Originally posted by Yiliquan1
In all honesty, the entire internal/external categorization is so poorly misunderstood that its original meaning has been all but lost. There really is no such thing as an internal or external style - that is one of the whole ideas behind the taiji diagram, that within one there is the genesis of the other and that neither one was a completely separate entity.
This is going to be an issue in determining how to accurately describe this forum... Personally, something
very generic should be used IMHO. I know that no forum is exculsive to any group of people - anybody can chime in anywhere - but given the controversial nature of internal arts, coming up with a description as to what really constitutes "internal" is going to be a pain...
Xingyi, Bagua, Taiji, Liu He Ba Fa, Yiquan... all recognized internal martial arts of Chinese origin. From my (admittedly limited) understanding of what "internal" really refers to on a physical level, I think it would be safe to accept Aikido and other arts as "internal" as well. Even arts that are recognized as hallmarks of "external" arts could be included, since at a certain point "external" will
become "internal..."
Anyway.
Generic description: "For the discussion of arts whose methods, theories and techniques relate primarily to the use of internal energy, physics and kinesiology to defeat an opponent. The principles of many internal arts are echoed in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and other healing modalities."
Or something along those lines...
Gambarimasu.
:asian:
Keep up the good work!
