New York Internal Arts Presents:

Ba Gua Seminars in NYC

Tian Gan (“Heavenly Stem”) Exercises: Saturday, September 25, 2010

This two hour class will cover the Fourteen key Tian Gan exercises in detail. Application of the Exercises to health and to martial training will also be discussed.

Click here for more information and to register.

Ba Gua's Old Eight Palms: Sunday, September 26, 2010

This class will focus on the first four palms of Lao Ba Zhang (Old Eight Palms). Lao Ba Zhang is the foundation upon which the more advanced forms and the fighting techniques of Ba Gua are built. Also covered will be the first four of  the 8 Linear Palms. These eight linear forms have numerous applications in striking, bridging hands, defense and counterattack and throwing. Each corresponds to one of the Old Eight Palms (Lao Ba Zhang) and is therefore a linear expression of the corresponding Lao Ba Zhang Palm, which is readily applicable for self-defense.

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The Six Healing Sounds of Qi Gong: Liu Zi Jue

Wednesday Nights from 6:00 - 7:00 PM  -  October 27th to December 8th, 2010

This qi gong set is one of the oldest methods of Taoist health  preservation exercises in China. Each sound creates a vibration which stimulates and harmonizes the functioning of a specific internal organ and its related meridian. Healing Sound Qi Gong has been found particularly effective in breaking up stagnation and blockages to the flow of qi (vital force) and blood in the organs and their surrounding tissues. In China it is often prescribed as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of cancer.

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NEW! Ba Gua Concepts with Tom Bisio: DVD Preview

Preview of 3-DVD series on Ba Gua Zhang with Tom Bisio. Available from Single Step Productions. Released February 2010.

Ba Gua Concepts Vol. 1: Ding Shi
This DVD covers Ding Shi (Fixed Posture) Ba Gua and Applications. The practice of Ding Shi combined with the "mud wading step" provide the key foundation for maintaining structure while locking and throwing. Together, they also function as Ba Gua's primary neigong method, storing qi in the dantian and actualizing the spiraling of energy throughout the body. In this DVD, Tom clearly demonstrates the Ding Shi postures, explains the use of the mud wading step and presents numerous applications.

Photos from the DVD shoot by Valerie Ghent

Ba Gua Concepts Vol. 2: Lao Ba Zhang & Linear Applications
The "Old Eight Palms" (Lao Ba Zhang) combine Ba Gua's circular walking with constant changes of posture and position while striking, throwing and locking. Tom demonstrates the Lao Ba Zhang form along with applications for each of the palm changes. Emphasis is placed on correct use of body mechanics and the energies of winding, wrapping, drilling,  twisting, and overturning. Tom also presents the  Eight Linear Movements (Ba Zhang) which have numerous  practical applications in striking, bridging, defense, counterattack and throwing. Each of these movements corresponds to one of the Old Eight Palms and is therefore a linear expression of the corresponding Lao Ba Zhang palm.

Ba Gua Concepts Vol. 3: Swimming Body Ba Gua Chain Linking Form
In this DVD, Tom teaches the Ba Gua Linking Form (You Shen Ba Gua Lian Huan). Ba Gua Lian Huan is an advanced form that combines the dynamics of the linear movements with Lao Ba Zhang to create a continuous unbroken sequence emphasizing awareness of the eight directions and the "swimming dragon" body dynamics that are unique to Ba Gua.  Ba Gua Lian Huan seamlessly combines striking, kicking, locking, and throwing while constantly moving and changing. Tom teaches this form along with numerous applications exactly as he learned it from Master Gao Ji Wu. Ba Gua Lian Huan is also presented in the book, The Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang by Gao Ji Wu and Tom Bisio.

This Unique set of DVD's is available from Single Step Productions
www.singlestepproductions.com

NEW BOOK! The Attacking Hands of Ba Gua Zhang
by Gao Ji Wu and Tom Bisio
photos by Valerie Ghent

In this ground-breaking book, Gao Ji Wu reveals some of Ba Gua Zhang's formerly “secret” techniques. The Attacking Hands of Ba Gua Zhang gives the reader an in-depth look at Ba Gua's Seventy-Two Techniques (Qi Shi Er Zhao) and the Sixty-Four Hands (Liu Shi Si Shu) as they were passed down from the great boxer Liu De Kuan, himself a student of the art’s founder Dong Hai Chuan. Never before presented in their entirety, the Seventy-Two Techniques are key self-defense applications, that make Ba Gua an effective fighting art. Both the Seventy-Two Techniques and the Sixty-Four linear forms or “Sixty-Four Hands” are direct, practical applications of Ba Gua's characteristic circular palm changes.

This Chinese-English dual-language edition of The Attacking Hands of Ba Gua Zhang contains hundreds of photos that clearly illustrate the movements and their self-defense applications. Included are rare photos of the renowned Ba Gua master Gao Zi Ying (Gao Ji Wu's father) performing the Seventy-Two Techniques. A valuable companion volume that builds on Gao Ji Wu's previous book, The Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang.

The Attacking Hands of Ba Gua Zhang ($29.95)
384 Pages
More than 670 photos

Book Publication Date: February 28th. Order now to receive your copy as soon as they are available – on or before February 28th.

Special Offer: Order The Attacking Hands of Ba Gua Zhang with The Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang and receive a $5.00 discount.

Click here for more information and to place your order!

What readers say about the Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang:

“This new book is nicely formatted with big clear pictures and direct translations of many of Ba Gua's key points from the “songs.” A very good effort for anyone interested in any branch of the Ba Gua Tree.”
—Plum Publications

"The photos in this book are among the very best in clarity and capturing logical moments in the ba gua movements."

NEW BOOK!  Strategy and Change
An Examination of Military Strategy, the I-Ching and Ba Gua Zhang
by Tom Bisio

Strategy and Change is an engaging meditation on the application of strategy to all facets of human interaction. Of equal interest to the business person, military theorist, martial artist or anyone negotiating the uncertainties of the changing world.

How do you achieve success and prevail in a chaotic world? Chinese strategists have grappled with this fundamental question for centuries. Chinese thought advocates understanding the natural order of the world in order to harmonize and flow with it. One of the key ideas that permeates both The Art of War and the I Ching and even the martial arts is that success is achieved by blending with and adapting to the constant change manifesting around us. By aligning oneself with the changing circumstances, opportunity and success unfold naturally.

Strategy and Change looks at these ideas by examining military strategy and its connection with the I Ching (the Classic of Change) and the internal martial art Ba Gua Zhang (Eight Diagram Palm).

Strategy and Change includes discussions of:

• The Eight Intentions/Dispositions - a unique, flexible and organic system of strategic thinking used for centuries.
  
  
• Examples of successful strategies from history's great commanders including Alexander, Napoleon, Shaka Zulu, Hannibal, Belisarius, Sun Tzu and Mao Tze Tung.
  
  
• I Ching theory and its relevance to Military Strategy and martial arts.
  
  
• An analysis of The 36 Stratagems, a Chinese primer of strategy.
  
  
• Advice from the renowned Chinese strategist Zhuge Liang, whose insights into strategy and leadership are widely studied by Asian businessmen today.

Available from Barnes & Noble, amazon.com, and Outskirts Press.