The Key to Fighting with Baguazhang

bagua self-defense baguazhang Dec 09, 2008

I'm preparing a series of video lessons for the online school on baguazhang fighting. Bagua is a difficult art. It requires the same body mechanics as good tai chi, and like tai chi, bagua takes many years of practice to become proficient.

A Bagua fighter has three main goals -- uproot, unbalance, and control the opponent's center. It is really not much different than Chen Taiji, but it employs a few different methods.

For example, it is said that a Bagua fighter disappears in front of his opponent and suddenly he is behind the opponent. Of course, this makes some people think of magic, but physically, it's a matter of turning your opponent or change his positioning in some way so you are behind him.

Bagua fighting involves fast footwork, quick changes in direction, developing a "moving root," and most important--the key to bagua fighting--to capture and control your opponent's center.

This isn't necessarily as difficult as it sounds. You just need to be shown so you can begin working on it. Like any martial art, it takes a lot of work.

One of the fighting strategies we practice is called "Join and Unite," and is based on the concept of joining with the energy of your opponent as it turns toward you, capturing the center and helping that energy continue turning as you throw your opponent or break a limb.

In classes this past week, I've introduced this concept to my core group of students here in the Quad Cities. After working on a few bagua self-defense movements, one of my students (or myself) will stand on the mat, surrounded by other students. One after another, the students attack with punches or kicks. It's the job of the person in the center to change and react to the attacks with bagua techniques and stepping, changing direction but always taking control of the opponent's center. When one attacker is thrown, the defender moves to intercept the next attacker.

When practicing with a class--especially in the beginning--it's a good idea to slow down the attacks to the defender can internalize the movements. At last night's class, when a defender messed up, we did it again, letting the defender try the same techniques and get the feel of how they worked.

The photo here was taken from one of the videos on the online school outlining this Join and Unite strategy. Rich Coulter has punched, and I stepped in, took control of his center from the inside of the punch, and spun him to the ground. A moment later, he did it to me and I ended up on the ground.

--by Ken Gullette

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The Key to Fighting with Baguazhang

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