move back. Continue advancing with strikes that are difficult to evade. Step and advance the body, then step to the front. The hands, feet, and body must be one and arrive together. 10. Lian Zhui - Continuous Chasing: I advance. If the enemy retreats, I must follow. One step or two steps, I am continuously stepping to follow. Closely press the enemy so there is no way for him to flee. Continuously advance, victory comes in one step. 11. Xu shi - Empty and Full: For agile

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions movement in the legs, empty and full need to be understood. If you relax the rules then you will be double weighted and sluggish. With changing movements and turning movements the empty foot is agile. With the weight in the full foot, steadiness is preserved. 12. Jin-tui - Advance and Retreat: The enemy retreats, I advance with my front foot first. The enemy advances, I retreat by moving with my rear foot. The stepping method of advancing and retreating must be agile, Turning, changing, and transforming in accordance with the enemy's emotion 13. Zhang Fa - Palm Method: In attack and defense, both palms must be lively. The rear palm goes out and the front palm returns. The tiger's mouth and ox's tongue work together: "Follow the curve to arrive at the straight", understand the body's peril. 14. Gong Fang Xiang Ji - Mutual Attack and Defense: In mutual attack and defense you must remember firmness. My hand goes out, and defends against the man's strike. Advance to attack, defend and ward-off, turn and transform quickly. When you can attack and be successful in defense, your skill starts to become high. 15. Gong Fang Huying - Attack and Defense Working Together: The hands, going out and blocking, have to work together. Issuing is not correct and yet it is not presumptuous to issue. The postures of attack and defense change many times. Issuing is not the main thing. You must defend against the opponent's issuing. 16. Zhao Fa - Technique Method: The front arm reaches straight, forming the tiger's mouth. The rear arm hides the ox tongue. Swallowing and spitting, opening and closing, flow with the enemy's emotion. Work together with change, close the enemy's posture. 17. Fa Jing - Issuing Energy: Store up energy till plentiful, like a bent bow. Issue energy like an arrow, swiftly away from the bowstring. With a single purpose, in one direction, strength issues from the back. Have a sunk appearance, be relaxed completely, qi ought to be first. 18. Yin Shi Li Dao - Adroitly Guiding Action According to Circumstances: If he is high, strike him low. If he is low, strike him high. With a fat man, strike at him from either corner. If you meet someone long and thin, press toward the inside. The old man cannot move to block. 19. Jie Zhao - Make Contact and Gesture: The enemy man comes gesturing. Don't block or frame him. Flow with his incoming posture only once. Moving or still, quick or slow, you must close and slap. Follow curve, move toward the straight, multiply his defects. 20. Jie Na - Explaining Seizing: Qin Na must use a double hand motion. Both hands seize, oneself is empty. No matter what, Qin Na flows with his motion. Pierce the nose or jab the eyeballs and the enemy's posture relaxes.

21. Jie Na - Explaining Seizing: He seizes me and the flowing posture moves. The

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions flowing posture moves and the seized posture is empty. Even if his Qin Na is very adroit, My movement follows the man and the seize has no skill. 22. Bu Zhong Qin Na - Do Not Stress Seizing: The Bagua palm method does not stress seizing. If both your hands, seize you suffer a setback. You are only seizing the man and it is not like striking. Depress and bend the man over, many changes are not advisable. 23. Feng Bi - Seal and Close: The issuing hand flows and follows the enemy's intention to move. To seal and close the enemy I need a lot of skill. If I can seal firmly the posture of the enemy, Victory employs having my hand in the center. 24. Feng Bi - Seal and Close: Perhaps he has weapons in both hands and is quick like the wind. With one coming and one going, he displays remarkable skill. Close his left hand then his right hand is not used. Both hands coming at the same time is emptiness. 25. Huan Zhao - Returning Techniques: Sealing and closing strongly is a technique for 'defending the body'. Vigorously seal the man's techniques and do a technique in return. Stick continuously, following and leading the enemy's techniques. Be neither too close nor too far, flow with the enemy's techniques. 26. Yi Gao Yi Zhao - High Skill of One Move: The strong are victorious over the weak, and their strength shows off their ability. The quick strike the slow, and their skill is in their speed. In these cases the High Skill of One Move is very much needed. Bind their hands and bind their feet to control them. 27. Rangkai Gong Shi - Defend by Getting Out of the Way: If the other party has the strength of 1000 pounds, issue quickly. If his incoming posture is as violent as a mountain slide, Get out of the way and attack, take advantage of his gaps. Be decisive and mobile; swiftly do a technique in return. 28. Xie Shan - Diagonal Dodging: The enemy comes in straight and quick like an arrow. First issue to control his brave and fierce posture. Only meet this emotion, it is not appropriate to retreat. Diagonally moving, dodge and yield like a spirit. 29. Bu Lan Bu Jia - Don't Block, Don't Frame: Even when the enemy's posture is ruthless, you have no fear. He strikes at you and you defend against him. Toe out on the diagonal, the way is close. Don't block, don't frame, only once. 30. You Di - Lead the Enemy: When the enemy doesn't attack, I use motion to draw him out. When his attack comes, I walk to the empty space. I do not rely on hand methods, I rely on stepping methods. Enticed to advance, he falls into air and is subject to my control. 31. Hua Jie - Transformation Understood: Vertical can understand horizontal, horizontal understands vertical. When a split comes from an oblique angle, I split him. When a leg comes, if the leg is understood, you understand and then attack. The hands and legs go out and steps turn many times. 32. Yuan Xing Hua Jie - Circular Transformation Understood: He surrounds me and I surround him. With circular turning and walking he can only

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions attack air. Surround, surround one posture, the trail is not fixed. Completely rely on the stepping method and powerful walking. 33. Xie Zheng Huan Hua - Diagonal and True Transformed: There is straightness within diagonal and diagonalness within straight. The diagonal/true transformation truly is wonderful. When you meet a strong enemy, a strong attack is demanded. Hide surprises within surprises, and the enemy falls into a trap. 34. Zhi Ren - Control the Man: To control a man, one ought to pierce up towards his eyes. If both eyes suffer damage, then the enemy will be in a bind. The importance of the damage suffered, though small in degree, is not understood. A poke in the eyes is a victory of 1,000 techniques. 35. Dong Jie - Movement Understood: Use stillness to control motion, leisurely await the work. Use motion to control stillness, rely on skill. The man doesn't know me, but I know the man. Meet strength with wisdom; seek the weak with flaunting techniques. 36. Kai He - Open and Close: If you desire to close, the correct form is to open first. Observe that open defends, and closed can know the power. Open is in the center of closed and closed is in the center of open. They can meet at the origin and instantly know minutia. 37. Qu Shou You Zhun - The Outgoing Hand Is the Standard: It does not matter if he has 1,000 techniques and quickness in 1,000 things; If he is not able to be centered, his efforts are in vain. Not stopping is important and not sending out hand. The outgoing hand must instantly be in the enemy's center. 38. Shulian: Skilled/practiced/proficient: Attack and defend, advance and retreat, because the postures are different. 100 refinements make steel, bitter practice makes you complete. First aim towards being firm and solid, seek to be level and straight. Spiritual wonder is transformed; skill is created in the center. 39. Lingmin - Sensitive/keen/agile/acute: If the mind is sensitive, its transformations are inexhaustible. If the eyes are sharp, they can make out the enemy's emotion. If the stepping is agile, the mechanical power is adaptable. If the hand is keen, controlling the enemy is the standard. 40. Tu Na - Giving and Receiving: Inhaling and exhaling, giving and receiving, are controlled from the nose. First it flows through the Du Mai. Then continues to the Ren Mai to complete the cycle. Qi moves through the body, the will directs its motion. 41. Lizheng Zhudong - Work Hard for the Initiative: When fighting, you must be able to endure the enemy's attack. First seek to be invincible, then return the attack. If the posture and surroundings are inferior, toe out and escape. The center having moved, strive for the initiative. 42. Ceshen - On Ones Side: In the Snake Form Palm, the posture the body overturns to the side. The body must have a twisting movement to use the Snake Form. Both arms go out straight to protect the skull. Expanding and contracting, turning sideways, Snake Spits out its Tongue.

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions 43. Niu Yao - Twist the Waist: When the enemy attacks, I stick to his body. My hands and feet return to defend and transform him. Turning and revolving, left and right, the waist twists and turns. Take a turn for the better and be out of danger; defeat demands victory. 44. Dang Ji Ji Fa - Prompt Issuing: The mind takes charge of life, the eyes gaze. The hands and feet coordinate for careful attack and defense. Search for the man's gaps, strive for motion. Issue promptly, don't hesitate. 45. Bi Shi Ji Xu - Avoid the Enemy's Strength, Strike at his Weakness: When the enemy punches at your face, Take the lower way and instantly open up. Take him by surprise, unprepared for the attack. Avoid his strength and attack his weak points, victory comes. 46. Ji Ting - Avoid Stopping: The chaotic original one qi walks heaven's limits. Walking, but not walking too far, the feet change and transform. Bagua's functional movement consists of the walking movements. Standing fixed when convenient becomes fallen flowers. 47. Luo Kong Bu Wen - Fall into Emptiness No Disorder: Stepping must be lively and the gestures must be accurate. Then, to use 'Falling into Emptiness', the mind must not be disorderly. Curves interlink with curves and are never used up. When there are circles within circles, transformation is created. 48. Li Yi Wei Xian - Ceremony and Righteousness take Precedence: Esteem virtue, esteem ceremony, don't esteem strength. Esteem wisdom, esteem righteousness, don't esteem bravery. Esteem strength, esteem bravery, strength is the core of strength. When your skill is high, then with one touch, your enemy falls in to emptiness.

36 Rules of Shi Family Shi's 36 Stanzas 1. The head is held up. The chin is tucked in. The body is held straight. Depress the waist. Swell the belly. The steps are empty and full. Sink the shoulders. Hang the elbows. Reach with the front arm. Turn the wrist. Straighten the palm. Pull back the index finger. 2. One arm pushes out straight. One arm is bent. The eyes gaze at the tiger's mouth of the straight arm. The straight arm pushes and seizes. The bent arm pulls the bowstring. This is like using a bow to shoot a big vulture. 3. The tiger's mouth is curved. The palm is hollow. Pull back the fingers. Straighten the palm. The fingers are held upwards. Push and seize. Pull the bow. Defend the chest and lungs. The practice of bent knee stepping trains the leg skills. 4. Bend the knees and bow the legs. The steps are like walking in mud. In walking the circle, the outside foot turns inwards and the inside foot moves straight. Turn the waist. Depress the waist. Raise up the anus. The form is like pushing a grindstone round and round. 5. Turn the waist. Turn the neck. Depress the waist. Swell the belly. The foot grips the ground. The knees bend and the legs

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions bow. The body follows the steps and the turning hands follow the body's movements. Weave together inhaling and exhaling and then transform them to chewing up and spitting out the enemy. 11. The tongue sticks to the upper palate. Inhale and exhale through the nose. The qi sinks to the dantian like being guided. Movement must be coordinated with the breathing. They complement each other and create agility. 12: Skill and talent smoothly follow the waist and leg movement; The stepping method transforms the walking with many turns; Upper and lower coordinate and become one thing; Mobility and agility must be harmonized. 13: The toe-in stepping form makes a triangle. The toe and kneecap are aligned. The toe-out stepping form makes an eight character shape (/ \). The toe and the heel meet together. 14. In the Upper Step (shang bu), the rear foot steps past the front foot. In the Advance Step (jin bu), the front foot moves to the front. In the Withdraw Step (che bu), the front foot steps past the rear foot. In the Retreat Step (tui), the rear foot moves to the rear. 15. Esteem virtue, do not esteem strength. Esteem wisdom, do not esteem courage. If you esteem strength and esteem courage; Sooner or later it must fall into the void. 16. The body is like a swimming dragon, a wild goose leaping into the air. It is like a tiger strikes, a turtle swims, a snake's movement. Vary the postures continuously without stopping. Move to the corners and sides, advance and retreat, talk and laugh in the center. 17. This palm is mysterious in walking the circle. The stepping method causes victory, the foot is strong and skilled. Toe-out, toe-in, arcing and turning,

6. In walking, the palm and body should not lean to the sides. Do not lean forwards or backwards. Turn the waist and tighten the lower abdomen to connect the limbs. In stepping, the steps sink and the body has the appearance of being even and steady. 7. Moment is practiced on the left and right sides, Reciprocating without breaks or stopping. Aim for being stable and full. Become level and true. The spirit can transform and grow from immature to mature. 8. In the piercing palm, the hand goes out under the elbow. Avoid the full and draw near the empty to achieve skill. The foot treads the center gate and searches out the way. The corner become the sides, enter and flow with the person's movements. 9. The hand method of the piercing palm must be remembered well. The rear hand pierces out and the front hand retracts. They must be mutually coordinated and complement each other. Mobility and agility display your talent. 10. In walking the circle, pursue three levels in your stepping practice. First practice the upper level frame, which is high. The middle level bends the knees and the posture gradually squats. The lower level stresses getting the thighs level with the knees.

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions people cannot fathom it. Look to the front and now to the rear. Leave no fixed trail. 18. The foot treads the central gate and searches out the way. The hands follow the enemy's condition and flow in the opposite direction; Rise and do not fall, occupy the center; The enemy's preparations are in vain and he finds it difficult to defend himself. [Here is another. This one is a toughie, a bit esoteric. I took some time going over it again and changing some of my original work, but I can't guarantee total accuracy on this one.] 19. The outgoing hand must be one, it must not be two. The idea of many overcoming the few must be followed. If you can understand, you can get this central idea. Superiority is commonly had in grasping the center. 20. The outgoing hand techniques follow the man. To seal the enemy requires a lot of skill. The triangle pattern steps are very subtle. The hands in the cross shape form are beneficial to attack 21. The out-going hand flows with the enemy's intention. Rise to defend, attack to the left and right. If the enemy retreats, your front foot advances. If the enemy advances, your rear foot moves. 22. When the enemy advances, I move to evade his attack. I give up my position and cause him to fall into emptiness. I turn back and with one strike invariably cut to his center. To defeat the center and take the victory requires skill. [Here is #23. I must confess that it does not make much sense to me. My confusion revolves around the interplay between two characters zheng (true, upright, correct) and qi (wonderful, surprise). I have seen these two characters used together before and the best that I could guess based on the context was a sense of coming and going. However in this poetry the meaning is much more difficult for me to grasp. If anyone has a clue I'd appreciate some enlightenment.] 23. The enemy is true, I am true surprise; The enemy is surprise, I am surprise true. A soft body pulls the rudder. Flowing water drives a light boat. 24. A strike comes to my right and my left responds. A strike comes to my front and my back responds. I coordinate my response with my breathing. If I do this others find it difficult to respond to me. 25. Close and roll, defend to the left and right. Turning back the head in retreat turns into an advance. If pressed close, move farther away. Commit to a strong body form. 26. The flicking palm conceals the body as you advance. Use the hooking palm as you retreat and then advance. Attack the enemy's front side as you advance. The flick and hook, up and down, aid and support each other. 27. An arm stretched out from the side of the body reveals an empty space. The chest exposed to open air induces people to attack. Draw out the enemy to take the advantage and advance. Bind, mix, seal, insert, and strive to master the movement. 28. With the overturning body palm method, defense becomes the attack. Overturn, roll, arc and turn to follow the man's motion. Submit to the objective, ignore the subjective. Pierce, grip, hang,

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions and float, agile functions. 29. The Baguazhang method is not a blocking frame. I wish to choose flowing from my center. The out going hand must choose the way to approach. I issue later but arrive first cannot be successfully defended against. 30. Touch and stick, continuously follow, don't loose the lead. Don't block, don't frame, flow with the enemy's nature. Yield the position and strive for mastery of motion. Moving supports motion, moving supports stillness 31. The man is hard, I am soft and completely rely on walking; Bring about the condition to deprive him of the first hand; Turning and entering I flow to the man's back; Soft turns to hard and sticking becomes issuing. 32. When hardness is presented first then softness must be concealed inside. When softness is presented first it must be coordinated with hardness. Hardness conceals softness in its center, softness contains hardness. Hardness and softness are transformed in the stepping. 33. The eyes are linked to the hands which are linked to the waist which is linked to the legs. When the whole body is harmonized and coordinated, then when you issue strength it is whole. Regardless of whether your movements are straight or curved, the walking must be stable. When you get the power and get the posture, then you will be able to control the enemy. 34. When jing and shen are connected with qi, the posture will be filled. You will them be calm and composed, not terrified. The eyes detecting the enemy's emotion is the first point. The brain is the master and takes charge of the movement. 35. For the hands to attack the enemy, the waist and legs must be quick. Advance and retreat completely rely on the feet. Understand that walking be transformed by turning has many meanings. The true significance of Bagua is contained within this. 36. Bagua's true significance is not a mystery. Go smoothly, understand transformation, and walk the circle many times. Don't block, don't frame, don't lose the lead. Sacrifice your own interests for the sake of flowing with the enemy's emotion. SONGS ONE The chest relaxes, the crown of the head lifts up, and the waist sinks, The tows point inward with the steps, the knees are close to each other, The shoulders sink, the elbows drop, and the front palm extends forward, The eyes look through the space between thumb and index finger. Two The rear elbow is folded and in line with the stomach, The palm turns downward and extends forward. The rear palm is below the elbow of the lead arm, Both palms coordinate in harmony to become one whole power. Three Walking with curved step and strait foot, Pushing the millstone in the same motion.

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions Twisting the waist, hips, knees, and feet, With steady steps, watch the surroundings. Four Single-sided skill in practice is not unique, Dual-side practices are a good way to train. Change from left to right and right to left, Coil the body inward and step backward to find and opening. Five Turn the foot and hand simultaneously, The rear hand withdraws when the lead hand thrusts. Attack and retreat with out wondering, Like the bow is bent and the arrow is shot. Six Thrusting the palm right below the elbow, The front shoulder becomes the back one, Don't leave a space and don't hesitate, Step in, between their feet. Seven When the chest is relaxed, the qi will sink, round the back, drop the shoulders and extend the arms. When the qi reaches the dan tain, the hips are tucked under to help the qi circulate, The qi will flow and the spirit will lift up. Eight Do not sway the body when walking, All depends on the interchanges below the knees. The lowest postures keep the knee and hip level, The middle posture also sinks the waist and legs down. Nine Close mouth, tongue touching the roof of the mouth. Inhale and exhale completely through the nose. Use the "hen" and "han" sounds when relaxing the power, The whole body's energy rises. Ten Stretch the palm and make the hu kou round, Separate the middle finger and ring finger, Strike with the palm first, then with the wrist bone, Relax the shoulders, sink the waist and use half steps. Eleven Advance with knees and retreat with knees open, Lower the body when changing palms and steps. Advance or retreat according to the situation, The key is in the skills of the waist and legs. Twelve This palm technique is quite different from others, Advance with a step of the front foot first. Retreat by starting to move with the rear foot, Step around the opponent's center. Thirteen This palm technique is quite different from others, Shoulders move ahead of the striking palm. Backward first, then extended, Compress then release for special power.

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions Fourteen This palm technique is quite different from others, Front and rear palms connect in power release. The root moves first and moves out to the fingertips, Every technique use the same method. Fifteen This palm technique is quite different from others, Make a sound to the east before attacking to the west. Point high when striking low, A great skill is to roll pearls upward. Sixteen Three thrusting palms is a powerful technique, It wastes time if yuo don't walk around the opponent. If he walks to the outside and walk to the inside, It's easy to defeat him. Seventeen It's not skillful enough use the palm in one dimension in combat, At least two dimensions have to be managed. One crossing and one strait from a triangle hands position, It will easily control a person like embracing them. Eighteen Attack a taller person low and shorter person high, Stay calm and step around the opponent. Using the waist turning or overturning the body, Strong force comes when rotation reaches its utmost. Nineteen It's said the palm method wins over power and hardness, Master Guo used to mention that softness is hidden power. This secret has been known by some people, The combination of soft and hard is most advantageous. Twenty Hard power comes first, with softness hidden in side, Soft power appears first, with hard force following. Others think soft power is about the waist and hands, My stepping is additional. Twenty-one When in the extreme, the body has to turn, Moving freely without leaving a trace. All changes depend on footwork, The waist moves first in advance or retreat. Twenty-two The spirit is transmitted from the neck bone, The hands move right before turning the neck. Extend the neck for release of power and relax it for change, Like a spiritual dragon linking its head and tail together. Twenty-three The shoulder is the rood when striking with the palm, But the shoulders reach has its limitations. Step the front foot first when advancing, It's a waste, if the back foot moves first.

Shi Style Baguazhang Oral Traditions The Seven Basic Skills of Dachengquan 1. Jijizhuang (Combat skill pile-stance): Feet assume a Dingbabu shaped step, Arms form a circle like holding a child. Stand upright, feeling light and nimble, Mind is intense but posture easy and comfortable. 2. Trial of Strength: Strike out the hand is like a steel file, Pull back, the hand is like an iron hook. The intent aims at the surroundings of the body Yet never goes away from it. shift following steps. Try to control the other side as if to bind him with a robe, Be natural in all moves, whether it be wrestling, shriving, striking or releasing. 7. Actual Maneuvering: When actual confrontation begins, See that you have an easy posture. With space appropriately set, You hit out surely, accurately, relentlessly and severely. Meeting attacks from all directions, You must respond with alert and flexibility. Advance, retreat or intercept, All depends on circumstances and opportunity. Whats the use of fixed postures and methods? As under such circumstances everyone acts on his instinct.

3. Mocabu (friction steps): With the body erect and head upright, He walks like a chicken but with the torso a bit inclined. Advance or retreat at will as the hip and shoulder move, Waves rise and fall as the leaps and the foot circles. 4. Fali (excerting force): The whole body as soft as cotton, The intend reaches finger tips. Explosive force is discharged continuously, Like a catapult shooting out pellets. 5. The trial of Breath: Sound is produced from Dantian ( a spot 1,968 inches beneath the umbilicus.), But comes out the mouth, While the chest is free and relaxed, The sound is like that of a ringing bell is a quiet valley. 6. Tuishou (push-hands): Single Hand Attaching forearms they act as in trial of strength, Touching, slicking, connecting, following, all are guided by intention. Rolling and turning the perform with point of force as the axis; Jerking and discharging, an elastic force is produced and threatening. Double Hand With four arms closely attached, The two turn and