baguazhang stepping

[everything]

So as security I have broken up fights in the clubs. Slick dance floor, wet, ice cubes, broken glass. Rushing from action to action without a lot of thought, would hit a slick spot and my legs just sort of snapped into the bagua scissor type stepping. My front foot scooted out in front but then the whole lower body structure kicked in and was solid so I stayed upright. Mobility wise all I can talk about is what taijiquan does for you but I don't think there's much difference in that aspect. Taijiquan gets bagua like when we flow around the force IMHO.

ah ok so that sounds pretty similar to the rationales for these steppings (from a distance. i don't really have any idea what they say/do in bagua class irl). there are a lot of obstacles, possibly poor traction, etc. what is the "bagua scissor type stepping"? I can relate more to the taijiquan idea, but baguazhang does a bunch of walking as a primary method, and seemingly more types of stepping so rather curious about this. it sounds like you probably did intuitively what they might suggest, idk.

[Graculus]

It may not be the same, but I would expect close similarities with the way older Japanese martial arts deal with this - finding this from demos on YouTube might not be easy, but you can get a feel of it from Kurosawa movies. Note how the samurai characters run with their centre of gravity low, legs slightly bent and the upper body not moving much. If you use weapons, preferably ones with a certain degree of weight, you can appreciate the advantages this gives. Especially if you have a sword thrust through your obi (sash), you want the movement of the hips to remain level.

This style of movement does not seem to have been preserved in kata except in a very vestigial form, but from what I was taught, it was so much a part of everyday life for men of that class that there was no need to include it. Naturally, it includes changes of speed, step length and rhythm, but the stride length tends to be quite short.

Graculus
https://ichijoji.blogspot.com

[origami_itto]

So as security I have broken up fights in the clubs. Slick dance floor, wet, ice cubes, broken glass. Rushing from action to action without a lot of thought, would hit a slick spot and my legs just sort of snapped into the bagua scissor type stepping. My front foot scooted out in front but then the whole lower body structure kicked in and was solid so I stayed upright. Mobility wise all I can talk about is what taijiquan does for you but I don't think there's much difference in that aspect. Taijiquan gets bagua like when we flow around the force IMHO.

ah ok so that sounds pretty similar to the rationales for these steppings (from a distance. i don't really have any idea what they say/do in bagua class irl). there are a lot of obstacles, possibly poor traction, etc. what is the "bagua scissor type stepping"? I can relate more to the taijiquan idea, but baguazhang does a bunch of walking as a primary method, and seemingly more types of stepping so rather curious about this. it sounds like you probably did intuitively what they might suggest, idk.

At the time I had a few years of taijiquan and a few months or so of bagua, doing the mother palms mainly.

The scissor is what I call the way you use the legs, at least how I was. Moving them past each other like the blades on a pair of scissors, strongly. There are different stepping methods, I forget them. One like moving your feet through mud, one like you're on ice, one like you're crushing the heads of snakes. Fun stuff.

[everything]

It may not be the same, but I would expect close similarities with the way older Japanese martial arts deal with this - finding this from demos on YouTube might not be easy, but you can get a feel of it from Kurosawa movies. Note how the samurai characters run with their centre of gravity low, legs slightly bent and the upper body not moving much. If you use weapons, preferably ones with a certain degree of weight, you can appreciate the advantages this gives. Especially if you have a sword thrust through your obi (sash), you want the movement of the hips to remain level.

This style of movement does not seem to have been preserved in kata except in a very vestigial form, but from what I was taught, it was so much a part of everyday life for men of that class that there was no need to include it. Naturally, it includes changes of speed, step length and rhythm, but the stride length tends to be quite short.

Graculus
https://ichijoji.blogspot.com

ah super fascinating, thanks a lot.

[everything]

So as security I have broken up fights in the clubs. Slick dance floor, wet, ice cubes, broken glass. Rushing from action to action without a lot of thought, would hit a slick spot and my legs just sort of snapped into the bagua scissor type stepping. My front foot scooted out in front but then the whole lower body structure kicked in and was solid so I stayed upright. Mobility wise all I can talk about is what taijiquan does for you but I don't think there's much difference in that aspect. Taijiquan gets bagua like when we flow around the force IMHO.

ah ok so that sounds pretty similar to the rationales for these steppings (from a distance. i don't really have any idea what they say/do in bagua class irl). there are a lot of obstacles, possibly poor traction, etc. what is the "bagua scissor type stepping"? I can relate more to the taijiquan idea, but baguazhang does a bunch of walking as a primary method, and seemingly more types of stepping so rather curious about this. it sounds like you probably did intuitively what they might suggest, idk.

At the time I had a few years of taijiquan and a few months or so of bagua, doing the mother palms mainly.

The scissor is what I call the way you use the legs, at least how I was. Moving them past each other like the blades on a pair of scissors, strongly. There are different stepping methods, I forget them. One like moving your feet through mud, one like you're on ice, one like you're crushing the heads of snakes. Fun stuff.

it sounds super fascinating to me (from a distance; no plans to ever work security or be in a zombie apocalypse ).

but it also sounds still quite relevant for certain jobs (i didn't think of the bar/club security type of case).

not sure why i was wondering. well, i think it's because i was doing taijiquan, then for no reason, running barefoot to another room, and observed i was naturally doing midfoot strike, but if i put on shoes (even "barefoot" shoes), I don't run like that; i heel strike. which got me wondering why then my mind went on a tangent to wonder what you do in an art with various "stepping methods" (like for ice, mud, etc.) for presumably practical reasons from way back. and that got me wondering about the "big melee" mechanics.

[yeniseri]

(It has been stated that baguazhang stepping began as a function of terrain and geography (unstable ground/earth/soil/etc) so the basic step may not appear to be functional,
it still has the sweeping, throwing and other utility if one is able to train it.

[johnwang]

This is an excellent SC video. Thanks for showing it. You can use the circular footwork to set up a lots of throws.

Find a SC solo form video for this. It links all 36 throws into 1 form. If you learn this form, it can help you to remember all 36 different throws.

- Does a traditional form have to be several hundreds years old?
- Is this a good way to preserve a MA system (create your own form)?

[everything]

also am super fascinated by so many throws. it's just, I was wondering what happens in the hypothetical or real situation where someone is not in only one 1v1 in a given flat space with rules, etc., but moving to "another 1v1" in the "melee". what is the footwork there? further, what is the "entry" to the next "1v1" (esp given it won't be a bunch of empty hand 1v1s)?

[jimmy]