Bear Palm Change of Sun Style Baguazhang

The Bear is associated with the Gen trigram. Gen represents a Mountain, the two Yin lines below the single Yang line represent a mountain reaching into the clouds. Gen is bound and represents stillness. In the body it is the hands. In the martial arts, it is represented by the upper back and Behind the Body palm.

The Bear is another variation on the Single Palm Change with a thrust from under your chin to strike your opponent. From the left Pushing Millstone Palm toe-in with the right foot to begin the change.

Toe-out with the left foot and turn the palms over so they are pushing in the direction of the change.

When you toe-in do not pierce the right palm past the left arm, rather curl its fingers together and bring it next to your right hip. Pull the left hand up and under your chin so the fingers are pointing straight out, and the elbow is against your body.

Do not toe-out, instead pierce out with the hand from under your chin and push back with the right palm, curling the fingers into a pecking hand form. As you do this raise the left leg and strike up with the knee.

Conclude by lowering the raised leg into a large toe-out position and perform a Single Palm Change as you did in the Sparrow Hawk Palm Change.

Essential Points of Bear Palm Change

Some Baguazhang schools consider Behind the Body palm as the opposite of the Snake, or Flowing Palm Change. In the snake you struck from above the head, here you are striking from below the chin. In the Snake you turned outside the circle, here you turn inside the circle.

In the Dragon the two yin lines are above the yang line. In Bear the two yin lines are below the yang line. This implies the bottom is soft and the top is strong. Think of your body as a spring loading your hands for the thrusting strike of Black Bear Thrusts its Palm. When you strike that spring is released, and you quickly complete a Single Palm Change.