Internal, with regard to martial arts, is a reference to the things which (generally) cannot been seen on the outside. They are the small details within the techniques, things like joint selection, alignment etc.
This isn't a theory. I'm not telling you something I have read or simply believe in, this is knowledge from experience. As to Chi, Qi or whatever you like to term it. If you believe it exists then it is heavily inter-related with the physical side, i.e. the correct alignment of body structure, relaxation and selection of the correct joints and muscles. If you don't believe it exists then it doesn't really matter... in either case it works.
External Styles rely much on external muscles. Internal Styles (e.g. Tai-Chi) require a lot on the use of involuntary muscle, tandon, organ, and bone alignments/movements, and the arms are relatively relaxed at all time. The tremendous power generated by the relatively small movements for internal sytles is caused by the additional manipulation of the internal parts mentioned above. e.g. when punching out with your right fist, you increase the power greatly by retreating the left arm in a special orientation, moving back the back muscles, moving the left stomach muscle toward the right, etc. Pure Physics of action-reaction! Chi is added to the system normally at a later stage to further increase the power...
I was taught several versions of what internal meant by my master (Chinese) dont be so closed minded you dont know all the answers and never will if you keep that attitude MF
? you tried that theory out in a NHB contest yet or against a boxer? You'd get eatne alive if you did MF
That seems to be a rather good description of you indeed! Q1: What is your purpose of opening this post anyway? Q2: What is Internal then, according to what you have heard? Q3: Why do you think simonlarcombe and I were wrong? Q4: Why would we be eaten alive doing the things I said?
A few things: Yang Lu Chan was known as "Invincible Yang" for his ability to defeat anyone he faced (external stylists). He trained the royal guards of the Manchu's and his family trained the children of the royal family. they didn't seem to think it was a useless art. Bagua is an internal art which was used by bodyguards of the royals during the Boxor Rebellion. The art was tested in combat many times against the british. Also, tai chi and other IMA are used in full-contact fighting tournaments and are effective (do a google search for Dan Docherty, who is very vocal about the use of IMA in full-contact tournaments, having won a few himself). IMA and IMA principles are part of the curriculum for Chinese police training, areas of the military, and private security organisations. Instead of the term "internal", why don't you think of it instead as just "whole body force". This is as opposed to "external" movements, which tend to isolate one muscle group more than others.
"The art was tested in combat many times against the british." Do you have any details of that? Ba-gua vs Lee Enfield....hmmm
During the Boxer rebellion (circa 1900), one of the most famous Baguazhang practitioners of the time, Cheng Tinghua 程廷華 was killed in action against German troops in Beijing. His unit, which included other Bagua practitioners as well, is supposed to have inflicted substantial losses on the Germans in the narrow Beijing streets. Cheng Tinghua was the Bagua teacher of the famous Sun Lutang 孫祿堂.
http://www.geocities.com/ottawakungfu/250Bagau002A.htm "Chang earned his reputation by demonstrating and fighting in matches against foreign opponents on a raised platform (Lei Tai). He is said to have once killed a horse by strangling it with one hand and is also credited with defeating several Japanese fighters and a German strongman. One of his more famous students was Chiang Jung Chiao." Dood. Do a quick Google if you need examples
As a matter-of-fact: Cheng Ting Hua (1848-1900) Master Cheng was from Cheng village of Sun district, Hebei Province. He opened a spectacle shop in Beijing and was widely known as 'Spectacle Cheng'. Cheng was very fond of the martial arts. At first, he studied under various schools of Chinese Boxing for a couple of years, and was particularly proficient at Chinese Shuai Jiao or wrestling. He was eventually recommended to Master Dong Haichuan under whom he studied a few years. By persistent practice, he became an expert himself. It is said that many famous fighters challenged Cheng but no one could defeat him. Cheng had an impulsive nature. He was short but strong. In all his fights, he was known to use the 'Single Pounding Palm' (Dan Zhuang Zhang) and was always successful in throwing his opponents in a single movement. In contrast to Yin Fu, who popularized the Tornado Palm and Ox Tongue Palm, Cheng was know for his fluid 'Dragon Claw' which inspired many styles of Ba Gua such as Dragon Style, You Shen (Swimming Body Ba Gua), Gao style, Jiu Gong Zhang (Nine Palaces), and Jiang Rongqiao's style. Though both of these men studied under Dong Haichuan for years, the difference in style can be attributed to the fact that Dong tailored his teachings to suit the nature and martial arts background of each student. In July 1900, foreign troops entered Beijing. Looting, raping, and other acts of barbarism were perpetrated everywhere by the foreign devils. Master Cheng was so angered by these atrocities that he resolved to take vengeance on the foreign troops. At the sight of a dozen or so soldiers, he set forth to meet them with only two daggers. His pupils tried to stop him, but to no avail. It was later found that Cheng single-handedly killed ten or more soldiers, but died of multiple bullet wounds during the struggle. His most famous pupil was Sun Lu Tang (1859-1933) who went on to found Sun Lu Tang style, still practiced today. Cheng had two sons. The elder, Cheng Yulung (1875-1928) was also a master of Baguazhang. He was responsible for spreading the art in Beijing and Tianjin. Not bad, considering he brought a knife to a gunfight.
Poor horse.... =( hate it when people test things on animals.....so not happy Jane. Nor am I impressed. ~ Princess
