San Ti – The Nei Gong Core

San Ti standing (三體式) is the foundational posture of Xingyiquan and the point from which all further training develops. Within the ongoing weekly classes, students are guided step by step into the practice, beginning with the careful establishment of physical alignment, posture and structural stability.

As the training progresses, attention is gradually directed beyond the outer shape into the internal connections and energetic aspects of the posture. In time, the practice is taken deeper still, introducing the mind-based elements that allow San Ti to function as a complete internal method.

Through this layered approach, San Ti becomes an ever-evolving practice that supports power generation, efficient movement and the deeper internal development at the heart of Xingyiquan.

Wu Xing Quan – Chinese Boxing

The Five Fist Techniques (Wu Xing Quan 五行拳) form the core moving method of Xingyiquan. Within the program, each fist is taught in detailed progression, addressing both the external mechanics of posture, stepping and striking and the internal mechanics that take the art beyond a superficial level of external training.

As the training develops, the Five Fists are used to clearly illustrate the harmonies of Xingyiquan, showing how body, breath and mind are unified within movement. At a practical level, they establish a platform of boxing methods suitable for self defence, while also serving as a means of developing health and fitness.

Through this layered approach, the Five Fists become a complete method of study, supporting martial function, bodily development and internal cultivation within Xingyiquan.

Shi Er Xing – The Twelve Animals

The Twelve Animal Forms (Shi Er Xing 十二形) extend the core methods of Xingyiquan and bring the system to life through varied expression and intent. Each animal develops the principles of the Five Fist Techniques in a distinct way, changing them to match the actions of classical animal styles.

As the animal training unfolds, the art opens into a broader range of movement and application. Throws, kicks and more advanced methods are introduced naturally through the spirit of each animal, expanding Xingyiquan beyond its foundational techniques into a full Gong Fu system. The practice of the animals adds an enjoyable dimension to the training, while serving a clear functional purpose within the fighting system.

Each of the animal forms are explored in detail from a movement perpsective and then further into appplied usage within self defence. 

Weaponry Training

The spear is regarded as the ‘mother of a hundred weapons’ and holds a central place within Xingyiquan training. Xingyiquan is said to have been derived from spear training, with the empty-handed methods developing later in the style’s evolution. Whether or not this is strictly true, it is certainly the case that spear training is vital for accessing the deeper levels of Xingyiquan’s internal workings.

The giant sabre develops power in a different but complementary way. Its size and weight demand strong rooting and clean movement. A rarer aspect of Xingyiquan, the sabre is taught later in the Xingyiquan program and is one of the more demanding areas of the art. With training, the sabre becomes a powerful method for building strength and rotational power, which is then carried over into the rest of the Xingyiquan system.

Conditioning & Inner Skill

Conditioning and inner-skill training form the ideeper aspects of Xingyiquan, ensuring that both the outer body and the internal processes are developed together.

The outer is trained through making the body strong and connected according to classical Chinese Gong Fu principles, while the inner is trained through the integration of the Yi Jin Jing teachings, which build Qi and awaken the connective tissues that animate the body from within. In this way, Xingyiquan unites internal and external training into a single, coherent method, ensuring that technique is driven through genuine internal power.

In modern times, many of these methods have become lost, reducing Xingyiquan to a shell of its former self. In the academy, Damo and seniors lead you step by step into true inner and outer body development. This is easily the most important aspect of Xingyiquan training if you wish to reach the deeper levels of what these arts are truly about.

The Xingyiquan Program

The Xingyiquan programme takes place in modules which are between six months and one year in duration. This structure takes students systematically into the art and allows for steady growth and improvement.

Year 1: San Ti and the Wu Xing
Year 2: Beginning the Twelve Animals
Year 3: The spear and further animal study
Year 4: Deeper work with An Jin and Hua Jin
Year 5: Advanced Xingyiquan

From this, it should be clear that this is not a quick ‘10-week mastery’ programme but a deep online school which aims to teach classical Xingyiquan in its fullest form. This programme is not for those seeking a ‘quick fix’ but for those who wish to understand the nature of true Gong Fu.