the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

I am going to stay couple of months in Koh Phangan (Thailand) soon . Anybody knows teacher or just person practicing??

or maybe Koh Samui and Phuket?

There is a YouTube channel with Liang style baguazhang on it - it seems that they have a teacher named Li Weidong go and teach them (in Chinese) for some periods; he seems to have been a disciple of Zang Xuefan. Not sure about the location, except that it is in Thailand!

I train with the Liang bagua group, it's in Lumpini Park, Bangkok. The old ladies are there every morning early, while the more martially inclined only on Sundays from 9am. Master Li comes to Bangkok once a year for a few months in winter.

That's actually a quite nice setup! A few months each year is very nice - and I can understand the part about coming during the winter months...

Master Li trains really early - starts around 4am and finished by 9

Ha ha - but there are some good sides to it...

1. If is easy for working folks to go train with him every day (at least for the first few hours - probably no work slated at 4 AM)
2. It is also good for people with families - after the whole training is finished, you still have the whole day afterwards!

Would love to hear more about the Liang bagua group in Thailand What kind of curriculum, etc...? The videos are quite nice!

Most of my training has been when Master Li is not around. The sessions are very informal. We might start with chigong and end with pushing hands but not always. In between the teacher might show some concepts which we drill and then eventually practice on a partner.

Of course most of the work is done alone away from class. For the first few months when I started I just practiced all the foundation stance work, and arm movements (sorry I'm not big on terminology), hundreds of reps every day. I would go to the weekly class to get corrected by the teacher and given more stuff to work on. I learnt to walk in a straight line without lifting my heels, and then after a few months was taught to walk in a circle, and then taught the first turn. Every few months I was taught a different turn. I never really knew the reason for doing these exercises, but now, four years later certain moves pop out automatically in sparring and I have a stand-up grappling game that I did not have before.

When Master Li is in town it's a big group that trains, and he does lots of basics like line work, very taxing stuff. Every year he comes he seems to have a different them that he wants the group to learn. And he shows weapons forms. He brings alot of weapons with him every year that people order in advance.

Thanks for the description! Sounds like a great setup - the videos on YouTube focus more on Mr. Li, of course... the weapons look like a lot of fun. Sounds like a traditional way of teaching, too.

Is your teacher also related to Zang Xuefan's line? Not a common one overseas, I think, even for Liang style!

My teacher is a student of Li Wei Dong, so the lineage is to Zang Xuefan.

Wonder if the OP ever hooked up with bagua in Koh Phangan?