Getting started in xingyiquan (hsing-I chuan, 形意拳) is not unlike most other northern Chinese martial arts. Footwork, stance, and leg strength training are the focus of the first year's work. What sets xingyi apart is the direction the training takes. Where most systems begin training in hand or leg techniques from the start, xingyi concentrates instead on structure and general principles of movement to generate speed, power, and stability. This approach, which is quite radical in the context of traditional systems, has been so successful that other northern Chinese martial arts have incorporated aspects of xingyi training. Some, for example the 'chuojiao' system and the 'tongbi' system, teach xingyi's basic five elements as secret or advanced training.    

Xingyi Styles:
There are several schools of xingyi, and they are distinguished by the area of China where each is popular as well as by lineage. The Shandong-Hebei school is close to the system as it was originally taught by the founder of xingyi, Ji Long Feng. Other schools include the systems practiced in Shanxi and Henan. The Shanxi school differs only slightly from the Shandong and Hebei schools, and its training methods are similar. The Henan school is quite different, and rarely resembles xingyi as practiced in the other provinces. The training methods are different as well.

Progressive training:
Xingyi training is progressive, meaning that one trains systematically, learning new skills in a logical progression. The foundation is stancework both static and moving. One begins with standing. The student learns to stand in a rear weighted posture, back straight, hips, shoulder, and ankles aligned on a vertical axis. This stance is called the sancai posture and is practiced both left and right for up to 30 minutes on each side. The student then progresses to the five elements or 'wu xing', which are the core movements of the system.

The Five Elements:
The movements learned in the five elements are trained in all directions and combined in as many ways as the student and teacher can devise. The five elements train you to generate force in as many directions as the human frame is capable. They are: splitting, or 'pi-chuan', which trains the student to exert force in a vertical plane (up or down); smashing, or 'beng chuan', which teaches you to generate power in a horizontal plane (back and forth); drilling, which combines vertical and horizontal motion to produce movement on an inclined plane, to which is added rotation 'zuan-chuan' (twisting, also called silk-coiling power); pounding, or 'pao chuan', which combines the actions of smashing and drilling; and finally crossing, or 'heng chuan', which combines the mechanical actions of the previous four and adds rotation around the opponent's central vertical axis. This all can be rather complex, especially in the beginning.

The 12 animal sets:

The five elements are practiced until one is ready for the next phase, the 12 animal sets. The animal sets represent more advanced combinations of the five elements, and contain much of the information needed to produce fluid and rapidly changing techniques, developing lightness, speed, agility, and a springy quality in the student's movements. The 12 animals can include tiger, dragon, horse, monkey, chicken, hawk, swallow, snake, alligator, roc (a large mythical bird), eagle and bear. Each school also has numerous auxiliary exercises, both solo and paired, which drill different aspects of the five elements and 12 animal movements.


Weapons training:
Weapons training is of great importance in xingyi. Weapons generally taught are eyebrow height staff, middle range spear, broadsword, sword, and the spade (chan). Individual schools teach other weapons, some rather exotic. Weapons training teaches the student how to exert the various kinds of force learned in training the five elements beyond his hands and into a weapon or an opponent's body, and serve to improve fluidity and continuity of motion.


Forms:
Xingyi forms outwardly appear quite simple; however, the core of the training lies in learning numerous details to achieve a high degree of coordination, resulting in unified body motion. When one strikes, one's entire body performs that strike, even though to that untrained observer it appears as if only one's hand or foot is executing the technique. As each action contains many critical movements, the movements themselves are simple and trained repetitively. This kind of training makes the movement instinctive, and allows the student to early on grasp the practical applications.