The Shape of Qi

A Visualization of Loong in Ink Painting

Yafei Li
MArch II 2026
Zheng Cao
MArch II 2026
Jason Xuan
MArch II 2026
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1 Ink dragon and Five Step Fist motion trajectory.

Chinese martial arts emphasize the concept of "Qi," which refers to the state of harmony between a person's physical performance and the surroundings. The Five Step Fist is a traditional Chinese martial art, where the hand movement resembles the strokes of ink in calligraphy and the form of a loong in motion.

Using phone for motion capture, we have captured the hand movements of the Five Step Fist and visualized the abstract concept of "Qi".

Project video
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2 Taiji symbol in an ink painting style.
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3 Jason performing Five Step Fist.
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4 Interaction between performer and the visualization.