Neijia, or internal style martial arts, are quite different. The three most widely known and practiced of the Chinese internal styles are Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan. These practices relate not to physical strength, but mental, emotional and spiritual strength.
About The Internal Style Martial Arts
The most fundamental principle of the internal style martial arts is the use of a strong mind to generate power. All motion starts with the mind. This takes the emphasis away from pure strength and allows practitioners to have more relaxed muscles as they perform various skills and exercises. The philosophical life energy, or Qi, is involved in all Chinese martial arts, but is of particular importance in Neijia. Neijia promotes the flow of one's Qi and harnesses that energy to create more power. The internal arts are extremely difficult to master and they are not immediately beneficial as a form of self-defense, but these practices are not without their benefits - in fact, far from it. The internal arts are rising rapidly in popularity in the Western world.
The Health Benefits of Neijia
Internal style martial arts have a lot of benefits that are common with meditation as well as yoga and Pilates. Some people actually consider these practices to be a form of mediation rather than martial arts, since they are less immediately useful in self-defense and they are not seen extensively in competition. The movements are slow and deliberate, beginning deep within the body. This slowness allows for more accuracy and precision. It gives an illusion of effortlessness, but the exercises are actually quite difficult due to their increased demand for precision and exactness.
Mental and Emotional Benefits
A lot of the health benefits of Neijia are going to be mental and emotional ones. Practitioners have a greatly increased awareness of their surroundings as well as of their own bodies. In order to complete the exercises, one must be aware of every part of their body involved in the motion. Removing the emphasis from physical strength also leads to practitioners experiencing a state of enhanced relaxation. Even people new to the internal arts will begin to experience these benefits right away. The external martial arts are not particularly relaxing.
These feelings of awareness and a more relaxed mind contribute to an overall feeling of emotional well-being. More awareness and alertness also impact things such as your reaction time in certain situations and even your thought process when you need to solve problems. You will have more mental clarity and feel more energized. The internal arts, again like meditation, are a great way to relieve stress and unwind after a long day or even a way to get you centered and going at the start of your day.
Physical Benefits
You may be surprised to discover that there are a number of physical benefits to the internal style martial arts as well. Although emphasis is taken away from strength alone, it doesn't mean that the internal style won't make you stronger. The push-hands exercises common in the internal arts look very basic and are often misunderstood. They actually tone and develop muscle, but in a low-impact fashion.
Neijia is also an amazing way to improve your posture and your flexibility - much like yoga. Along with relaxing your mind, it relaxes your body too. It relieves muscle and joint tension and enhances your range of motion. Because of its soft, low-impact nature, it's great for those that may not be physically able to practice the more high-intensity martial arts. Practicing the internal style arts alongside the external arts can improve performance thanks to a unified body and mind.
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