Samantha Ngai
Yin-yang fish palm. Photo: Matt Stone. April, 2025
Eric Darton placed his almost-empty coffee cup in the middle of the sidewalk just feet away from the bustling corner of Mercer and West 4th. Despite the biting cold he removed his winter coat and coppola cap to prepare for his demonstration of Ba Gua Zhang, the martial art he has practiced for two decades. He began to circle the cup, making swift and sharp movements as he changed his footing using the Kou Bu (hook) and Bai Bu (swing) steps. Though his snowy white beard matched his mid-seventies age, his steady movements were unmistakable evidence of inner youth.
Similar to Tai Chi, Ba Gua Zhang is a martial art that emphasizes deep breathing, coordinated movements, and the cultivation of internal energy. But while Tai Chi focuses on stationary push-pull motions, Ba Gua features meditating by walking in a circle through curving and spiraling movements. As Eric performed his meditation, he held his hands out firmly in front of him, switching their position as he changed steps.
Born and raised in Manhattan, Eric’s education and career have revolved around New York City. Between running a graphic design studio, editing the cultural monthly East Village Eye, writing and acting in The Trouble with Harry (Helmsley), a satirical theatre critique of gentrification, teaching seminars at NYU and Empire State University, and a brief stint as a taxi driver, Eric’s work and life reflects a commitment to understanding the rich cultural history of his home. In 1999, Eric’s career culminated in the publication of his New York Times best-selling book, Divided We Stand: A Biography Of New York’s World Trade Center. The book uses the rise of the twin towers as a springboard for studying the architectural, economic, and political mechanisms that shape FIDI’s urban condition.
It is no surprise that Eric became something of a celebrity following the tragic 9/11 events—everyone wanted his expert opinion on how the country should respond to the attacks. Eric participated in numerous public appearances in the months following 9/11, including a feature in a History Channel documentary, World Trade Center, 1973-2001. “I was trying to raise awareness about not using this as a trigger to immediately go to war,” he said.
But the weight of dissuading a grieving nation from violence quickly took its toll on Eric’s health. In the months following 9/11, The stress of constant media exposure coupled with a nasty bout of pneumonia left Eric, 51 at the time, “sicker than I had ever been in my entire adult life,” he said.
After completing a round of antibiotics, Eric still felt ill. “Western medicine said, ‘You’re okay,’ and I wasn’t. I was completely off my game,” he said. Following a friend’s advice, Eric turned to acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner Kelly McDonald to find an alternative treatment for his lingering symptoms. After a combination of needles, herbal medicine, and massage therapy, Eric’s health began to improve. “Many people scoff at these practices, but Eric embraced them,” McDonald said.
With McDonald’s guidance, Eric practiced qigongs, breath movements that are specifically targeted towards internal organs—in Eric’s case, the lungs. Though the concept of qi is difficult to translate to English, it refers to the inner vitality or energy that one possesses. In Chinese medicine, one is considered healthy when their qi is balanced. “It was a funny feeling,” Eric said as he described his first contact with qi. “I always thought my qi was in a cup of coffee.”
Once Eric mastered the qigong exercises, McDonald suggested that Eric meet her Ba Gua teacher, Tom Bisio. As a renowned Chinese medicine practitioner and full-contact martial arts master, Bisio founded Internal Arts International to teach the principles of his practice worldwide. After attending a seminar with Bisio, Eric was hooked. He continued to train under Bisio for the next decade, taking Ba Gua lessons multiple times a week. Eventually, Eric got his certification to teach in Tom’s studio.
As an instructor, Eric noticed that not everyone is as immediately captivated by Ba Gua as he was. A typical class of twenty students would often dwindle to three within one month. Eric speculated that this is because Ba Gua is not a flashy or performative martial art. Eventually he realized that most of those who continue don’t come to Ba Gua looking for combat training or tournament victories, but instead as part of a health journey. Eric explained that people of all ages discover Ba Gua as a part of healing processes, from treating sports injuries to coping with chronic illness.
Numerous health studies have analyzed the benefits of Ba Gua. A study at the Beijing University of Physical Education found that among people of at least 60 years old, those who practiced Ba Gua had a wider range of motion in hip joints, greater respiratory functions, and quicker reaction time. These test subjects also experienced significantly less bone degeneration, and in some cases, positive bone adaptation. As Eric is now navigating his 70s, Ba Gua has not only benefited his physical health, but has helped him gain a more positive outlook towards aging. “It wasn’t about doing a martial art,” he said. “It was finding a form of aging that’s very organic, as opposed to superficial attempts to preserve our youth.” At any age, Ba Gua is all about resilience.
Health longevity is just one of three fundamental principles of Ba Gua. As a synthesis between health, self-defense, and spiritual wisdom through meditation, it results in a “fully embodied awareness,” allowing one to “move through disorderly situations,” Eric explained. Though Ba Gua sometimes involves sparring with a partner, success is not gained by overwhelming one’s opponent with force. Ba Gua’s self-defense movements allow one to anticipate another’s moves, and regain equilibrium after being knocked off balance. “It is not about strength. It’s about putting myself in a safe place and then seeing what I need to do from there,” said Eric.
Though Ba Gua welcomes people of all backgrounds, Eric sometimes feels limited in his practice because he does not speak or read Mandarin. Many Ba Gua movements are tied to traditional Chinese verses. “The only disadvantage to someone like me is that there are so many poems and songs in Chinese that attach meaning to the practice.” Though he has read English translations of these poems, there are certain elements that lose meaning without understanding the meter and cadence of Mandarin.
Still, Eric has adopted Ba Gua Zhang as holistically as possible. Whether it’s navigating a crowded city street, handling disgruntled literary editors, or managing political anxieties, Eric has applied Ba Gua’s principles of awareness and equilibrium to all aspects of his life. “Having practiced it now for more than 20 years, I don’t think there’s any facet of my life that it hasn’t affected,” he said.
Eric continues to practice Ba Gua daily. Every morning, weather permitting, he can be found in the southeast quadrant of Washington Square Park practicing his circle walking meditation. “Once it’s internalized, it will not go away,” he said. “It’s the last thing to leave you.”
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More information on Ba Gua Zhang and Chinese medicine may be found at https://www.internalartsinternational.com
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