Question:
Is there a relation between Bagua Zhang (as well as other Chinese martial arts) and Feng Shui?

Answer:
The answer to your question is, absolutely, yes.  BGZ does have a relation to Feng Shui and vice versa. Another way to say it is that the energies Feng Shui deals with are the same that BGZ addresses in a different area. But first, let’s eliminate the obvious. Hanging a “Bagua mirror” in your front room is not representative of  real Feng Shui. Nor is it connected to real Bagua Zhang. Displaying BG mirrors is equivalent to thinking that buying Christmas ornaments making you a Christian.

What is Feng Shui about really? The free flow of energy (qi) through a designated space. Ultimately the flow of qi (qi yun) is at the core of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Feng Shui (FS)  and Chinese Martial Arts (CMA). When you put a metal object in this or that corner of your bedroom the real purpose of your action is to adjust the flow of energy, nothing more.

The flow of energy is one of CMA’s concerns not just for fighting but, more usefully, for living. Every CMA style has something to do with qi flow but BGZ is a special case. It takes the eight directions seriously, and tries to twist and rotate the body to bring the intent up and down, around the waist and back, etc. In other words, to establish a free flow of energy through the body by using the eight directions paradigm exactly as FS uses it, to find and dissolve troubled flow.

You may find all this believable or not, but the answer to the questions is not just “yes,” but more. The source of qi and its movement is the TAO, the “way.” The job of FS is to clear the way. The same is true, in the more personal and smaller space of the human body, with BGZ. Both of these aid in healing by recognizing and encouraging the course of  nature.

If you have more questions, visit  the excellent blog of our resident Feng Shui expert, Narrye Caldwell at ChiSpaces.