Guì Zhī (桂枝) means "cinnamon twig" — 桂 (Guì, cassia or cinnamon) and 枝 (Zhī, twig or branch). It is the young twig of the cinnamon tree, distinguished from Ròu Guì (肉桂, cinnamon bark), which enters deeper into the body and warms the Kidney. Guì Zhī works at the body's surface — warming the channels, releasing the exterior, and promoting the flow of Yáng Qì through the limbs.

Botanical name: Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl (Family: Lauraceae)

Part used: Young twig

Nature: Warm

Flavor: Pungent, sweet

Meridians entered: Heart, Lung, Bladder

Traditional Actions

Guì Zhī releases the exterior by promoting sweating, warms the channels to relieve pain, unblocks Yáng Qì, and promotes the movement of Qì and blood. Its warm, pungent nature disperses cold and opens blocked circulation — particularly in the extremities, joints, and superficial channels.

The herb embodies the Yáng principle in action: moving outward, warming, dispersing. In the classical pairing of Guì Zhī with Bái Sháo, the full Yīn-Yáng dynamic is expressed — Guì Zhī disperses and warms (Yáng) while Bái Sháo consolidates and nourishes (Yīn).

Key Classical Formulas

• Guì Zhī Tāng (桂枝汤, Cinnamon Twig Decoction): The first formula in the Shānghán Lùn and one of the most important in all of Chinese medicine. Guì Zhī, Bái Sháo, Shēng Jiāng, Dà Zǎo, Gāncǎo. Harmonizes the Yíng (营, nutritive) and Wèi (卫, defensive) Qì — the body's internal balance of nourishment and defense.

• Guì Zhī Fú Líng Wán (桂枝茯苓丸, Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill): Activates blood and resolves blood stasis — relevant in trauma recovery.

• Wēn Jīng Tāng (温经汤, Warm the Menses Decoction): Warms the channels to address cold-stasis pain.

Relevance to Martial Arts

Guì Zhī's capacity to warm the channels and promote circulation in the extremities is directly relevant to practitioners training in cold conditions. Cold-induced stiffness, joint pain, and poor peripheral circulation are common training challenges that Guì Zhī's warming, dispersing action traditionally addresses.

Cautions

Guì Zhī is contraindicated in warm diseases, Yīn deficiency with heat, blood-heat conditions, and in pregnancy. It should not be used when the patient already has profuse sweating. This article describes traditional uses and does not constitute medical advice.