The BaGua And Other Stories


Book Description

From mad scientists to familiar aliens, to Irish gods who only go on Halloween dates, and the odd dragon making an unexpected appearance, they’re all here in this collection of micro-, flash- and short-fiction. Meet the shape-shifters and the scientists who just may be able take some tails too far. There’s the depressed love-lorn lady who meets a surfer-dude of note, and the cookbook writer hosting the Dark Man of Erskine. Have a beer with the geologist who knows their unalienable right, while you try to spot Medusa, if you can. And if it’s all too much, let the ELFs save you, or find your most cost-effective way to Mars. This collection of Leenna’s short fiction includes works both previously published, and never-before seen. There’s something for the holidays, the dreary days and those strange days too.




Bagua Linked Palms


Book Description

Master Wang Shujin (1904—1981) was one of the world’s foremost exponents of Chinese internal martial arts, with legendary expertise in the disciplines of Bagua Zhang, Taiji Quan, and Xingyi Quan. This book offers a lucid translation of Master Wang’s seminal work on Bagua Zhang and includes expanded instruction by co-translator and noted Bagua Zhang expert Kent Howard. It also introduces readers to a rarely seen personal side of Wang Shujin, who was not only a fighter but also a teacher and spiritual leader. Bagua Linked Palms includes a wealth of additional information useful to the practitioner of internal martial arts, including the story of Bagua Zhang’s development, the connection between the Bagua and the I Ching, and step-by-step instruction in the eight “changes” of Bagua Linked Palms, the first form in Master Wang’s style of Bagua Zhang. This comprehensive, richly annotated text makes it a must-have addition to every serious martial arts library.




Ba Gua Zhang a Historical Analysis


Book Description

Did Dong Hai Chuan Create The Martial Art of Ba Gua Zhang? Did he base the system on the Ancient I-Jing? Is there any connection to the I-Jing? These and other questions are examined from a compilation of historic legends and facts. Also, an overview of the necessities of Ba Gua Zhang and Internal development. Also included are Various sets from the school of Cheng Ting Hua: Da Jian set Rooster Knives set 72 Kicks set Gao Yi Sheng's Pre and post Heaven sets A large variety of applications from the various Cheng schools




Baguazhang


Book Description

A comprehensive guide to the fundamentals, sequences, and applications of Baguazhang. Baguazhang is unquestionably one of the most esoteric disciplines in martial arts. Based on the eight trigrams (bagua) of the Yi Jing, it emphasizes the importance of maneuverability, evasion, and change to deflect an aggressor's attacks. Unlike martial arts systems that employ overt punches, kicks, and grappling techniques, most of the bodily weapons of the baguazhang arsenal are well concealed, agile, and smooth. Utilizing deceptive forms of footwork and body shifting, the principles and techniques in this book will help readers develop a firm foundation and build a critical skill set for this unique martial art. Longtime martial arts practitioner and author Phillip Starr introduces readers to the basics of baguazhang, showing how the movements of this widely misunderstood art can be practically applied in self-defense. Readers will learn: • Key baguazhang principles • Footholds • Basic stepping techniques, walking exercises, and postures • Proper alignments • "Mother palms," or basic exercises critical to the development of the "bagua body" Ideal for newcomers to baguazhang, this introduction elucidates the two foundational Single Change and Double Change Palms and offers a refresher for advanced practitioners looking to further explore applications for movements they already know.




Combat Techniques of Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua


Book Description

The combat techniques of Tai Ji, Ba Gua, and Xing Yi were forbidden during China's Cultural Revolution, but the teachings of grandmaster Wang Pei Shing have survived. This comprehensive guide, written by one of his students, selects core movements from each practice and gives the student powerful tools to recognize the unique strategies and skills, and to develop a deeper understanding, of each style. It contains complete instructions for a 16-posture form to gain mastery of combat techniques. The book helps practitioners achieve a new level of practice, where deeply ingrained skills are brought forth in a more fluid, intuitive, and fast-paced fashion.




Bagua Swimming Body Palms


Book Description

Bagua Swimming Body Palms is the second book written by Wang Shujin, one of the world’s foremost exponents of Chinese internal martial arts and a renowned expert of Bagua Zhang. This volume continues the process of bringing Master Wang’s important art to Western readers. More intricate than the Linked Palms form, Swimming Body Palms helps practitioners achieve fluent body mechanics and the ability to connect and flow from one movement to the next with power. Master Wang, who taught Swimming Palms to only a few advanced students, described it as “swim-walking,” or swimming around the body. Bagua Swimming Body Palms offers a thorough grounding in the basics of Bagua principles and practice, and illuminates the connection between the cultural meanings of the I Ching and the physical movements of Bagua Zhang. The photographs from the Chinese book are reprinted, along with hundreds of new photographs of translator Kent Howard demonstrating the exercises in greater detail. Sifu Howard provides extensive commentary on Master Wang’s writings, and Daoist master Huang Jinsheng contributes a thoughtful essay on Master Wang’s spiritual practice with the esoteric Daoist sect Yi Guan Dao. The book’s engaging style, fidelity to the Chinese text, and comprehensiveness make it a welcome addition to any martial arts library.




The Cheng School Gao Style Baguazhang Manual


Book Description

In its first English-language edition, this detailed training manual is a complete guide to Gao baguazhang, as preserved through the lineage of Liu Fengcai. The youngest of the major bagua lineages, Gao bagua shows the influence of taiji quan, xingyi quan, and shuai jiao. It incorporates traditional bagua weapons, pre-heaven palms, and animal forms in addition to sixty-four individual post-heaven palms and their accompanying two-person forms. A unique synthesis of health-building techniques, Daoist theory, and practical fighting applications, Gao-style bagua is an example of the finest internal-arts traditions. The original manuscript for The Cheng School Gao Style Baguazhang Manual was completed by the art's founder, Gao Yisheng, in 1936. It was not published at the time, but handed down to his student Liu Fengcai, who edited and published the first Chinese edition in 1991 with the help of his own student Liu Shuhang. In 2005, Liu Shuhang published a revised and expanded version, and this was again expanded and reissued in a third edition in 2010. Now, the manual has been translated and fully updated for its first English-language edition. Including over 400 photos showing step-by-step techniques and forms, the manual documents the fundamentals of the art as well as detailed descriptions of techniques and empty-hand forms, laying the groundwork for advanced training. This edition includes rare photos of important masters in the Gao lineage, lineage charts, biographies, and other updates, making it the essential companion for anyone studying Gao style and a useful guide for any practitioner of baguazhang or other Chinese martial arts.




Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life


Book Description

Applying the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui to modern life, the author reveals how carefully arranging items in the home can lead to remarkable results in love, career, and personal happiness.




Mind Body Home


Book Description

Awaken to the energetic connections between you and your home. When you make conscious changes to your living space, you can transform your life and uplift your soul. Mind Body Home presents your home as an integral component for holistic living, correlating every room with its physical, mental, and emotional counterpart in you, from foundation to roof. Being in tune with your home's energy allows you to create positive changes in your life. Mind Body Home provides all the feng shui insights you need for selecting a home and how to enhance your health, improve relationships, and attract more prosperity once you've moved in.Discover what your home is saying about your health, emotional and mental well-being, or spiritual growth through repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. Open the door to the heart of your home and discover a new way of seeing and living within it.




Curiosity Finds A Way


Book Description

A variety of flash and short-fiction from fantasy to science-fiction to contemporary romance to suit your mood, breaks and commutes. Here you’ll find the loquacious detective trying to shake off the god of lurve, a sister or two out for revenge, a trio of sweet lovers with a touch of magic, and a good old-fashioned whirlwind romance on a modern tour of Scotland. Not forgetting some contemporary inspiring peeks and a reminder that the human touch, with a healthy dose of curiosity, can’t ever be replicated. These stories are all curated from the author’s blog, patron-feed and stories that she loves but just can’t find a home elsewhere. Other short story collections by this author: I Find Myself Charmed and The Bagua And Other Stories.