Internal Wing Chun 2

If any martial art claims to have internal aspirations they must share common characteristics with the three major internal arts of Tai Chi, Bagua and Hsing Yi.  If your own wing chun actively promotes the methods detailed below, I would say it is following an external approach:

1. Actively clamping in your knees.
2. Gripping the floor with your feet.
3. Pulling your elbows into the centre line.
4. Using on/off tension during form practice.
5. Tensing on impact.
6. Drilling muscle memory in a hope of predicting the unpredictable (learning wing chun to beat wing chun).
7. Obsessing about weight distribution on your feet when moving.
8. Fixing your elbow into a locked position.
9. Locking your hips
10. Focusing on controlling the wrists of an opponent (chasing hands).


The above are not natural to your body, inhibit relaxation and the ability to utilise your body mass to affect your opponent.  We all fall into these traps, but an internal approach involves inhibiting the desire to do these things and allowing the release of tension. Because of our build up of bad habits this can seen counterintuitive.

Note...  I am NOT saying the above methods are ineffective, they work well for some individuals.  I am saying that they are not consistent with an internal approach.