broadsword

We just started learning a bagua broadsword form last Saturday. As usual with a new form, several feelings come into mind, like clumsy, heavy, wierd, awkward & confused. We're using a wooden sword for practice.

And for this year, we're still training outside, in the cold of winter 2007. Actually it's not that bad yet, thanks to global warming. The trick is to bundle up with multiple layers of clothing. Once the body generates enough heat to sustain the cold, then you start unwrapping yourself. If you're not generating heat, then you have to train harder. There are some ice patches on the ground, which makes it slippery, which is also part of the training.

We're still doing the Xing-yi form. We started with this form last year. I still need a lot of improvement. The form comprises of metal, wood, water, fire and earth elements. In general, all martial art forms require improvements through training, and this type of thinking carries over to your daily chores in life. With the Xing-yi form, the focus is unidirectional. Most of the stress I feel is on the right leg when doing the form. My guess is that this form is concentrating more on the right leg for suport. Either that, or I'm not doing the stance correctly. As an experiment. maybe I'll try doing the opposite direction of the form one of these days.

My horse stance has gotten lower. Maybe because of my Ashtang Yog training, which I've started about 3 weeks ago. The Pranayams, which are a variety of breathing exercises done in cross-legged sitting position, complements my practice of Bagua a lot. I think the Pranayam aspect of Yog is worth looking into to improve one's Bagua practice. Breathing is one of the foundations of Bagua. In general, correct breathing means maximum efficiency for the mind, body and spirit.