The Chinese five elements are the basis for the transformations of mutual generating and overcoming, the process of which is the source of all things. The common description of the five elements theory is that in the constructive cycle: metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal. In the “destructive” / controlling cycle: metal overcomes wood, wood overcomes earth, earth overcomes water, water overcomes fire, and fire overcomes metal.

As applying to martial arts, Xingyi explicitly maps the “five fists” into each element, although which came first, the creation of the fists based on the elements or a later adaptation of the elements into the existing martial arts, is not clear and lost in time.

In Tai Chi, there is “Eight Gates and Five Steps” but the five steps is typically not associated with the Five Elements per se even though the Chinese words are the same.

In Yiquan, it is said that 五行合一, or “Five Elements Harmonize as One”: the main skeletal structures and sinew are Metal, providing the core of unyielding hardness. The joints and smaller bones are like the trees and Wood, bending and extending. The whole body moves like a dragon, with the power and character of Water, moving unexpectedly yet with grace. When striking and Fajin, the jin shoots out the hands like an arrow leaving the bow, with the power of Fire. Finally, the entire body, filling with Qi, expressed as Peng Jin, this is the power of Earth.

With every action, always have these five kinds of strength. This is the method of the “five elements harmonizing as one”. Whenever you are not moving, your whole body has a consistent strength, but whenever you are moving, there is everywhere, large and small joints alike, a duality of contending strength above and below, forward and back, left and right. In this way, you can gain the combined strength of your whole body.