INTERNAL vs EXTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS

Martial arts systems may define themselves as either being an internal or external system of fighting. There can be some controversy as to what exactly this means, and as to which approach to fighting is "superior". The following page helps explain these differences, and answers the question, "Which is Imperial Combat Arts?"

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

External or "hard" martial arts are generally characterized as arts that focus on improving muscle, cardiovascular fitness, and overall physical strength. These arts generate powerful movements from tense muscles, and focus on fast, explosive, and agile movements.  In addition these arts use the power of aggression and the release of adrenaline, often growling, leaping, shouting, and screaming in combat.

Internal or "soft" martial arts focus on relaxed power, awareness of the spirit, mind, breath, and the use of relaxed leverage. These arts strive to fight while calm and relaxed, with trained deep slower breathing, and focus on center and balance even when moving quickly or in actual combat. The development of an Internal martial art requires slow movements that develop a different kind of strength than fast training and a lot of body awareness. Then the gradual increase of speed, until even great speed in achieved in fluid movements that carry their momentum from one move to the next.
Some tremendous combat skills, like drawing and firing a firearm accurately in less than .25 seconds, or mastering the incredible speed, accuracy, and toughening of a Kung Fu Snake strike, require slow methodical training, deep internalization, and extensive repetition before they can be truly mastered. 

WHICH IS IMPERIAL COMBAT ARTS?

Balance: Just as there is always a little Yin in all Yang, and a little Yang in all Yin, it is not possible for a martial art or individual to be all external or entirely internal. Imperial Combat Arts is focused on the balance between the two. Half of our arts are more Yin, intellectual styles and the other half are more Yang, physical styles. This concept is easy to show in our 8 Animal Styles. Tiger represents the most Yang style with heavy workouts, growling, and powerful aggressive attacks. Snake represents the most Yin style with fluid movements, fluid counter attacks, and blinding speed over power. 
All the other Animals represent the varied degrees of balance as shown in the 8 Trigrams that surround the afore pictured Pakua, or Yin Yang symbol. Some arts like Eagle will switch between the sides, even throughout a single move, and train to perfect balance. Eagle for example, while technically a intellectual style with many combat techniques, also fights with great strength, in some ways similar to Tiger. Eagle is situated on the Pakua between Tiger and Crane, and in many ways fights like half Tiger, half Crane. All fighters natural tendencies fall somewhere on this spectrum regardless of their fighting style as it's impossible not to. Imperial Combat Arts students train all 8 aspects of Yin & Yang theory as it relates to battle, then later specialize in their natural style. Students also train to fight all of the 8 types of fighters represented in the Yin Yang.

WHICH IS SUPERIOR?

Both sides have their strengths and inherent pitfalls. Ultimately it comes down to the individuals involved in a violent encounter and many variables such as situation, numbers, age, rank, and experience. Regardless of your style, by training to fight aggressive individuals more powerful that yourself, as well as cold calculating fighters that use a large array of deceptive techniques, you can prepare yourself more for any fighting style you encounter.  
内外相合，外重手眼身法步，内修心神意氣力
"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." - Chinese Proverb