Bājíquán
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| Also known as | Kai men bajiquan (開門八極拳), Eight extremities fist |
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| Focus | Striking |
| Country of origin | China |
| Olympic sport | No |
| Part of the series on Chinese martial arts |
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| List of Chinese martial arts |
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| Historical places |
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Bājíquán (Chinese: 八極拳; pinyin: Bājíquán) is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow strikes[citation needed]. It originated in Hebei Province in Northern China[citation needed], but is also well-known in other places today, especially Taiwan. Its full name is kai men baji quan (開門八極拳), which means "open-gate eight-extremities fist".
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[edit] Origins
Baji quan was originally called bazi quan (巴子拳 or 鈀子拳) or "rake fist" because the fist, held loosely and slightly open, are used to strike downwards in a rake-like fashion. The name was considered to be rather crude in its native tongue, so it was changed to baji quan. The term baji comes from the Daoist classic, the Yijing (I-Ching), and signifies an "extension of all directions". In this case, it means "including everything" or "the universe."
The first recorded baji quan teacher was Wu Zhong 吳鍾 (1712–1802). Famous teachers that promoted the style included Wu Xiufeng 吳秀峰 and Li Shuwen 李書文 (1864–1934). The latter was from Cangzhou, Hebei, and earned himself the nickname "God of Spear Li".[citation needed] A Peking opera Wu Shen (martial male character) by training, he was also an expert fighter. His most famous quote is, "I do not know what it's like to hit a man twice."[1] Li Shuwen'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)[citation needed]. Baji quan has since acquired a reputation as the "bodyguard style".[citation needed] Ma Feng Tu 馬鳳圖 and Ma Yin Tu 馬英圖 introduced baji into the Central Guoshu Institute (Nanjing Guoshu Guan 南京國術館) where it is required for all students.[2]
Baji quan shares roots with another Hebei martial art, Piguazhang. It is said that Wu Zhong, the oldest traceable master in the baji lineage, taught both arts together as an integrated fighting system.[3] They eventually 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 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)[3]
Today there are several families of baji quan, including Han, Huo, Ji, Li, Ma, Qiang, Wu and the Wu-Tan branch from master Liu Yunqiao. There are some differences in the training between the variants, but the core is the same. The lineage holder of Wu family baji quan 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.
[edit] Features
[edit] Tactics and strategy
Baji 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 (san pan lian ji 三盤連擊). It is most useful in close combat, as it focuses on elbow, knee, shoulder and hip strikes. When blocking an attack or nearing an opponent, baji quan techniques emphasize striking major points of vulnerability, namely the thorax (trunk of the body), legs and neck.
The "six big ways of opening" (liu da kai 六大開) are:[4]
- 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 (splitting).[5]
- 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
[edit] Stepping and body methods
Footwork in baji quan has three special features:
These striking techniques are related to traditional Chinese medicine, which states that all parts of the body are connected, either physically or spiritually.
[edit] Forms
The forms of baji are divided into armed and unarmed routines. 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 Luohan Gong, and Baji Si Lang Kuan. There are eight weapons forms, including Liu He Da 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).
Although most schools focus on a much smaller curriculum. Standard across almost all groups are the 2 hand forms Xiaobaji and Dabaji; two weapons forms, the sabre and the spear; a two man training routine called Baji Duijie or Baji Duida and a series of 8 short attacking methods called the Jingang Ba Shi.
[edit] Power generation and expression methods
The major features of baji include elbow strikes, arm/fist punches, hip checks, and strikes with the shoulder. All techniques are executed with a short power, developed through training; among Chinese martial artists, baji is famous for its fast movements. Baji focuses on in-fighting, entering from a longer range with a distinctive charging step (zhen jiao).
The essence of baji quan lies in jin, or power-issuing methods, particularly fa jing (explosive power). The style contains six types of jin, eight different ways to hit and several principles of power usage. Most of baji quan'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 baji quan is known for its strenuous lower-body training and its emphasis on the horse stance.[1] 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, in addition to different types of breathing and zhen jiao.
The six Major Characteristic Powers are:[6]
- 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)
[edit] Influences
Baji 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 the opponent:
- Eight postures (Ba shi)
- Eight movements method (Ba shi gong)
- Eight movements method (Ba shi chui)
- Double Eight Postures (Shuang ba shi)
- Eight postures of the Buddha Guards (Jingang ba shi)
- Eight postures of the dragon style (Longxing ba shi)
Many of these forms are also based or mixed with Luohan fist, a Shaolin style.[citation needed] The term ba shi may also refer to baji, but it can also be noted that the term is also used in xingyi quan.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "BaJiQuan". Bajimen.com. http://www.bajimen.com/index.php?page=baji. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ^ Ba Zi Jie Xi: a talk on rake fist 耙子解析
- ^ a b Bajimen.com Piguazhang
- ^ Jaw, Peter (2004). The Treasure Book of Chinese Martial Arts. 1. Authorhouse. ISBN 9781414075730.
- ^ "Xingyi". Perry Lo and the Shou-Yu Liang Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute. http://www.wuchikungfu.com/classes_xingyi.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ^ Jaw, Peter (2007). The Treasure Book of Chinese Martial Arts. 2. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 9781425785710.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bajiquan |
An article on baji and some photos of the style can be seen on http://www.chinesemartialarts.eu
- Official website of the Wu family BajiQuan
- Bajimen.com - Grandmaster Liu Yun Qiao
- Ottawa Chinese Martial Arts - Baji
- Adam Hsu Kung Fu. Traditional Chinese Martial Arts
- Hollowfist.com - Essays about Bajiquan's internal theory.
- Dai Nei BajiQuan by Ex-Instructor of Taiwan Special Force Team (Chinese)
- Baji Quan's involvement with other styles. (Spanish)
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