Bājíquán (Chinese: 八極拳; pinyin: Bājíquán) is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow strikes^{[citation needed]}. It originated in Hebei Province in Northern China^{[citation needed]}, but is also well known in other places today, especially Taiwan. Its full name is kai men baji quan (開門八極拳), which means "open-gate eight-extremities fist".

Baji quan was originally called bazi quan (巴子拳 or 鈀子拳) or "rake fist" because the fist, held loosely and slightly open, are used to strike downwards in a rake-like fashion. The name was considered to be rather crude in its native tongue, so it was changed to baji quan. The term baji comes from the Daoist classic, the Yijing (I-Ching), and signifies an "extension of all directions". In this case, it means "including everything" or "the universe."

The first recorded baji quan teacher was Wu Zhong 吳鍾 (1712–1802). Famous teachers that promoted the style included Wu Xiufeng 吳秀峰 and Li Shuwen 李書文 (1864–1934). The latter was from Cangzhou, Hebei, and earned himself the nickname "God of Spear Li".^{[citation needed]} A Peking opera Wu Shen (martial male character) by training, he was also an expert fighter. His most famous quote is, "I do not know what it's like to hit a man twice."Li Shuwen's students included Huo Dian Ge 霍殿閣 (bodyguard to Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China), Li Chenwu (bodyguard to Mao Zedong), and Liu Yun Qiao 劉雲樵 (secret agent for the nationalist Kuomintang and instructor of the bodyguards of Chiang Kai Shek)^{[citation needed]}. Baji quan has since acquired a reputation as the "bodyguard style".^{[citation needed]} Ma Feng Tu 馬鳳圖 and Ma Yin Tu 馬英圖 introduced baji into the Central Guoshu Institute (Nanjing Guoshu Guan 南京國術館) where it is required for all students.