I teach 8 bodycore skills that relate to all martial arts. They are:

Soften
Connect
Open
Close
Stretch
Compress
Twist
Release

We spend a lifetime studying these and are forever finding more depth.

Softening without collapsing leads to connection throughout the body. Open and close are passive and a form of releasing, if you try to stretch or compress without going through these stages you will be stiff and awkward.

Stretching without stiffening gives you the range to utilise stretching to encourage the flow of energy and compressing without collapsing does the same. Twisting is a form of both of these but deserves a separate study.

Release follows stretch, compress or twist and releases power and energy for either healing in the body or discharging in fajin.

As the years of study progress and training inevitably becomes more internal you will discover many deep internal adjustments to improve these core skills and develop better health, release unnecessary tension encouraging better emotional intelligence and improve internal power in your techniques.

If you don’t understand this post I’d suggest you save it because later in your training you’d wish you had.