Bafa Wubu form is the beating heart of Chen-style Tai Chi—a poetic name meaning “Eight fists and Five Steps.” Think of it as the foundation stones upon which the entire art is built, revered so deeply that statues of each move grace the legendary Chen Village itself.

Peng (ward off), Lu (rollback), Ji (press), An (push), Cai (pluck), Lie (split), Zhou (elbow), Kao (shoulder)—aligns with the 5 bowing steps (advancing, retreating, single, double, retreating). These directly trace the bodies Superficial Front Line (deep core to front body) and Spiral Line (torso twist from pecs through IT band to opposite foot), hydrating fascial planes via piezoelectric shear forces.