TALKING WITH - MARTIAL ARTS - IAN MCNALLY

Ian McNally is not only a very talented Martial Artist and writer but also a dear friend. My Kung Fu Brother, in fact. He has recently moved back to USA and has started teaching Magui Baguazhang and I thought he would be a great place to start off the Talking With posts for Martial Artists.


1. Why Bagua? What was it about Baguazhang that appealed to you?

Well, I first heard about Baguazhang when I was studying Hung Ga Kuen while in college. After I moved to Japan, I found there was no Hung Ga schools there. I was looking into other Traditional Chinese Martial Arts in the area and finally came across The Magui Baguazhang Promotional Center. I went to the beginner class there and I met Li Baohua Laoshi. His skills were real, his teaching was traditional, and after I'd finished circle walking for an hour and a half I had so much energy. I was hooked from that day on.

2. Can you describe the importance of Circle Walking?

Circle Walking is the main practice and foundational training of Magui Baguazhang (and baguazhang in general). It is what makes the body rooted and balanced. Circle walking enhances qi and blood flow as it unites the tendons and bones, making them strong. It is what develops a strong structure, foundation and internal power. Circle Walking is the roots from which grows the tree that is Magui Baguazhang.

3. What is the class structure? As far as warm ups etc.

My teacher doesn't believe much in warming up. He follows the old proverb "Qi follows Yi (mind/intention)." He explained to us that tigers don't stretch before they hunt. The circle waling is the warm up.
In my classes, especially with beginners, I will do some basic Qigong warm ups before they learn how to circle walk. But after that, I try to make the circle the warm up in itself.
From there, we train Dragon Shape circle walking (which is the first you learn and the foundation for all the others). After that we move onto any other postures we are learning, then go into whatever palm changes are being studied. Most of the class involves going over and practicing a given palm change.
The end of class usually sees Bears Shape walking, which focuses on balance and helps to work out any lingering issues from practice and re-balance the body. Finally, We run through some more Qigong as a cool down.
That is the basic structure of a given class, which can be changed if we are going to be going through form practice, pair practice, etc.

4. What is the "Magui" in the name reference to and how does it differ from other methods of Baguazhang?

Ma Gui is the name of the grand master who learned Baguazhang from Dong Haichuan. It is his lineage of Baguazhang that I practice.
In terms of differences between lineages, I feel that Baguazhang is one of the most interesting Martial Arts. Dong Haichuan had hundreds, even thousands of student. He taught each of them individually, which means that there is very little in terms of standardization between lineages beyond Circle Walking and the Mother Palms (specifically the Single Palm Change).
Ma Gui was know for his strong, heavy body. He was well known for his Crab circle walking which made his ramming palm hard and fierce. These skills along with many others are passed down through his lineage of Baguazhang.

5. You've mentioned animals above. What animals are there within Magui Baguazhang ?

There are eight postures in Magui Baguazhang that we use to practice circle walking. Some are called "Shapes" others are "Postures" or "Forms."
They are as follows:
1. Dragon
2. Bear
3. Lion
4. Crab
5. Eagle
6. Single Hook
7. Reaching Toward Heaven and Earth
8. Yin Yang Fish

6. Do you use weapons in Magui Baguazhang ?

We do. The main weapons associated with Magui Baguazhang are the Bagua Broadsword, the Deer Horn Knives, The Seven Star Stick, and the Caligraphy Brush.

7. As someone with experience in Hung Ga, what differences have you discovered and what similarities? Beyond the immediate, noticeable differences.

The biggest difference is in the practice. In Bagua the weapons are associate directly with the empty hand movement (as most are), but that also means that in Magui Bagua when you walk the circle and practice the palm changes, you are practicing the weapons at the same time. There is less of an emphasis on learning a specific set of forms or movements that are associated only with the weapons.

8. And you write as well. Can you tell us a bit about your writing?

Yes, I am an aspiring fantasy fiction writer. I've always loved fantasy stories and things like magic have always intrigued me. I think that's part of what drew me to martial arts when I was young. To a young person, Qi sounds very similar to "Magic."
I write many different kinds of fantasy, urban to epic, etc, but one thing I try to do with every story is to look into the causes and justifications for violence. I find myself enjoying making any fight scenes feel authentic while also delving into the reasons the characters are engaging in combat in the first place.
I think the drive to understand combat and violence in a fantasy setting is also something that I've gained from a study of marital arts.

9. Where can people learn more about your classes?

My classes are going to be starting soon, both group classes and private lessons. People can go to my website, though it is still under construction: wordpress.maguibaguanj.com
They can go to my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/maguibaguanj
I also am on twitter, though I'm new to that medium as well: @maguibaguanj
And if anyone has questions for me or would like to contact me about scheduling private lessons they can reach me as maguibaguanj@gmail.com