Originally Posted by
Shane
We train our Baguazhang like this:
Wuji
Eight Energy Palms Standing
Linear Walking Patterns
Circle Walking
Circle Walking Eight Energy Palms w/ Inside Change and Outside Change
Eight Energy Palms Functions, Striking Drills, Blocking Drills, Rolling Hands
Combat Footwork and Kicking
Equipment Training and Conditioning
Fighting
etc.
So those are our basics. I just typed this real fast so I might have left something out. If I notice later that I did, I will edit.
Anyway, the forms come into play after that and basically teach combinations & drills and act as an exercise to keep you moving in the bagua 'way' for an extended period of time in order to get you used to the body mechanics and the principles of movement to enhance your fighting.
As far as constant walking, when you're practicing your Baguazhang form, there are very few times that you should not be moving and/or transitioning with your footwork, and to my understanding that is how you should think of the special characteristic of constantly walking. The way you do it in the form is kind of applying that to the big picture whereas the circle walking is (amongst many other things) a way to practice it in isolation. The same is true of the other three animal qualities. They should all be present and be practiced in the form at every moment of every movement, so it doesn't really matter if you're walking the circle while you do the form or not. In order to do this, though, you will of course have needed to practice them in isolation long enough to integrate them into your forms practice. That's our way, anyway. Other people have their own way too, of course.
Shane