The Routines and Courses of Chinese Martial Arts

After seeing Lucy Liu in the motion picture Charlie's Angels, I instantly became enthralled in learning martial arts. I have seen Jackie Chan and Jet Lee in some motion pictures, but it was only Lucy Liu who made me decide to enroll in a martial arts department. I chose to study Chinese martial arts, and I've learned that there are various martial art styles, but they can only be classified into two classes: external or hard (waijia) and internal or soft (neijia).

It can be concluded that the main external martial art is Shaolin kung fu, while the tai ji quan is the most prominent internal martial art. Although the two styles differ in fundamentals, both categories use gestures, which are believed to develop speed, timing, and power. Furthermore, the said martial arts styles use kicks, open hand strikes, punches, combat actions, and animal movements.

Aside from movements, external and internal martial arts are both have religious principle for they are practiced in monasteries and in meditating. External styles are related to Buddhism, which delve to rise above the mortal kind, while internal styles reflect doctrine of Daoism. Internal styles see mortality as a piece of a bigger whole, and they use breathing exercises and qi gong actions to acquire a universal life energy. The two martial arts styles may differ in several viewpoints, but they are both used in maintaining a healthy body and keeping a strong faith.