Martial Art has no styles; method has

by Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy on 2011/03/27

Most people talk about the difference between internal and external and in recent years, people have been proud to call their style “internal”. In reality, there is no such a thing as internal martial art or external martial art.

About Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy

Chen Style Taijiquan 19th generation disciple. International Standard Bearer of the Practical Method system of Hong Junsheng. Second generation master of Hunyuan Taiji. Been teaching internationally since 1985. Educated in the West with a Master's Degree in Education. Highly accomplished through the lineage of two great masters. Disciplined, precise and powerful. He teaches a complete system of taiji based on the principle of yin yang separation; indirect power as a core concept; movement and tranquility as the source of action. In both theory and practice, his taijiquan deals with the problems of double-heavy. He is a real treasure of the heritage of taijiquan.

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

alhkc March 28, 2011 at 12:42 am

Internal family styles seem to have a different method to it however as you have taught we should not “toss”. External styles seem to try to maximize power by going the opposite direction by trying to maximize the potential of tossing. Such as relaxing the limbs to throw weight effectively and transfer of momentum into the target and adding quick contractions of muscles for bursts of power. This is not how internal family schools produce power however like you have pointed out. Are you saying sifu Chen that we should get rid of the distinctions of neijia, internal family and weijia, external family schools?

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Chen Zhonghua March 28, 2011 at 4:20 am

Neijia and waijia refer to methods of training. Many people believe there is something else. It is the “Something else” that causes people to waste many years of training to arrive at no results. All martial arts are the same in trying to get speed, power and accuracy. Different systems try to do this in different ways. For that reason, internal (neijia) and external (waijia) are just names to distinguish schools, nothing else. However, they are very good and distinguishing names.

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Don D Djembe March 28, 2011 at 3:21 am

@ Chen: Amen

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pingwei March 30, 2011 at 6:54 am

A mountain is a mountain. It doesn’t matter if you go up from south or from north. However, if the mountain is Mt Everest and you decide to go up from the south, a guide from the north side probably won’t help because he might not know the route from the south.
Same as we study Tai Chi. Tai Chi is a martial art. But a master from Shaolin temple specializing in kicking doesn’t know Tai Chi, can’t teach Tai Chi.

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Anonymous September 30, 2011 at 11:06 pm

Very well said, Master Chen and Pingwei. Thanks for the explanation.

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frnava December 7, 2011 at 11:03 am

There is a difference. External is muscular and internal is hydraulic.

Tai Chi is more than forms and applications. It is principles and more principles and more even deeper principles and more even deeeeeeeeeeper principles that transform into you doing fifty things in order to do a “push”

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