Discrepancies Between Inner And Outer Martial Arts Techniques And Fighting Styles

Today many different methods of combat instruction are practiced all over the globe, many far beyond the borders of the communities in which it originated. These generally either lean towards approaches that are internally based and soft, or the external and hard forms. Following below are some major differences between internal and external martial arts techniques and fighting styles.

Internally-focused forms like Tai Chi focus on cultivating a number of qualities including relaxation, suppleness, balance, sensitivity, gravity, alignment of body and mind while also developing offensive and defensive skills. Its moves do not rely on having to exert and thereby exhaust the muscles. Externally-derived approaches such as karate focus on using power through developing the body’s muscles.

Tai chi, along with Shing Yi and Bagua are the three main forms of inner-directed practice. All three typically combine and cultivate three elements: combat skills, health and meditation. These elements are connected and when practicing one is exercising all three aspects at the same time.

Although karate also emphasize breathing and control of energy and balance, it’s main concern lies in imparting open hand maneuvers through rapid and hard movements. And so is taekwondo, also internationally popular. This form is especially known for its powerful kicking patterns and developing the legs as potent weapons. Another brutal and hard fighting form is Muay Thai, which demands a lot from its practitioners.

Perhaps the internally-focused schools have a major advantage in that it teaches sensitivity. Sensitivity refers to the crucial ability to learn to anticipate with accuracy what an attacker plans to do next. This knowledge allows the defender to prepare in advance to interrupt an intended kick or strike.

Classical hard forms generally make use of potent and structured movements in response to an opponent that presents a familiar structured attack which can be broken down through counter strikes, blocks and kicks. Most kung fu and karate instruction lack imparting skills which teach students to flow spontaneously with the movements of an opponent. And this is crucial especially when the latter comes with an attacking pattern with seemingly little or no recognizable structure to it.

Most instruction philosophies and practices today lean either towards one or the other extreme. But students of the internally-derived group learn to relax the body while in combat, and this is an advantage not shared by the others. Having a calm mind when in combat makes for sharper focus, and also makes the body almost impervious to damage from blows. These points hopefully highlighted a few of the main differences and advantages among today’s martial arts techniques and fighting styles.

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