BA MU ZHANG |
eight mother palms |
Baguazhang's Energy Cultivation & Internal Conditioning Method |
|
"Lion Holding and Rolling the Ball," one of Eight Mother Palms, where various upper body shapes that are held while practicing circle walking meditation. |
Ba Mu Zhang (Eight Mother Palms) is baguazhang's dynamic way to cultivate internal energy, conditioning the body's soft tissues, maintaining correct body alignment and developing martial power, while continuously walking in a circle. |
|
These dynamic Chigungs (life-force practices) open, build and restore the energy channels within the body, as one continuously walks in circle. There are eight basic upper body postures or shapes that are practiced, where each posture can be held for various lengths of time.
Mother Palms are designed to primarily train the body's small muscle groups, tendons and soft tissues (such as the ligament, joints, and fasciae) in order to maintain proper bone alignment and posture. In the internal martial arts, this kind of training is a core method for developing martial efficiency and skill.
Additionally, variations on the eight basic forms, or energy themes, are practiced with an emphasis on smoothly transitioning from one palm shape to another and maintaining consistent energy flow. This is similar to the way in which a good taijiquan artist performs a form sequence, where the movements resemble smooth flowing water emptying from one cup and filling into another cup without any spillage.
Baguazhang Links:
|
|
