Neijiaquan
Your movements will be agile and your spirit of vitality will be high. You will begin to feel that your tai chi practice goes beyond simple form training, and you will be able to perceive things as energetic combinations rather than as static physical bodies.
(Yang Jwing-Ming)
Internal kung fu
Neijiaquan means 'internal kung fu'.
There are several styles of internal kung fu.
The most familiar systems are xingyiquan (form/intention boxing),
baguazhang (8 trigram
palm) and tai chi chuan (supreme ultimate
fist).
Our school teaches tai chi chuan to everyone, and baguazhang to martial
students.
Kung fu
Tai chi chuan and baguazhang were designed primarily to cultivate
kung fu skills.
As a side-effect, they also improve health, calm the emotions and improve
awareness.
Kung fu is concerned with how your actions affect the opponent.
Your aim is to simultaneously incapacitate the attacker whilst maintaining your
own integrity.
In kung fu, you need to be compact, grounded, alert and efficient.
Showy moves will only hamper you.
3 areas of skill
Neijiaquan employ three areas of skill for defeating an opponent:
Shuai jiao (grappling)
Chin na (seizing)
Jing (energy expression)
An internal kung fu student must be
competent in all three areas of skill.
How
Unlike other martial arts, neijia are concerned with the
means rather than
simply the end result.
The how rather than just the what.
Pragmatism. Effectiveness. Economy. These are our focus. Minimum effort produces
maximum effect.
Skill
Body use is very important.
Neigong (internal power) and jing (energy expression) enable
tai chi students to
generate kinetic energy, which we employ in combat.
The more adept you are at affecting the opponent, the greater your skill.
Good quality application requires physical, emotional and psychological
integration.
There is a sense of calm. The pace is unhurried and the student is at ease.
Grace
It is not enough to do neijiaquan, you must also do it easily and comfortably.
Grace can be seen in the natural, uncomplicated movements of a skilled
practitioner.
There is a smoothness, a subtlety in every gesture. Enfolded within the art are
layers of sophistication.
Real grace appears impossibly simple and elegant. Inconsequential. Unremarkable.
It is so innocuous that your mind slides over it.
There is nothing overt to
cling to.
Subtlety
Neijiaquan is all about internalisation: the more skilled you are, the less an
opponent can see.
By internalising your movements they become more efficient.
Nothing is redundant. There are no gaps and deficiencies. Nothing is wasted.
Nothing is pointless.
There is no telegraphing. No advertisement.
No blocking.
You become quiet and reserved, integrated and present. Your kung fu
abilities are potent yet subtle.
Sensitivity
Your skill is directly proportionate to your sensitivity.
If the aim of kung fu is to affect the opponent, your ability to do this
hinges upon your capacity to feel what is happening.
You must be in the moment, aware and tactile.
Appropriateness
Appropriateness stems from your ability to feel, to respond skilfully.
You intuitively adapt, change and improvise. You see choices, possibilities and
options.
Nothing is fixed and static. You move with the flow.
Unusual qualities
Neijiaquan application must be used:
Your aim should be to incapacitate and deter,
rather than injure.
Internal &
external
characteristics
Learning neijiaquan is not the same as learning a mainstream/external
martial art.
There are many different considerations:
| External | Internal | |
| Obvious | Hidden | |
| Explicit | Esoteric | |
| Showy | Understated | |
| Combat is the main concern | Health and combat equally important | |
| Straightforward | Significantly more detailed and sophisticated | |
| Favour military-style warm-up exercise | Strength is built using unconventional means | |
| Uses existing body habits | Body must be trained to move in a manner that is unfamiliar | |
| Mechanical | Organic, natural | |
| Jerky | Flowing | |
| Typically focuses on striking or grappling, seldom both | Chin na, jing and shuai jiao trained together | |
| Blocking/resistant, force versus force | 4 ounces of pressure | |
| Favours the younger, stronger student | Age is less of an obstacle | |
| Fighting/competition | Incapacitation is the aim, not fighting | |
| Aggression/emotion | Composure | |
| Macho | Modest | |
| Speed | Timing and sensitivity | |
| Isolated limb use | Whole-body movement | |
| Extended | Close-quarters | |
| Will | Wit | |
| Linear | Circular | |
| Planning | Listening | |
| Struggling | Blending | |
| Wishing things were different | Being with what is happening | |
| Being in your head thinking about what to do next | Being in the body and sensation-oriented | |
| Denying your vulnerability | Feeling your vulnerability | |
| Contracted, locked musculature | Loose, fluid and relaxed musculature | |
| This list was adapted from the one created by Ron Sieh. | ||
Page created 2 March 1995