I have heard that Ba-Gua is the martial art for beating other martial artists?

Question

Or that it is a graduate level martial art? Is that true?

Answer 1

I have studied Ba-Gua for 8 years, and it was designed for multiple opponents, so it can make short work of any one person. It can defend against tackles, throws and very fast opponents, that is what the footwork is for. Ba-Gua does not lent it self well in tournaments many times because most of its techniques are fatal or cause more damage than is allowed in tournaments. I have sparred with people from 9 systems, and they have not done anything that I could not handle.

Answer 2

Anyone who has had any longevity in any legitimate system of Martial Art will tell you that there is no such thing a superior, or better Martial Art, or that a student of one will naturally beat others. The success of a Martial Artist in any fight begins with what knowledge, experience, and years of skilled training he brings to the fight, which is based heavily on what his particular instructor had to offer, as well as his own dedication and discipline to serious, realistic training has been.

For example, Korean Taekwondo was taught to the ROK special forces during the Korean War and Vietnam War. These Martial Art elite soldiers were so deadly, and so feared for their hand-to-hand combat skills, that the enemy ran from them, and was ordered not to engage with them in CQ combat.

Today, it would depend strictly on what Taekwondo school or instructor you studied from. Some might have fake credentials, and never even earned a Black Belt, let alone became a qualified instructor. Others have turned more to sports, family fitness centers, or kiddie karate, and have abandoned the real self defense training. There are genuine, high-quality Taekwondo Instructors out there, but you have to know what to look for, and not assume that they are all good, or all bad.

The same holds true for virtually every system of Martial Art, and every school. You might be fortunate enough to find a really good instructor in any of those systems, or you might find an inept instructor. It is not the "art" that is lacking, but the quality of the instruction, the ability of the instructor to teach the art completely and competently, and the dedication of the student to learn and apply it correctly.

Chief Master D.J. Eisenhart
Taekwondo 6th Dan
U.S. Chung Do Kwan Association
(also hold Black Belt rank in Judo, Aikido, and Karate)
School owner and instructor for 30 years

Answer 3

It's a style that's no different than any other Chinese martial arts. All martial artists that has confidence with their style says stuff like that.

Their movements are similar to Tai-Chi and I've seen Brazilian Jujitsu practitioner who only trained for two years beating up a Ba-Gua practitioner who trained for more than 10 years. Also, these circular movements used to defend against opponents would only work against slow moving amateurs. It also cannot defend against tackles and correctly executed throws and submissions. That's already proven in some of the tournaments.

Answer 4

It is good I'll give it that, but it's not unbeatable.

I've met Bagua teachers who are lightning fast and can use their circular blocks at amazing speed, but it's an internal art so it simply becomes longer to be able to use it effectively in real combat. It CAN defend against grappling, but it takes a teacher who knows what he's doing to show you how to do that.

As with the other internal styles it has the potential for great power but as always it is based upon the quality of the sifu and the quality of the student.

Answer 5

All martial arts are for beating other martial artists.
Ba Gua is just that , another martial art.

Answer 6

It is an Internal MA based on the I-Ching, book of changes.

You can study it as a beginner. Whoever said that is just sensationalizing it.

In the old days in China, Internal Teachers taught Taichi first, then Hsing I, then Bagua, but this was because they lead into each other. Taichi introduces Hsing I concepts and Hsing I introduces Bagua concepts.

This is not because of being advanced but because of incorrect instruction.