Baji Quan is one of several Wushu art styles. Eight extremities (Baji) lie between heaven and earth. It is manifested by "knocking the heaven down with a shoulder-shaking" strike, which extends one's full potential to the eight extremities. That's the origin of Baji – the eight extremities.

Baji Quan involves stretching out. The concept relies on applying one's head, shoulder, elbow, hand, bottom, crotch, knee and foot at once. That's also one of the origins of Baji. It is a kind of "short boxing," focused on fierceness. It explodes from plainness. In terms of skills, explosive captures and hard hits constitute its core concept.

An Jianqiu was born in a Wushu Family so he has been practicing Baji Quan with his father since he was a child. "A man who practices Baji Quan has a body just like a ball. When you hit his body, it bounces back towards you at any position," An said.

Baji Quan requires holding every strike point and every part of a person's body in a form, like a fish. "Mobilize all the muscles in a sudden moment, which is called 'forming up the strength.' Baji Quan is all about 'forming up the strength,'" An explained. To reinforce these weapons, people have to sharpen their hardness and power again and again. Therefore, practicing with the wooden dummy every day is necessary.

In Shanghai, many people from other countries come here and learn about Chinese culture. An's Italian friend is one of them, he runs a Wushu club and has been learning Yongchun Quan in Shanghai. This Italian club owner often visits An and wants to learn more about Baji Quan.

An Jianqiu told the people who want to learn Baji Quan that the most crucial secret of practicing Baji Quan is to solve the mindset problem. "When you practice Baji Quan to a certain level that your body and inner power turning to the utmost, then you might go through a bottleneck period and hard to get forward progress. Solving the mindset problem is crucial for resolving the dilemma."

Wushu is one of the "four treasures" of Chinese Culture. The most significant and outstanding spirit of Wushu is enabling people to find the real them and to know and control themselves through the practice of the Quan. The process of practicing the Wushu is also the process of learning to behave.

The practitioners need to perpetually rethink and review what they have learned to discover their flaws, then make up for them and continue to grow stronger. "I always came up with my family motto: remedy your faith and your heart, be diligent and fearless," said An, who believes that more people will learn and practice Baji Quan in the future.