Standing Baduanjin: the eight section brocade

八段锦 · Bā Duàn Jǐn · also called eight section brocade or eight silken movements

Standing Baduanjin is a set of eight slow, fixed movements performed upright — the version standardised by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2003 and the one most widely taught. A full round takes about 12 minutes and needs no equipment. Every movement on this site also has a seated version, and there is a separate documented seated routine, the Twelve-Section Brocade.

Movements: 8, always the same order
Session length: About 12 minutes
Position: Standing, feet on the floor
Equipment: None
Space needed: An arm's length in every direction
Official standard: General Administration of Sport, 2003

Three ways to practise the brocade

The eight-section brocade exists in more than one form, and the names overlap. These are the three taught on this site, and how to tell which one you want.

If you want…	Practise this	Position
The routine most people mean by "Baduanjin"	Standing Baduanjin, the 8 movements	Standing
The same eight movements without standing	Seated Baduanjin, the 8 movements from a chair	Seated on a chair
The traditional seated routine — twelve forms, not eight	The Twelve-Section Brocade	Seated, entirely

The first two share the same eight movements and the same order; the difference is the position. The third is a different routine with a different history — it is the official seated strand of the tradition, and its forms are not the same eight.

The eight movements, in order

Each page gives the standing instructions step by step, the breathing pattern, the mistakes that matter, and the seated version of that same movement.

How to run a full round

Stand with the feet parallel. Feet a little wider than the hips, weight even across both, knees soft rather than locked. This is the position every movement returns to.
Settle before you start. Let the arms hang, drop the shoulders, and take six to eight slow breaths. This is part of the practice, not a warm-up formality — it sets the pace for everything that follows.
Work through the eight in order. Three to six repetitions of each is the usual range. The sequence is designed to be practised as written, not reordered.
Let the breath set the speed. If you cannot speak a short sentence without gasping, you are moving too fast. The movement follows the breath, never the other way round.
Stay inside your range. Move to the first point of resistance and stop there. Range arrives on its own over weeks; forcing it is how people get hurt.
Finish standing still. The set closes with the heels. After the last repetition, stand quietly for a few breaths before you walk away.

What the research says

Baduanjin has been studied more than most traditional practices, largely in older adult populations. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of traditional Chinese medicine-based exercises in older adults with mild cognitive impairment reported that Baduanjin showed a larger effect size on global cognition than the other modalities examined, while Tai Chi showed a larger effect size on memory.

A separate 12-week brain imaging study reported increased grey matter volume and improved memory subscores in both the Baduanjin and Tai Chi groups. A 2026 narrative review of Baduanjin noted that over half of the included studies involved people with health conditions affecting function and mobility, and that only four of 26 studies recorded adherence below 80% — an unusually high completion rate for an exercise intervention.

These are descriptions of what individual studies reported, not claims about what the practice will do for you.

Get the free one-page printable

All eight movements on a single sheet, in the seated version, with the cue for each one. Print it and put it where you practise.

Download the one-page guide (PDF, A4)

Common questions

What is standing Baduanjin?

Standing Baduanjin is the standard eight-movement Baduanjin set, practised upright with the feet on the floor. It is the version standardised by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2003 and the one most commonly taught. A full round takes about 12 minutes and needs no equipment.

How many movements are there?

Eight, always performed in the same order. The set opens with raising the hands overhead and closes with lifting and lowering the heels. Baduanjin is a fixed routine — unlike Tai Chi, where forms can run to more than a hundred movements.

How much space do I need?

About an arm's length in every direction, and enough room to place your feet a little wider than your hips. A few movements widen the stance; the rest are done nearly in place. Most people practise in a living room or beside a bed.

Do I have to learn all eight at once?

No, and most people should not. Start with three movements and add one at a time once the breathing stays even through them. The order matters more than the count — the set is designed to be practised in sequence.

What if standing for the full set is too much?

Every movement on this site also has a seated version that keeps the arm, torso and breathing work while removing the standing balance demand. Both feet stay flat on the floor throughout. There is also a documented seated routine — the Twelve-Section Brocade — which is entirely seated by design.

Is Baduanjin the same as Tai Chi?

No. Both are traditional Chinese mind-body practices, but Baduanjin is a fixed set of eight movements, while Tai Chi forms can run to more than a hundred. Baduanjin is generally simpler to learn and takes less time to practise.

How long until it feels natural?

The sequence usually becomes familiar within two or three weeks of daily practice. The breath timing takes longer — most people find that coordinating the breath with each movement only becomes automatic after a month or two.

Written by LiHe — practitioner, teacher and consultant in qigong and traditional health practice. Review status and sources are shown below where available.

This is general movement education, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Read the full disclaimer.

The Chinese names are the traditional names of the movements. They are not medical claims, and this site does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition.

Movement data: Standing form follows the Chinese Fitness Qigong Association standard routine. The chair versions are this pack's own adaptation, written for a seated reader.. Version v0.5.