Xíngyìquán 形意拳

‘Form and Intention Fist’

Xíngyìquán, is a sister martial art to Tàijíquán, which is based on the Daoist concept of Wuxíng (Five Phases).

The art seeks to focus the mind and move the body efficiently to develop internal power that can be used to overwhelm opponents.

Internal Work teaches Xíngyìquán from the Hebei branch (Shang style).

Xíngyìquán is all about harmonising the power of the mind and strength of the body to create change.

Learn standing postures to help you breathe, meditate, and clear your thoughts.

Practice traditional forms and movements to understand how to focus your power and move decisively.

The Internal Work Xíngyìquán curriculum includes:

Techniques are individual movements with specific internal power methods and biomechanical structure. A single technique can have many applications.
Examples of technique sets taught include:
- Wǔ Xíng Quán (Five Phases Fists)
- Shí'èr Xíng Quán (Twelve Animal Shapes)
- Bāzì Gōng (Eight Character Skills)
Forms are continuous sets of techniques that are trained through repetition to cultivate internal power and develop an understanding of internal principles of movement.
Forms are categorised into simple sets with a small number of movements, or larger sets known as Lián Quán (Linked Fists) with a significantly larger sequence of techniques.
Partner drills are a set of exercises performed with a non-compliant, resisting opponent in an adversarial combat context. The techniques in each exercise are pre-determined, and thus, it is not a substitute for sparring.
Traditional Chinese warfare tools such as the Jian (sword), Dao (sabre), Gun (staff), and Qiang (spear).