The founders of this field of art practiced, mastered the skills and later described the underlying principles; balancing the body, effortless power and internal energy. These same people codified the main principles that still guide the field even today. The main principles as described by the founders are; physical mechanism, linking the body and mind, and striving to attain advanced skills.
The principle of body mechanism majorly entails the hard vs. Soft tissue support and empty full ideologies. Founders of this principles argued that the body is supported by hard tissues; bones and soft tissues; muscles, ligaments and tendons. This principle states that the bones in a human body interlock in a way that lessens the work done by muscles, tendons and ligaments.
According to the founders of these principles, the human body works like lever machines. It has fulcrums; turning points that turn, and in the process, reduce the workload. So, just like the fulcrum in a lever system, an artist must find a suitable posture to multiply the effort applied in order to destroy his/her target.
On the other hand, the full empty principle suggests that the human body is made up of full and empty points. A fighter should know the full and empty parts of his/her opponent if he/she has to beat him/her. Knowing these points is essential in helping the fighter move fast and steadily. It also ensures that balance is maintained even after the strongest knock by the opponent. The fighter ought to strike the strongest points of the opponent.
Creators of this genre of also insisted on linking the body and the mind. They always believed that our bodies are controlled by the mind. Therefore, one can avoid pain and gain more strength by engaging the mind. According to this principle, therefore, physical strength is useless if the mind is not involved.
Internal martial arts is different from normal stretching and exercises in the sense that, it has a therapeutic impact on the body, and this is lacking in the later. The sung involved in Tai chi and yoga helps the body and mind relax and be free from interruptions from the surrounding. It gets rid of dysfunctions due to bad positioning, balances the muscles and opens meridian channels.
Therefore, this genre is all about minimizing the energy spent in a fight. It uses principles that ensure use of minimal energy in achieving greater ends. This is achieved through engaging the mind more that physical strength. The City of California has greatly borrowed this Chinese culture. The Three Treasures Internal Arts has even started classes to teach the people of California about this culture.