Gerald A. Sharp Article Collection

A collection of 11 back issues that feature articles from Gerald A. Sharp

Below is a brief description of his articles in each issue. And of course, you get each back issue which includes all the other articles. The preview picture shown does not necessarily reflect the actual issues in this bundle.

Spring 2006: "The Eternal Spring of Bagua's Basic Steps"
Baguazhang's steps are truly unique, and offer a vast array of choices in stepping methods not available in most other martial arts.

Winter 2006-2007: "Practical Dynamics of Taijiquan"
What sets the Neijia practitioner apart from the Waijia practiioner is the commitment to using softness or flexibility to completely neutralize any external force or stress that an opponent may possess.

Winter 2008-2009: "5 Phases Qigong: The Language of Qi"
The movements of the traditional Qigong forms follow the shapes of the names of the postures as they were written in Chinese. In this article, he compares the postures of three Qigong styles.

Autumn 2011: "Xingyi’s Mother Fists: Where Precision Meets Simplicity"
The martial and healing art of Xingyiquan (Hsing-I Chuan) is based on the Five Element Phases and as such take the form of five basic “mother” fists as follows: Splitting (Metal), Drilling (Water), Bursting (Wood), Pounding (Fire), and Crossing (Earth). Each of these fists has a basic shape and characteristic, which serves as a springboard allowing for broader application and understanding.

Summer 2012: "Yi Qigong: Liangong's Elusive Third Series"
The development of Yi Qigong, Liangong’s third series of 18 exercises began in 1975 at Dongchang Hospital in the Huangpu District of Shanghai while Dr. Zhuang Yuan Ming was testing the effectiveness of health exercises on patients with acute pain in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, legs, and feet.

Autumn 2013: "Cultivating Qi in Taijiquan"
With their more than seventy years of individual practice, Ma Yueh Liang and Wu Ying Hua once described how taijiquan is the greatest practice of qigong a practitioner could engage in.

Spring 2015: "Up & Down Hands” The Alpha & Omega of Taijiquan Practice"
Many Taijiquan styles begin the movements of their form with an “Up and Down Hands” movement. In some styles this practice is called the “Preparation” or “Beginning Form.” While some practitioners simply raise their hands up and down, knowledge of the flow of energy, the ease of breath, and the precision of movement, can make the journey of practicing a form more enjoyable and eventful.

Spring 2016: "Qigong of the Wu Style:The Eight Methods"
The Eight Methods of Wu Style Qigong are gathering, circulating, guiding, balancing, spiraling, blending, synthesizing, and storing, and are comprised of thirteen related exercises.

Spring 2018: "Taiji Origins: A Brief Comparison of the Styles"
Taijiquan is a branch of the traditional internal martial arts (or Nei Jia Gongfu) that flourished in China over 300 years ago at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty.

Winter 2021: "Listening: Gateway to the Internal"
Just as Taijiquan is considered a dynamic form of Qigong for health enhancement (finding stillness in movement and vice-a-versa), Push Hands has therapeutic applications as well; at the very least is the reduction of stress. To practice Push Hands effectively requires a great amount of sensitivity, relaxation, and precision. Yet, how can Push Hands and the Thirteen Principles be actualized, let alone utilized in Pushing Hands? Is the form of any use once Push Hands is emphasized in practice?

Summer 2022: "Swimming Dragon Qigong"
Channeling the Sinuous Movements of the River Spirit". Similar to other forms of Qigong, Swimming Dragon Qigong is based on the Five Elemental Phases and is composed of four components of practice: Moving and Meditation as well as Standing and Sitting Meditation Shapes and Healing Sounds. All four components of practice are based on Wu Xing, or the Five Elemental Phases, and adheres to a mutual creation order of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Attention is paid to posture and spiraling for the optimal flowing of qi.