[Martial Arts] Internal Energy Surge

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Time: 2025-08-09 Saturday, 11:29 AM

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[Martial Arts] Internal Energy Surge
In the traditional systems of internal power, martial arts, and health cultivation, it refers to a state of heat and impact formed from the inside out when the body's energy reaches a certain level. This is not merely sweating from exercise, nor is it a temperature change brought about by the external environment, but rather a comprehensive state stimulated by internal energy that promotes blood circulation, opens the pores, and nourishes the organs. The ancients referred to it as "energy full and surging" or "true energy surging," which can be understood in modern terms as the efficient coupling of internal energy and blood circulation, allowing the body to rapidly warm from the core and break free from the constraints of environmental temperature differences.
I arrive at the seaside around five in the morning, with temperatures between six to nine degrees and wind, dressed in autumn attire without feeling cold. Whether practicing horse stance or slowly practicing Tai Chi and Tai Chi sword, I almost feel my whole body heat up within three minutes, start to sweat within five minutes, and experience even sweating on my forehead, crown, back, waist, and limbs simultaneously within ten minutes. This process does not require large movements and does not cause breathlessness; it feels more like the activation of an internal engine. The cold wind hits my cheeks, the sound of waves crashes against the shore, yet my body is surging with warmth from the inside out. This heat is not a superficial burning but a warmth gradually spreading from the dantian, spine, and limbs throughout the body, fine, even, and sustainable.
The levels of internal energy surge can be roughly divided into four stages. The first stage is the initial movement phase, where the sensation of energy just begins to emerge, and warmth is limited to specific areas, often felt in the dantian, palms, or soles, with little and localized sweating, usually relying on higher temperatures and larger movements to occur. The second stage is the shaping phase, where the energy begins to connect, and warmth can appear in an environment around fifteen degrees, with an expanded sweating area, including the forehead, face, and chest, while the sensation of heat persists even with reduced movement. The third stage is the surging phase, where the whole body is filled with energy and blood; in temperatures of ten degrees or even lower, the body heats up within three to five minutes, sweats evenly within five to ten minutes, and cold resistance significantly increases, with the sensation of heat being largely independent of movement amplitude, achievable even in standing postures, and the ability to either concentrate or release the sensation of heat. The fourth stage is the transformation phase, where energy can be controlled at will, maintaining internal thermal balance in zero-degree or hot and humid environments, with rapid switching between hot and cold, even being able to stay cool in heat and warm in cold; the sensation of heat is no longer the only indicator but rather a manifestation of overall energy fullness and mental vitality.
My experience indicates that I have stabilized in the third stage, approaching the threshold of the fourth stage. Because at the windy seaside with temperatures between six to nine degrees, I can heat my whole body within three minutes, sweat evenly within five minutes, and maintain a stable sensation of heat throughout my body without diminishing for ten minutes. After finishing, the heat can gradually recede within a few minutes, without prolonged overheating or loss of warmth. During standing postures, my legs remain stable with slight trembling, my center is firm, energy flows throughout my body, and I can still keep my hands and feet warm even in low temperatures, indicating that the efficiency of energy and blood circulation has far exceeded ordinary states.
This state is different from ordinary exercise-induced heat. Ordinary exercise relies on significant muscle contractions, where the muscles heat up first, and heat is conducted from the outside in, while internal energy surging heats from the inside out to the surface; ordinary exercise causes a rapid drop in temperature after stopping, while internal energy surging can maintain warmth for a period after finishing, with an even sensation of heat, avoiding localized burning or large areas of coldness; ordinary exercise requires a high heart rate and breathing frequency, while internal energy surging can be achieved with steady breathing and a low heart rate.
I do not focus on the dantian as traditionally practiced; the sensation of heat does not linearly rise from the lower abdomen dantian through the spine to the crown, but rather occurs simultaneously throughout the body to the crown. The sweat on my forehead is fine, the sweat on my back is warm, the area around my waist and kidneys feels like it has a heating pad, and the extremities are no longer cold. The sea breeze does not interrupt this sensation of heat; instead, it allows me to feel the internal and external temperature difference more clearly. At this moment, my body feels like an engine, with internal combustion steady and continuous.
The standard for verifying internal energy surging is not a one-time occurrence of heat but the ability to stabilize, quickly, and evenly activate under low-temperature conditions, and to naturally recede after finishing. The movement amplitude does not need to be large, breathing does not need to be hurried, and the synchronization of intention and energy flow is sufficient. Higher-stage verification involves being able to adjust freely in extreme hot and cold conditions, unaffected by the environment.
From the initial movement phase to the transformation phase, what is needed is long-term, stable, and gradual practice, especially the combination of standing postures, slow practice, and breathing regulation. In the early stage, there is no need to pursue excessive sweating; the important thing is to feel the path of warmth from the inside out; in the mid-stage, practice activation and maintenance in different temperatures; in the surging phase, learn to control the release and concentration; and in the transformation phase, enter a realm of high integration between energy flow and intention.
I believe that internal energy surging is not only a stage of martial arts cultivation but also a peak of the body's self-regulation ability. It allows one to be unafraid of cold and heat, with smooth blood flow and full spirit, and it enables a profound understanding that true strength is not exerted externally but is the internal self-generated, self-controlled, and self-sufficient life force.

Source: https://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=697152