There is some redundancy and overlap here, and some of the principles apply to only one or two internal styles, but in general there is a marked commonality in approach, which segregates these arts from more external Chinese styles such as Shaolin Gongfu, White Crane, Praying Mantis, and Ip Man Wing Chun. Of course, many other internal styles exist, such as Aikido, Liuhebafa, and Yiquan, but my familiarity with these is either limited or non-existent.
The essence of an internal style is an emphasis on mind-state, intention, sensitivity, structure, softness, internal connection, expansiveness, circles & spirals, a balance of interoception and exteroception, standing post practice, mind-breath-body integration, and body-method over technique (not that techniques are absent). The difference between internal and external can be felt most palpably by stepping into a class and comparing the training methods.
Oh, and being a Baguazhang enthusiast, I felt obliged to make the total number of principles divisible by eight!
- The intention is forwards & focused
- Mind-state is open, calm & clear
- Awareness expands in all directions to the periphery
- Awareness soaks into the soft tissues and organs
- Both mind and body are alert and supple
- Breathing is soft, smooth and deep, moving the diaphragm naturally and freely
- Breathe into the back and the bowl of the pelvis, or into the sides, or use reverse abdominal breaths
- Breathe through the pores of the skin, gently squeezing and relaxing the whole body
- The crown (Ding) is suspended, as though from a thread
- The tongue connects to the upper palate
- Eyes are level and the face is relaxed
- Use intention (Yi) rather than muscular/mechanical power (Li)
- All parts are independent yet interconnected
- Release the pelvis & lower back
- Sit into the hips and raise the perineum
- Spread the lower back (Mingmen, Du-4) by allowing the sacrum to release downwards with gravity
- Support the torso by the inner thighs & perineum (Kua)
- Relax the outer hips & glutes
- Soften & open the joints
- Keep the fists loose
- Keep open palms cupped like a baseball mitt
- Relax the muscles, especially the biceps & triceps
- Develop elastic internal unity by connective chains and pressurisation through breathing
- Rise up through the spine & crown (Tai Gong / Yang Qi)
- Lengthen the cervical spine to slightly tuck the chin
- Release Tiantu (Ren-22); don’t expand the chest
- Shoulders & elbows are heavy
- Align the body with gravity to remain upright with minimal effort
- Give your weight to your partner, without leaning
- Maintain sound, triangular skeletal structure in the limbs
- Keep the spine (Du Mai) stretched and the anterior torso (Ren Mai) relaxed
- The skeleton rises; the flesh hangs from the shoulders & occiput so the soft tissues sink
- The shoulders push the elbows; the elbows push the wrists
- Hands & feet, elbows & knees, and shoulders & hips move harmoniously
- Keep the upper back broad, relaxed & upright
- Sink the scapulae towards the elbows
- Transfer power to the hands through the spine and trapezius
- Squeeze the lower abdomen between Mingmen, Huiyin (Ren-1), and Qihai (Ren-6): Xiatian
- Pressurise the interior of the body, especially the lower abdominal cavity (Xiaofu)
- Compress/sink (Chen) and stretch/release (Song) internally like a spring to express power (Jin)
- Release upwards from the feet
- Feel for spaciousness between soft tissues and bones
- Move the waist (Yao) to direct power to the hands
- Arms move in continuous circles or spirals, containing the energy
- When released, the energy arrives (is expressed) all at once (Fa Jin)
- Attack the centreline and take your partner’s centre of mass
- Uproot and destroy your partner’s balance
- Sense, yield, follow, and stick (Tui Shou & Chi Sau)
- The mind leads the movement
- Continually coil and flow: “the most important thing is through”
- Use torsion not tension
- Gather energy like pulling a bow; project (Fa) like releasing an arrow
- Find stillness in movement, and movement in stillness
- Keep the feet at shoulder width (with exceptions, such as Santi Shi & Xiantien palms)
- Distribute weight evenly under the feet (centred over Yongquan, K-1)
- Move the thighs as though wading through mud
- Spread the fingers and open the centre of the palms (Laogong, P-8)
- The connective tissues are slightly stretched
- The feet are rooted by sinking the mass, not by bracing against the floor
- Steps are careful and powerful, like a prowling tiger’s
- Fingers are like an eagle’s wingtips or talons, trailing or curving
- Shoulders are like a bear’s
- The body moves and coils like a dragon’s
- The arms drill and recoil in snakelike spirals, driven by the Lower Dantien
- Keep the mind peaceful, and the body at ease but ready, like a resting cat’s
- Skin and mind are sensitive to your partner’s intent (Ting)
- Connect with your partner’s mass
- Feel your partner’s feet and centre of balance
- Clear internal blockages (at the joints)
- Release all unnecessary tension
- Stretch and connect the body internally like a wet suit through the fascia (Huang)
- Free the fascia to move and slide
- Direct incoming force through the spine to the ground (“lead the force to emptiness”)
- Don’t push with the arms; turn the waist or move the centre of mass forwards
- Don’t respond to contact/force with tension; keep the arms soft and heavy
- Don’t overextend or lock the joints
- Don’t use momentum, but an elastic twist like wringing a wet towel
- Twist around the centre of the body (Chong Mai) rather than around the spine
- Twist using the abs, lats, and trapezius, rather than by loosely spinning the shoulders counter to the hips
- Attack and counterattack relentlessly; act, don’t react
- Force is directed through, not at, the opponent
- Inflate the body in all directions with a springy resilience; buoyant and unstoppable like the ocean (Peng)
- The power is smooth, flowing, continuous, and capable of changing vector at any time
- Power and intention are brimming, yet contained
- Be neither floppy nor stiff; be like dough
- Movements are natural, efficient, precise, and contralateral
- Cultivate a chewy quality to your movement
- The body and spirit (Shen) are alive and present, with both a fierce readiness and gentle sensitivity
- Develop whole-body power and mind-body integration through standing post practice (Zhan Zhuang)
- The body should first be made strong and supple before softness or internal power is trained
- Practise strengthening (Neigong), loosening (Fang Song Gong), and stretching/mobilising (Daoyin)
- Emphasise core principles and fundamental movements over external forms
- Besides fitness and explosive power, train proprioception/interoception, balance, and sensory integration
- The central nervous system should become efficient and responsive
- Harmonise mind, breath, and body (Qigong)
- Find ways to apply these principles appropriately to everyday life beyond the martial arts
The Azure Dragon 