Lesson 3 – Pressure Testing

• Apply internal alignment to absorb and release force

• Pressure test your development

• Start to build the skillful use of the Wuji practice

• Set the stage for progressing in the internal martial arts

• Enroll in the Bagua Internal Arts online academy to go deeper into this process

Now that we have begun to open our body, organize it into an integrated whole, we now begin to use it. With a partner, we are going to explore how Wuji works when there is outside pressure coming in. Rather than overly reacting, we want our structure to naturally respond to the stimulation. This is Wuwei, or non-doing. A simple analogy is like a ball. When it hits the ground, it doesn’t “do” anything. It simply allows the force to change its shape and then naturally returns to its natural shape creating a bounce. It absorbs and releases.

It is likely that you will experience tension and resistance. This is normal. You may feel the pressure “pinball” through your body as it tries to find a way to channel the force into the ground. This is natural. As you internalize the Wuji posture, your body will naturally channel the forces from the point of contact, through the body and into the ground, only to return that force back in the reverse direction.

This is the skill of the internal arts, doing non-doing. Your nervous system will need time to adjust to this new skill so be patient and it will become natural.

If you would like to go deeper into this process, I invite you to join me inside the Bagua Internal Arts online academy where we will go deeper into training the internal martial arts.

Happy training!