Sun Xi Kun 孫 錫 堃 (1883-1952) was one of the few disciples of Cheng You Long (also called Cheng Hai Ting), the oldest son of Cheng Ting Hua. The palms presented here are excerpted from Sun’s book, Ba Gua Quan Zhen Chuan (Genuine Transmission of Ba Gua Zhang). This palm is the “Double Holding Palm”, or sometimes, “Double Embracing Palm”.
The Double Holding Palm
Hold the two elbows closely together with the fingers turned backward, and the two palms facing one another, as if holding up an object with both hands.
Hold the neck straight, and look through the Hu Kou (Tiger’s Mouth) of the two hands. The body sits down. Turn the waist and take in the Kua. Spread the back and take in the chest. Walk as though pushing a boat down a flowing stream.
In Xing Yi Quan this is called Tiger Holding Form, and in Ba Gua Zhang it is the Double Embracing Palm. In Ba Gua Zhang. It is also called White Ape Offering the Peach.
In this posture, the two elbows are held tightly together and the two hands go out as though holding something, with the fingers turned backward and the palms facing forward. The upper body is straight and the waist turns as the Kua is sucked in.
To change the palm, the right foot steps with Kou Bu. The hands follow the body, and simultaneously the left foot goes back. The right hand turns downward and the left hand turns backward. The elbows do not separate.
The two arms and hands pull backward. Following the pervious posture, walk forward with the right foot, with the dorsum of the foot straightened. Spread the back and take in the chest, suck the Kua in and back and then walk along the circle. This posture is also called White Ape Offering the Peach.
