A Bagua and Taiji Way to Unbalance

A Bagua and Taiji Way to Unbalance - the Hook Step

bagua bagua self-defense baguazhang Jun 25, 2011

One of the effective techniques used in Bagua and Taiji to unbalance an opponent occurs when the opponent steps toward you, or you step toward them.

In Bagua, this is called by some the "bagua foot." It's a hooking step that sets you up to apply pressure on your opponent's calf and cause them to lose their balance.

In the first photo, Kim Kruse (on the left) takes a step toward Colin Frye. She's stepping with her right foot. He hooks his left foot behind her right ankle.

In the second photo, Colin presses forward with his shin, applying pressure against Kim's calf. This causes her left shoulder to move backward and to the side.

In photo 3, Colin has taken advantage of the turning of the shoulder -- he pulls on the shoulder and Kim falls backward.

This is a great internal technique. Remember, the idea of internal kung-fu is to unbalance your opponent and take advantage of the window of opportunity that becomes available when they lose their balance.

You remain centered -- your opponent loses their balance. This is your goal mentally and physically when you are attacked.

In practicing Bagua, the ko bu step (into a pidgeon-toe stance or a T stance) can be used in this technique, and this is one of the reasons it's practiced so much in Bagua. Footwork is important in all martial arts, and this is one of Bagua's most important stepping techniques.

Remember to sink your weight through this technique.

When you hook your foot behind your opponent's ankle, it also sets you up for a "split" technique where you kick the opponent's foot while exerting backward force against the opponent's torso. More about that one in another post.

--by Ken Gullette

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A Bagua and Taiji Way to Unbalance - the Hook Step

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