After reading Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming's book Tai Chi Theory and Martial Power, I was stupefied by the vast array of Jings (power generation methods.) There must have been 30 or so! Reading other books like Dynamic Karate-do and the R.O.S.S. manual convinced me there must be a simpler way of classifying Jings. After all, there are only so many ways the human body can move.

I've boiling things down to four basic methods, or Jings. Weight-dropping (Heaven), Extending-Retracting (Male), Turning (Female), and Ground (Earth) Jings.

Weight-Dropping Jing is used extensively in R.O.S.S., the Russian system of combat. It's the same force that's generated by stomping in Chen style Taiji. The weight of the martial artist is either used directly to pull down the opponent, or generate a dropping motion, or indirectly, by bouncing the Jing off the feet and back up through the legs to the point of focus. Simply put, weight-dropping Jing is the energy generated by lowering your body. I classify it as symbolically aligned with Heaven, since the power basically comes from above.

Extending-Retracting Jing should be familiar to any fan of Western boxing, and most external arts. The martial artist simply extends or retracts a limb or the torso to locally generate power. I classify it as symbolically male because it is straight and direct, when not used in combination with other Jings.

Turning Jing is used extensively in the Neijia (internal arts), most notably Bagua. Turning JIng comes from either twisting the muscles of the limb or torso by extending or retracting them at an angle to the local bones, or by opening or closing the Kua (hip/loins area.) I classify it as symnbolically female, because its energy is curved.

Ground Jing is used in practically all the martial arts, but is best known in Chinese Wushu. Ground Jing comes solely from pushing off the back leg(s.) Power is transmitted from the pushing leg(s) and ground to the focus. I classify it as symbolically Earth, because it relies on the ground to provide as base to exert power.

Ok, that wasn't hard. So where do all these 30 or so Jings come from? Simply, the four basic Jings are combined in a variety of permutations, lengths, speeds, directions, limb pairings, flows of energy sensitivity, levels of energy sensiti