Bajiquan

Ba Ji Quan has always been associated with a certain region of China, Chang County, Hebei Province. It was from here that Ba Ji Quan sprouted. Mention of this style first appeared in writing during the Ming dynasty in "Chi Hsiao Hsing Shu" by General Chi, a treatise on military strategy. Prior to that it was a family art passed down by the royal Ching family while ruling China. It has a long history of relationship to the Imperial House and its bodyguards. The name, as it is now, does not express a clear meaning. Ba Ji, (Romanized as Pa Chi) is similar to Pa Zi, the Chinese word for rake. Quan or Chuan means fist, boxing or pugilistic art/fighting style. Initially the name was “Rake Fist Style”, Pa Zi Chuan, due to the typical manner in which the fist was held. It was popularized during the Ching dynasty when the name became Ba Ji, which could mean 8 poles, 8 ultimate, or 8 extreme. It may have been changed to this to mean, “Strength delivered through 8 outlets.” The most notorious practitioner was Grandmaster Li Shu Wen.

He was very well known and had a reputation as a spear fighter. He was nicknamed God of the Spear or Magic Spear Li. He came to live with Grandmaster Liu's family and taught for 10 years. Li's specialty was his Baji and its spear techniques. Li taught Grandmaster Liu both Baji and Piquazhang. These were sister arts, complementary to each other. At first they were one integrated fighting style, initially taught together, and then they became separated. Grandmaster Liu was taught both forms, but probably by two different Masters. These two branches are diametrical opposites but when put together become well rounded. Piqua is the yin. It is softer, wider, uses palm strikes, has a longer range, and looks open. Grandmaster Liu said it has "whip power". Baji is the yang. It is direct, linear, uses fist strikes, is for in close fighting, and appears simple. It has a battering ram/cannon power. During the Ching dynasty when Baji was being popularized, a small private nest existed in Chang County, Hebei. At this time both forms were being taught by Wu Zhong, a Chinese Muslim. It is unknown where and from whom he learned. It is often a practice of Masters to say they learned from wandering Taoist or Buddhist priests. Wu Zhong taught many family members and townspeople, including his daughter Wu Rong. She specialized in Piqua, maybe because it was the softer, yin, longer range, and more open of the two styles. Being so, it has been said that the Pigua style might make it more suitable for women to practice. After her father's death, she only taught Piqua. The Baji, which was more suited to battlefield fighting with heavy armor on, was taught to successive generations in isolation and was probably selected out due to its conservation of movement which adapted it well to professional fighters such as soldiers, bodyguards, local protection officials, etc. As stated, Grandmaster Li learned both styles, but from different Masters, and began teaching them together again. He is known to have studied under Jin Dian Sheng and Huang Si Hai. Grandmaster Li had many students from all over but not just anyone could study with such a well known, influential, and dangerous man. One of his students, Huo Dian Ge, was a bodyguard to the last Emperor of China and instructed both Imperial Guards and the last Emperor himself. Many of Grandmaster Li's students were Generals or bodyguards.

Grandmaster Liu was the grandson of the Imperial Governor Liu, who's district included Chang County. His family was able to hire Grandmaster Li, who came to stay and teach for 10 years. Baji then became Grandmaster Liu's primary style, and later he would become well known for it in Taiwan. After ten years of instruction, Liu and Li traveled around ShangTung Province for 5-6 years. Grandmaster Liu was constantly testing his skills and earned the nickname "The Little Titan of Shandong.” He entered the military during the Sino-Japanese War and rose to the rank of General. In 1949 he fled to Taiwan with Chiang Kai Shek's Chinese Nationalist Party. He continued in the military until 1955. While in Taiwan he instructed Presidential Palace Guards. In the military the basics of Baji were taught in a composite form called Pa Tang. It was introduced by Li Chi Yuen who later, in 1963, quit teaching Baji when he learned Grandmaster Liu was teaching it publicly.

"Some people prefer to spend their energy quibbling over terminology. They make critical statements based on vocabulary instead of investing time practicing. Each individual's achievement depends on their level and willingness to work hard." On Dragon Style Baguazhang: "Saying dragon just makes it sound better. When you practice Bagua you have to do lots of twisting, body, waist, arm, leg... it's really more snake-like, you can't get away from that. But to make it sound more classy, people say dragon instead of snake. In fact, all Bagua are dragon style, without the dragon it's not Bagua anymore." On the Origins of Bagua Training: "It would be a formidable task to trace it back, you cannot. You would have to be a well educated scholar, and even then..." “The depth of the art is endless, how can you ask about a final peak? Martial art is followed by usage, but art comes from the heart and there’s no way to set up a standard to judge that.”