Intent in Martial Arts

Below is an excerpt of an article that was posted at Internal Power Training. The full article may be read here.

There is a saying in the internal arts that one ‘follows the line of intent’, this is the process of moving in accordance with our will to act using the Intent as the link between the mind and the motion. But there is more to this concept than simply following how we would like to move.

Moving along the lines of intent is a concept that is, at its core, related to efficiency. It is the pure and unwavering action, the movement that is not diffused with other thoughts or considerations. Often I would hear one of my teachers say ‘don’t think, just go!’ when my movement would be sluggish, disjointed or inefficient.

As we have discovered in other articles, movement is formed at the level of the brain. The root of movement is not in the final action observed by others; this is merely the result. If we look at movement as if the physical action is the beginning and end of the story, it would be a bit like thinking a tree grows from its leaves first.


But the movement does happen, and how it happens, with what level of efficiency is of the utmost importance to the internal arts practitioner (and probably any movement artist). In the internal arts there is a deep introspection and focus on how the movements follow the will to act. We see the disciples of the many styles agonizing over their alignments and connections, looking to squeeze every last bit of efficiency out of their motion.

Correct alignment, connection and conditioning are all pre-requisites when looking at our ability to move in accordance with the directions of our intent. But there are ways to work on our movement capability at the level of Intent itself. These techniques use a combination of visualization, strong will to move and clear mental focus. Of course, when fighting the various systems work in harmony, but whether it be the conditioned response or the conscious decision to move, it is in training of the intent where one of the Keys reside. Correct training of the intent can increase our ‘signal strength’ and increase power dramatically in the motions.