Rick,
This is written by my good friend and Martial Art teacher (one of them) Tim Cartmell. Believe it or not, on his website (
www.shenwu.com) there has been discussions on what makes something internal or external also. There’s also some good information on Xing Yi for Dragon.
Good training,
Joe
When people ask me the difference between so-called "external" and Internal" martial arts techniques (although I dislike the categorization) I always answer that all Internal styles base their techniques on sticking to and following the opponent. Sticking starts in the mind, and is extended to making actual contact with the opponent's limbs and body. To stick and follow basically involves maintaining various amounts of pressure on the opponent to control his movement, limit his options and eventually control his center. All the techniques I teach (including striking, wrestling and grappling) are based on this principle.
Herein lies my problem with labeling arts as "internal" or "external." "Martial Arts" don't exist until someone moves, and only the points of commonality in body motion and technical application allow us to even have a point of reference to call these movements and techniques a certain style. The Arts that I teach are all taught based on a set of specific principles (natural, whole body power, avoidance of force against force, sticking to and following the opponent...) which I learned from practicing arts generally labeled as "Internal" in China. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu follows the exact same principles, as do many other arts. The point is this; ANY martial art can be considered Internal OR External, based not on the name of the art, but on how each individual practices and applies the art.
So, I make no distinction between striking, wrestling or grappling as far as how the power is generated or the techniques applied. Look at it this way, there is only one 'best' way to use the body (like any machine, using it according to its design will produce the most efficient results). Discover which alignments and movements are the most stable and produce power most efficiently, and design your solo training around these parameters. A bigger, stronger man will always beat a smaller weaker man, there is no 'Art' to it. So, a "Martial Art" should allow a TRAINED smaller man to defeat a larger and stronger man. Figure out what strategies and techniques will give the little guy a chance, and practice them. The Chinese chose to call these arts "Internal." I call them martial ARTS, you can call them whatever you want. But realize they are principles of body use and application, not "styles."
As far as teaching forms in the Shen Wu curriculum, any movement one makes with a specific intent (in our case, to produce whole body power applicable to our techniques) IS a form. "Forms" don't have to be linked together artificially and named after animals, bugs or drunken immortals to be effective (although labels are convenient, and it's probably a lot of fun to think up those fancy names). I don't teach any linked "sets" of forms in the Shen Wu class. I teach single, repetitive movements (both standing and on the ground), footwork and tumbling skills, which serve both to develop whole body power and condition the student. Combinations are taught as techniques (although I do encourage free form 'shadow fighting').
Every movement taught has potential applications as a defensive movement, a strike (usually many strikes), a chin na technique, a throw... Cultivating power in specific, generic movements is like earning money, once you put in the effort to earn it, you can spend it however you like.
Finally, I believe the discussion around Xing Yi & Uechi-ryu there was a question asked about striking in the percussive based arts. Xing Yi Quan has a famous saying: " Never reach out without finding a target, and never return empty handed." Strikes are made usually with the closest available anatomical weapon, without breaking the forward momentum, and almost invariably both hands (or other parts of the body) are active and in contact with the opponent at all times (one hand or other body part striking while the other hand checks, pushes, pulls...). The basic concept is to leave no 'space.' (Sounds familiar in a Uechi-ryu sense) - Tim Cartmell
There's some good food for thought. Again, best wishes,
Joe
)and listen to them again.