Nei Jia Quan (internal family boxing). From the Chinese language, neijiaquan translates as "internal family boxing," but more specifically implies the internal martial arts. “Internal,” refers to the type of training that focuses on developing a greater awareness of subtle chi (energy) existing inside and outside of the body, which is not easily perceived nor felt until the mind is properly relaxed and opened. Internal martial artists are also more concerned with conscienously controlling the soft tissues underneath one's skin, which are usually not under voluntary control, to performs forms and to apply fighting techniques.
Before learning any of the fighting techniques, the first goal of internal martial artists is to evenly increase sensation to all parts of their bodies, especially the joints, in order to promote whole body integration and build internal power. So, a great deal of time is spent on soft/gentle/meditative like breathing and moving techniques, such as that found in the standing, seated and laying practices of Qigong ("life-force" energy cultivation practices) and Neigung (internal energy training).
These kinds of practices help facilitate the relaxing of the mind and opening of the body, establishing a new type of awareness that is then incorporated into the fighting forms, combat strategies and two person sparring training. Learning martial arts in this way is referred to as going from the “inside to the outside” or from "soft to hard." It is exactly the opposite method and approach of the “external” martial arts, which go from the “outside to the inside” or from "hard to soft."
"INTERNAL vs. EXTERNAL," is there really a difference?
Master Ken Van Sickle (1960) as a 3rd Degree Blackbelt in Goju Ryu Karate, doing a high roundhouse kick. |
|
On the surface, there are some real obvious differences between the ways “external” and “internal” schools approach learning and teaching the martial arts. External martial arts such as Karate, Western Boxing, Kung Fu, Shaolin Kung Fu, Wushu, Jujitsu, Capoeira, Judo, Sambo and Wrestling, just to name a few, first emphasize learning very specific katas (forms) and fighting techniques. |
External styles develop very important basic strength and stamina skills such as push-ups, sit-ups, running and jumping rope to develop stamina and holding low stances for strengthening the legs. In these early stages of external training there is less attention given to the more subtle subjects of “energy” and “meditation,” because the emphasis is on practicality and the reality of actual combat. |
| |
In essence, the
mind set
of the external school is: “first show me what really works best in a street fight, then maybe later we can talk philosophy.” However, in the more complete external martial arts systems, the higher ranks and latter stages of training do incorporate the subjects of meditation and philosophy to a greater degree, in order to refine and conserve one’s power, following the principle of “hard to soft” or from “outside to inside.”
If one’s life is being threaten on a regular basis and you fear for your personal safety because you live in a dangerous environment, or you engage in regular street fighting and/or professional fighting because you simply enjoy it, external martial arts training methods are a more practical and useful path towards developing good fighting skills in a shorter period of time (6 months to 3 years depending on the talent, age and health of the student).
Internal martial arts are not as practical of a path for learning basic self-defense and fighting skills as are the external martial arts, especially during the first 3-5 years, because of the heavy emphasis on moving with greater energy awareness and body integration. But, in the long run especially as one ages, the training methods of the internal martial arts has demonstrated through-out the centuries to be a very reliable way of self-empowerment and spiritual harmony.
---Baguazhang Links---
|
