Interesting Interview

[PalmStriker]

The origins of internal and external are still hotly debated and it is quite presumptuous of ANYONE to view their definition/interpretation as the correct one.

IIRC, the first time the terms were used was to differentiate the native CMA from those with "outside" origins.
That, IIRC, was the first time historically the terms were used.
That said, it doesn't mean that is the ONLY way they were used.

Personally I find the whole "internal", "external" categorization pointless and counter-productive BUT if people wanna still use them to make what they do "special" or "unique", that's their problem.

"Internal" is like watching swirling tea leaves. "External" is like eating a ham sandwich with horseradish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0UM_Gv-wiI

[PalmStriker]

Here the Master talks of "hard and soft" in the TCMA way and "internal" in the TCMA way: ' Bafan’, ‘Mianzhang’, ‘Pigua’, ‘Baji’, ‘Dagongli’, ‘Sanhuangpao’, ‘Niantui’, and ‘Lianquan’, all have their strong and weak points, most are one-sidedly inclined to hardness and a few to softness, they lack the internal skill of gathering the spirit. As for ‘Dahongquan’, ‘Xiaohongquan’, ‘Tantui’, ‘Chuojiao’, long boxing, short boxing, and the other various schools, I would rather not discuss them.

[PalmStriker]

On the other hand, if you "google" the style for a demo, all you will see is a vid of a white guy standing outside in a standing stance with his feet pointed outward like a duck. Can't get too excited about just standing around. One comment for the clip said" Hey dude! Did ya miss the bus?"

[PalmStriker]

Here's what it is supposed to look like , with Master Wu livening things up a bit. Birdies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYsAFw4zlXw

[KungFubar]

If one first sees with the eyes, then thinks of it again in the mind, and then launches the counter-attack towards the enemy, it is very seldom that one will not get beaten up.

yes its fun to read

[Miqi]

On the other hand, if you "google" the style for a demo, all you will see is a vid of a white guy standing outside in a standing stance with his feet pointed outward like a duck. Can't get too excited about just standing around. One comment for the clip said" Hey dude! Did ya miss the bus?"

You mean like this?:

http://www.martialdevelopment.com/bl...ng-meditation/

[PalmStriker]

Yes! That's the pose! EXCELLENT! Pudding Proof!

[Miqi]

Yes! That's the pose! EXCELLENT! Pudding Proof!

Somone I know, who was a very successful wushu forms champion in China at University level, refused an aging duck style master's offer of becoming his student his last chance student. Duck style my sound stupid, it may even look stupid - but those guys must get into more fights than any style! "Hey! What's that stupid style you're doing?"

[PalmStriker]

Some styles are destined to go the way of the do do bird.

[PalmStriker]

Have decided to incorporate Master Wang Xiangzhai's spirit gathering stance (zhan zhuang) into my own practice as core essence. Have already started, .

[Miqi]

The origins of internal and external are still hotly debated and it is quite presumptuous of ANYONE to view their definition/interpretation as the correct one.

I don't care. I know the truth. However, I didn't invent it, neither did Wang Xiang Zhai. "Proceeding via intuition", as Wang calls it, is true simply because it's the natural method, which everyone has, already, in them. Superficial arguments over word meanings are for a stage of training where everything is superficial. After that you should start knowing for sure, and presuming to tell others. Fortunately, you can't really tell anyone, any more than you can teach them yiquan. They either "get it" or not. I wish it could be otherwise with all my heart.

[Miqi]

Have decided to incorporate Master Wang Xiangzhai's spirit gathering stance (zhan zhuang) into my own practice as core essence. Have already started, .

Have you gathered any spirits yet?

[MightyB]

Have decided to incorporate Master Wang Xiangzhai's spirit gathering stance (zhan zhuang) into my own practice as core essence. Have already started, .

According to my boss I do this very well; I stand around all day at work.

[YouKnowWho]

in a standing stance with his feet pointed outward like a duck.

If you use that outward stance in throwing, you will hurt your knee joints big time. Anybody with just 1 day of throwing skill (or snow ski) training won't stand like that.

http://imageshack.us/a/img222/8901/hipthrow1jpg.jpg

Which direction that your foot is pointing to, which direction your body will move to. If your feet are pointing to 2 different directions such as NW and NE, when your body is moving toward N, not only your body will not move effectively, you will put 45 degree twisting on both of your knee joints.

If you train ZZ in one way and use it in combat in another way, it just won't make sense to me.

[PalmStriker]

Have decided to incorporate Master Wang Xiangzhai's spirit gathering stance (zhan zhuang) into my own practice as core essence. Have already started, .

The essence of zhan ahuang, that is, as the rest of this style has gone the way of the other ridiculous demo goofiness that has given Gongfu a bad name. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTIqtLa35kc