Bok Nam Park

The Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang, Volume II, begins from where the previous volume left off, increasing the reader's knowledge and understandind of Pa Kua Chang footwork, palm striking power, martial arts body movements, and ch'i kung. Additionally, this volume adds the components of elbow striking, leg locking, and kicking to give the reader a well rounded view of this fascinating art.

Pa kua chang Master Lu Shui-Tien (1894-1978) spent his youth learning the sophisticated fighting art of pa kua chang in his native Shantung Province, China. During the Sino-Japanese War, Lu used his art effectively to fight the Japanese. Running with a band of guerrilla fighters, he invaded encampments at night and killed Japanese soldiers using his pa kua chang fighting skills. Because their operation had to remain covert, the guerrillas executed the Japanese without the use of firearms. Taditonal bare hand and weapons techniques were used to kill the enemy.

Lu Shu-T'ien became so well known for his fighting skill that the Japanese put a price on his head. When this occurred, it became too dangerous for Lu to stay in China so he sailed from is home in Ching Tao across the Yellow Sea to Inchon, Korea. When he thought the situation in China was safe for him, he traveled back to continue fighting the Japanese. During one of these trips Lu's wife was killed and he left China for good, settling in Inchon's large China town.

In 1960 Lu started training a young 18 year old Korean, Park Bok Nam. Park studied full time with his teacher for seventeen years. Pa kua chang was the only art Park practiced and he studied all day, everyday while he was with his teacher.

In 1987 Park moved to the United States and has been teaching his art to eager students in this country.

In this book, Park Bok Nam describes in detail the various components of pa kua chang's basic training as it was taught to him by Lu Shui-T'ien. This book details exercises which will help any martial artist improve his or her footwork, body flexibility, ch'i circulation, and internal striking power. Additionally, the publisher has made available a companion video tape in which Park Bok Nam demonstrates the majority of exercises described in this book.

Every aspect of fundamental training Park was taught in order to gain skill as a complete pa kkua chang fighter is described in detail in this book. Also incuded are valuable health maintenance, breathing and meditation exercises.

By Jimmy Lin (New Brunswick, NJ USA)
This review is from: Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang (Paperback)
After reading the first volume, I sought out the student group under Sifu Park nearest me and began training. Sifu Park is a wonderful teacher and holds nothing back in imparting the system which he has inherited. Volume II of Sifu Park's book contains yet another wealth of information while emphasizing the basic and fundamental concepts laid out in the first. It is meant to read and used as a written reference for those who have already learned the content of the first volume. I write 'learned' rather than 'mastered' because it takes years of practice to truly master the contents of the first volume. In the second volume, Sifu Park begins to build up the student's repertoire of techniques, fundamental exercises, and theoretical concepts. Generally speaking, in Sifu's school and study groups, it takes about a year to two years (depending on your background and willingness to practice) to get a handle on all of the teachings from the first voume. The second volume could easily take six to seven years of practice before one learns everything. Sifu also begins to show some fighting applications and the 'variations on a theme' concepts that are Pa Kua trademarks. If one wishes to learn the exercises within these books, the videos are essential if a student group is not readily available. However, without the videos, the books give excellent insights into not only what is known as the most effective internal martial art created but also into general martial arts practice, applications, and the building of good fundamentals.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Dedication
Preface
A note on Romanization of Chinese
Chapter 1 Introduction
Introduction
Getting the most out of this book
Chapter 2 Pa kua chang fighting strategy
Philosophical connection to pa kua chang martial application
Philosophical connection to pa kua chang training
The evolution of pa kua strategy-The birth of pa kua strategy
Pa kua adaptability-Adapting to fit the situation; The individual expression of the art
Principle vs. technique
Strategies of pa kua chang fighting-Disttance and degree; Know your distance; Rooting as a function of angle; Angle vs. strength; Allow no time or space; Jab, bridge, finish; Lien huan (continuously linked); Sequence of training
Chapter 3 Pa kua chang footwork training
Why walk the circle?
Physical benefits
Internal cultivation-Circle walking as a meditative practice; Circle walking for ch'i cultivation
Circle walking variations-The foot placement (snake step; lion step; crane step); Conclusion
Advanced circle walking: Training to fight-The opponent attacks first; You initiate the attack
Advanced circle walking-Pivot stepping and the pa kua diagram
Circle walking-T'ai chi diagram circle walk pole training; Spiral pattern pole training; Two or three pole practice; Adding more poles; The tee-pee poles; The tee-pee pole arrangement; Changing the poles; Conclusion
Chapter 4 Pa kua chang body training
Hiding flower under leaf exercises-The 'moving' hiding flower exercise
The single palm change-The four pillars of pa kua training; The study of pa kua chang movement; The definition of single palm change; the 'form' of single palm change; The movements of the 'standard' single palm change; The principles; Variations
K'ou pu and pai pu in application-K'ou pu usage; K'ou pu and pai pu kicks
The single palm change: Conclusion
Chapter 5 Pa kua chang palm training
The eight 'forty eight month' palm-Single and double palm change; Throwing palm; Slapping palm; Lifting palm; Chopping palm; White clouds chasing the stars palm; Sliding the window shutter to look at the moon palm; Follow-on 48 month palm training
The supplement palms-Piercing palm; Swallow penetrates through the forest palm; Three basins settling to the ground palm; Embracing the moon at the chest palm; Conclusion
Chapter 6 Pa kua chang elbow training
The basic elbow exrcises
The eight elbow combination drills
Conclusion
Chapter 7 Pa kua chang ch'i kung
Introduction
The mind in ch'i kung practice
Body motionin ch'i kung practice
Breathing in ch'i kung practice
The 'standard eight' ch'i kung set-Sliding the window shutter to look at the moon; Double palm change; Unicorn turns its body; Serving tea cups; Serving tea cups with throwing palm; Yin and yang opposing palms; Scooping the moon from the sea bottom; Closing; Conclusion
Chapte 8 Conclusion… (meer)

All martial artsits can now easily learn to develop the skills which made the pa kua chang fighters famous in China:

Highly evasive footwork.
Poowerful palm strikes.
Snake-like body movements.
Lightening fast combinations.
Ch'i kung.
Health and longevity.

Pa kua chang Master Lu Shui-Tien (1894-1978) spent his youth learning the sophisticated fighting art of pa kua chang in his native Shantung Province, China. During the Sino-Japanese War, Lu used his art effectively to fight the Japanese. Running with a band of guerrilla fighters, he invaded encampments at night and killed Japanese soldiers using his pa kua chang fighting skills. Because their operation had to remain covert, the guerrillas executed the Japanese without the use of firearms. Taditonal bare hand and weapons techniques were used to kill the enemy.

Lu Shu-T'ien became so well known for his fighting skill that the Japanese put a price on his head. When this occurred, it became too dangerous for Lu to stay in China so he sailed from is home in Ching Tao across the Yellow Sea to Inchon, Korea. When he thought the situation in China was safe for him, he traveled back to continue fighting the Japanese. During one of these trips Lu's wife was killed and he left China for good, settling in Inchon's large China town.

In 1960 Lu started training a young 18 year old Korean, Park Bok Nam. Park studied full time with his teacher for seventeen years. Pa kua chang was the only art Park practiced and he studied all day, everyday while he was with his teacher.

In 1987 Park moved to the United States and has been teaching his art to eager students in this country.

In this book, Park Bok Nam describes in detail ithe various components of pa kkua chang's basic training as it was taught to him by Lu Shui-T'ien. This book details exercises which will help any martial artist improve his or her footwork, body flexibility, ch'i circulation, and internal striking power. Additionally, the publisher has made available a companion video tape in which Park Bok Nam demonstrates the majority of exercises described in this book.

Every aspect of fundamental training Park was taught in order to gain skill as a complete pa kua chang fighter is described in detail in this book. Also included are valuable health maintenance, breathing, and meditation exercises.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Dedication
Preface
Chapter 1 Introduction
Introduction-Beyond pa kua chang forms trainng
Pa kua chang Master Lu Shui-T'ien; Lu Chui-T'ien and his pa kua chang; Lu Shui-T'ien's early years in China; Parks' pa kua chang training under Lu Shui-T'ien; Korean stele at Tung Hai-Ch'uan's tomb; Park teaching pa kua chang in Korea; Park moves to the United States
Park Bok Nam's teaching method-Reflex body response; Developing the 'kung fu body'; Research
Chapter 2 The philosophical roots of pa kua chang
Yin and yang theory
Pa kua theory
Combinations-from theory to practical application
Pa kua geometry-the eight trigram diagrams
Combining the two pa kua diagrams
Using the pa kua diagrams in pa kua chang practice
Five phase theory
Conclusion
Chapter 3 Pa kua chang footwork
Introduction
Training stages
Eight-direction rooted stepping-The stance for combat; Basic pa fang ken pu practice; The jump step; The full step; Full step with a jump
The basic pa fang ken pu stepping patterns-Turn around and jump; The full step with a 90 degree turn and the full step with a 45 degree turn; Stepping to four directions; The 'Y' stepping pattern; The 'V' step; Pa fang ken pu stepping and the pa kua diagram
The pivot step-Pivoting around the rear foot; Pivot stepping and the pa kua diagram
Circle walking-opening the circle walk practice; Changing directions on the circle; Completing the circle walk practice; Circle walking patterns
K'ou pu and pai pu stepping
Combining the pa kua chang footwork techniques
Reaction drills-Researching combinations
Basic two-person stepping exercise-Freestyle two-person stepping exercise
Pa kua chang footwork-Conclusion
Chapter 4 Pa kua chang body training
The fan chang exercises-Straight fan chang; Circle fan chang; T'ien fan chang; Combining the three fan chang exercises
Scooping the moon form the sea bottom
The circle principle
Combining the palm work with pa kua stepping-Hand Body step; Full step fan chang; Yin yang changing palm with jump and pivot steps; Fan chang and walking the circle; Hand movement with k'ou pu and pai pu
Pa kua chang body training-conclusion
Chapter 5 Pa kua chang palm training
Internal vs. external power
The basic palm exrcises-Tou chang; Dragon back; Single palm change exercise; Double palm change exercise; Controlling the power; Intermediate palm training methods
Fighting skill: Adding power and speed-Adding power to the 'Hand Step Body' equation; Adding speed to the equation
Chapter 6 Pa kua chang ch'i kung
Breathing exercises-The cleansing breath
The filling breath-Prescription breathing
Basic ch'i circulation exercise-Ch'i awareness
Meditation exercises
Ch'i kung circle walk form
Putting it all together
Chapter 7 Conclusion
List of references (bibliography)
Appendix… (meer)