In the late 1960s he began teaching American and Japanese students in Taiwan. Hsu felt that if a person, no matter what their race or nationality, sincerely wanted to learn and was willing to work hard, then he would teach them. Although he incorporated elements learned from other teachers, Hsu's Tang Shou Tao curriculum was very similar to Hung's. It incorporates elements of all three of the internal arts (xingyi, bagua, taiji) as well as Shaolin kung fu and qigong. Tang Shou Tao is not a separate style of martial art, but rather a practical, step-by-step, systematic approach to learning internal martial arts and developing highly refined levels of skill. Hsu named his school Shen Long Tang Shou Tao (神龙唐手道 lit. Chinese Hand Way) system developed by his teacher Hung I-hsiang. Hsu's school used a modified version of the Tang Shou Tao (唐手道 lit. After studying the external styles of shaolin for many years, he discovered the unique effectiveness of the neijia and began training with Hung I-Hsiang, a master of all three of the major Chinese internal arts, xingyiquan, baguazhang and taijiquan.Īfter many years of training, Hsu opened his own martial arts school. He also learned boxing and became a skilled street fighter. He began his study of Shaolin kung fu with his father at an early age. In school, he was very athletic and participated in swimming, soccer and judo. Hsu was born in Taihoku, Taihoku Prefecture, in 1934 to a family of six brothers.
TOM BISIO INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS FULL
With every step, walking the circle, recharges our internal energy matrix and activates a process of internal transformation that engenders a full engagement with life and living.Hsu Hung-chi or Xu Hongji ( simplified Chinese: 许鸿基 traditional Chinese: 許鴻基 pinyin: Xǔ Hóngjī) (1934–1984) was a Taiwanese martial artist who specialized in the Neijia of xingyiquan, baguazhang and taijiquan. Walking and turning, while cultivating the mind and the breath, has many profound effects on the human body, mind and nervous system. Walking the circle is the foundation of Ba Gua as a martial art, health science and method of transforming life and consciousness. The Art of Ba Gua Zhang gives the reader a deep understanding and appreciation for Ba Gua Zhang’s core practice: Circle Walking Nei Gong. In The Art of Ba Gua Zhang, Bisio explains how practicing Ba Gua Zhang not only promotes health and fitness, but also allows us to deeply and directly experience and appreciate the natural forces that act upon us from moment to moment and form our experience of the world around us. The foundational training, circular walking, and changing palms strengthen muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones, while simultaneously harmonizing the functions of the internal organs, stimulating the brain and nervous system, unblocking the meridians and fostering the development of an indomitable spirit.Īt its core, Ba Gua Zhang is an embodied expression of the laws of change and transformation that govern the world in which we live. Philosophy, life cultivation and self-defense are seamlessly combined into Ba Gua Zhang’s theories and training methods, so that both the inside and outside of a person are cultivated simultaneously. The Art of Ba Gua Zhang reveals how practicing Ba Gua Zhang can create change in all facets of one’s life, physical mental and spiritual. It is a fascinating meditation on the art of Ba Gua Zhang and its many applications to life and living. The Art of Ba Gua Zhang is not a how-to book. Ba Gua Zhang as Method of Promoting Health and Longevity.Suitability of Ba Gua for Different Ages and Professions.Ba Gua Zhang as a Method of Physical Therapy.Ba Gua Zhang for Exercise and Physical Fitness.The Relationship of Ba Gua Zhang to the Yi Jing (Book of Changes).In this unique book on the Art of Ba Gua Zhang, Ba Gua instructor Tom Bisio discusses the many facets of this fascinating art: Rooted in Daoist meditation and longevity practices, and Chinese medical and martial art traditions, Ba Gua Zhang provides the practitioner with a powerful and comprehensive method of actualizing his or her own inherent internal potential. Ba Gua Zhang: Art of Transformation And Changeīa Gua Zhang (Eight Diagram Palm) is an art of unparalleled sophistication and depth.