Part 3: Common Expanded Palm Change Principles
Click here for Part 1: Introduction and BackgroundClick here for Part 2: Comparison of the Old Three Palms
Click here for Part 4: Conclusion and Discussion
In Part 1 of this essay, I pointed out that the differences between the more well-known branches of Cheng-style Baguazhang are vast and have implied that this may be due to the backgrounds of the leaders and practitioners of these branches. I described each of six leaders of these branches who have servived into the present (with the exception of Li Tianji who passed away in the 1990s). In Part 2, I described the importance of what has been called the “Old Three Palms” - palm change sequences that seem to be shared universally in all the branches with some variation. I also compared the execution of these “Old Three Palms” among five major branches of Cheng-style Baguazhang.
Part 3 will focus on and compare the remaining five of the Eight Palms form among the five branches. Mostly, I am interested in exploring common concepts or principles while highlighting the differences, in some cases extreme, between the different branches in their execution of common palm changes. It is important to note that only two of these branches share all eight names of the Eight Palms form. Finally, these sequences of movements are very difficult to describe with words, much less compare. That said, I apologize to the masters and grandmasters of these traditions for butchering their graceful and precise forms with clumsy descriptions.
During the interview with Jarek Szymanski, Grandmaster Liu Jingru stated that the other five palm changes in the Eight Palms came from additions of new maneuvers and techniques learned and shared among the various branches1. While the additional five palm changes in each of the branches share components and names, they are significantly different from one another. For instance, most branches seem to have as their fourth palm change the “Back Body Palm.” The implication is that it is a series of movements and intentions designed to respond to attacks from behind. But there is little similarity between the versions from the Cheng Yousheng, Li Wenbiao and Sun Lutang traditions. The same is true for the other palm changes.
I use the term “principles” to describe these palm changes because while some of the names of each are identical, the movements are utterly different. Even when the implied application is the same or similar, the actual movements are vastly dissimilar. That said, clearly, there are some basic fighting principles that the originators of these five palm changes wanted to address. In my search, I have thus far found only superfluous information about the origins of the names of these palm changes. I hope to be able to contact the elder masters with my questions before they leave us.
In the meantime, taking inspiration from Alfred Huang’s translation of the Yijing, we might deduce the fighting principles from the etymologies of the characters for the names of each palm change sequence. What I have noticed in this research is that these standard names of the five later palm changes all relate in some way to changing direction or turning the body. After all, we are discussing an art that was originally called Zhuanzhang, “Turning Palms.”
Back Body Palm 背身掌
The characters of this palm change have a fairly straight-forward meaning. The first, 背 (Bèi), shows two people back-to-back on the top half and a carcass or flesh on the bottom half, meaning the part of your body from which you face away, i.e. your back. The second, 身 (Shēn), is a pictograph of the human profile and means “body.” The concept is also simple. The movements should relate to responding to an attacker coming from behind you, causing you to quickly turn towards your back. Liu Jingru says that this palm is meant to “counterstrike at the direction of the opponent’s arm.”2There are some interesting similarities. Most of the traditions have some version of a spear through (Swallow Flies into the Forest) as well as both hands extending out in spearing motions with the facing hand starting from under the chin. Beyond that, there is not a lot of similarity. Liu Jingru’s version seems to be the most complicated system. It is one of my favorite Baguazhang sequences for its dynamic and powerful changes.
The traditions of Sun Zhijun and Sun Lutang seem quite different in the Back Body Palm. However, I would suggest that Sun Lutang’s “Green Dragon Stretches its Claw” position is a modified or variant position from Sun Zhijun’s “White Snake Spits Out its Tongue” position. While performing the “Spits Out Tongue” position of Sun Zhijun, one could pivot on the grounded leg 180 degrees, bring the kicking leg back under the body and find themselves in the “Stretches Claws” position of Sun Lutang. A very similar possibility can be made with the “Turn-over Palm” having greater correspondence in martial application. However, Sun Zhijun’s execution of the “Back Body Palm” resembles much more closely the toe kick component in the “Grinding Body Palm” of Sun Lutang’s tradition.
Grinding Body Palm 磨身掌
The first character, 磨 (Mó), has three pictographs that represent a stone with hemp fibers drying under a shed. The character means millstone or to mill, rub or grind. This one is the most vague of all the names. Could it represent a concept of grinding another person through joint-lock techniques. Or is it supposed to represent the spinning of a millstone or a series of circular strikes? Liu Jingru states that the Grinding Body Palm is called that because you are supposed to stick to your opponent’s body2.Sun Zhijun’s version seems to take the spinning millstone approach by performing a Yin Yang Fish posture with tight circular stepping. Liu Jingru’s version has a complicated contorting movement that is followed up with tight circular stepping. Liang Shouyu’s version has a series of Qinna moves followed by a high kick, then more Qinna and take-down moves followed by backward circular series of strikes. All of these schools do use some amount of tight turns. Perhaps the millstone is simply yet another image of turning or circle walking. Neither Zhang Jie nor Luo Dexiu have a corresponding palm change.
Turn Around Palm 轉身掌
The modifying character here is 轉 (Zhuǎn), a pictograph of a cart next to an ideograph of the verb “to concentrate” based on pictographs of a hand working a shuttle. It could mean to convey, transfer or to turn. It is also the modifier for the original name of Baguazhang, i.e. Zhuǎnzhǎng or “Turning Palms.” It is usually translated as “Turning Body Palm.” But in vernacular Chinese, 轉身 usually means to “turn around.” Again, Liu Jingru says that the Turning Body Palm is used to strike the opponent while turning or shifting from left to right2.This is one where the different traditions have vastly different body movements. Sun Zhijun turns around the outstretched leg of a half squat stance, then turns around in a “python coils around the pillar” movement, followed by a variant of his Smooth Posture Palm. Liu Jingru follows a series of turning elbow strikes by turning around with the Yin Yang Fish posture. Liang Shouyu and Li Tianji spear through then turn around the back leg with a take-down application and then turn with a “Swallow Skims the Water” movement.
Returning Body Palm 回身掌
The modifier, 回 (Huí), is the character for “return.” It is a pictograph of swirling within an enclosure. You could infer the swirling movements of Baguazhang, but neither of the traditions that use this name exhibit any spinning or swirling movements. Liu Jingru describes this palm as playing “the strike and run and then back abruptly again to overcome the opponent by unexpected movements.”2Accordingly, Liu Jingru’s sequence seems to actually leave the circle and then return to it. Sun Zhijun’s sequence uses movements that rapidly change direction three times. The one movement that these two traditions share is the beginning movement that Sun Zhijun calls, “Pressing Palm and Chopping Palm.”
Luo Dexiu has a sequence called “Tiger Shape Returning Body Palm” (虎形回身掌). Similar to Sun Zhijun’s sequence, Luo’s sequence seems to change direction a couple of times, but unlike the others it does not share the “Pressing Palm and Chopping Palm” movement. Neither Sun Lutang’s tradition nor that of Liu Bin has the Returning Body Palm.
Turn-over Palm 翻身掌
This set is usually translated as “Revolving Body Palm” or “Overturning Body Palm.” The character that gives its meaning to this palm change, 翻 (Fān), is quite complicated. The first half is a representation of clawmarks on sole representing an idea of “repeatedly.” The second half is a pictograph of long wing feathers or an impression of flapping of wings. In this context, it can mean to flip or overturn. Actually, 翻身commonly means “to turn over” or “to be liberated,” though you could take them separately and suggest that they mean to flip a body. I will use “Turn-over Palm.”The similarities that do exist between the execution of the Turn-over Palm among all of these schools are notable. They all include a move that probably identifies the name of this palm change, sometimes called “Large Python Turns Over.” The practitioner moves his/her body under an outstretched arm, thereby turning over their body. In addition, many of these schools begin with a toe kick followed by “Swallow Skims the Water.” It is usually after this moment that the practitioner moves into the “Large Python Turns Over” move. Both the Gao and Liu Bin schools omit the kick and use a spearing motion called “Sparrow Hawk Enters the Forest” which is then followed by “Large Python.” Interestingly, these two schools finish with a posture similar to that of Sun Lutang’s version, the “Green Dragon Stretches its Claw” posture. And similar to the comparison of the Back Body Palm above, this “Stretches Claw” posture can be easily made by turning the body around from Sun Zhijun’s “Turn Body Horizontally and Cover” move which follows the “Swallow Touches the Water” in his version of the palm change.
Glossary of Common Techniques Among Most Branches of Cheng Baguazhang
- Advance and Raise the Clothes: An opening movement that can be used as a joint-lock or take-down technique
- Hawk Soars to Heaven: An opening move in which the rear hand spears over the guard hand, usually used as a strike
- Point to Heaven, Dig the Earth: A basic Baguazhang posture that follows “Hawk Soars to Heaven” in which the striking hand spears upward and the guard hand spears downward. This posture is so archetypal, there are a wide variety of martial technique interpretations
- Ride the Horse and Grasp Freely: A follow up movement that leads to a closing and implies a take-down
- Steal the Helmet from the Back: A Daoyin-inspired follow-through defensive movement that allows the practitioner to use the energy of a strike to draw the attacker closer, leaving vital points unguarded
- White Snake Hides in the Grass: An opening movement that implies any variety of take-down techniques
- Swallow Skims the Water: An adaptation from a Daoyin movement that serves as a quick direction change in which the lead hand guides the body into a deep, low half-squat stance and reaches toward the foot of the outstretched leg; it can be used for a defensive joint-lock and leg-holding take-down
- Sparrow Hawk Enters the Forest: Rear hand spears forward across the guard hand in order to deliver a palm-strike; can also be used as a set up for various joint-locking techniques
- Large Python Rolls Over: Reverse motion of “Steal the Helmet from the Back” that can imply a variety of joint-locking techniques that favor a subsequent take-down
- White Ape Offers Fruit: A basic Baguazhang posture that is often used alone or with other movements and implies wrist-locking techniques
- Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain: A basic Baguazhang posture that mostly implies a strong chest push and can be combined with leg hooks for any number of take-down techniques
1 Liu Jingru and C.S. Tang, Dragon Stretches Its Claws: An Illustrated Training Manual of Baguazhang, 2nd Ed. (Hong Kong: Hong Kong Martial Arts Magazine, 2001) 28.↩
2 Liu and Tang, 28.↩
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