159. Genchitaofu Baguazhang's Weiqi - 艮氣道福八卦掌の圍碁 (☴/☰)

☳ Because Baguazhang 八卦掌 is a martial art that utilises physical palm changes and sudden circular directional turns, it can be difficult to make sense of what's what in the cyclonic tornado that marks the style. ☵ Staying focused on the target is not always easy to achieve when confronted by multiple moving distractions. And therefore something needs to help the brain process information faster, with reasonable accuracy, than the body's instinctual responses are able to. ☶ Back in the days when computers didn't generally exist, and most martial artists weren't the academic type to sit still and study all day, playing Weiqi or Go 圍碁 was used. ☰ Rather than studying theory all day, the higher levels of strategy could be taught in a fun way in just a couple of hours. And because Weiqi 圍碁 is about encircling stones, it was a natural side-dish to the circular movements of Baguazhang 八卦掌 itself compared to the more square startegies and tactics of other board games. ☷ And through repeated playing of the game, the brain is able to rewire itself at a more deeper instinctual level before testing it all out in the so-called Real World where most martial artists, from overthinking in the heat of the moment, are typically unable to survive the blitzkrieg strategy usually employed by more seasoned fighters. ☱ For those of you not into chess of any sort, the nearest "going around in circles" board game would be Monopoly. The game of Monopoly is about money and property investing. And as such it has its own rules to winning. ☲ In those rules to winning, there is a strong relationship between those good at the game and good at turning a buck through property. And the level of property wealth is directly proportional to how well they grasped the game. ☴ While it is popular to use the phrase "keeping it real" or "staying grounded" as the alternative saying to the same thing, those who have actually experienced what it means to keep it real, there is a strong desire to NOT be grounded too much. But to actually find a way to rise above the muck before the need to do battle is no longer optional because once it is no longer optional, the resulting consequences can be fatal.