You want to find out about one of the rarest, most underrated forms of martial arts fighting? I learned all about this great fighting style called Ba Gua Zhang. It really blew me away because this style of fighting is not like most fighting styles, especially all that stuff you might see on television or in the movies.

What makes Ba Gua Zhang so different is the fact this style is based on the open fist philosophy rather than the closed fist. You see, the object is to strike down your opponent with skill rather than simple brute force. It takes a bit longer to get really good at this kind of fighting but it has some really good things going for it.

When I was younger, I used to get into fights all the time. This was before I learned how to fight for real and also before I matured quite a bit and learned that fighting is not always necessary. I used to fight with my fists instead of my head and that got me not only into a lot of trouble but also a lot of broken bones. Especially my fist. Any decent fighter worth his salt has broken a hand or two. It is not much fun, it hurts a lot and it puts you out of commission for a while, too. What happens if you have to defend yourself the next day and you've got a broken hand? You are in trouble that's what.

So Ba Gua Zhang taught me there is another way. Fighting doesn't have to be all straight ahead attacking. You can subdue a threat with skill instead of trying to just maul the guy. The basic concept of this style is to constantly move and change your approach to any given situation. No matter what your opponent throws at you, be ready to keep adapting.

One of the main things you do when you first start practicing this style is the circle walk. It is really very simple. You just walk around in a circle. Seems silly maybe, but you stay in motion and, believe you me, a moving target is harder to hit than a non-moving one! So your opponent has to come to you and moving around gets him out of his comfort zone. It also prepares you to defend yourself. It is much tougher to move fast if you are just standing there still. If you are already moving, it is easy to keep moving, get it?

Another thing that is important to know is the idea behind palm changes or different postures your upper body is exacting. I mean, heck, your lower body is doing something, why not give your upper body something to do as well, right? These moves get you ready to fight. It is like priming the pump or winding the spring of a catapult - preparing for battle, if you will. That is how real fighting is, quick and spontaneous.