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Do you want to learn about one of the most unusual, most underrated styles of martial arts fighting? I learned all about this great fighting style called Ba Gua Zhang. It really blew me away because this style of fighting is not like most fighting styles, especially not like all those extreme moves you see on TV or in the movies.
What makes Ba Gua Zhang so special is the fact that this style is based on the open fist philosophy rather than the closed fist. You see, the object is to strike down your opponent with skill rather than simple brute force. It takes a bit longer to get really good at this type of fighting but it has some really good benefits.
When I was younger, I used to get into fights quite a lot. This was before I learned how to properly fight and also before I had matured and learned that fighting is often not a necessity. I used to fight only with my fists instead of using my brain and that got me a ton of trouble, and tons of bruises -- especially my fists. Any good fighter worth his salt has broken a hand or two. It is not fun, it hurts a lot and it puts you out of commission for too long. What would happen if you had to defend yourself the next day and you've got a broken hand? You are in trouble, that's what.
Ba Gua Zhang showed me a better way. Fighting doesn't have to be all focused attacking. You can quell a threat with the use of skill instead of trying to just destroy the dude. The intrinsic concept of this style is to constantly move and change your approach to any kind of situation. No matter how your opponent approaches you, be ready to keep adapting.
One of the main things you do when you begin practicing this style is the circle walk. Seems easy enough. You just walk around in a circle. Seems silly maybe, but you stay in motion and, believe you me, a moving target is much harder to hit than a still one! So your opponent has to come to you and moving around gets him out of his comfort zone. It also prepares you to defend yourself. It is much tougher to move quickly if you are just standing there still. If you are already in motion, it is easy to stay in motion, makes sense?
Another important point is the idea behind palm changes or different postures in your upper body. I mean, heck, your lower body is doing something, why not give your upper body something to do as well, right? These moves prepare you to fight. It is like priming a pump or winding the spring of a catapult - preparing for battle, if you will. That is how real fighting is, rapid and spontaneous.
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Yoshi F Kundagawa is a freelance journalist. He covers the
mixed martial arts industry. For a free report on Ba Gua Zhang Eight Basic Palms DVD visit his blog.
