Baji Quan (Eight Extremes boxing). This form is performed
quickly and aggressively with occasional slow and relaxed movements. There are frequent jumping and twisting
techniques.

One of the main distinguishing characteristics of
Baji Quanform is the fast attacks followed by
sudden retreats.

In the ancient book the 'Huai Nan Zi' it is said that
between the Heavens and the Earth there are nine 'Jio'
and eight 'Ji', beyond the nine 'Jio' there are eight 'Yan', and
beyond the eight 'Yan' there are eight 'Hong'. 'Yan' means "remoteness, extending into the far distance", 'Hong' means "wideness, span"; therefore, Baji was said to be something which spreads and extends out into infinity.

History

It's difficult to say when it was first practised, but
according to the old texts a man named Wu Zhong
(nicknamed Hong Sheng 1712-1802), also the
founder of Ba Men (Quaneight doors style) in North
China, started to practiseWushu when he was eight.
He practised day and night, inall weathers. One night
Wu Zhong was practising Wushu in the courtyard
and an old man suddenly jumped from theroof and
stood in front of him, laughing and saying he was not
practising properly. Wu Zhong asked who he was but
the old man didn't answer and started to do some
kung-fu. Wu Zhong had never in his life seen such
techniques so he asked the old man to sit down and tell him what
he was doing. The old man told Wu Zhong a great deal about martial arts theory and techniques most of which he had never previously heard of. Wu Zhong asked him what style he was doing and the old man replied it was 'Baji Quan'. Immediately Wu Zhong knelt down and begged to be accepted as his student. The old man refused and said, "I'm going to travel a lot, how can I teach you?". But Wu Zhong persisted, performed three kowtows, saying how much it would mean to be taught by him. The old man, realising Wu Zhong was sincere and had a deep love for Wushu, was so impressed by his determination and enthusiasm that he agreed to accept him as a student. So he stayed at Wu Zhong's house and started to teach him. After ten years of practice the old man said, "I've taught you almost everything and I have to go now." Wu Zhong was very upset, kowtowed and said, "Master, you have been teaching me for ten years but you have never mentioned your name or who you are." The old man said, "My surname is known only to my closest students - it is Lai." The old man was Lai Kou Yuan, one of the greatest and legendary masters of the past. Later, after Wu Zhong had improved in Baji and became more advanced he was invited by the great nobleman Wang Gong Da Ren to teach 150 helpers in his palace. Baji started to become popular. Wu Zhong subsequently passed the style on to Li Da-Zhong and Chang Kemin; Li then taught his son Li Gui-Zhao, and Chang taught his son Chang Jing-Xing. Through several more generations the art was passed onto the great 20th century master Ma Fu-Luo, today in his eighties, living in Ningxia, China.

Ma Fu-Luo is the head of the Hui minority in his province and a strict Muslim not considering himself to be a Chinese. In the past he has led a battalion of resistance fighters against both the Japanese and the Chinese. Until recently he refused to teach Baji to any Chinese or non-Muslim. In 1984 Master Ji Jian Cheng met him and saw him perform Baji. Master Ji had previously studied Baji at the famous Wushu Institute of Chengdu but when he observed Baji practised by Ma Fu-Luo he noticed it was something quite different although clearly the same style. The Baji taught at the Wushu Institute was directed more at elegance of movement, speed, and dynamic technique. Ma Fu-Luo's style had all that but was striking for its obvious great power, emphasis on fighting applications, and subtle use of internal energy. Baji, like many other martial arts, can be learned and practised in more than one way. For the majority of people, even in China and Taiwan, the style is done with the emphasis on appearance and little attention to its fighting aspects. However, Baji is also a very powerful, aggressive and effective fighting art, but this side of the style has usually been kept secret or taught to very few people. In Taiwan, for example, fighting Baji is practised by the presidential guards and various special security agents.