''Neijia'' (
內家) is a term in
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to comm ...
, grouping those
styles that practice ''
neijing
In advanced traditional Chinese kung fu ( martial arts), Neijing (Traditional Chinese: 內 勁; pinyin: nèijìng) refers to the conscious control of the practitioner's qi, or "life energy", to gain advantages in combat. Nèijìng is developed ...
'', usually translated as internal martial arts, occupied with spiritual, mental or
qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "
external" approach focused on
physiological
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemica ...
aspects. The distinction dates to the 17th century, but its modern application is due to publications by
Sun Lutang, dating to the period of 1915 to 1928. Neijing is developed by using ''
neigong'', or "internal exercises", as opposed to "external exercises" (wàigōng
外 功).
Wudangquan is a more specific grouping of internal martial arts named for their association with the
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...
monasteries of the
Wudang Mountains,
Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The p ...
in Chinese popular legend. These styles were enumerated by Sun Lutang as
Taijiquan,
Xingyiquan and
Baguazhang, but most also include
Bajiquan and the legendary
Wudang Sword
Wudang Sword is a body of Chinese straight sword (jian) techniques—famous in China—encompassed by the Wudang quan or internal martial arts.
The oldest reputable accounts of Wudang Sword begin with Grandmaster Sung Wei-I around the turn of th ...
.
Some other Chinese arts, not in the
Wudangquan group, such as
Qigong,
Liuhebafa,
Bak Mei Pai,
Zi Ran Men (Nature Boxing),
Bok Foo Pai and
Yiquan are frequently classified (or classify themselves) as "internal".
History
Qing China
The term ''neijia'' and the distinction between internal and external martial arts first appears in
Huang Zongxi
Huang Zongxi (; September 24, 1610 – August 12, 1695), courtesy name Taichong (), was a Chinese naturalist, political theorist, philosopher, and soldier during the latter part of the Ming dynasty into the early part of the Qing.
Biography
Huang ...
's 1669 ''
Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan''. Stanley Henning proposes that the ''Epitaphs identification of the internal martial arts with the
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...
indigenous to China and of the external martial arts with the foreign
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
of
Shaolin—and the
Manchu Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
to which Huang Zongxi was opposed—was an act of political defiance rather than one of technical classification.
In 1676 Huang Zongxi's son, Huang Baijia, who learned martial arts from Wang Zhengnan, compiled the earliest extant manual of internal martial arts, the ''Nèijiā quánfǎ''.
Republic of China
Beginning in 1914,
Sun Lutang together with
Yang Shao-hou,
Yang Chengfu and
Wu Chien-ch'uan
Wu Chien-ch'uan or Wu Jianquan (1870–1942) was a famous teacher and founder of the neijia martial art of Wu-style t'ai chi ch'uan in late Imperial and early Republican China.
Biography
Wu Chien-ch'uan was taught martial arts by his father, ...
taught t'ai chi to the public at the
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
Physical Education Research Institute. Sun taught there until 1928, a seminal period in the development of modern
Yang,
Wu and
Sun-style tai ji quan.
Sun Lutang from 1915 also published martial arts texts.
In 1928,
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...
generals Li Jing-lin, Chang Chih-chiang, and Fung Zu Ziang organized a national martial arts tournament in China; they did so to screen the best martial artists in order to begin building the
Central Martial Arts Academy (Zhongyang Guoshuguan). The generals separated the participants of the tournament into Shaolin and Wudang. Wudang participants were recognized as having "internal" skills. These participants were generally practitioners of t'ai chi ch'uan, Xingyiquan and Baguazhang. All other participants competed under the classification of Shaolin. One of the winners in the "internal" category was the Baguazhang master
Fu Chen Sung.
Sun Lutang
Sun Lutang identified the following as the criteria that distinguish an internal martial art:
# An emphasis on the use of the mind to coordinate the leverage of the relaxed body as opposed to the use of strength.
# The internal development, circulation, and expression of
qi, the "vital energy" of classical Chinese philosophy.
# The application of
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...
daoyin,
qigong, and
neigong principles of external movement.
Sun Lutang's eponymous style of t'ai chi ch'uan fuses principles from all three arts he named as neijia. Similarities applying classical principles between taiji, xingyi, and baquazhang include: Loosening (song) the soft tissue, opening shoulder and hip gates or gua, cultivating qi or intrinsic energy, issuing various jin or compounded energies. Taijiquan is characterized by an ever-present peng jin or expanding energy. Xingyiquan is characterized by its solely forward moving pressing ji jin energy.
Baguazhang is characterized by its “dragon body” circular movements. Some Chinese martial arts other than the ones Sun named also teach what are termed internal practices, despite being generally classified as external (e.g.
Wing Chun that also is internal ). Some non-Chinese martial arts also claim to be internal, for example
Aikido and
Kito Ryu Kito or Kitō may refer to:
* Kitō (surname), a Japanese surname
*Kitō-ryū, a Japanese martial art
* Kito, Tokushima, a former village in Naka District, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan
* Kito (Tonga), an island of Tonga
* KITO-FM, a radio station in ...
. Many martial artists, especially outside of China, disregard the distinction entirely. Some neijia schools refer to their arts as "
soft style" martial arts.
Training
Internal styles focus on awareness of the spirit, mind,
chi ("energy" 氣) and the use of relaxed (' ) leverage rather than muscular tension.
Pushing hands is a training method commonly used in neijia arts to develop sensitivity and softness.
Much time may nevertheless be spent on basic physical training, such as stance training (''
zhan zhuang''), stretching and strengthening of muscles, as well as on empty hand and weapon forms which can be quite demanding.
Some forms in internal styles are performed slowly, although some include sudden outbursts of explosive movements (
fa jin), such as those the
Chen style of Taijiquan is famous for teaching earlier than some other styles (e.g.
Yang and
Wu). The reason for the generally slow pace is to improve coordination and balance by increasing the work load, and to require the student to pay minute attention to their whole body and its weight as they perform a technique. At an advanced level, and in actual fighting, internal styles are performed quickly, but the goal is to learn to involve the entire body in every motion, to stay relaxed, with deep, controlled breathing, and to coordinate the motions of the body and the breathing accurately according to the dictates of the forms while maintaining perfect balance.
Characteristics
External styles are characterized by fast and explosive movements and a focus on physical strength and agility. External styles include both the traditional styles focusing on application and fighting, as well as the modern styles adapted for competition and exercise. Examples of external styles are
Shaolinquan
Shaolin Kung Fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous styles of wushu, or kung fu of Chan Buddhism. It combines Ch'an philosophy and martial arts and originated and was developed i ...
, with its direct explosive attacks and many
Wushu forms that have spectacular aerial techniques. External styles begin with a training focus on muscular power, speed and application, and generally integrate their
qigong aspects in advanced training, after their desired "hard" physical level has been reached.
Currently, some people believe that there is no difference between "internal" and “external" systems of the Chinese martial arts,
[Wong Kiew Kit (2002). ''Art of Shaolin Kung Fu: The Secrets of Kung Fu for Self-Defense Health and Enlightenment''. Tuttle.] while other well known teachers have expressed differing opinions. For example, the
Taijiquan teacher
Wu Jianquan:
Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted. Taijiquan is unlike this. Strive for quiescence of body, mind and intention.
Current practice
Many internal schools teach forms that are practised for health benefits only. Thus,
T'ai chi ch'uan in spite of its roots in martial arts has become similar in scope to
Qigong, the purely meditative practice based on notions of circulation of qi. With purely a health emphasis, T'ai chi classes have become popular in hospitals, clinics, community and senior centers in the last twenty years or so, as
baby boomers age and the art's reputation as a low stress training for seniors became better known.
Traditionalists feel that a school not teaching martial aspects somewhere in their syllabus cannot be said to be actually teaching the art itself, that they have accredited themselves prematurely. Traditional teachers also believe that understanding the core theoretical principles of neijia and the ability to apply them are a necessary gateway to health benefits.
Fiction
Internal styles have been associated in legend and in much popular fiction with the Taoist monasteries of the
Wudang Mountains in central China.
Neijia are a common theme in Chinese
wuxia
( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted ...
novels and films, and are usually represented as originating in Wudang or similar mythologies. Often, genuine internal practices are highly exaggerated to the point of making them seem miraculous, as in the novels of
Jin Yong and
Gu Long
Xiong Yaohua (7 June 1938 – 21 September 1985), better known by his pen name Gu Long, was a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. A graduate of Cheng Kung Senior High School and Tamkang University, Xio ...
. Internal concepts have also been a source of
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
, such as in the films ''
Shaolin Soccer'' and ''
Kung Fu Hustle''.
In the ''
Naruto'' series, Neji Hyūga's name and techniques were based on neijia.
See also
*
Dantian
*
Neidan
*
Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) ...
*
Taijitu
*
Waijia
Citations
General bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
* , a site devoted to original texts of Neigong, Qigong and Neijia.
* .
* .
* .
* .
*
{{Martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts terminology