Novell opinions of BaGua teachers 2.html

My Opinions of Ba Gua Zhang Teachers Today.
Part 2 of a 2 part series

By Novell LaoShi the Black Taoist

Writer Note-My comments are not for legitimate Ba Gua Zhang teachers and Practitioners. In fact there are some skilled teavhers and practitioners of this art today, but a large amount of so-called BaGua teachers and practitioners are simply pretending.(false images) Being politically correct serves no purpose when trying to promote the true art of Ba-Gua Zhang. I don’t claim to be a master of Ba Gua Zhang , but in the face of what I’ve experienced, with all the frauds that’s taking place right now, I will express the truth of what I know. So this is not to offend those individuals training the real methods of BaGuaZhang, but rather to expose the fallacy that is being perpetuated so openly.

In my first installment I talked about the overwhelming number of inexperienced individuals who open up Ba Gua Zhang schools and make instructional videos to help promote their low level combat methods of Ba Gua Zhang. Most of the Ba Gua teachers that are advertising today in mass media have never fought in an full contact competitions, streets or even trained in any form of unrehearsed full-contact free fighting. Yet these same Ba Gua teachers globally promote their so-called knowledge of combat!

An overwhelming number of Ba Gua Zhang teachers today do not teach fighting at all. Yet for some reason these same so-called Ba Gua instructors think they can teach other individuals how to adapt, flow and utilize Ba Gua Zhang fighting principles in actual combat, while they themselves have no combat experience.

In my opinion, no matter how much dedication and hard work an individual puts into their Ba Gua Zhang training, one will never reach a high level of martial skill if they are learning from an Ba Gua Zhang instructor that cannot apply their art through free-fighting. You mostly will see these types of Ba Gua instructors teaching flowery forms which have no martial function. If individuals that studies Ba Gua Zhang do not practice their art through free-fighting under a qualified Ba Gua instructor who has combat experience, they will never learn how to adapt and change their fighting strategy in a combat situation no matter how many solo and two man forms they practice!

Learning Ba Gua circle walking forms and rehearsed combat drills means nothing if individuals are not testing out their Ba Gua through free-fighting training scenarios that are unrehearsed. People that are studying Ba Gua Zhang for combat should be sparring regularly and testing out their art against all kinds of different martial artists and skilled fighters. What I am saying is, that engaging in free-fighting is the only way one can truly understand one's martial art and apply it's martial functions freely in real-time combat. Individuals that only train Ba Gua Zhang forms who leave out free-fighting training will only have an incomplete Ba Gua Zhang system that is nothing more than a dance of walking fun! which path will be full of pitfalls.

Today, most people that study Ba Gua Zhang seem to have no knowledge of their own that can be applied in an unrehearsed fight. Many of these poor individuals seem to be happy being followers of the unskilled. They appear to me to be mental slaves! Many of these individuals, I believe are truly unaware that their mind and body is being shackled by these unskilled Ba Gua instructors who claim to have real Ba Gua Zhang knowledge and martial ability that can be utilized for practical combat. The funny thing is - when it comes time for these same Ba Gua Zhang masters to demonstrate or compare their martial skills against other martial artists,(FIGHTING & NOT FORM DISPLAY OR TALK OF THE I-CHING) these so-called masters make up all kinds of excuses why they can't compare skills against other individuals or demonstrate their combat skills publicity. These so-called Ba Gua teachers love to play upon the theory that their chi is too deadly to fight with. Many actually use this example to hide behind because they truly don't have any real fighting skills in the art of Ba Gua Zhang.

Many of these low level Ba Gua teachers will tell lies to individuals that are interested in learning Ba Gua Zhang as an combat art. They will tell people the only way too be a good Ba Gua fighter, one have to learn the I-Ching philosophy as it pertains to Ba Gua Zhang practice. Now as I see it... that is straight up bullshit!

The way I see it, the only way an individual can develop confidence and true skills utilizing Ba Gua Zhang is by practicing free-fighting. The chinese I-Ching philosophy is not going to help any individual in a fighting competition or real-fighting situation. To excel in any combat scenario, one needs to be totally involved in the task at hand. One's mind should not be focused on what energies, trigram symbols one can utilize. Some Ba Gua practitioners are actually dumb enough to believe this kind of nonsense! The real truth is Ba Gua Zhang in the past was recognized as a martial art system of guerrilla warfare that stressed free-fighting for the development of realistic martial combat applications.

Engaging in free-fighting is a must if one wants to learn how to utilize Ba Gua Zhang in real fighting situations. That is if your goals are to learn the art for real combat. I personally have met and witnessed many Ba Gua Zhang teachers display an inability to apply the fundamental principals of the art of which they proclaimed to be so proficient in. Many Ba Gua teachers today are not conditioned enough for fighting. God knows if they ever got into an fight on the streets. all their talk of I-Ching philosophy & practice of rehearsed circle walking forms & combat drills will not help them. In reality when it comes time to cross hands all talk goes out the window. The truth will come to the light in the fight!

In my opinion, if a Ba Gua practitioner engages in a fight - their mind & body must be in the now - aware and ready to deal with whatever the situation is. The mind & body should not be fixed on any particular movements or any trigrams. If one's goal is to learn Ba Gua Zhang for combat, then they should diligently research the Ba Gua Zhang teacher's background to see if they are indeed a qualified instructor and if they truly have fighting experience.

Here are a few things to look for that point to inexperience:

The teacher talks throughout classes about I-Ching philosophy and esoteric fighting theory... The teachers are visibly out of shape when demonstrating Ba Gua Zhang forms, drills and martial auxiliary exercises - they have no endurance and tire out easily. If you see this then the teacher has poor conditioning which means they are weak internally and externally which shows he/she is not truly powerful and most likely their health and strength is poor!

Other things to look out for are the teachers that only teach choreographed forms, combat techniques and set fighting drills during class. These teachers do not really know how to teach their students how to apply Ba Gua in an formless way when engaging in free style fighting.

Another example to look out for If the teacher never spars with the students to help familiarize them with freedom of change in their techniques. If the teacher doesn't train his students in any tui shou-push hands methods. Tui Shou is taught and practiced to help students cultivate the sticking and listening energy that is needed in combat. All good Ba Gua teachers should teach tui shou - push hands or Kun Shou -rolling hands.

Here are a few examples of what you may find in an experienced qualified Ba Gua Zhang instructor martial curriculum. Each curriculum will very depending upon the Ba Gua teacher's martial art background.

You will notice that most experienced BaGua instructors martial program will have Speed, power and strategy training. Conditioning drills, Impact training, Balance training. Practice of Ba Gua Zhang stance, stepping, two-man power auxiliary drills, Chi Kung, push hands training, free-fighting..ect

A truly skilled BaGua teacher will personally spar with each of their students to help familiarize their students with the freedom of change that exists within combat. The teacher will teach their students how too neutralize, intercept, evade and redirect attacks through the use of Ba Gua theory and application such as evading and bobbing techniques, as well as Ba Gua controlling and locking techniques. These are some general methods a student should learn in preparation for real fighting to be able to effectively apply their Ba Gua Zhang in combat. If the Ba Gua instructor you evaluate does not teach or practice free-fighting, then, in my opinion a person should find another instructor that teaches how to apply Ba Gua Zhang freely in real fighting situations if your goal is to learn the art for real combat!

There are too many Ba Gua teachers today that just practice and demonstrate rehearsed forms and combat applications. These Ba Gua Zhang teachers all demonstrate the same techniques with no creativity or innovation of their own. Many of these Ba Gua Zhang teachers today do not have the heart or the attitude of a real warrior ! When these individuals encounter a situation where they will have to demonstrate and prove their claims of martial ability in a free style fighting situation, they will punk up quick when it came time for them to actually show real martial ability! An experienced Ba Gua teacher can utilize their Ba Gua Zhang skills unrehearsed in any combat situation.

My advice for individuals who are interested in learning Ba Gua Zhang for combat is to find a Ba Gua teacher that can demonstrate their Ba Gua Zhang fighting skills unrehearsed in real combat situations!

Steadfast of purpose is above all the essential requirement for understanding yourself in relation to the Universe. If you lack this you will be easily led into false securities and will therefore become easy to defeat. Force yourself to develop the skills needed to be the warrior that you define yourself to be. Remember, as you submit to the "spirit of the thing," that the spirit of the thing" will submit itself to you.-Miyamoto Musashi

IMy focus in practicing the art of BaGuaZhang is to analyze and dissect the Bagua system in a realistic and down-to-earth way. If this means being brutally honest about my view points and research, then so be it. While some individuals may find my approach and opinions refreshing, others may not. It's simply a matter of personal preference and should not be taken to heart. People that may have questions or comments about this article can contact me at: BrotherLaoQiang@yahoo.com