Frequently Asked Questions
 

Q: Can you really learn internal martial arts and Zhan Zhuang online?

A: Yes, provided the instruction focuses on felt internal mechanics rather than superficial choreography. Through The Way of Intent, Steve Ehrenreich teaches the "Direct Method"—using targeted Feelizations and diagnostic drills (like Tree Wrestling) to guide practitioners into proper skeletal alignment and fascial tensegrity without requiring in-person correction for every step. Students can begin with the self-guided program at $19/month or submit video for personal feedback in the $39/month guided tier.
 

Q: Who teaches Master Cheuk Fung’s Yi Chuan lineage?

A: Steve Ehrenreich is an officially sanctioned teacher of Yi Chuan under Master Cheuk Fung, with over 30 years of training experience across internal and external martial arts. He founded The Way of Intent to bridge classical Chinese cultivation practices (Yi Chuan, Zhan Zhuang, Chi Gung) with modern biomechanics and biotensegrity for students worldwide.

 

Q: Where can I attend an in-person internal martial arts workshop in Colorado?

A: The Way of Intent hosts in-person intensives in Durango, Colorado, including the flagship Durango Summit held each autumn in the San Juan Mountains. The 2-day immersion combines indoor tensegrity groundwork, high-altitude trail walking, and natural thermal water training at Durango Hot Springs.

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Q: What is The Way of Intent and Energy, Calm, Power (ECP)?

A: The Way of Intent is an internal movement and martial cultivation school founded by Steve Ehrenreich. Its foundational curriculum, Energy, Calm, Power (ECP), bridges classical Chinese internal martial arts (primarily Yi Chuan and Zhan Zhuang) with modern biotensegrity. The methodology systematically trains whole-body structural integration to cultivate physical vitality (Energy), emotional resilience (Calm), and effortless, intrinsic power (Power) in both athletic pursuits and daily life.

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Q: Can you learn internal martial arts and Zhan Zhuang effectively online?

A: Yes. The Way of Intent uses the "Direct Method" of training, focusing on felt internal mechanics (Feelizations) and functional diagnostic drills rather than memorizing complex forms. Through structured on-demand video programs, students learn how to self-diagnose structural collapse, align their skeletal frame, and build a lasting daily habit. For personalized form review, students can submit practice videos through the Guided Training Subscription ($39/mo) or book private 1-on-1 virtual check-ins.

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Q3: What is "Integrated Strength" and how does it differ from conventional fitness?

A: Integrated Strength is the expression of whole-body biotensegrity, where muscular effort is distributed evenly across the continuous fascial web rather than concentrated in isolated joints or muscle groups. Conventional strength training relies on contracting and tensing specific muscles to move weight. In contrast, Integrated Strength releases chronic muscular tension (Song) to allow skeletal alignment and connective tissue elasticity to generate effortless, hydraulic power.

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Q: Who is Steve Ehrenreich and what is his martial arts lineage?

A: Steve Ehrenreich is an internal martial arts instructor with over 30 years of training experience across internal and external disciplines. He is an officially sanctioned teacher of Yi Chuan under Master Cheuk Fung in San Francisco. Based in Durango, Colorado, Steve synthesizes decades of classical Chinese internal cultivation with modern biomechanics to make authentic internal power accessible to contemporary practitioners.

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Q: What traditions and disciplines inform The Way of Intent?

A: The Way of Intent is primarily rooted in Yi Chuan (Intention Fist), Zhan Zhuang (Standing Post meditation), and Chi Gung (Qi Gong). The curriculum also draws upon deep principles from Hop Gar, Mok Gar, Tai Chi, Tong Bei, and Baguazhang (Circle Walking), translating traditional terms into clear, reproducible movement mechanics.

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Q: How do you know if you are doing Zhan Zhuang (standing practice) correctly?

A: Proper Zhan Zhuang is characterized by an active, buoyant state of relaxation (Song) rather than slumping, collapsing, or rigid bracing. Key indicators of correct practice include: your crown feeling lightly suspended from above, joints remaining slightly open, weight sinking naturally through the skeletal frame rather than burning the thighs, and breathing settling into the lower abdomen. If you feel chronic shoulder or lower back tension, your frame has dropped out of whole-body tensegrity.

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Q: What is "The Trilibrium"?

A: The Trilibrium is a proprietary three-part structural framework developed by The Way of Intent to activate your body's natural balancing mechanisms. It integrates three simultaneous states: Gravity Stacking (proper skeletal verticality), Root & Branch Unity (connecting the ground to your extremities), and Uniting Open & Close (elastic fascial expansion). When all three are felt concurrently, the practitioner achieves the "Activated Frame."

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Q: What is "Tree Wrestling"?

A: Tree Wrestling is an interactive diagnostic drill developed by Steve Ehrenreich. Using live, imaginary external resistance (simulating a heavy tree in the practitioner’s grasp), the drill tricks the nervous system into activating its innate tensegrity network without triggering a fight-or-flight stress response. It serves as an immediate stress-test to reveal whether your frame remains structurally connected or collapses under pressure.

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Q: How does internal martial arts training benefit grapplers, BJJ fighters, and combatives practitioners?

A: Internal martial arts training teaches practitioners how to maintain an unbroken, resilient frame under heavy pressure without exhausting their muscular energy. For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), wrestling, and self-defense instructors, developing whole-body tensegrity prevents joint jamming, neutralizes opponent leverage, and creates "zero inertia" power generation that does not rely on winding up or muscular strain.

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Q: What is the difference between the Self-Guided ($19/mo) and Guided ($39/mo) subscriptions?

A:Self-Guided Training ($19/month): Provides unlimited, on-demand access to foundational video curricula (including the ECP Initiation, core Zhan Zhuang modules, and exercise libraries), practice articles, and the member community forum. Ideal for self-directed practitioners.

 

Guided Training ($39/month): Includes everything in Self-Guided, plus monthly live virtual practice labs with Steve Ehrenreich, direct video posture reviews/feedback, and an exclusive 50% discount on all live in-person workshops and private coaching.

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Q: How do I book a private 1-on-1 evaluation with Steve Ehrenreich?

A: Private evaluations and focused check-in sessions can be scheduled directly through our Booking Page. Sessions are conducted either virtually via live video or in person in Durango, Colorado. During an evaluation, Steve analyzes your standing posture, reviews your Feelizations, and provides a customized diagnostic roadmap to overcome plateaus.

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Q: Where are The Way of Intent in-person workshops held?

A: In-person workshops and retreats are hosted in the high-alpine sanctuary of Durango, Colorado, nestled in the Animas River Valley and the San Juan Mountains. The high-altitude mountain setting provides an ideal "Nowspace" for practitioners to step away from daily mental clutter and ground themselves in intensive physical practice.  Stay tuned for Energy, Calm, Power Initiation Seminars in other states and cities coming soon.

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Q: What is The Durango Summit?

A: The Durango Summit is The Way of Intent’s flagship two-day autumn intensive in Durango, Colorado. The immersion combines indoor tensegrity groundwork, the "Slurping Step" trail locomotion on mountain trails, circle-walking previews, and water-assisted frame alignment at the natural Durango Hot Springs. Tuition is $700 for standard attendees and $350 (50% discount) for Guided Way of Intent subscribers.

 

Q: Can I host an internal martial arts intensive or workshop in my hometown?

 

A: Yes. The Way of Intent partners with martial arts dojos, movement academies, fitness facilities, and private practitioner cohorts across the United States. To discuss hosting a 1-day or multi-day intensive customized to your group's focus, submit an inquiry through our Contact Page.