What is the Source of Power in Gong Fu?

In martial arts there are different concepts for expressing power in a technique. Some styles advocate that power comes from the hips. And other styles propose that power comes from the waist. In the Shaolin Styles such as Long Fist, the above concepts of expressing or generating power are referred to as Yong Jing Wu Gen (用勁無根) or Rootless Power. The concept of being rootless in Chinese martial arts refers to having no connection to the ground. This flaw must be avoided if true power is to be generated.

How do you generate power from the ground?

The concept Li Cong Di Qi (力從地起) – Power Comes from the Ground requires sensing what the relationship of your feet is with the ground. This is a prerequisite to being able to express power from the ground, through your legs and waist all the way into your strikes.

When we refer to the feet, we actually need to concentrate on the toes. Since the ground cannot move, when the toes press and twist against the ground, a vertical force is generated which, through the turning of the waist, transforms this energy into horizontal force, or power, which is then delivered to your punches and strikes.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Since action requires force, it is force that we must consider here. When you exert force against the ground, the reactionary force equals the amount of force applied.

There are other factors that increase the power of your strikes; I will discuss these in a future post on topics such as mass and acceleration, but this brief essay is a fundamental starting point. Learn to be smooth in using the ground as a source of generating power. If you are too forceful the power will rise quickly to the top of your head and thus become useless.