the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Bagua Zhang Ten Minute Primer - Foundational Basic Skills (Part 3)

I think this is a great video with clear presentation. It had me ask a wider question. What are the functions of these videos? What is the root reason for recording them?

Are these an adjunct or a training resource for your students. Something that your in person student can cross reference and confirm the shapes?

Are these documentation or a diary of the style?

Are these remote training material?

I think these questions are important because it gives some context as to how too view the content

Thanks Byron. Good as always!

The milstone standing posture (180 degree twist between upper and lower body, used in your video thumbnail) is impossible not to link to the discussion being had on the weapons-origins thread which mentioned Chinese archery, because it looks exacty (to me) like some sort of training method for using the Parthian Shot (a horseback archery technique of feining a retreat then turning and shooting behind you 180 degrees once the enemy commit to chasing you. It was favoured by the Mongols).

Dong He Chuan was inside the imperial palace starting in 1864, the ruling Manchu's (from the North) still had horseback archery as part of the military service exam. He also allegedly spent 10 years in Mongolia with Yin Fu as a tax collector. Coincidence or not? Who can say.

Riding away from tax collectors ...........or running away from angry mob of taxation subjects

A cool video showing Mongol archery on horseback:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPcuD2_4sz4



The second exercise shown in the OP - circling palm (tea cups) looks a lot like an exercise for using a curved sabre from horseback too. Swordsmanship was part of the Mongol military training, for obvious reasons.

GrahamB wrote:Thanks Byron. Good as always!

The milstone standing posture (180 degree twist between upper and lower body, used in your video thumbnail) is impossible not to link to the discussion being had on the weapons-origins thread which mentioned Chinese archery, because it looks exacty (to me) like some sort of training method for using the Parthian Shot (a horseback archery technique of feining a retreat then turning and shooting behind you 180 degrees once the enemy commit to chasing you. It was favoured by the Mongols).

Dong He Chuan was inside the imperial palace starting in 1864, the ruling Manchu's (from the North) still had horseback archery as part of the military service exam. He also allegedly spent 10 years in Mongolia with Yin Fu as a tax collector. Coincidence or not? Who can say.

If you take the horse and bow away, this looks almost identical to the basic Gongbu Zhan Zhuang in our Mantis. Also in several styles like Chuo Jiao and some Long Fist. I think its something that predates Bagua.

I like this guys stuff

https://youtu.be/laiTpqS4N0g