Learn The Principles Of Ba Gua Zhang Combat

Discover The Principles of Ba Gua Zhang Sparring
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Would you like to know about one of the rarest, most underrated forms of martial arts combat? I learned all about this great fighting style called Ba Gua Zhang. It really suprised me because this style of fighting is not like most fighting styles, especially not like all that stuff you see on television or in the movies.

What makes Ba Gua Zhang so unique is the fact that this style is based on the open fist philosophy rather than the closed fist. You see, the object is to strike down your opponent with skill rather than simple brute force. It takes a little longer to get proficient at this kind of fighting but it has some excellent benefits.

When I was a teenager, I used to get into fights quite a lot. This was before I learned how to properly fight and also before I was more mature and discovered that fighting is often not a necessity. I used to fight with my fists instead of using my brain and that got me not only into a lot of trouble but also a lot of broken bones -- especially my fists. Any good fighter worth his salt has broken a hand or two. It is not fun, it hurts like crazy and it puts you out of commission for a while, too. What would happen if you had to defend yourself the next day and you've got a broken hand? You are in serious trouble, that's what.

Ba Gua Zhang showed me there is a better way. Fighting doesn't have to be only attacking. You can subdue a threat with the use of skill instead of trying to just pummel the opponent. The intrinsic concept of this style is to constantly move and vary your approach to any kind of situation. No matter what your opponent throws at you, keep on adapting.

One of the key things you do when you first start practicing this style is the circle walk. Seems simple enough. You just walk around in a circle. Seems silly maybe, but you keep moving and, as you know, a moving target is much harder to hit than a still one! So your opponent has to come to you and moving around gets him out of his comfort zone. It also helps you to defend yourself. It is much more difficult to move fast if you are just standing there still. If you are already moving, it is easier to keep moving, makes sense?

Another key point is the idea behind palm changes or different postures in your upper body. I mean, heck, your lower body is doing something, why not give your upper body something to do also, right? These moves prepare you to fight. It is kind of like priming a pump or winding the spring of a catapult - preparing for battle, if you will. That is how real fighting is, fast and instinctive.
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