#toaist symbols

[cochineal-leviat]

"Drayton and Kieran battle. However, Drayton being Drayton - stokes the fires more than he should. Can the dragon tamer handle a Dragon's wrath?"

Heyo! I'm continuing this one shot because of the amazing comments I received and, of course, because it is fun to write and make art for. Thank you all so much for the support, and please enjoy!

I drew the battle poses in its entirety to get the anatomy right. If you want to see the full-body poses, please tell me. I think they're neat.

More of an art explanation under keep reading

The VS splash screen is based on Black and White 2's champion match against Iris. Originally, I was going more for the VS screen from gen 5 from the Gym leaders, but since Iris and Drayton are related - this fits more. (that and I couldn't find a good reference of the VS screens)

Also, my absolute favouritism of Unova and Black and White is shining through. To be fair, Blueberry Academy is set in Unova, and the Toaist dragons work perfectly well here symbolically. (I used Black and White 2's colour palette, which technically references Zekrom in Black 2 instead of the other Black, but let's pretend the blue on Drayton's side is from Reshiram's eye and vice versa on Kieran's side. I just wanted the cold colours to be on Drayton's side, whereas Kieran is supposed to be so flushed with anger)

Also, Rotom

[ofwindydays]

Location a Denny's (because of course it is)

Kyo sighed as the demon tried to attack her. Useless vessel. She complained. Of course it was Rei's descandant. She briefly thought of summoning that fox. "He's an idiot." Kyo muttered under breath.

The shrine maiden dodged a few more times before reaching for a blank receipt writing the words. More lesser demons appeared too, the types Kyo can fight off. Unlike....the one with eyes. Kaya was it? Maybe Kyo had one fear.

As the shrine maiden wrote the symbol and placed it on the lesser demons head, the demon set aflame. She made the toaist symbol appear before clicking her tongue. "We'll never have harmonic convergence at this rate." Whether it was because the bad energy or Rei's descadent being bound by a fox she couldn't tell.

She tilted her head towards the door her eyes shining a blazing emerald.

"Sorry this place is closed, please go get your nutrients elsewhere."

[chloeoliviia-blog]

scratchy af rough ass first attempt at animating

[gianlucavisconti]

Northern & Southern styles, Bagua Zhang and Taijiquan Q&A

What is the difference between Northern and Southern style?

Northern style is also much more muted. It’s structured and chic, while native Southerns tend to be more feminine and geared towards prints. The femininity that goes along with Southern style puts a big focus on loose-fitting clothing that gives a girl an ethereal element and a care-free vibe.

Is Bagua Martial Art Northern Or Southern?

The group of Northern martial arts includes many illustrious styles such as Baguazhang, Bajiquan, Chaquán, Chuojiao, Eagle Claw, Northern Praying Mantis and Taijiquan.

Where does Bagua come from?

Baguazhang Sun Lu-t’ang performing “Lion Embraces the Ball”. Also known as Bagua quan, Bagua zhang, Pakua chang, Pa-kua chang,Pa kua chang Hardness Internal (neijia) Country of origin China Creator Dong Haichuan ??? (attributed).

What is bagua fighting style?

The fighting charateristic of Baguazhang is the use of clever guerrilla-style tactics. The Bagua fighter uses evasive footwork to escape the opponent’s strong power and when the time is right the Bagua fighter counters with sudden, ferocious attack, using any part of the body.

How many styles of bagua are there?

The combination of characteristic palms with attack methods is the basis for Baguazhang’s standard fighting sets, which are also known as changes or forms. Therefore within each animal system there are 56 forms, and a total of 448 forms across all eight animal systems.

Is bagua good for self defense?

It is a powerful self-defense art designed to be used against multiple opponents. Three key goals for Bagua self-defense are to uproot, unbalance, and control your opponent’s center.

How many forms are there in bagua?

There are two types of bagua: the Early Heaven Sequence and the Later Heaven Sequence (see below). Both types have been developed before the ‘Book of Changes’, the I Ching, which describes the cosmology and philosophy of ancient China.

Is bagua real?

The Bagua or Pakua are originated from China, and are eight symbols used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Due to their tripartite structure, they are often referred to as Eight Trigrams in English.

What does baguazhang focus on?

From the five animal styles of Shaolin kung fu to the graceful movements of taijiqian, the Chinese martial arts encompass a variety of techniques. Baguazhang is a martial arts style that focuses almost exclusively on evasive footwork and using an attacker’s force against him rather than using direct attacks.

What martial art is Airbending based on?

Earthbending is mostly based on Hung Ga kung fu. Firebending is like Northern Shaolin kung fu. And Airbending is similar to baguazhang.

What are the Eight Diagrams?

The eight diagrams symbolize the eight natural phenomena: sky, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain and lake. So, the picture represented the ancient Chinese early knowledge of the universe, which contained a simple dialectical materialist point of view.

What is Gua in feng shui?

According to your Birth Date, your ‘Life Gua’ or ‘Ming Gua’ is calculated. Each Gua is unique and will indicate your favourable and unfavourable directions and locations. Example: If you are born Between 1st Jan to 3rd Feb 1988 then your birth year will be counted as 1987 for Gua No. Calculations.

What is a trigram in feng shui?

The Eight Trigram Each trigram consists of three male or female lines; and combined in various combinations; the trigram symbolises heaven, earth, water, fire dampness, wind thunder or mountains. The trigrams are often to be found on the garments of Toaist priests and on the walls, ceiling and beams of Chinese temples.

Where do you put a bagua mirror?

You should always hang the bagua mirror with the heaven trigram on the top (with the three unbroken lines). These trigrams are also found in the I-Ching, the Book of Changes. Feng shui is an ancient art that comes from China and has foundations in Taoism.

Is Tai Chi a martial art?

Tai Chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. But it has been part of Chinese martial arts culture since the 16th Century.

Is Waterbending based on Tai Chi?

Tai chi forms the basis of waterbending. Inspiration was taken from the style’s fluidity, connectivity and adaptability, all of which became fundamental concepts for all three waterbending styles. Hung Gar forms the basis of earthbending. Inspiration was taken from the style’s low stances, rooted power and strength.

What is Chi Sau?

Chi Sau, or ‘Sticking Hands’, is a Wing Chun training exercise designed to develop close range combat skills. The aim of Chi Sau is to learn through touch any shift in an opponent’s body position which indicates an eminent attack.

[island6artscenter]

If dreams feel vivid until we are suddenly awoken, who’s to say we’re not dreaming right now? There is a philosophical view known as Epistemological Skepticism, which states that we cannot know anything for certain. For thousands of years philosophers like Rene Descartes have debated a number of arguments for which this is the case. The most known is the "dreaming argument”. This is the idea that if you believe that your dreams are real while you’re experiencing them, how can you tell what you’re experiencing now is real and not a dream? 

Chinese Toaist philosopher, Chuang Tzu (莊子) once dreamt he was a vibrant butterfly flying around from flower to flower. It was an incredibly vivid dream, he’s quoted as describing freedom like never before and feeling the breeze underneath his wings. Unfortunately when he awoke he realized it was all just a dream. But then he started wondering and asked himself, "was I Chuang Tzu dreaming I was a butterfly or am I now really a butterfly dreaming that I am Chuang Tzu?". Chinese culture regards butterflies as a symbol of immortality and beauty in old age. Traditionally there’s always been a connection between this motif and the idea of the soul. Perhaps in his dreams, the butterfly (meaning his soul) is free to flutter happily by the meadows. 

The Liu Dao artists love the idea of a traditional Chinese vase with LED butterflies flying out of the vase in endless repetition, animating the ancient Asian symbol of the human soul. In this manner not only do different mediums interact with one another, enlivening the image, but they also narrate the journey of the human spirit within a Chinese iconographical context.

For price inquiries: terry@island6.org

#LiuDao #island6 #Shanghai #China #newmediaart #contemporaryart #artcollective #LEDart #artgallery  #M50 #artcollector #newexhibition #winterexhibition #foodasartasfood #artforsale #artdistrict #digitalart #artandtechnology #chineseart #chinesehistory #chineseculture  #shanghaiart #shanghaiartcollective #butterflyvases #butterflydream #philosophy