An association without an equal
Maintaining the body, wellness, self defense, combat. If one of these is a thing that you have been seeking for a while, then the Baji Association is the association for you.
Our world class knowledge of the traditional Chinese wellness and martial arts in practice is something that we view as our responsibility to share with others in the best company possible. We at the Baji Association believe in individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses, who are able to come together from their different starting points to form something greater.
Some of us want to make their everyday existence better through invigorating exercise, others want to dive into the deep and practical understanding of a martial art. Some are fully employed, others students in the best years of life, others still pensioners. We are all united through one association and a training environment where each receives what they themselves want.
Wellness
The Baji Association offers high quality teaching to promote health and wellness. Our head teacher Lü Baochun is a master of ancient Chinese tradition in a direct line of descent. Whether you’re searching for a balance to a hectic everyday life, a good physical hobby or a possibility to better concentrate on yourself our teachers will help you forwards in your own situation. You’ll have better fitness, you will learn to manage stress better and you’ll learn to concentrate on that which matters. The Chinese arts are an excellent route for self-reflection. Take your first steps on a lifelong journey towards balance in mental and physical wellness with us.
Yang Taiji
Meditative movement and peace, search of relaxation and inner strength.
Chen Taiji
More combat-oriented original taiji, combining a meditative search for relaxation and the body control of a martial art.
Qigong
A peaceful health-promoting exercise, which relaxes the body and calms the mind and also helps to learn to breathe in the proper way.
Combat
The martial arts at the Baji Association are traditional Chinese martial arts. Chinese martial arts wasn’t buried in the annals of history or in B-movies, it’s a tradition still alive today. The head teacher of the association, Lü Baochun, is a pupil in a direct line of descent from the old grand masters and you have a unique opportunity to be a part of a thousand-year tradition.
Baji
Historically a popular martial art among bodyguards, that is based on simple, aggressive forward movement and explosive force of the entire body.
Weapons
Weapons and techniques straight from the battlefields of historical China, which can be trained alongside other martial arts.
Xingyi
One of the oldest Chinese martial arts, based on the combination of straightforward techniques and willpower.
The basic courses
The basic courses at our Association are divided into beginner courses, intermediate courses and courses for advanced trainees. There are also courses for training with a partner where everyone is welcome from new beginners to more advanced trainees. There also a course for weapons training open to all volunteers. It’s possible to take part in the basic courses even after the season has started. The first lesson of a course is always free of charge.
The basic course of each martial art goes through the basics of the art after which the training continues and goes to more depth during the intermediate and advanced courses. During and especially after the basic course is a good idea to start practicing on your own time. Our Association may differ from other precisely in emphasizing the importance of personal training. It is said that the teacher can show the way but the trainee must walk along it. It is also important to remember that everyone is on their own way and walks at their own speed. Just attending the group lessons will take you forward, but personal understanding and understanding the inner workings of the art is achieved through personal training. It usually happens that as skills accrue, the desire for personal training comes naturally. When self-examination, the teachings of the association and practice alongside your training companions combine, you learn in a way that’s varied and natural to yourself.
The Baji Association doesn’t adhere to a “rank of belts” or any other system of ranks either. The important thing is to know and feel in yourself that you have learned things and you can make sure of this with the help of the teachers and more advanced trainees. It’s always appropriate to ask the teachers or the more advanced trainees if something is unclear or you’re wondering about something.
Instruction during the weekly lessons
The instruction during the weekly lessons is somewhat dependent on the martial art in question as well as the level of the course, but in general the lessons consist of the following parts. These parts may come at different times depending on the particular lesson, the martial art or the teacher.
Opening warm-up or preparatory exercises
At the start of the lesson it’s usual to do an opening warm-up or preparatory exercises, to wake up the body and to prepare the mind for the training.
Practicing movements and form with the aid of the teacher
The teacher shows the movement and then the trainees repeat the movements at the same time following the teacher’s instructions. During the basic and intermediate courses, the training consists of parts of forms or single movements. Advanced training sessions can include entire forms.
Verbal teaching
The teacher goes into more depth about a single movement, parts of a movement and the principles behind a certain movement, thus guiding the trainees in an exercise. After this the movement or form is repeated, aiming to keep the principles in mind.
Private training and pair training
A part of the lesson can be set aside for private training or pair training, during which time a trainee can go through the things learned previously in a group either on their own or with a friend. This is also a good time to ask for clarifications from the teacher.