I learned Pa Kua Chang In the early 90's and have practiced it ever since. It was not an art I went looking for, however...it found me!

At the time, I was working as an instructor in another (very traditional) style of Chinese Kung Fu. One day, out of the blue, a Chinese gentleman called the school while I was there teaching the kids class.

He asked if we taught Pa Kua Chang. I replied that no, we did not, though it was a good art.

"OK then!" he said with a heavy accent, and broken English which was hard to decipher over the telephone, "I come your school and teach Pa Kua Chang. That OK? OK! I come tonight. I show you. I show you..."

I was not sure I was hearing him correctly, but I told him that would be just great...

Sure enough, later that evening he came to the school. He was a very unassuming looking Chinese gentleman in his mid 40's. He seemed very nice and we welcomed him to sit down and have tea. Since the adult class was small that night (just 3 or 4 senior students) we decided to demonstrate our art for him. We went through some of the forms, fighting combinations, chin-na (locking), shuai chiao (throwing), and fighting theories. The more we showed him and the harder we hit each other, the bigger his eyes got...and the wider his smile became!

"Oooooh!" he said with a broad grin, waving his fists in the air "You like to do for the FIGHTING!"

Suddenly he made a swift motion with his arms, and for a moment became a whirlwind. Then he stopped as quickly as he started, freezing in a low "Crane Spreads Wings" posture. He stood up and started to laugh...

"That just for the pretty! But in America everyone else just want for the pretty..."

"But if you want I teach you guys for the fighting, OK? OK, we start now. You all stand in a circle, OK? OK!"

This was straight out of Kung Fu Theater, but it was really happening. Such was our introduction to Dr. "Davie" Lee...

Over the next 2 years several of the senior students and I would train with Dr. Lee on a weekly basis as well as assist him when he did demonstrations and sometimes even help out in his other classes. I think he had us come to the other classes he taught so we could polish our basics, but also so we could really see the difference in how and what he taught us as opposed to what they did in these other classes. It is not that he taught them wrongly (he would not do that), rather the intent was different, and as he always told us, it was the intent that was most important. The movements were just shapes of force and could be adapted to many circumstances. Once they were internalized, the form could be disolved and rearranged. "Everything changes" was a saying he often used.

One of the things that impressed me with him was that he was not only amazingly skilled, having practice Pa Kua since he was 12 years old, but that he was also quick to sweat alongside you and to cross hands with you. He was also completely open to questions and quite knowledgeable on other forms (including an Eagle Claw set and a staff form known as the "Plow Stick")

He taught us the 8 Circular Palm Changes and the 64 Linear Palm Changes. He wanted to teach us the Dragon Pa Kua Form, as well as the Deerhorn Knives, but we simply didn't have the time. Like happens all to often with teachers and students, his life moved on and so did he, and sadly we all lost touch. At the time I was too young and busy in other areas of my life to realize the opportunity that I was being given, and did not take full advantage of the opportunity to learn.

If YOU ever have someone come into your life like this, my friend, be sure to realize what a great opportunity the uiniverse has given you and jump into learning wholeheartedly. People come and go in this life, so must make use of our time together with them!