The legendary Wang Xiangzhai believed that over time, the “Big Three” internal styles became cluttered with performative sets, losing the Integrated Force that once made them efficient and deadly.
Here is his take on where these arts started and where they went wrong:
Xingyi Quan
Wang argued that Xingyi originally consisted of only three core forces combined into one movement. The “Five Elements” are not five separate fists, but five types of force. Similarly, the “Twelve Animals” were meant to capture the spirit and intentions of the 12 creatures, rather than being practiced as long, repetitive choreographies.
The essence of Xingyi lies in the unity of Spirit, Intent, Breath, and Force (Shen, Yi, Qi, Li). This mastery allowed Grandmaster Guo Yunshen to dominate his opponents using only his famous “Half-Step Crushing Fist.”
Bagua Zhang
Bagua was originally simple, consisting only of single and double palm-change movements. Wang noted that he saw masters like Cheng Tinghua and Liu Fengchun in person, did not have the complex “64 Palms” or “72 Kicks.” Those were later additions by practitioners who missed the true meaning of the art. The heart of Bagua lies in rooted and stable, yet incredibly agile and unpredictable.
Taiji Quan
Wang observed that Taiji suffered from the most “shallow” modern interpretations, though he admitted its benefits for health. It began as a simple set of three movements (the “Legacy Three Chops”), was organized into “13 Postures” by Wang Zongyue, and eventually ballooned into up to hundred of movements, losing its core mechanics along the way.
Modern practitioners often forget the fundamental rule: “Rooted in the feet, gravity shifting through the legs, governed by the waist, and overreaching through the fingers.” Many today move their arms slowly while their feet move too quickly, failing the essential requirement of “upper and lower body moving consistently.”
Source: Wang Xiangzhai’s Dacheng Quan (王芗斋的大成拳), by He Jingping, 2011.