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Xun
(Gua: Wind)
Cai (Pull-down)
(Xing: Wood)
Southeast |
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Li
(Gua: Fire)
Ji (Press)
Jin (Advance)
(Xing: Fire)
South |
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Kun
(Gua: Earth)
Zhou (Elbow-stroke)
(Xing: Earth)
Southwest |
 |
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Zhen
(Gua: Thunder)
Peng (Ward-off)
Gu (Gaze-left)
(Xing: Wood)
East |
 |
|
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Zhong Ding
(Central Equlibrium)
(Xing: Earth) |
|
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Dui
(Gua: Lake)
An (Push)
Pan (Look-right)
(Xing: Metal)
West |
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|
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Gen
(Gua: Mountain)
Kao (Shoulder-stroke)
(Xing: Earth)
Northeast |
|
|
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Kan
(Gua: Water)
Lu (Roll-back)
Tui (Retreat)
(Xing: Water)
North |
|
 |
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Qian
(Gua: Heaven)
Lie (Split)
(Xing: Metal)
Northwest |
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These are the compass
points and “eight gates”.
The compass points and
“eight gates” demonstrate
the principle for the cyclical exchange of yin
and yang
that operates ceaselessly in its course. Therefore it is necessary to
comprehend the “four sides” and “four
corners”.
The “four sides” techniques are Peng
(ward-off), Lu
(roll-back), Ji
(press) and An
(push). The “four
corners” techniques are Cai
(pull-down), Lie
(spilt), Zhou
(elbow-stroke) and Kao
(shoulder-stroke).
Combining the sides and corners, we derive the Ba
Gua (eight
trigrams) of the gate positions. The division of the steps contains the
idea of the Wu Xing
(five forms) and allows us to control the
eight directions. The Wu Xing
correspond to Jin (advance,
fire), Tui
(retreat, water), Gu
(gaze-left, wood), Pan
(look-right, metal) and Zhong
Ding (central equilibrium,
earth). Advance and retreat are the steps that correspond to fire and
water, gaze-left and look-right correspond to wood and metal; and earth
at the center is the axis around which everything turns. Our body
contains the Ba Gua
and our steps the Wu Xing.
Hand
techniques and steps; eight plus five; together the make the sum of
thirteen. Thus the thirteen postures derive from nature, and we call
them the eight gates and five steps.
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