So what exactly is circle walking?

[Satanachia]

What exactly is it? What does it involve? How is it used? And how do you train it?

I think that's about all

[NafAnal]

You use it to make your opponent dizzy so he trips over his own feet. no touch knockdowns.

[Sharky]

uh huh

[Radhnoti]

Ba Gua was originally derived from a taoist meditative excercise in which you walk around a set circle, chanting. "Walking the circle", as I understand it, is a Ba Gua stylists way of training their elusive and circular footwork (sometimes palm changes and stances as well I believe), also some would say it still retains it's meditative benefits.
There's more to it, but I'll let a someone who focuses on the art give what I'm sure will be a better definition.

[xiong]

My Shifu has shown it to us a couple of times and we've done some drills.

As the name implies you walk in a circle. Part of the drill as I have done it is to include circular arm blocks.

The key to the practice of circle walking, at least for me as a complete novice, is the muddy stepping. This is where you actually raise your heel slightly and slide your toe through the step. Training this should help your ability to hook your opponents leg and set them up for a throw.

Thats all I know.

[Satanachia]

And when you do the circle walking, in what direction do you face?
Ie. Do you always face towards the center of the circle?
Or do you always face in the same direction (ie, as if focusing on a point on the wall opposite you?)
Or something else.....

[Radhnoti]

My understanding is that you start out walking counterclockwise with your attention focused to the center of the circle. My sources mention that some masters would place their circle around a tree and focus their attention upon it.
BUT, I've seen people practicing Ba Gua "attacking" along the outer line of the circle.
Hope that helps a bit...

[No_Know]

It's a method of reconfiguring the Human frame to conform to body mechanic principles consistant with optimalmultipurpose functioning of stepping, balance, body-displacement, absorbtion, deflection, Power issuance, adaptability while keeping fluidity along with high functionality.~

It is a training tool for feeling the urgency of a situation of being pursued or stalked by a mal-intented opponent.

Circle-walking is a tool for keeping composed when going from one opponent to another (changing direction).

Circle-walking is a means to increase durability and endurance. Also strength of legs and arms and waist and hips and knees and abdominals~ and shoulders and back and neck.

Circle walking utilizes centrifugal force to stimulate inner stuff that isn't readily scientifically measureble, yet theoretically everybody has.

I involves particular stepping with arm positions. It involves, walking one direction while turned to another.

Train it by using the standard stepping with the intended method of change.

Some-such

[Budokan]

"It's a method of reconfiguring the Human frame to conform to body mechanic principles consistant with optimalmultipurpose functioning of stepping, balance, body-displacement, absorbtion, deflection, Power issuance, adaptability while keeping fluidity along with high functionality.~"

What the fuh?--

[Sam Wiley]

Circle walkign is a training method used in Baguazhang to help the student gain timing, balance, coordination, and the peculiar way Bagua moves. One of the things circle walking focuses on is the ability to stop in the middle of a move and switch directions suddenly. Circle walking involves, well, walking around and around in circles, changing directions using specific movements, and stepping in specific patterns. Bagua has 8 different way to hold the palm, and these are trained in walking the circle. First, you just use one palm while you learn to walk. Then you add the other 7, changing in between them. Then you progress to the 64 palms, where one palm is held in one position, and the other is held in a different one. In fighting, you would not walk in a circle, but the footwork is contained in circle walking for low leg kicks, sweeps, and trips, as well as entering and striking hand work. Plus the body movement is learned in circle walking for a host of strikes, throws, etc.

[No_Know]

""It's a method of reconfiguring the Human frame to conform to body mechanic principles consistant with optimalmultipurpose functioning of stepping, balance, body-displacement, absorbtion, deflection, Power issuance, adaptability while keeping fluidity along with high functionality.~"

What the fuh?-- "

In everyday life, people tend to take the way of least exertion. This method makes the body bad for fighting for Life/protecting/defending.... Circle-walking has principles of alignment that improve the body's all around functionality.~

[Mr. Nemo]

Sam Wiley's description is the best. No_Know's is just confusing.