Meridian and FasciaTheory in Recieving and Issuing Energy

 Meridian and FasciaTheory in Recieving and Issuing Energy

The statement that "when you issue energy, it is the inside (or outside) of the arms that are used, and vice versa" comes from different frameworks in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), biomechanics, and fascia theory. Let’s break down these perspectives and how they work:

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1️⃣ Meridian Theory (TCM Perspective)

Traditional Chinese Medicine explains energy (氣, Qi) movement based on meridians (經絡), which are pathways through which Qi flows. The inside and outside of the arms are linked to different meridian pairs:

🔸 Inside of the Arms (Yin Meridians):

• Lung (手太陰肺經)

• Heart (手少陰心經)

• Pericardium (手厥陰心包經)

• Function: Receiving, storing, and consolidating energy. These are softer, nurturing energies.

🔹 Outside of the Arms (Yang Meridians):

• Large Intestine (手陽明大腸經)

• Small Intestine (手太陽小腸經)

• Triple Burner/San Jiao (手少陽三焦經)

• Function: Projecting, issuing, and dispersing energy. These are outward, explosive forces.

💡 Why does this matter?

• When absorbing force, the Yin meridians (inside of the arms) help guide energy inward.

• When issuing force, the Yang meridians (outside of the arms) extend and release energy outward.

• This is why some say "the inside of the arms receives" and "the outside of the arms issues."

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2️⃣ Fascia Lines (Western Anatomy Perspective)

Fascia is the connective tissue network that links the entire body. It provides structural support and plays a role in force transmission. The inside and outside of the arms correspond to specific myofascial lines:

🔸 Inside (Superficial Front Arm Line & Deep Front Arm Line)

• Includes pectoralis major, biceps, flexor muscles of the forearm.

• Function: Draws energy inward, supports pulling, absorbing force.

🔹 Outside (Superficial Back Arm Line & Deep Back Arm Line)

• Includes triceps, deltoids, extensor muscles of the forearm.

• Function: Extends and projects force outward (pushing, issuing energy).

💡 Why does this matter?

• When issuing peng jing (expansive energy), the back arm fascia helps project force outward.

• When absorbing luo jing (redirecting energy), the front arm fascia aids in receiving force.

• Fascia works as a continuous elastic system—if you stretch the inside, the outside gets loaded for release.

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3️⃣ Biomechanics (Physical Movement Perspective)

From a structural point of view, issuing and receiving force involves:

• Inside of the arms (Yin side) → Often used when redirecting or storing energy.

• Outside of the arms (Yang side) → Often used when releasing or expanding energy.

🔄 Reversing Roles

• Sometimes, the inside can issue (e.g., elbow strikes, palm strikes)

• And the outside can absorb (e.g., forearm blocks, structural bracing).

• But generally, issuing is more efficient with yang structures, and absorbing is more efficient with yin structures.

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🔄 Integration: How It All Works Together?

Perspective	Inside of the Arms	Outside of the Arms
TCM (Meridians)	Absorbs, stores Qi (Lung, Heart, Pericardium)	Releases, projects Qi (Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Triple Burner)
Fascia (Anatomy)	Supports pulling, absorption (Front Arm Line)	Supports pushing, extension (Back Arm Line)
Biomechanics	Used in redirecting, neutralizing force	Used in issuing, projecting force

🌀 Practical Tai Chi Application

• In push hands, when pulling in or neutralizing, the inside of the arms is dominant.

• In fa jin (發勁), the outside structure supports outward projection.

• In reversing energy, the inside may become the issuing side when using certain spiraling techniques.

So, different theories (meridians, fascia, biomechanics) describe the same phenomenon from different angles. They overlap rather than contradict each other. Understanding them together helps refine energy control in Tai Chi. 😊