I wrote a blog about the Eight Brocades in June 2020. Recently, few of my current students were asking where the name came from. I thought this would be a good time to write a new one with a bit more information. Click on the link in the first sentence to read the old (but still valid) blog.
The Brocades (aka Ba Duan Jin, Eight-Section Brocades, Eight Pieces of Brocade, Eight Chinese Precious Exercises, Eight Silken Brocades, The Eight Treasures, etc. is one form of traditional Chinese Qigong exercises with a history of more than 1000 years. Ba 八 means eight, Duan 段 can literally be translated as holding or carrying something , and Jin 锦 means silk (or does it mean brocade?). Although the Chinese name is Ba Duan Jin, evidently the early translation didn’t even include the word ‘silk’. However, the image of silk frequently appears in soft Chinese martial arts and exercises. A more accurate translation of Ba Duan Jin is “eight pieces or segments of brocade”.
Why Eight? The practice consists of eight movements based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, that doesn’t really answer the question, does it? For simplicity, I will use the word “Brocades” when referring to these Qigong exercises. The Brocades consist of “symmetrical physical postures and movements”, meditation, and harmonious breathing exercises.
Most, if not all, Qigong (“Chee Gong”) incorporate mindful movement, meditation, and breathwork. According to experts, the Eight Brocades, date back nearly 1000 years during the Song Dynasty in China. It is often referred to the Eight Brocades of Silk because of the “silken quality of movements”. Performed correctly, movements should be smooth and flow like silk. After you practice the Brocades, your body may even feel silken!
When healthy, the connective tissues in your body are like a smooth silken material. However, our connective tissues can become thick and inflamed due to poor, overused, and/or incorrect posture. The Brocades can help repair and return our connective tissue (fascia) to its healthy state.
Benefits of practicing the Brocades
According to ancient texts, the Brocades eliminate fatigue. Several of the exercises were designed to harness Qi energy in order to increase longevity. Traditionally, TCM and the practice of Qigong are associated with the kidneys. Stress causes excess adrenaline to over-tax the kidneys which is why several of the Brocade exercises focus on them.
The Brocades also improve bone density, flexibility, balance, body awareness, vitality, and coordination. Importantly, they can reduce, and sometimes eliminate, high blood pressure, cancer, headaches, anxiety, depression… the list goes on and on.
Qigong exercises were usually studied and/or taught by generals and other high-ranking officials. It’s easy to understand why early soldiers or warriors practiced Qigong to ensure their health, strength, power, and vitality. Once the public became aware of the benefits of the Brocades, they became popular and provided people with both physical strength and vitality. The Brocades were also known to improve “focus, resilience, and internal peace”.
Legend and/or Folklore - you will find a lot of both when you research the Brocades:
Brocade is silk-like fabric from which many robes were/are made from. The Brocades Qigong has a long history (no matter who created it) and has undergone many modifications, and adaptations throughout its history. Currently, there are numerous variations in the exercises, styles, emphasis, and areas of focus. The one thing the have in common is that all are rooted in the “fundamental principles of traditional Chinese medicine, Taoist philosophy, and martial arts”. The Brocades not only promote and improve health and longevity, they also encourage cultivation of the spirit. Let’s take a look at those legends.
According to one legend, although he wanted to fight, Yue Fei felt that he needed to take care of his elderly mother. At some point, she had him take off his shirt and tattooed 4 Chinese characters on his back. In English, they tattoos translated to “serve the country loyally”. Yue did and went on to become a very accomplished General and skilled martial artist. One legend states that he and his 500 men defeated 100,000 northern invaders. He was said to have received many gifts from the Imperial Court, which he generously shared with his soldiers.
General Yue Fei wanted his soldiers to be healthy, and strong enough to fight when needed. He also knew that there had to be more to power than just strategy and physical strength. His goal was to find that perfect ingredient. After studying Chinese Classic Qigong practices, he created the Brocades Qigong exercises to help both his able-bodied and wounded soldiers. Not only did the practice help practitioners heal faster enjoy better health, and longevity, it is said to make “feel like they were wearing a silk robe”.
His prowess did not always sit well with others in the army and he was executed based on “trumped up charges”. Before he was executed, Yue continued to teach his army The Eight Pieces of Brocade. Soon after his execution, the Song dynasty fell to the invading Mongols.
A different legend states that a renowned physician, Hua Tuo, created the Eight Pieces of Brocade during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Hua was also regarded as the “father of Chinese surgery, because he used a holistic approach and innovative medical techniques to heal patients. The Brocades were innovative at the time.
There is also a belief that the Brocades were created by Chongli Quan (one of the legendary three immortals) around 8-900 CE (Tang Dynasty). Supposedly, the instructions for the Qigong were found on 8 pieces of silk during that time. The title on the silk was “The Cure”. This may have further established the Brocades as a medical Qigong and a cure for many health problems.
Another interesting legend states that drawings were discovered in Mawangdui caves in 1973. These images are said to date back to 168 CE, suggesting a much older history. References to the Brocades were also found in Song Dynasty manuals of medicine (960-1279 CE).
Part of the physical strength and mental focus training for the Shaolin monks are/were the Brocades. This leads many to believe that they may have been created by Bodhidharma, who brought Chan Buddhism from India to China in the 6th century.
Brocades as a Medical Qigong
There are those practitioners and/or Masters who consider all Qigong practices to be Medical Qigong. As a Medical Qigong, the Brocades are part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) because they emphasize healing in certain areas of the body (both physical and energetic). The focus is on healing certain Zang/Fu organs and their “related Acupuncture Meridians.
Why are the movements called so many different names?
The Brocades have been passed down from one generation to another, one country to another, and translated into many different languages. It stands to reason that there would be large variations in names and postures.
The Brocades are considered the second most popular Qigong form practiced around the world.
If you haven’t tried the Brocades yet, I would highly recommend finding a class. If that is not an option or you prefer to learn on your own, there are some good videos on the internet. However, some videos fall short. Some of the more contemporary practitioners/instructors practice/teach a more athletic set. A discerning eye can easily determine that these are not silk-like movements. Traditional Brocades usually have a flowing, silken appearance and feeling.
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