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chris davis 200 · 03-16-2004, 07:36 AM

I dont think you guys are on the right track to be honest. IMO

Internal or soft - refers to the contitioning of internal strength / non obvious force. This is not necisarily chi/ki or whatever. But is more to do with tendon and bone usage.

External or hard - refers to overt obvious force - the use of muscular strength and conditioning to achieve a goal.

BUT - this does not mean that all arts that dont rely on muscular stength are internal. The are still external because the use of muscals is still apparant even if this use is the yeilding to a force.

Internal arts developed to use the internal alignment of the bones, the tendon structure of the body (used to store and release potential energy), the pressures of the internal systems as the body is contorted - causing a higher pressure in certian areas and a lower pressure in others to add force to strikes etc.

this is quite difficult to understnad - but let me try to explain it this way - if you strain heavily so that you face goes red - you will have increased the pressure in your head - as a result you will get increased weight in your head. although not used in this manner at all - this is an example of changing the pressure inside the body.

all of the above factors refer to internal.

BUT - in internal arts external power from muscles is also generated - but this is not the primary goal.

Because the internal systems seemed to produce huge force from relativeley little movement (due to the release of potential energy from the tendons) - mysticism and folklore surrounded the masters.

If we look at the main 3 internal systems from China - Tai chi - ba gua and hsing i.

None could be thought of as SOFT in their application. The softness refers to the training methods in my opinion.

Tai chi - this art yelds softly and attacks with connection and power. It is based on the theory of Yin and Yang - HARD and SOFT together.

Ba gua chang - this art has extremely agressive strong powerful power generation while maintaining agility in footwork. It can oppose a force completely bouncing it back at the attacker, or it can disappear from a force like it was never there.

Hsing I - the most overt style - this style has massively agressive fighting methods. Being attacked by a hsing i master is like being run over by a steel ball, there is no relent in the attack - it is a constant flow of offence - the offence defends the attackers methods by crossing the lines of force.

Soft and hard is veryu much a Chinese distinction - but i dont think it makes a difference to anyone really - what works and what doesnt is all that matters.

Cheers
Chris

03-16-2004, 07:36 AM	#12 (permalink)
chris davis 200 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: UK Posts: 724 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	I dont think you guys are on the right track to be honest. IMO Internal or soft - refers to the contitioning of internal strength / non obvious force. This is not necisarily chi/ki or whatever. But is more to do with tendon and bone usage. External or hard - refers to overt obvious force - the use of muscular strength and conditioning to achieve a goal. BUT - this does not mean that all arts that dont rely on muscular stength are internal. The are still external because the use of muscals is still apparant even if this use is the yeilding to a force. Internal arts developed to use the internal alignment of the bones, the tendon structure of the body (used to store and release potential energy), the pressures of the internal systems as the body is contorted - causing a higher pressure in certian areas and a lower pressure in others to add force to strikes etc. this is quite difficult to understnad - but let me try to explain it this way - if you strain heavily so that you face goes red - you will have increased the pressure in your head - as a result you will get increased weight in your head. although not used in this manner at all - this is an example of changing the pressure inside the body. all of the above factors refer to internal. BUT - in internal arts external power from muscles is also generated - but this is not the primary goal. Because the internal systems seemed to produce huge force from relativeley little movement (due to the release of potential energy from the tendons) - mysticism and folklore surrounded the masters. If we look at the main 3 internal systems from China - Tai chi - ba gua and hsing i. None could be thought of as SOFT in their application. The softness refers to the training methods in my opinion. Tai chi - this art yelds softly and attacks with connection and power. It is based on the theory of Yin and Yang - HARD and SOFT together. Ba gua chang - this art has extremely agressive strong powerful power generation while maintaining agility in footwork. It can oppose a force completely bouncing it back at the attacker, or it can disappear from a force like it was never there. Hsing I - the most overt style - this style has massively agressive fighting methods. Being attacked by a hsing i master is like being run over by a steel ball, there is no relent in the attack - it is a constant flow of offence - the offence defends the attackers methods by crossing the lines of force. Soft and hard is veryu much a Chinese distinction - but i dont think it makes a difference to anyone really - what works and what doesnt is all that matters. Cheers Chris __________________ "Be alert. Be alive in the moment. Don’t imagine anyone who comes and asks you to ‘push’ or ‘spar’ will keep to a format, or even stay barehanded" my ba gua teacher !!