Baguazhang Karate

Pa Kua Chang, or Bagua Zhang as some describe it, is a peculiar martial art where in one participatings in walking the circle till one discovers the actuality of one self.

Like a pet dog chasing his tale till he discovers Buddha.

Like Black Sambo converting leopards into … liquid gold.

Like exactly what is the race of men racing to?

Dong Hai Chuan was a likable chap with a fascination for martial arts. He engaged in Shaolin Kung Fu, so the tale goes, and reached a point where he was so great he took to the road and started roaming, looking for instructors able to educate him more.

His search led him throughout the Wudan Mountains of rural China, back where the mystic holy places stood, and legends had it that archaic expertise existed in pure design. His search led him to a rare religious sect whose specialists thought that one could certainly uncover the reality of the universe by … walking the circle.

So Dong walked the circle, day in day out, in search of his divine nature. For 9 years he walked the circle, and one might well picture the taunts of passersby.

“Examine the old man chasing his shadow!”

“Hey buddy! Place it on a straight line and you could get somewhere!”

“Har de har har!”

Yet, rain or shine, under blazing sunshine and during freezing snow, Dong carried on his trek, looking for the reality of himself.

At last, some 9 years into his voyage, he stated to the monks of the mysterious sect that … wasn’t it odd that … the tree he was walking around appeared to be chasing him? That the tree in fact appeared to bending over?

Was the tree bending over? Or was something in his mind bending over? Or was something in his mind just coming to be … unbent?

The monks eyed one other, and one lightly put forward, “An additional 2 years.”

So on went Dong, round and round, circle after circle, nose after tail. And possibly this is where he integrated his Shaolin with the unlimited walking of the circle. Probably this is where the circle came to be imbued with the art of violence, and came to be not simply a repository of religious fanaticism. Probably this is where the creative mixture of self with the fanatical seeking of God comes to be … whatever it comes to be.

Did Dong at last manage to catch the reality of himself?

No reference of ‘the bolt out of the blue’ striking the formerly young lad is made in the histories. Just what is recognized, nevertheless, is that he attained a high degree of proficiency, that he was so profound at circle walking that he had the ability to defeat the Emperor’s bodyguards, and come to be main coach of that celebrated ‘clan.’ And there are tales of him fading away under the attacking hand, of tiing up mighty warriors in fragile knots exactly to view them fall, of consulting his followers even after passing.

Bolt out of the blue or proficiency, this author thinks that proficiency is the more valued. However, that stated, we reach the heart of the fable.

We understand not whether Dong discovered himself, however we do understand that an individual who walks in a circle is insane. Such purposeless endeavor, specifically in this godless globe, is the heart of insanity. Yet … is insanity not simply a quality that others can not discover? Does not one have to go ‘in’ sane to discover real sanity?

The man who pounds his palm upon a stone, hour after hour, every day, year after year … does he make powerful the hand? Or at last divine that the universe really is created of space?

That young child who will come to be old doing his kung fu forms, does he battle hordes and legions in his mind? Or does he unburden his mind of all hordes and legends?

That acorn … will it truly come to be an oak?

The acorn may fall down a deserted gopher hole, and it could root into fertile ground … however it is time that makes the mighty oak, and the limitless and insane urge to grub into the ground … simply to view the sky.

We are all grubs … however have we got a hold of the earth? Will we see the heavens?

Trust Dong Hai Chuan for the answer to that one, yet only ask if you are walking the circle, if you are pursuing yourself with Pa Kua Chang, round and round, year after year, breath after breath.

The writer walked the circle, did Pa Kua Chang for 2 years, till human beings started to bend over, lightening filled his legs, and energy stripes barber poled out his arms … you can easily discover his Pa Kua Chang at Monster Martial Arts.