Bagua Zhang Kung Fu concepts for MMA

[@marquisechase877]

As a practitioner of Bagua this makes me overjoyed. Tma's in general are given a bad rep by the mma community because they are seen as ineffective when really their just often applied And even taught incorrectly. I really appreciate what lingi and you are doing here. Please keep up the good work!

[@BradYaeger]

I agree, I think it's all been done before. Humans have been fighting since day one and we are just re-discovering and maybe sometimes refining what's already been around for thousands of years, it just get's lost over time , sometimes on purpose. Our bodies haven't changed so neither have the techniques.

[@HolyChaoMu]

Same, he has real skills and uses Bagua twctically and combatively like I imagine it was intended.

[@LateKnight347]

The mma community in general doesn't have very good hands when compared the rest of the martial arts world. so of course if they cant do it doesn't work.

[@KevinHuangPhasorQuantaG]

@@philipm.2129 I agree with you on everything, except that Ramsey Dewey actually seems pretty open-minded based on his other videos.

[@conmcgrath7502]

@@philipm.2129 Did you almost make a point there? I'm open minded....

[@redflynn5168]

I always found some of these traditional styles of Kung Fu interesting. They seem to have a lot of great concepts for fighting, but I think in many cases they just need to update their training methods to be effective (more sparring, live resistance, etc.). I would love to see more stuff like this in MMA someday.

[@mohammednawaz524]

You should have a live spar with Linji , i think it will be very interesting to see a demo in real time.

[@StarKnightZ]

Yesyesyesyes! This would be great!

[@BIGTTSNORLAX]

I agree! Live sparring is so infrequent on YT. I think we could all learn so much about the application of martial arts by seeing real fights in addition to demonstrations.

[@LiveforHM]

I definitely appreciated ramseys commentary on his own sparring

[@MrHeathcliff83]

@@philipm.2129 there is one i may remember... its late sorry

[@gingercore69]

Can you please do a highlights video sparring with your students of the odd techniques that come up? You already told us that you had an aikido pracricioner, and now a bagua practicioner... Im realy interested in watching wristlocks and trapping in live sparring

[@jaw0449]

Wrist locks, especially Aikido-type ines, are hard to pull off in sparring due to gloves and any other wrist protection people wear. Most of the time I use my "feeling" of the joints to force pressure in certain ways (do the same in bjj), but they're not what I do in dojo or what I've done "on street." I'd like to see it too just to see how a more advanced practitioner would do

[@mpforeverunlimited]

Check out martial arts journey. Aikido doesn't really work well in MMA. His channel documents it pretty well

[@gingercore69]

@@mpforeverunlimited well, from the time i posted this comment to today i actually managed to learn a standing wristlock that i pull off relatively often in sparring... Its a version of kotegaeshi that i use when i fail to do a wakigatame... Basically i do a wakigatame, but if the oponent can avoid the technique by good foot placement and trying to weaken my grip i change the grip into a kotegaeshi grip and turn arround into it... I do however trip the oponent when aplying it, because the one time i didnt, the guy resisted and got hurt badly... So, i use the wristlock as a way to affect his balance but finish the throw with a trip or sweep

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

Aikido has it's root from japanese jujutsu just like BJJ and Judo, of course it will work wonderfully in MMA if you throw away all Aikido peaceful and pacifist ideology out of the window and use the techniques for fighting, like how they were meant to be.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@jaketheasianguy3307 hell yeah. But then that would be Aikijutsu instead of Aikido. Aikido is supposed to aid you on scaping or preventing a fight, that's why it's traing methodology does not work for ring matches. You cannot prevent those because they already started, and you cannot scape because that's against the rules.

[@sway71]

Love this! Linji's hand posture has structure that's technically used in many Chinese martial arts, but so many martial arts never had the concepts passed on. The stretched out arms are designed to create a defensive area that can be shifted in very small ways to parry or stop hooks, uppercuts, etc. Too many KZbin videos include some guy taking the posture and then getting pummeled because they flinch, bringing their hands back into a bad boxing posture and leaning back to put all their weight on the back foot (making it really hard to maneuver or dodge). I think there's a lot of work to be done in order to unearth what these older martial arts really were.

[@handsoflife-njryu-te503]

Reach out. We have been working on this for quite some time.

[@TaijDevon]

The western fencing tends to work. It's a flecth which means arrow. In MMA a superman punch. But yes I studied Wushu. Perhaps at some point it all converges.

[@Parkerio-ho7yy]

Ramsey, it would be very interesting to see sparring between you and practitioners of some of these lesser known martial arts. I think it could be helpful to see and also an effective visual to see what is useful. As a martial artist In China, you are uniquely positioned to have such a series. I’m sure I’m not the only one that would like to see this. Keep up the good work and the entertaining videos.

[@SonGoku-eh8ku]

Please bring Linji back for some more Bagua lessons please please please! Awesome videos as always!

[@thufirhawat3838]

That, or make Linji start his own youtube channel.

[@banishedair4518]

Yeah, it really annoys me when people say a specific martial art is bullshit. Tony Ferguson is astounding proof that several styles of kung Fu are incredibly effective even in MMA if they actually know what they're doing with it. It's the instructors and students that are bullshit. Especially when they bring up something the art in question is a specialist in and say for example "what if you're surrounded on all sides by brutes with knives? An MMA expert would destroy anyone who practices your 'art'."

[@vicarious7858]

I do kung fu and if I was in that situation... I would cry like a little girl :P First rule of any fight with a knife. Your gonna get cut bad. 2 knives? Well Sir, your fucked! Now on to other styles of MA. I also practice BJJ and loose a good six hours on a tuesday to sparring with a mix of KF and BJJ and I believe most martial arts have something you can take from. Next on my list is capoeira because damn, they can get onto their feet with style!

[@timm285]

Tony kickboxes though. Does he add elements of other styles in? Maybe but it is bjj and kickboxing that are his main vehicles.

[@banishedair4518]

@@timm285 Yeah. If you see him training, he does a lot of Wing Chun, he takes the iron bone training to extremes,and goes over a few animal forms too. But it's all over his actual fighting as well. Joe Rogan pointed out that he used Wing chun and kung Fu a lot, with specific reference to an instance where he trapped his opponent's arms and slipped in an elbow. He uses some good Eagle to pass guards, and uses dragon to create unique mixups. He also throws a lot of strikes that come from various styles of kung Fu which other fighters have dismissed as useless.

[@andrewlinesjah4538]

LET ME ASSURE YOU : A STYLE WILL ULTIMATELY GET IT'S PRACTITIONER KILLED ! ! ! JEET KUNE DO ! ! !

[@indigard2747]

@@banishedair4518 Woah... Tony Ferguson ? And I thought your favorite was Anderson silva when it come to " See Kung fu is used in MMA too". Honestly, you guys look like drowning men who will grap anything to get float

[@kardeskalap2165]

This is exactly like in fencing. You have basically two ways. Either from long distance you snipe (in épée fencing) using distance and tempo management, or you make a bind (when the two weapons cross each other) and start working from there. The solution against those sticky players is to not allow them to play they game. The advantage of binding is that you can be closer to the opponent because in close distance if someone starts an attack he will most probably succeed because of the reaction gap. But if there is a connection you can feel the change of pressure and start the defensive motion in time.

[@TheDeTocquville]

The first thing I thought of was the binds (atajo) from Des Treza Renaissance sword fighting from Spain.

[@bryanwong5250]

From what I've learned from bagua Zhang , you are like a snake coiling around your opponent , you slip and avoid strikes with the mobile footworks Through the three main internal styles, one should be mobile and agile with the bagua footwork , grounded and relaxed like taichi and strike with the whole body like xingyi

[@Zenpony]

my teacher describes it as tree wrapping. Two big snakes, supporting each other as they wrap and climb a tree. Bagua, as I know it is close contact, used for multiple attackers. Footwork is more important than the hands, the strikes are high and low, left and right, whole body. Each strike might have a hand, elbow, shoulder, head on top, while the bottom is taking out ankles and knees. As he is crossing with the hand, the opposite foot might be scissoring out the opponents leg. Never any space, the opponent should feel you uprooting him with your hip, small of the back or any other part that connects to him.

[@librabys]

Exactly! You know your wu tang stuff sir :)

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

Noooo you didn't mention Baji Quan, or Wing Chun! I'm shaking and crying right now! Now that i think about it, Xingyi remembers me of Baji a lot.

[@CrossingFist]

Cool video, Ramsey. I've been training baguazhang since about 2003, and I've also done BJJ, boxing, and Judo along with a number of other traditional styles, mostly Chinese. I've successfully used Bagua takedowns in randori at BJJ classes numerous times. It has a lot of useful stuff.

[@SonGoku-eh8ku]

Linji is awesome. He's not just a guy speaking as if he knows he can apply the techniques. Traditional Martial Arts needs more people like him as recently its gotten a bad rep.

[@DBSpeakers]

It's all TMA. Any time a TMA technique beats an "MMA" fighter, it becomes part of MMA. Hence, "MMA" never loses. Watch, standing locks and arm grabs will be part of "MMA" in a few years when a guy like this wins a championship, and everybody will still be saying kung fu "doesn't work".

[@mrspeigle1]

@@DBSpeakers ive seen sumo slaps and throws in mma as well as aikido throws. Also dont forget that karate, muai tai, judo, jujitsu are all tma that appear often in mma. All of these have a very active competition scene. I think the ultimate lesson is that you need stress testing against a resisting opponent to work through what works and what does not.

[@alexanerose4820]

@@DBSpeakers So you're saying that MMA is Kung Fu just rebranded and in pay per view? I mean, how do you think Kung Fu gotall the stuff it had now?

[@DBSpeakers]

@@alexanerose4820 im saying traditional martial arts, not just kung fu, established all the effective fighting techniques. MMA takes from all the styles, uses what works and ignores what doesn't. MMA can be anything. How did TMA get the moves? Hundreds of years of history.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@alexanerose4820 he is not only saying Kung Fu tho.

[@anthonyallen3328]

Can you show a sparring session of what he do with a resistant opponent?

[@nurse425]

As a practitioner of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Kenpo and Muay Thai(Kung Fu is my primary) I just want to say I TRULY appreciate these videos. You have the UTMOST respect for all martial forms and seem able to find the benefits in all styles. Too often people watch MMA tournaments and think whatever style is highlighted is the better martial art and all others are BS, not realizing that these techniques have been used for COUNTLESS generations and kept people alive in what were often fights for their lives! Thank you again for the great content and good fortune on your continuing journeys Sifu!

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

Before I watch this vid, I just wanna say that I'm doing more MMA and jujitsu/grappling stuff nowadays, but Baguazhang has remained one of my favorite and most useful martial arts I've learned about when I was 15 years old still up till today. It transformed my skills of distance management and timing into a very high level, and I apply bagua concepts onto every other martial art I've learned since then.

[@jeredsizemore3108]

I feel like bagua would be really good with wrestling

[@marquisechase877]

Accurate

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

It does pair well with wrestling/grappling. I'm doing jujitsu now and when I started applying my previously learned bagua skills, I did much better.

[@TheClarity101]

To my knowledge the founder of one of the oldest lineages of bagua was a very well known wrestler and built the styles circle movements and walking specifically to compliment his wrestling

[@Zz7722zZ]

There are several different styles of Bagua, as I understand it, Cheng style is very much wrestling based and seemed to be one the most well-regarded branch of the art.

[@TheClarity101]

yeah Cheng! That's the one I was thinking of. I've encountered some Yin as well, they are very striking based

[@Subutai_Khan]

Ramsey I used to practice ITF taekwondo. Now I practice German longsword, and British military saber in HEMA. The Taekwondo school was great, the master was awesome but as with many martial arts we had to respect our master in an almost religious way. Where as at my HEMA school our instructor has no problem admitting it when he isn't good at certain techniques, and does not have this I hesitate to call it this but elitist attitude masters tend to have in some other martial arts. I personally find this idea of worshiping our masters annoying. What are your thoughts on this?

[@JHmuniz1]

i think thats a problem in many "traditional" martial arts

[@langying]

I've had similar problems with a TKD school I used to practice and eventually taught at. It came to a point where the master and his wife (who was the co-owner) seemed to act like I had no right to a life outside of the school, and held this culture of having to practically live there. It didn't help that some people often attempted to invoke the master's name as if he were god, such as a coworker who tried to use him to make me say I would go clubbing. Eventually, the breaking point was when I had an incident in which my dog somehow ended up on the roof of the house, and the master's wife wouldn't let me leave to get him down. Eventually I had to put my mother on to curse her out, and when I came back, I just got a lot of "How dare you react that way! You're a black belt and an instructor! You're to represent the school at all times!", among other things. Needless to say, I've left and haven't looked back since.

[@DarkDoughnutsVids]

I've been practicing Taekwondo for several years now and l've met many different masters from different martial arts. I hear a lot of stories from people complaining about this issue. However, from my experience, I've never seen any of this "master worshipping" at all. Maybe i'm just really lucky but people need to stop thinking that this represents all martial arts masters.

[@unmessable12]

I believe in having a close relationship with your teacher. In some cases the relationship of master-student can be like that of family and I think that's powerful. But for a master to encourage you to worship him is wrong and manipulative. I like to think me and my bagua teacher have a good relationship but I was never once encouraged to not question the things he was teaching me. In fact asking questions and making modifications to things is one of key ways of learning. Worshiping one's teacher speaks of a teacher's ego and a misinterpreted holdover from the old days.

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

The japanese believe that in martial art, the student and the teacher are equal, helping each other climbing the mountain of knowledge. The moment some instructor demand my respect while he haven't earn it yet, that's a big red flag for a martial art cult

[@tubesism]

I appreciate your channel and also Fight Commentary Breakdowns for actively wanting to show the good sides of Kung Fu to the internet whenever you encounter them.

[@ytmhcubed]

Here's an example of someone who transcends "style", in my opinion. He's just himself moving the way he naturally would move, and it turns out that mixes and matches things he learned from various sources. Excellent stuff and a great example of why learning as much as possible is something everyone should strive to do.

[@jacobharris954]

That what I have been doing for years

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

After starting to learn Bagua on my own, It became very difficult for most people I sparred with to out-strike me. The movement and footwork it taught was hugely beneficial.

[@zachariahz]

One thing that is so cool about the martial arts world of today is that as more traditional martial artists are discovering the clear advantages of MMA-style training methods, MMA practitioners seem to be discovering that there is some good stuff in traditional arts as well, and their background in practical drilling and pressure testing brings it to life. I'm excited for the future of this kind of interchange.

[@michaelharder9737]

A very simple and intuitively useful principle. I've always thought that the next step in MMA development would be a stronger integration of grappling and striking techniques, and this is one way it could be done.

[@Culturedthug1776]

similar to the move vasyl lomachenko does where he drags your arm down and moves to the side.

[@michaelharder9737]

or a technique taught for gun and knife defense. "Put it in your pocket"

[@nickcarroll8565]

Do you ever spar with Taiji guys? I remember you talking about the master at the Vinegar factory. Super interesting video.

[@claudioz22]

Very cool demonstration, I always love seeing different styles put to work. Way too many people in traditional martial arts focus on repeating hundreds of different techniques and forms hoping to magically learn how to fight, without realizing those are the most superfluous things to learn from a style. Instead when you train the principles through sparring and practical training you'll soon notice that countless "techniques" will naturally come to you without ever training them. Principles make the art, not the forms.

[@ringoutko9463]

What is a style you've always wanted to study (either because you think it looks cool or you saw it in a movie as a kid and loved it or whatever) but you've just never had the opportunity to do it?

[@thufirhawat3838]

Incidentally, that would be ba gua for me, since I was a kid. I saw a book on it and it just felt somehow "right". Except I don't know anyone who practices it.

[@asteriskcolon]

Bagua is by far my favorite style of kung fu. I've never trained it formally; I've had many years of Goju Ryu Karate and many years of Aikido and those two arts (especially combined) hit on a lot of the same ideas. Really cool to see it effectively used in various styles of sparring.

[@driver3899]

This is one of the most interesting martial arts based videos I have seen on youtube, please do more with this man! Who else wants to see some actual sparring between these guys?

[@Jza_Dragon]

I have a wrestling background and I'm trying to develop in ITF. I think these concepts can help me bridge that gap.

[@paulwhite760]

CHENG TING HUA was versed in chinese fast wrestling when he learnt bagua from dong haichuan

[@TheClarity101]

After watching this video yesterday, I tried some of this crossing idea in training tonight in Judo. Had to modify a little bit to work in the gi gripsbut it actually worked wonders for throwing off some of my classmates. Was a lot of fun. Thank you so much for this! I’m always welcome to learn from other styles

[@nataschabenni2001]

I feel like one of the biggest misconceptions in martial arts is the idea that a move can be taught and mastered by anyone, exactly how it was done by the person who invented the technique. I've come to find that martial arts is more about your philosophy melding with the possibilities of your physical movement, rather than practicing specific techniques that only apply in a narrow set of circumstances

[@Headsuporheadstone]

You should allow Linji to teach you more Bagua techniques so that you can pass them on to your students, and maybe some day we will begin to see more CMA styles in MMA. I would also like to know your thoughts on Nick Osipczak.

[@LedjoSolbjor]

Can we see some live sparring?

[@ShogiRanma]

Thank you for this Ba Gua demo, Coach! When people (very often, not competent people) speak that traditional martial arts are useless on the base of countless footages on internet, I think the problem is because those practitioners: - don't have any practice in combat - don't know their art in deep. In order to apply a combat system (or, like in chess, a specific system) , in my humble opinion a deep study and experience accumulation is needed.

[@fanzi9]

Great way to show applications not just forms/kata. I feel like foreman was a bagua practitioner in his past life

[@dragonbrown1494]

I feel as though he was about to reveal some badass bagua concept at the end but thought better of it

[@ttz4m3]

Nice to see eclectic martial arts introduced into the mma mix.

[@laser__unicorn]

Oh this was awesome, I'm a Bagua Zhang practitioner too, started recently and I'm really enjoying it. Can you do a video showing you two sparring with Linji using his technic for mma?

[@haroldquesnel8275]

BaGua is also footwork! The main concept (as I understand it) is combining the yang-yang-yang palm position (both palms facing up, arms stretched outwards) with the yin-yin-yin position (both palms facing down, shoulders rolled forwards) in whichever combo the situation necessitates...there is also the whole Daoist metaphysic (bodywave mechanics, hitting hard with soft, and soft with hard). Very intricate concepts...quite a challenge to show applications in real time.

[@Janik_701]

Hey, could you please make a video about some Judo throws I would really appreciate it, thanks

[@LokiCDK]

I remember when I did Okinawan my sensei focusing on "Taisabaki" (sp? What he referred to as 'off-line fighting') which is very similar to this. Now I train Arnis, which they do what we call "checking" as opposed to blocking as demonstrated here, make contact to control and foul your opponents weapon (limbs) to improve your ability to capitalize on being outside of the center line. Now with the checking, or crossing, addition I find it easier to feel and anticipate my opponents maneuvers when I'm in close range. When I get back out to the gym I will try to practice incorporating some of these movements into my routine for sure, maybe I can use it in a spar with my Judo friends..

[@jeredsizemore3108]

Air bending 🌬🌪

[@Jenjak]

yay !

[@zachariaravenheart]

That is what Air bending is based off of :D

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

Hell yes!

[@Jenjak]

@Im wearing tights that I borrowed from your mum. nay

[@basin3062]

Very nice Clip! I saw a couple of principes which I've been taught. Have to search for more Clips from you guys.

[@danielhaywoodsnow]

Whats your opinion of open palm strikes? This way you don't break your knuckles hitting someone.

[@davidwarren3572]

Quite pleased to see an open minded interaction between two artists of considerably different backgrounds. Bravo.

[@theguy4115]

@ramsey Dewey please do a sequel with him. How how does he counter a spinning back elbow when he's trying to take your back in such a fashion?

[@theguy4115]

@Im wearing tights that I borrowed from your mum. don't be an idiot now. I have more experience than you think.

[@RamseyDewey]

How are you supposed to throw a spinning back elbow when you’re already committed to the forward momentum from the falling step of your jab? Watch that movement when he does it full speed as a counter to my jab. Did you see a beat in that interval where a spinning elbow could have fit?

[@theguy4115]

@@RamseyDewey I was thinking when he grabs your wrist, but before he grabs your tricep with his other arm. His hands are low, and he would be moving into the strike. If the timing was off you might miss with the elbow, but you could still hit him with some force. Do you think I'm way off base with this? Edit: wouldn't the falling jab just add more force to the elbow?

[@defjulz]

Spinning back elbow is one of the first strikes you learn in baguazhang. I’m sure he would see it coming even if it was possible in that situation.

[@TobiasSample]

It does reignite the fascination with kung fu, but then knowing how tough it can be to find a club in a particular style, let alone one where you know they do live testing of the techniques, does dampen it somewhat. Kung fu seems so cool!

[@trumplostlol3007]

The entire baqua footwork is to circle around your blind side and continue to attack you from your blind side. To do that the baqua front arm will divert your straight punch and use your force to help him move to your blind side. The baqua footwork then move toward your blind side and even to your back if you aren't prepared.

[@andrewlinesjah4538]

Ramsey Dewey , THIS IS WONDERFUL . It shows the basic flaw of this kung fu in that it has an agenda .

[@gandalf9526]

It would be fun to see you sparring more with Linji. I find his moves to be quite interesting. Thanks for the videos.

[@chriswalker7632]

Cool. So far from doing bagua zhang I have just worn a lot of holes in my socks! - from all the turning! I only practice a bagua form (an 8 diagrams palm form) just to wake me up in the morning - I alternate between either doing that and xing yi and tai chi. I have only ever looked into the fighting applications of tai chi. I more just (in my unqualified opinion) just see tai chi as an intermediary between the more direct way of attacking with xing yi quan and the indirect way of attacking with bagua zhang. I used to hate learning bagua though as it was so finicky to get into... ...Now I am used to it though. It is very difficult to remember explicitly how to do each individual move of the form on it's own - as you're doing so much twisting and turning that each move kind of relies on the movement and momentum of the preceeding move. Yeh, I don't practice it slowly - I do it at fighting speed.

[@CrossingFist]

Chris Walker I'm a Bagua/Xingyi/Taiji man, myself. These arts compliment each other, wonderfully. Add in some boxing and BJJ and you've got a really nasty toolbox.

[@chriswalker7632]

CrossingFist I do a bit of kick boxing/jeet kune do. I felt the need to add more knee work (with jumping transitional footwork) to the five elements forms of Xing Yi though (to make them more similar to Muay Thai).

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

The only thing missing from your arsenal is a grappling art. But yeah excellent stuff. Bjj, judo, wrestling.. all of them can be added to this and make you a more complete martial artist.

[@chriswalker7632]

Thanks for the replies. My comment about holes in my socks was pure metaphysics you understand.

[@SP-kx3xm]

Really interesting video. Two cool dudes! Thanks for posting.

[@stephenschneider3521]

It seems like the idea of Bagua is a tricky mix of being relaxed when you are under the most threat i.e. standing out where he can hit you. Then, you have become very aggressive and completely commit once you parry/control his side or back. It is an interesting mix of mental states. If you are stiff and aggressive out where he can hit you, it doesn't look like it would work, and, if your relaxed and calm once you get close, your opponent is just going to power himself out of the position. So, it looks like it takes a special kind of fighter who can be relaxed when its time, but who can pour it on when he needs to. I think I struggle to be both in the same match. I'm either too zen, and don't try as hard as I should, or I'm guns blazing, almost spazzing, and gassing myself out. Not sure if the Baqua would work by itself in MMA, but, I looks like a great way to get control over your psychology when you fight. A good mix of soft and forceful at the right times. IMO.

[@Striker775]

There are a few things that I find troubling with your statement, and makes me feel that you're talking a little out of your depth. You should try viewing your body as a force generator, and martial arts styles as ways to deliver your force unto your opponent. With this framework, it becomes easier to understand how some techniques work.The idea behind side-stepping while striking, or breaking away from your opponent's center line is meant to protect you from harm while you try to hit the opponent. Standing out where he can hit you is a very bad application of this concept. By moving such that your opponent's body parts are in the way of his attacks, you have made it difficult for your opponent to hit you. Even if you do not land your strike, your opponent would not have hit you either. If applied correctly, at worst you will break even when trading blows. Secondly, on being tensed or relaxed, it is not a binary. A more accurate term for an ideal state would be having your body relaxed but not completely passive, your frame should be tight but not stiff. This facilitates the transmission of force from your body to the intended target. Unnecessarily tensing up is simply put a waste of energy; there's no point in meaningless posturing if the fight has already reached the stage of contact. On the other hand, if you're too relaxed, a decent punch might be able to push past your guard and unto your face. Do not confuse "zen" with being passive, being focused and free from distraction is not the same as being catatonic. There's no such thing as being _"too zen"_. You can only try to reach this state of mind, assuming you can even approach it. There is no going even further beyond, no matter how much you scream, how much hair your grow or how many colour palettes you swap. Finally, Bagua will not work by itself in MMA. This is not due to anything intrinsically wrong with Bagua, but the fact that MMA fighters will incorporate everything they have learnt to give themselves every advantage available to them. I just hope that, if Bagua techniques and concepts do make it into MMA one day, it would be distinct and as recognisable as the other styles currently dominating the scene.

[@stephenschneider3521]

Well Sir, I was not trying to sound like I know what I am talking about. It was more of a novice observation, not a confident statement. Sorry I sounded like I think I know more than I know. I was using 'zen' as a metaphor for being passive, not about the actual religion/philosophy, which I know nothing about. Otherwise I was criticizing my own shortcomings as a fighter, and seeking advice. Thank you for your instruction on that note. I will try to learn to do as you have said. Thank you again.

[@Striker775]

Don't be discouraged by mistakes, everyone will make them. We're all here to learn. Just trying to point out the underlying logic, since most people cannot look past the mysticism of traditional martial arts. I'm glad to help point you in the right direction. The effectiveness of some of the moves demonstrated in the video depends on the body alignment of the user, which is to say how effectively he or she can apply the force generated by their body. Stance training and slower, deliberate movements work towards better body alignment. It is designed to tire you out, so you have to hold the correct stance by aligning your body. You can start somewhere and work your way up, no shortcuts just like any other skill. On the topic of Zen, you don't actually have to go that far. Being focused, and having a clear intent when it comes to training is enough. Past a certain threshold, it is its own thing and is pursued for its own sake.

[@kamilri]

Binding on a medium distance and going to the side into a close one - theoretically it is obvious, but my sparrings definitely could use some of that.

[@Blackerer]

Interesting, do you have any footage from the sparing itself?

[@pedroalexandredillemburg3751]

Evey moment that Linji gets on your back I just imagine he suplexing you...

[@robertgibson6687]

Sure seems that "Kung Fu" would benefit from the various styles merging, or that they should all incorporate Bagua and Shuai Jiao.

[@defjulz]

So the “originator” of baguazhang would only teach students that had a foundation in another style. Basically the cicle walking aspect was layered on top of whatever the student already knew. I think the philosophy of baguazhang can be a great supplement for any standup game.

[@MG-bi6mq]

Ask Linji how he trains “rise drill, overturn fall.” That’s how he gets that nice arm drag to take your back. Also ask him how he approaches kou bu, bi bu footwork. I’m not seeing much stance or leg work in this video. If he’s any good as a bagua guy he should be able to lock your legs with his legs.

[@andrewferris4539]

Question, where is Linji's lead leg in the video? From a boxer's perspective of the leverage guard, in the orthodox position the lead leg should be aligned with the opponent's in order to check their lead hand with your own and maximize the distance from the cross. When you align your lead leg, it can either step into the pocket to minimize the distance to throw the cross or off line to circle. Does Linji start with his lead hand checking his opponent's and then step off line for wrist control and/or taking the back? Here's a reference of what I'm talking about in boxing, mixedmartialartsanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/05/wladimir-klitschko-and-long-mans-defense.html and it looks like Linji's Bagua could give it an added grappling element.

[@reaper-hh6rj]

Ramsey I wanted to ask you that how do you incorporate strength training into your routine? and does it interfere with the other aspects of your training(bag work,sparring etc)

[@itsleon8571]

Hey Ramsey, I have a question. I’ve been thinking of doing mma, however should I go to different gyms for example a Muay Thai gym (which I’m currently doing)Bjj gym, wrestling gym and boxing gym? Or should I just go to an mma gym were I can learn a bit of everything Awesome video and how you branch yourself with different varieties of arts

[@AztecUnshaven]

Good stuff. Informative and to the point. Just out of curiosity, do you know who his Bagua teacher was? I know of Luo De Xiu's students having a very strong rep for practical combat, although I believe he was based in Taiwan.

[@dr.wusinstituteofmartialar2154]

Great video! It is a great example of Ba Gua Zhang application.

[@RamseyDewey]

Thanks!

[@mattbugg4568]

Pa kua, tai chi, hsing I, nei jia is the original mma. Its a standing system. Someone who mixed things like aikido, wing chun, and kenpo ghosting into it would effectively be a tremendous stand up fighter. Then putting something like 8 gates groundwork and yin yang concepts and a systematic positional system of groundwork with a hierarchy of submissions would probably be a slam dunk of a system.

[@kongkong1364]

i can't help but recall the fight scenes in ip man of the bagua master where hand-fighting wc style (maintaining center line) kicked bagua (moving off center line)... economy of movements vs attacking the flanks. what works best depends on how and when one uses them

[@AstralS7orm]

Seems very similar to European swordsmanship techniques but in hand to hand combat. I suppose the basics are just common... Avoid or close the center line, keep touch on your opponent, keep them exposed while staying safe by positioning and footwork.

[@nobodyshere5994]

Covering the arms of the opponent with your own arms to avoid being punched while moving to the sides to gain angle to strike or wrestle is a principle of chinese martial arts. The bad-called trapping,every chinese style uses this concept. And the shield/spear concept you see in long guard, distancing your opponent from yourself becoming a boxing match, not a wrestling match, that's an important concept for strikers. Baguazhang is more of a wrestling style (some of the techniques come from beijing wrestling), also the techniques came from the baguazhang knifes and blades, cut while moving in the battlefield avoiding the enemy, circling everyone

[@BradYaeger]

Cool video, always love seeing the classics applied to modern times, they all have so much to offer. I've only had a little exposure to Bagua but my take away was keep up a solid frame and always get outside the elbows. It seemed like a bridge to grappling art

[@robertsutherland6162]

That's the kind of stuff I enjoy immensely. Many thanks for this.

[@reidpattis9478]

Based on the video, Bagua is *somewhat* similar to Wing Chun. However, they differ in their main attacking/defensive philosophy.

[@gingercore69]

Except wing chun is about controling the center line while bagua seems to be more focused on avoiding the centerline... Or at least that is what i understand from this

[@yamiyomizuki]

Not really, bagua has a lot more mobile footwork and focus on generating power through the legs and hips, as well as containing longer ranged techniques than wing chun

[@kungfujoe2136]

hell no

[@Schwartzbruder1]

@@gingercore69 offline stepping is also a thing in wing chun. Though it will vary by lineage on when or how its taught

[@yamiyomizuki]

@@kungfujoe2136 i have noticed that a lot of people look at pretty much any Chinese martial art that involves any trapping or bridgehand or sticky hands and go "that looks a lot like wing chun" largely because wing chun is the only chinese martial art they have seen

[@stegmonjurvinweirdt1834]

Hey there, I was watching again. I noticed that Linji says that Ramsey cannot attack from the side while Linjji has his elbow. Now I am wondering why in this moment the elbow offense/defense is not being talked about? Maybe that is another video? Anyway, I have seen a technique with TaiChi where you break the elbow and defend against with the elbow . . .

[@ssioulglorious5062]

This isn't seen in the video, but if you here the sounds whenever Linji goes behind Ramsey, those are some solid footwork. Like goddamn, i could hear that sound from miles away and imagining how solid and stable he is above me. While watching the vid, i wonder how i will be able to wrestle him down with that avoiding the center line trick and with that solid footwork. Nice vid, i honestly didn't notice that center line thing, my teachers told me what and why i should avoid being in the center of someone but now im full of clarity about what i should really be avoiding. Thank you!

[@eheller3]

Who is Linjis Bagua teacher? What style of Baguazhang does he practice?

[@tangmingchen9237]

plz do a sparring video with him.

[@Morpheus1984]

It's a similar concept in Hung Kuen. Create bridge and step of the centerline and counter. To close the distance you should try to kick towards the groin or stomach (it distracts your opponent long enough to close the distance and create a bridge) instead of just stepping to close the distance. Very nice demonstration and it works realy well with multiple sparringsessions(from experience)

[@ericknudten7272]

In Bagua footwork is king..someone who has mastered the skill of striking with continuous rooted movement is incredibly hard to deal with.

[@sensei9295]

Bagua seems to share similar footwork to Aikido and Judo. Did I detect some boxing style foot shuffling too? These techniques provide a means to pass the opponents striking weapons quickly and effectively and put you in a position of dominant control to counter striking. Some of the scenarios had a risk for a side-kick if you did not transition closer. This is not a criticism as no art or technique is free of counter/risk. Just be aware of vulnerability. One example: A Judo sensei from Japan I used to train with many years ago would cross step to set up O Guruma. Normally that is a no no in grappling. He would only do that when he would anchor your feet for a 1/16th of a second as he passed in front of you. This accomplished two things. First, it kept him from being swept, and secondly, the natural reaction to being held down is to want to rise. The second combined with the twisting of the torso meant his opponent unweighted themselves, i.e. rose up and provided a longer, more tippable structure to be thrown. The only other person I had seen do the throw that way, was on old films of his sensei- Mifune sensei. I have trained in a few styles of Gungfu, with Chin-na techniques on the ground, and found a lot of similarities useful to many applications, Judo being my primary grappling influence.

[@Maximo665]

I used to do bagua, but then my teacher got too busy to teach. She recommended me taking aikijujutsu because the movements and concepts were very similar.

[@killersalmon4359]

The footwork in Bagua (at the least the style I was exposed to), was very similar to Aikido - the basic footwork was basically very similar to that used in Tai-no-henko. Also, a lot of the applications of "circle walking" type footwork was just "cutting the corner" while in close grappling.

[@thebobbytytesvarrietyhour4168]

Every time I see good explanations of kung fu, I'm taken by there similarity to European sword fighting.

[@librabys]

That's funny because i practiced kung-fu and bagua first, and now beginning to learn european sword techniques and it also striked me how much fencing is like CMA hands

[@HittokiriBatosai]

How would this work in open stance against a southpaw

[@BluntInnit]

So when I can see what the game plan is in middle and close range. But was wondering about the long range. I know it is not something you would probably know yourself but wondered if you could explain the purpose of long range and what technique a bagua person would apply? Is the idea to just close into middle range or are there kicks that are used from long range? Very interesting, thank you for sharing.

[@Danetto]

so inspiring to see that even the best still can learn something ^^

[@AstralS7orm]

Ramsey is very good, but I wouldn't call him the best. Not from what I see. He's a superb coach and sparring partner I bet.

[@dvldgz6306]

I know I'm late but I would love drills for this martial art that are applicable to mma. It seems so interesting

[@digitalg00dtimes58]

Alright, that was too enlightening. I'm subscribing now.

[@jonnupe1645]

Do you have a video of you sparing with him using bagua/pakwa?

[@marcopohl4875]

this again proofs: it's not about your style (if it wouldn't work, it wouldn't exist afterall), it's all about the training method

[@alexfabbrini7965]

Great video as always Ramsey! Where do you find your cool rashguards and compression gears (apart from this Elite one...)?

[@mizukarate]

Seems like similar concept used in martial arts that use embusen. I see similarities to my Goju Karate and Aikido training. Thanks.

[@warfox777]

Great seeing Bagua being represented. I'm Robert Jay Arnold the representative of my lineage of Bagua in America. You can find training and sparring on my page. Great work, contact me for a collaboration. I've only been back in America for about two years.

[@RamonChiNangWong078]

yes, the simple tactics of positioning yourself

[@davidkwong3465]

Bagua comes from taichi so all of these concepts are the same but he goes straight up into mma when in reality from these concepts all styles including aikido, judo, wing chun, every style can work from here.

[@clementkong8133]

Question, if Baguazhang is really what it makes itself out to be, why does neither the PLA or the Taiwanese military adopt a form of it in their combat system? As a matter of fact, why does the PLA adopt western kickboxing (and renaming it Sanda) for its military fighting system?

[@baguazhaquan]

nice being open minded. I believe I have more experience fighting MMA with just kung fu, than anyone else I can think of, and have a video talking about bridging, which is a big bagua concept, as well as a lot of CMA in general. I completely disagree with no hitting the arm because you can't control it, since I do it all the time when i spar. 1 thing to remember, all really good bagua practicers, including the founder started with other styles(usually a long fist style). Also depending what you train, it could be really different considering the different branches, and Dong Hai Chuan never taught anyone the same. I tend to favor having fingers extended, which would have to be modified for MMA. Bagua's awesome, but I do not know if it'll work that well by itself in MMA or need some modifying. I know many branches like to fight with fingers pointing at the opponent, which I also went over briefly in my video. I wouldnt approach the same way as the person in this video, though I understand how a lot of concepts work. And I tend to use more chaquan than bagua other than circling concepts when I fight.

[@mysticflow467]

I'm sure that Linji (the person in the video) also hits peoples arms when necessary, but for this specific concept you don't want to hit the arm because the concept is about grabbing the arm and getting behind. but maybe you mean that you can control the arm while hitting it? if so I would like to know how

[@baguazhaquan]

its really simple, i might make a video on it. i'll have to wait till there's someone who wants to be my demo partner and got time

[@baguazhaquan]

@@mysticflow467 a bit late but you can check my youtube channel now for one example of how to hit someone and control arm. i prefer head when possible but it's just examples, and different things could be available. and there are 1000 other ways and things that can happen realistically ofcourse

[@aditsu]

Hmm, I was expecting more commentary from you, Ramsey. Is it effective? Can you counter it? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this style? Is this something you'd like to learn and apply? Also, Linji may be a Bagua expert, but he's not an English expert, it was kind of a struggle to follow what he's trying to say.

[@uberdonkey9721]

Interesting as identical to aikido principles and is thought Ueshiba trained in Ba Gua in China and maybe introduced some concepts.

[@MartialArtsTutorialsFighttips]

for bagua you should refer them to me as i have completed the system and its mostly what i use.

[@mydavegabicycle]

I know this is an old video but I think you doing a video with Robert Jay Arnold aka Warfox would be fantastic. He's got a real positive energy and has very great Bagua and I feel like it'd be killer. There's also my old teacher Tom Bisio who actually trained in Stick Fighting first who would work hard on teaching actual applications at speed, though not sure if he does appearances like this.

[@RamseyDewey]

Is he in China?

[@mydavegabicycle]

@@RamseyDewey RJA I know he was for a time, but I think he came back to the states. Let me reach out to him! Is that where you are right now? As for Tom, he's still based in NYC I think but isn't one for social media. So who knows.

[@stephenschneider3521]

Coach, Linji had some intersting notes on the ranges of fighting for Bagua. Could you do a video about the ranges of fighting in MMA? Maybe talk about how to transition from non-contact sparring to light contact etc. by how you change your range. I was sparring a Muay Thai guy, and I was practicing my Savate. I've only done Savate as non-contact (I only have the equivalent of Blue Gloves, which is like Yellow Belt in Karate). So, I did some kicks, and an aerial kick, but he just backed off easily, I never hit him. His comment was 'you have good technique, and can do some fancy stuff, but, it is like you are just showing me the moves, rather than trying to him me with them'. I think maybe I'm not getting close enough (committing to the strike?). Maybe it is because I've only done non-contact/light contact. So I'm not sure how to get close enough to hit with force, or, hit at all. Thanks for your videos.

[@dakkadakka7697]

If you're using kicks, a good tip is to always start with a jab or one-two to setup the kick. The punches keep your opponent focused on your upper body and away from your legs. Also, shoot for quick low and middle kicks, they can chop someone down unbelivably fast if used right.

[@stephenschneider3521]

Most people I spar can't kick high, which surprises them that I can despite my short fat look. Thing is maybe I'm telegraphing those kicks, or I just can't get close enough, or, I'm just worried about kicking them too hard. I'm not sure. I guess I could stand to try to punch more though. I just figured they all know how to counter punches, so I wouldn't get anywhere with that. You're probably right though. Thanks for you help.

[@dakkadakka7697]

@@stephenschneider3521 no problem man! Just remember, a jab doesnt have to hurt: it has great utility for measuring distance or setting up other attacks like kicks. Mix it up, and im sure you'll land against that guy next time

[@fireeaglefitnessmartialart935]

That concept is silimar to wing chun as it does pretty much the same movement. Though usual strikes are used first and any grappling or stuff like that comes second or later.

[@RamseyDewey]

Wing Chun is the opposite in terms of centerline theory.

[@KLKL268]

May I ask what dialect does Linji speak outside of Mandarin Chinese? Or what province Linji hails from? I find his accent really intriguing, it is quite distinct from most mandarin speakers I encounter.

[@RamseyDewey]

Linji is Japanese.

[@KLKL268]

@@RamseyDewey Thanks!

[@deshaunwilson9603]

This would be great for the clinch in Muay thai especially if you use the Long guard