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This is the second article in the three part series, Classification of Kung Fu.

Internal versus External

One common way of classifying Chinese martial arts is by separating them into external styles (外家拳 Wàijiāquán) and internal styles (内家拳 Nèijiāquán).

The most popular internal style of Chinese martial art is Tai Chi, also called Taiji (太极拳 Tàijíquán) while the most famous style associated with the external style is Shaolin Kung Fu (少林功夫 Shàolín Gōngfū).  External styles focus on developing agility and physical strength, while internal styles focus on manipulating qi (气 qì) and cultivating the mind and spirit.

In Lost T’ai-chi Classics from the Late Ch’ing Dynasty Douglas Wile traces the theory of internal training and soft-style strategy.   Wile notes the first known recorded distinction between external and internal (外内) Chinese martial arts is found in the Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan (1669) written by Huang Zongxi (1610-1695 A.D.) . The Epitaph describes boxing in terms of a Shaolin or “external” school versus an “internal” school of boxing, originated by the Taoist immortal from Mount Wudang.   

Wile notes that after the Huangs in the late 17^th Century, the next documentary evidence of distinguishing internal styles from the external were described in the 18th century by Chang Nai-chou.    Chang describes a soft style that has an emphasis on slow movements during training, sticking to the opponent, and concentrating on circulating chi energy.  The modern terms distinguishing external and internal styles were first recorded by Sun Lutang.

Grandmaster Sun Lutang 孫祿堂 (1861-1932) was a renowned master of Chinese Neijia (internal) martial arts and an accomplished Neo-Confucian and Taoist scholar.   Having mastered  the Xingyi Quan (free-mind animal-imitating Chuan) and Bagua Zhang (Eight-diagram Palm) styles he incorporated their teaching into a new style – Sun style Tai Chi Chuan (孫家).  During the 1920’s Sun Lutang identified the following as the criteria that distinguish an internal martial art: (1) an emphasis on the use of the mind to coordinate the leverage of the relaxed body as opposed to the use of brute strength, (2) the internal development, circulation, and expression of Qì, and (3) the application of Taoist Dǎoyǐn, Qìgōng, and Nèigōng (內功) principles of movement.  Sun Lutang wrote that Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan were internal arts.

Despite having deep roots in Chinese history this distinction between internal and external styles has long been a source of argument in Chinese martial arts.  Some mistakenly consider the difference between internal and external to be related to how energy is generated and expressed. Here the external arts use ‘Wai dan’ (‘External methods’) – that is, muscles, sinews and forced breathing whilst the internal arts use ‘Nei dan’ (‘Internal methods’) – using breathing and ‘Qi gong’ energy in harmony to mobilise and express movement.   Many others argue this distinction is meaningless since all complete Chinese martial arts styles have a mixture of both external and internal components.  

Given the fundamental concept of balance in Chinese Philosophy (Yin/Yang) it is no surprise that both internal and external elements are two opposing, but necessary elements of all Chinese Kung Fu martial art styles.  The importance of training both elements together is captured in the Chinese proverb “Train both Internal and External. External training includes the hands, the eyes, the body and stances. Internal training includes the heart, the spirit, the mind, breathing and strength.”   内外相合，外重手眼身法步，内修心神意氣力.

This distinction between internal and external stems from the special tradition in Chinese martial arts that associates certain family styles together.  In this way, a martial art style can belong to the internal tradition of Neijiaquan, for example, but this does not mean that this martial art is limited in a binary way whereby its association with an internal style precludes it from containing any external elements.   The use of the internal / external classification scheme provides a high-level insight to better understand the initial emphasis of a particular style and should not be considered an absolute division. 

There is a useful Chinese saying which helps us understand that all styles include both internal and external elements but have a different focus on when these are best employed in the approach to learning the style.  Paraphrased, this states “Shaolin goes from external to internal, Wudang goes from internal to external”.     Each approach offers a unique and different path for the developing martial artist but the end result of the Kung Fu training for those who have mastered their style is the same.     A good example to explain this is the mountain analogy.  Here two students start out to ascend to the peak, one with a Neijiaquan ‘internal’ initial focus and the other with a  Weijiaquan ‘external’ initial focus.  

Having set of on their opposing paths, initially the ‘external’ focused student becomes stronger and faster, able to use their Kung Fu skills much quicker for fighting application.   By the mid-point of their ascent the two students’ skills will start to balance out.  Here the Weijiaquan student will start to focus more on the internal aspects, and conversely the Neijiaquan student will focus on external application.   This is a significant point in the journey for students of both paths as they are prone to get stuck and are not able to pass this transition point, prohibiting them from reaching the peak of the mountain.   

This point on the journey requires switching paths, with the developing student having to embrace the importance of the opposing focus.  It is difficult for both students whose initial focus have got them to this point of the journey to accept that the way ahead requires not a further development of what they know but a shift to the opposing focus, a seemingly alien or conflicting approach.  This second part of the climb is much harder as a result.   However, having got passed this point both students will proceed to the higher levels of mastery of their styles so that by the time they have reached the peak there will be no difference between them – both being proficient, powerful fighters expressing both internal and external elements.   

Understanding this juxtaposition between the internal and external martial arts and the very different paths each must pursue to achieve a balanced mastery helps the developing student progress along their journey at a greater pace.  To this end, it is worth exploring the different styles in more detail – especially for those students’ learning Wing Chun Kung Fu who, like Shaolin, are on the path which passes from the external to the internal.       

External styles

I have shown that external martial arts (Wàijiāquán) is a classification of those styles that have a stronger focus on the practise of external aspects (Wai dan) at the outset.  External as a term here refers to that which is on the outside – developing physical aspects such as body strength, cardiovascular fitness, stamina, muscles, tendons, bones.

Martial arts associated with the external style include Karate, Judo, Sambo, Mixed Martials Arts (MMA), Western Boxing, Jujitsu, Capoeira, and certain styles of Chinese Kung Fu.  These include both Northern and Southern fighting styles such as Shaolin, Praying Mantis, Crane and Tiger Style, Choi Lei Fut, and Wing Chun.

External styles focus on developing athletic ability and fighting ability as its primary goal.  The intention is to develop practical fighting skills in the fastest time frame possible.   To achieve this, first you reach the limits of your body and only at this point will you then look inside, to understand how to then surpass those physical limits.  These styles take the approach that it is first necessary to do the correct movements with your body before you can then seek to understand the internally processes behind these – namely, physiology, body mechanics and how energy (Qi) and intention can lead the movements of the body.  Seeking to understand the deeper meaning and philosophy behind the style is very much something to be given attention only once a proficiency has been achieved in fighting skills.

External styles generate powerful movements from tense muscles, focused on fast, explosive, and agile movements.  The release of adrenaline is embraced to power the body’s natural aggression response.    This approach tends to be comparatively easy to understand, compared with internal styles.   The practices and methods they us are directly related to fighting and everything is geared towards this clear purposes.  These styles quickly develop basic fitness, stamina and strength through exercises and holding low stances.  Punching techniques are drilled in to develop speed and power, with a focus on targeting different vital points of the body to deliver the most damage.  This can produce a strong and skilled martial artist in anywhere from 6 months to 3 years in contrast to the usual 5-19 years it takes within the internal styles. 

External styles will often spend considerable time conditioning specific areas of the body to either increase power in that area or to withstand impact.     Conditioning can include the head, fists, elbows, shoulders, shins, and fingers.  Drills include strength training and cardio vascular exercise within this conditioning phase.    Other drills focus on developing and refining specific body movements and techniques, memorising these to become automatic responses.   Additional drills will include practical applications of these movements and techniques.  External style students are introduced early into sparring early on in their training with a focus of getting the student used to the feel of fighting – applying and refining their skills in simulated combat situations

Internal styles

I have shown that internal martial arts, or Neijaquan, is a classification of those styles that have a stronger focus on the practise of internal aspects (Neigong) at the outset.  Internal as a term here refers to that which is on the inside, such as our Qi, spirit, and mind.  Internal Kung Fu blends health practice, meditation, and martial arts together using Taoist terminology.  There are 8 martial arts associated with the internal style – Taijiquan (supreme ultimate fist), Baguazhang (8 trigrams palm),  Xingyiquan (form/intention fist), Liuhebafa (water fist), Tongbeiquan (spreading power from the back fist), Ziranmen (natural fist), Bajiquan (eight extremities fist), Yiquan (mind fist)/dachengquan (the great accomplishment).

Internal styles focus on the internal aspects of a martial art during the early stages of training, seeking first to enhance your mind, body, and movements which later supports your athletic and fighting ability.  Internal aspects include the practice of awareness of the spirit, mind, qi (breath, or energy flow) and the use of relaxed leverage rather than muscular tension.   The goal of the internal styles is to train the nervous system to feel and be able to use a unified, whole-body approach. This allows power to be generated through the ‘softness’ of the relaxed body and the ‘emptiness’ of a calm, focused mind. 

Nèi Jìn or Nèi Jìng (內勁) is the Chinese term for the ‘internal power’ which is characterized by softness, elasticity, and flexibility.  This internal power is successfully exerted when the body and breathing work together in harmony with no wasted effort anywhere across the whole body.  Nèi jìn is developed by using internal exercises, called ‘Nèigōng’ (內功).   A famous application of Nèi jìn is the “Fā jìn” (發勁) used by practitioners of the internal martial arts to generate relaxed but explosive force.   A key aspect of Fa jin is the recruitment of the body’s sinews (tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues) to release force rather than relying on muscular tension.

Neigong are the breathing and meditation disciplines associated with Daoism. Neigong exercises involve cultivating physical stillness or movement deliberately focused on producing relaxation or the release of muscular tension, combined with special breathing techniques.  The coordination of the body with the breath is regarded as the harmonization of the inner and outer and is designed to develop high levels of coordination, concentration, and technical skill.  The ultimate goal of this practice is to become one with heaven or the Dao.

The primary goal of practice is in first finding relaxation.  Taoists realized that a relaxed body controlled by a quiet mind produces a holistic entity, capable of fulfilling its potential.  At the outset of training, the internal arts place the greatest emphasis on refining and training the nervous system to control the body.  Only having achieved initial relaxation you move on to try and maintain relaxation in physically more challenging situations.

Internal styles have a saying that ‘intention leads the Qi and Qi leads the body’, meaning, what you actively put to use is your intention, not muscle.  Perfect relaxation eventually yields a quality that is referred to as ‘steel wrapped in cotton’, because while the movements of the body might appear soft, they have a deeply rooted, heavy and strong foundation beneath it.  Students of the internal styles seek to balance the nervous and hormonal systems through mind/body unity in order to produce power from within the body – called Nei Jing (internal power).

The unified power is completely dependent upon fine neuromuscular control, which is completely mentally directed.  Internal martial arts actively practice with a quiet mind.  It is often quoted that, “There should be stillness in movement,” and internal martial artists seek to remain calm in spirit as they move. This requires the active control of the adrenaline hormone released in the ‘fight or flight response’ when faced with an attacker. One of the primary reasons internal martial arts are good for health is that one may simultaneously exercise the body and rest the mind.

Internal training includes stance training (Zhan Zhuang), stretching and strengthening of muscles, along with empty hand and weapon forms which can contain demanding coordination of limbs, and demands effective use of posture to create structural power through a whole-body connection and whole-body movement to rather than using muscles strength within isolated limbs.  Once these internal aspects are mastered, they can then be applied to the external practice of the martial art.     

Many ‘internal’ elements were incorporated into the Sun style Tai Chi.   Sun Lutang utilised the stance work from Xingyiquan, where the stances are seldom wider than shoulder with.  Here, both legs are crouched and ready to spring forward, propelling the waist to advance or retreat.  The foot work was extracted from Baguazhang which uses circular patterns to pivot around to the opponent’s flanks.  It also uses careful placement of body weight on the heel or the toe, and quick and distinct shifts in balance.  The overall softness and flow of the movements come from Tai Chi cultivates Qi flow by emphasizing the natural movements of the body.

A prominent characteristic of internal styles is that the forms are performed slowly.  This is thought to improve coordination and balance, requiring the student to pay detailed attention to their whole body and its weight distribution as they perform a technique.   Certain styles also include sudden outbursts of explosive movements using Fa Jin energy.  At an advanced level, and in actual fighting, internal styles are performed quickly, but during the learning process the developing student must learn to involve the entire body in every motion, to stay relaxed, with deep, controlled breathing, and to coordinate the motions of the body.   These arts strive to fight while calm and relaxed, with a focus on the centre and balance even when moving quickly or in actual combat.

Continue to the third and final part of this series Classification (3) - By Religion - click here and start reading: Link

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