Flying Dragon

Since January 1999, I have been practicing the art of Jiulong Bagua Zhang which contains both martial and healing arts.  The focus of this practice is circle walking, a unique mind-body exercise. Circle walking stimulates the entire body through the combination of physical actions and mental imagery. I find much satisfaction in exploring this practice and the accompanying journey that includes the study of Tao and I Ching among other ideas. The following links are resources as I study this ancient art. (There are more links at the bottom of the page).

a series of stories about the Eight Palms (in progress)

Chinese Links - a collection of sites to explore the Chinese culture.
 

Practices	Health Benefits
Meditation	Reduces Stress
Zhan Zhuang Standing (in Wu Ji)	Reviatalkizes Lymphatic System
Gentle Dao Yen Stretching	Promotes Natural Healing
Circle Walking	Enhances Mind-Body Connection
Visualization	Stimulates Immune System

All teachers of this art are personally certified by Dr. John P. Painter, PhD. of Arlington, Texas. Dr. Painter is the lineage holder for the Dao Qi Quan Li family system.  He is an internationally recognized author, teacher, and speaker who has been practicing these arts for over 40 years. His site is Nine Dragon Baguazhang where you can learn more about Nine Dragon Eight Diagram Palm Boxing. I study in Toronto. To learn more about my study group, visit the Toronto Baguazhang site.

Bagua in Chinese means the eight divinations, or trigrams, a symbol of Taoist theory. Bagua Zhang is an art derived from these trigrams, Zhang in Chinese meaning palm. Bagua Zhang was made famous by the master Dong Hai-chuan who was said to have learned the art from a Taoist priest at the E-Mei mountain. Bagua Zhang is a technique consisting of mainly palm gestures and constant movement in all the eight cardinal directions. There are eight forms of palm gestures:

   1.Yang Zhang - palm facing upward
   2.Fu Zhang - palm facing downward
   3.Shu Zhang - palm facing forward
   4.Bao Zhang - palm facing inward
   5.Pi Zhang - palm facing to the side like a chopping hand
   6.Liao Zhang - palm facing inward with a swaying motion
   7.Tiao Zhang - palm facing to the side like the chop but moving upwards
   8.Huo Xuan Zhang - palm facing to the side but opposite of chopping gesture

Additional Link
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Ang Lee's masterpiece film released December 2000
Temple - a gallery of images from a Buddhist temple in Vancouver, B.C.