Core principle

Yi 意

yì

“Intent” — the core principle that gives the art its name: true force comes from mental focus, not from muscular training. The conscious direction of the imagination governs qi, inner strength and the alignment of the body; physical actions become the expression of mental will. It runs through every stage of training.

The principle that gives the name

Yiquan means “intention boxing”. Yi (意, also Yi Nian 意念) is therefore not one principle among others but the one that names the system and sets it apart from other martial arts. Wang Xiangzhai's position on this is unambiguous: true force does not come from muscle training but from mental focus.

What is meant is the deliberate direction of inner attention in order to steer the practice — alignment, direction of force, inner tension. Mind and body are synchronised so that physical action becomes the expression of mental will.

Where it appears

Yi runs through all stages of the training guide, not one in particular:

In Zhan Zhuang mental images produce the fine inner tension: a balloon between the hands, standing waist-deep in water, embracing a tree.
In Shili and Mo Jin the image of resistance or water directs the force.
In therapeutic use, specific images are applied according to the condition.

Yi is closely bound to Entspannung — which releases the blockages the image would otherwise have to work against — and to the aim of Hun Yuan Li.

Two modes

Yu Yong Nian sorts mental activity in standing into two categories, which corrects the widespread notion of “just relax”:

Monitoring — for beginners: cultivating relaxation, setting stray thoughts aside. This is the mode for therapeutic application.
Excitation — for the physically healthy: deliberately contracting and relaxing resting muscle, raising the intensity of training.

Mental work is therefore not uniformly calming. It can just as well be activation — which mode fits depends on the practitioner, not on the exercise.