Fubo wrote:Here are 2 of many reasons not to walk the circle around your opponent like the guy in the video.
1) you are training attributes amongst other things whilst walking with your guard and body turned into the center - if you do this with an opponent in the middle of the invisible circle you seriously cut off your range of motion and ability to change - that's why you face your opponent, because when you close in or make contact you can go left or right, forward or back (you can't do that effectively if you are circling like the guy in the vid), and that would be one of the times to use your circling methods.
2) Circling like that, you are constantly crossing your leg and just asking to get swept, knocked down, tripped etc... That is like one of the basic things you don't do in a fight, bagua or not bagua.
Just because you walk like that in practice doesn't mean that is what you do in "that" part of the fight in the vid, just like you wouldn't walk in low postures just because you do it in the forms, you may get into a low posture entering a throw or something, but there is a time and place for it.
Well i agree with you about not walking around in a circle like the guy in the vid - but to me he is just walking a circle and not really applying Ba Gua (from the rest of his movements) or his Ba Gua is not that great in the first place.
I don't fully agree with you on the cutting off range of motion and ability to change - this, to me, comes from the circle. Like i said i would not just start running circles around my opponent, though i do walk in a circular manner. I also respect that there are many styles and approaches to combative bagua and hence what i perceive as circular walking may be different for some. Whilst using Tang Ni Bu i find that one is more able to change direction - rather than just forward / back or side / side circular movements opens up many more angles of approach.
If one practices the circle walking properly there is no fear of being swept or tripped. Again after having spent most of my martial life in other martial arts (TKD, Muay Thai, Vale Tudo, JJ, BJJ, etc) i have found that the many years of circular walking have developed my stability and leg muscles beyond any other training method. Having also sparred and free-fought with guys from other styles (not Ba Gua) i can say that circular walking certainly makes them re-think their approach. To give you a better idea - i would not initially start walking - like others mentioned, wait for contact then apply and possibly if the situation is right, continue.
Of course thee is a time and place for all elements of everything that we practice. In martial art is going to be situational in their application. If no we would all be meeting and applying techniques and know the counter immediately because martial arts would be predictable. What i think is very important is for each of us to approach our martial training intelligently and with an open mind.