Quote:
Originally Posted by ttsure
Under Chinese Martial Arts, I would consider three main classes or styles that then contain several types within that style. These are just general systems: Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Ba Gua/Xing Yi....
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I think it's much more diverse than that...
Fukien Arts tend to look alike: Hakka styles (Lung Ying, Bak Mei, Southern Praying Mantis), Fukien White Crane, some of the shorter-fisted tiger styles that get called "mainland hung ga".
Shantung Mantis & Eagle claw share a lot.
Cantonese Arts tend to look somewhat similar too.
Each region has it's own flavor.
Taiji and the Internals like to segregate themselves; but if they saw Tibetan White Crane's "Needle In Cotton" set, they'd be hard pressed not to see similarities. The line gets really blurry with some styles Yiquan, Ziranmen, Bajiquan, Liuhebafa... Southern styles like Hung Ga have a ton of internal development prioritized very early on in the training as well as the external.
Not all kung fu styles outside of Taiji/Xingyi/Bagua are buddhist either; or trace their lineage to shaolin. Northern Praying Mantis is heavily Taoist.
Just sayin it doesn't all fit nice & neatly into a little box.