From Dai Long Bang – Internal stylist may want to read this from time to time

[Xue Sheng]

If the dan tian is lacking, the qi will not be sufficient. With insufficient qi, power will be inadequate. The five elements and the twelve forms will be empty. In this state, in defense one will be as a city surrounded by a dry moat, in attack, one will be like a strong soldier on a weak horse. One must practice diligently every day. Sitting in meditation trying to become immortal will not cultivate the dan tien

-From Dai Long Bang’s Written Transmission of Xin Yi Liu He Quan
- Found in Xing Yi Nei Gong Xing Yi Health Maintenance and Internal Strength Development compiled by Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell

This is just my opinion, but over the years I have seen more than my fair share of ICMA people more concerned about the dan tian and qi development and thinking that will make them invincible than actually training the forms and learning to apply them. I just feel that the word of Dai Long Bang should be read once and a while as should some thing other IMA people from the past wrote.

Dai Longbang

Dai Longbang (Chinese: 戴龍&#37030 (1732?–1801) was a Chinese master of the internal martial art of Xinyiquan (Heart and Intention Boxing), the precursor of Xingyiquan (Form and Intention Boxing). He was from Shanxi province. His brother Dai Lin Bang was also a master of Xinyi.[1] Dai Long Bang's teacher was Cao Jiwu.

Dai Longbang further developed Xinyi and wrote the book “The Six Harmonies Fists”, which constitutes the written classics of the style. As a result, Xinyi also became known as “The Dai Family style” and Dai Long Bang has thus been credited with the creation of Xinyi. However, Dai Long Bang himself states in his book that he did not create Xinyi Quan.

The Dai brothers were in the vegetable wholesale business, and did not publicly teach to others outside their family. However, after many years of keeping the art within the family, Dai Long Bang's son Dai Wenxiong accepted Li Luoneng as a student, who went on to become a very famous martial artist, and a popularizer of the art. It was Li Luoneng who modified Xinyi and called it Xingyi.