General Ba Gua Free Sparring Method

When you talk about sparring, regardless of style, you must consider the martial arts
rationale. There is a reason for what is done. As far as bagua itself is concerned, there are a
great many sub-styles. Many of these are similar, but some are quite different. No matter
what their differences, though, they must follow the general methods below. Notice we have
said general. To go into more detail would require far too much length for an article.

There are ten general methods in the bagua free sparring, and each of these must be
understood clearly:

1. Single weight and don't focus.

2. Yin and yang.

3. Breathing and technique.

4. Distance.

5. Speed

6. Angle

7. Timing and chance

8. Footwork

9. Know yourself, know the opponent

10. Chi Kung and external training.

1. When you practice, keep the whole body balanced.

No part of the body can lose balance. If the balance is even a little off, that is called "focus"
or "double-weight." Focus is the mind feeling, and double weight the physical feeling.

The one affects the other. Double-weightedness refers to the whole body, not just the feet or
hands. If anything is tense that produces double-weightedness. When free sparring, you
must remember not to focus the mind on using power. Otherwise, if you focus, you will lose
your relaxedness and control. When you are not relaxed, the breathing is automatically
bothered and your movements become stiff. If this happens, the mind will lock up and the
spirit will break and lose alertness. This will occur because the nervous system is affected
and your reflexes will be slowed; the opponent will instead be able to strike you.

When fighting, you must be like a fish in the wave, like a flag in the air. You must be very
careful to understand these two ideas and to put this understanding in the body. That means
being natural and letting your reflexes work. this is not simple. You must understand these
two ideas deeply.

2. Yin and yang refers to anything opposite but not separated. In the martial arts there are
two kinds of movements that are continuous, unbroken and from one root. If this is not
understood, your practice will be wrong. In the martial arts sense, yin and yang are
expressed as follows:

Yang-Yin; Exhale-Inhale; Sold-Fake; Tense-Relax; Moving-Still; hard-Soft; Fast-Slow.

In sparring, the use of yin and yang is very important. For example, when the opponent
punches, that is yang, and when you defend, you must be yin. The timing here is crucial,
because when the opponent changes from hard to soft, you must already change to hard and
hit him. At that time, the opponent has now power to bloc. That is the meaning of the yin-
yang circle.

When sparring, you must be careful that the opponent does not know this idea and in fact is
setting you up. That is why you must use mind and power. When you use power, that is
focusing. Using mind means, as the classics say, spirit, breathing, mind and power together
to make harmony and be united. the power is all together.

When an opponent show you an open spot, that means fake, set-up. Do not hit there. Hit this
protected area. You must reverse set-up to do that. Because that is the real open area to be
hit, where he is focused. Another example: make a signal to the east, hit the west. Point to
the south, hit the north. Up is open, down is solid. All these are for set-up use. When you are
using these, you must follow what your opponent is doing, or you can be setting your
opponent up. this is yin and yang, all opposites.

3. Coordination of breathing with technique. Before we noted that a full exhale is yang and
an inhale yin. When sparring, if you attack- whether with a punch or kick - you should test,
fake. At the same time, the breathing should be an inhale. Many martial arts people do not
understand about this, or the difference between fake and real, because the timing and
breathing are wrong. (Refer to ying and yang above if necessary.) If you get mixed up, you
will get punched. But even if not, two to three techniques later your breathing will be very
heavy. This method is extremely important and must not be forgotten.

4. There are three distances in fighting. Long, medium and close. The idea for each is
different. A) Long distance: when sparring, consider how short or long limbed the opponent
is. When fighting at long distance, be careful of kicks. but at that distance you must yourself
kick, otherwise, the opponent will be waiting for your punch and he will set you up. You
may use a kick as a set-up, or to break the opponent's concentration. B) Medium distance: at
this range, either the foot or the hand can strike you. Be careful of the opponent using his
hand and foot together to attack. the best attack is both hand and foot. C) Close distance: try
to control the opponent's balance. When the opponent loses balance, the whole body will
tense, the breathing will come up and his movement will slow. This is why push hands and
sensitivity training are important.

5. Regarding speed. If the opponent doesn't move, you must be still. If the opponent moves
just a little, quickly attack, faster than he. The hand must be flexible and sharp. The step
must be light. Forward, backward and turning you must be light, like a cat. The body must
be straight, balanced. The qi must be in the Dan Tien. if one thing moves, everything must
move. When you contact the opponent, you must be like a tiger or a wolf. This means the
mind must make speed by copying what an animal is like that strong, that fast. This has
nothing to do with technique.

6. Angle. when sparring, you should use both hands to protect the center line at all times. Be
careful of attacks from left and right angles. If a punch comes from a straight line, you
should cross the bloc. If a punch comes from across, go straight in. (If, however, you are too
late to go in, go straight back - regardless of whether the cross attack is high or low.)

when fighting, either attacking or defending, you must have three points together. Nose, toes
and fingers (or fist) must point in the same direction. If they are not in the same direction, at
contact you will lose balance and have no power.

7. When sparring, try to use timing and opportunity. When a punch comes, do not just block;
punch back at the same time. That means punch and block together. If you just block, the
opponent will continue to attack. That is why you must use the timing and opportunity for
attack to keep the opponent busy with defense. The idea is block and hit, control and hit at
the same time. That will make you fast, him slow.

8. Footwork. The main point in the bagua style is the footwork. If specializes in footwork.
When sparring, the spirit must concentrate. If the opponent just moves, your foot must
immediately move. The first thing you learn is bagua is to run. If you move too late, you are
like a heavy bag.

In regard to the footwork, with each step the place of the body changes. This place change
protects you, and at the same time you can attack the opponent. This is why running the
circle practice is so important. But how to run fast? First you must understand single weight
and the mind not focusing. If you are double weighted you cannot be, as the classics say,
smooth like water, strong like a mountain.

9. Know yourself, know the opponent. You must analyze your opponent's fighting idea. For
instance, if he is tense, focused, always careful about his balance, changes the angle of
attack, show you different open spots, moves around a lot, and such. In yourself, you must
consider how to defend and attack. Sun Tzu's Art of War says, "Know yourself.
Know your opponent. One hundred times fight, one hundred times win." You must train
very hard to catch this. If you do not really understand, do not fight.
In the beginning, you must be at the same level with your opponent to practice sparring. Do
not have a big difference in level or size. This will prevent injury to the weaker partner.

10. Chi Kung and external training. this means in and out together. Old martial arts people
have a saying, "Inside develop breathing, outside skin, muscle and bone." the reason you
practice the breathing method is to exercise the lungs, in order to make them stronger and
take in more oxygen. You want to make the breathing deep and smooth to let the chi run in
the whole body.

As far as the external is concerned, you exercise A) the skin to make it thicker in order to
protect the muscles and bones. You exercise B) the muscles to make them strong in order to
have more power. Because no matter how high the level of qigong, if the muscles are weak,
when you make contact in sparring you will have weakness and pain. In such a situation the
qi will come up, the body will tense and you will be slow.

No matter what development method you use, you must follow what the classics say: "do
not develop part of your body." If you do, later all the movements will lose their harmony.
Mind, qi, breathing, and power cannot be separated or you will lose your power.

The last external element you develop is C) bone. these must be solid. Example: knuckles,
forearm, shin. Any place you are going to contact an opponent must be solid. Then, when
sparring, you will not be hurt and won't have problems of the sort, for instance, as when the
muscles are weak