The Principle of Operation Mechanism
The mechanisms defined by Rules A–D account for Taijiquan’s dynamics, yet they seldom act alone. Instead, they interweave into two operative mechanisms—Integration and Synchronization—each realized through precisely timed coordination of joints and muscles: locking and unlocking, holding and releasing relative positions, and alternating Relaxing and Tightening.
1. Integration
Integration is a mechanism that orchestrates a precise, body-wide sequence of actions, enabling power to transfer from bottom to top, eliminating uncoordinated motion, and maximizing transmission efficiency.
It is powered principally by the External Force of gravity. Guided by sequential Relaxation, a precisely timed series of joint locks and releases transfers momentum from the lower body to the upper body and outward through a chosen contact point.
Integration synthesizes all four rules. It works primarily through Rule A (gravity-based conversion) and Rule D (structural locking), draws on Rule B (external impact) whenever that input is present, and relies on the continual background of Rule C (Counter-Movement) for directional readiness and segmental rhythm.
2. Synchronization
Synchronization is Integration’s counterpart: each depends on precise sequencing and the shared principle of borrowing External Forces. Synchronization is powered primarily by impact (such as an opponent’s push or pull), whereas Integration draws principally on gravity. At the base of this framework lie Yi, Relaxation, and Jin; upon this foundation stand the four muscle states; and superimposed on them are Integration and Synchronization—the most visible operational expressions of Taijiquan’s dynamics.
Through a precisely timed chain of targeted Relaxation and structural locking, the opponent’s momentum is absorbed and redirected—from horizontal to vertical—propagating from the upper body to the lower segments. Guided by Yi, the body then rises, converting that input into vertical potential energy, which is subsequently discharged outward through Integration.
Synchronization embodies the coordinated action of all four rules. It opens with Rule B—converting external impact into vertical potential energy—and then transitions to Rule A, which reissues that energy. Meanwhile, Rule C furnishes directional readiness and segmental rhythm, and Rule D provides the structural unity required for efficient transmission.
Taijiquan Framework 