Eight-fold Patterns & Paradoxes of Tai Chi & Bagua
By Paul Cavel
In China the number eight is regarded as auspicious and figures in just about everything, from feng shui and good luck charms to flight numbers and business opportunities of every imaginable kind. In modern times, emphasis on the number eight has become superficial, even superstitious. According to the I Ching (Book of Changes), eight primary energies called "trigrams" govern manifestation – in all times, all places and all dimensions – and this ancient philosophy lies at the heart of Taoism.
Article originally published in Tai Chi Chuan magazine
How the number eight came to assume position over other numbers is an interesting question for tea, but in terms of the philosophy and practice of the internal arts of tai chi, hsing-i and bagua there is little controversy. The number eight is applied to almost every aspect of training, from construction of the form work and content that powers forms to the energetic makeup of the human being who practices the arts, as well as the cosmic forces that mould and give shape to reality as we experience it.
Neigong: The Fabric of the Internal Arts
The fabric of Taoist energy arts is weaved from 16 neigong threads that intertwine to create the internal mechanisms and external “containers” of qigong, tai chi, hsing-i and bagua. The exact same neigong threads can be weaved in very different ways to generate radically different forms, qualities and training results. However, the neigong system itself is split into two categories, which yields eight yang and eight yin methods. That is to say each neigong component naturally develops either the yang or yin qi of the body and, as a whole, every thread contributes to an intimate and delicately balanced lattice.
Being that neigong is divided into half yang and half yin, one might reason that, at least from a superficial perspective, yang neigong threads would dominate bagua, while yin neigong threads would dominate tai chi. But anyone who has experiential understanding of tai chi and bagua as internal arts knows that this is not the case at all.
To start, each neigong component is either yang or yin in nature: that is to say, when you have initially gained control of any particular thread, it will produce a predominantly yang or yin quality and energy, depending upon its intrinsic value. Two examples of yin neigong are the dissolving processes (both Inner and Outer Dissolving) and opening-and-closing (or pulsing) techniques; whereas basic bending and stretching of the soft tissues and spiralling energy currents are examples of yang neigong.
All things considered, when any neigong technique is learned, chances are you will initially train it in a yang fashion simply because you are trying to make something happen. After some time, effort and practice you can sink into any neigong thread and realise its intrinsic nature through direct perception – whether yang or yin. Arriving at this stage constitutes the first stabilisation point for embodying any particular neigong and should not be taken for granted as real commitment and resolve are required. All comes to the patient, diligent student who follows the circular nature of learning and regularly trains the fundamentals in order to strengthen their foundation.
Delving into the Depths of Subtlety
Assuming you have adequately prepared your foundation, the next step is to look towards developing the range of yin and yang qualities within each neigong thread. For example, the basic yang method of bending and stretching will be developed in a yin way or the yin method of pulsing will be developed in a yang way. Again, each neigong has a propensity towards either yang or yin, but can and should be developed along the spectrum of yang to yin. This allows you to get closer to the underlying principles that apply the same neigong to produce very different qualities, e.g. in the arts of tai chi and bagua.
An example is opening-and-closing techniques in bagua, which are trained with very little external motion. They are not accompanied by much bending and stretching relative to Walking the Circle and performing any of the 200+ postures or palm changes. There is no "leakage" since all pressure is created within the joints and cavities, and contained within the bag of skin and internal systems of the body (of course, always within 70-80 percent of the practitioner’s capacity). This creates a yang pulse, which can only be implemented if the prerequisites are embodied and a good deal of the body's tensions have been released.
Conversely, in tai chi, basic, yang bend-and-stretch techniques, for example, are trained to create a very soft and relaxed outer shell (soft tissues), yet still penetrate down to the bone (although never into the bones themselves). Again, this is only possible if some degree of the accumulated tension in the body is released. At least this technique does not carry any imminent health risks, unlike the yang opening-and-closing pressures in bagua which, if the practitioner unwittingly intensifies before releasing sufficient tension in their body, can cause serious injury.
Playing the Yang-Yin Range
You must overcome this yin-yang hurdle because, if you go straight for cranking up the pressure in the joints in bagua, you will only manage to lock in more tension. Yet if you back off the effort in bending and stretching in tai chi too quickly, you will not create enough internal motion. You must first train neigong within their natural dispositions, releasing whatever tensions that surface as a result. Then and only then can you start playing any thread's range: from yin to yang or vice versa. This is why, traditionally, qigong forms have been practised alongside tai chi and bagua: qigong training is always that one step ahead and, when embodied, adds to your internal martial arts skill set.
Playing the range is rewarding after much practice, where you can let go and follow the flow. When you do, only amp up or down a notch at a time so that:
You can release whatever tensions are uncovered at each new depth and level of intensity.
You keep all other active threads integrating smoothly.
Tensions can surface through both methods, and while either increasing or decreasing the level of intensity. By employing this incremental methodology, you will avoid unnecessary setbacks, rid your body of many layers of unconscious tension and eventually embody the skill to develop – at will – the whole range of the yang-yin spectrum of any neigong thread or combination of threads. This is the path to truly defining the yin nature of tai chi and the yang nature of bagua, as well distinguishing each art in its own realm.
Water Meets Steel: The Paradox
Like yin and yang, water and steel are two ends of a continuum of internal power within Taoist energy arts. Tai chi is famous for its soft, water-like quality, whereas bagua is known for its strength or steel-like quality. However, it would be a mistake to conclude that their intrinsic qualities prevent tai chi from producing steel or bagua from producing water since each art can generate both qualities. The difference is that tai chi and bagua employ opposite philosophies, which initially signifies their distinctive stamps. Tai chi is governed by a yin methodology and bagua by a yang one.
You might recall that Yang Lu-chan had three top disciples: one was known for his hard energy, another for his soft energy and the third, Wu Chuan-yu, co-founder of the Wu style, for his transformational energy. (The other co-founder was his son, Wu Chien-chuan, who was Liu Hung Chieh's teacher, who in turn taught my primary teacher, Bruce Frantzis.) Both tai chi and bagua seek to instil in the practitioner the ability to transform from hard to soft and soft to hard in an instant – without any loss of power whatsoever, without a glitch or inertia revealing itself even for a millisecond.
In bagua, the Swimming Dragon Body produces the state of liquid steel, a real paradox for those without experiential knowledge as these seemingly polar opposite qualities integrate into one. I can only conjure up one example from the West where softness and strength unify as such: in toilet paper, which is soft enough to prevent soreness yet strong enough not to break at the critical moment!
With all of these analogies and comparisons, what is the critical difference between tai chi and bagua if both can develop the same or similar qualities?
Tai chi produces the quality of an iron bar wrapped in many layers of cloth, while bagua develops the feeling of twisted steel with a liquid core. Both can change and produce the whole gamut of yin and yang, but these definitions persist at their baselines.
Tai chi utilises the qualities of the snake and the crane, as if they are in a dance with one another, whereas bagua manifests the quality of a swimming dragon. The flux between the snake and the crane is embodied in tai chi, but the dragon – especially in swimming form – embodies the absolute pinnacle of change, flux and amorphous energy.
Master Bruce Frantzis: A Living Paradox
Anyone who has had the opportunity to sink their fist deep into my teacher Bruce's guts recognises how seamlessly he can manifest both water and steel, and switch between them at will – literally in an instant. When he generates liquid, it is possible to almost touch his spine from the front, penetrating through his abdominal muscles and organs. When he generates steel, it is impossible to penetrate past his surface muscles even though they do not tense and remain soft. This is in contrast to the Iron Shirt Method, where the internal pressures come from the fluids and organs themselves rather than manifesting a very dense outer shell. His ability to change between water and steel is fascinating, but the lightning speed and fluidity with which he does it is most striking.
Embodying the Paradox
The philosophies behind tai chi and bagua are as complex and diverse as the arts themselves, inclusive of phenomena such as the physical, energetic, mental, cosmic, and the interplay between each and every aspect. Embodiment, stabilisation and integration of each level of practice enables the mind, body and qi to grasp the seemingly paradoxical concept of the next stage of development. As you progress through your training, the paradoxes give way to more profound levels of direct perception and reveal a whole new realm of experiences.
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