Kun Lun Fan

 It began during a trip to Cheng De...........I went with Master Zhao Da Yuan........to visit the Emperor's Summer Palace.........now this is not the Empress's Summer Palace in Beijing...but is farther north near the Mongolian Border...........it was very hot and humid, and I happen to have a bamboo fan with me to keep cool.  Master Zhao saw it....and he got that twinkle in his eye, he gets that way when he has something special to show you..........he took my fan and showed me some fan techniques that I had not seen before.  So began my 10 years of trying to master the Bagua Iron Fan.  I call it that because the original fan used by Emperor Qianlong was made of steel....he only fought with a fan and never used a sword.  Though it should be pointed out that the original fan also held a dagger blade and a sword blade hidden within it.  Originally during the Qing Dynasty only the Imperial Family was allowed to use the fan, Emperor Qianlong had proceeded to learn and categorize all known fan techniques that existed....then had it's teachers killed......so only the royal family had all the secrets.  According to Master Zhao though,  when Dong Hai Chuan left the Imperial Palace some one gave him a copy of the manuscript of the Emperor's Fan Form.  This he combined to create a new Bagua Fan....by adding the stepping techniques of Bagua.  Since it was the Emperor's form he could not say he was teaching that so his student Liang Zhen Pu named  the form the Kun Lun Fan.......since Dong Hai Chuan was called the Hero from Kun Lun Mountains........where it is said that Dong received the knowledge of Bagua from a Taoist Monk.  The form is divided into three sets each emphasizing different techniqes, first set is mainly simple attack and defense, second set concentration of rotating the body and the fan at the same time......third set concentrates on combat useage and exchanging the fan from hand to hand.  The fan techniques are very interesting to learn, but one of the main purposes to practice it is to learn to use your internal connection to open and close the fan......and then to Fa-jing.  If you are using your internal energy to open and close the fan it makes a very sharp and loud noise as you open and close it...........so is a good way to train the student to develop his internal and to project it to other's during application.

Master Yang giving instructions for Kun Lun Fan III.

Application is essential to understanding how the fan is used, and should not be neglected in proper practice.  Jason was designated the archive for the fan forms.

On Sunday, the members of the San Francisco Wushu Team performed for Master Yang.

Master Yang also had an important tip for the students: one should not expect to learn the entire form in a three to four hour seminar, but instead use it as a way to acquaint yourself with the form.  Then afterwards go thru it move by move until you get it all.  Even then you have not learned the form yet......you still need to learn how to generate the power, and then later how to use the fan...after all this then you can begin to pracitce the form........try and feel the internal connection and the flow of the Qi. 

Then afterwards it was off to Ghiardelli Square to dicuss how to develop power and push hands the Bagua way...........and enjoy the view, eat some light snacks...and get some cool brewskis...........seminars are fun but the after party's are always better!!

Well, that takes us thru halfway of the Bagua Seminar Week......has definitely been a worthwhile endeavor.......I think everyone learned a lot.  OK, time to retire for the nite....cya all!