INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS ARTICLES

The Chinese internal martial arts are also known as the "neijia". There are three best known arts, or the "three sisters", which include Taijiquan (T'ai Chi Ch'uan), Xingyiquan (Hsing-I Ch'uan), and Baguazhang (Pa Kua Chang), and all three are martial arts are about insights into body mechanics, they are based on knowing yourself rather than knowing your opponent. The internal martial arts differ from external martial arts, in that external stylists train every part of their body in relation to power and speed through hard work. The internal martial artist trains the body as well, but focuses on a method of following or yielding to the opponent to overcome. The goal is to reach a point where stillness in motion is achieved. You yield by using circular movements so that you gently introduce change into a given situation, overcoming your opponent.

By Kent Fung - Regarding Falun, if you look at their situation, you have to realize that they are at least partly to blame for their troubles in China. There are dozens if not hundreds of styles of qigong in China. Some of them make some pretty astounding and unbelievable claims. I know of one guy who claims he can transmit qi over phone lines and that he had done so for various world leaders including Clinton, for instance. Yet China chose to brand Falun a cult and order it shut down. It was only after these guys started protesting the decree that the imprisonments began. I'm not saying the beatings and jailings are the right thing to do, but why, out of all the qigong schools and esoteric practices in the country, were these guys singled out? (Read Article)

By Kent Fung - A prevailing image associated with the martial arts is that of an intense, screaming guy in pajamas screaming as he breaks a board, or a brick, or a concrete slab, or something along those lines. There was once even a karate team in Pittsburgh, Pa., that got publicity by volunteering to "demolish" condemned homes with their bare hands. (Read Article)