Explaining Xing Yi Quan’s seven movement concept (起落钻翻橫竖順)

Here are the seven key words used a lot in classic Xing Yi manual:

Lifting (起), Dropping (落), Drilling (钻), Overturning (翻), horizontal (橫), vertical (竖), Follow (順) 。

I will use Pi Quan’s movement to explain the above seven key words/concept:

1. The beginning of your hand’s movement is “Lifting”.
2. Then it comes out straight upward, which is “Drilling”.
3. After Drilling, your wrist slightly twists, which is an action occurring in a “Horizontal” manner.
4. The twisting causes the tiger’s mouth of your hand to face upward, which is the “Overturning”.
5. When the tiger’s mouth gets to the point that it is fully facing upward, it is now “Vertical”.
6. Once vertical, your hand is right on the cusp of “Dropping”. But it is not necessary to drop it rapidly, for the opponent may be separated from you by some slight distance, in which case close on him by sending your hand out forward (“Dropping” it forward).
7. In the Xing Yi classic manual, beyond “Drilling”, “Overturning”, “Horizontal”, “Vertical”, “Lifting”, “Dropping”, it also says: “In “Dropping” there is a “Following” aspect, but it is invisible.” (落順不見順之順字). In this movement, the action of “Dropping” is both “Following” gravity downward and “Following” the opponent forward.