Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts Blog

What Does the Term "Tai Chi Energies" Really Mean?

body mechanics tai chi body method tai chi energies taiji energies taijiquan Jul 22, 2025

You read and hear about different types of "energies" or "jin" in the internal arts. For example, people talk about the "Eight Energies" or the "Thirteen Energies."

Four primary energies (jin) of Taijiquan are:

1. Peng (Ward Off)

2. Liu (Roll Back)

3. Ji (Press)

4. An (Push)

Rounding Out the Rest of the 13 Energies are:

5. Cai (Pluck-Pull Down)

6. Lie (Split - often pronounced like the name Leah)

7. Zhou - (Elbow)

8. Kao - (Shoulder - often called Bump)

9. Teng (striking at an upward angle from the bottom to the top)

10. Zhe (winding, spinning to the ground)

11. Kong (Empty)

12. Huo (lively and active while maintaining internal principles)

13. Five Moving Directions: Front (Forward), Back (Backward), Left, Right, and Middle (maintaining your balance - your Center)

It's important to remember -- despite what some teachers will tell you -- the Taiji "energies" do not involve some invisible energy in your body called Peng, or Liu, or whatever.

It's a lot more accurate ...

Peng is the Most Important Concept in Tai Chi

peng jin tai chi energies taiji energies Mar 01, 2007

The most important "jin" (strength or force) in tai chi is peng jin. Chen Xiaowang has described peng jin as "chi flowing, everything full, nothing broken."

Peng jin is an expansive feeling directed outward from the body--beginning with the ground, transmitted by the legs, directed by the dan t'ien and manifest through the hands and fingers. It must be delivered without "local" muscular tension--in other words, you use your entire body as your fist, you don't strike with primarily your arm and shoulder muscles.

Peng jin works with the ground path to provide a solid structure in the body.

This is the foundation of internal strength.

In every movement in Taijiquan, the ground and peng must be present or your movement is empty. This is my the first thing I teach new students is the ground path, then peng jin.

Peng jin feels a bit like the same type of force that exists when you push a beach ball beneath the water. The potential force is ready to be released when you let go of the ba...

Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

What Does the Term "Tai Chi Energies" Really Mean?

Peng is the Most Important Concept in Tai Chi

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