Jim’s journey into the internal arts began with a simple realization: these practices are not just about fighting — they are about the “Big Fight” of living and dying in comfort. Over decades of training and teaching, he has used traditional Taoist and Shaolin methods to help friends, family, and students facing everything from everyday stress to serious illness. Along the way, he has refined, tested, and integrated teachings from multiple systems into a clear, practical approach.

He has worked with people who were told they had no chance of survival and others struggling with chronic conditions, always using the same tools: alignment, breath, intention, and patient repetition. The results have reinforced his belief that these arts are most powerful when they are shared openly and taught in full context — health, martial, and spiritual aspects all working together.

Here is a small taste of the kind of work you’ll find in the course. Take a moment to stand up, if you are able.

1. Find Your Base. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Let your knees soften slightly. Feel your weight spread across the soles of your feet — front to back, side to side — until it feels evenly distributed.

2. Align Your Structure. Let your tailbone gently drop without tucking aggressively. Imagine the crown of your head lightly elongating upward. Your spine lengthens between these two points, like a string being gently drawn from both ends.

3. Breathe Naturally. Breathe in through the nose and out through the nose or mouth, whichever is more comfortable. Don’t force deep breaths. Simply notice how the breath moves your body — the rib cage, the belly, the back.

4. Soften the Tissues. With each exhale, allow a little more weight to settle through the legs into the feet. The bones carry you while the muscles quietly release any unnecessary tension. Notice how this changes the quality of your standing.

This is a tiny glimpse of how the internal arts organize posture, breath, and mind. In the Zhong Ding Healing Arts membership, you’ll explore these principles in standing work, forms, qigong sets, walking practices, and more — with clear guidance at every step.

In the internal arts, waigong (external work) prepares the body so neigong (internal work) can transform it. Stretching tissues, opening joints, aligning the bones, and balancing muscular relationships create space for qi and blood to move freely. Much like stretching a balloon before inflating it, the body must be opened before internal pressure can build safely.

Exercises such as the Eight Brocades are often misunderstood as simple stretches. In reality, the orientation of the palms, the direction of intention, and the rhythm of breath all influence the internal pathways of qi. Downward-facing palms guide qi downward; upward-facing palms draw it upward; inward and outward orientations redirect its flow. Even basic movements have profound effects when taught with these details.

Neigong then uses attention and sequential release to mobilize qi without forcing it. Rather than pushing or squeezing, Jim emphasizes allowing tension to dissolve in a specific order so internal pressure naturally fills the body. This method is both safer and more effective, and it avoids many of the risks associated with overly aggressive approaches.

As the vessel becomes full, energy can nourish the organs, soften the sinews and fascia, and support a more resilient nervous system. Stillness, patience, and precise training reveal deeper layers of understanding. Rushing only causes you to miss the low-hanging fruit.