199. Genchitaofu Baguazhang's Fengshui - 艮氣道福八卦掌の風水

Fengshui literally means wind and water, and it is the ancient Chinese art of geomancy. My podcast number 146 (& 135) was about the Fengshui of Meadowbank, where I live. And it's all about how great it is to live where I live. Since that podcast, I've had people debating with me about my fengshui. And by debate, I mostly mean that the debate starts with 'I'm full of shit' and 'What have I got to say for myself?' From actual other internal martial artists, though, the response has been for help in improving their own fengshui without being Chinese about it. Because, quite frankly, most Baguazhang practitioners don't live in China. And as most people are beginning to realise: Is that most fengshui systems are for Chinese living in China with a Chinese cultural mindset. And unless you are married to a Chinese or living in China, fengshui doesn't really work properly, or make much sense. But then, marrying into the Chinese system is still no guarantee you're gonna get it. The fengshui of the common folk doesn't necessarily match up with the ancient texts or what they teach up in the mountains. But fengshui is actually really easy to understand and implement. The first thing one needs to understand is that most of the positive qi that circulates in and around where a Baguazhang master resides, is generated through the practice of Baguazhang itself. Baguazhang is a powerful form of walking meditation. And when doing it, you are doing Qigong as well. This Baguazhang qi flows out from deep within the body and spreads out to touch or infuse that which exists around you. You are the maker of your own qi. The second thing one needs to know, and this is more strongly related to Baguazhang rather than the other internal styles, is the Bagua in Baguazhang! When we walk the circle, we are physically passing through the eight changing elements themselves. And each element or gua is a compass directional point. Depending on which direction or compass point you are facing when you start your set, your qi empowers that particular gua to be activated as an expression of one's qi cultivation. So in practical terms, if I wanted to focus on the systems of Baguazhang, I would face the direction that I have assigned for that gua (or changing element). Try it for each compass direction. You will straightaway notice how each gua affects your training. And lastly, the third thing one needs to know, is that for any of this to really work well, you must face your fears and reorganise your cosmos by reorganising the sequential order of the eight gua themselves. I know some of you are dogmatically following the Pre-Heaven or the Post-Heaven cycles without grasping the true essence of the sequences. And this is a real struggle. It is a struggle because in one Bagua sequence, 'east' may be represented by water, but when you peer out your dojo window you see either a mountain range or a desert (for example). Do what do you do? (Answer) You take charge and be a boss about it! Replace the water gua with either the metal Gen gua or fire Li gua: Gen for mountain or Li for desert... And you do that for all eight directions. For some of you, you will need to ask permission from your Shifu first. If you do, then you are not ready for this level of Baguazhang. At this level of Baguazhang, fengshui is about creating a new China. An alternative landscape or environment in which those we care about, can live out their Chinese-ness without interference from the powers-that-be. If you are married to a Chinese person, you will know exactly what I mean.