After the softening of muscular contraction (jīròu sōng 肌肉鬆), the next refinement is the release and opening of the joints. Muscles govern contraction, but it is the joints (guānjié 關節) that govern true mobility and transmission. If a joint is compressed, locked, or misaligned, the flow of jìn (勁, trained force) is interrupted. Guānjié sōng does not mean slackness, but the restoration of space (kōngjiān 空間) and suspension (xuán 懸) within each articulation, so that weight and force pass through without obstruction.

In Taijiquan, every joint becomes like a gate (guān 關) that must remain open, yet supported. When the gates are free, the body becomes an unbroken channel from foot (zú 足) to hand (shǒu 手).

Principle of Opening and Closing (開合 kāihé)

Joint release expresses itself as dynamic kāihé (opening and closing). To open (kāi 開) is to create space and expansion within the joint; to close (hé 合) is to condense and stabilize without collapse. Proper guānjié sōng allows the joint to “float,” like being suspended in water: weight passes through cleanly, and spiraling force can issue without grinding or blockage.

Biomechanically, this is joint decompression combined with optimal centration—the bone sits centered within its socket, supported by balanced myofascial tension, free to articulate smoothly under load.

Spinal Release (脊柱鬆 jǐzhù sōng)

The spine (jǐzhù 脊柱) is the central axis of Taijiquan. Compression here — particularly in the thoracic-lumbar junction — restricts breathing (hūxī 呼吸), qi flow (qìdào 氣道), and rotational transmission. Through jǐzhù sōng, each vertebral segment regains micro-mobility, allowing the back (bèi 背) to act like a flexible bow. Classical texts describe this as “the energy rises like a string of pearls” (zhū lián bù duàn 珠連不斷), where the spine articulates vertebra by vertebra without breaks.

Shoulder and Elbow Joints (肩肘關節 jiān-zhǒu guānjié)

When the shoulder (jiān 肩) and elbow (zhǒu 肘) are stiff or compressed, the arms act like rigid poles, cut off from the torso. With release, these joints allow the arms to “hang from the back” (bèi 背), transmitting power from the kuà (胯) to the hands without interruption. Modern biomechanics calls this the restoration of scapulohumeral rhythm and proper elbow alignment, so that force vectors transmit cleanly without shear.

Hip, Knee, and Ankle Joints (髖膝踝關節 kuān-xī-huái guānjié)

• Hip (kuān 髖 / kuà 胯): The universal pivot. When open, the pelvis becomes the true hinge of Taiji movement.

• Knee (xī 膝): Must remain supple and aligned with the toes. Xī sōng means the knee is never locked, but always springy, like a well-cushioned joint.

• Ankle (huái 踝): A free ankle allows rooting into the Yǒngquán point (湧泉) while returning ground force upward with elasticity.

Together, these three joints form the lower-body chain that absorbs, transmits, and returns ground force into every action.

Modern Mechanics

From a technical standpoint, guānjié sōng involves:

• Joint decompression — reducing chronic compressive load via muscular release and postural rebalancing.
  
  

• Centration of articulations — aligning bones within their sockets to maximize force transfer with minimal wear.
  
  

• Fascial tensegrity — ensuring connective tissue elasticity holds joints dynamically open while preserving stability.

When joints are released, the body becomes like a series of open gateways: energy and ground reaction forces flow seamlessly, uninterrupted from feet (zú 足) through spine (jǐ 脊) to hands (shǒu 手). This is the structural prerequisite for higher-level skills such as tīng jìn (聽勁, “listening energy”) and huà jìn (化勁, “transforming energy”).

Practical Training (實修 shíxiū)

How to develop guānjié sōng in practice:

• Silk Reeling (纏絲 chán sī): Slow spirals with arms and legs, focusing on the joints “floating open” rather than grinding. Each circle should feel spacious, as if the limb is suspended in water.

• Spinal Wave (龍身 lóng shēn): Gentle undulations from sacrum to crown, vertebra by vertebra, awakening segmental release.

• Suspended Posture (虛領頂勁 xū lǐng dǐng jìn): Standing practice where the crown is lightly lifted, creating space in the spine, hips, and knees.

• Knee–Ankle Alignment Drills: Slow shifting of weight, ensuring the knee always tracks the toes. This protects the joints while teaching springy release.

• Partner “Pressure Tests”: Allow a partner to press lightly on shoulders, hips, or arms. Instead of resisting, open the joints so the force passes through the structure to the ground.

Through these practices, guānjié sōng becomes a lived experience: joints that are released, suspended, and alive — gateways through which both weight and energy can flow unimpeded.