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Baji Big Form 大八极 reveals to us the full picture of the Baji system. Consisting of 38 movements, it is slightly longer than the Structural Form, more explosive, more complex, yet remaining direct & practical. Some of you who know the complicated competition form may notice that this is a more simplified version. So having mastered the 8 basic techniques, Structural Form & the 8 major techniques 八大招式 we can finally progress to the Big Form. Practicing the Form provides us with ways to link all the individual techniques together to effect combinations, as formulated by the ancients. Keep in mind that the techniques, as well as the ways to combine them are not dead, but fluid, & the student must use his own initiative to use all 8 parts of the body to apply them as the distance changes constantly in a real fight. For example, a technique that uses a palm strike at the maximum range could be changed to a forearm, an elbow, or even a shoulder strike as the range gets closer, without sacrificing power in delivery. Thus a student should learn to adapt each technique & combo to deal with different situations. Also one must remember to strike/stamp down/exhale in one unified movement.

Here are the 38 movements:

1) Beginning Stance 起式-献肘 2) Rising Elbow Strike 挑打顶肘

3) Horizontal Palm Strike 横打 4) Follow-up Horizontal Palm Strike 连环横打

5) Turning Diagonal Half Horse Stance 转身下式 6) Low Punch 揣打

7) Push Kick 侧蹬腿 8) Vertical Backfist Strike 反砸

9) Winding Palms 盘掌 10) Left Right Palm Thrust 双撑

11) Double Palm Strike 虎扑 12) Retreating Palms 卸步掌

13) Flipping Palm Thrust 缠翻掌 14) Forward Palm Thrust 进步撑掌

15) Follow-up Palm Thrust 连环撑掌 16) Clinching Take Down 勾搂绊

17) Shoulder & Foot Sweep 挂塌 18) Body Trapping 大缠

19) Outer Forearm Strike 绷捶 20) Kneeling Stance Low Punch 跪步捶

21) Retreating Upper Parry 架梁 22) Step Back Palm Thrust 退步撑掌

23) Step Back Palm Thrust 退步撑掌 24) Clinching Take Down 勾搂绊

25) Shoulder & Foot Sweep 挂塌 26) Body Trapping 大缠

27) Outer Forearm Strike 绷捶 28) Step Back Vertical Backfist Strike 退步砸

29) Rising Kick 右踹脚 30) Follow-up Rising Kick 连环腿

31) Vertical Backfist Strike 反砸 32) Turning Diagonal Half Horse Stance 转身下式

33) Low Punch 揣打 34) Push Kick 侧蹬腿

35) Vertical Backfist Strike 反砸 36) Winding Palms 盘掌

37) Left Right Palm Thrust 双撑 38) Ending Stance 收式-罗汉捧腹

If you found the Structural Form tough, then this Form poses a greater challenge to perform properly. Like the Structural Form, it is a mixture of fast & slow, hard & soft, linear & circular movements revealing yin & yang principles, but there is more twisting, turning, kicks & sudden changes in direction. Other than what I already mentioned, one must pay even more attention to the line of sight. Look carefully at the pictures above, observe where Master Hsu is looking - that is the correct line of sight. Generally you must always look in the direction of where you are hitting. Then there is the proper method of breathing throughout the Form, which cannot be taught except directly from a Teacher. Breathing in deeply in between techniques & exhaling forcefully with a "humph" or "hah" during the strikes is absolutely essential. Proper breathing combined with well timed stamping will give explosive energy to the entire Form. These are all the finer points. So in order to do this Form well please seek the guidance of a good Teacher. After having completed learning all these syllables, one can be considered a "black belt" in Bajiquan. But there all still more advanced principles of fighting, defence, single techniques like body checking, as well as weapons training of choice. Perhaps at a later time.

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