八极拳，源自南京国术馆教练魏鸿恩老先生的传承，是八极拳界的秘笈。它原名为“巴子拳”，在巴语中，“巴子”指的是老虎，因此又被称作“虎拳”。据说清代有一个大内张姓八极拳高手，即川人张四成。从八极拳基础“金刚八势”的步形来看，尤其是“虎跳”步伐，有酷似土家人集体舞中领舞者之步伐的相似性。

关于 八极拳 的来源流派，学术界有深入探讨，但我个人的了解有限，只能期待更多明确信息。

后来，这门技艺被赖兰田等人传授给山东庆云海防庄科村的吴钟，再由吴钟传至河北孟村丁、吴、王姓以及罗瞳村李大中和张克明等人，其中最知名的是罗疃派的李书文。如今，习练这门武术的人遍布全国乃至海外，如日本（刘云樵师傅有日本学生松田隆智）和美国（刘云樵师傅也有华裔留学生徐纪）。

八极拳蕴含深厚哲理

世间万物皆需劳动与思考，不断面对天地之困扰。在生前所拥有的条件有限，如果不通过后天努力补充先天，那么如何培养强健之躯，以应对世事难题？这便是 八極 拳存在的意义。这门艺术将健身与技击融合，使得练习者能够顺应自然，与身体精神并进，对内脏外躯进行全面锻炼，让各系统更加协调一致。不仅是一种技术，更是一种养生延年益寿的手段。

"Eight Extreme Fist" gets its name from the eight major techniques used in the art, with each technique being executed to its extreme. Practitioners must internalize eight intentions, externalize eight forms, and unleash power in eight directions. These intentions include shock, ferocity, brutality, and urgency; forms include dragon, tiger, bear, monkey, swan, dog and eagle; while directions refer to all sides.

To master this art one must first understand the three main parts of a movement: the initial intention (shen), the middle section (zhong) and the final completion (hou). Each part is vital for a balanced practice. The head represents leaves on a tree branch while feet represent roots.

The Eight Extreme Fist is often referred to as "Opening Door Fist," as it emphasizes using open doors to enter into combat or respond to situations. The human body is seen as an interconnected whole where inner movements reflect outer actions and vice versa. Proper breathing techniques are also emphasized through practices like inhaling chest expansion and exhaling chest contraction.

Practice of this martial art requires a clear understanding of main roles - mind as commander-in-chief controlling bodily movements; eyes acting as scouts gathering information from four sides; legs functioning like horses propelling forward; hands acting like infantrymen executing key moves. Eyes lead intentions while steps follow hand movements.

Without proper foundation in stance work ("standing horse"), practitioners risk losing balance or stability during execution of techniques due to unclear upper or lower sections within their movements. This emphasis on foundational training helps ensure that practitioners can effectively execute complex moves without injury or imbalance.

In essence Eight Extreme Fist focuses on single-step mastery with every move resembling riding a horse without any additional steps required for movement – no unnecessary action needed but rather fluid motion flows naturally through practice.