Internal vs external The concepts of Internal and External was popularized by Sun Lutang, the founder of Sun Style Taijiquan. Having learned Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, and Wu (Hao) Style Taijiquan, he categorized those three as internal martial artswhich refers to elements of Qigong, intention, spirit, cultivation, and leverage over brute strength. This categorization has led to the modern misconception that Taijiquan does not have an external side. On the contrary, Taijiquan is both internal and external as with all martial arts; it is a matter of ratio . The term taiji is a Chinese cosmological concept for the flux of yin and yang. 'Quan' means fist . A common mistranslation of Taijiquan is "Grand Ultimate Fist" which is inaccurate .
Internal vs external In China, tai chi is categorized under the Wudang grouping of Chinese martial arts—that is, arts applied with internal power. Although the term Wudang suggests these arts originated in the Wudang Mountains, it is used only to distinguish the skills, theories and applications of neijia (internal arts) from those of the Shaolin grouping, or waijia (hard or external) styles . The term taiji is a Chinese cosmological concept for the flux of yin and yang. 'Quan' means fist .
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The concepts of Internal and External was popularized by Sun Lutang, the founder of Sun Style Taijiquan. Having learned Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, and Wu (Hao) Style Taijiquan, he categorized those three as internal martial artswhich refers to elements of Qigong, intention, spirit, cultivation, and leverage over brute strength. This categorization has led to the modern misconception that Taijiquan does not have an external side. On the contrary, Taijiquan is both internal and external as with all martial arts; it is a matter of ratio
In China, tai chi is categorized under the Wudang grouping of Chinese martial arts—that is, arts applied with internal power. Although the term Wudang suggests these arts originated in the Wudang Mountains, it is used only to distinguish the skills, theories and applications of neijia (internal arts) from those of the Shaolin grouping, or waijia (hard or external) styles
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. A common mistranslation of Taijiquan is "Grand Ultimate Fist" which is inaccurate