Bagua Zhang - Post Heaven Palms

A post from Teacher Luo De Xiu's website on Gao Style Bagua Zhang - Post Heaven (Hou Tien) sets:

Pre-heaven Palm (xiantian zhang) employs “turning palm” as its leader (head) and “changing palm” as its mother, generating eight ways of overturning the body (Pre-heaven Eight Big Palms) as well as the closing style “Black Dragon Shakes its Tail Palm”.

The Post-heaven Palms are derived from the Sixty four single drills of the Pre-heaven Eight Big Palms” and which can also be linked style drills and are thus named the Post-heaven Sixty Four Entwining Palms.
Post-heaven Palm practice is based on “Hardness”(gang). Within Hardness is softness. Emphasis is in cultivating methodology, force and structure, seeking to achieve its skill from within.

This practice urges the development of power and lengthens the hitting distance. It uses the foot to assist the body and the arm to assist the palm. During practice attend to the Three Extensions; extend awareness, extend power and extend structure.

The twenty-four key demands of the Houtian palms:

1. 眼要明 The eyes should be clear
2. 耳要靈 The ears should be lively
3. 手要快 The hands should be fast
4. 肘要近 The elbows should stick next to the body
5. 腿要彈 The legs should spring
6. 裡要掩 Moving inwards the hand should close and turn
7. 外要撥 Moving outwards the hand should open and twist
8. 上要截 When the hand goes up, it should intercept
9. 下要攔 When the hand moves downward, it should block
10. 領要橫 Ling (leading) One hand will pull across
11. 帶要順 Dai (leading, bringing along) Two hands pull along with the movement
12. 摟要實 Lou (embracing) should be tight
13. 抓要實 Zhua (grabbing) A grab must be solid
14. 頓要擢 Dun (shocking and pulling down) should be done suddenly
15. 托要準 Tuo (Lifting up) must be accurate
16. 掖要連 Ye (clasping) should be connected
17. 擠要黏 Ji (pressing) should stick
18. 刁要爆 Diao (hooking) should be explosive
19. 崩要急 Beng (smashing) should be quick
20. 撞要靠 Zhuang (crashing) should be done close
21. 扳要猛 Ban (pulling against) should be fierce and swift
22. 扣要狠 Kou (hooking) should be merciless
23. 步要清 Footwork and stepping should be distinct
24. 身要活 The body must be lively

The special characteristics practiced in each of the Post-heaven Palms are as follows:

Line 1 – Guiding Principles
Line 2 – Hitting Methods
Line 3 – Clever Methods
Line 4 – Subtle methods
Line 5 – Elbow Methods
Line 6 – Leg Methods
Line 7 – Stepping Methods
Line 8 – Body Methods

After one’s gungfu is well developed, the Post heaven and Pre heaven Palms may unite as one. Upon interception one’s whole body may react with a natural entwining rhythm, one may regulate the interchange of hard and soft, empty and full. Assaults can be hard, fierce and violent or clever, slippery and cunning. Pre-heaven Palms are externally round and internally square while Post-heaven Palms are externally square and internally round.

The first line of Post Heaven Bagua contains all the principles seen in later Post Heaven Palms. Points to remember include: Stepping should be clean, the body should be nimble, energy and power should be sufficient, and hand movements should be clear.

1. 開掌	Opening Palm
2. 捧掌	Upward Scooping Palm
3. 扽掌	Pulling Down Palm
4. 探掌	The Golden Dragon Puts Out Its Claws
5. 立掌	Vertical Palm
6. 挑掌	Rising Palm
7. 蓋掌	Covering Palm
8. 纏掌	Entwining Palm

The second line of Post Heaven Bagua emphasizes fighting principles and their application. The techniques should be practiced until they become natural. Hands and eyes must be quick. When striking, the opponent cannot follow.

1. 截肋掌	Intercepting at the Ribs Palm
2. 葉下藏花	Flower Hidden Beneath The Leaf Palm
3. 內砍掌	Chopping from the Inside Palm
4. 外削掌	Cutting from the Outside Palm
5. 二仙傳道	Two Immortals Teach the Way Palm
6. 惡虎撲羊	Ferocious Tiger Pounces on Sheep Palm
7. 鳳凰奪窩	Phoenix Robs the Nest Palm
8. 進退連環	Continuously Advancing and Retreating palm

The third line of Post Heaven Bagua practices internal power, making the entire body sensitive and receptive. Like the grass that sways in the wind, once there is contact, there should be an immediate response. Palms strike with tremendous power, with no wasted movement.

1. 穿肋掌	Piercing the Ribs Palm
2. 橫搬掌	Horizontal Moving Palm
3. 截手掌	Intercepting Palm
4. 攔手掌	Blocking Palm
5. 停身掌	Stopping the Body Palm
6. 翻手掌	Overturning Palm
7. 走行步	Going away palm
8. 轉身掌	Turning the Body Palm

The fourth line of Post Heaven Bagua practices “fajing” (explosive power) and is divided into four hard and four soft movements. These eight movements contain hidden and skillful principles. They look out for chances and change accordingly. Once the mind moves, the hands and feet respond. When eyes and spirit see a chance, the mind is already prepared.

1. 推山入海	Push the Mountain into the Sea
2. 力托千斤	Upward lifting palm
3. 帶扣掌	Pulling and Fastening Palm
4. 外領掌	Lead to the Outside Palm
5. 沾手掌	Adhering Hands Palm
6. 黏手掌	Sticky Hands Palm
7. 連手掌	Continuous Hands Palm
8. 隨手掌	Following Hands Palm

The fifth line of Post Heaven Bagua teaches pressure point attacks and the disruption of sinews. The emphasis is on elbow techniques and rapid and ruthless movement used in close quarter fighting.

1. 墩肘	Back Elbow
2. 盤肘	Rolling Elbow
3. 墜肘	Sinking Elbow
4. 頂肘	Upwards Elbow
5. 橫肘	Horizontal Elbow
6. 挫肘	Filing the elbow
7. 疊肘	Folding Elbow
8. 鑽肘	Drilling Elbow

The sixth line of Post Heaven Bagua teaches kicking methods. Legs kick on three levels: high, mid-level, low. So the 8 kicks learned in this line become 24.

1. 前趨腿	Front Shin Kick
2. 後踹腿	Rear Kick, Backward Stamping Kick
3. 外擺腿	Outside Crescent Kick
4. 內掛腿	Inside Hook(ing) Kick
5. 上踢腿	High Kick
6. 下截腿	Downward Cutting Kick
7. 斜掃腿	Diagonal Sweeping Kick
8. 正撞腿	Straight Jamming Kick

The seventh line of Post Heaven Bagua teaches sticking and adhering techniques. The main focus lies on stepping methods. One’s hands are ever unpredictable and always changing. Hands and eyes move together; body and feet move as one.

1. 掖掌	Tucked (In) Palm
2. 擠掌	Pressing Palm
3. 刁手	Hook Hand Palm
4. 摟手	Embracing Body Palm
5. 崩打	Jabbing Strike
6. 撞掌	Crashing Palm
7. 扣掌	Hooking the face Palm
8. 搬掌	Moving Palm

The eighth line of Post Heaven Bagua teaches internal structure and the use of different states of mind. Body-movement should be quick; eyes and hands correspondingly fast. Within the body are changes between yin and yang and modulations between stillness and motion.

1. 猿猴擣把	Pounding and Grabbing
2. 狸虎敲心	Mangoose, Striking to the heart
3. 吸身掌	Drawing In The Body Palm
4. 伏身撈胯	Lean over the body, scoop the leg
5. 搖身掌	Swaying Body Palm
6. 閃身掌	Evasive Body Palm
7. 橫撞掌	Horizontal Crashing palm
8. 猛虎躥山	The Fierce Tiger leaps forward

Nine Character Formula:

Smooth:	Move naturally.
Brave:	Being firm and resolute.
Straightforward:	Being heavy when executing techniques.
Clever:	Using the opponents force against him.
Subtle:	Being able to react with all parts of the body; the hands are unpredictable.
Continuous:	Sticking, adhering, linking, following; continuously executing techniques.
Ruthless:	No hesitation, be ruthless when moving.
Rapid:	Once there is contact, move fast.
Skill:	Internal and Outer Skill.