Circular vs. Linear

[count]

I've decided circular doesn't necessarily mean round and linear doesn't necessarily mean straight to me. What's your style primarily? Linear or Circular? Why? How do you use that to your advantage? Does one have an advantage over the other?

[dedalus]

If you think of the spiral as being a central theme in bagua, then you're going to recognise the circular and linear components that are intrinsic to that model.

So far as forms are concerned (if that's the level of the question), I think the content is really very much the same when you look at the microstructure of what you're actually doing.

[SevenStar]

We use both. I thing both have advantages. A straight line is the quickest way the get from point a to point b. A straight line is direct and powerful....It's a fairly good method of attack. sucks for evasion though. circular motion is great for evasion, and tremendous force can be generated through the circle.

I think I see where count is going though. Let's take kuntao's triangle for instance. The footwork and structure is based on the triangle, but within the triangle I can move in circular patterns. I can pivot along the lines of my triangle, or use a circular motion to step along the different lines or the triangle.

[count]

Actually the point I'm trying to make is "linear" has less to do with straight lines and more to do with tempo. Linear styles do cut straight across the circle but what I am talking about is a rhythm. Block, punch, kick, punch, da, da, da. "Circular" styles are more about continious patterns. Could be straightforward, could be triangular, could be round or spirally, doesn't matter. The point is, like circular breathing in music, circular styles are a continous method where the end is just the begining of something else.

So what's your styles strategy? I get so tiered of people who think bagua is about walking circles around someone.

dedalus, I think I'm going to start another thread on "Lo Chuan" in bagua.