Fajin
發勁
Explosive release of force by the whole body, typical of internal Chinese styles. A short strike comes from the legs and hips, not just the arm.
Quick Facts
Word breakdown
Definition
Fajin (發勁) combines fa (to emit, to release) and jin (trained force). It denotes a short explosive release of force in which the strike comes from the whole body, from the legs through the hips and torso into the arm. The term is typical of Chen style taijiquan, xingyiquan and bajiquan. In taijiquan, fajin contrasts with the slow, relaxed movements of the forms. Chen style puts fajin directly into the forms, where it shows as sudden acceleration and tightening.
Relations to other terms
See also
Chinese concept of life energy, breath and vitality. Ki in Japanese, gi in Korean. In the internal arts, cultivating qi is the main goal of practice.
Neijia a waijia內家 / 外家Division of Chinese martial arts into internal styles (taijiquan, baguazhang, xingyiquan) and external styles, for example Shaolin ones. The boundary is traditional rather than precise.