Bagua vs Taichi

[k2square]

What's their difference and which do you think is more effective?

[Sam Wiley]

Bagua and Taiji are very similar at higher levels. Both are equally effective.

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"To enter is to be born, to retreat is to die."
-An Old Taijiquan Saying

[8stepsifu]

I think it was the first Master Yang that faced off against a ba gua Master because he was teaching the royal familly and guards and so was the previous Ba gua guy so they fought for days :rolleyes: to a standstill. Master Yang went there because it was the city and he could get more students there than in a residential area (just like today)

Bonus points for whoever can tell me why. It has to do with the nature of each system.

If your not bleeding, your not having enough fun.

[crumble]

Is this the story where a fight doesn't occur because both styles are based on redirecting an incoming force? ...so they sit and wait for each other to attack?

[count]

I would say that neither is more or less effective. There are many similarities between the two. I think bagua is more twisted. I think the chan su jin of tai chi is more of a spring shape as opposed to a snail shape in bagua. I also find the footwork slightly different. Bagua is more flat footed as opposed to heel/toe. But they are both effective fighting systems as well as overall health and longevity methods. Definately like comparring apple and oranges here. They both taste good!

:p P

[Sam Wiley]

Actually, crumble, there is a story like that concerning Yang Shao-hou and Chiang Jung-chiao. Chiang kept walking by the door of the house and looking in during a training session one day, so one of Yang's students was told to invite him inside. The Yang and Chiang squared off, but neither one attacked for the longest time. After a couple minutes, Chiang and Yang bowed to each other, and Chiang left. Yang told his students that Chiang had something special.

*********
"To enter is to be born, to retreat is to die."
-An Old Taijiquan Saying

[Esteban]

Hi,

imo, all martial arts lead toward the same goal, practicing no particular martial art guarantees success. And, only in competition can [should?] someone be restricted to any one style. For example, if one studies bagua and tjq, and is suddenly attacked, there's no time to decide, "oh, should I use bagua or taiji." If the arts haven't become part of you, then you won't be using either. However, it is more than accurate to say that bagua and tjq take different approaches to training: that they utilize different strategies: and that they have different "attitudes" toward combat. Sometimes it's said, for example, that xing-i is "aggressive, and goes forward", that taiji is "defensive, and waits," and that bagua is "sneaky, and goes behind." I don't know, just something that I heard.
Anyway, superiority is a matter of practitioner, not style --imo.

Respects,
Esteban

[TaoBoxer]

I have heard several of these metaphors, and maybe this one will help.

Hsing I is like a steel ball which bowls you over

Taiji is like a rubber ball which gives when you squeeze it, and bounces back forcefully

Bagua is like a ball of wire, spinning, entwining,entangling

I was also once told that Taiji is meant to defend against unexpected attacks, Bagua was for stalking and closing, and Hsing I was for destroying your opponent...but this is only valid if you are crosstrained.

I asked Colonel YW Chang what he felt the differences were between the three arts and he said "They are just different ways of applying the same techniques."

I love bagua, but I am not really skilled enough at any of the Arts to offer a meaningfull opinion.

Bill Lewitt

[crumble]

Ah, that's right... That's the story I was recalling.

-c