Internal vs. External

[Kung Fu Wang]

Internal = arts inside the Wudang Temple
External = arts outside the Wudang Temple

There is also another saying that said:

- Buddhism monk stay inside the temple, it's called "internal".
- Tao's monk travel outside, it's called external.

In other words, everybody want to be "internal". Nobody want to be external.

Every year in the Dallas Taiji Legacy tournament.

- All the "internal" judges stand in the front line (with proud on their face - they train high level MA).
- All the external judges stand on the 2nd line (with shame on their face - they train low level MA).
- All the Sanda judges stand on the 3rd line (they all bend their heads down - they train the lowest level MA).

 

[DanT]

There is also another saying that said:

- Buddhism monk stay inside the temple, it's called "internal".
- Tao's monk travel outside, it's called external.

In other words, everybody want to be "internal". Nobody want to be external.

Every year in the Dallas Taiji Legacy tournament.

- All the "internal" judges stand in the front line (with proud on their face - they train high level MA).
- All the external judges stand on the 2nd line (with shame on their face - they train low level MA).
- All the Sanda judges stand on the 3rd line (they all bend their heads down - they train the lowest level MA).

Yeah and the funny thing is most of the so called "internal" practitioners are terrible fighters. Too much time doing the 24 Yang form and not enough time Sparring or hitting a bag.

 

[KPM]

A little bit of "internal Wing Chun"

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1501873313215743

 

[geezer]

A little bit of "internal Wing Chun"

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1501873313215743

This is one of Sergio's guys. Sergio apparently has moved far beyond Leung Ting's "soft" and yielding concepts to some really extreme beliefs IMHO. Must be a market for it.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

A little bit of "internal Wing Chun"

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1501873313215743

Does "internal" just mean "push" to you? This is very sad indeed. "Internal" guys don't like kick, punch, lock, throw, ground work. They like to "push".

If you add in "inner hook" or "scoop", a push can be a throw.

 

[DaveB]

So going by that last video internal means refined technical details. The kind of thing you just can't do while experiencing any kind of adrenalin response.

Not sure how it would apply to Wing chun, but a guy who believed in the geographical explanation for the terminology gave this explanation of the difference between internal and external arts:

He said the internal were based on the principle of conservation of momentum, so all the yielding of Taichi and spinning of bagua and rushing drop steps of hsing-i exist to keep you moving non stop with the aim of always impacting with your full body weight in motion.

Using that definition I found an internal Shotokan karate kata.

 

[Flying Crane]

He said the internal were based on the principle of conservation of momentum, so all the yielding of Taichi and spinning of bagua and rushing drop steps of hsing-i exist to keep you moving non stop with the aim of always impacting with your full body weight in motion.

Ok, but these are elements of many systems, not just those identified or labeled as internal.