Why Similar Postures in a Form Mean Little Many applications and usages in Chinese martial arts can be found in numerous different styles. One of the reasons for common applications is that over the centuries, certain applications have been found to be so generally useful that most Chinese martial arts adopted those applications. Remember that the Chinese martial arts evolved over thousands of years and the better techniques have been codified and saved. One of the prominent features of the Chinese martial arts (and the other Asian martial arts that borrowed from the Chinese) is how the body mechanics are used. The Chinese developed a system of whole-body strength, using the middle of the body as a pivot as it Opens and Closes, that optimized the use of strength, while using less muscular effort. The system of strength and mechanics that is the hallmark of Chinese martial arts is often denoted by the Yin-Yang Symbol ☯, indic...