Pa Kua Chang and the 64 Rules
Originally Posted by
RJ797
To illustrate the point and understand the difference in what people have learned around the system. In Denver they teach Pa Kua in about 8 class hours - sometimes less and then move on to spending about the same number of hours on Tai Chi or something else.
In Atlanta the students have class available to them 5 or 6 days a week for 8 months on Pa Kua. They might get about 100 hours of instruction to deliver the movements. They will get a few hours of time going through the 64 Rules and a few hours on the 1-5 Level training and some time on applications. The students get an explanation of the 64 Rules and a written copy.
I can say that in the very early 80's when I first took Pa Kau (from GMT) in Lexington, I got written materials the first week (over the 8-10 week course), which I still have, which included the names for each move in each section, in Chinese and English; the entirety of the 64 Rules, by Chinese term and translated into English (which track and are very close to the same explanations as I've seen in books since then from other practitioners), which GMT went over individually in class; hand sketches of the 8 palm positions; and drawings of several foot work patters (which we also trained in class), to side step and avoid and counter. We also spent time with GMT calling out the movements (in Chinese) in order, and also randomly so as to rearrange the movements from the form. Many of you also know, GMT taught other versions and styles of Pa Kua over the years, and the Dragon style has a two man set with applications. Eric Smith also taught a Pa Kua class with applications and we used weights (jackets, ankles, wrists) while training the form; and that I understood from the class that he did gain and review with GMT (for being on the correct path, so to speak) beforehand.
And I know many if not most of the more experienced practitioners did visit with or train with Pa Kua outside of SD, and did not shy from books written by other Pa Kua practioners. I have several Pa Kua books that I study and yes it does give insights into what the material is, that isn't gained just in class. I place doing that in the vein of, not just being given the gold, but finding out how to make your own, or at least find it yourself.
Just One Student
"I seek, not to know all the answers, but to understand the questions." --- Kwai Chang Caine
(I'd really like to know all the answers, too, but understanding the questions, like most of my martial arts practice, is a more realistically attainable goal)