| China arguably has the one of the longest | | | | martial arts comes from Huang Zongxi's 1669 |
| histories of continuously recorded martial | | | | Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan.[1] Stanley Henning |
| arts tradition with hundreds of different | | | | proposes that the Epitaph's identification of |
| styles, perhaps the most of any society in | | | | the internal martial arts with the Taoism |
| the world. Of the hundreds of Chinese martial | | | | indigenous to China and its identification of |
| arts that have developed over the past two to | | | | the external martial arts with the foreign |
| four thousand years, there are many | | | | Buddhism of Shaolin—and the Manchu |
| distinctive styles with their own sets of | | | | Qing Dynasty to which Huang Zongxi was |
| techniques and ideas. Also, there are many | | | | opposed—may have been an act of |
| themes common to different styles that lead | | | | political defiance rather than one of |
| many to characterize them as belonging to | | | | technical classification.[2] |
| generalized "families" , of martial art | | | | |
| styles. There are styles that mimic movements | | | | External styles |
| from animals and others that gather | | | | |
| inspiration from various Chinese | | | | These styles are what most people associate |
| philosophies. Some styles put most of their | | | | with Chinese martial arts. They are generally |
| focus into the belief of the harnessing of qi | | | | fast and explosive, focusing on physical |
| energy, while others concentrate solely on | | | | strength and agility. External styles can be |
| competition and exhibition. | | | | both the traditional styles focusing on |
| | | | application and fighting, as well as the |
| Chinese martial arts can be split into | | | | modern styles adapted for competition and |
| various categories to differentiate them: For | | | | exercise. Examples of external styles are |
| example, external and internal (or hard | | | | Shaolinquan, with its direct explosive |
| and soft . Chinese martial arts can also be | | | | attacks and high-kicking aerial maneuvers |
| categorized by location, as in northern and | | | | from which is developed the Korean Taekwondo, |
| southern as well, referring to what part of | | | | and the many animal styles inspired by the |
| China the styles originated from, separated | | | | movements of certain animals. External styles |
| by the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang); Chinese | | | | begin with a training focus on muscular |
| martial arts may even be classified according | | | | power, speed and application, and generally |
| to their province or city. The main perceived | | | | integrate their qigong aspects in advanced |
| difference about northern and southern styles | | | | training, after their desired "hard" physical |
| is that the northern styles tend to emphasize | | | | level has been reached. |
| kicks, jumps and generally fluid and rapid | | | | |
| movement, while the southern styles focus | | | | Internal styles |
| more on strong arm and hand techniques, and | | | | |
| stable, immovable stances and footwork. | | | | Internal styles focus on the practice of such |
| Examples of the northern styles include | | | | elements as awareness of the spirit, mind, qi |
| Changquan and the sword and broadsword | | | | (breath, or energy flow) and the use of |
| routines used in contemporary Wushu | | | | relaxed leverage rather than unrefined |
| competitions, and examples of the southern | | | | muscular tension, tension that soft stylists |
| styles include Nanquan, Houquan (monkey | | | | call "brute force". While the principles that |
| style) and Wing Chun. Chinese martial arts | | | | distinguish internal styles from the external |
| can also be divided according to religion, | | | | were described at least as early as the 18th |
| imitative-styles , and more. | | | | century by Chang Nai-chou, the modern terms |
| | | | distinguishing external and internal styles |
| Hundreds of different styles of Chinese | | | | were first recorded by Sun Lutang; who wrote |
| martial arts have developed over the past two | | | | that Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan |
| thousand years, many distinctive styles with | | | | were internal arts. Later on, others began to |
| their own sets of techniques and ideas. Also, | | | | include other styles in this definition, |
| there are many themes common to different | | | | including Liuhexinyiquan, Liu He Ba Fa and |
| styles that lead many to characterize them as | | | | Yiquan. |
| belonging to generalized "families" (?, jia) | | | | |
| of martial art styles. There are styles that | | | | Some internal stylists say that the |
| mimic movements from animals and others that | | | | difference between internal and external for |
| gather inspiration from various Chinese | | | | them is mostly the distinction of the inside |
| philosophies. Some styles put most of their | | | | and the outside of the body. The reason for |
| focus into the belief of the harnessing of qi | | | | the label "internal," according to most |
| energy, while others concentrate solely on | | | | schools, is that there is a focus on the |
| competition and exhibition. | | | | internal aspects earlier in the training, |
| | | | once these internal relationships are |
| Northern styles feature deeply extended | | | | apprehended (the theory goes) they are then |
| postures—such as the horse, bow, drop, | | | | applied to the external applications of the |
| and dragon stances—connected by quick | | | | styles in question. Because of the extended |
| fluid transitions, able to quickly change the | | | | periods of time that beginning students are |
| direction in which force is issued. It is | | | | expected to work on very basic principles in |
| said that northern styles put more focus on | | | | most internal schools, and perhaps also the |
| legwork, kicking and acrobatics. Some say | | | | prevalence in recent years of many Western |
| this is because the northern Chinese were | | | | "New Age" oriented schools who are accused by |
| generally taller than those living in | | | | traditionalists of emphasizing philosophy and |
| southern China, and that they made their | | | | speculation at the expense of hard work (see |
| styles take advantage of their greater range | | | | the next paragraph), many people believe |
| of motion, especially in their legs. Others | | | | internal styles lack "external" physical |
| claim that the terrain of northern China is | | | | training. In the older schools, however, much |
| more suitable to kicking techniques, or that | | | | time is spent on basic physical work, such as |
| the cold of the northern Chinese winter | | | | stance training (zhan zhuang), stretching and |
| caused any focus upon hand techniques to be | | | | strengthening of muscles, as well as on empty |
| physically damaging to the practitioner's | | | | hand and weapon forms which can contain quite |
| hands. Still other experts, hold that | | | | demanding coordination from posture to |
| northern styles originally emphasized high | | | | posture. Also, many internal styles have |
| kicks as an expedient against the Mongoloian | | | | basic two-person training, such as pushing |
| occupation forces who often fought from | | | | hands. Some forms in internal styles are |
| horseback and could be easily unseated | | | | performed slowly, though some also include |
| because they used "very short stirrups" | | | | sudden outbursts of explosive movements, such |
| (Peers and Sque, 45). An example of a | | | | as those the Chen style of Taijiquan is |
| northern style is the modern Chángquán | | | | famous for teaching earlier than some other |
| that is the most popular style in the forms | | | | styles (e.g. Yang and Wu). The reason for the |
| division in most contemporary Chinese martial | | | | generally slow pace is to improve |
| arts competitions held around the world | | | | coordination and balance by increasing the |
| today. There are many northern styles; some | | | | work load, and to require the student to pay |
| of them are Northern Praying Mantis, | | | | minute attention to their whole body and its |
| Chuojiao, Bajiquan, Taijiquan, Baguazhang, | | | | weight as they perform a technique. At an |
| Bayingquan, Eagle Claw, and Chaquán. Most | | | | advanced level, and in actual fighting, |
| Korean martial arts are analogous to Northern | | | | internal styles are performed quickly, but |
| Chinese Style martial arts. | | | | the goal is to learn to involve the entire |
| | | | body in every motion, to stay relaxed, with |
| Southern styles | | | | deep, controlled breathing, and to coordinate |
| | | | the motions of the body and the breathing |
| Southern Chinese martial arts are typified by | | | | accurately according to the dictates of the |
| the styles that belong to the related Fujian | | | | forms while maintaining perfect balance. |
| (Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, Wing | | | | Internal styles have been associated in |
| Chun) and Hakka (Southern Praying Mantis, | | | | legend and in much popular fiction with the |
| Dragon) families of martial arts. As Leung | | | | Taoist monasteries of Wudangshan in central |
| Ting, the head of the WingTsun branch of Wing | | | | China. |
| Chun, put it, the common features of the | | | | |
| Fujian and Hakka martial arts are "that | | | | Today, only a few traditional schools |
| during fights, pugilists of these systems | | | | teaching internal styles train martially, |
| prefer short steps and close fighting, with | | | | even though such training was originally a |
| their arms placed close to the chest, their | | | | part of all internal styles. Most schools |
| elbows lowered and kept close to the flanks | | | | teach forms that are practiced for the health |
| to offer it protection" (Leung, 1978, p. 30). | | | | benefits only, as this is what most modern |
| | | | students are looking for and as these |
| Even though Cantonese styles such as Choy Lee | | | | students seldom have the time or devotion to |
| Fut and the Wong Fei-Hung lineage of Hung | | | | reach far enough in their training to start |
| Kuen are classified as Southern and feature a | | | | focusing on the martial aspects. To condition |
| characteristically Southern emphasis on the | | | | oneself well enough to become adept at the |
| arms, their stances and routines, like those | | | | internal style martial arts is a long-term |
| of Northern Chinese styles, are respectively | | | | proposition; many simply lose interest after |
| wider and more complicated than those of | | | | a few years and never finish the program. |
| Fujian and Hakka styles. High, narrow, | | | | Most have no hope as their teachers know |
| pigeon-toed stances are more prominent in | | | | little. Many people who have not fully |
| "old" or "village" styles of Hung Kuen but | | | | learned the martial aspects of their style |
| also appear in its Iron Wire Fist empty-hand | | | | judge themselves qualified to teach what they |
| routine. | | | | do know publicly anyway, leading to a further |
| | | | diminution of the martial applications taught |
| There are sayings that because of their | | | | in many schools. Some of such instructors |
| shorter height, the southern Chinese | | | | supplement what they are teaching with |
| developed styles that were direct and | | | | elements from other schools, internal and |
| powerful. Similarly, it is speculated that | | | | external, and their training becomes further |
| the dense urban population of the south and | | | | removed from the original art. While this |
| its humid climate made focusing on | | | | gradual watering-down of technique has made |
| close-quarter hand techniques more practical | | | | some external aspects of internal styles |
| there than the north's focus on jumping and | | | | available for a wider audience who are |
| kicking. A generalized Nanquan (Southern | | | | interested in the purported health benefits |
| Fist) style has become a popular class in | | | | of the internal schools, traditional schools |
| modern Chinese martial arts competitions. It | | | | see a complete martial syllabus as a |
| is similar to Chángquán but includes | | | | fundamental, defining part of their art, both |
| more rapid punches and blocks, and fewer | | | | for health and self-defense purposes. They |
| jumps. | | | | claim that while the students may not need to |
| | | | practice external applications to derive a |
| The most popular Southern style is Wing Chun. | | | | benefit from the training, their teachers |
| Also known as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, it is | | | | should know the applications well, to ensure |
| characterized by short range power, | | | | that the movements are trained correctly, |
| centerline strategy and sticking and | | | | effectively and safely. For these reasons |
| deflecting techniques. Its most famous | | | | traditionalists feel that a school not |
| student is Bruce Lee, whose teacher was Yip | | | | teaching martial aspects somewhere in their |
| Man. Other Southern styles include Hung Gar | | | | syllabus cannot be said to be actually |
| and Choy Lee Fut. | | | | teaching the art itself, that they have |
| | | | "graduated themselves", and that they are |
| Internal and External | | | | much less likely to be able to reproduce the |
| | | | health benefits that have made complete |
| The distinction between external and internal | | | | internal systems famous in the first place. |