Baguazhang Questions?

[Nyrotic]

Couple questions.

1. How would BaguaZhang complement Wing Chun? There's a good chance that in the very near future I won't be able to train Wing Chun with my Sifu for several years, but will have ample opportunity to train BaguaZhang under Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson.

2. Does anyone know anything about Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson? He teaches Bagua out in Monterey California, and as far as I know he's the only apparently legit Chinese martial arts teacher in the area I'll be spending some time at.

3. How much of the Baguazhang system can I learn and effectively take in anywhere between 6 months to a year and a half? I've asked my possible future Sifu about it, but he just said that "it depends on my skill". Is that a good answer, or a red flag?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Couple questions.

1. How would BaguaZhang complement Wing Chun? There's a good chance that in the very near future I won't be able to train Wing Chun with my Sifu for several years, but will have ample opportunity to train BaguaZhang under Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson.

2. Does anyone know anything about Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson? He teaches Bagua out in Monterey California, and as far as I know he's the only apparently legit Chinese martial arts teacher in the area I'll be spending some time at.

3. How much of the Baguazhang system can I learn and effectively take in anywhere between 6 months to a year and a half? I've asked my possible future Sifu about it, but he just said that "it depends on my skill". Is that a good answer, or a red flag?

Only having trained 2 bagua forms I really can't answer much of this but there are those on MT that can but as to question 3; it does depend on your skill but after 6 months to 1.5 years of bagua I would not expect much martial ability and a lot of form training and correction. But like I said I only learned 2 forms and I could be wrong.

 

[ggg214]

Couple questions.

1. How would BaguaZhang complement Wing Chun? There's a good chance that in the very near future I won't be able to train Wing Chun with my Sifu for several years, but will have ample opportunity to train BaguaZhang under Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson.

2. Does anyone know anything about Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson? He teaches Bagua out in Monterey California, and as far as I know he's the only apparently legit Chinese martial arts teacher in the area I'll be spending some time at.

3. How much of the Baguazhang system can I learn and effectively take in anywhere between 6 months to a year and a half? I've asked my possible future Sifu about it, but he just said that "it depends on my skill". Is that a good answer, or a red flag?

To your Qs
1 good training of any style can help your learn other style.

2 No, i don't know the person

3 6months-1.5 years is a not short and long persiod. i want to know how many hours in every day you can spend on the training.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

1. I don't train In Wing chun so my answer to that is not helpful.
My teacher does know Wing chun so I will have to ask him.

IMO I see 2 things 1. Biu Jee or finger jabs would work well with Bagua open palm techniques and Chi Sao I think may work with the spiral energy Bagua uses.

2. Jerry Alan Johnson I have spoke to by email once. He is promoting his Medical Qigong books(They are like 600 pages a pieces ala 5 volumes!!)


I don't know his lineage but his Bagua to me anyway looks a bit strange I think its more because of those 1980's video taping.

The thing with Bagua is you can learn the form in a month however it can take you a long time to master the internal aspect and constant circlewalking takes time.

 

[Chris-H]

Nyrotic,

1. How would BaguaZhang complement Wing Chun?

Like JadecloudAlchemist, I have not trained in WC.
I have 'played' with a couple of folks that have done WC and I find that the Bagua methods could have helped the WC in some ways. We did some Chi Sau/Push Hands practice and I found that the directional changes applied in Bagua worked quite well. Often times I was able to slip to the outside and gain a superior position by using some of the bagua stepping principles.
Perhaps a little Bagua principles tacked on to the WC might not be a bad thing. Dong Hai-Chuan was said to have only accepted students that had previous martial arts experience and he would incorperate the bagua principles into their art. I have seen quite a few people be able to cross train in bagua and something else and had decent results. The key to it is incorperating PRINCIPLE, not just technique.

2. Does anyone know anything about Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson?

I have a old VHS of some of his stuff and that is the extent of my knowledge about him. He appears to have some solid methods and has a clear understanding of the health practices incorperated with Bagua.

3. How much of the Baguazhang system can I learn and effectively take in anywhere between 6 months to a year and a half?

It depends on your skill.
Seriously, I think your sifu may be right. The depth of your understanding of principles within your art will play heavily on how well you can incorperate new ideas into it.

Hope things work out well for you!
Good luck!

Chris Haynes
www.gaostylebaguausa.com

 

[Dean]

Couple questions.

1. How would BaguaZhang complement Wing Chun? There's a good chance that in the very near future I won't be able to train Wing Chun with my Sifu for several years, but will have ample opportunity to train BaguaZhang under Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson.

2. Does anyone know anything about Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson? He teaches Bagua out in Monterey California, and as far as I know he's the only apparently legit Chinese martial arts teacher in the area I'll be spending some time at.

3. How much of the Baguazhang system can I learn and effectively take in anywhere between 6 months to a year and a half? I've asked my possible future Sifu about it, but he just said that "it depends on my skill". Is that a good answer, or a red flag?

Hi Nyrotic,

1. The Baguazhang will be very different from the Wing Chun, IMO. However, your previous training in Wing Chun will benefit and exhilarate your learning process.

2. I personally do not know Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson, nor have I heard anything about him as a teacher. I have watched a video that was available on Google on it did seem as though he knows how to use his art in applications.

3. I really don't think six months/ year would be enough. But, you could definetly get some of the redumentries down.

I hope this helps.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

I Practice Wing Chun. When I first started taking Wing Chun my Sifu would have and my Sidai walk to circle. This is very basic. No form no hand motions just guards out in front of you walking in a circle and turning an walking in the circle the other way. He says the left hand should be parrallel with the Dan Tien and other palm should be out in front of you about nose height. To me it looks like dragon. I have excelled in my Wing Chun but since I started taking a Tai Chi class learning the Bagua has gotten harder. Maybe too much at once. But My Sifu who taught me Wing Chun is also teaching the Tai Chi. His older brother has been showing me the Eight palm form. Its very difficult to me because it so foriegn. The hand motions remind me of mix betwen tiger and crane an Tai Chi but way different. But my Sifu keeps telling me the Bagua Complements the Wing Chun nicely. There are many basics to Bagua that some teachers teach. They are drills. My Sifu and Uncle know them. But I have found alot Bagua teachers in my area only teach the forms. I find it difficult because we are studing so much at once. We are learning Yang Style Tai Chi. Liang Yi Bagua Form. Fu Style Bagua, and Chen style Tai Chi. I mostly focus on the Yang Style long form and Liang Yi form for now. I like the flavor. Although I am able to use some basics of Bagua with my Wing Chun already. Its great. Using the circle to get to my opponents back an attack him form behind is great.

It depends on the skill level of the fighter. Like my Sifu and his big brother I am totally unable to circle behind them. So I tend to use more the wing Chun. I like how Bagua uses uprooting techniques as well. Those are very useful. Plus Bagua trains a different flow of Tai Chi. But I think you will be alright if you are only learning one form. Maybe just the eight palms. Now the 64 palms is really difficult. It depends on how deep you plan to get into Bagua. I have a book of I Ching because the bagua is suppose to be based off that book as well. I say study the principles and learn the basics if they teach them. This will help you with the form. Practice forms slowly each day like ten times. Do it at different speeds along with any basics they may or may not teach you. If they don't teach basics than asked your Sifu are their any basics to Bagua?

Bagua also has Chi Kung exercises that can be good for you too. Bagua is suppose to have iron body techniques as well. But it depends on how much time you have to train your Bagua.

I hope it all goes well for you. I mostly focus on my WC but I do engage in the Bagua form from time to time. atleast just the eight palms.


But I suggest once you learn the entire palms of Bagua then you should video tape yourself. if you cant afford to buy a camera rent one for a day for like 10-20 dollars at rent center. That way you will have all the forms for your library for the future so you can always refer back to it. An also take exhaustive notes.

Couple questions.

1. How would BaguaZhang complement Wing Chun? There's a good chance that in the very near future I won't be able to train Wing Chun with my Sifu for several years, but will have ample opportunity to train BaguaZhang under Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson.

2. Does anyone know anything about Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson? He teaches Bagua out in Monterey California, and as far as I know he's the only apparently legit Chinese martial arts teacher in the area I'll be spending some time at.

3. How much of the Baguazhang system can I learn and effectively take in anywhere between 6 months to a year and a half? I've asked my possible future Sifu about it, but he just said that "it depends on my skill". Is that a good answer, or a red flag?