Resources Articles

Pa Kua Chang is an art based on natural principles, not on individual strengths, techniques, environments, or situations. As such, it can be successfully applied in any circumstance and by any properly trained practitioner.
Master Park doing splits
by Francis Hriadil The Pa Kua Chang practitioner’s body movement has typically been compared to that of a snake or dragon. References to snake or dragon like movement in Pa Kua Chang […]

Reflex Body Response

Wu Wei
Success in internal boxing requires an experiential understanding of the principle the Chinese call Wu Wei. Wu Wei is one of the most important principles applied to any internal martial art in a self-defense situation. Wu literally means "non", "negative", "not" or "none" and Wei means "action", "doing", "striving", or "straining." The common English translation of wu wei is "non-action," however, many people incorrectly interpret this translation to mean laziness or passivity.
Trigrams
Master Park places a strong emphasis on the "underlying principles" that form the basis of the Pa Kua Chang of Lu Shui-Tian. Since the groundbreaking work, "The Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang: The Method of Lu Shui-T'ien as Taught by Park Bok-Nam," many instructors of Pa Kua (as well as other martial arts) have adopted the use of this same terminology. It is now customary to see various teachers talking or writing about the principle or principles of their particular system, style, techniques, and/or movements.
pivot step principles
In this article, I wish to discuss a very special Stepping Methodology from my system of Ba Gua Zhang. This methodology will allow you to achieve capabilities and results similar to that of the old man illustrated in the above introductory tale. It is called Ba Fang Gen Bu (Eight Direction Rooted Stepping).
Master park walking circle with swallow
The seething energy of the sleeping dragon dwells within us all. If awakened in the proper manner, the dragon can bestow unfathomable powers; but if aroused incorrectly, it will consume everything in its path. You face this challenge when you tease the dragon with the circle walking exercise of Ba Gua Zhang. Doing the exercise correctly brings enormous benefits. Doing it incorrectly . . . well, who knows what the dragon might do?

Looking for an article from our previous site? We may have not moved it over yet. In the meantime, you can visit our article archive at www.pa-kua.com.