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Dear Baguazhang aficionados,
As a new member of this group I thought I would like to share with you an interesting article we published on our club, Jiulongbaguazhang Yahoo Groups for our members. It pertains to health benefits derived from circle walking. I hope you enjoy it. Also I have included some information about our upcoming workshops for the next two months if any of you are interested in exploring the Nine Dragon Baguazhang style.
Thanks
John P. Painter
Baguazhang Hearts in The Feet
Copyright 2000 IAM Company
Author John P. Painter Ph.D. ND
For some years it was believed that there were four method of blood circulation in the body. During the least few years a fifth method of increasing the venous flow was brought to the attention of the medical community by Dr. Michael Gardner and medical researcher Roger Fox. The pair working in England with paralyzed patients subjects
suffering from thrombosis and other related lower limb disorders discovered the "Plantar Heart Pump mechanism:"!
Medical science has for some time known that the action of walking or running aids in the return circulation through the venous system. No one had suspected that under the arch of the foot covered by the plantar fascia. was a bio- mechanical pump activating an entire system of deep veins responsible for the recalculation of venous blood to the heart. The pump consists of a collection of veins composed of the external and internal plantar veins united with the
posterior tibial vein joined by the peroneal veins. This pump is responsible for dramatically increasing venous blood flow in the lower extremities.
Walking, or running in a manner that allows the heel to touch down first with the weight of the body rolling over the arch of the foot onto the toes will compress the Plantar heart pump in the feet in the most efficient manner. The method of walking used in some styles of
Baguazhang acts as a most effective stimulation to this area. Test results using their theory have yielded remarkable results in healing and the prevention of thrombosis. Paralyzed patients and patients suffering from fractures of the tibia were placed on a machine which flexed the feet in the correct way .the results in the
words of Roger Fox were. "astounding we never realized this bio-mechanical pump existed."
Tests of this theory at the Life Science Qi Institute using the Baguazhang exercise of walking the circle have shown that not only does the venous flow improve but also the arterial flow to the feet and legs increases when the walking style is correctly applied.
Repetitive walking in a circle at a slow to moderate pace produces an overall increase in oxygen and nutrient exchange by the tissues and promotes more effective circulation in general throughout the entire system. More circulation means better oxygen and nutrient exchange
and /waste toxin elimination within the total circulation system. This of course translates into improved health, stamina and fitness throughout the entire body.
BAGUAZHANG WALKING METHODS
If you study the methods and history of Baguazhang before it was turned into sport for tournament display you will find numerous methods of circle walking steps other than the official sliding step that some claim is the only Baguazhang stepping pattern. My purpose here is not to argue which steps are correct or incorrect. A step is
a tool used for a specific purpose the master carpenter has many tools and does not try to build a house with his screwdriver alone.
Nuff said on that!
To really effectively activate the Plantar Heart Pump in walking the popular sliding or mud treading step can be used so long as there is sufficient time for the base foot to compress fully before the next step. The best method however for stimulating these pumps is the rolling step, tiger step or leopard stepping method. By what ever name you call it the step is one in which the heel of the foot should touch town first with the toes arched upward slightly. As you roll the weight forward on to the arch of the foot it needs to be allowed to flatten against the ground and then flex upward from the middle ass the weight is transferred to the ball of the foot and toes.
Walking in shoes that do not allow the foot to flex or shoes that have a high instep prevents correct pumping action from taking place. Therefore it is recommended that for best stimulation of the Plantar Heart Pump comfortable shoes with no arch supports be worn. All walking exercises should be performed on a firm but never hard surface. The ideal surfaces are thick grass, or sand. Second best
surfaces are gym mats, followed by thick pile carpeting over a wooden floor. Do not practice this exercise on concrete or hard unyielding surfaces as damage to the ankle, instep or knee cartilage may result.
DR JOHN PAINTER WORKSHOP LISTINGS
October 24-26
Toronto Canada - Heaven Palm Combat Concepts I
Contact Eric Reynolds
Phone: (416) 763-9052
inquiries@ninedragonarts.com
About This workshop: The Jiulong Baguazhang system studies each Palm or posture based on the Gua of the Yijing as eight separate entities which can eventually be combined into each other to form one method. This is why it is called the Nine Dragon (Jiulong) methods. We are
focusing on the powerful Heaven principles of striking and throwing (Shuaijiao) in this program. Study of Jiulong is not about memorizing fixed sets. It is about understanding body mechanics, internal linkage and combative strategies so one can produce forms that are spontaneous and yet correct to train as if you were actually doing battle with multiple opponents in a non fixed manner. Beginners are welcome.
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November 14 Raleigh Durham NC - Taiji & Li Family Push Hands
Contact: Dr. Jay Dunbar Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1522
Phone - 919.968.3936
drjay@magictortoise.com
About This workshop: "Willow Bends: An Exploration of Push-Hands"
What is Push-Hands Really For Taijiquan an Baguazhang?
We will examine three methods of Push Hands from the Li family system of Taijiquan. Please note that these methods can also apply to almost any other internal martial art So all are welcome. The act of using push hands in combat takes place in the first touch of an attack. At this moment the fight can be won or lost depending on how the opponents' balance is controlled. We will explore "Willow Bends" a simple, yet profound two person exercise/game devised to help students develop the use of their tactile awareness, subtle energy skills and strategy for combat. Then move to fixed step training and then to An-zhangfa (Push Palm Art). An-zhangfa is the Li family moving step free style push hands. In this method the student learns
how to neutralize incoming force from a moving partner who is attempting to push or trip him or her. The use of internal martial concepts allows the practitioners of any internal system to participate in a safe but highly effective learning game that is very valuable for non-violent self defense.
November 15-16 Raleigh Durham NC - Ethan Rasiel Jiulong Baguazhang
Contact: Dr. Jay Dunbar Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1522
Phone - 919.968.3936
drjay@magictortoise.com
About this workshop: "Nine Dragon Baguazhang Heaven Palm Circle
Walking Basics"
On Saturday and Sunday, We will present the next evolution from the "Five Circles" workshop he offered here last year. This is an excellent first step in understanding internal arts principles from a system other than Taijiquan. Beginners are welcome.
We will cover:
1. The principles and concepts of square stepping
2. The five circles of Heaven Palm
3. The Emei Shan opening bow and philosophical significance of circle walking
4. Jin (energy) and Qi development exercises for circle walking
5. The posture of heaven palm and basic applications
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November 21-23 Los Angeles CA - Earth Palm Baguazhang I
Contact John Adams (SGL) Venice, CA
3104285210
jca9dragon@earthlink.net
About This workshop: The Jiulong Baguazhang system studies each Palm or posture based on the Gua of the Yijing as eight separate entities which can eventually be combined into each other to form one method. This is why it is called the Nine Dragon (Jiulong) methods. We are focusing on the Earth principles in this program. Study of Jiulong is not about memorizing fixed sets. It is about understanding body mechanics, internal linkage and combative strategies so one can produce forms that are spontaneous and yet correct to train as if you were actually doing battle with multiple opponents in a non fixed manner.
The Earth Gua (Kun)
_____ _____
_____ _____
_____ _____
In the Yijing the Kun Gua is often thought of as weak or without energy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Kun Gua is the polar opposite of the Qian or Heaven Gua and where Qian controls things with it's tremendous Yang Jin power the Kun Gua controls things with it's unlimited Yin Jin energy. The Yin Jin energy is manifesting in Baguazhang as the ability to neutralize and absorb force with little effort through subtle manipulations.
Attitude and Image of the Posture:
The earth energy in the Yijing is a yin receptive force. Like a mother image it controls things with gentle power. The earth energy is also stable like a spinning top, which has spiraling power in the same way an arrow, or bullet is stabilized by spinning in flight. The spiraling energy is one that can either suck an outside force into it's center or deflect an advancing energy from its rapidly turning
surface.
I would love to meet you and share this information. Please feel free to contact the host for reservations of if you have other questions write to me at thegompa@aol.com.
Thank You for your time
John P. Painter |
Foot Pumps
Primary Researcher in the study was Dr. A.M.N. Gardner, MA, BM BCh,
FRCS Consultant Surgeon Torbay Hospital, Torquay England
My first exposure to the foot pumps idea came from a special
television program produced by the BBC called Heart and Sole on the
Discovery Channel Later I found the book by Fox and Gardner from a
review in the Journal of Vascular Surgery September 1990 Volume
12 Number 3 Review of the book "The Return of Blood To The Heart" by:
A.M.N. Gardner, R.H. Fox, London, 1989, John Libbey & Co., Ltd. 184
pages, $49.00.
An enormous amount of research has been done since then. Fox and
Gardner once they discovered the foot pump were responsible for the
invention of a mechanical type of pump used to help bed ridden
patients avoid thrombosis.
There are two main circulatory systems in the human body:
The blood circulatory system (sometimes called the cardiovascular
system) and the lymphatic system.
The blood circulatory system is the main method of transporting
oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients and metabolic breakdown products,
cells of the immune and other defense systems, chemical messengers
(hormones), other important substances (e.g. clotting factors). In
the circulatory system there are the arteries which become arterioles
and then capillaries that carry fresh blood to the cells and other
systems and then blood goes into the veins that return blood to the
heart.
The lymphatic system drains extra-cellular fluid from the tissues
returning it to the blood circulatory system after passage through
lymph nodes. This system is also involved in absorption of nutrients
from the gut.
As to the four ways blood circulates I am afraid that text was a bit
jumbled up. So what was meant was by that there are divisions of
circulation such as from 1. arteries to 2. arterioles to 3.
capillaries and then to the 4. veins which although part of a closed
system make but this is still considered four channels.
Circulation was thought to occur only through the 1 action of the
heart pumping blood, and in the veins from 2 skeletal muscles
squeezing blood and the 3 pressure from nearby arteries moving it
through a series of one way valves back to the heart. What Fox and
Gardner proved was there was another completely hitherto unknown
method based on the plantar fascia foot pump mechanism.
I hope this clears up the previous text
Thanks
John Painter
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