The west sees intention as a means of forethought to bring about an outcome with a predictable degree of certainty. What I have struggled with is a notion that seems contradictory- (form mind vs no mind). Form mind meaning first creating a picture of yourself ,then manifesting this picture in physical form. No mind meaning accomplishing an action without prior thought. Both concepts exist and are equally important in the internal arts. What I have realized is that these qualities are not contradictory at all but complementary counterparts of the eastern model of intention.

Form mind representing the yang aspect and no mind being the yin. Western ideas tend to manipulate and control external conditions and events that arise in daily life while remaining fixed. Eastern ideas tend to flow and respond fluidly to the world around. Thus, in the internal arts we do not attack first. To make the first move is to have the intention to change your attackers position. This is a western approach. Instead we wait for the opponent to attack first and mold and change our own position to particular circumstances using the energy of the event to determine a new position instead of controlling and changing the event. There is an old saying in internal martial arts. " The last to move, the first to arrive",

From another angle: before you move, I am there.