Xingyiquan

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Xue Sheng

Xue Sheng

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so I feel like I should train in Xingyi first, then progress onto Bagua then Taiji ..

Nah.

There is an old Chinese saying that says you should start with Xingyiquan then learn Baguazhang and then advance to Taiji but it is not really that big a deal. If I look at it that way I got it exactly backwards. I did Taiji first then Bagua and then Xingyiquan. And to be honest I am not exactly sure where the Xingyi to Bagua to Taiji thing came from, I will need to look into that more. However I would not be surprised if it did not come from Sun Lutang.

And there are a lot of people out there that train one and never train anything else some train 2 and some train 3. There were several Xingyi guys that trained Bagua in the past but not all.

But I do not look at these 3 styles as related as many think beyond the title of Neijia and what it means to be a neijia actually, they are, IMO, quite different. I no longer train any Bagua and I have more time in Taiji than any CMA but Xingyiquan is my favorite of the 3 and if there was a Xingyiquan Sifu of the same level of skill and understanding as my Taijiquan Sifu I would likely be only Xingyiquan.
 

blindsage

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But I do not look at these 3 styles as related as many think beyond the title of Neijia and what it means to be a neijia actually, they are, IMO, quite different. I no longer train any Bagua and I have more time in Taiji than any CMA but Xingyiquan is my favorite of the 3 and if there was a Xingyiquan Sifu of the same level of skill and understanding as my Taijiquan Sifu I would likely be only Xingyiquan.

Yeah, I agree. From what I've seen I don't think the three are related. My sifu claims they are connected only because a group of teachers in those styles came together sometime in the 1800's and decided to be open with teaching between the styles, so I could train with your Taiji teacher and you could train with my Bagua teacher, and even encouraged it, which was not the norm at the time.

I'm actually really into Bagua and enjoy my training, but I would also like to learn Xingyi, which my sifu knows, but says he isn't a fan of teaching. I'm gonna keep bringing it up when appropriate so he can see my genuine interest, and when I've trained with him a while longer I'll ask more directly if he'll teach me.
 
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Xue Sheng

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Yeah, I agree. From what I've seen I don't think the three are related. My sifu claims they are connected only because a group of teachers in those styles came together sometime in the 1800's and decided to be open with teaching between the styles, so I could train with your Taiji teacher and you could train with my Bagua teacher, and even encouraged it, which was not the norm at the time.

I'm actually really into Bagua and enjoy my training, but I would also like to learn Xingyi, which my sifu knows, but says he isn't a fan of teaching. I'm gonna keep bringing it up when appropriate so he can see my genuine interest, and when I've trained with him a while longer I'll ask more directly if he'll teach me.

That is true and I have that someplace (names and dates) but I would need to look it up but as to the 1800s I am not sure if it was the 1800s (that sounds right) or the early 1900s

I liked Bagua, what little I did of it, and I have in the past seriously considered returning but I have been in Taiji to long to stop now and I like Xingyiquan to much to give it up so I have no time.
 
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blindsage

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My sifu has an extensive background in Bagua, Xingyi, and Yang and Chen Taiji (I'm thinking about starting the Chen Taiji class soon), and I'm interested in them all, so luckily I can go to one source.
 

JadecloudAlchemist

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Tom trained with Vincent Black who is the representive of Li Zi Ming Bagua which stems from the Liang style.
Mr.Black also taught Tom Xingyi but I am unsure where Mr.Black learned it. Mr.Black is a very knowledgeable person so I suspect Tom is as well.

It also looks like Mr.Bisio trained in Gao style Bagua as well.

Mr.Bisio Xingyi teachers are famous and very skilled.

So his linerage for Xingyi comes from a variety of places but all legit IMO.

http://tombisio.com/about.htm

You can read about him and also look at his teachers.
 
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Xue Sheng

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Yeah, I agree. From what I've seen I don't think the three are related. My sifu claims they are connected only because a group of teachers in those styles came together sometime in the 1800's and decided to be open with teaching between the styles, so I could train with your Taiji teacher and you could train with my Bagua teacher, and even encouraged it, which was not the norm at the time.

I'm actually really into Bagua and enjoy my training, but I would also like to learn Xingyi, which my sifu knows, but says he isn't a fan of teaching. I'm gonna keep bringing it up when appropriate so he can see my genuine interest, and when I've trained with him a while longer I'll ask more directly if he'll teach me.

1894
Cheng Tinghua – Baguazhang
Li Cunyi – Xingyiquan
Liu Weixiang – Xingyiquan
Liu Dekuan – Taijiquan
Formed an alliance for mutual training if Bagua, Xingyi and Taiji

Source: Spring and Autumn of Chinese Martial Arts by Kang Gewu
 

ebozzz

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Xingyiquan looks rather simplistic and boring to many and there really does not appear to be much to it when you look at plain forms.

Xue,

It looks excitingly beautiful to me! I love the simplicity and efficiency that it displays.
 
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Xue Sheng

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To me Xingyiquan is rather direct and it looks rather simplistic on the outside but it is really not as simplistic as it looks due to the emphasis on, and reasons for, training Santi Shi and various other standing postures.

I have thought on a few occasions that where some MA styles are concerned about attack and defense, blocking and striking Xingyi's philosophy, at least my take on it, is simply "I'm going to hit you….hard".

But like all CMA styles it has some Qinna and Shuaijiao as well.
 

kidswarrior

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To me Xingyiquan is rather direct and it looks rather simplistic on the outside but it is really not as simplistic as it looks due to the emphasis on, and reasons for, training Santi Shi and various other standing postures.
It seems to me that the simpler something is made to look by a master, the harder it is. :)

I have thought on a few occasions that where some MA styles are concerned about attack and defense, blocking and striking Xingyi's philosophy, at least my take on it, is simply "I'm going to hit you….hard".
:D


But like all
CMA styles it has some Qinna and Shuaijiao as well.
Thanks for the reminder. I've been working on finding more of these strains in all forms/postures. Fun and challenging. :bangahead:
 

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