Once muscular (jīròu sōng 肌肉鬆) and joint (guānjié sōng 關節鬆) release have been established, the final structural refinement at the physical level is the release and conditioning of connective tissues, particularly fascia (jīnmó 筋膜). Fascia forms a continuous web (jīnmó wǎng 筋膜網) that links muscles, bones, and organs, transmitting tension and storing elastic energy. Restricted fascia obstructs the seamless flow of force (jìn 勁) and blocks coordinated movement. Jīnmó sōng is the cultivation of elasticity, glide, and pre-tension — a state where the body feels simultaneously light, resilient, and interconnected.

In Taijiquan, fascia acts as the structural medium for “soft power”, allowing force to spiral, rebound, and transmit efficiently without brute muscular effort. When fascia is released, every joint and muscle functions as part of a continuous chain rather than isolated segments.

Principle of Elastic Suspension (彈性懸吊 tánxìng xuándiào)

Fascia should not be loose or lax. Instead, it maintains dynamic tension that supports the skeleton and joints while allowing freedom of movement. This “floating compression” (xuán yā 懸壓) permits bones to act as struts, fascia as elastic cables. When weight shifts, fascia distributes the load across the body, storing and returning elastic energy in spiral patterns (chán sī jìn 纏絲勁).

Key Regions of Fascial Release

• Spinal Fascia (jiǔròu jīnmo 脊肉筋膜): Connects vertebrae, muscles, and ligaments, enabling the spine to act as a flexible central axis for rotation and spiraling force.

• Back and Shoulder Fascia (bèi-jiān jīnmo 背肩筋膜): Facilitates arm-back connection and transmission from root (gēn 根) through the upper limbs.

• Pelvis and Hip Fascia (tún-kuà jīnmo 臀胯筋膜): Integrates lower body chains for stepping, weight shifts, and rotational grounding.

• Leg and Foot Fascia (tuǐ-zú jīnmo 腿足筋膜): Transfers ground reaction forces into the body, enabling the elastic return of energy.

Modern Mechanics

From a contemporary lens, jīnmó sōng involves:

• Fascial Glide — layers of fascia slide smoothly over one another, reducing friction and allowing full range of motion.

• Tensegrity Support — fascia maintains pre-tension, suspending bones and joints for both stability and elasticity.

• Elastic Force Transmission — stored energy in fascial networks contributes to spiraling and rebounding jìn, reducing muscular effort.

In biomechanics, this explains the efficiency of Taijiquan movement: less muscle tension is needed, while the body can transmit and redirect force over long chains.

Practical Training (實修 shíxiū)

• Myofascial Spiral Rolls: Using gentle rolling along limbs and torso to awaken fascial elasticity along spirals (chán sī).

• Stretch-and-Release Flow: Slow, continuous movements where fascia stretches and recoils dynamically, such as in silk-reeling (chán sī).

• Internal Suspension Drills: While standing in postures (zhan zhuang variants), imagine the fascia “lifting” the bones from inside, creating floating tension.

• Partner Feedback: Light pushes or pulls to test whether force passes through the body’s fascial network without stiffness.

• Elastic Rebound Practice: Small spiral pulses through the arms and legs to feel stored energy return along fascial lines.

Through these methods, the practitioner experiences the body as an interconnected elastic system: the skeletal frame is supported, the joints float freely, and the muscles and fascia transmit and return energy seamlessly.

This completes the Physical Dimension of Song (身鬆 shen song), progressing from:

1. Muscular release (jīròu sōng 肌肉鬆)

2. Joint release (guānjié sōng 關節鬆)

3. Connective tissue and fascial release (jīnmó sōng 筋膜鬆)

With this foundation, the practitioner is prepared to enter the Mental Dimension of Song (心鬆 xin song), where intention, awareness, and mental release refine the physical structure into an integrated body-mind system.