the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EwSRBJXDgFI

Enjoy!!!

This is the first two palms of Cheng Youlung's style of bagua. I think there might be a little bit of his brother's movement too.

smoother than your last video. i see improvement.
you still need a haircut.

Any bagua players have any advice. I'm always looking for outside criticism so that I can improve my practice.
Thanks-Mix

what is that music? its cool.

no advice now other that keep practicing.

bruce wrote:what is that music? its cool.

no advice now other that keep practicing.

Its a band from Guelph Ontario called Raggmop. They broke up a few years ago, but I found their album on my ipod recently. I really like this band a lot!

I would say to pull from your waist more, Bagua focuses on the waist alot. Perhaps some intention on the individual techniques(are you using 'hiding flower' as a block, or a redirection of your opponent?). Maybe round your back more on the "closing" movements. The movents are pretty clear, which is good; but lack intention(I only watched it once, and I'm at work)from what I can see. Focus some intent on what each movement is supposed to be doing. You're not bobbing up and down, that's really good, and your stepping looks well practiced too.

Hey Mix,

Kudos to you for putting up the clip.

As for advice,

-Try to turn into the circle a little more and make sure to seperate the waist and the kua. (Many people tend to turn both together)
-Spend more time on mud stepping drills.

I also have a question about the lead elbow positioning. Are you taught to keep the elbow pointing downward with sinking energy or to the side with expanding energy? I've seen both versions and it seems that your elbow's turned to the side more.

Don't be lazy with that second palm change (double palm change)? Bend at the knees as well, not just the hips/back.

Don't be lazy with that second palm change (double palm change)? Bend at the knees as well, not just the hips/back.

Don't be lazy with that second palm change (double palm change)? Bend at the knees as well, not just the hips/back.

Holy shit Kreese, that must have been important for you to say it three times! lol

CJW: yeah, Cheng Youlung's style has the lead elbow sticking out a little to the side.
The palm is supposed to be slightly turned in and the elbow out to develop the force in the arm and hand.

Thanks for the advice!

mixjourneyman wrote:CJW: yeah, Cheng Youlung's style has the lead elbow sticking out a little to the side.
The palm is supposed to be slightly turned in and the elbow out to develop the force in the arm and hand.

My hometown in central Taiwan is home to many internal artists from Wang Shu-Jin's lineage. Whenever I go home, I'd check them out in the morning at a local Buddhist temple where they practice. The way they hold the lead elbow in WSJ Bagua/Xinyi system is similar to yours - to the side; the back hand is kept low by the waist. I was told by the head instructor that this method trains peng jin in the arm, shoulder, and back.

He also mentioned that it might have something to do with Wang's size. The extra meat he was packing in his upper body made the sinking/constricting posture a little difficult.

Yeah, we try to hold the back palm in the normal posture and not at the side. It keeps the force intact. I think Wang's method probably did have a lot to do with his size.
There are some clips of his students around youtube and them holding that posture looks rather ridiculous.

circle_walker wrote:I would say to pull from your waist more, Bagua focuses on the waist alot. Perhaps some intention on the individual techniques(are you using 'hiding flower' as a block, or a redirection of your opponent?). Maybe round your back more on the "closing" movements. The movents are pretty clear, which is good; but lack intention(I only watched it once, and I'm at work)from what I can see. Focus some intent on what each movement is supposed to be doing. You're not bobbing up and down, that's really good, and your stepping looks well practiced too.

Yeah, I would say that intention is lacking in this clip. I would also say that the movement is way too soft. I would like to put up a slightly faster/More forceful clip, but I hit a sweet spot in my walking recently that only works on slow mode (for now at least, until I get more gong fu in my legs). Thanks for the advice!