Bajiquan
Picture: Sifu Vincent Mei, Wu Tan NJ, USA, from promotional material for his online Bajiquan training course, https://bajishu.com
I have been to monthly teacher training seminars at Wutan HQ where bajiquan (“Eight Extremities Fist”), or just baji, is regularly covered.
I often excuse myself as I am already crumbling under the weight of Wutan’s enormous syllabus, and practice elements of taiji, bagua or xingyi instead. I wish I had found Wutan 30 or 40 years ago!
Wutan is renowned for its baji, the ‘bodyguard style’, as this was one of the specialities of its founder, Grandmaster Liu Yun Qiao (see the lineage page). It is said that he worked as a security consultant and taught bagua to Chiang Kai-shek’s presidential guard.
The interesting thing about Wutan’s baji is that it also incorporates piguaquan. I wrote about that here.
A short intro on baji…
Bajiquan (Chinese: 八極拳; pinyin: Bājíquán) is a traditional Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power in close combat and is well-known for its rapid elbow and shoulder strikes. Its full name is kaimen bajiquan (Chinese: 開門八極拳; pinyin: Kāimén bājíquán; lit. 'open-gate eight-extremities boxing').
The eight extremities in Bajiquan refers to the eight distalmost parts of the body to strike the opponent. This includes the fist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, hip, thigh, knee, and foot to deliver a powerful blow in close range. Bajiquan is also known as the "bodyguard style", as this was the pugilism style taught and used by personal bodyguards for Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, and Puyi (the last Qing dynasty emperor).
The reason for writing this article was to introduce readers to baji and to the YouTuber ‘Monkey Steals Peach’…
My name is Will, and I travel across Asia exploring the roots of traditional martial arts.
On this channel, you’ll find old and rare martial arts straight from the source. I document real masters, real training, and real history in places like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and Japan. No flash. No fluff. Just raw, honest martial arts culture.
In this piece, Will visits Taiwan and Wutan HQ to meet…
…Lin Zong Xi and explore the powerful arts of Baji Quan and Pigua Zhang, as passed down by Liu Yun Qiao — the legendary martial artist who served as Chiang Kai-Shek’s bodyguard. Lin Zong Xi shares insights into the explosive power, training methods, and unique spirit of these iconic styles, preserving the essence of traditional Chinese martial arts.
Be sure to watch all the way through to see the ‘young master’ demonstrate his skills and perfect English.
For completeness, you might also want to watch the first episode in this pair…
You can find more of Will’s content at…
Cover image: Master Wu LianZhi in the typical stance of Baji Quan style, MrHeiHu
