Gao-Style Bagua Zhang Seminars--April/May

[JOG]

The North American Tang Shou Tao Association will be hosting open seminars in April and Maywith the three highest-ranking members of the Gao Yisheng Bagua lineage. These one-and-a-half day seminars will include forms training, linear applications, throws, and much more. This seminar is open to all levels and all styles--

No previous Bagua experience necessary

Learn more about the instructors, Liu Shuhang, Ge Guoliang & Li Xueyi, and download registration forms at:
http://www.natsta.org/AboutUs/events.asp

Early registration $175.00 by March 15, 2006
Eastern Seminar
D.C. Metro Area, April 22-23, 2006
Southwestern Seminar
Tucson, AZ, April 29-30, 2006
Western Seminar
Oakland, CA, May 6-7, 2006

[Buddy]

"the three highest-ranking members of the Gao Yisheng Bagua lineage."

Of Liu Fengcai's lineage. Not of Gao Yisheng baguzhang.

[green_willow]

"the three highest-ranking members of the Gao Yisheng Bagua lineage."

Of Liu Fengcai's lineage. Not of Gao Yisheng baguzhang.

Do you know Liu Xing-Han? I've got his book. He's like 90 going to 101! talk about long life.

BaGua is this new age art isn't it. Helps me relax.

http://www.discountnewagebooks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1561

[Buddy]

Liu Xinghan died. He was of the Nine Palace lineage not Gao style.

[green_willow]

Liu Xinghan died. He was of the Nine Palace lineage not Gao style.

Does the Nine Palace coven get on well with the Gao coven? Do you all have spearate covens where you do your own thing and is there a special time of year for a gathering.

[JOG]

Just a reminder to everyone--

The early registration deadline for these seminars is fast approaching:


March 15, 2006

Space is limited, so sign up early!!



--NATSTA Organizers

[JOG]

Just FYI for anyone who wants to know a bit more about these instructors--

the current (May) issue of Inside Kung Fu has an article on the history of the Tianjin branch of Gao-style bagua.


John G.

[Buddy]

"Does the Nine Palace coven get on well with the Gao coven? Do you all have spearate covens where you do your own thing and is there a special time of year for a gathering."

What the hell are you talking about?

[Rockwood]

Hi John-

Cool bios of the Tianjin Gao Ba Gua teachers in IKF. Looking forward to their visit, they seem to have spent their lives reseraching and perfecting Liu Fengcai's Ba Gua and I'm stoked that they want to share it! It's rare that Ba Gua teachers are open and teaching widely, this is a great thing.

-Jess O

[BruceSteveRoy]

Went to the DC Metro area seminar and it was really good. Li Xueyi is not only an absolutely amazing practitioner (duh of course) but he is a really cool dude too. I really enjoyed it. If any of you are able to catch the other seminars its worth it.

[neilhytholt]

Does the Nine Palace coven get on well with the Gao coven? Do you all have spearate covens where you do your own thing and is there a special time of year for a gathering.

There aren't many people teaching 'nine palace' in the U.S., certainly not as many as the Gao style, so as to how they get along, they probably never see each other. Andy Dale teaches some 'nine palace' in Seattle and John Bracy used to teach in Southern California. I heard he lives in France now.

Yes, teacher Liu passed away a few years ago.

[Buddy]

Indeed. One of Bracy's asst instructors studies with me, so I've seen a bit of the 9 palace stuff. I prefer the Gao "coven.:)

[neilhytholt]

Indeed. One of Bracy's asst instructors studies with me, so I've seen a bit of the 9 palace stuff. I prefer the Gao "coven.:)

Not speaking of anyone in particular, but when one studies with a master who is over 80 years old, and studies for a short time, it is not to be expected that he would have learned very much or very well. You shouldn't judge a martial art by the student of such a student. Of course, I also wouldn't judge from someone who never learned the applications (not naming any names, of course).

[Buddy]

Not judging, just stating my preferences. Gao style is very systematic. I prefer that approach.

[neilhytholt]

Not judging, just stating my preferences. Gao style is very systematic. I prefer that approach.

I have Allen Pittman's 24 stem video, and I think that's your lineage. It seems some tacit applications are made explicit in those exercises. (More systematized).

Does your Gao style have any weapons? I know very little about your Gao style lineage. You don't do piercing palm with the fingers spread wide open like Erle Montaigue does, do you?

[neilhytholt]

Buddy, in your Gao style, and in the forms of Liu De Kwan (sp), there's supposed to be 8 pre-heaven palms, and 64 post-heaven palms. I'm assuming the 64 palm form includes variations of each of the 8 fundamental techniques (push, lift, pull, leading, etc.) covered in the pre heaven palms?

These aren't covered in Cheng bagua, are they? I have only run into this in relation to this Liu De kwan form, which is why I ask. Some people say this is the same as taiji, is this true?

[Buddy]

I've seen that vid and will only say I didn't care for it. We do the tiangan much differently. Pierce is the first of our jibenshoufa and is done w/the fingers more or less together.
Try this site:
http://www.yizongbagua.com/
for more info about the Yizong branch of Gao style.
We Have two sets of pre-heaven, tianjin and guanghua. Our 64 is different from Liu Dequan's. One George's site (above) I think there is some translation of our teacher's site that describes the houtian:

The martial arts of our school began being passed down since the time Zhang Zhunfeng arrived in Taiwan in 1947. Zhang Zhunfeng was extremely strict when teaching, especially in fighting and training the body. Every time he had class he led the class on his own and he would pass along the forms on his own. Therefore many of Zhang's students had solid and real fighting skills. Real fighting is the tradition within this school.
This system has two parts, the first, Xiantianzhang ( Pre-heaven palms ), is done walking in a circle; the second, Houtianzhang ( Post-heaven palms ), is done in straight lines. The research methodology for the system is that of the Pre-heaven palms being the foundation of the Post-heaven palms and the Post-heaven palms being the application of the Pre-heaven palms . The Pre-heaven palms takes the Single Palm Change as the head of the dragon and the eight lines evolve from there, the contents of the Pre-heaven palms are:
Snake form smooth body palm
Dragon form piercing hand palm
Returning body, strike the tiger palm
Swallow overturning covering hand palm
Turn the body over the back palm
Twist the body searching horse palm
Overturn the body, through the back palm
Stopping body, move and hook palm

The tail of the dragon is the form of wulongbaiwei (Black Dragon Swings Tail), which ends the form.

.
Inside the Pre-heaven palms are neigong methods of cultivating the body, the eight large opening hand methods and the eight throwing methods.
The Post-heaven palm methods concentrate on practicing the forms of attack and defense. They take the eight palms and eight lines of the Pre-heaven palms to become the sixty-four palm methods. Each palm is then expressed alone as a single movement principle. The essential point of single movement practice in the Post-heaven palms is to catch the situation and fajing (emit power). The main point in practice is to catch the situation and then use the situation. The main point behind the practice of each line of the Post-heaven palms is as below:
The first line – key methods
The second line – hitting methods
The third line – skillful methods
The fourth line – sophisticated (subtle) methods
The fifth line – elbow methods
The sixth line – leg methods
The seventh line – body methods
The eighth line – stepping methods

[stma]

I attended the Oakland seminar and was quite happy with the experience. The teachers crammed an extraordinary amount of material into our heads in the short time period. The teachers exhibited good jiben, pleasant demeanors, crisp and precise fighting skills, and joyful willness to demonstrate that they knew what they were talking about. Next time these guys are in town, I recommend Bagua practitioners take a look, regardless of style. I don't doubt they would pick up some good skills from these gentlemen.

[TenTigers]

are any of these teachers descended from Hou Ku-Tsai / Ho Ho-Choy?
He studied Hung-Ga before Gao style, and I was wondering if his Pa-Kua was Hung flavored at all?

[Buddy]

are any of these teachers descended from Hou Ku-Tsai / Ho Ho-Choy?
He studied Hung-Ga before Gao style, and I was wondering if his Pa-Kua was Hung flavored at all?
No. I am from Zhang Zhunfeng's line and the guys Joe went to see are from Liu Fengcai's line.