1 Heaven Single Palm Change - Changing Direction On The Circle

BAGUA MASTERY PROGRAM
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MODULE9
Heaven Single Palm Change:
Changing Direction
on the Circle
BRUCE FRANTZIS
Copyright 2011 Bruce Frantzis

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Table of Contents
Section 1: Single Palm Change
and Its Variations 9
The Heart and Soul of Bagua ................................... 9
Single Palm Changes of the
Taoist Monastic Tradition ........................................ 11
Heaven Single Palm Change .................................... 11
Other Single Palm Change Variations .................... 12
Single Palm Changes
of the Martial Art Tradition ...................................... 13
Liu Hung Chieh"s Single Palm Changes ................ 14
Value of the Single Palm Change ............................ 15
Health .......................................................................... 15
Chi Development and Meditation ......................... 16
Prepare to Learn the SPC:
The SPC Palm Posture .............................................. 16
Physical ....................................................................... 16
Mind Considerations ................................................. 17
Section 2: Heaven Single Palm

Change 19
Reversing Direction:
Clockwise to Counterclockwise ............................ 19
1. Beginning Position ............................................... 22
2. Toe-in Step and Twist Arms Inward ................... 23

Leg Movements ......................................................... 23
Arm and Hand Movements .................................... 23

Upper Arm Movement ............................................ 24
Lower Arm .................................................................. 24
3. From the Toe-in Position, Shift Weight ........... 25
4. Toe-out Step and Block with Upper Arm ......... 26
Feet and Waist ........................................................... 26
Arms and Hands ........................................................ 27
Lower Arm and Hand ............................................... 28
Upper Arm and Hand ............................................... 28
Head and Eyes ........................................................... 29
5. Shift Weight, Move Lower Palm Forward ......... 30

6. Bring Feet Side by Side and Palm Strike ........... 31
7. Straight Step and Reverse Arm Positions .......... 32
Legs and Hips ............................................................ 32
Arms and Hands ........................................................ 33
Rising Arm and Hand ............................................... 34
Descending Arm and Hand ..................................... 35
Next Steps .................................................................. 35
8. Turn toward Center of Circle,

Palm Edges Out ......................................................... 36
Legs and Dragon Body ............................................ 36
Dragon Body Turning ............................................... 37
Arms and Hands ........................................................ 37
9. Sink Arms to Chop Downward ........................... 38
10. Turn Palms Out and Walk the Circle ............... 39
Reversing Direction Again:

Counterclockwise to Clockwise ............................. 40
Learning and Practicing the Heaven SPC .............. 41
Hold Positions, Then Flow between Positions .... .41
Three- and Four-part Stepping .............................. 42
Walking Speeds ......................................................... 43
Concluding Your SPC and
Circle Walking Practice ............................................ 46
Section 3: Heaven Single Palm Change

(Intermediates) ..................................... 47
Overview ................................................................... 47
1. Beginning Position: Change from
Counterclockwise to Clockwise ............................. 50
2. Toe-in Step and Twist Arms Inward ................... 50
3. Still in a Toe-in Position, Shift Weight .............. 51
Leg and Foot Movements ....................................... 51
Arm and Hand Movements ..................................... 52
Upper Arm Movement ............................................ 52
4. Toe-out Step and Block with Upper Arm ......... 53
Feet, Legs and Hips .................................................. 54
Arms and Hands ........................................................ 55
Lower Arm and Hand ............................................... 56
Upper Arm and Hand .............................................. 56
Head and Eyes ........................................................... 57
5. Footbrake, Shift Weight and Project
Lower Palm Forward ................................................ 58

a. Three- or Four-part Stepping ............................. 58
Footbrake ................................................................... 59
Shift Weight and Project Lower Palm Forward ... 59
b. Two-part Stepping .............................................. 60
Large Stride and Footbrake .................................... 60

Pull Your Weight Forward and
Project Lower Palm Forward .................................. 62
6. Bring Feet Side by Side and Palm Strike .......... 64
Legs and Feet ............................................................ 64

Arms and Hands ........................................................ 65
7. Straight Step and Reverse Arm Positions ......... 66
Legs and Hips ............................................................ 66
Arms and Hands ........................................................ 67

Next Steps .................................................................. 67

Palm Edges Out ......................................................... 68
Legs and Dragon Body ............................................ 68
Dragon Body Turning ............................................... 69
Arms and Hands ........................................................ 69
9. Sink Arms to Chop Downward ........................... 70
10. Turn Palms Outward and Walk the Circle ...... 72
Stepping and Dragon Body Turning ..................... 72
Twist Your Palms to Face Away from You ............. 73
Walk Your Circle with the SPC Palm Posture ........ 73
Clockwise to Counterclockwise Change ............... 73
Further Internal Development ................................ 74
Appendix 1: Martial Arts Applications .. 75

Heaven Single Palm Change .................................. 75
Learning Stage 1: Visualize Basic
Applications of Key Movements
(Solo Practice-) ....................................................... 75
Toe-in Step Followed by Weight Shift .................. 76
Toe-out Step .............................................................. 76
Shift-Weight-Forward Step ..................................... 77

Straight Step and Reverse Arm Positions ............. 78
Learning Stage 2: Pre-agreed Partner
Attacks and Defenses .............................................. 78
Example 1................................................................... 80
Example 2 ................................................................... 81
Example 3................................................................... 82
Example 4 ................................................................... 83
Example 5 ................................................................... 84
Example 6 ................................................................... 85
Example 7 ................................................................... 86
Learning Stage 3 (Intermediates): Partners

Walk the Circle with Upper Wrists Joined ............ 87
Section 1
Single Palm Change
and Its Variations
The Heart and Soul of Bagua
The Single Palm Change (SPC) is the heart and soul of bagua, whether practiced
for health, martial arts, or as an art of I Ching meditation. All of the practices
taught in the previous modules are essential building blocks for the SPC.
In essence, bagua is an art of exploring change. In any classic bagua tradition,
the SPC is the first complete method of change (i.e., changing direction) to be
learned. The SPC is a complete method because your arms, legs and torso ideally
move in a completely coordinated, integrated and unified fashion.
The SPC is to bagua as the number one is to mathematics. Without understanding the number one, you can't understand other numbers or mathematics
as a whole. Without understanding the SPC, you can't understand other palm
changes or bagua as a whole.
9
2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.
10
Bagua Mastery Program
Figure 9.1.1
Heaven Single Palm Change
Changing direction from a counterclockwise to clockwise direction
using the Heaven Palm and footwork.
Figure continues on the next page.
The SPC actually is not one specific physical movement sequence. Instead, the
term "Single Palm Change" can be applied to any movement sequence that
allows you to join and flow with certain specific universal energies.
To understand this a bit more, it's useful to trace the SPC and its variations back
to their roots in the Taoist monastic bagua tradition.
Module 9: Heaven Palm Change-Changing Direction on the Circle
11
Figure 9.1.1 (continued)

Single Palm Changes of the

Taoist Monastic Tradition
Study of the I Ching in any form-intellectual or applied-begins with the most
primary of the eight energies of change (which are Heaven, Earth, Wind, Thunder,
Fire, Water, Mountain and Lake). The most primary energy is pure yang energy,
which traditionally is referred to as the energy of Heaven. The Heaven trigram
is composed of three yang lines. The Heaven hexagram is composed of six yang
lines, and is usually thought of as one Heaven trigram combined with another. So
pure Heaven energy is amplified to the maximum when the Heaven hexagram is
operating at specific points in time.
12
The Single Palm Change (SPC) is the bagua monastic tradition's method for exploring the energy
of Heaven and how it can be combined with other
energies.
The most primary SPC variations are called "Heaven
Heaven Trigram
Single Palm Changes:' A Heaven SPC enables you to

manifest and flow with the pure energy of Heaven.
Chi-wise a Heaven SPC's salient quality is to produce a very powerful, clear and
pure yang energy within the body and mind that lacks any sense of heaviness.
Eventually, the structure of a Heaven SPC's external movements and its
specific internal practices enable a practitioner to become aware of, access and
use the natural light inside the cells of the body. To accomplish this, you must
develop the chi of the central channel within the torso's core, the bone marrow
inside the limbs, and the energy centers within the brain and upper tantien.
Other Single Palm Change Variations

Monastic bagua schools have seven additional core variations of the SPC, with
different physical movement sequences for each.
The main purpose of each distinct movement form is to create the best possible
physical container for mixing the chi of the other I Ching trig rams (i.e. the eight
energies of change) into the chi of the Heaven trigram. Ideally, the result of each
practice is to manifest a single unified energy from the combination within your
physical body and energetic system.
There are other SPC variations (with minor changes in the physical movements)
designed to enable the energy of Heaven to be influenced and infused by the
trigram energies of Earth, Wind, Thunder, Fire, Water, Mountain and Lake.
Each SPC in the monastic tradition is not just a standard movement sequence.
Instead, although practitioners initially learn a standard movement sequence
for the Heaven Palm Change, over time they seek to morph the physical move 2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.
13
ments within limited ranges. This allows the desired energies coursing through
their bodies, energy channels, intent and spirit to become clear, rather than
being vague to their conscious awareness.
This license to morph the physical movements allows teachers and practitioners
to adapt SPC variations to a practitioner's particular needs and capacities, and
thereby best lead them toward the qualities of emptiness, naturalness and compassion.
Beyond the eight most primary SPC variations, the SPC could be practiced in 64
different ways to help connect practitioners to the 64 hexagram energies of the
I Ching. Likewise, the SPC could be done in 312 ways if learning the experiential
methods of using the six changing lines associated with the hexagrams.
However, in the monastic tradition, although this can be done, it usually was not
-except in rare cases. The goal is to make distinctions clear to practitioners, and
then fold them back into the eight ways of doing the SPC. Once the 64 and 312
ways have served their purpose, they are dropped and folded into the SPC.
Single Palm Changes

of the Martial Art Tradition
In the manner oft he monastic tradition, Tung Hai Chuan (1798-1897), the founder
of martial bagua, taught different students variations of the Single Palm Change
(SPC) according to their specific needs, capacities and martial experience.
Tung had four main students, three of whom were the main lights from which
most bagua schools derive their SPC. The three were Yin Fu, Cheng Ting Hua and
Ma Shr Ching, who was also known as Ma Gui. The fourth was Ma Wei Chi, who
died young, leaving behind no legacy.
Tung's students codified the SPC variations he taught to them. Their main
students then either only taught the exact same moves in the way their teacher
taught them or changed them slightly for their own personal reasons. However,
14
these SPC variations have been passed down unchanged through time via these
school's lineages to the present day as though set in stone. Clearly, this was not
Tung's intention.
Liu Hung Chieh 's Single Palm Changes

My teacher Liu Hung Chieh developed the two Single Palm Change (SPC)
variations that are presented in this and the next module. This module focuses on
Liu's Heaven SPC while Module 10 presents Liu's Water SPC.
Liu's variations were influenced by his training in the martial and monastic bagua
traditions.
During his teenage years and twenties, Liu took his formal discipleship with Chen
You Lung, who was the eldest son of Cheng Ting Hua, and personally studied
with Ma Shr Ching, who was one of Tung's four main disciples. He also studied
with several of the father and
son's closest students. As such, Liu's know-ledge of
the bagua martial tradition was extremely close to the original source.
In his thirties to mid-forties, Liu learned the monastic tradition (I Ching meditation) of bagua while studying with Taoists in the mountains of Western China.
Liu then sought to create SPC variations that combined the salient qualities of
the martial and monastic variations he learned in as seamless and efficient way
as he could.
He imparted these and other SPC variations to me in Beijing, China between the
summer of 1981 and November 1986. He taught me these variations in the manner of the monastic tradition, with the expectation that I would adapt them for
specific individuals. To enable me to do so, Liu taught me the I Ching meditation
and martial theories, principles and methods upon which variations are based.
15
Value of the Single Palm Change

Developing the skill necessary to practice the Single Palm Change (SPC) can be
comparable to acquiring a glass that won't leak. Once you have the glass, you can
then pour the best clean, pristine water available into it. If the SPC is the glass,
then ancient China's wisdom called Taoism is the water.
The SPC container becomes a tool that human beings can use to:
Open the hidden capacities of the human body, mind
and spirit.
Maintain a compact, life-long exercise program that can
be practiced almost anywhere without equipment or an
apparatus of any kind.
Heal injuries or illnesses in their own or others' bodies.
Cultivate and maintain excellent health.
Develop and embody all of the chi methods of the 16-part
Taoist neigong system.
Acquire high-level internal martial art skills.
Practice Taoist meditation to feed the deepest needs of the
human soul, including the need to flow with rather than resist
the natural process of change.
Health
Practice of the SPC amplifies all the positive health attributes of the bagua
practices presented in Modules 1-8 that serve as the building blocks of the SPC.
Simply put, the whole SPC is more than the sum of its parts as it relates to human
health, well ness, stress reduction and healing of disease and injury.
16
Chi Development and Meditation

When initially practicing the complete SPC, health and meditation applications
are so intimately linked that distinctions are usually muddled for most practitioners. This is because in the beginning, the energetic techniques required to
produce superior health or foundational meditation capacities are mostly the
same. However, although such techniques may be sufficient for the SPC as a form
of qigong or martial arts, this is not true for intermediate meditation.
Exponentially increasing a human being's chi can be a path to increasing personal health and power, but usually it alone does not tame the ego's nasty side,
or resolve and clear the psychological or karmic demons within the soul. In fact,
it may increase them.
Significantly increasing someone's chi (unless the process is very well-balanced)
can merely inflate the ego for some people. Greater chi can feed the psychological inner demons or ghosts that can lurk within the soul and cause these
negative forces to grow in spiritually disturbing ways.
While bagua's spiritual or monastic tradition has always been very clear, the
bagua martial tradition is at times known for being fuzzy or neglectful on this
point.
Prepare to Learn the SPC:

The SPC Palm Posture
As you Walk the Circle wnh the Single Palm Change (SPC) Palm Posture, remember the following physical and mental goals.
Physical
Within the SPC Palm Posture, incorporate all the physical
body alignments, movement methods and chi development
considerations explained in Modules 1-8.
17
No matter how fast or slow you walk, never separate from a

clearly felt awareness of your feet at a minimum and ideally
your entire physical body.
You must be both in your head (visualization capacity} and
feeling your body. Feel your body as it moves. Do not only
see it in your head. Many tend to see (visualize} themselves
practicing the palm posture as they do it and in the process
cease to feel their body. So they primarily have a mental
experience rather than a whole-body experience that
incorporates all of their senses.
Beware of the error of involuntarily dissociating into a purely
mental realm. You must be present in your body. Disconnection
prevents you from being fully present to what you are doing.
This easily results in:
Becoming lost in a purely mental realm divorced from
your ability to feel or manage your chi well. So instead,
you primarily have internal pictures of your chi, rather
than directly connecting to the chi itself.
Never gaining the ability to control your chi.
Creating a barrier to learning to dissolve your chi and
release the blockages within it. These blockages include
not only physical ones, but also emotional, mental and
spiritual ones as well.
Continuously look at the tip of your index finger or into the
space in front of it, but not at the ground or upward into space.
While gazing at this point, use it as a point of stability upon
which to hang your mind.
Mind Considerations
Calm your mind and concentrate it. Look at your finger or into the space beyond
while simultaneously keeping some portion of your mind resting in your lower
tantien. Both together, these become your internal point of stability from which
18
you can recognize the buzz of your nervous system. Try to recognize within this
buzz your surface-level tension and deeper levels of stress and internal psychological resistance.
Then, progressively look for:
Indicators of the garbage in the bargain basement of your
mind.
What prevents your nerves from releasing, so you can let go
and relax.
The layers of clarity of which your mind and spirit are capable.
As you Walk the Circle, let your understanding of how your mind's field of
awareness can open and naturally evolve. Let yourself comfortably become
simultaneously aware of larger and larger amounts of information and
perceptions without strain or internal conflict: information such as all the little
mini-cogs of your physical movement machine; energy flows inside your body or
etheric field; or the subtle qualities of internal intent and action engaged in your
meditative states.
Section 2
Heaven
Single Palm Change
Reversing Direction:
Clockwise to Counterclockwise
In this section, you will learn how to do the Heaven Single Palm Change using
ten steps.
Figure 9.2.1 (on pp. 20-21) and the text that follows present the Single Palm
Change in a step-by-step progression. Initially, it is a good idea to stand and hold
each position as you move through the SPC. Hold each long enough that you feel
that you understand the position and are comfortable in it. Make adjustments as
necessary.
19
20
Figure 9.2.1 Part 2

Heaven SPC: Clockwise to Counterclockwise Circle
This is how you change direction from walking clockwise to
counterclockwise on the circle using the Heaven Single Palm Change.
Figure begins on the next page.
Figure 9.2.2
SPC with Dragon Body Turning: Beginners Version
An appropriate position for a beginner with just a little Dragon Body turning.
21
Figure 9.2.1 Part 1

Heaven SPC: Clockwise to Counterclockwise Circle
This is how you change direction from walking clockwise to
counterclockwise on the circle using the Heaven Single Palm Change.
Figure continues on the previous page.
Figure 9.2.3
SPC with Dragon Body Turning: Advanced Version
This degree of Dragon Body turning is only appropriate
for advanced bagua practitioners.
22
Once you are familiar and comfortable with each position of the SPC, then try to
practice it so that the arm, hand, leg and foot movements flow from one positionto the next to the next in a seamless and coordinated continuum. Keep in mind
that all of your body parts should move simultaneously and at the same relative
speed. Thus for each position, all parts of your body should start and finish at the
same time. No part of your body should either be ahead of or behind another.
1. Beginning Position
As you Walk the Circle in a clockwise
direction, hold the SPC Palm Posture.
Figure 9.2.2 demonstrates the position
of a beginner who is doing just a little
Dragon Body turning (see thumbnail at
left). A more experienced
practitio-
ner would have a greater Dragon Body

turn toward the circle's center as commensurate with their level of practice and
development (possibly as far as shown
in Figure 9.2.3 (see thumbnail at left),
although not recommended for beginning- and intermediate-level practitioners).
When you are ready to change direction,
wait until the foot on the inside of the
circle (right) is weighted. Then, bring the
foot that is outside the circle (left) to be
slightly off the ground and side by side and parallel with
your inside foot.
Figure 9.2.4
Beginning Position
Your inside (right) palm is the upper palm. Ideally, both

palms are on your torso's centerline.
23
2. Toe-in Step and Twist Arms Inward

Leg Movements
1. Relative to the circle, initially step forward with your
(left) outside foot and then toe in towards the center
of the circle. This creates aT-shape with your two feet
positioned at 90-degree angles to each other (see
Figure 9.2.5 or Module 7 for detailed instructions).
2. As you toe in, twist both legs inward.

Be sure to step comfortably and do not overextend.
Maintain your hips at the same height as when you began.
Maintain this hip height throughout the entire Heaven
SPC. Do not allow your hips to rise up or down.

In time and with practice, you will have plenty of opportunities to make your stances deeper and longer while
Circle Walking and doing the SPC. You do so by relaxing,
bending your rear leg and sitting deeper back into your
kwa to sink your body. Always adhere to the 70 percent
rule. You should not feel strain in your knees or any contraction in your thigh muscles.
Figure 9.2.5
Position 2
Arm and Hand Movements

The movement of your toe-in step and hip and waist turning should drive an
inward lengthening and twisting movement of both of your arms and hands.
Each hand will remain at essentially the same height as in the beginning position.
Because your waist is turning, unless carefully monitored, there is a tendency to
change the angle between your hands and the centerline of your torso from that
24
which you had in the beginning position. To avoid this, use the inward rotating/
twisting of both arms to keep both hands on your centerline rather than veering
away from it.
Upper Arm Movement

See Figure 9.2.5 (thumbnail at right) and keep in mind:
Your palm and forearm lengthen and rotate/twist
inward to face your body.
Your upper fingers continually point upward as in the
SPC Palm Posture.
If you can, your elbow tip should point down
perpendicular to the ground.
Over time, the ideal position is to have your entire
forearm and the edge of your palm align exactly on
your centerline.
In the beginning, most practitioners can't do the ideal and begin at a thirty- to
sixty-degree angle of the forearm to the body's centerline. The road to the ideal
usually involves progressively releasing the neck, shoulders and other places in the
body over time. As these releases take place, the forearm can move closer to being
directly on the centerline. In the meantime, don't force it!
Lower Arm
Your palm, forearm and the rest of your arm lengthen and
rotate/twist inward to face upward.
Your palm moves from facing forward or sideways with
fingers upward, to the palm facing upward at the same relative
height as it started. So, if while Walking the Circle, the fingers of
your lower hand were at the height of your lower tantien, then
when you finish the toe-in, your palm would be facing upwards
in front of your lower tantien. Your fingers should point directly
sideways.
25
In martial arts, this movement is primarily used as a horizontal blocking/deflecting and chopping technique to the middle or lower part
of the body.
3. From the Toe-in Position,

Shift Weight
8
Figure 9.2.6
Position 3
Still in the same toe-in stance, fully shift your weight to the former toe-in foot
(left), as your legs twist in more and your waist turns inward further toward the
center of your circle (Figure 9.2.6 A-B).
As your upper forearm continues to lengthen, rotate and twist
yet more inward as it moves closer to your centerline.
Your bottom arm and hand continues to lengthen and twist
more inward and the fingers point upward even more.
With your mind, try to feel and become more aware of what is
behind you.
26
4. Toe-out Step and Block

with Upper Arm
B
Figure 9.2.7
Position 4
Feet and Waist

1. Your (right) foot will now toe-out away from the center of your circle. (Use
the complete toe-out turn you learned in Module 7.)
Your toe-out step could move you anywhere from 90 to 300
degrees (as described in Module 7 on the five kinds of toe-out
steps). For example, a 120-degree, toe-out step is about right
for a reasonably flexible beginner.
27
2. At the completion of the toe-out, face 180 degrees or more away from the
direction you previously faced on your circle when you began the SPC.
Keep your kwa, ankle and foot connections solid.
Protect your weighted, supporting (left) knee by doing your
best not to allow it to collapse or bend inward. Keep your rear
leg properly aligned as described in Module 7.
3. Finish with a clear footbrake in the new direction you are facing.
Correct
Incorrect
Figure 9.2.8
Toe-out Knee Alignments
Arms and Hands

Most often in the SPC, only one arm and palm is fully energized in a
complete yang or yin fashion at any given time. Which arm is energized will
constantly change, e.g. the upper and then the lower, and vice versa. This enables
the projecting yang energy of one hand to be very clear and the yin energy of the
opposite hand to completely support it.
28
Ideally, the yang energy flows completely unobstructed back and forth from one
hand to the other: hence the name Single Palm Change.
Lower Arm and Hand

As you do your toe-out step, your lower (left) arm
and hand is yin and your upper (right) arm and
hand is yang (see Figure 9.2.7/thumbnail at right).
Your lower arm and wrist remains on
and moves with your centerline. As
your hips turn, they carry your torso,
arm and hand along with it.
Your forearm and palm rotates/twists inward to face downward, and your fingers point either forward or upward.
Upper Arm and Hand

1. As you do your toe-out step, lengthen your upper (right) arm from your
spine outward, ideally with your elbow pointing straight down.
Your hand remains on your centerline.
Your entire arm, from your spine to your fingertips, rotates/
twists outward.
Your arm rises slightly, so that your hand finishes in front of
your face or forehead, on your body's centerline.
The combination of your hips turning and your arm extending,
rotating and lifting gives you the feeling of a horizontal, slightly
rising circular sweeping and blocking action.
2. Your upper arm finishes with the palm and fingers basically on a straight
line (albeit slightly curved) on an upward 45-degree angle (Figure 9.2.9).
Because your upper hand begins and finishes on your body's centerline, you
might falsely assume that your arm and hand will stay still in space like dead
29
wood. This is not the case. Instead, you will feel as if you must move it sideways in a
motion like you might use if you were to bring your arm from your centerline to
your shoulder.
Why? The turning of your hips and waist makes an arc in

space. To keep your arm on your centerline, between the
beginning and end of the arc, you must exert a sideways
impetus through your arm, or it will be left behind.
3. When you do the final foot brake of your toe-out step, let
that motion amplify your last bit of outward lengthening
and rotating/twisting of your upper arm and hand. Try
to maximize the discharge of energy from your spine to
your palm and fingertips.
Figure 9.2.9
Initially, focus your intent on doing a purely forward, vertical

drilling motion expressed through your fingers (see Module 3,
Body Unification Exercise #2, Drill).
Once you can do that clearly and easily, then also lengthen
and twist out in such a way that you add a clear sideward/
horizontal motion that moves through your thumb (see
Module 3, Body Unification Exercise #3, Cut).
4. At the end, ideally the back of your hand and fingers face in the same
direction as your nose, the front of your spine, and the knee and foot of
your forward toe-out leg.
Head and Eyes

As you do your toe-out step, maintain your head's position on your centerline,
facing forward relative to your body. Let the turning of your hips carry your torso,
head and arms sideways, but don't turn your head any further than your body
carries it.
Continue to gaze softly forward through your upper hand as your body turns. Relax your eyes, and let your gaze sweep across the space through which you turn.
30
Try to remain present, allowing yourself to see as much as possible while your
eyes sweep around without becoming dizzy.
The combination of your hips turning and your arm extending and
rotating creates a horizontal circular sweeping and blocking action.
See Appendix 1 for more on martial applications.
5. Shift Weight,
Move Lower Palm Forward
1. Shift your weight to your forward (right) leg.
If using a three-part step,
shift weight in one clean
movement.
If using a four-part step, in
the first 70 percent of the
weight shift, bend your legs.
During the last 30 percent of
the weight shift, extend your
legs.
2. Your upper arm remains extended and

the palm maintains its previous toeout-step shape. Continue to lengthen
and twist outward, and extend your
chi outward and upward through your
palm and fingers.
3. Extend your lower arm and hand

forward and upward a bit, and begin to
project chi through your palm.
Figure 9.2.1 0
Position 5
6. Bring Feet Side by Side

and Palm Strike
Figure 9.2.11
Position 6
1. Make sure your weight is on your front (right) foot.
2. Bring your rear empty and weightless (left) foot side by side and parallel
with your forward (right) foot.
3. Lengthen and rotate/twist your upper arm and hand inward without
letting your arm or hand come back toward your torso at all. Maintain the
same angles your upper fingers, palm, wrist, elbow and shoulder assumed
in the previous two movements.
31
32
4. Let the movement forward of your weightless (left) foot cause your lower
arm to extend forward and upward slightly more, and to do a left palm
strike just under your upper elbow (see Module 3, Body Unification Exercise
#1, Palm Strike).
Rotate/twist your lower arm and palm inward.
Ideally, the palm strike is directed on the same line as the balls
and toes of your unweighted (left) foot.
Your lower arm only extends forward a few inches as you
slightly extend your elbow and armpit.
Your lower palm projects energy-not forward-but to the
side of your upper elbow.
7. Straight Step and

Reverse Arm Positions
See Figure 9.2.12 on the next page.
Legs and Hips

1. With your unweighted (left) leg, do a straight step forward with a footbrake.
Depending on how far around your toe-out step positions
you, either walk again on your circle in the counterclockwise
direction, or step outside of your circle away from its center.
Twist your legs outward.
2. As you step, turn your waist slightly toward your weighted (right) leg.
33
I
\
Figure 9.2.12
Position 7
Arms and Hands

As you step, simultaneously do the rising and falling arm switching technique
you learned for the Single Palm Change Transition in Module 8, Section 4.
Let your leg movement generate your arm movements.
Both forearms lightly rub and twist against each other as they
move up and down to finish together.
34
Rising Arm and Hand

1. While initially keeping your upper (right) arm and palm in the same
position, move your lower (left) hand underneath the right elbow to the
outside.
2. Your lower (left) arm and hand lengthens and rotates/twists outward and
rises. Your rising forearm moves up and forward along the outside of your
descending upper arm. The hand rises to a position as high as or ideally
above your head (Figure 9.2.13).
3. Your rising (left) arm finishes with your forearm at a 90-degree angle to the
ground with your fingers pointing upward.
8
Figure 9.2.13
Height of Upper Hand

A} Acceptable hand position. B) Ideal hand position.
35
Descending Arm and Hand

Your upper {right) arm lengthens and rotates/twists inward, gradually bends and
moves down to finish with the back of the hand on the crook of the rising arm's
elbow.
As it drops and bends, the forearm initially rubs against the
back and outside of the rising forearm.
Then, midway it switches to rubbing against the inside of the
rising arm in coordination with the rising arm moving forward
and the palm rotating up and twisting outward.
Finish with the descending {right) hand in the crook of your
rising (left) elbow, with the palm facing up.
Ideally, both hands finish on your centerline with the fingers
pointing upward.
Next Steps
The traditional requirement, and ideally the best practice from here on, is to
finish the remaining hip, waist and upper body movements of the SPC within
three full steps. Then, you would Walk the Circle until the time arrives to reverse
direction on the circle again.
For many people, this is an attainable goal within one year of practice. However,
in the beginning, most practitioners cannot complete the movements of the SPC
within three, five or even seven full steps in a smooth manner with all parts of the
body fully connected and integrated.
Only when your hip, waist, shoulder and arm movements become looser and
more fluid, connected and integrated will you be able to accomplish the threestep goal.
Instructors usually allow beginners five to seven steps to complete the change of
direction and hone the number of steps down to three or less over time.
36

Palm Edges Out
Figure 9.2.14
Position 8
Legs and Dragon Body

Stepping
1. Your next step is a curving step with what is now your outside (right) foot.
If your previous straight step was on your circle, then this
outside step will be your normal curving outside step.
37
If your previous straight step took you outside your circle and
away from its center, then your straight step will curve (toe-in)
more than usual to bring your feet back around to be on or at
least moving toward your circle for this curving step.
2. Then, continue to Walk the Circle in a counterclockwise direction.
If you previously stepped significantly outside your circle, you
must adjust your next few steps to bring you smoothly back
onto your circle.
Dragon Body Turning

As you step, gradually turn your hips and waist toward the center of your circle.
As you begin to turn, gauge your maximum comfortable Dragon Body turning
position.
Then, time your turning so that ideally you will reach that maximum turn at the
precise moment when you finish the remaining SPC upper body and arm movements. If you require seven steps, you will turn more slowly than if you only need
three steps.
Arms and Hands

As you turn your hips and waist, rotate your palms, so the edges face outward
and away from you.
Lengthen and twist both arms and palms outward.
Maintain your upper fingertips at the height they reached in
the previous step: at the height of the crown of your head or
ideally well above it.
Lower your bottom hand, so that your fingertips are just below
the tip of your upper arm's elbow.
38
9. Sink Arms to Chop Downward
Figure 9.2.15
Position 9
Continue to walk and turn toward the center of your circle almost as far as your
Dragon Body turning will carry you. Next, sink your arms and palms, so that you
chop downward. This chop may either be done gradually as you step and turn
your body, or you may wait until the moment just before you finish your Dragon
Body turning.
39
1. From the beginning position, continue to step along the circumference of

the circle and turn your hips and waist toward the center (Figure 9.2.1 5 A).
As the arm and hand movements begin, for each hand your little finger
is slightly further extended away from you than the bottom part of your
palm (Figure 9.2.1 5 B).
2. You now use the tip of each little finger as a pivot point from which you
bring your wrists and the edges of your palms down and forward. The tips
of both little fingers must remain relatively fixed in space in relationship to
your wrists (Figure 9.2.1 5 B).
3. Drop your wrists vertically and slightly forward away from you on your
centerline, without going backward, left or right. Simultaneously drop and
bend your elbows, and move them toward your wrists. Bring your wrists
and the bottom edges of your hands forward below your little fingers, until
the edges of the palms are perpendicular to the ground and on a straight
line with your little fingers (Figure 9.2.1 5 C). Lengthen and twist both arms
inward and bend your elbows. This causes two types of forces to emanate
from each of your palms.
A downward chop from the very bottom of the palm's edge.
A forward cutting action with the rest of the palm's edge.
10. Turn Palms Out

and Walk the Circle
With your next step, finish your Dragon Body turning and
lengthen, rotate and twist your arms and palms outward to
assume the Single Palm Change Palm Posture.
Figure 9.2.16 dipicts a beginner's degree of Dragon Body turning whereas Figure 9.2.17 (see next page) depicts how far a
very experienced and advanced student might turn.
Figure 9.2.16
40
Finish your Dragon Body as far as you can comfortably

turn toward the center of your circle. Maintain your four
points and keep the centers of both of your palms on
your centerline. Your hips, palms and head all face in the
same direction at whatever angle your hips can turn (e.g.
15, 30 or 45 degrees away from the direction in which
your legs move on the edge of your circle).
The tip of your upper index finger is
approximately on a straight line, even with
either your nose (if you are more stretched)
or your shoulder (if less stretched).
Figure 9.2.17
Your lower palm should be in front of your
lower tantien to begin. As you are able to
open and stretch more, your lower index fingertip points toward the upper arm elbow tip. Be sure to keep your wrist joint
open and comfortable.
Now Walk the Circle while holding the SPC Palm Posture, until you are ready to
reverse direction again.
Reversing Direction Again:

Counterclockwise to Clockwise
When reversing direction from walking a counterclockwise to clockwise circle
(Figure 9.2. 18 on pp. 44-45), every position in the SPC is an exact mirror image of
the positions presented in this section for changing from a clockwise to counterclockwise direction. For instructions on how to do the SPC in this way, you simply
repeat the previous set of 10 instructions for the Heaven Palm and change any
instructions for "right" to "left" and for "left" to "right:'
That said there can be challenges. Many people-even the most intellectually
capable-have difficulty with lefts and rights. Like people with dyslexia, some
students have trouble recognizing physical directions rather than words and find
41
themselves very confused by instructions that stress left and right movements.
To help address such problems, the directions above focus not on right and left,
but on forward and back, weighted and unweighted, and upper and lower.
Learning and Practicing

the Heaven SPC
Hold Positions, Then Flow between Positions
As noted at the beginning of this section, when first learning the SPC, you may
find it useful to focus on holding each position as you move through the SPC.
Hold each position long enough to understand the position and become comfortable in it, making adjustments as necessary.
You may do this in one of three ways:
Without moving, hold each of the ten positions for a few
minutes and then do the SPC.
Walk the Circle three times and, on the third revolution, stop in
the first posture, hold it for a few minutes and continue from
there into the SPC. Reverse direction and repeat. Change
direction two more times, completing three revolutions
around your circle before each change. Then, on the next
change of direction, fluidly do the first posture, but this time
stop when you finish the second posture and hold it for a few
minutes. Then, finish the SPC and, as before, do two reverses
of direction. Then, on the third circle reversal, do the first and
second postures smoothly, stopping and holding the third
posture for a few minutes {just as you did before for the first
and second postures). Repeat this process with each and every one of the ten component postures on both sides of your
body, mirroring arm positions (for the right and left) with each
change of direction. Over time, this will enable your SPC to
become more stable, accurate, fluid and infused with internal
power.
42
Hold each of the arm positions in sequence, one at a time, for

all ten component parts of the SPC. Walk the Circle three times
holding the posture, reverse direction and hold the posture
with the opposite hand positions, switching left for right and
right for left. Once you have held the same position for three
circles-both on your right and left sides-then, on the next
change of direction, move into the next hand position in the
sequence. Repeat.
Once you are familiar and comfortable with each position of the SPC, then try to
practice it so that ideally the arm, hand, leg and foot movements flow from one
position to the next to the next in a seamless coordinated way. Keep in mind that
all of your body parts should move simultaneously at the same relative speed.
So for each instruction, all parts of your body should start and finish at the same
time, with no part of your body being either ahead of or behind the other.
Once you can do the SPC in a flowing manner (in each direction), you can then
practice Circle Walking as you have done in the past. Remember that a good
practice for beginners is to walk three full circles in one direction and then change
direction. Everything you learned before will now be applied to practicing the
Heaven SPC.
Each time you change direction with the SPC, try to maintain a spring in your
legs and do the movements in a clean, smooth and continuous manner. Your
arms should feel full during the entire SPC. Your arms and legs should all move in
unison with each other at a steady speed and not slow down or speed up at
various points along the continuum.
Three- and Four-part Stepping

As you practice the SPC, you may choose whichever stepping method is best for
you. You will want to wire in and integrate the arm movements into both fourpart and three-part stepping.
43
Walking Speeds
When you Walk the Circle and practice the SPC, you want to do the reversal of direction and SPC at exactly the same speed that you walk and vice-versa. Your SPC
should be a continuation of your Circle Walking and not a separate activity. The
two should merge to be one continuous and evenly flowing motion-regardless of which direction you walk or whether you are on your circle or doing the
SPC. Your walking should become your SPC, and your SPC should become your
walking, until they merge into one.
At first, until the physical and energetic movements are well-coordinated, you
should only walk and do the SPC at slow walking speeds. This allows your body
sufficient time to absorb and coordinate leg and arm motions without useless
frustration.
The recommended sequence is to:
1. Walk at a slow-ish speed, using four-part stepping.
2. Repeat with three-part stepping.
3. When you can smoothly walk at slow speeds and incorporate all the
physical and energetic principles learned up to this point, then over time
walk faster, until you arrive at a medium walking speed using either threeor four-part stepping methods.
Go through multiple cycles of four-part and three-part stepping. Each time, you
will move faster and faster until you become comfortable Walking the Circle and
doing the SPC with both stepping methods at the slowest and fastest speeds of
which you are capable-and every speed and all speeds in between. Your goal
is to be able to dial up or down your walking speeds with your hand movements
seamlessly coordinated with the footwork.
Ideally, you should only engage in faster walking speeds under the guidance of
an experienced, well-trained bagua instructor. Small problems that would otherwise go unnoticed are much less likely to grow into big ones.
44
Figure 9.2.18
Heaven SPC: Counterclockwise to Clockwise
Heaven Single Palm Change when changing direction from
walking a counterclockwise to a clockwise circle.
F
Heaven SPC: Counterclockwise to Clockwise
Heaven Single Palm Change when changing direction from
walking a counterclockwise to a clockwise circle.
45
46
Concluding Your SPC and Circle Walking Practice

1. When you are ready to end your practice, if you are walking quickly, then
gradually slow down, perhaps over many circles and multiple SPC changes
of direction.
2. When you are walking slowly and comfortably, smoothly transition from
holding the SPC Palm Posture into the SPC Warm-up (see Module 8). Try
not to lose the fullness in your arms and legs, i.e. don't let them collapse in
anyway.
3. Walk for as many circles as you like, doing the SPC Warm-up movements as
a cool down for your practice.
4. When you are ready to conclude, complete a final upward and then
downward motion and let your hands rest at your sides.
5. With your arms at your sides, take as many steps as you need around the
circle until you can feel your mind (i.e., your feeling awareness) come to
rest in your belly, your breath become very smooth, and eventually feel
your chi collect in your lower tantien.
6. Turn toward the center of your circle, and stand for a minute or so to allow
your chi to finish collecting in your lower tantien (which it will whether you
feel it or not), and your mind and breath to further settle there.
7. When you feel you have settled as much as you can, smoothly transition
into your next activity. Carry with you the sense of body and mind space,
relaxation, integration and connection that you experienced during your
practice as much as possible throughout your day.
Section 3
Heaven
Single Palm Change
(Intermediates)
Overview
In this section, we will explore how to do the Heaven Single Palm Change (SPC)
at a more refined level of sophistication. We will use the same ten steps/positions
presented in Section 2.
As in Section 2, Figure 9.3.1 (on the next page) and the text that follows
present the Heaven SPC in a step-by-step progression. As you refine your SPC,
you may find it useful to relearn it in such a fashion. Then, you can return to
practicing all ten steps as a continuum, with each position flowing smoothly into
the next once again.
47
48
Figure 9.3.1
A-J correspond to the 10 steps/positions presented in Section 2.

A-J correspond to the 10 steps/positions presented in Section 2.
49
50
1. Beginning Position: Change from

Counterclockwise to Clockwise
As you Walk the Circle in a counterclockwise direction, hold
the SPC Palm Posture. Your degree of Dragon Body turn will
be commensurate with your level of practice and development (see Figure 9.3.2 for an advanced version).
When you decide that you are ready to change direction,
wait until your foot on the inside of the circle (left) is weighted. Then, bring your right foot to be unweighted and side
by side and parallel with your inside (left) foot.
Your inside (left) palm is raised and you gaze through the
index finger. Both palms are on your torso's centerline.
Figure 9.3.2
2. Toe-in Step and Twist Arms Inward

See the next page for more details.
Figure 9.3.3
Position 2
3. Still in a Toe-in Position,

Shift Weight
8
Figure 9.3.4
Moving through Position 2 to Position 3

Toe-in step (A) and then shift
weight onto toe-in foot (B).
Leg and Foot Movements

1. Relative to the circle, step forward with your outside (right) foot and then
toe-in toward the center of the circle (Figure 9.3.4 A).
As you toe-in, twist both of your legs inward.
Shrink the sphere that your body forms (see Module 5 on
energy postures and developing the spherical body).
Close your joints, kwa and, if you can, your cavities,
abdomen, spine and lower tantien.
51
52
2. Then, fully shift your weight to your toe-in (right) foot, as

your waist turns inward. Further twist your legs inward,
shrink your sphere, and close your joints, cavities, abdomen,
spine and lower tantien. See Figure 9.3.4 B/thumbnail at
right.
Arm and Hand Movements

The movement of your toe-in step and weight shift should
drive bending, closing and inward lengthening and twisting
movements of your arms and hands. Both hands will remain at
essentially the same height they were during the beginning position.
Twist your arms inward from your little fingers and palm edges to end with both
palms facing toward your body. Close the joints and cavities of your arms and
upper body.
Upper Arm Movement

Keep in mind:
Your fingers continually point upward as in the SPC Palm
Posture.
If it can, your elbow tip should remain facing down
perpendicular to the ground.
The ideal position is to have your entire forearm and the edge
of your palm lay exactly on your centerline.
To help you achieve the ideal position, from your buttocks all
the way to the bottom of your neck, broaden and expand the
soft tissues of your back from your spine outward.
Simultaneously shrink the front of your torso, kwa and pubic
region toward your body's centerline. This procedure, as
applied to the pelvic area and buttocks, is termed liu tun shi
kwa in Chinese.
53
Lower Arm
Twist your arm and palm inward from the little-finger side of the arm.
Your palm moves from facing forward or sideways with fingers upward,
to the palm facing upward at the same relative height it started. So if the
fingers of your lower hand were almost touching your upper elbow, then
when you finish the toe-in and weight shift, your palm will be face up,
fingers facing sideways just below your upper elbow.
4. Toe-out Step and

Block with Upper Arm
Figure 9.3.5
90-Degree Toe-Out
As you toe-out, expand the sphere that your body forms (see Module 5 on energy
postures and developing the spherical body).
54
Feet, Legs and Hips

1. With your weightless (left) foot toe-out away from the center of the circle.
Your toe-out step could turn anywhere from 90 degrees
(Figure 9.3.5) to 300 degrees.
An appropriate turn for a fairly flexible intermediate
practitioner is 180 degrees (Figure 9.3.6).
2. To do the larger toe-out steps, use Toe-Out Step
Method 3 as described in Module 7, Circle Walking
Direction Change: Complete Footwork.
Horizontally unfold your weighted leg's side

of your kwa, so that your pelvis moves away
from your weighted (right) leg, and carries
your unweighted toe-out (left) leg sideways.
Simultaneously and horizontally unfold your
toe-out (left) leg's side of your kwa, so your
toe-out leg moves away from your pelvis
and even further sideways. This will cause
your toe-out leg to move away from your
centerline.
Twist both of your legs outward strongly.
Open your kwa, backs of your knees, all of
the joints of your legs, and your lower
tantien and spine, especially when at the
Figure 9.3.6
end of yout thigh swing, you extend your
180 Degree Toe-Out
calf directly forward from your knee and

footbrake.
Be sure to keep your weighted leg's hip, knee, ankle and foot
connection solid and properly aligned. Do not allow your supporting knee to collapse.
Incorrect
55
Correct
Figure 9.3.7
Toe-out Knee Alignments
Arms and Hands

Twist both of your arms outward and open all of the cavities and joints of your
upper body and spine.
Remember that in the SPC, to a large extent and at any given time, only one
arm and palm is fully energized in a complete yang or yin fashion. Which arm is
energized constantly changes, e.g. the upper and then the lower, and vice versa.
This enables the projecting yang energy of one hand to be very clear and the yin
energy of the opposite hand to completely support it.
2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Riqhts Reserved.
56
Ideally, the yang energy flows completely unobstructed back and forth from one
hand to the other.
Lower Arm and Hand

As you do your toe-out step, your lower (right) arm and hand is yin and your
upper (left) arm and hand yang.
Your lower (right) arm's wrist remains on and moves with your
centerline. As your hips turn, they carry your torso and lower
arm and hand along with it.
Stretch, lengthen and twist outward from the little-finger side
your entire lower arm from your spine to your fingertips. Your
forearm and palm rotates to face downward, and your fingers
point either forward or upward.
Upper Arm and Hand

1. Allow your hips and legs to carry your upper (left) arm sideways in space
as you horizontally unfold your weighted (right) kwa to move your pelvis
and unweighted, toe-out leg sideways.
2. Remember that you also horizontally unfold your unweighted (left) kwa
to move your toe-out leg even further sideways. Let that leg motion also
drive your upper arm even further sideways so that it remains directly
above your u nweig hted leg.l n other words, move your upper arm sideways
away from your centerline to the same degree that your leg moves away
from your centerline.
3. Stretch, lift and outwardly lengthen your upper (left) arm and palm, ideally
with the elbow pointing straight down.
Twist outward from the thumb side of your palm your entire
arm from your spine to your fingertips.
57
As your arm moves upward and sideways in space, it extends

and stretches forward in a sort of a horizontal, slightly rising
circular block.
Your wrist and fingers extend and press forward and upward,
so your palm faces directly upward and your fingers project
directly forward parallel to the ground.
Figure 9.3.8
Upper Arm Presses Sideways, Upward and Forward
Head and Eyes

As you do your toe-out step, maintain your head's position on your centerline,
facing forward relative to your body. Let the turning of your hips carry your
torso and head sideways, but don't turn your head any further than your body
carries it, even though your upper arm has moved further sideways away from
your centerline.
Use the gazing capacities described in Module 8 (Single Palm Warm-up
Transition), Section 5 on breathing and gazing.
58
1. Allow your head to remain stable on your centerline, softly gaze straight
ahead, and as your hips carry your head let your gaze sweep across the
space through which you are turning.
2. Allow yourself to see clearly everything in your field of vision-right, left,

up and down-including your upper (left) arm that has moved sideways
off your centerline.
5. Footbrake, Shift Weight and Project

Lower Palm Forward
How you footbrake and shift your weight forward will depend on what type of
stepping you use. For three- and four-part stepping, see subsection"a"below and
for two-part stepping, see "b" below.
a. Three- or Four-part Stepping
Figure 9.3.9
Position 5
59
Footbrake
See Figure 9.3.9. When you do the final footbrake of your toe-out step, let that
motion amplify your last bit of outward lengthening and rotating/twisting of
your upper arm and hand. Try to maximize the discharge of energy from your
spine to your palm and fingertips. Your upper arm makes three distinct motions
simultaneously:
The first motion is a purely forward, vertical drilling motion
expressed through your fingertips.
The second motion builds on the first and adds a clear
sideways/horizontal motion led by the thumb-side of your arm.
The third motion builds on the first two and is an upward,
rising motion expressed through your palm.
Shift Weight and Project Lower Palm Forward

Then, simultaneously:
1. Shift your weight forward in the manner described for three- and four-part
stepping in Module 7, Section 5. Carefully review the deng jiao methods of
moving your chi down to the bottom of your etheric body and up again.
If you are using a three-part step, make it one clean movement.
Open your leg joints, the back of the knee and kwa cavities,
and your spine and lower tantien. Twist your forward (left) leg
outward and your rear (right) leg inward.
If you are using a four-part step, close and open your legs and
everything else you can as you bend and stretch them. As you
close, half-twist your forward (left) leg outward and your rear
(right) leg inward. As you open, twist both legs outward.
As you shift forward, gradually turn your hips and torso as far
as you can toward the direction that your forward (left) leg and
foot are pointing.
60
As your body turns, maintain your head position as facing

straight outward on your centerline.
2.
Upper body:
o
If you are using three-part stepping, then continue to stretch,

lengthen and twist outward and open everything in your
upper body.
If you are using four-part stepping, then continue to lengthen

and twist outward both of your arms and within that outward
motion open and close everything in your upper body in
unison with the opening and closing of your legs.
3. Your upper arm remains extended and the palm maintains its previous
toe-out step shape. Continue to extend your upper arm's chi outward and
upward through your upper palm and fingers.
4. Your lower arm and palm projects chi without the arm stretching
(extending) very much at the elbow and especially not to the point of fully
locking.
b. Two-part Stepping
Once you have performed your toe-out step as described in Step 4, take a large
stride in the manner described for two-part stepping in Module 7, Section 5.
Carefully review the deng jiao methods described there, including the energetic
methods of moving your chi down to the bottom of your etheric body and up
again.
Large Stride and Footbrake

1. When you have almost completed your toe-out step and are ready to
footbrake, tuck your hips and project your lead foot as far forward (with as
large a stride) as you can comfortably.
o
Maintain your rear foot fully flat on the ground.
Keep your rear knee properly aligned.

The lead foot's toes project and reach into the space in
front of you.
The lead leg will extend and stretch to approximately
70-80 percent of its possible extension.
Open your leg joints, the cavities of your kwa and the back of
the knees, and your spine and lower tantien.
Continue to twist both legs outward.
2. Just slightly before the end of your lead foot's extension, tuck your hips
to launch your hips even slightly more toward your forward toe-out (left)
foot. Either keep your rear (right) foot planted or alternatively let the heel
slightly lift off the ground while the ball presses into the earth.
3. Footbrake with your lead foot.
Finish your outward twisting and opening.
Use the footbrake to stop your momentum and fully discharge
your chi through your toes.
The footbrake should generate no rebound or force back up
your legs, which can jam into the joints of your feet, ankle, knee
and hip or your lower back.
4. When you do the footbrake, let that motion amplify your last bit of
outward lengthening and rotating/twisting of your upper arm and hand.
Try to maximize the discharge of energy from your spine to your palm and
fingertips. Your upper arm makes three distinct motions simultaneously:
The first motion is a purely forward, vertical drilling motion
expressed through your fingertips.
The second motion builds on the first and adds a clear sideward/horizontal motion led by the thumb-side of your arm.
The third motion builds on the first two and is an upward,
rising motion expressed through your palm.
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62
Pull Your Weight Forward and

Project Lower Palm Forward
Shift your weight halfway and then fully forward in the manner described for
two-part stepping in Module 7, Section 5.
Legs and Feet

1. Shift your weight halfway forward onto your forward (left) leg:
At the end of your footbrake, instantaneously close your lead
(left) foot and toes to grab and grip the ground to stabilize your
momentum. Simultaneously close-but do not tense-your
lead foot.
Close the other joints of your legs, the backs of your knees and
your lower tantien.
Squeeze and close your kwa on both sides.
Gently roll under and tuck your hips.
Continue to twist your legs outward.
Keep your forward foot aligned and strongly rooted to the
ground, and with your step's momentum let your bodyweight
settle more and more strongly on your forward foot until your
weight is shifted halfway forward.
Gradually turn your hips and torso as far as you can toward the
direction that your forward leg and foot are pointing.
As your body shifts forward and turns, maintain your head
position as facing straight outward on your centerline.
2. Tuck your pelvis and shift your weight fully forward onto your forward
(left) leg:
Your forward (left) knee and pelvis move forward together until
your knee directly centers over your front foot.
Your forward shin is becoming perpendicular to the ground.

This enables your torso's weight to root more fully into your
lead foot.
Concurrently, your rear heel rises off the ground while the ball
of the foot remains in place. This aids your forward motion and
readies your entire rear foot to lift off the ground.
As your front knee and lower leg moves to become vertical
and perpendicular to the ground, bring your rear foot off the
ground and ideally halfway toward being side by side with
your front foot. Ideally, the sole of your rear foot moves forward
in a position parallel to the ground.
Your hips and torso must remain stable and parallel to the
ground. Your hips, midriff, ribs, chest and neck should not lean
to one side or the other to maintain your balance.
Arms and Hands
As you shift your weight further and further forward:

Continue to stretch, lengthen and twist outward and open
everything in your upper body.
Your upper arm remains extended and its palm maintains its
previous toe-out step shape. Continue to extend your upper
arm's chi outward and upward through your fingers and upper
palm.
Your lower arm and palm remains on your centerline and
projects chi without the arm stretching (extending) very much
at the elbow and especially not to the point of fully locking.
63
64
6. Bring Feet Side by Side

and Palm Strike
Figure 9.3.1 0
Position 6
Whether you are using two-, three- or four-part stepping, bring your feet side by
side and parallel in the manner described for each type of stepping in Module 7,
Section 5.
Legs and Feet

1. Beginning from the weight-forward position, gently and slightly tuck
your pelvis to bring it and your lower tantien an inch or so toward the
direction your forward (left) foot is pointing. Maintain the crown of your
head directly over your perineum.
2. Bend your rear leg and knee, and move your rear knee forward to bring
your rear foot forward with the sole or bottom of your foot parallel to the
ground. If you can't do this, then raise your heel, but at least try not to have
your toes touch the ground.
3. Close your lower tantien, kwa, joints, cavities and spine and twist both legs
inward as you bring your rear foot forward to be side by side and parallel
with your forward foot. (For two-part stepping twist your forward (left) leg
outward and your rear leg inward.) Simultaneously close and shrink your
internal sphere.
o
The toes of your rear foot will be on a line with the middle of
the forward foot at a minimum. Ideally, they will be even with
your forward toes, but never past the toes of the weighted
forward foot, or your balance can be severely compromised.
Your hips, torso and head finish turning to face the direction
that both feet now point.
Your hips and torso must remain stable and parallel to the
ground.
Your hips, midriff, ribs, chest and neck should not lean to one
side or the other in order for you to maintain your balance.
Arms and Hands

1. Your upper (left) arm and hand twists inward from the little-finger side and
closes without retracting your arm or your hand coming back toward your
torso at all.
o
Your arm maintains the same position in relation to the ground

that it held in the previous movement and its degree of bend.
Your hips will arrive to face the same direction that your
upper arm is pointing and your upper hand will end up on
your centerline.
2. Your lower (right) palm slightly extends forward to do a palm strike.

o
It is propelled by your rear moving (right) foot.
Your lower palm and arm twist inward from the thumb-side
of your arm.
65
66
Your arm and palm only extend forward a few inches.

Your lower arm and palm joints fully open.
Ideally, your lower palm strike is on the same line as the balls
and toes of moving foot.
Your palm projects energy not forward, but to the side of your
upper elbow.
7. Straight Step and

Reverse Arm Positions
Figure 9.3.11
Position 7
Legs and Hips

With your unweighted (right) leg, do a straight step forward with a footbrake.
Depending on how far around your toe-out step brought
you, either walk again on your circle in the counterclockwise
direction or step outside of it away from its center.
67
Twist your legs outward.

Open your leg joints, the cavities of your kwa and knees, your
spine and lower tantien.
Expand your internal sphere.
Turn your waist slightly toward your rear-weighted (left) leg.
Arms and Hands

As you step outward:
1. While keeping the upper (left) arm and palm in its same relative position,
move your lower (right) hand underneath the right elbow to end up on its
outside.
2. Your lower (right) arm and palm then drills upward, opens its joints, twists
outward from its thumb-side, and rises until your right palm is above your
head.
3. Simultaneously, your upper arm (left) forearm and palm twists inward
from its little-finger side, closes its joints and descends until it arrives at
the crook of your rising (right) arm, palm facing up.
4. Both forearms lightly rub and twist against each other as they move up
and down to finish at the same time.
Next Steps
The traditional requirement, and ideally the best practice from here on, is to
finish the remaining hip, waist and upper body movements of the SPC within
three full steps. Then, you would Walk the Circle until the time arrives to reverse
direction on the circle again.
68

Palm Edges Out
8
Figure 9.3.12
Moving through Position 7 to Position 8
Legs and Dragon Body

Stepping
1. Shift your weight forward and begin to turn your hips toward your forward
(right) leg (Figure 9.3.12).
2. Bring your feet side-by-side.
3. Your next step will be a curving straight step with what is now your outside
(left) foot.
69
If your previous straight step was on your circle, then this outside step will be your normal curving outside step.
If your previous straight step took you outside your circle and
away from its center, then for this curving step you will need to
curve (toe-in) more than usual to bring your feet back around
to be on or at least moving toward your circle.
Twist both of your legs outward and open the joints of your
legs, the cavities of your kwa and knees, and your spine and
lower tantien.
2. You will then continue to Walk the Circle in a counterclockwise direction.
If you previously stepped significantly outside your circle, you
must adjust your next few steps to bring you smoothly back
onto the circumference of your circle.
Dragon Body Turning

As you shift your weight forward and then do your curving step, begin to
gradually turn your hips and waist toward the center of your circle.
As you begin to turn, gauge your maximum comfortable Dragon Body turning
position.
Then, time your turning so that you ideally will reach that maximum turn at the
precise moment when you finish the remaining SPC upper body and arm movements.
Arms and Hands

As you shift your weight forward and then do your curving step and begin to
turn your hips and waist, rotate your palms so their edges face outward and away
from you.
Lengthen and twist both arms and palms outward. Twist both
arms from their little-finger sides.
70
Open all the joints and cavities of your upper body, especially
in unison with the openings in your legs when you do your
curving step.
Further expand your internal sphere.
Maintain your upper fingertips at the height they reached in
the previous step, at the height of the crown of your head or
ideally well above it.
Lower your bottom hand so that its fingertips are just below
the tip of your upper arm's elbow or upper arm.
9. Sink Arms to Chop Downward
Figure 9.3.13
Position 9
Take your next step on your circle and chop downward. This may be done before
you complete your Dragon Body turning toward the circle's center. Or, you may
finish your Dragon Body turning and then do the downward chop.
1. Starting from the previous position of turning your palm edges out, for
each hand your little finger is slightly further extended away from you
than the bottom part of your palm.
2. As you step along your circle, use the tip of each little finger as a pivot
point from which you bring your wrists and the edges of your palms down
and forward. The tips of both little fingers must remain relatively fixed in
space in relationship to your wrists.
3. On your centerline, drop your wrists vertically and slightly forward away
from you without going backward, left or right.
o
Simultaneously drop and bend your elbows, and move your

elbow tips toward your wrists.
Bring your wrists and the bottom edges of your hands
forward below your little fingers, until the edges of the
palms are perpendicular to the ground and on a straight
line with your little fingers.
Twist both arms inward from their thumb edges.

Close everything in your body, especially your tantien,
abdomen, kwa, lat muscles, elbow joints and armpit cavities.
Shrink your internal sphere.
4. These actions cause downward power to flow into your hands and
forearms, as well as a powerful stretching of the soft tissues of the arms,
shoulders, back and chest. Two types of forces emanate from each of your
palms.
o
A downward chop from the very bottom of the palm's edge.
A forward cutting action with the rest of the palm's edge.
5. When you finish your chop:

o
The centers of both of your palms are on your centerline.
71
72
The tip of your upper (right) index finger is approximately on a

straight line, even with either your nose or eyes.
Your lower (left) index fingertip points toward the upper arm's
elbow tip.
Height-wise, the lower palm's index fingertip should ideally
touch the elbow tip of your upper arm, something that
requires the upper body to be very stretched and open.
10. Turn Palms Outward

and Walk the Circle
Figure 9.3.14
Position 10
Stepping and Dragon Body Turning

With your next step, you will either finish or have finished your Dragon Body turning. In Figure 9.3.14, the author has coiled his body and arms, so his palms face
the center of his circle.
73
Since this is an advanced Dragon Body turning technique, instead only do your
Dragon Body turning as far as you can comfortably toward the center of your
circle while adhering to your 70 percent.
Maintain your four points and keep the centers of both of your palms on your
centerline. Your hips, palms, and head all face in the same direction at whatever angle your hips can turn, e.g. 45 or 60 degrees, toward your circle's center.
Twist Your Palms to Face Away from You

As you step:
Twist your arms and palms outward from the little-finger side
of your arms.
Open your joints, kwa, other cavities, abdomen, spine and
lower tantien.
Expand your internal sphere.
Walk Your Circle with the SPC Palm Posture

Walk the Circle holding the SPC Palm Posture. You can twist, open or close and
absorb or discharge chi in any of the four possible ways explained in Module 8,
Section 5 on the SPC Warm-up and Transition.
Clockwise to Counterclockwise Change

To do the Heaven Single Palm Change in the reverse direction, reverse the
instructions for steps 1-1 0 above.
74
Further Internal Development

This and the previous section delineate how you would do the Heaven SPC with
aspects of the neigong components of:
Lengthening;
Bending and stretching;
Opening and closing; and
Twisting in and out.
When you are able to do the Heaven SPC with each of these components, your
next levels of training will be to incorporate into your practice of the Heaven SPC
the following one by one:
Levels 7-12 ofthe process of developing spherical awareness
presented in Module 4, Section 3 on bagua energy postures.
The nine energetic development levels of the SPC Warm-up
as presented in Module 8, Section 3 on the SPC Warm-up and
Transition.
Appendix 1
Martial Arts Applications
Learning Stage 1: Visualize Basic
Applications of Key Movements
(Solo Practice)
A first step in learning martial arts applications ofthe Heaven Single Palm Change
(SPC) is to imagine as you practice the SPC form that you are engaged with a
opponent.
As you perform each movement, visualize a martial application, including what
both you and your opponent are doing. Imagine what it would feel like physically, energetically, emotionally and mentally to execute that application within
that movement.
Basic applications are discussed below for some of the key movements of the
Heaven SPC. Use your creativity to try to figure out basic applications for its other
movements.
75
76
Toe-in Step Followed by Weight Shift

A pronounced or deep toe-in with a strong shrinking of the
body is a common technique to:
Get out of the way and evade or slip a blow
or kick.
Cause a blow to glance off without harming
you.
Pull someone into your spinning body in order
to set them up for a throw or strike.
Most basically, the toe-in arms can be used to intercept,
absorb and redirect an opponent's blow or kick. However,
they can also be used in many other applications. For the
Figure 9.A.l
hands, your upper hand could easily be a strike to the head

or body, while your lower hand could be used to come up under a kick of the
opponent or to coil around the opponent's body to immobilize or throw him.
Likewise, a toe-in leg can also easily become a roundhouse kick to the opponent's
ankle, knee or head, or become a sweep of the opponent's forward leg, a leg trap
to break a leg, or a knee to the opponent's knee, thigh, hip or body.
Toe-out Step
When walking and changing direction, the toe-out
step most importantly moves your body in spaceeither toward or away from an attack, depending on the
angle at which you arrive. This expansive move can also
be thought of most simply as carrying your opponent
to the outside of your sphere, away from your center.
Figure 9.A.2
2011
Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.
77
For this application, the thumb-side of your upper palm or forearm is used to
guide your opponent's hands or feet away from you, rather than bang them in a
force-meets-force, hard-block manner.
Your hands could also be used to simultaneously collapse your opponent's sphere
and expose his center.
Another direct application might be to use your upper hand as a spear to gouge
or pierce your opponent with your fingers. Top bagua practitioners can use the
spear hand to easily penetrate the flesh of their opponent. In fact, this ability
of penetration is a common measure of bagua fighting skill. At a minimum, the
upper spear hand can be used to attack your opponent's acupuncture points,
break various bones, such as ribs, damage arteries or dislodge neck vertebrae.
There are of course more subtle applications within this move, such as elbow
and shoulder strikes as the upper arm opens, knee and hip strikes with the toeout leg and a variety of throws. Likewise, toe-out steps could also become ankle,
knee and shin kicks if the foot is kept low to the ground, or kicks to the kidneys,
spine, ribs and even head if done high.
Shift-Weight-Forward Step
After the toe-out step, you shift your weight forward.
As the lower palm spirals across your body, it is generally used for a palm strike, which could be applied at
many different angles to your opponent's body.
The most common target is your
opponent's torso, including the ribs,
internal organs, heart, solar plexus and
spine.
The action of your feet coming together
in the feet-parallel position is commonly
used for a variety of throws and for
breaking an opponent's back (see Figure
Figure 9.A.6).
Figure 9.A.3
78
Intermediate practitioners can consider the following:

Closing your joints, kwa and belly sinks your own energy. You
can then transfer this downward power into your opponent's
body to pin or knock him to the ground or cause damage, such
as breaking bones or hemorrhaging tissues.
Conversely, you can open your joints, kwa and belly to send
your energy outward and upward as you strike. This is the
easier way to execute non-harmful fa jin when working with
an partner. If properly executed, you can send someone flying
backward and upward, carrying them many feet away from
you. The Chinese say it's like dust being blown from your hand.
Straight Step and Reverse Arm Positions

The rising hand action of this step can be thought of most simply as another
spear hand. It has all the properties and subtleties of the toe-out spear hand
with the added attraction of stealth as it rises underneath the opponent's line of
vision. Until applied, this spear hand is hidden beneath the upper arm and
cannot be seen as it spirals out toward the throat of the opponent. It seems to
appear out of nowhere. This spear hand can also execute an elbow or shoulder
break or a throw.
Learning Stage 2: Pre-agreed Partner

Attacks and Defenses
Pre-agreed attacks and defenses involve your partner attacking and you countering in a specified manner using the embedded fighting techniques in the Single
Palm Change (SPC). Keep in mind that really paying attention to the 70 to 80
percent rule-offensively and defensively-will be a much faster road to success
than getting excited and going full throttle.
79
At first both partners execute predetermined single attacks and

defenses.
Then, over time the volume of back and forth increases to three
to five (or more) fluid and rapid attacks and responses.
These attacks then evolve into the attacks being predetermined, but not the defenses; or the defense is predetermined,
but offense is not. As long as attacks stay within a specified
range (e.g., head, torso or legs), either partner can spontaneously do what they like.
A few examples are presented below that range from the simple to the more
complex. The first two examples are based simply on stepping and applying
variations of holding the SPC Palm Posture. The more complex examples that
follow are based on Heaven SPC leg and arm movements.
These examples merely begin to illustrate the vast number of possible
applications. Use them as a stepping off point for your own creativity in
recognizing and developing applications within the Circle Walking and Heaven
SPC movements.
At first, practice your attacks and defenses very slowly and in a controlled
manner. Do the same attack and defense over and over in the same manner until
you both can do it easily and with no strength or strain-physically, emotionally
or mentally. With time and practice, gradually speed up until you can do them
more and more quickly in a relaxed manner and without resorting in any way to
muscular force or tension. Remember the words of the author's teacher Wang
Shu Jin: "It's better to do one thing well than many things poorly:' This is especially true for bagua martial art applications.
80
Example 1
Using basic stepping, step past your opponent's guard to the side, use your top
and bottom hands to trap whichever of their arms is closest to you and use your
upper elbow to throw them back.
8
Figure 9.A.4
Example 1
81
Example 2
Using any of the angles shown below or others, step, use your bottom hand to
trap your partner in some way and/or break his balance, and then hit him with
your upper palm.
Angle 1
Angle 2
Angle 3
Angle 4
Figure 9.A.S
Example 2: Four Angles
82
Example 3
Use a slight (shown here) or more pronounced toe-in step to apply a back break.
Figure 9.A.6
Example 3
83
Example 4
Use a three-part, toe-out step to kick, redirect and then strike, push or throw your
partner.
Figure 9.A.7
Example 4
84
Example 5
Use a curving step and rotate your palm edges outward to get behind and past
your opponent's guard. Then, do a straight step and a chop downward followed
by turning your palms outward to strike or push him.
Figure 9.A.8
Example 5
85
Example 6
Use stepping footwork and arm and hand reversing techniques to switch angles
from the outside of their body to the inside where the opponent is wide open for an
attack.
Figure 9.A.9
Example 6
2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved .
86
Example 7
Use toe-in step footwork to set up a throw (Figure 9A.1 0 A-C) in the manner that
the move Fair Lady Weaves the Shuttles is done in Yang style tai chi.
D
Figure 9.A.l 0
Example 7
87
Learning Stage 3 (Intermediates):

Partners Walk the Circle with Upper
Wrists Joined
In this stage, you begin Walking the Circle with your partner with your upper
wrists maintaining contact. You are both free to spontaneously attack and defend at will. You try to maintain continuous contact with each other, and after
each exchange ideally you quickly and smoothly return to Walking the Circle with
your upper wrists joined.
This is an intermediate stage practice because you must be able to walk a small
circle of eight steps or less comfortably in order to maintain upper wrist contact.
You can implement all the techniques learned from the previous pre-agreed
attacks and defenses.
Training with a partner adds the element of unpredictability to your solo Circle
Walking practice. In solo practice, you can space out mentally and return to being
present again without realizing that you left. But when another person is trying
to hit you, you may not have that luxury.
The process of Walking the Circle with a partner to develop fighting applications
has a series of progressive steps. Skipping steps will impede your long-term progress, and often results in stiffening or freaking out in a partner exercise.
1. Initially, you both Walk the Circle with your arms in the SPC upper body
palm posture.
Your upper arms must maintain contact at the wrists or forearms in such a way that the movement of your wrists, palms
and fingers remains free and easy. You should not push against
your partner's hand so strongly that your own hand ceases to
be able to move, or becomes stiff or dead.
Practice walking in both directions and reversing direction.
88
2. Continue this practice until you can maintain contact with your partner
without intermittently spacing or gapping out.
3. Become able to feel the movements of your partner's body through your
forearm and hands. By touch alone, you must be able to feel his arms, torso
and footwork. Develop the ability to stick to him without disengaging
your arm contact, and feel if his arm is about to or has broken contact with
yours.
4. Become able to feel your partner's entire movement. Through this practice
you want to develop an energetic connection to your partner that is more
or less the same as the "listening" energy of tai chi where from touch you
can feel many qualities including:
Every little change in your partner's body, so you can
appropriately respond and eventually even anticipate what
they are going to do a microsecond before they do it.
Whether his hands, legs or waist are about to do something,
such as attack, lose balance or falter.
How your partner tries to destabilize your arms, waist or
footwork as a prelude to an attack.
5. Still Walking the Circle, spontaneously attack and defend while maintaining the continuous touch of your upper arms. This is done while
walking in a single direction and in the period when you perform a toe-in
and toe-out step to reverse the circle's direction.
Initially, the attacks should be hand strikes. With experience,
however, you can add kicks, throws and joint locks to your
partner's hands, elbows, shoulders and knees.

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BAGUA MASTERY PROGRAM

Copyright 2011 Bruce Frantzis

Section 2: Heaven Single Palm

2. Toe-in Step and Twist Arms Inward ................... 23

Arm and Hand Movements .................................... 23

5. Shift Weight, Move Lower Palm Forward ......... 30

8. Turn toward Center of Circle,

Reversing Direction Again:

Section 3: Heaven Single Palm Change

5. Footbrake, Shift Weight and Project

Lower Palm Forward ................................................ 58

Large Stride and Footbrake .................................... 60

Legs and Feet ............................................................ 64

Arms and Hands ........................................................ 67

8. Turn toward Center of Circle,

Appendix 1: Martial Arts Applications .. 75

Shift-Weight-Forward Step ..................................... 77

Learning Stage 3 (Intermediates): Partners

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Bagua Mastery Program

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Module 9: Heaven Palm Change-Changing Direction on the Circle

Figure 9.1.1 (continued)

Single Palm Changes of the

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Bagua Mastery Program

Single Palm Changes:' A Heaven SPC enables you to

Other Single Palm Change Variations

Module 9: Heaven Palm Change-Changing Direction on the Circle

Single Palm Changes

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Bagua Mastery Program

Liu Hung Chieh 's Single Palm Changes

son's closest students. As such, Liu's know-ledge of

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Module 9: Heaven Palm Change-Changing Direction on the Circle

Value of the Single Palm Change

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Bagua Mastery Program

Chi Development and Meditation

Prepare to Learn the SPC:

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Module 9: Heaven Palm Change-Changing Direction on the Circle

No matter how fast or slow you walk, never separate from a

Bagua Mastery Program

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Bagua Mastery Program

Figure 9.2.1 Part 2

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Module 9: Heaven Palm Change-Changing Direction on the Circle

Figure 9.2.1 Part 1

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Bagua Mastery Program

ner would have a greater Dragon Body

Your inside (right) palm is the upper palm. Ideally, both

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.

Module 9: Heaven Palm Change-Changing Direction on the Circle

2. Toe-in Step and Twist Arms Inward

2. As you toe in, twist both legs inward.

SPC. Do not allow your hips to rise up or down.

Arm and Hand Movements

2011 Bruce Frantzis-AII Rights Reserved.