What does "internal" mean to you?

[Mike Patterson]

I'll agree with this 100%.

You can replace "fight" with "training against a resisting opponent" and it's still true.

Just so long as you're not doing a 10 hit combo against someone who left their arm extended after they threw a punch that wasn't going to hit you even if you didn't block it.

Nope. A "resisting opponent" is still training.... not fighting.

[IronFist]

We must have different opinions about what a "resisting opponent" is.

[Mike Patterson]

We must have different opinions about what a "resisting opponent" is.

Doubtful. But I'm QUITE SURE we have different opinions about what fighting is..

[IronFist]

Doubtful. But I'm QUITE SURE we have different opinions about what fighting is..

Ok.

IronFist,

Its likely that Mr. Patterson has been training for close to as long as you have been alive. Maybe its best not to assume you are a peer?

Vids of Mr. Patterson fighting? With the way everyone here is continually deferring to him, I assume he's some supreme grandmaster who defeats challengers of all styles, so I'd like to get on board that train.

On a side note, since you mention tendon based movement as a fallacy from time to time:

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/tend...gth-training-7

"Interestingly, research using electromyography as an indicator of calf muscle activity during running shows that the calf muscles are very active during the dorsiflexion phase and not active during the plantarflexion phase. This is contrary to what you might expect, as the theoretical role of the calf muscles is to contract concentrically (shorten) when the ankle plantarflexes. So how can the ankle plantarflex without any activity from the calf muscle? The answer is that the Achilles tendon is stretched during the dorsiflexion phase of the ankle movement, and the elastic energy stored during stretching is then released when the Achilles shortens. During running, the role of the calf muscle is to control the movement of the ankle with an eccentric (lengthening) contraction during the dorsiflexion (shock absorbing) phase, while the role of the Achilles tendon is to release energy while it shortens to plantarflex the ankle and push off the ground."

There are several arts that use the muscles, gravity, and/or the opponent's force to load the connective tissues as a spring like unit. The resulting release of force is in large then performed by the tendons and connective tissue like a spring as the loading force is removed. This is a different method of generating force both in feel and method than simply engaging the muscles to contract and move the frame themselves (which will use some tendon elasticity as well, but with different emphasis).

That's not "lifting with your tendons." Misguided MA instructors tell people to lift with their tendons to avoid getting big muscles (you know, cuz it's so easy to accidentally hypertrophy, and you certainly wouldn't want that since "muscles make you slow and inflexible"). Tendons can't contract. Nobody has ever lifted anything with their tendons.

[Golden Arms]

We must have different opinions about what a "resisting opponent" is.

IronFist,

Its likely that Mr. Patterson has been training for close to as long as you have been alive. Maybe its best not to assume you are a peer?

On a side note, since you mention tendon based movement as a fallacy from time to time:

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/tend...gth-training-7

"Interestingly, research using electromyography as an indicator of calf muscle activity during running shows that the calf muscles are very active during the dorsiflexion phase and not active during the plantarflexion phase. This is contrary to what you might expect, as the theoretical role of the calf muscles is to contract concentrically (shorten) when the ankle plantarflexes. So how can the ankle plantarflex without any activity from the calf muscle? The answer is that the Achilles tendon is stretched during the dorsiflexion phase of the ankle movement, and the elastic energy stored during stretching is then released when the Achilles shortens. During running, the role of the calf muscle is to control the movement of the ankle with an eccentric (lengthening) contraction during the dorsiflexion (shock absorbing) phase, while the role of the Achilles tendon is to release energy while it shortens to plantarflex the ankle and push off the ground."

There are several arts that use the muscles, gravity, and/or the opponent's force to load the connective tissues as a spring like unit. The resulting release of force is in large then performed by the tendons and connective tissue like a spring as the loading force is removed. This is a different method of generating force both in feel and method than simply engaging the muscles to contract and move the frame themselves (which will use some tendon elasticity as well, but with different emphasis).