Page 61 - Robert W. Smith - Pa kua_ Chinese boxing for fitness & self-defense-North Atlantic Books (2003)

Body System instead of their being separate contrasts. They are harmonized so
that if one uses too much "hard," automatic adjustment is made
Change of Body Substance and the soft comes forward to even the balance. When you have
this you have achieved I-ch'i (the one ch'i; your body and the
Erase Doubts Methods universe are one).

Is this enough ? No, you must go further. Check your actions.
Analysis Exercise
Aim for the proper action at the right time. You always remain
Slow Stop Think Feel Relax calm, but your action explodes and is irresistible. The action dis-
turbs not the calmness. This is the ultimate, but it is within your
Now for the second phase. Say that you have succeeded in co- grasp. It depends on how hard you work.
ordinating mind and action, spiritual and material, substance and
function. Now you must do more about real boxing and its crea-
tion. The entrance to the second phase is made when wasteful B. THE MAIN PRINCIPLES
strength is eschewed by your being able to adjust your body auto- Pa-kua is not easy. Although it can be learned in less time than the
matically without extra commands. The subconscious takes over. two decades the old masters insisted on, it still requires regular and
Your body is permeated by a warm air. Your hair pores feel as if tedious practice over a period of several years.
they were opening; your sides and your fingertips feel extraordi- Chou Chi-ch'un, one of the leading historians of Chinese box-
narily strong. You are now approaching the level when you can ing, once told me:
spontaneously counter an enemy. Imagine enemies pressing you Pa-kua is difficult to learn. You walk slowly for two or three
from all sides. You must use your totality to counter them. This years, then go faster and, later, very fast.* The chief aims are
involves shouting to dishearten the enemy. to move behind an opponent quickly and to strengthen your
When you have acquired a strong body through Pa-kua, you arms. Through the practice, heavy weights later can be at-
must use soft strength with it. This means the avoidance of rigid, tached to your arms without discomfort. At the turn of the
tense postures and actions. Stay relaxed until the moment of im- century a famous master went to Japan and, while there, sup-
pact with your opponent. I call it the refining of steel. Getting ported the weight of a sumo wrestler on his outstretched arm!
powerful strength is akin to making iron: steel can be made just Often, accomplished boxers while spinning and turning their
as durable but soft. When you have powerful strength it is used bodies rapidly would carry a cup of tea in each palm without
without control. But the soft helps to manage the hard. It guides spilling a drop!
the ch'i to the navel where it is stored. Ultimately your lower navel The most important principles of Pa-kua are as follows:
will swell. This is caused by air circulation and is the harbinger of
excellence in boxing. The hard (yang) and soft (yin) are coordi-
* Some of the old masters circled so swiftly that their queues stood out horizontally
nated and meshed so well that one always accompanies the other as they moved.

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