A dissertation on Chang Pan Ling’s Baguazhang set of Yang Energy Dragon as taught to Kevin Wikse in the mid-1990s.
Chan Pan Ling’s Yang Energy Dragon Shape Baguazhang is an intermediate-level school of martial Baguazhang that emphasizes the explosive, consuming, and constantly-moving qualities of fire while developing to coiling, raising, and aggressive nature inherent within the Dragon Shape as expressed by the Thunder Gua or Trigram of the I-Ching.
Violent and abrupt, the Dragon of this Baguazhang set enjoys sudden force expressions while evading, deflecting, and redirecting. The Dragon is strong and spring-like, like a steel whip. The Yang energy is sharp, disruptive, and punishing.
In my teachings of Daoist metaphysics, this set constitutes Fire over Thunder in the I-Ching, or Hexagram #21. It denotes a sense of being wronged and seeking justice. The Hexagram (six lines, the top, bottom, and third down lines are unbroken yang lines) illustrates a structured environment with a free energy flow from bottom to top. However, there is a disruption in that flow. This is seen as a divider between upper and lower, or stronger and weaker, signifying a defect in the system and preventing fair treatment of all. This division must be destroyed if harmony is to exist.
This Hexagram is called “Biting Through,” and the martial prowess developed by the dedicated practice of this school of Baguazhang will split apart and puncture through enemies of your peace and harmony.
A certain level of intolerance and anger accompanies this set of Baguazhang. The Dragon hates evil, actively hunting it down and eradicating it at the source. The mindset is that of righteous wrathfulness. It produces a psychic practice of internal alchemy, slowly and methodically changing the practitioner’s personality just ever so slightly, just enough to enable them to understand the power of discrimination and how to apply that in severing influences, internal as well as external, that do not serve the good of the self nor society—cutting cancer out.
At one point in my life, I was employed to do physical violence against certain people. I used the training techniques and fighting strategies contained school of Chan Pan Ling’s Yang Dragon Shape Baguazhang to obliterate the arm and legs, ripping open their defenses. Known for its “heart penetrating palm,” as Hexagram #21’s title “Biting Through” suggests, this school of Baguazhang is exceptionally well suited for limb destruction, breaking bones, and deep piercing strikes.
From a training perspective, circle walking in the Dragon body shape is invigorating. The Dragon Shape promotes full body strength, endurance, and durability. Increases in leg, upper back, and hand strength are particularly noteworthy. Training the Dragon shape prepares the entire body for combat. In addition, the waist and torso undergo a soft and internal form of Iron Body or Iron Vest condition.
I plan to teach this school of Baguazhang publicly soon and share with others the same benefits and boons dedicated practice of this set brought and continues to bring to me.
