Ba Ji Quan
Bājíquán
Bājíquán (traditional Chinese: 八極拳; pinyin: Bājíquán; literally "eight extremes fist"; Japanese: 八極拳, Hakkyokuken) is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short range power and is famous for its elbow strikes. It originated in Hebei Province in Northern China, but is also well-known in other places today, especially Taiwan. The style is also called Kai Men Ba Ji Quan 開門八極拳.
Origins
Bajiquan was called Baziquan (巴子拳 or 鈀子拳; "rake fist"), due to the fact that when not striking, the fist is held loosely and slightly open, resembling a rake, and also the art involves many downward strike moves, just like a rake's movement in the field. The name was considered to be rather crude sounding in its native tongue, so it was changed to Bajiquan. The term baji, which comes from the oldest book in China, the I Ching, signifies "an extension of all directions." In this case, it means "including everything" or "the universe." The first recorded teacher was Wu Zhong 吳鍾(1712-1802).
Famous teachers that promoted the style included Wu Xiu Feng 吳秀峰, Li Shu Wen 李書文 (1864-1934), (Cangzhou, Hebei, very skillful with the spear that earned him the nickname "God of Spear Li."). A Peking Opera Wu Shen (Martial Male Character) by training, he was foremost in his Kung Fu basic training. His most famous quote about fighting was, "I do not know what it's like to hit a man twice." Li Shu Wen's students included Huo Dian Ge 霍殿閣 (bodyguard to Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China), Li Chenwu (bodyguard to Mao Zedong), and Liu Yun Qiao 劉雲樵 (secret agent for the nationalist Kuomintang and instructor of the bodyguards of Chiang Kai Shek). Bajiquan has come to be known as "The Bodyguard Style".
Ma Feng Tu 馬鳳圖 and Ma Yin Tu 馬英圖 introduced Ba Ji fist into Nanjing Kuo Shu Guan 南京國術館 (central Chinese Martial Arts Academy). It was required for all students. ajiquan shares roots with another Hebei martial art, Piguazhang. It is said that Wu Zhong, the oldest traceable lineage holder in the Bajiquan lineage, taught both arts together as an integrated fighting system. They split apart, only to be recombined by Li Shuwen in the late 18th to early 19th century. As a testament to the complementary nature of these two styles, there is a Chinese martial arts proverb that goes: "When pigua is added to baji, gods and demons will all be terrified. When baji is added to pigua, heroes will sigh knowing they are no match against it." (八極參劈掛，神鬼都害怕。劈掛參八極，英雄嘆莫及)
Today there are many families or lines of Bajiquan, inculding Han, Huo, Li, Wu and the Wu-Tan branch from master Liu Yunqiao. There are some differences in the Bajiquan training between the lines, but the core is the same. The lineage holder of Wu family Bajiquan in China is Wu Lian Zhi 吳連枝. Through more than 50 years of training, he collected material and records which were passed down from generation to generation.
Features
Tactics and strategy
Ba Ji fist is known to open the opponent's arms forcibly (Qiang Kai Men 强開門) and mount attacks at high, mid, and low levels of the body, or San Pan Lian Ji 三盤連擊. Chinese Kung Fu styles are most useful under specific conditions. Bajiquan is used in close combat, as it pays attention to elbow, knee, shoulder and hip strikes. When blocking an attack or nearing an opponent, Bajiquan techniques emphasize striking major points of vulnerability, namely the thorax (trunk of the body), legs and neck. The six big ways of opening door, or Liu Da Kai 六大開 are:
+ Ding 頂: using the fist, elbow or shoulder to push forward and upward.
+ Bao 抱: putting arms together as if hugging someone. It is usually followed by Pi 劈 (split).
+ Ti 提: elevating the knee to hit the thigh of the opponent, or elevating the foot to hit the shin of the opponent, etc.
+ Dan 單: using a single move.
+ Kua 胯: using the hip.
+ Chan 纏: entanglement with rotation around the wrist, elbow and shoulder
Stepping and body methods
Footwork in Bajiquan has three special features:
+ Zhen Jiao
+ Nian Bu
+ Chuang Bu
These striking techniques are related to ancient Chinese medicine, which states that all parts of the body are connected, either physically or spiritually.
Open hand forms and weapons
The forms of Baji are divided into Fist (non-weapon) and Weapon forms. There are 20 fist forms, which include 12 Baji Small Structure Fists, Baji Black Tiger Fist, Baji Dan Zhai, Baji Dan Da/Dui Da, Baji Luo Han Gong, and Baji Si Lang Kuan. There are eight weapons forms, including Liu He Da Qiang (spear), Liu He Hua Qiang (spear), Chun Yang Jian (sword), San Yin Dao (sabre), Xing Zhe Bang (staff), Pudao, and Chun Qiu Da Dao (a long two-handed heavy blade, used by Generals sitting on their horses).
Power generation and expression methods
The major features of this school of Chinese martial arts include elbow strikes, arm/fist punches, hip checks, and strikes with the shoulder. All techniques are executed with a short power, developed through training; in Chinese martial arts, Baji is famous for its fast movements.
Baji focuses on in-fighting, entering from a longer range with Baji's distinctive charging step (zhen jiao). The essence of Bajiquan lies in jin, or power-issuing methods, particularly fajin (explosive power). The style contains six types of jin, eight different ways to hit and several principles of power usage. Unlike most western forms of martial arts which require swinging motion to create momentum, most of Bajiquan's moves utilize a one-hit push-strike method from very close range.
The bulk of the damage is dealt through the momentary acceleration that travels up from the waist to the limb and further magnified by the charging step known as zhen jiao. The mechanics of jin are developed through many years of practice and Bajiquan is known for its strenuous lower-body training and its emphasis on the horse stance. Its horse stance is higher than that of typical Long Fist styles.
Like other styles, there is also "the arrow-bow stance", "the one-leg stance", "the empty stance" (xūbù 虚步), "the drop stance" (pūbù 仆步), etc. There are eight different hand poses, plus different types of breathing and zhen jiao.
The six Major Characteristic Powers are:
+ Sinking (Xia Chen 下沉 or Chen Zhui 沉墜)
+ Thrusting (Chong 沖)
+ Extending (Cheng 撑)
+ Entangling (Chan 纏)
+ Cross (Shi Zi 十字)
+ Inch (Cun 寸)
Influences
The Baji style focuses on being more direct, culminating in powerful, fast strikes that will render an opponent unable to continue. Even so, there are some styles that are derived from Baji Quan’s main principles or concepts on how to hit your opponent:
+ Bashi (Eight postures)
+ Bashi Gong (Eight movements method)
+ Bashi Chui (Eight striking Forms)
+ Shuang Bashi (Double Eight Postures)
+ Jingang Bashi (Eight postures of the Buddha Guards)
+ Longxing Bashi (Eight postures of the Dragon Style)
Many of these forms are also based or mixed with Luohan Quan, a Shaolin style. The term "Bashi" or "Pashi" may also refer to Baji. But it can also be noted that Bashi is also a term used in the style of Xingyi Quan. Bruce Lee, along with many of his contemporaries, studied styles like Bajiquan. Along with his training of wing chun, Lee incorporated useful moves from other styles, including Bajiquan, .
