bagua terminology

[shmirsh]

I see a lot of discussion about bagua on this forum. It's obviously a very popular form but one I know nothing about. I have a terminology question. Some people are saying bagua zhang (palm) and others are using chuan (fist). Where does this difference come from? I saw that Sun Lu Tang's book for example was called bagua chuan xue (bagua fist studies).

[mixjourneyman]

Baguazhang is used by most lines, except Sun Lutang and Gong Baotien lines as far as I know, who prefer Quan.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think its just a terminology thing.

[edededed]

There are two basic answers to this:

1. It is just a terminology preference.
2. The two words specify two different things.

Both are right, in different circumstances.

[Wuyizidi]

Quan by itself means fist. In Chinese, we often abbreviate quan shu (literally: fist technique, general meaning: martial art) using just the word quan. So here Bagua Quan and Bagua Zhang refers to the same thing - a style of martial art that uses Ba Gua principle. Calling it Bagua Quan doesn't imply there one emphasizes closed fist over open hand. Similarly, people say shou (hand) a lot. That is short for shou fa (literally: hand technique, general meaning: skill). So when you ask a spear master to "show you one hand", you're asking him to show you one spear technique, not one empty hand technique.


Wuyizidi