Chinese Martial Art Baguazhang: Dragon

*The following information comes from the lineage of Baguazhang I inherited from Wong and Fu family styles of Baguazhang. I have been practicing and developing Wong and Fu styles of Baguazhang for 30 years now. In those years I have unfortunately been forced into some extremely violent situations. I have brought Baguazhang to bear against all manner of people and fighting strategies. I disguised my Baguazhang as "stand-up" while sparring with top-tier MMA heavyweight fighters in Southern California. Never once have I felt threatened or have I been overwhelmed by anyone, anywhere. Baguazhang has kept me firm upon the earth when I've needed to send others into the next. From Human Traffickers,  Police Officers, Enforcers, Gang stalkers, Paramilitary and Fascist Satanists (I literally put my heel into the throat of Tempel ov Blood and Black Knights of the Trapezoid), drunk belligerent assholes, or retards off the internet who truly learned the meaning of regret, Baguazhang was more than they could handle. Soon I will be teaching from Vimeo and my temple will be a Baguzhang training hall as well.

Zhen or the Thunder trigram expresses the energy and birth rite of the eldest son. Not quite the pinnacle of Yang energy his father (the Lion) is, but not far off. The eldest son possesses the elemental attributes of wood, bursting power like how a tree root breaks through concrete and lighting (twin to Thunder) which is sudden and disheartening. Eldest son has excellent strength but of the tensile variety and a high degree of both movement and fighting skill which feeds his well-deserved sense of superiority and arrogance.

In the physical dimension, and in Chinese cultural context, these traits culminate into the Dragon. The Dragon is a smug and aloof creature who, due to his prowess, delights in the inevitable defeat of his enemies. Dragon's brash personality reflects the self-entitlement of being the firstborn son, and thereby rightful inheritor of his father's estates. Fear of being denied his birth rite makes Dragon an exceptionally ruthless and uncommonly violent opponent.

Thunder trigram

The Zhen or Thunder trigram of the I-Ching is represented by two yin lines supported by one yang line. Comparing Thunder trigram to a human body, the upper yin line expresses a mind open to all possibilities, the middle yin shows an upper body capable of free and flowing movements; finally, the bottom yang line reflects a lower body with deep rootedness to the earth. The function of a chain whip is applicable here. The two yin lines make up the deadly, highly flexible chain tail while the yang line is the whip's handle, firmly held in a robust and steady hand, directing the chain whip's wraith.
Other considerations are implicit within the comparison between Thunder trigram and a human body. The first is the nature of the trigram's movement. Is the heavy yang hanging down from a yin chain? Or is the Yin chain being forcefully expelled up and away from a yang platform? In the Dragon's body, it is paradoxically and simultaneously both. Dragon has the feeling of both a solid iron ball hanging from a steel chain and a wispy line of smoke rising up from an incense stick.

The invisible middle pillar of the Thunder trigram can be seen as the spine flanked by ribs. Dragon teaches how to develop a backbone so supple one might think it was made of air, also reminding us it is the body which primarily rotates around the spinal column, not the spine doing the bending or twisting. The hollow central channel relates to condensing energy into the bones and running currents of energy up and down the primary channel to leap higher, become heavier or appear to grow bigger or smaller, and other highly esoteric talents.

Dragon's military strategy is brutal but sophisticated. Dragon believes he is entitled to winning due to his mastery of tendon strength, fighting ability and movement. He enjoys dismantling and demoralizing his foes, utilizing combinations of high and low attacks to startle opponents. Dragon flows between his enemy's defenses, coiling around and entrapping their limbs. He makes use of short-range palm, elbow, wrist, and knee strikes in addition to clawing and finger thrusting techniques. Dragon's whip-like arms mean attacks can come from any direction making him very difficult to defend against.

Dragon enjoys wrestling, limb seizing, and throwing techniques almost as much as his father and like his father, Dragon makes use of "roll the ball." But unlike his father, it is not strength which overwhelms his enemies but a sinuous movement. Dragon brings hurt to his foes with every bodily fluctuation while opponents are left attempting to wrestle a ghost, finding void space where they attack.
Like his father, Dragon is heavy-handed, seeking to pulverize his enemy's arms and legs. Attacking their strikes as a counter to them, before advancing to destroy the body. Where Lion provokes attacks, Dragon is a master counter-attacker and welcomes his opponent's foolish attack. Dragon utilizes the same foot stomps and low-level kicking to the groin and knees as his father, but as part of counters and combinations.

Dragon's ruthlessness is seen in how he, like the monkey, believes eyes, ears, temples, nose, throat, back of the head and groin are viable targets to be struck, or potentially ripped off or torn open during a grapple. Dragon changes stance with frightening speed. Boxers (western and kick), as well as MMA fighters, have conceded fights after being hit by me, full force, on the side or back of the head. They realized I could bypass their guard and attack flank or rear with ease. Losing just fight was the least of their concerns.

A very good example of the Dragon shape. 

Holding the Dragon shape, while integrating it with circle walking, creates a robust blood-oxygen mix, circulating blood and energy throughout the major channels but in particular the liver, giving benefit to the eyes, and sending energy from the heart to the palms of the hand.

Ironically while Lion favors the rolling the ball martial technique more than Dragon, it is the Dragon shape which is better suited to developing the energy ball qigong practice, as the Dragon shape strengthens the heart to hand energy current, making each hand a magnetic yin/yang polarity towards the other. Rolling the Ball Qigong (mimics holding a ball between the palms of hands), has the effect of creating a secondary energy field with an already existing field.

This additional energy field within your aura (body's energy field) strengthens and repairs the primary field by correcting the body's internal energetic imbalances. The bigger and brighter a person's aura, the healthier a person tends to be.

As the Dragon's upper body is far more fluid than Lion's, the location of the energy ball can be moved as well as made larger, increasing the number of body organs benefited by being within its radius, or smaller, focusing on fewer organs for specialized healing.

In the spiritual dimension, practicing the Dragon summons forth supreme confidence and courage as well as the fortuitous attention of this often haughty but immensely formidable creature. The upper body shape is both a specific frequency and transmitter, while the duress in the legs acts as the power to broadcast said particular frequency. Daoist circle walking creates a portal, by defining the radius of the wuji or void within the physical world. Holding the Dragon shape and meditating on its qualities while circle waking, entices the Dragon spirit to draw near, thereby making it aware of you, and placing yourself in its amazing purvey.

Those who have found Dragon's favor (through sustained and committed practice) will discover that their enemies will fear them, they will find themselves stumbling into high positions of authority, experience notable increases of both good luck and health, lastly both demons and ghosts will timidly approach seeking employment.

Ayibobo

Papa Machete que gana todas las batallas

The Machete leads the way and defends all who follow.