There are no exact definitions as to what internal and external martial arts actually are, but in essence, external schools are based on the virtues of muscular power and combat skills. Depending on the particular school, they emphasize speed, skill, kicking, striking and grappling. Internal martial arts by contrast, although they may include these elements, place more emphasis on mental, emotional and spiritual development.
The emphasis here is on relaxation, soft, fluid movements and inner power. However, the lower-key nature of these styles should not distract from their utility as fighting/self-defense methods. They can be every bit as powerful and effective as the external forms.
Indeed, although the emphasis is on inner development, the internal schools certainly recognize the importance of strength and resilience. Attention is given to hard skills like combat techniques, weapons training, strength and endurance (although schools will vary in how much emphasis is given to these elements). The goal though, is to incorporate hard skills into an overall alignment of body, mind and spirit.
These hard skills combined with inner control can give internal practitioners a distinct advantage over their more aggressive external brethren. It's an inner poise that in large part comes from their development of qi. Qi, according to Chinese tradition, is the invisible life-force that animates all living things. It is the source of physical vitality and internal martial artists work to raise their qi and direct it around their bodies at will.
The overall goal of qi development and other internal exercises is to strengthen the body from within. This supports robust health and the ability to execute techniques with greater poise and skill. Healthy, physically strong practitioners can strike harder and more skillfully, and also better withstand opponents strikes. Optimum health also means these skills and capacities can be maintained well into one's 'retirement' years. Master practitioners remain formidable well into their 70's and 80's.
One of the main ways that qi is developed is through breath work. It is generated and manipulated through specialized deep breathing techniques and involves re-training students to breathe from the abdomen. This can be challenging since most people habitually breathe shallowly and from the upper chest. However, once learned, students can begin to increase their qi and become attuned to its presence in their bodies.
They also begin to gain the ability to detect where their qi is blocked, or where there is too little or too much. They can then remedy these imbalances by directing their qi appropriately. In addition to greater faculty with qi, breath control also enables practitioners to take in more oxygen. This enhances mental and physical energy as well as boosting overall health.
The health-boosting properties are one of the main reasons why so many health-conscious people in the US now practice techniques like Qigong. In trend-leading states like California, many people are reaping the benefits of the greater mental and physical poise that these techniques offer. Even short-term practice can yield subtle but very real results, longer-term practice transforms these results from pleasant to genuinely life-changing.
The emphasis here is on relaxation, soft, fluid movements and inner power. However, the lower-key nature of these styles should not distract from their utility as fighting/self-defense methods. They can be every bit as powerful and effective as the external forms.
Indeed, although the emphasis is on inner development, the internal schools certainly recognize the importance of strength and resilience. Attention is given to hard skills like combat techniques, weapons training, strength and endurance (although schools will vary in how much emphasis is given to these elements). The goal though, is to incorporate hard skills into an overall alignment of body, mind and spirit.
These hard skills combined with inner control can give internal practitioners a distinct advantage over their more aggressive external brethren. It's an inner poise that in large part comes from their development of qi. Qi, according to Chinese tradition, is the invisible life-force that animates all living things. It is the source of physical vitality and internal martial artists work to raise their qi and direct it around their bodies at will.
The overall goal of qi development and other internal exercises is to strengthen the body from within. This supports robust health and the ability to execute techniques with greater poise and skill. Healthy, physically strong practitioners can strike harder and more skillfully, and also better withstand opponents strikes. Optimum health also means these skills and capacities can be maintained well into one's 'retirement' years. Master practitioners remain formidable well into their 70's and 80's.
One of the main ways that qi is developed is through breath work. It is generated and manipulated through specialized deep breathing techniques and involves re-training students to breathe from the abdomen. This can be challenging since most people habitually breathe shallowly and from the upper chest. However, once learned, students can begin to increase their qi and become attuned to its presence in their bodies.
They also begin to gain the ability to detect where their qi is blocked, or where there is too little or too much. They can then remedy these imbalances by directing their qi appropriately. In addition to greater faculty with qi, breath control also enables practitioners to take in more oxygen. This enhances mental and physical energy as well as boosting overall health.
The health-boosting properties are one of the main reasons why so many health-conscious people in the US now practice techniques like Qigong. In trend-leading states like California, many people are reaping the benefits of the greater mental and physical poise that these techniques offer. Even short-term practice can yield subtle but very real results, longer-term practice transforms these results from pleasant to genuinely life-changing.
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