Chinese Martial Arts Glossary

The Eight Energies. Collectively peng, lü, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou, kao — the eight categories of trained force in Taijiquan.

Ward-off. The first and most fundamental of the eight energies — an expansive, supporting force used to deflect incoming pressure outward and upward.

Roll-back. Yielding to and redirecting an incoming force along its line of travel, drawing the opponent into emptiness.

Press. A two-handed forward squeezing force, often combining the support of one arm pressed by the other palm.

Push or push-down. A descending then forward pressing force, usually with both palms after sinking and gathering.

Pluck or pull-down. A sudden grasping and downward jerk that uproots the opponent's structure.

Split. A simultaneous outward force in two opposing directions, splitting the opponent's structure across a fulcrum.

Elbow. The use of the elbow as a striking or controlling tool at close range, applied at short distance once peng-lü-ji-an cannot reach.

Shoulder or body-strike. Closest-range issuing of force through the shoulder, back, hip or chest when no limb space remains.

Silk-reeling force. The continuous helical, coiling quality of force generation characteristic of Chen-style Taijiquan, transmitted through the body in spiral paths rather than linear extension.

Trembling or vibrating force. A penetrating internally generated force produced through rapid structural oscillation rather than muscular extension; especially associated with Fujian White Crane and related southern styles.

The Five Phases — metal, water, wood, fire, earth. The structural basis of Xingyiquan's five fists and a recurring framework in CMA theory.

The limitless, undifferentiated state. In Taijiquan practice, the still standing posture and inner stillness from which Taiji arises.

Supreme polarity. The dynamic relationship of yin and yang that emerges from wuji. Gives Taijiquan its name.

The receptive, yielding, substantial aspect of the yin-yang pair. In application: weighted, closed, descending, gathering.

The active, expanding, insubstantial aspect of the yin-yang pair. In application: unweighted, open, ascending, issuing.

The Eight Trigrams of the Yìjīng. Each trigram represents a natural force or quality; in Taijiquan theory they map onto the eight energies (bā jìn), providing a cosmological framework for force expression.

The Book of Changes. A classical Chinese cosmological text whose system of trigrams and hexagrams provides the theoretical framework for mapping the eight energies and five phases in Taijiquan.

Issuing force. The sudden release of whole-body coordinated power into the opponent, typically in a single short pulse.

Trained, refined force. Distinguished from li (raw muscular strength) by its whole-body coordination, timing, and directional clarity.

Essence. The most material of the three treasures (jing, qi, shen); in CMA training contexts often glossed as the body's foundational vitality.

Raw muscular strength. In Taijiquan theory contrasted with jin: li is local and brute, jin is whole-body and trained.

Inner alchemy. A Daoist cultivation system aimed at refining jīng, qì, and shén through meditative and breathing practices; provides the theoretical substrate for neigong in many internal martial arts lineages.

Internal training. Methods cultivating structural alignment, breath regulation and neuromuscular conditioning beneath basic form practice; the core developmental work of the internal martial arts traditions.

Vital breath. In CMA, used technically for the coordinated breath-driven internal connection of the body.

A broad category of Chinese practices regulating breath, movement and intent to cultivate physiological function. In CMA contexts, foundational training that develops the internal qualities underlying martial skill.

Spirit or alertness. The outwardly perceptible quality of awakeness and presence in a practitioner; in classical texts often the highest of the three treasures (jing, qi, shen).

Heart-mind. The seat of intention and awareness that directs movement and internal state. Distinguished from yì (intent) in some traditions; often used interchangeably in classical texts.

Intent. The directed mental attention that, in classical theory, leads the qi: 'yi dao, qi dao' — where the intent goes, the qi follows.

Hundred Meetings. The crown of the head; the upward suspension of the head from the baihui is a foundational postural instruction.

Cinnabar field. The lower dantian, located roughly three fingers below the navel, is the central reference point for sinking, rotation and power generation in CMA.

Meeting of Yin. The perineum point; together with the baihui defines the central vertical axis through the body.

Hip joint / inguinal crease. The kua is the kinematic hinge between the legs and the torso; opening and closing the kua underlies most Taijiquan body method.

Palace of Toil. The centre of the palm; the laogong points are the canonical reference for palm-centred sensitivity and issuing.

Gate of Life. The lumbar point opposite the dantian; opening the mingmen is a common instruction for connecting the back and seating the kua.

Waist. The lumbar region; in CMA theory the yāo functions as the central pivot of whole-body movement, and its degree of relaxation is a key determinant of jin generation.

Bubbling Well. The centre of the sole of the foot; the yongquan is the rooting and grounding reference point in standing and stepping.

To sink. The downward settling of weight, shoulders and elbows that follows from song; the felt sense of being heavy and rooted.

Sticky hands. A two-person sensitivity drill in Wing Chun, training the ability to read and react to a partner's force and structure at arm-bridge range; the Wing Chun counterpart to Taijiquan's push hands.

Stable, settled. The quality of being unmoved at the centre while the periphery can respond freely.

To lose contact. The error of retreating from a partner's force rather than maintaining connection, removing the possibility of listening and redirecting; paired with dǐng (pushing back) as the two fundamental errors of push hands.

To issue. The active counterpart to hua: releasing force outward once the opponent's structure is found.

Root. The quality of downward connection to the ground that provides structural foundation for technique and force expression. Root and sōng are treated as mutually dependent: genuine root requires sōng, and genuine sōng requires root.

To neutralise. Dissolving an incoming force by yielding, rotating, or redirecting it so it finds no point of resistance to act on.

The Six Harmonies. The coordination of three inner harmonies (xīn–yì, yì–qì, qì–lì) and three outer harmonies (shoulder–hip, elbow–knee, hand–foot); a recurring organisational framework across CMA, especially in Xingyiquan.

Bridge hand. The forearm-to-forearm contact point that connects two practitioners in Wing Chun, southern Chinese arts, and some push-hands contexts; controlling the bridge determines positional advantage.

Double-weighting. The technical fault of equal, simultaneous loading on both sides of the body or both feet; considered to produce stagnation and prevent efficient response to incoming force.

Released, structurally relaxed. Not floppy — a precise letting-go of unnecessary tension that allows weight to drop and connection to be felt.

To listen — through touch. The trained sensitivity that reads an opponent's intent, weight and direction at the point of contact.

Empty, lively energy at the crown. The first of Yang Chengfu's Ten Essentials: the head is held as if suspended from above, creating an upright, alert, and slightly elongated neck without stiffness.

To stick / adhere. Maintaining a continuous, non-resisting connection with the opponent so they cannot disengage without revealing their intent.

Central equilibrium. In some enumerations the ninth technique alongside the eight energies; the still axis around which all motion organises.

Eight Trigram Palm. An internal martial art characterised by circle-walking practice and continuous palm-changing techniques; one of the three principal internal arts alongside Taijiquan and Xingyiquan.

Eight Extremities Fist. A northern Chinese martial art known for explosive short-range striking and whole-body integration; closely associated with spear training as the foundation for its empty-hand power generation.

Long Fist. A family of northern Chinese martial arts styles characterised by extended postures, full-extension arm techniques, high kicks and flowing combinations; covers both traditional northern Shaolin lineages and the modern standardised competition form.

Cha Fist. A northern long-fist tradition organised into ten numbered routines; historically associated with Chinese Muslim communities and widely practised in Shandong. Influential in the development of modern standardised wushu changquan.

Large frame. A stylistic category for forms practised with expansive, open postures and wide stances. In Yang-style Taijiquan, dà jià refers specifically to the broad expression standardised by Yáng Chéngfǔ.

Single Whip. A widely recurring posture in multiple Taijiquan styles, characterised by a hook hand on one side and an extended open hand on the other. In Chen style performed with silk-reeling through the hook and a lower stance than Yang-style versions.

Second Road. The second bare-hand form sequence in Chen-style Taijiquan, also called Pàochuí (Cannon Fist), characterised by more frequent fā jìn, jumping, and overtly martial expression than the first road.

Bow stance. A forward lunge stance with the front knee bent over the foot and the rear leg straight; one of the five fundamental stances in standardised wushu and widely used in traditional CMA.

Flower Fist. A northern Chinese long-fist tradition characterised by highly fluid, aesthetically expressive combinations; one of the historical roots of Mizongquan and a precursor to certain modern wushu performance aesthetics.

Old Frame. The older codified Chen-family routines (Yilu and Erlu / Pao Chui), associated with Chen Changxing.

Horse stance. A wide, symmetrical stance with equal weight on both bent legs; used across many CMA traditions as a conditioning stance, but in Taijiquan associated with the caution against double weighting.

Southern Fist. A standardised competition event in modern wushu drawn from southern Chinese martial arts traditions; characterised by low stances, short-range power, and distinctive vocalisation.

Crouch stance. A low stance in which one leg is extended flat along the ground and the other is deeply bent; one of the five fundamental stances in standardised wushu, testing leg strength and flexibility.

Opening posture. The formal beginning movement of a Taijiquan or wushu form, used to settle the body, establish structure, and initiate the practice sequence.

Three-Body Posture. The foundational standing practice of Xingyiquan, in which weight splits between a front and back foot while the body aligns along a triangular structure; functions as martial qigong, developing root and structural integration.

Free hand. In the Taijiquan context, the free-application sparring counterpart to set push hands; in modern CMA, also the name for a competitive striking-and-throwing format.

Closing form. The concluding movement of a taolu that returns the practitioner to stillness; considered as technically significant as the opening posture.

Supreme polarity boxing. The full classical name for the martial art commonly called Tai Chi.

A prearranged sequence of martial techniques practised as a solo form. The foundational training unit in CMA across both traditional and modern standardised lineages.

Iron Wire Form. The primary internal conditioning form of Hung Gar, attributed to Tieguanyin master Tit Kiu Sam; emphasises breath control, structural tension, and forearm conditioning through slow, forceful isometric movement.

Push hands. Partner exercises that train sticking, listening, neutralising and issuing under live contact, sitting between solo form and free sparring.

Five Animals Fists. A collective training form in Hung Gar and related southern systems embodying the five animal archetypes — tiger, crane, leopard, snake, and dragon — each expressing a distinct quality of force, structure, or strategy.

Small Frame. A more compact Chen-family variant associated with Chen Youben's branch.

Rest stance. A crossed-leg squat in which both knees are deeply bent and the legs cross, with the rear knee near the ground behind the lead heel; one of the five fundamental stances in standardised wushu.

Form-Intent Boxing. An internal martial art organised around five fist techniques mapped to the five phases, plus twelve animal forms; one of the three principal internal arts alongside Taijiquan and Baguazhang.

New Frame. The Chen-family routines developed and taught by Chen Fake in Beijing in the twentieth century.

Empty stance. A stance in which the great majority of weight rests on one leg while the other foot rests lightly and unweighted; the unloaded leg is available for immediate movement without prior weight shift.

Muscle-and-Tendon Changing Classic. A historical qigong text and practice tradition involving muscular and connective-tissue conditioning; attributed by oral tradition to Bodhidharma at the Shaolin monastery, though this attribution is not historically documented.

First Road. The primary bare-hand form sequence in Chen-style Taijiquan, emphasising foundational silk-reeling, structure, and internal development before the more explosive second road.

Eagle Claw Fist. A northern Chinese martial arts system specialising in seizing, locking, and striking techniques using the clawed hand; integrates qín ná methodology with changquan-family footwork.

Cloud Hands. A repeating lateral stepping sequence with continuous arm-wave movements appearing across multiple Taijiquan styles; in Chen style performed with lower stances and silk-reeling expressed through the circular arm motion.

Standing post. Sustained held postures used to train structure, rooting and internal connection across Taijiquan, Xingyiquan and Yiquan.

Single-edged saber. In Taijiquan, the curved single-handed saber; method emphasises continuous spiralling and body-led cuts.

Guan Yu's halberd. A long-handled single-edged glaive with a heavy curved blade, associated by tradition with the Han general Guan Yu. One of the most culturally significant weapons in CMA; training it is considered to build whole-body power and courage.

Staff. Long rigid-shafted weapon; foundational in Shaolin curricula and used across many CMA systems.

Halberd. The classical Chinese combined spear-and-blade polearm; the standard weapon of armoured cavalry in ancient China and a prestige weapon in traditional CMA curricula.

Straight double-edged sword. Considered the scholar's weapon; method emphasises precision, point control and light, agile footwork.

Nine-section whip. A flexible chain whip with nine metal links ending in a weighted tip; a standard wushu changquan weapon event. Generates striking power through centrifugal release and requires precise timing to control the whip's arc.

Meteor hammer. Two weighted balls connected by a long rope or chain, swung in large circular patterns; a wushu competition event. Strikes through accumulated rotational momentum rather than direct force.

Southern saber. The short broadsword event in modern wushu's nánquán competition category; characterised by tight, close-range technique reflecting the shorter stances and lower power arcs of southern CMA systems.

Southern staff. The staff event in modern wushu's nánquán competition category; shorter and heavier than the northern wushu staff, emphasising powerful low strikes, braced two-hand grips, and rapid in-close changes.

Spear. Long flexible-shafted weapon; in classical CMA the spear is often called 'the king of weapons' for its training value and combat reach.

Three-section staff. Three hardwood sections connected by chain or rope; a standard wushu changquan weapon event. Requires continuous momentum control to transition from short-range strikes to long-range sweeps.

Rope dart. A metal dart or spike attached to a long rope, swung and thrown at range then retrieved; a wushu competition event requiring dynamic spinning momentum and precise release timing.

Double sabers. A paired weapon set in which two dao are wielded simultaneously, one in each hand; practiced in complementary arcs, with each blade covering the other's open line.

Paired hooks. A short paired weapon with an inward-curving blade at the tip, a guard spike, and a rear spike at the pommel; used in close quarters to hook, trap, and control an opponent's weapon or limb.

Double swords. A paired straight-sword event in which two jiàn are wielded simultaneously; characterised by rapid alternating guard changes and interlocked movement patterns.

Formal discipleship ceremony. The traditional ritual by which a student becomes a tudì of a shīfu, entering the lineage.

Graded rank level within China's national wushu grading system, administered by the Chinese Wushu Association; used to officially certify and rank practitioners and instructors.

Teacher-father. Used by a disciple for the teacher who has formally accepted them; carries a familial weight beyond the generic shīzhǔ (instructor).

Senior kung fu brother. A student senior to oneself under the same teacher; shīdì is the corresponding junior.

Disciple. A student who has been formally accepted by a teacher through the bài shī ceremony, distinguished from a casual class student (xuésheng).

Crushing Fist. One of the Five Element fists of Xingyiquan, corresponding to Metal. A linear forward-driving strike in which power emerges from whole-body integration — rear leg, hip, spine and arm acting as a single kinetic chain — rather than shoulder-driven arm extension.

Thrusting fingers. A technique in which extended fingers are driven into vital points, concentrating force into a small area; also the name of the third bare-hand form of Wing Chun.

Chan Buddhism. The Chinese school of Buddhism emphasising direct meditative experience over scriptural study; directly influenced the physical and ethical culture of Shaolin and related monastic martial traditions.

Literally 'national art' — the Republican-period term for Chinese martial arts as a state-promoted physical and cultural programme, prior to the PRC's replacement of it with the wushu framework.

An elevated fighting platform used in CMA competition. Historically associated with open-challenge bouts; retained in modern sǎndǎ competition, where knocking or throwing an opponent off the platform scores points.

Difficulty. In modern wushu competition, the formal system of scored difficulty elements — primarily aerial and jumping techniques — introduced to standardise and reward technical challenge in taolu events.

Joint-locking and seizing techniques found across CMA. In Taijiquan, qín ná applications draw particularly on the energy of cǎi (採) to control and redirect an opponent's limb.

Literally 'fist'; used broadly in CMA names (Taijiquan, Bajiquan, Changquan) to denote a complete empty-hand boxing system, as distinct from weapon arts.

Style, posture, or method. Used as a suffix to denote a lineage variant of a martial art (Yang-style: Yáng shì) and as a standalone term for a posture within a form; also appears in compound terms like qǐ shì (opening) and shōu shì (closing).

The Thirteen Postures. A classical framework comprising the eight energies (bā jìn) and five stepping principles (wǔ bù) that together describe the complete vocabulary of Taijiquan's martial expression.

Traditional Chinese wrestling, characterised by throws, trips, and takedowns performed from an upright position. One of the oldest documented Chinese martial arts, emphasising off-balancing and whole-body throwing mechanics.

Martial virtue. The moral and behavioural code considered foundational to CMA practice — humility, respect, care for training partners, and responsible use of martial skill.

Martial arts. The general Chinese term for the cultural-historical body of fighting systems developed in China across centuries; used in classical sources and traditional contexts to denote any martial discipline. In contemporary discourse often contrasted with xiàndài wǔshù — the post-1949 codified competitive sport — which has partly displaced the older usage in English.

Martial chivalry. The Chinese literary and cinematic genre centred on wandering martial artists operating by a personal code of honour; the cultural lens through which both Chinese practitioners and global audiences understand CMA.

Modern wushu. The codified athletic and competitive discipline established after 1949 by the PRC's State Sports Commission, organised around standardised solo forms (chángquán, nánquán, tàijíquán) and weapon events scored on technical execution and difficulty (nándù). Distinct from the traditional martial transmission it formalised and partly displaced.

Intent Boxing. An internal martial art developed by Wang Xiangzhai in the early twentieth century, derived from Xingyiquan and emphasising zhanzhuang, yi (intent), and sensitivity training over fixed forms.