2026年1月20日 星期二

Vertical Release, Not Horizontal Force

 Below is a practical, internal-method explanation of how to train sinking (沈), using internal energy (內勁), and moving as one unit with your partner so that you can draw or pull them in multiple directions—without obvious force.


1. First Principle: Sink Before You Move (先沈後動)

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Sinking is not pushing down.
It is allowing gravity to pass through you into the ground.

How to practice

  • Stand upright

  • Release shoulders, chest, and lower back

  • Let weight settle into:

    • feet

    • kua (hip folds)

    • dantian

Internal cue

“The body drops inside, but the spine grows longer.”

When sinking is correct:

  • Legs feel fuller, not heavier

  • Upper body feels buoyant

  • Partner feels “drawn in” when touching you


2. Internal Energy Comes from Vertical Release, Not Horizontal Force

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Internal energy (內勁) appears when:

  • Vertical sinking

  • Spiral rotation

  • Whole-body continuity

Think of it as a coiled spring:

  • Sink = load the spring

  • Rotate = redirect the spring

  • Release = partner moves

Drill (solo)

  1. Sink slightly

  2. Rotate dantian a few degrees

  3. Let arms move because the torso moved

If arms move first → it’s external force
If body turns and arms follow → internal energy


3. Connect to Partner: Two Bodies, One Center


Before pulling a partner, connect structure to structure.

Key ideas

  • Touch lightly

  • No gripping

  • Maintain roundness (peng 勁)

Internal cue

“My center touches your center through the contact point.”

This creates shared balance:

  • When you move, they move

  • When they resist, they sink into you


4. Pulling Is Done by Emptying, Not Dragging (引不是拉)

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To pull a partner:

  • You must first empty your own space

  • Their force fills what you vacate

Basic method

  1. Sink

  2. Slightly rotate dantian

  3. Withdraw internally, not backward

The partner feels:

  • A hole

  • A loss of support

  • An irresistible draw


5. Pulling in Different Directions (八方皆引)

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You can pull a partner in many directions using the same principle.

Directional examples

Downward-diagonal

  • Sink + slight kua fold

  • Partner feels “falling forward”

Upward-diagonal

  • Sink → then open spine

  • Partner rises, loses root

Sideward

  • Rotate dantian

  • Keep feet still

  • Partner moves sideways without push

Backward

  • Empty chest and front kua

  • Partner steps into emptiness

👉 Direction comes from dantian rotation + structural opening, not arm direction.


6. Move as One Unit: No Separate Parts


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To move as one unit:

  • Feet, kua, spine, arms move together

  • No part arrives earlier or later

Internal checklist

  • Feet rooted?

  • Kua open?

  • Spine suspended?

  • Arms relaxed?

If one part stiffens:

  • Connection breaks

  • Partner feels push instead of pull


7. Partner Drill: “Shared Falling”

Drill steps

  1. Light contact

  2. Both partners sink

  3. One partner slowly empties one direction

  4. The other follows involuntarily

Rule

  • If partner must step → you did it right

  • If partner resists → you forced


Key Internal Summary

  • Sink first → gravity is your power

  • Rotate dantian → direction changes

  • Empty space → partner fills it

  • Whole body moves → no visible effort

  • Partner feels led, not pulled

Classical reminder

「彼不動,我不動;彼微動,我先動。」
When he does not move, I do not move.
When he moves slightly, I move first.

.Great—here is a clear, progressive training set you can use to actually feel sinking, internal energy, and whole-body partner movement.

Practice them slowly, with light contact. Quality matters far more than power.


A. Solo Foundation (so your body can lead another body)

Drill 1: Vertical Sinking with Buoyancy (沈而不塌)

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Purpose: Build true sinking without collapse.

How

  1. Stand upright, feet shoulder-width

  2. Release chest, shoulders, lower back

  3. Let weight settle into feet and kua

  4. Imagine:

    • weight dropping down

    • spine gently lifting up

Check

  • Legs feel full

  • Upper body feels light

  • Breath deepens naturally

If you feel heavy → too much force
If you feel floating without root → not sunk


Drill 2: Dantian Leads, Limbs Follow (丹田動,四肢隨)

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Purpose: Remove arm-driven movement.

How

  1. Sink slightly

  2. Rotate dantian 5–10°

  3. Let arms move only because torso moved

  4. Stop rotation → arms stop

Key rule

If arms can move without the body → it’s not internal.

This is the engine for pulling partners later.


B. Partner Sensitivity (建立「共用中心」)

Drill 3: Shared Weight Test (共沈)

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Purpose: Learn to share balance before moving.

How

  1. Light wrist or forearm contact

  2. Both partners sink together

  3. No pushing, no pulling

  4. Feel how weight changes travel through contact

Success sign

  • When one sinks, the other feels it

  • No muscular resistance

If pressure increases → stop and release more.


Drill 4: Internal Emptying (引而不拉)

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Purpose: Learn pulling without dragging.

How

  1. Maintain peng (rounded structure)

  2. Sink slightly

  3. Empty your chest or kua internally

  4. Do NOT step back

Result

  • Partner steps in unintentionally

  • They feel “nothing to lean on”

Rule

Pulling happens because you disappeared, not because you pulled.


C. Directional Pulling (八方皆通)

Drill 5: Diagonal Downward Draw

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Method

  • Sink

  • Slightly fold front kua

  • Rotate dantian diagonally

Effect

  • Partner falls forward-down

  • Feels like stepping into a hole

Never push downward with arms.


Drill 6: Side Pull via Rotation



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Method

  • Feet stay rooted

  • Rotate dantian horizontally

  • Arms remain round and soft

Effect

  • Partner moves sideways

  • Often shocked: “I wasn’t pushed”

This proves the power is rotational, not linear.


Drill 7: Upward-Diagonal Disruption (升中有沈)

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Method

  1. Sink first

  2. Then subtly open spine

  3. Maintain foot connection

Effect

  • Partner rises

  • Loses root

  • Often steps backward

Upward force works only if sinking happens first.


D. Moving as One Unit (整體勁)

Drill 8: One-Wave Movement

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Purpose: Remove timing gaps.

How

  • Initiate from feet

  • Pass through kua

  • Express through arms

  • Arrive everywhere at once

Test
Ask your partner:

“Did you feel where it started?”

If they can point to hands → not unified
If they say “everywhere” → correct


Common Mistakes (Very Important)

❌ Pulling with arms
❌ Leaning backward
❌ Using speed to hide force
❌ Separating sinking and rotation

✔ Sink first
✔ Rotate from center
✔ Empty space
✔ Let partner move themselves


One-Sentence Training Formula

Sink to load → rotate to lead → empty to draw → move as one unit.


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