General Introduction to BaJi Boxing (This is a reprint based on original article by Kai Yu)

BaJi is a Guoshu style that goes back in history for more then three hundred years, and has an impressive and glorious record. Since Yung Zhengs times (an early emperor of Qing Dynasty),almost every emperor during Qing Dynasty studied BaJi and employed practitioners of this style as his bodyguards or as trainers for his highlevel military officers (hence the nickname The imperial guard style). Emperor Qian Lung said: For peace and soft style, we have TaiJi; but for fighting and conquest, we have BaJi. BaJi earns its high reputation in China because of its violent, sudden release of explosive power combined with its simple, yet very efficient techniques. Today this style is still very popular in northern China, especially among the young people. Since traditional training is very hard and takes diligent practice, and also because many traditional Chinese martial arts masters are often very cautious about sharing their knowledge, fewer and fewer people can obtain such a high level of competency. Consequently, fewer people have the opportunity to learn the original traditional forms and to obtain a high level of skill. In present, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between BaJi and other styles such as Long Fist when modern practitioners perform these sets. Since the end of the cultural revolution in China, one may be able to find a few people who have made efforts to retrace and keep the original BaJi methods of training that previously had been developed generation after generation. BaJi Principles and Theory BaJi theory is quite simple, it is believed that before you are born, you have a natural body power, but after birth you are taught how to walk, how to use your hand, and how to enhance your muscle. As a result, you develop the learned muscular power and forget the natural one. Later in daily life, when you need to use your power, you naturally do it by using the learned way. But sometimes when you have an empty mind or a crazy mind, you forget the learned way and the natural power may readily surface. This power is one of the major treasures of BaJi. From this point of view, the first stage of training in BaJi system transforms the learned power to the natural one, thus the first stage in BaJi training system is the most important one.

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BaJi Training In the original BaJi system, there were not as many forms or routines as it is found today. Many new BaJi students, who had previously become accomplished in other styles, brought many additional routines to present day BaJi Quan. The original forms (excluding the weapons): JinGang Ba Shi (Eight Forms of Buddhas warrior attendant), BaJi Xiao Jia (Small BaJi), Da BaJi (Big BaJi), DingZi BaBu DuiDa (Two person routine), and Liu Da Kai (Six Big Openings). BaJi training includes internal strength training, external body build-up, qigong training, and also technique and application training. The internal strength training develops eight different kinds of power. The external movements and technique training teaches to move like eight different king of animals and builds eight different kinds of skills. And the qigong training combined with internal strength development enables people to release the special explosive power (fajing). The training procedure of BaJi System includes three stages. First Stage: 1. Zhang Zhuang (standing practice) or Di Pen Bu 2. JinGang Ba Shi 3. BaJi Xiao Jia Zhang Zhuang ( which helps to build-up leg strength, develop the internal strength, and sink the Qi) is the first and the most difficult training for BaJi students. JinGang Ba Shi is used to develop BaJi power. BaJi Xiao Jia is for the training of body movement, basic techniques and body build-up. The first stage usually takes about three years to complete, after that it can be said that the BaJi student has a small completion. Second Stage: 1. Da BaJi 2. DingZi BaBu DuiDa 3. Liu Da Kai All of them are for the training of internal and external power of the body, movements and techniques. This stage takes three more years. After this stage, ones external and internal strength, and qigong power should be great. Third Stage: 1. Xu Xi Gong (number counting style to enhance the inner-body) 2. Nei Dong Gong (internal movement style for sensitivity and heals) 3. Kou Qi Gong (breathing for power) The final stage is dedicated to the internal training. There is a saying: After ten years of serious training, people can claim to have a big completion.

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BaJi Power and Punching Technique BaJi power, in the traditional system, is called BaJi San Chu Li, a three source power, or a three step power. The first is the shoulder power, the second is the waist springing power, and the third is the stamping and dropping power. If somebody can coordinate these three sources to release power in a single moment, this person will develop great strength and any simple action will be extremely explosive and powerful enough to cause a big damage to an opponent. After three years of serious training with a qualified teacher, one should expect to obtain some of this power. But one should be aware that there are no shortcuts to get to this power. How good ones power is will depend on how hard and how much s/he trains in the correct way. Punching is an attack weapon in empty hand combat, but in the modern Wushu world it seems that not many people can claim that a single punch is powerful and explosive enough to cause serious internal injury and even kill people. If a person wishes to develop his punching skills, he should pay attention to the following major points translated from a Chinese poem common to the traditional kung fu world: 1. Make the movements of the three sections of your body clear 2.The internal and external activities of your body should start and stop at the same time 3. Tie your five elements 4. Keep the six kinds of human desires away from your mind. The human body can be divided into three big and three small sections. The first major point means that, when you punch there should be coordination and cooperation between your feet and hands, and your mind. The external movement and internal energy merge into a union. Any movement should be the whole body cooperated movement. The third point means that you should coordinate the muscles in your body to release the power. The fourth point means to empty and focus your mind onto one point (your target) so that you can recall the natural power. Tenseness and relaxation are two opposite elements in the martial arts practice. The deepest relaxation can be achieved from the tensest practice and the sharpest momentary tenseness can only be achieved from the deepest relaxation. Therefore any type of explosive power release can only be achieved from some level of relaxation. The best martial arts practitioner should have both the deepest relaxation and sharpest momentary tenseness. When skills are at this level, the regular techniques can be ignored. Real KUNG FU, in martial arts sense, means the suddenly released power, the sensitivity of the body, and durability, not some superior technique. There is no limit to ones kung fu skill level.

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The characteristics of BaJi Quan In the last two centuries, almost all top Chinese governors selected BaJi masters as their bodyguards. You may wonder why this style is so special. BaJi is a very effective style not because it has some superior techniques. All the BaJi techniques are very simple, straight forward and solid. As a classical BaJi grappling technique, a BaJi practitioner can momentarily break the opponents arm by only grabbing his arm and suddenly snapping the whole body. The major purpose of BaJi training is to develop the ultimate snapping power. After gaining this type of power, some very efficient techniques can be performed or applied. BaJi power constitutes the foundation of BaJi system. Without this power BaJi techniques make no difference (or even worse) from other styles. The power is very violent and sharply released. BaJi, like many other Guoshu styles, is a complete system based on the core power, many striking, grappling, and throwing techniques. A typical BaJi striking technique is: walk in, drop the body by stamping, suddenly snap the whole body when touching the target. Theoretically, this strike can generate an unlimited force. A BaJi practitioner can easily break his own arm if not destroying the target. Grandmaster Li ShuWen (one the best BaJi practitioners of his time in China) and his forth student Huo DianGe (the bodyguard of the last emperor Pu Yi) seriously wounded many of their challengers by using this technique. There are other striking techniques that were developed for close range fight as well. BaJi grappling techniques are also simple. Inside a human body, there are many leverages interconnected by joints. The joints have certain range of movement. Any movement out of the range may break the joint. In BaJi offensive grappling, a practitioner can lock the opponents limb with the two sides of his body and break it with the sudden snap of the whole body. If one part of the body is locked, a practitioner can put the other part of his body on the opponent and snap to forcibly escape from the lock. BaJi grappling techniques consist of Da Quan (body twinning) and Xiao Quan (arm locking). Throwing techniques are based on the BaJi foot-work. A typical BaJi throwing technique is a leg lock and a body snap-throw. Throwing is a fight for balance. The solid foot-work and body-rotation make these BaJi techniques very special. The power developed in BaJi training can be very helpful in other martial arts styles.

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