People in the Fresno, California area are being fed very poor information, or coming up with it on their own, when it comes to this whole "Internal" "External" martial arts topic.

Let's make something very clear right here, right now! Any TRUE "Kung Fu" style of martial arts should have equal amounts of "internal" and "external" components. It's how these two terms are being used today that confuses people, and there are some here in Fresno that are using that confusion to "woo" students to their "internal" styles, and completely disregard the "external" styles. It's funny actually!

What is Internal, and what is External?

External...the so called brutal fighting styles that only concentrate on physical power! Bullshit!!! Internal...the so called "Chi" concentrated soft striking styles! Bullshit!!! 

Let's take the typical punch of any style of martial art. If you punch with no consideration for what you're doing, or where you are hitting...this is external. A strictly physical, muscle driven punch. But there is no style of kung fu that simply punches this way! The moment you concentrate on what you are doing, what you are hitting, and breath appropriately to the type of movement, you have now added "internal" to the punch. Internal is simply the part of the punch you DO NOT SEE with your eyes. External is the part you DO SEE with your eyes. External is the Muscles, Tendons, Ligaments and Contact of the punch! Internal is the breathing, energy, focus, intent and spirit of the punch! Put them both together and you'll knock the crap out of someone...without either part, you'll just make the other guy mad! :-)

Internal Styles: Let's take Tai Chi (which is one of the styles this particular "teacher" in the story above teaches) for an example. The punch or palm strike of Tai Chi...we already know that Tai Chi concentrates on the "internal" part of the punch; breathing, balance, focus, intent, etc. But what about the "external" part of the punch??? See if they didn't have an external part to their art, they would never lay a hand on anyone...then it wouldn't be a martial art would it!? See, in order for them to put all that Chi into a punch, they have to make contact with their opponent...and guess what folks...that's the EXTERNAL part of it!!!!! When they make contact with their opponent, for a fraction of a second, they must contract all the muscles that are moving that arm in that punch, in order to transfer the energy of the punch from them to their opponent. EQUAL amounts of internal and external....SAME as "external" styles!!!!!!!!!!!

So, the only real difference between "internal" and "external" martial arts, are the way in which they approach the training. A punch is a punch, a kick is a kick...the difference is how the styles teach those punches or kicks. Internal styles tend to train movements slower with more initial concentration on the breathing, postures, energy. Where External styles tend to train movements faster with more initial concentration on breathing, speed, strength, posture. This is just a generalization of how each trains at the beginning. Each deals with all aspects of the punch...just one is practiced slower than the other most of the time...that's it. There is NO "SUPERIORITY" between internal and external styles. The superiority can only come in the student of either style. I personally know of a few "internal" Masters, and they are true masters, and at no time have they ever expressed that their styles are superior to "external" styles. These masters are friends with my Master (so called "external" style) and respect him greatly...as does my master of them.

I'm not sure I understand this younger generation of students that have come around and have all these wild ideas of what the styles are, and who is better than who. Remember, it's not the style that makes someone skilled...it's the student. True, the style has to have enough to it that a student can become skilled, but it's the student that makes a style look good, not the style that makes a student look good. As a matter of fact, these younger generation of students, and teachers, should consider the old ways...instead of people "talking" about what style is better than another style, they should consider what student is better than another student!!!

                                                            - Sifu Dutch Jenkins              

P.S. If I have offended anyone in writing this article...too bad! It means you are one of the ones spreading this garbage around and you need to stop!