Baji and pigua as independent styles

[northstar]

It seems pigua is almost always mentioned as an auxiliary style to baji. Does anyone here practice pigua as an independent pre Li Shuwen style? It also seems that most people advertising and speaking about baji have learned the baji/pigua combination, am I correct in believing this? I am a beginner in baji without pigua, and it would be interesting to discuss for example the long versus short range strategies of the styles.

[Leonidas]

I think theres a site with information. Go to www.Bajimen.com. They probably were one style orginally but had to be taught separately, and then they somehow got split apart. They do fit perfectly though.

[Daredevil]

I'm learning Baji with Pigua, though we really haven't dwelt into the Pigua a whole lot yet -- only a couple of exercises, not the forms yet.

Like I think is typical, it'll be learned after the Baji.

Range-wise, they're a perfect fit and Pigua seems (a rather uneducated guess) better against multiple opponents.

[RAF]

In the system I have practiced, asided from different fighting strategies, employing baji and pigua at different times in the training is a way of jing development.

The baji system with xiao baji sets the foundation along with a great deal of da qiang training. However, after about the first year in the system, I learned 4 pigua single moving posture: Pi, bao, Chen, and kao. There also comes a time in the system where you forgo baji and simply train in pigua and then return to baji again. This is for specific tendon and jing development. Also the hand development in the dog skin training aspects of pigua is employed also. These techniques help develop a striking power that stops the blood flow momentarily and permits utilization of other techniques and jings.

At some point you can play a form like baji/pigua combination which has postures from both systems, however, I don't believe this was what Li Shu Wen had in mind when he talked about combining them. The clip below shows the form.


http://www.wutangcenter.com/videos.htm

I believe, as I have seen demonstrated in two movement from Liu Da Kai, that the combination is in the techniques that a movement or two contain the potential for utilizing either baji or pigua within a given movement. I believe that is why the gods so feared the system. However, this is only found at the most highest levels of development in the system.

It would be interesting to see how others interpret this or how it is combined in your system.