Jiao Men / Sect Boxing / Chinese Muslim Boxing

[Bak Sing]

I spent twelve years in Asia studying Chinese Internal Boxing, Qigong and Taoist Arts. One of the most profound experiences I had, was being welcomed into and receiving teaching from a variety of masters and families in the Hui/Muslim or Jiao Men arts. Not just Cha Quan or long fist, but Xingyi Li He, family styles, Baji/Pigua, Tongbei and Fanzi. Shuai Chiao and Tam Tui, and synthetic varieties of Hsing-I and Bagua in the Hui milieu. Lots of other things as well. My point is simple. I believe that Bagua may be a Muslim art, rather than a Taoist one. Or at least, an opportunistic hybrid of the two. Anyone familiar with the Sufi tradition, will get the meaning. The Sufi practice of ecstatic dance, of walking the circle as meditation. The fact that one Dong's top students was a Muslim bodyguard of some reputation. There is more. If anyone is interested, let's open this up for discussion.

[lunghushan]

No, I think it would be more appropriate to surmise that a lot of other martial arts made their way into the Muslim community.

You have to figure how big is China? How many temples? How many martial arts do they have?

How big is the Muslim community? Do you really think all of that came from the Muslim community?

No ... I highly doubt it. While I don't think that bagua is necessarily a Taoist martial art, I don't think it's a Muslim one.

[jack]

The circular walking movements in palms was based from the Taoist’s ZhuanTianZun (轉天尊). It’s a kind of circular walking chi-kung.

Mr Kang GeWu (康戈武), a famous PRC martial arts researcher has already make very detail bagua palms research before & confirmed that bagua palms was created by Dong HaiChuan. His research was widely recognized by many martial artists.

[mickey]

Hello Bak Sing,


You are the second person that I have encountered that mentioned a Muslim connection. The person that I met talked with me about a closed door demo of Bagua. What was demonstrated was Black Dragon Bagua. The person told me that the guy the light skill as well; that may suggest a lineage separte from Dong Hai Chuan because the other lineages have do not have it any more.


Please continue to make your case. I want to learn more.


mickey

[fiercest tiger]

Doesnt the Bagua work off the Yi Ching which is Taoist, but love to here what you have to say regarding the circle walking and its meditative values!!

Garry

[TenTigers]

I read somewhere that Dong Hai-Chuan named it Ba-Gua only due to the fact that it walked the Ba-Gua, and only later were relationshiops to the I-Ching added by other teachers.
I had also heard that Dong Hai-Chuan also possessed light skills as well.