dspyrido wrote:.
An internal martial artist is a martial artists that focuses training more on the internal side of training practices.
Agreed. Simple as that really. But to unnecessarily complicste it, this is from something I wrote a year ago:
"Internal Martial arts, or Neijiaquan, is a definition on Chinese Martial arts that
- Are based, and have a strong focus, on Neigong (internal skills practice), internal practice mostly developed from Daoist practice.
- Have a terminology based on Daoism and Neidan.
- Focus more on internal aspects than external.
- Blend health practice, meditation and martial arts practice together.
They also tend to:
- Use whole body connection and whole body movement to generate strength rather than from isolated limbs and isolated muscle strength.
- Generate strength from softness and from emptiness.
- Approach the attacker not directly strength against strength, but rather from an angle and the distance is carefully cared about.
- Try to hide the body mechanics and attack from a neutral posture. "
I really can't see a boxer or a BJJ practitioner as "internal" compared to tai chi. In the internal arts there is nothing internal except as something that is a consequence of the practice from this specific group of arts. Just being relaxed and use the body efficiently is not enough. That is too general to fit into the frame work of the internal arts.