since bagua uses palm strikes primerely instead of fists, it cannot be effectively used with gloves (at least bosxing gloves). So when you spar with bagua do you go with no padding? Or how?

You can still slap with boxing gloves on. Just don't make a fist

You can also use light head gear and use grappling gloves.

Why not just do sparring with light contact? If you want to hit something hard go hit a pad or a heavy bag. When you're sparring you really want to work on your timing, distance, angle, combinations, set-ups, and sensitivity. It's not about who can hit each other harder.

Sparing by definition is 'fighting without inflicting damage'.

I like those open finger padded gloves. I'm wearing some right now.

Those gloves work well for palm shots? Also I'm wondering in shenwu sparring clips I saw no one used palm strikes and bagua (mostly xingyi), why not?

Those open-finger gloves work great for palm strikes. I mean, you can expose your palm with them... so, strike away!

There are lots and lots of clips- you've only seen a smidgeon of them. And the sparing that has been caught on video is only a fraction of the typical sparing that goes on regularly.

The main reason the clips online so far haven't shown many palm strikes and bagua is because Meynard is a busy fellow and spends his free time practicing and sparing rather than circulating clips on the Web.

I think maybe you're thinking that we're going to walk in a circle palm striking each other. That's funny.

I think that is the reason people think Ba Gua is only used for waiting tables. You can bend the rules a touch to fit your situation you know. I would not fight some one in that twisted san ti, walking circles continuosly and just going through routines! at least not without expecting to take a whuppin'

yep- the twisting and circling is learnin' to move around an opponents direction of force- not to walk around an opponent.

Hey Tim,

I've been trying to do alot of Bagua research, and I just wanted to know who you personally think is the best Bagua fighter today?

Bagua,
Well, I've seen some excellent practitioners of Baguazhang, but I've never seen any of them actually fighting, so it's hard to say.

Gloves? since you would project your force in a real fight, would gloves be anything but decoration. Since you are sparring to train reaction and limb speed, angle of attack plus footwork and body movement. Have both sides paded and hit with the back of the hands. Make sure you have some Dit dar jow handy and I think masters of any MA should study either TCM or western first aid.

"since you would project your force in a real fight, would gloves be anything but decoration."

It's to keep my Chi from exploding someone's liver.

Chi is refined energy when projected in its natural state it feels like heat or electric it jolts the body if really manifest. Ging is the use of chi combined with local muscle strength to create extra power, this could explode a liver. Gloves could stop Ging but not Chi in my humble opinion.

How many livers have you exploded lately?

I find I store up a lot of chi when I walk on shag carpet on a cold day. All I have to do is use my finger and a jot of electricity shocks my friends. So, now part of my training is walking very fast on shag carpets every morning. I feel like a loaded weapon all day long. I'm just waiting for some punk to come along so I can explode their liver with my electric chi.