Most discussions of Yiquan (意拳) and Dachengquan (大成拳) rightly begin with zhan zhuang — the standing post from which everything flows. But once a practitioner has spent serious time in the post, a question arises that reveals whether they understand the system or only admire it: How do you move?
Wang Xiangzhai was unambiguous on this point. According to the Dachengquan training curriculum documented by his senior student Yu Yongnian, the full system comprises zhan zhuang as the main course, completed with stepping (bu fa 步法), testing force (shi li 試力), issuing force (fa li 發力), testing voice (shi sheng 試聲), pushing hands (tui shou 推手), and sparring (san shou 散手). Stepping is not an afterthought — it is the bridge between the cultivated internal state and actual combat utility.
Yu Yongnian states directly: “Steps are decisive in combat and will even determine the issue of this confrontation.” And yet bu fa is probably the least-discussed and least-taught element of the system in the West. This post covers all of Yiquan’s stepping methods in depth, then compares them with the stepping logic of Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, and Taijiquan — with inline video for every method.
The Governing Principle: Centerline Before Feet
Before examining individual methods, you need the principle that governs all internal martial arts stepping. Jan Diepersloot states it precisely in Masters of Perception:
Shift first. Step second. The weight clears one leg entirely before that leg moves. The torso never leans. The centerline stays plumb in all three planes: vertical (up-down), horizontal (forward-backward / side-to-side), and rotational. If you lean, you telegraph. If you telegraph, a trained opponent reads you.
Part IYiquan / Dachengquan Stepping (意拳步法)
The Structural Division: Fixed and Unfixed Steps
Wang Xiangzhai’s writings, translated by Paul Brennan in The Correct Path of Yiquan, establish the fundamental taxonomy:
Fixed stepping maintains a consistent lead: suited to advancing pressure and retreating evasion without disrupting structure. Unfixed stepping enables angular attacks, crossing the opponent’s centerline, and sudden reversal of initiative. The combat stance is 40% front / 60% rear, switching when a technique is applied.
Testing Step on the Spot Yuándi Shì Bù
The most foundational walking exercise in Dachengquan. Yu Yongnian: “All further step techniques are just variations/improvements of this basic exercise.”
How: Stand with all weight on the left leg. Lift the right foot — sole and heel parallel to the ground — no more than 2–3 cm. The inner knee and heel of the lifted leg stay in light contact with the standing leg. Slowly step the empty foot forward and outward, placing sole then heel, or both simultaneously. The upper body must not shift, rock, or lean at any point.
The diagnostic test: After placing the foot, immediately try to lift it again. If the torso must compensate backward, weight leaked forward too early. If you can lift it freely, the step was correctly loaded.
Why: This is zhan zhuang in motion. Every subsequent stepping method is a development of this single-rooting capacity. When: Daily before any dynamic stepping. Return to it whenever balance under pressure deteriorates.
Moca Bu — The Friction / Grinding Step
The signature footwork of Yiquan. The foot is never lifted with a high swinging gait — it is first drawn in next to the rooted foot, then extended forward in a low, dragging half-circle, maintaining contact with or brushing close to the ground.
How: From the combat stance (60% rear). Draw the rear foot in close to the lead foot without lifting it high, then slide-extend it forward along or just above the ground. Once placed, push from the rear leg to shift the centerline. Do not commit weight until the foot is down and there is slight isometric tension between front and rear leg.
Three heights:
- High stance, small steps, feet parallel — maximum agility. Primary method.
- Medium stance, longer step, rear foot slightly out — stability over agility.
- Low stance, longest step, rear foot naturally turned out — rooting and power training.
Breathing: inhale on placement (loading), exhale on shift (releasing).
Why: Low foot carriage prevents telegraphing. Testing tension means power generation begins at landing. Ground contact makes sweeps far harder. When: Moca bu is the default Yiquan mode of locomotion in combat.
📹 Wang Xuanjie — Dachengquan Moca Bu
Wang Xuanjie, senior student of Wang Xiangzhai and author of Dachengquan, demonstrates moca bu in the hunyuan zhuang posture. Feet barely leave the ground; upper body completely still throughout.
📹 Han Xingyuan — Yiquan Moca Bu
Han Xingyuan — who transmitted Yiquan to the West via Fong Ha — demonstrates moca bu in both the cultivation posture and the combat stake position. One of the few recordings bridging the Beijing and Western transmission lines.
📹 Yiquan Park — Moca Bu: How It Connects With Zhanzhuang, Shili & Combat
“Mocabu is the footwork training of Yiquan. It’s the practice of ‘Force-moving’, which aims to properly move the ‘unified’ force in the need of combat. Specifically, the practice of Mocabu enables us to move our steps while maintaining the unified force which is developed and cultivated by the first two steps, Zhanzhuang and Shili. Mocabu is essentially Shili of footsteps… Only if the unified force is maintained on moving steps, can attack, defense and counterattack be efficient and effective. Technically, Zhanzhuang searches and develops the ‘unified’ force in motionless movement or minimum movement. Shili cultivates the ‘unified’ force in slow movement. Mocabu further develops and cultivates the ‘unified’ force in motion. Yiquan specifies: ‘Use non-fixed steps as steps; use non-fixed rules as rules.’”
Lower Position Walking Dī Jià Shì Bù
A deeper version of the testing step with a larger forward displacement (20–30 cm) and an explicit weight-commitment test after every placement.
How: All weight on rear leg, front foot lifted 2–3 cm. Extend the empty foot forward 20–30 cm, sole first. Once placed, deliberately lift the foot again to test: if the torso must shift backward to free it, weight leaked forward. Only when the test passes do you push from the rear leg to shift forward, keeping the trunk vertical throughout.
Why: Makes explicit the weight-testing logic that moca bu makes implicit. The training behind the classical instruction: “When your foot comes down, it is like a tree planting roots.” When: Use as a corrective drill whenever moca bu reveals forward-lean tendencies. Valuable in push-hands for developing sensitivity to the exact moment weight can commit without losing root.
Retreating Step Tuì Bù
The same moca bu mechanics reversed. The rear foot extends away in a semi-circle and is placed before the centerline shifts. The front foot then closes the gap. The torso stays upright throughout.
Why: Poorly trained retreating is the most common flaw in internal martial arts fighting. A skilled Yiquan fighter’s retreat looks like their advance: same moca bu quality, same plumb structure, same readiness to reverse into forward pressure. When: “When it is time to retreat, retreat to guide his energy.”
Turning and Direction Change Zhuǎn Bù
From parallel stance with weight fixed over the right foot: rotate 45° left and place the left foot pointing diagonally to the corner. Shift centerline over the left foot. Rotate torso 90° to face the new direction.
The classical instruction: “When going to the left or right, or turning around to face behind you, it is like a tiger searching a hillside.”
Note: the Baguazhang principle “inner leg walks the square, outer leg walks the circle” maps directly onto this — revealing the common structural logic between Yiquan’s turning step and circle-walking arts.
Sole Force Development — The Hidden Training
Practiced while holding any zhan zhuang posture. Micro-contractions of the sole musculature with no visible displacement:
- Expanding / embracing: both soles simultaneously expand outward, then gather inward. 2–5 mm displacement only.
- Sliding: front sole slides slightly forward while rear sole slides slightly backward, then reverses. Opposing forces, no actual movement — develops the ground-friction power that drives all moca bu.
- Trampling and rubbing: rear sole stamps down while front sole rubs forward, then reverses — the internal image behind the actual step.
Yu Yongnian calls this the “Second Kinetics of physical exercise.” Without this foundational work, the external form of moca bu is correct but inert.
Part IIComparative Stepping from the Internal Arts
Yiquan did not arise in isolation. Wang Xiangzhai absorbed Guo Yunshen’s Xingyiquan deeply, studied Baguazhang and Taijiquan practitioners extensively, and explicitly referenced all three in his writings. Their stepping methods illuminate both the shared logic and the deliberate departures that define Yiquan’s approach.
形意拳Xingyiquan — Plowing Steps
Xingyiquan is Yiquan’s direct ancestor. Wang Xiangzhai trained under Guo Yunshen, renowned above all for his half-step crushing fist. The Xingyi classics: “Stepping like a plow overturning the earth; placing the feet as if one is a rooted tree.”
📹 Xingyi Quan Ten Minute Primer — Basic Footwork & Stepping
“The classics describe its general footwork and stepping methods as follows: when advancing, the front foot steps first; when retreating, the rear foot steps first; when advancing, the back foot follows in closely; when retreating, the front foot must follow in… Xingyi employs a direct and overbearing approach to combat, utilizing whole body power with an imposing attitude… 70% of its force is produced by the legs… Proficiency in the art is heavily dependent on correct and fluent footwork… Stepping like a plow overturning the earth, placing the feet as if one is a rooted tree.”
Full advancing step (趟步 Tāng Bù): Pad step → step-through → follow-in. Toes of the rear foot must not open beyond 45° — more opens the groin and dissipates forward-peddling power.
Half-step (半步 Bàn Bù): Made famous by Guo Yunshen. Left foot advances half a step; right foot slides in and lands behind the left heel with a thump. Weight stays rear. The explosive entry method behind beng quan — directly parallel with moca bu.
Cover step (插步 Chā Bù): Rear foot crosses forward past the front leg with toes out, thighs briefly closing, body obliquely twisted. Used to flank or enter from an unexpected angle.
For the seasoned practitioner: Train Xingyi stepping to develop explosive forward-peddling power and direct entry tactics; then dissolve those shapes back into Yiquan’s formless adaptability. The underlying physiology is identical — rear-weighted, low foot carriage, ground-driven — the expression differs.
八卦掌Baguazhang — Circle Walking
Baguazhang’s foundational exercise is circle walking (走圈 zǒu quān), typically practiced 40–60 minutes per session. Its stepping: the “mud-wading step” (趟泥步 tāng ní bù) — the same earthy friction imagery as moca bu, and for good reason.
📹 Cheng Bagua Circle Walking — A Deep Breakdown
Master NRouHua, 6th generation Cheng BaguaZhang (trained with 4th generation Master Liu Xinhan 1980–1996). Filmed at Tiantan, Beijing, 2015. No subtitles — the stepping itself is the instruction.
📹 Baguazhang Circle Walking — 4 Basic Steps Explained in Full
Full breakdown of the 4 basic Bagua steps with circle walking practice. Timestamps: 15:37 steps demonstrated · 17:20 steps explained · 30:36 inner/outer leg principle.
The four basic Bagua steps:
- Flat foot step — foot lands flat. Develops even ground contact.
- Toe-in step (扣步 kòu bù) — inner foot hooks inward toward the circle’s centre, enabling continuous direction change without breaking structure.
- Toe-out step (摆步 bǎi bù) — outer foot reaches across the circle, heel landing first, toes opening outward.
- Mud-wading step (趟泥步) — low foot carriage, constant downward pressure into the ground. The quality that unifies all three previous steps.
Organizing principle: “The inner leg walks the square, the outer leg walks the circle.”
For the seasoned practitioner: Circle walking develops rotational centerline movement often underdeveloped in linear Yiquan practice. Integration exercise: practice moca bu on a circular path, maintaining hunyuan or cheng bao arm posture, for 10–20 minutes without stopping.
太極拳Taijiquan — Empty-Leg Stepping
Taijiquan’s stepping rule: “When stepping, be like a cat.” The full weight must leave a leg before that leg moves.
📹 Chen Style Tai Chi — Step by Step for Beginners
Full tutorial on Chen-style stepping: bow stance (gong bu), empty stance (xu bu), and the heel-toe stepping sequence.
Heel-first placement on advance: The heel lands first, expressing “ward off” (peng) from the first point of contact — testing for resistance before weight is committed.
Toe-first placement on retreat: Toe lands first, testing before committing.
The full weight test: Before any foot lifts, 100% of weight must transfer onto the standing leg. Structurally identical to Yiquan’s lift test in lower position walking.
Shifting as its own practice: Taijiquan isolates the centerline shift — from foot to foot in the archer stance — as a standalone exercise. Hours of weight transfer without lifting the feet at all. This develops the weight-distribution sensitivity behind the exquisitely controlled timing of Taiji stepping in push-hands and application.
For the seasoned practitioner: Taijiquan slow-form stepping is the best diagnostic for the plumb-centerline principle. The Chen-style emphasis on chan si jin (silk-reeling) during stepping is also a productive training concept for the ground-driven rotational power Yiquan uses in fa li.
Part IIIThe Common Thread — And What Makes Yiquan Unique
Across all four systems, the shared stepping principles are:
- Weight clears before the leg moves.
- The torso stays plumb. Leaning telegraphs and disrupts structure.
- Foot carriage is low. High stepping empties the base and signals intention.
- Feet land firmly and immediately. No tentative half-landings.
- Rear-weighted stance is the default. The rear leg is the primary reservoir of power and mobility.
What distinguishes Yiquan’s moca bu from all of them is the explicit integration of internal force training with footwork. In Xingyi, the step generates power. In Bagua, the step develops evasive structure. In Taiji, the step develops sensitivity and yielding. In Yiquan, the step is a continuation of shi li — it must carry the unified hunyuan force cultivated in the post. If the force is not present when you step, the step is incomplete regardless of how technically correct its mechanics are.
— Wang Xiangzhai
“Your body should crowd him. Your step should pass him. Your foot should stomp him.”
Training Recommendations
- Daily minimum: 20 minutes of moca bu — 10 forward, 5 backward, 5 turning. Hold any arm posture from your standing practice. Can you maintain the internal state of the post while moving?
- Weekly: 10 minutes of circle walking in Yiquan posture. Use the Bagua “inner leg square, outer leg circle” principle to develop rotational step capacity.
- Cross-training: One session per week of slow Taijiquan-style stepping — 100% weight testing at every transition. It reveals leaks invisible in faster practice.
- Diagnostic (Yu Yongnian): After any forward step, immediately lift that foot without the upper body compensating. If you cannot, you have pre-committed weight — start the step over.
- Internal instruction: Imagine your feet wading through thick mud — not for the resistance, but for the constant downward pressure and ground contact. This is the yi (意) that governs moca bu.
Conclusion
Stepping in Yiquan is zhan zhuang in motion. It is the ongoing expression of hunyuan force through a moving, living body — structured enough to maintain integrity, formless enough to adapt to whatever arises.
The comparison with Xingyi, Bagua, and Taijiquan reveals not competing approaches but complementary training methodologies. Xingyi’s forward-peddling power, Bagua’s rotational evasiveness, and Taijiquan’s exquisitely sensitive weight transfer each illuminate a different facet of what moca bu, at its fullest, is meant to contain.
Start there. Practice daily. Test everything.
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