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1 These internal fighting systems differ from the Shaolin and other external traditions in that they depend upon the practitioner's ability to cultivate and use ch'i rather than only outer muscular strength. Internal masters develop and use the sinews, ligaments, and tendons, whereas external masters concentrate on the larger outer musculature.

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Theories Behind the Art

BREATHING AND BODY

Correct breathing uses the diaphragm, a large muscle that stretches from the lumbar spine to the rib cage, separating the heart-lung area from the digestive organs. Abdominal breathing articulates the intercostal muscles and ribs and efficiently positions the shoulder blades and clavicles, thus assisting coordination of the upper torso and supporting the head and arms. All movements are coordinated with the breathing, achieving, as master Sung Shih-jung wrote, "full calmness, full regulation of breathing, and full coordination of the body." Initially, breathe naturally without thinking of inhalation and exhalation. Breathe only through your nostrils, filling your belly. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth, your lips relaxed. Later, pay attention to your inhalation, sinking the ch'i (intrinsic energy) to your tan-t'ien (the psychic center just below the navel). Specifically, when practicing the forms, you should exhale through the nostrils as you apply the movement, but simultaneously, sink a part of the breath down to the tan-t'ien. If you reach the top level of the art, you will not be conscious of breathing. As master Kuo Yun-shen wrote: "There is no sound, no smell, and everything is empty."