So, like, what exactly is an internal martial art?

Lets forget about the mystical depiction of internal martial arts where people defy gravity and kill with a glance.  In fact, lets take away the labels internal and external, and discuss how we view the body. If we look at the body through purely athletic terms, we see that although a group of people are performing the same action, say swinging a golf club, their levels of success are quite different.  A golf swing is clearly recognizable, yet the ball will tell the differences in each players swing. To the layman it appears that the action is exactly the same yet upon closer examination, we can see subtle differences that produce vastly different results. The body is an amazing piece of machinery, and like most machines, people generally fail to use them to their full potential. More importantly is the tendency to think that things operate under separate rules rather than a unifying principle. For example, a right handed person that loses the ability to write with their right hand can learn how to use their left, yet no one questions the body’s ability to do so, yet we speak of training other parts that ordinarily work without conscious thought, it is often dismissed as impossible. In order to explain the internal quality of movement I must ask you to suspend your perception and belief in how the body works and look at the equation with an open mind and free of preconception.

What separates a champion athlete from an average one? What exactly are the ambiguous “physical gifts” that allow some to rise to the very top of their field while others fall short? Science is just starting to be able to glance inside the body and explore exactly what happens within a given movement and as a result many are reluctant to accept an answer that was not produced by a detailed MRI report. We have to accept that there is more than one way to perform an action, meaning engaging different muscles, engaging muscles in proper sequence and optimal positioning. Recently I was discussing this idea of adjusting the body and I was met with an incredulous inquiry of how one can go about adjusting the position of bones. What need to realize is that we reposition the bones all the time. The muscular system is what determines the position of the structure so if we adjust the way and the order in which muscles flex, we therefore adjust the bone structure. This proves difficult because the large muscle groups tend to flex and tense and then do not allow the bones to be adjusted.  it’s a simple concept, relax the large muscles and engage the synergist muscles yet it extremely difficult to do.

So why do you need to know this?
On the surface martial arts techniques are remarkably similar, because they all work with the same human body. Techniques are a good starting point, but when we start to look at the variables we see some problems. A side kick is a side kick, a block is a block, a punch is a punch, so a small change shouldn’t make much difference, right? Yet if we ask a golfer if moisture on the ball, the length of the grass, or even the exact spot the club face meets the ball, they will tell you these factors have a definitive effect. Often students will say they just don’t do certain techniques well, that they have some physical limitation that prevents that technique from succeeding. Generally speaking many see the cure to these problems as to just use more strength. If your golf swing is off do you just swing harder?  This is where the “internal” study comes in. Thinking of what is going on inside the body as well as the external result. This is why there is no internal or external form, because to be complete all systems must include an understanding of both. A common assertion from perceived “external” systems is that “internal” systems think too much. Think how insulting that is to both schools of thought. Does that mean the external stylist doesn’t think? Does it suggest the internal stylist spends no time working the body? Is there anyone that would argue that a more thorough understanding of an action or technique would be a bad thing?

So how do you know if you’re doing it right?
Martial arts techniques have one common factor: Energy. Every kick, punch, grab, block or deflection contains energy. Energy only knows resistance and will find the path with the least amount, like water in a bucket will find the hole. How do you know if your bucket leaks? Fill it with water. How do you know if your technique is structurally sound? Apply some energy to it. If you feel a great deal of muscular strain, your structure is off.

That is the basic idea of studying internal aspects of techniques. Correcting structure through posture to allow greater relaxation and greater efficiency. Only after a thorough understanding of body structure has been attained can a student start to study other aspects of internal training such as meditation and energy flow. So the next time someone tells you their style is external, remember inside their bodies there are bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles that all need to be adjusted correctly, so whether they realize it or not, the external style has internal qualities as well.

Its really not as mysterious as it sounds.