05/10/2025
The Principle That Frees the Spine ☀⛓
- Xu Ling Ding Jin (虚领顶劲)
One of my students recently asked me what the correct progression is for learning to properly issue force in internal martial arts. From my experience, there’s truly no limit to the refinement we can pursue in this process. Still, the starting point is always the same: the fundamental principles of correct postural alignment.
I want to take this opportunity to share my analysis of one of these key principles: Xu Ling Ding Jin.
Among the essential postural rules of internal practice, Xu Ling Ding Jin holds a central place. It is the key to establishing the correct alignment of the spine, but it’s not about having a rigid or tense posture. Quite the opposite: it’s a subtle, continuous action that promotes an elastic extension of the body, from the inside upward.
Xu Ling Ding Jin can be understood as “lightly emptying and lifting the crown of the head.”
Imagine your head as a helium balloon 🎈, it rises naturally, gently guiding your spine upward. The neck lengthens, the vertebrae align, and the back “opens” without tension. This principle works in conjunction with Han Xiong Ba Bei (含胸拔背), which involves containing the chest and expanding the back, thereby creating continuity between the cervical area and the torso, allowing the body to root itself with ease and naturalness.
This concept is well known among internal martial arts practitioners. Yet, through discussions with many students and teachers, I’ve often noticed that it is considered easy to achieve, when in fact only a few truly grasp its deep essence and can apply it naturally and consistently.
🌬️ Alignment Reference Points
Xu Ling Ding Jin allows the body’s weight and gravity to flow harmoniously along the central axis (Zhong Xian, 中线).
📍 Central Vertical Line:
The point Bai Hui (百会), located at the crown of the head, should feel as if gently drawn toward the sky ☁️.
Bai Hui aligns with Hui Yin (会阴), situated at the perineum, creating a vertical connection between Heaven and Earth.
🔄 Circular Cervical Motion:
To avoid creating stiffness by applying this principle mechanically, it’s helpful to think in terms of internal motion.
Imagine a small circle connecting four points:
• Cheng Jiang (承浆) – below the mouth
• Ya Men (哑门) – base of the neck
• Hou Ding (后顶) – back of the crown
• Yin Tang (印堂) – between the eyebrows
Follow this path mentally, perceiving a gentle internal rotation along the sagittal plane — as if a small circle moved through your head, front to back. The head remains suspended in dynamic balance, maintaining continuity and lightness through the cervical spine.
🌀 Application and Refinement
Xu Ling Ding Jin is not a momentary gesture — it is a process of continuous refinement, one that must become as natural as breathing.
This principle can be applied at every stage of practice.
• During Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation), the static posture allows you to clearly sense the vertical axis and the upward lift of the head.
• In Shi Li (slow power testing), slow, mindful movements become the perfect ground for maintaining the link between lightness and rootedness.
• Even in spinal mobility work, remembering Xu Ling Ding Jin helps preserve alignment through rotations and bends.
• Finally, in floor work (Wò Gōng), this awareness allows the spine to lengthen even while lying down, without losing the feeling of continuity and openness.
The goal is simple yet profound: the head rises, the neck relaxes, and energy flows freely along the spine.
With consistent practice, Xu Ling Ding Jin becomes part of the foundation for developing Peng Jin (掤劲) — an alive, elastic, and centred internal force that keeps the joints free, aligned, and connected.
From my experience, Xu Ling Ding Jin is the meeting point of lightness and strength: The mind ascends, the body roots, and the spine breathes. 🌿
Mauro Antonino D'Angelo