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Eight_Triagram_Boxer
03-19-2001, 07:14 PM
I just have a quick question I want to run by everyone. I've recently talked to someone that says that they do not use Bai Bu (toe-out stetp) in their style of Bagua. When I asked why he told me 3 reasons. One, it leaves the inner leg open for attack. Two, it tells the opponent which direction you will move to next. And three, it isn't "healthy," conducive towards circulation (qi). I'm not saying I believe these reasons, although number one does make sense. It's led me to think about what styles have bai bu and if there are any that ommit it. Or, was it something put in recently? Anyone have any ideas on this?

~ETB

Waidan
03-19-2001, 07:34 PM
I'd have to say that's fundamentally screwed up. Even a single palm change would be more-or-less impossible without the baibu step.

I guess I see what he's saying regarding exposing the inside of the leg...but I think the speed and usefulness of the maneuver (as a step, a kick, a hook, whatever) outweigh any risk.

count
03-19-2001, 07:40 PM
I would say all three reasons are total BS. Probably comes from not understanding bagua or usage at all.
1. If you are using a by bu step outside your opponent, How does it leave your inner thigh open? Your inner thigh is away from your opponent.
2. You can never tell which way I am going since bagua IS the "art of change". The footwork of bagua enables you to change at anytime. It is only one step to gain leverage/control or trap or kick, it does not dictate what will follow.
3. The more twisted and untwisted you do, the more benefit to overall chi circulation.
I would be interested to know what style of bagua does not use by bu at all? My guess is none.

count
03-19-2001, 07:51 PM
How can you do an outside change without using By Bu?Ê

Eight_Triagram_Boxer
03-19-2001, 08:15 PM
Good, good...this is what I thought too. What about origin of the step? Anyone got that answer?

count
03-19-2001, 09:52 PM
My educated guess would lead me to believe that this is what Tung Hai Chuan took form the taoist circle walking and incorporated with lohan as his earliest methods of bagua. Others may believe something different. does it matter? It works!!
;)

razakdigital
03-19-2001, 10:13 PM
ba bui and ka bui are fundementals of Pa Kua Chang...there should be no discussion of this anybody that says otherwise does not know pa kua chang

wujidude
03-19-2001, 10:16 PM
I can't agree with any of the guy's reasons for not doing bai bu, ETB. I agree with Count's assessment there.

I recall a photo in the old Pa Kua Chang Journal which showed Cheng Tinghua stylist Sun Zhi Jun using bai bu as a trapping technique for the opponent's legs. My memory may be hazy, but I think the photo shows Sun going to the opponent's inside with bai bu (i.e., between the opponent's legs)to trap him. But even going around the outside of the opponent, bai bu skillfully used can be a great leg-trapping technique. Bai bu is also a good way to deliver low heel kicks.

To the extent bai bu helps open up the kua, it improves qi circulation, in my view.

I will say that, in the single palm change, my instructors at the beginning level teach to open only as far as shun bu (forward bow stance) after the initial kou bu. This is to ensure stability. After enough time is put into circle walking and the legs are strong enough, various combinations of kou bu and bai bu are practiced. I can understand that there would be a concern with knee instability in using kou bu for trapping without sufficiently strong legs and a sufficiently flexible kua. But conditioning should help here.

beiquan
03-20-2001, 01:12 AM
i read this in an article by Mr. Liu Jingru, who i believe is a Cheng style practitioner:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Yin style walking method hardly applies Kou Bu (Toe-in step) and Bai Bu (Toe-out step) typical to other branches. Cheng Tinghua's Bagua ...uses a lot of Bai Bu, which is related to Cheng's studies of Chinese wrestling (Shuai Jiao), where this kind of footwork is widely used for throws and sweeps. [/quote]

i've never seen any Yin style, can anyone verify this?

count
03-20-2001, 01:25 AM
is my style and we put heavy emphasis on ko an by bu in combat and circle walking and forms. I will say this though, I have been training and sparring with someone who is a Guo stylist lately. In his circle walking he puts much less emphasis on by bu except in a change. Very different from my style. He does use by bu though. I am interested in what this man has said about Cheng style and I believe that to be true, however, I STRONGLY disagree with his assesment of Yin style.

illusionfist
03-20-2001, 11:12 AM
In Sun style bagua (which is Cheng Ting Hua lineage), bai bu is fundamental for hooking the ankle so that you can set up for a throw. On an energy circulation level, it would be my opinion that bai bu would actually HELP by giving the practitioner added flexibility in the lower leg and ankle.

Peace :D

maoshan
03-20-2001, 02:29 PM
These are the fundamental steping methods, and
theres more to the steping than just trapping,
hooking etc..
The 72 kicks come out of this stepping method.
and remember, different styles of Ba-Gua emphasis
different aspects of the circle. Now to some degree the steping methods of Cheng style and Yin
Vary. But to say that Yin doesn't us Bai Bu is
wrong. Yes, Sun Zhi Jun's Method uses alot of traps with the method but so does Shi Pei Qi's.
In fact he has a form where you walk the circle
with both feet in Bai Bu. Also don't forget that
More kicks are used in the yin approuch.

In order to use the 72 kicks you must know and
practice bai bu kao bu.

Each style of Ba-Gua Emhasises a different aspect
of the circle. Each Master emphasizes his particular understanding of that aspect. If you w
want to master Ba-Gua Study the circle variants

Peace
Maoshan

wujidude
03-20-2001, 07:18 PM
Great informative post, Maoshan. I'd love to see that all-baibu practice of Xie Pei Qi's. I believe it derives from the Duck Gua ;- ). Seriously, though, I think the connections between the stepping practices of baguazhang and the kicking/trapping applications are maybe underemphasized in a lot of the teaching I've seen. Knowing these applications makes me more aware of hip/knee/ankle alignment in baibu, especially when shifting weight. I think that's important to avoid injury, either from long-term wear or sudden blow-out (especially approaching 240 lbs.).

count
03-21-2001, 05:04 PM
Maoshan,
I was intrigued by your comment of "72 kicks" I know there are many more kicks than people realize in bagua. We even have a kicking form which includes toronado kicks. But I am racking my brains and I can only think of about half that many kicks and only about 12 that I think are unique to bagua only. Most if not all of the kicks do come out of the steps so I think I am on the right track. Could you elaborate on the 72 kicks? Maybe you know of a good source to see all the kicks?

wujidude
03-21-2001, 06:42 PM
. . . for not knowing all 72 (sorry, that was lame). But seriously, "72 kicks" is a form in Xie Peiqi's lineage from Yin Fu (I'm pretty sure), as well as in Jiang Rongquiao's style (from Zhang Zhaodong in the Cheng Ting-hua lineage). Having said that, I've only read about the sets, and have never seen them performed. The Sun Xikun and Nine Palaces styles that I'm familiar with don't have such a set.

Why 72? Maybe it's got something to do with Taoist numerology . . . 8 (bagua) X 9 (Nine Palaces, etc.) = 72 . . . . I don't know. I would suspect that the number 72 includes left and right variations of the same kick, as well as different angles of attack . . . would be great to hear from someone who's learned one of these sets.

count
03-21-2001, 06:56 PM
Since I came up with half from our bagua twe (kicking form) than maybe both sides = 72. I have been slow to order Xie Peiqi's videos in hopes that I would actually meet him some day. I think I can borrow some from a classmate. I hate videos, except for the one I got from blacktaoist recently. Thanks again blacktaoist if you're checkin in. Hope to hear more from maoshan.

count
03-21-2001, 06:58 PM
you are forgiven for the pun. If I could kick myself that would be 72 kicks.
:D

Braden
03-21-2001, 07:06 PM
I don't know if the derivation of 72 is the same every time it pops up, but in at least some Yin Fu lineages it's

12 kicks x 3 basins x 2 sides

count
03-21-2001, 07:16 PM
Another interesting concept, that would jibe with the 12 unique kicks I thought of.

Leimeng
03-23-2001, 10:23 AM
YinFu Bagua has 72 kicks set up in the following manner:
Each of the 8 animals can be performed at 3 levels, High, Middle, and Low.
Each level has 3 kicks.
The 8 Animals are:
Lion
Phoenix
Bear
Dragon
Rooster
Snake
Monkey
Unicorn

Total of 72 kicks.
If you have not yet ordered the tapes of DR Xie PeiQi, I strongly recommend that you do so. His tape of the 64 Qinna Attack methods is excellent. Also, his other tapes on the first three of the above mentioned systems are a very good investment.
I know that Gao Bagua has a number of kicking exercises at the advanced level as well. I have not added up the total of them though.


Peace,

yi beng, kan xue

Sam Wiley
03-24-2001, 04:36 PM
In Chiang Jung Chiao's Bagua, the Bai Bu is also considered a kick. It would be a sort of sideways stomp kick to the knee or a stomp to the foot then.

But it can also be used to attack someone's knee with your knee. You might deflect a punch on the closed side, stepping acroos with a bai bu. If you plant your foot right near his, so that your knees are almost touching, and then bend your knee against his, you can break his root and tumble him over. You have to be careful practicing something like that, though, because you can easily hurt your partner's knee.

*********
"I put forth my power and he was broken.
I withdrew my power and he was ground into fine dust."
-Aleister Crowley, The Vision and the Voice