I recently came across a YouTube video by Lyte Burly which piqued my interest. His insights into various martial arts styles served as a fascinating discovery, opening a window into a world where tradition meets modern application. In his exploration, Burly delves into the study of different martial strategies and techniques, revealing how they can be adapted for contemporary practice.
In Lyte Burly’s analysis, he explores the methods used by martial arts masters to train their students. This critique often includes an examination of the effectiveness of these practices when facing an opponent, shedding light on the disparities between tradition and practical application.
Lyte Burly is a controversial and (to my view) charismatic practitioner and proponent of the Martial Arts Style called “52 blocks”, which requires discipline and agility to effectively execute its unique tactics. His mastery of these techniques is evident, making his teachings both intriguing and thought-provoking.
He has been putting out a series of videos which are critical or largely critical of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts. In particular, he criticizes the Chinese Martial Arts for their lack of a “long range game”, as opposed to boxing and “52” (which is largely derived from boxing). Burly claims that Bagua (also known as Baguazhang) is one of these Arts that doesn’t work in real life; however, he says that if you have mastered another art, Bagua concepts and techniques can add to your “game”, offering a harmonious blend of traditional and innovative strategies. This perspective highlights the potential benefits to one’s health and holistic development when integrating different martial arts forms.
(He also criticizes Wing Chun as being mostly about ineffectual chain punches). His critique of Wing Chun and other forms sometimes focuses on how they prioritize certain methods over others, perhaps missing opportunities that other schools might better exploit.
Before watching the video, I had heard of Bagua but had never paid much attention to it. Some research revealed that Bagua is a completely Taoist-based martial art. In fact, the name “bagua” translates to “trigram palm”, and the system’s philosophy stems from the I Ching. Under a teacher’s guidance, a student learns to master the duality of Bagua, emphasizing the harmony and flow of movement. This art is one of the three so-called “internal arts” of Kung Fu. The other internal martial art that we have all seen is Tai Chi (although Tai Chi, originally a true martial art with fighting applications, these have fallen by the wayside).
What Is Bagua a/k/a Baguazhang?
Bagua, also known as Bagua Zhang and Eight Diagram Palm, is a relatively new CMA, dating back to the 19th century, when the founder blended the Taoist circle walking meditation principles and Taoist energy principles into his own (unknown) style of Northern Shaolin to create a completely new and unique style. The introduction of the yin fu method and the emphasis on the energetic and spiritual components highlight the depth of Bagua’s approach.
At one point in time, the Emperor insisted that every bodyguard at the palace be an expert in Bagua. Baguazhang is a fighting style that combines striking techniques with grappling techniques, including throws, takedowns, joint locks, and submissions. The style is based upon circular movements, circles within circles, and spiral movements within the circles. The practitioner’s ability to move in such fluid and coordinated motion underscores the importance of having good posture and body alignment.
Interestingly, Baguazhang is the only fighting art I know of which was specifically designed to fight against multiple attackers. Like Tai Chi, there is a primary form, which is variously called the “single palm change” and the unique exercise of “circle walking”. These exercises are essential in cultivating balance and fluidity, acting as a vital ingredient in the training of Bagua practitioners.
Ba Gua Zhang Circle Walking
This form and the circle walking exercise are designed, among other things, to train circular evasive footwork, the ability to change directions unpredictably, and the development of the peripheral vision. There is also a mental training component to the form, which is supposed to train the student’s ability to “remain calm in the midst of motion” (interestingly enough one of the sayings of Wing Tsun), thus underscoring the significance of mental health as part of martial arts training.
The Bagua fighter never stands still, even for a moment, which is vital for survival against multiple opponents. The complex circular footwork, based upon circles within circles and spirals within circles, along with constant movement and the ability to change directions quickly and unpredictably, makes it difficult for the attackers in the group to track the Bagua fighter. Experts in this art, which has deep roots in the rich history of martial arts in Beijing, claim that they can strike with power even while in the middle of a step because the power comes from the Dantien, not from the ground.
Because multiple attacker situations are even more chaotic than one-on-one fights, the ability to remain calm in the midst of a chaotic multiple attacker confrontation is an absolute necessity for survival. The Bagua fighter, embodying the teachings of practitioners like Dong Haichuan, trains his peripheral vision as part of the circle walking exercise and never actually looks directly at any one attacker. This agility and focus are part of the system’s core teachings and are reflected in the symbolism of the eight trigrams, which represent different aspects of Bagua’s strategic skills.
The style correctly points out that, because of the distribution of rods and cones in the human eye, peripheral vision reacts much quicker to moving objects than does “central” vision (when you are looking directly at an object).
Similarities Between Bagua Zhang And Wing Chun
Bagua is similar to Wing Chun in that it emphasizes hand strikes over kicking in order to maximize the fighter’s chances of staying on his feet in a real fight. However, Bagua emphasizes hand strikes using the palm instead of the fist, a technique that sets it apart and showcases its emphasis on dexterity and power through the hands.
While ground-fighting is not trained, stand-up grappling and throws are trained extensively.
In addition to the weaponless open-hand techniques, Bagua students also train on a large variety of weapons, including the sword, staff, and spear, as well as some esoteric weapons such as the deer-horn knives. These weapons training sessions enhance the practitioners’ skills and respect for martial arts history, originating in Beijing with the founder Dong Haichuan.
The first video below shows techniques from the Cheng lineage, in which the grappling aspects are emphasized. At least to my eye, these techniques look graceful, fluid, and effective. I especially note the quick precise steps and their timing with strikes, and the instructor’s use of “fa-jing”, or short-range shock power. The video also shows how spinning techniques, not used in Wing Chun, can be used effectively for offense and defense, with proper positioning and timing.
The second video shows a wushu forms competition where one of the competitors shows off her Bagua form. She had won the silver medal the year before in this competition and displays beautiful stance, balance, flexibility, footwork, and fluid movements that illustrate what Bagua movements look like at a high level of skill. If you don’t think that this kind of movement exercise has value in real combat, keep in mind that Conor McGregor did a lot of movement practice in preparing for his MMA fights.
Also, the unique method of stepping, called “mud walking”, uses a sliding movement with the feet staying very close to the ground, which makes stepping faster, and each step can be used as a sweep, a technique highly regarded among Bagua practitioners.
Paul Matthews
