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Internal Arts of China; Defining Our Terms - The Mechanics of Internal Power -Part II

Nov 6 / Fernando Bernall
"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms" ~ Socrates
One of the greatest paradoxes in the internal martial arts is the concept of generating immense physical power through total relaxation. To the uninitiated, this sounds impossible. We are conditioned to believe that to strike hard, move fast, or lift heavy, we must tense our muscles and grit our teeth.

In internal arts like Tai Chi, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan, rigid muscular tension is actually viewed as a blockage. It acts like a kink in a garden hose, stopping the natural flow of kinetic energy.
In modern sports science, there is a fundamental concept known as proximal stability for distal mobility. This means that if your core, hips, and spine are stable and aligned, your extremities (arms, hands, and feet) can move with ultimate freedom, precision, and speed.

The ancient masters understood this implicitly through the cultivation of the Dāntián and Sōng.

When you tense your shoulders and arms to strike, you compress your joints, cut off your structural leverage, and limit your speed. By learning to completely loosen (Sōng) the limbs while anchoring your center of gravity deep in the lower abdomen, your arms become like whips—fluid on the path, but incredibly heavy and dense upon impact.

When you watch a master of Tai Chi, Baguazhang, or Xingyiquan, there is an unmistakable quality of effortless power. Movements look fluid, soft, and unbroken, yet they carry an immense kinetic presence. For the uninitiated, this looks like magic or "new age woo-woo."

But internal power (Nèijiā) isn't mysticism. It is a highly sophisticated system of structural alignment, kinetic efficiency, and deep body mechanics.

To move from the core, a practitioner must shift their engine away from superficial, tense muscle contraction (Li) and transition toward unified, relaxed internal force (Jin).

Here is the operational vocabulary every internal arts student must master to understand the blueprint of internal power.

Kinetic & Structural Principles

To transform your body from a collection of stiff, isolated parts into a unified kinetic engine, you must understand these six foundational concepts.
Chinese Characters
Pinyin
Term
Biomechanical & Practical Application
劲 / 勁
Jìn
Internal Trained Force
Fluid, unified power generated through correct bone alignment and relaxed connective tissue, rooted firmly from the ground up.
发劲 / 發勁
Fājìn
Explosive Release of Force
The sudden, dynamic discharge of internal power. It is an elastic whip-crack of energy, not a tense muscular push.
松 / 鬆
* Sōng
Relaxation / Loosening
Deliberately releasing unnecessary muscular tension while maintaining structural integrity. It is alert readiness, never floppiness.
虚领顶劲 / 虛領頂勁
Xū lǐng dǐng jìn
Empty Neck, Suspended Head
Gently lengthening the back of the neck as if the crown of the head is suspended from a string, allowing the spine to decompress.
沉肩坠肘 / 沉肩墜肘
Chén jiān zhuì zhǒu
Sink Shoulders, Drop Elbows
Keeping the shoulders completely heavy and down, with elbows pointing toward the earth to prevent force from trapping in the chest.
含胸拔背
Hán xiōng bá bèi
Contain Chest, Pluck the Back
Slightly relaxing the sternum inward so the upper back can naturally widen and straighten, creating a powerful elastic structure across the spine.

The Power of Sōng: It’s Not Floppiness

The most misunderstood word in the internal arts is Sōng. It is often translated simply as "relax," which leads many beginner students to become limp, heavy, and collapsed like a wet noodle.

True Sōng is a state of active, elastic tension—similar to a finely tuned guitar string or a well-inflated basketball. The muscle fibers relax just enough to let the joints open and the tendons stretch. This creates a state of structural resilience. When an outside force pushes against a practitioner who has mastered Sōng, they don't break or push back; they absorb and bounce the force away like a trampoline.

Let me suggest here that to develop Sōng (鬆) Standing practice—Zhàn Zhuāng (站桩)—is necessary and non-negotiable. Standing is the only shortcut to Sōng (鬆). Period. 

Mechanical & Tactical Application

You cannot manifest true Sōng or manage internal power without a functioning "steering wheel" for your pelvis. 

The following terms outline how folding the Kuà serves as the engine for structural alignment, allowing you to anchor your weight and seamlessly deploy the foundational tactical applications of the internal arts.
Chinese Characters
Pinyin
Term
Mechanical & Tactical Application
胯
Kuà
Inguinal Crease / Hip Fold
The fold where the thigh meets the lower abdomen. Correctly folding and opening the kua controls the rotation of the pelvis, roots power into the feet, and acts as the steering wheel for all internal movement.
掤
Bīng / Péng
Ward-Off / Outward Buoyancy
An all-directional, expanding structural pressure. Biomechanically, it is like an inflated basketball—supple, bouncy, and resilient, preventing an opponent’s force from collapsing your frame.
履 / 捋
Lǚ
Roll-Back / Deflection
Yielding to an incoming force by adhering to it and redirecting it past your center. It uses rotation to neutralize a straight push, pulling the opponent off balance without resisting.
挤 / 擠
Jǐ
Press / Squeeze
A linear, crossing force generated by closing the distance and squeezing two points of contact together. It creates a wedge effect that breaks the opponent's structure from underneath.
按
Àn
Push / Downward Direct Force
A heavy, sinking force routed from the legs up through the palms. It initially directs slightly downward to anchor the opponent before expanding forward to uproot them.
站桩 / 站樁
Zhàn Zhuāng
Standing Post / Pole
Static meditative standing practice used to systematically separate the flesh from the bones, eliminate deep muscular bracing, align the skeleton with gravity, and build internal infrastructure.

Your At-Home Checkpoint

As an adult student training Tài Chi online with me at VirtualTai.com, your main enemy during practice is unconscious tension in the upper body. While watching your course videos, or during live classes on Zoom, routinely perform a three-point structural check:
•    Are my shoulders creeping up toward my ears? Sink them (Chén Jiān).
•    Am I sticking my chin out? Tuck it slightly to lengthen the neck (Xū Lǐng Dǐng Jìn).
•    Am I holding my breath or locking my ribs? Softening the chest (Hán Xiōng).

By mastering these structural anchors, you change the very engine behind your movements, converting brittle muscular strain into an uninterrupted pathway of ground force.

Developing proper body alignments, creating a state of Sōng, and all other qualities derived from Tai Chi practice, take time. In the initial stages of study, it is like a honeymoon. However, to make that marriage between you and Tai Chi practice and development, takes time and effort.

What's Next?

Now that we have explored the foundational blueprint of internal alignment, you might be wondering: How do I actually know if my structure is working? How do I test my alignment when practicing all by myself in my living room?

In our next guide, we are pulling back the curtain on one of Tai Chi's most misunderstood practices: Push Hands Sensitivity.

But don't worry—you don't need to be interested in the martial "boxing" side of the art to reap the rewards. We will explore how the exact same principles used to redirect an outside force can be used as a dynamic internal mirror. You will discover how to "listen" to your own nervous system, audit your hidden tension blocks, and use outside resistance to achieve an unshakeable, effortless balance in your everyday life.

Keep practicing your checkpoints, and we will see you in the next lesson!
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