When did you first become interested in Bagua Quan?

I was interested in the teachings of Gong Bao Zhai, my teacher, before I began to learn the art of Bagua Quan. I started practicing Bagua Quan because I found it had more depth in comparison to the other Chinese martial arts that I had previously spent some years learning, like Taiji Quan or Xinyi Quan. As I started to understand the philosophy and theory of Bagua Quan through physical practice, I began to experience the real depth of it. It is since then, that I have been interested in Bagua Quan.

What are the main benefits of practicing Bagua Quan?

There are many different ways that you can benefit from Bagua Quan. The different stages of Bagua Quan, each have there own different benefits. Firstly, you experience physical and mental improvement, secondly you begin to grow in self-confidence; however the most powerful benefit is the understanding that is gained of the "cause” and “result”. The results tend to be physically visible, and understanding the roots of the cause for this visual difference is truly the greatest benefit.

What would be your advice to anybody considering starting to practice Bagua Quan?

I would recommend that you read my book in order to understand what Bagua Quan is and whether it is for you. Set your goal and start from the very beginning. The foundation practices won't seem too difficult. However it is very important to practice with awareness of yourself, your capabilities and ensuring that you don’t think about fighting from the beginning. Make sure that you feel right and comfortable in every practice. Move to the second practice only once you completely understand and feel comfortable with the first practice. Have faith that the result will come naturally if the cause is right.

What or who most inspires you?

I was and still am inspired by many Who's and Whats. We are inspired only if we have a “subject” and a “question” in mind. To me, it is Bagua Quan, that is both a subject and a question on body and mind improvement. The key to this lies in what my Sifu once told me: “ask why about everything, find the roots and understand the connections.” Therefore I could be inspired by a phrase in a book, a child’s posture, a mistake made by myself or somebody else, a creature from nature or even an advertisement on TV...

What was the last book you read?

I read many different kinds of book, I usually read different books in one period of time. I have just finished reading the speeches of Mr. Nan Hwai-Jin, a Daoist book on “Chan Tong Qi” and also his speech about a Buddhist book Jing Gong Jin. I was reading these whilst I also finished reading “the beginning of heaven and earth “ a book about Mr. Hu Lan-Chen, a debatable character in the last hundred years in China.

Copyright © Singing Dragon 2009

Bagua Quan Foundation Training is now available for purchase. See the link below to order your copy or for more details.

More details of the book

Featured Event:
Professor Li Deyin Seminar 2009

Singing Dragon author Professor Li Deyin will be holding a two day weekend seminar.

Professor Li Deyin Seminar 2009:
Co-conducted with Master Faye Li Yip.

Deyin Taijiquan Institute regularly organise Events, Workshops and Seminars for Tai Chi practitioners of all levels. They are designed as an effort to bring more enthusiasts together and practise high quality Tai Chi offered by one of the UK leading organisations in the Tai Chi and Qi Gong Field.

Over the course of the weekend this seminar will be covering: Traditional Yang Style Taiji Sabre, Yang Style Taiji Sword, 24 Step Taijiquan Health Qigong "Wu Qin Xi", Five Animal Forlics and more! Professor Li Deyin's recent book Tàijíquán is available for purchase.


Professor Li Deyin has achieved an international following through popularising martial arts. He taught at Beijing's Renmin University for 40 years and has been named one of the Top 100 Chinese Martial Arts Masters. He is both a qualified judge of martial arts at an international level and a renowned national-level physical education instructor in China. He currently acts as vice-chairman of the Beijing Wushu Association.

Professor Li Deyin's recent book Tàijíquán published by Singing Dragon, is available for purchase.

SEMINAR DETAILS:

Dates: Saturday 27th June and Sunday 28th June 2009

Time: 10:00 - 16:00

Venue:
Sports Hall, Colton Hills School, Jeremy Road, Penn, Wolverhampton, WV4 5DG

Programme for Saturday 27th June:
Health Qigong – Wu Qin Xi (Five Animal Frolic)
Traditional Yang Style Sword 56

Programme for Sunday 28th June:
Yang Style Beijing 24 Step Short Form
Traditional Yang Style Sabre

Fees:
One Day Seminar: Deyin member £60 Non-member £70
Two Day Seminar: Deyin member £95 Non-member £115

Contact Details:
Telephone: 01902 883835
Email: info@deyin-taiji.com