Why taijiquan is an internal martial art - and the difference between internal and external martial arts

The division of boxing into internal and external styles is a product formed under certain historical conditions. It should be said that both internal and external styles of boxing have their own strengths, and it is not easy to say which one is superior, but lies in the practitioner's own preferences and choices, as well as in his own diligence and understanding.

Generally speaking, the first to arise is the external boxing, this is because the external boxing and the daily life of the use of force in the way is consistent with the habit of force. For example, when a person exerts himself, he shakes his hand and makes a fist, and he feels powerful. Objectively speaking, this method of exertion is easier to be understood. That is why Wang Zongyue's "Discourse on Taijiquan" said, "There are a lot of side doors in this technique,

although there is a difference in the potentials, it is not strong and weak, and it is slow to let the fast ear! Powerful to beat the powerless, hand slow to let the hand fast, are all innate natural ability, not related to the study of power and have to do it!"

Here is an explanation of Wang Zongyue's passage.1) Wang Zongyue said that the skill, the skill refers to the martial arts, the skill is to say that the martial arts this kind of technology.2) The side door does not refer to "the left way side door" of the side door, but said that in the martial arts,

in addition to the taijiquan,

the other side of the door of the sects. 3) Generally, the strong beat the weak, the weak, the weak, the weak, the weak, the strong, the weak, the weak, the weak, the weak, the weak, the slow, the slow, the slow, the fast. The strongest generally win over the weakest, and the slowest hand is no match for the fastest. The small strength to lose to the big strength, this method of force, we are easier to understand, so Wang Zongyue said it is not related to the learning of strength. The learning power that Wang Zongyue is referring to here is the fact that to learn internal martial arts like Taijiquan, one needs to understand and learn a completely different way of using one's mind without exerting one's strength.

Wang Zongyue was talking about methods and habits. It does not mean that external martial arts do not need to be learned. Of course, external martial arts should also be learned. However, what Wang Zongyue really means is that this method of exertion is consistent with the general habit and understanding of exertion. It is known that external boxing is based on this method of exertion to strengthen the training of force, physical strength, endurance, attacking force, evasive force, as well as the skills needed to use these forces and the ability of the body to adapt to changes.

Taijiquan, as an internal martial art, emphasizes not exerting force from the beginning and starts with a loose and soft hand, which is completely different from the general habit of exerting force.

In fact, it is difficult for the general public to understand how such slow and gentle movements can be a martial art. Here we have the problem of re-learning to change the habit of exertion. As for further how to accumulate soft into hard, how to four two thousand jin, etc., with the external boxing in the habit of force on the basis of force and then strengthen the force is obviously a very fundamental difference. Therefore, Wang Zongyue said, "the skill (martial arts this thing) side door (various other sects) is very much, no matter ...... is not related to the learning of strength and have for also." It means that it is not necessary to change the habits and understanding of the force and learn a completely different set of habits and methods, and understand them in a completely different way.

Taijiquan's method of 'using intention without exertion' is obviously different in principle from the method of exertion in external martial arts, and is therefore customarily called using intention without exertion, and the kung fu practiced is called internal strength. Therefore, whether to emphasize 'exerting force' or 'using intention without exerting force' becomes an important distinction and watershed in understanding the difference between external and internal styles of kung fu. This is very, very important.

Here is an example of a person who switched to Taijiquan from an external school for a period of time, but was unable to understand Taijiquan's use of intention without exertion, so he asked the question, "How can I fight without exertion?" He asked, "How do I fight without exerting myself?" The answer was the same as the old saying, "Use your mind without exerting yourself." I further asked, "In which part of Taijiquan should I exert force?" The answer is: "Taijiquan is a sheep hidden needle, silk wrapped in iron duster technology, in fact, no matter what part of the body can not be particularly hard, but where the body in the exercise to increase the internal strength."

Of course the method should be right, that is to say, to get the real transmission, real work. In fact, it should be said that the body has internal energy, so to reach a certain high level, it can be made to the body everywhere not Taiji, next to where where to hit. You can do with the static brake, the body appearance does not move, the other side touched by the pop away, or to hand out the split power, from the outside almost can not see what the hand movement, the other side has been knocked back, sometimes back quite far. Because these internal forces can hardly be seen on the outside when they are used, Taijiquan is called internal fist.

No matter whether it is an internal or external style of boxing, all of them are formally independent and complete, each of them has its own set of external and internal practice methods, and each of them has its own set of methods of exertion or non-exertion and luck. As a matter of fact, Shaolin Kung Fu among the external styles has Shaolin internal kung fu, and Wudang School among the internal styles has Wudang internal kung fu, both of which are famous in the world. Many external kung fu styles are practiced both internally and externally, and it cannot be said that external kung fu is only practiced externally and not internally. Therefore, the difference between external kung fu and internal kung fu is not based on practicing internal kung fu or not. Exercising internal energy and exercising internal strength are not the same concept, not the same thing.2) The difference between internal and external kung fu lies mainly in the directional and fundamental difference between the methods of luck and use of energy.

In order to increase the strength of the hands, the external style of boxing is generally to raise the energy upward from the waist and hips to the shoulders, from the shoulders to the arms and bladders and hands and fingers. Or even see the end of the power can be seen in the infusion of gas push the phenomenon of trembling. Thus, in the past, there are a lot of external boxers in order to facilitate the luck upward, in order to tighten the waist with a belt. But this approach is now less common.

Secondly, in order for the upper body to be powerful, it is necessary for the lower body to stabilize the horse stance and implement the crotch as the foundation of the power. In this way, lifting upward, the upper body of the two hands appear to be strong, its arm swinging fist hand and finger strong and powerful, or even fast and fast as the wind, easy to form in the outside.

The internal boxing is the opposite, the gas sinks into the dantian. Therefore, Zhang Sanfeng said in the taijiquan theory, "its root in the feet, hair in the legs, dominant in the waist, the shape of the fingers, from the feet and legs and waist, always have to complete a gas." A complete Qi means that without realizing it, the Qi sinks into the Dantian and spreads all over the body. So it's not a matter of which part of the body is particularly hard and feels particularly strong. But when you have a high level of kung fu, your internal energy will go wherever you want it to go.

This kind of luck upward and qi sinking into the dantian in the external and internal styles of boxing, one is to use the waist and hips to sit solidly on the upper body and two hands to exert force, and the other is the whole body is complete and one qi, the upper and lower follow each other, there is no immobility, with the intention of not exerting force. This becomes the dividing line between external and internal. Simply put. If you feel that your hands are getting stronger and stronger, and it is easy to show your strength to the outside, it is the external style. On the other hand, the internal martial arts do not feel any particular strength in that part of the body as the qi spreads all over the body, and the kung fu gradually changes from a big circle to a small circle or even to no circle at all. The deeper the kung fu, the more invisible the use of internal strength from the outside, so it is called internal kung fu. Because this method of exercise is very different from the usual method of exertion, it is not easy to understand and master, therefore, the orthodox taijiquan classics say 'use the intention but not the force'.3) As I said earlier, the main difference between internal and external martial arts is that one's power is exposed to the outside, while the other one is not easy to be exposed to the outside. This is due to the fact that it is not easy to show the power of internal martial arts, especially when the kung fu goes from a big circle to a small circle and then to no circle, and when it goes from inch power to the advanced stage of split power, in the use of push-hands, it is almost impossible to see the power from the outside, while the other party has already been sent out to two or three zhang away. Therefore, Taijiquan is known as an internal martial art with a static control. At present, there are relatively few people in the society who have reached this level of kung fu. Therefore, Taijiquan's appearance as an internal martial art is not well understood by the public. Now someone has helped me to publish a video of my personal use of Push Hands Power. In the video can be clearly seen, I do not move, the other hand on my chest near the shoulder part of the force to attack, I have a hand in the other hand at the surface of the force does not seem to have the slightest movement, the other party instead of rebound back away from a couple of feet away. Here on the surface can not see how I force. Because Wudang authentic real Yang family directly transmitted taijiquan can achieve this no circle realm, when the force can not be seen outside the force, so taijiquan is called internal boxing. At the same time, this also demonstrates the situation of 'using stillness as a brake', as stated in the boxing scriptures. (Published this video, can also do some less unnecessary paper and word games, individuals in the Wudang authentic Yang family taijiquan practice is just barely started, this performance is just to illustrate the problem, the intention is not to show themselves. The purpose is to let the community understand what is the Yang family direct Wudang authentic taijiquan, in order to repay Wang Zongyue, Gan Fengchi, Jiang Fa, Chen Changxing, Yang Lu Chan, Yang Banhou, Yang Jianhou, Yang Chengfu, Cui Yi Shi, Wang Shouxian and other generations of masters retained Zhang Sanfeng ancestor Wudang authentic internal taijiquan of the original appearance of the education of the grace of the style. At the same time this is also worthy of the ancients and future generations.) (4) It should be pointed out that the use of this circle-less internal strength of Taijiquan is also very different from the dark strength as generally understood. Dark force is a part of the tendons and bones do not move at all and exert force secretly, which is called dark force. This can be done by ordinary people. However, there are two obvious differences between the use of dark force and the non-circle internal force of taijiquan. One is that, for example, when the average person sends out dark force, the rest of the body cannot move. In Taijiquan, the whole body can be moved, but only in the place of the opponent's force, reacting in a 'static' manner, almost invisible to any movement. Secondly, the general public use the dark power to compete with each other secretly, the body is almost unable to move, and it is impossible to knock the other party out of one or two feet away. And Taijiquan into the circle of advanced realm, the use of this circle of internal strength, the outside of the contact almost can not see what action, the other party has rebounded to a few meters away, or even one or two zhang away. 5) the use of this circle of internal strength, in the push hands can be shown in the boxing scripture, 'a feather can not be added' state, the other party in contact with a little bit of The other side is a little bit moved in the contact, even as light as a feather, and this side can send out the strength or dissolve it. From the outside, you can hardly see any big movement, and the opponent has already been sent away or neutralized. At this time, the whole body can generate energy, and any part of the body can generate energy without much movement. It is also called 'everywhere around the body is Taiji, wherever you are, wherever you strike'. In the process of generating energy, one cannot see clearly the movement of using energy. Therefore, Taijiquan is called internal martial arts.

Consolidating the above, summarized taijiquan exercise to a certain level can show the real style of internal boxing, can also be said to be a unique style: 1, internal boxing to a certain level, kung fu from the inch strength into the power to achieve a feather can not be added to the power, the outside is almost invisible to the action of the other party has been sent away or dissolved; 2, can show the static braking, their bodies do not move, the other party touched by the hair away; 2, can show the static brake, their bodies do not move, the other party touched by the hair away; the other party touched by the hair away; the other party touched by the hair away. The opponent will be sent away when he touches it; 3, you can send out energy all around your body, so that your body is everywhere, wherever you are, and wherever you hit.

As I said earlier, the Chinese martial arts are profound, external and internal boxing have their own advantages, external boxing is an excellent Chinese martial arts boxing, external strong is the characteristics of external boxing, nothing bad. At the same time, it does not mean that internal martial arts are superior to external martial arts, and it is not to be assumed that kung fu is invincible when it has reached the point where there is no circle to separate the strength. This article only intends to explain why Taijiquan is called internal martial arts, and what kind of unique style a true internal martial art can exhibit. When we later learn the real Taijiquan to reach this level, we have to thank from the bottom of our hearts that our predecessors have left us such an excellent type of boxing, which is really a bright pearl in the cultural heritage of our motherland.

The above mentioned is only a personalized discussion in accordance with ancestor Zhang Sanfeng, master Wang Zongyue taijiquan theory, the world for hundreds of years as a standard orthodox taijiquan classic theory, after years of their own practical experience proved that the experience and theory of the sages. For taijiquan fellow reference, want to have a lot of shortcomings, especially in order to illustrate the problem at the expense of repeated chatter, there is still to be on the square family. 2011/12/18

Fang Ning in Guangzhou, Ziqi Donglai Xuan Li Yaping to assist in the organization