Bak Mei
Bak Mei is a striking art originating in China and belonging to the broader family of Chinese martial arts. Its training focus centers on close-range techniques that emphasize explosive power generation, with practitioners working to develop forceful output across short distances. The style is classified as a striking discipline, meaning its methods are directed toward stand-up offensive and defensive techniques rather than ground work or dedicated weapons practice.
As a striking art, training in this general category typically involves drilling stand-up techniques, developing body conditioning, and building coordination between footwork and hand movements. The close-range and explosive-power focus associated with Bak Mei suggests that practitioners work on generating significant force within confined spaces, which is a common area of emphasis in styles that prioritize short-distance engagement over longer-range striking approaches.
Individuals who are new to martial arts and considering Bak Mei are encouraged to visit local schools, observe classes in person, and speak with instructors before making any enrollment decisions. Watching a session firsthand provides a practical sense of the training environment and teaching methods. Related striking arts and other styles within the Chinese martial arts family are linked in the sections below.
Gear to expect. Striking training typically calls for gloves, hand wraps, shin guards, and a mouthguard — your school will tell you exactly what, and when. New students rarely need to buy anything for a trial class.
Find your martial art →Related striking styles
Classification and facts from our open-data taxonomy (Wikidata CC0 base + our editorial classification). Where a fact (like origin) isn't recorded, we leave it out rather than guess. Methodology.