[Martial Arts] Practice Skills Before Practicing Fist Techniques

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Time: June 22, 2025, Sunday, 2:22 PM

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[Martial Arts] Practice Power Before Practicing Fist

To practice martial arts, one must first practice power. This is an unchanging truth throughout the ages. The true path of martial arts has never started with beautiful techniques, but rather with the most fundamental stance training. The stance is the foundation of all boxing methods. Whether it is Tai Chi, Xing Yi, Bagua, or Shaolin, Hung Gar, Wing Chun, and even the hidden transmission systems of various major schools, almost none do not start with stance training. The ancients said, "The stance is the method of all fists," which is by no means an empty phrase. Without a solid foundation, no matter how many techniques one has, they are merely empty frameworks; when the stance is stable, every movement has a source of power and a root.

I still remember the days when I first started practicing stances; it was an extremely lonely, tedious, yet incredibly pure experience. On a windless morning or by the seaside in the evening, with my feet firmly planted on the ground, my spine opened segment by segment, my knees relaxed and heavy, and my hands naturally rounded. It seemed motionless, yet every cell in my body was subtly adjusting, as if my body were a string being tuned, with my breath naturally sinking into the dantian, and my qi and blood flowing slowly. At that time, I didn’t understand; I only knew that after standing in the stance, I felt completely emptied, fatigue faded away, and I was filled with strength. Years later, looking back, I realized that was the beginning of "power," the foundation within my body was slowly taking shape.

The accumulation of stance training cannot be achieved in just a few days or months. Many people see others with smooth postures and abundant strength, eager to imitate the appearance, but overlook the internal supporting structure. Standing in a stance is like silently building a foundation, connecting the entire body with the ground, center of gravity, breath, and intention into a whole. Once the foundation is laid, even a simple movement will naturally carry the strength of the skeleton; the fist moves with intention, the mind expresses freely, and within relaxation there is an explosion, and within roundness there is linear penetration.

After many years of practicing boxing, the real turning point came when I shifted from "practicing boxing" to "practicing power." In the early days, like most people, I was keen on routines, enjoying making my postures look beautiful, but always felt that my power was empty, and the punches I threw were always light and rootless. Later, I calmed down and honestly started with stance training, day after day standing, walking, and moving in stances, immersing my body and mind into this seemingly simple "stillness." That period was lonely and painful, but as time passed, my qi and blood gradually filled, my body structure naturally opened, and when I casually threw a punch, the power was completely different.

This made me realize one thing: the starting point of practicing boxing is always practicing power, not routines. Routines are merely the external form, while the foundation is the internal essence. Tai Chi emphasizes "the root is in the feet, the power is generated from the legs, governed by the waist, and expressed through the hands," Xing Yi says "the whole body is a fist," and Bagua emphasizes "walking, turning, and changing, with steps following intention." These seemingly different school sayings essentially convey the same message: first practice power, let the body become a transparent whole, and then discuss boxing.

Many people mistakenly believe that traditional martial arts are "not practical" because what they see is merely posturing and flashy performances without true foundation. However, traditional martial arts originated on the battlefield, forged between life and death, and are the experiences earned by countless predecessors with their lives. In peaceful times, people's focus has shifted from "combat" to "health preservation," from "striking" to "cultivating the mind," and practicing boxing has become a way to relieve stress and maintain health. But this does not mean that traditional martial arts cannot fight; whether it can be applied in real combat has never depended on the style of boxing, but on whether the practitioner has truly put in the effort and integrated the skills into their flesh and blood.

I have encountered some young friends who practice combat sports; they sweat profusely every day, hitting punching bags, engaging in sparring, and moving their feet without a moment's pause. Their punching speed, reaction, and strength are extremely fierce. In contrast, many who study traditional boxing only practice their routines twice a day, slowly finishing up, lacking sweat and honing, and naturally cannot talk about combat effectiveness. Real combat is not determined by the style of boxing, but by the intensity of training, the thickness of the foundation, and the experience of actual combat.

Some also say that boxing is more effective than traditional martial arts, which is actually a misconception influenced by modern rules. The ring has its own rules: no hitting below the belt, no eye poking, no joint locks; this is a competitive model designed to protect both parties. Many lethal techniques of traditional martial arts precisely exist within these "forbidden zones." Once you leave the rules and enter a truly unrestricted environment, the methods of traditional martial arts are not inferior and may even show overwhelming advantages.

Now, when I practice boxing, I no longer obsess over pursuing variety or speed, but focus on refining my internal power. From stance training to movement training, and then integrating power into the boxing framework, the three elements of fist, intention, and qi become one. The process of practicing boxing is no longer merely repeating actions, but a continuous dialogue with the body, breath, and intention. Every breath, every exertion, is a reshaping of the internal structure of the body.

I often say that when martial arts are practiced deeply, they all return to "power." If the power is unstable, the boxing will surely be empty. If the power is solid, even if you only learn a simple technique, you can unleash endless variations; even without learning flashy techniques, a casual movement will carry its own root and strength.

Practicing power before practicing boxing is not just a slogan, but an experience earned through countless practices by the ancients. Only when you calm down, stand firm, root yourself in the ground, cultivate strength in your skeleton, and sink your breath into the dantian, will the boxing have a soul and truly "live."

Decades of practice have made me increasingly believe in an old saying: without skill, everything learned is superficial; with skill, even casually learning a technique can be transformed into one's own use. This is the true inheritance and essence of martial arts.

Source: http://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=696465