These two mistakes are so common, I think more than 90% of Bagau youtubers do it.
The mistake is so common most of you think this is normal.
NO, this is NOT normal.
Every Bagua Master talks about this.
Every Bagua Classic Guidance mentions this.
Every qualified Bagua instructor will tell you not to do this.
Yet you keep on doing this.
Seriously, stop doing this.
Mistake #1: Galloping
When a horse gallops, it’s hooves lift up, and you can see the bottom of its hooves. In Chinese, we call this 翻蹄亮相 (fan ti liang xiang).
The idea is when you walk, you reveal the bottom of your feet. Many people go as much as 90 degrees or more. This is WRONG. If somebody can see the bottom of your feet when you are Bagua circle walking, you are doing it wrong. There is no excuse, it is just wrong. Across any Bagua lineage, any Bagua style, it is just wrong. You completely missed the training point if you do this.
Our foot attacks are like a grass cutter. You “cut” the root of your opponents by having a strong “ankle,” which is all the small muscles around your ankle. You train that day and night by adhering to Bagua walking methods. Which is NOT GALLOPING. Seriously, stop that shit.
You are the grass cutter. Engage those muscles.
You are the sickle.
You are the scythe. You are the grim reaper.
You can’t be either if your reaper is soft and disengaged.
When you “gallop,” your ankles are soft, nothing is engaged. Do that for 100 days, 1000 days, you’ve worked on nothing. Engage those muscles, work those muscles, make them strong. That’s the whole point of doing this. Do it CORRECTLY. If you do something correctly, diligently, you will see massive improvements fast (100 days). If you do something incorrectly… Well… I don’t know what to say. Find an instructor that can help you do it correctly.
Mistake #2: Leaning Tower of Pisa
Every Chinese Martial Arts talk about Guarding the Center, Attacking the Center, Defending the Center. To do all that, you need a strong Center. And this starts with being well-balanced, core engaged, and up-right.
If we want to talk about specific technique and guidance, it includes:
#1. Tucking in the chin
#2. Engage the core, and tuck your pelvis so it is parallel to the ground
#3. Keeping your spine upright, while your muscle groups are engaged
What it is NOT. It is NOT a leaning Tower of Pisa. You have no balance, no structure, no engagement. Again, stop that shit. You may walk for hours or hundred of hours, but you will have done 0 actual training. Learn it right, do it right, then practice it right. If you’re already putting the time into it, mind as well do it right.
There you go. There are many, many more other mistakes people make. But these 2 drives me bananas. Seriously, stop. Do it correctly, diligently.
Most practitioners make these mistakes because they skipped the Bagua Walking progression, specifically the Small Step practice.
The 4 Step Progression can be found here: 4-Step Progression to Bagua Circle Walking
Details on the Small Step Training (15 minutes a day, for 21 days) can be found here: 3 Common Mistakes in Bagua Small Step
