Basic Skills

 Circle Walking Of Pa Kua Chuan

Walking The Circle Exercises Of Pa Kua Chuan

The most fundamental exercise in Pa Kua is Walking The Circle.  This exercise teaches balance, breath, strengthening, and focusing of thought.  There are 8 exercises to be practices when Walking The Circle:

• Wood Floating

• Cloud Carrying

• Spinning

• Rope Climbing

• Dragon

• Unicorn

• Tiger

• Eagle

How to start

First you will need an area about 6 - 12 feet in diameter.  In order to help you maintain the circle different training aids can be used to keep you in the circle.  For instance, you can draw a circle on the ground in you driveway, garage or basement, or you can use a tree or pole to walk around which gives you a center point to work from.  Ideally, if you could have a drawn circle as your training progresses, this would be best but not mandatory.  

You don't want the circle to big nor to small.  

What direction do I walk in?

You will always start your direction by walking in a counterclockwise direction.  After you complete you counterclockwise direction, you will repeat you exercise by going in a clockwise direction.  All Pa Kua Chuan Exercises and Movements will be practiced on both the left and right sides, or the mirror images.  

Circle Walking Exercises

Stance Comments:  The stance and foot work for Wood Floating, Cloud Carrying, Spinning, and Rope Climbing are all the same.  Once you have learned the first one, only the hand positions will change.  

Footwork

First, Stand on the circle, left foot forward in a Flat Footed Empty Stance.  The inside foot, the left foot going counterclockwise and the right foot going clockwise, will always be slightly turned inward toward the center of the circle.  The outside foot will always remain directly on the circle.  

Now start by very slowly shifting the weight to the forward leg.  Image the your front foot is planted into the ground ten feet deep like a tree root.  Slowly pick up the rear foot as if you were pulling your foot out of the mud.  As the rear foot slowly comes up, let the knee lead the way, then do a toe kick to the ankle.  This should be done without rising your head.  Now, slowly sink the body by bending the supporting leg and letting the kicking foot gently rest on the floor in a Flat Footed Empty Stance. 

Now repeat this until you go around the circle at least 3 times.  Then turn around and repeat the exercise going in a clockwise direction at least 3 times.  

Footwork                                                   Handwork