254. 📗 Baguazhang art of war - Jingong 勁功

The Way through Baguazhang - 八卦掌道

Some of you may have noticed that The Baguazhang Art of War series has recently gained a new member to the family: The Baguazhang Jin of War. Of the six books on baguazhang I have published thus far, this book has been the most challenging. And it has been the most challenging because in order to get anywhere with this book, I have had to confront who I am, and what I am as a martial artist and where it will be taking me. It has also meant as a martial artist, I have had to let go of other people’s opinions on what baguazhang is and accept the baguazhang path I am on, as it actually is. Which, if you have read any of my books or listened to my podcast, will know that when it comes to internal martial arts, I don’t do plain vanilla. The Baguazhang Jin of War is about jingong 勁功, the external manifestation of a person’s internal qigong as it is usually experienced through baguazhang. What it is not, is jinggong 精功. Even though, with my accent, the two words sound the same, they are not the same. Although it can be confusing. Jinggong 精功, spelt with three G’s, refers to the first treasure of Taoist internal alchemy of Jing or essence as in a person’s sexual bodily fluids. My book deals with Jin and is spelt j, i, n, and has no g. And it is a topic I will keep mostly to my book. It is a topic that I know you will only seek out when you are ready for it. Which is usually through self-experience. Or you’re getting that sense that you are on the path. What that path is, only you will know, but if you are still trying to appreciate the Tao through the mediums of conflict: Fighting, arguing and debating like it’s a case in law, then you are still not there. Anyway, I digress from the main point, which is to let you know that I have a new baguazhang book on Amazon called The Baguazhang Jin of War.