Chinese Dragons
Effortless Power With The Chinese Internal Martial Arts
Chinese martial arts are divided into two types: the external and the internal.
Are you tired of being single? Do you wish to find that person with whom you can engage in a serious relationship? Come and visit LoveWorld. Who knows, maybe your life-long quest for love will end there.
Definition of Internal Martial Arts
External martial arts are the most common. They are found not just in China, but all over the world. They are called the hard styles, because the power they manifest is as hard as rock or steel. They utilize pure muscular power in their techniques and movements, and require great stamina and endurance to use or perform.
Internal martial arts on the other hand are the soft styles. This is because their movements are unusually soft but are as equally powerful as the external styles. Examples of these arts are Taijiquan (Grand Ultimate Fist), Xingyiquan (Form and Mind Fist) and Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigram fist).
Taijiquan is a very famous example. Most people usually dismiss this art as simply a slow and relaxing form of exercise because of its gentle and elegant movements. Indeed, Taijiquan is seen as powerless, and most people don't know the true reasons behind its movements. Taijiquan is actually a deadly martial art created hundreds of years ago in China.
Taijiquan, as well as the other internal martial arts, utilize the use of Qi/Chi to manifest power. This Chi is defined by the Chinese as the energy that circulates in all of human beings and in the universe. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, a practitioner of Yang style Taijiquan, proposes that Chi is synonymous with bioelectricity and has made valid theoretical proposals regarding the matter in his books.
In order to make Chi flow correctly in order to manifested as Jing (internal power), the body needs to be soft and the mind calm. That is why internal martial arts do not rely on muscular power, and thus their movements are mostly soft. Any abrupt tension in the body's muscles can disrupt the flow of Chi and thus renders the practitioner unable to utilize any form of power.
Examples of Internal Martial Arts and Parts of Their History
The creation of Taijquan is credited to the monk Zhang, San-Feng hundreds of years ago. However, it is said that there are several other martial artists who have come up with the fundamentals of Taijiquan but records are obscure. Zhang received most of the credit because there has been more records attributed to him.
Like Taijiquan, Xingyiquan's actual creator is unknown but since he published the Ten Theses of the art, the general Yue Fei is the acknowledged creator of Xingyi. Among the three (including Bagua Zhang), Xingyi is often mistaken for an external martial art because of its hard appearance, but the power of Xingyi is similar to rattan. When the movements are initiated the body remains soft but suddenly tenses at the time of contact.
Bagua Zhang is created by Dong Hai-Chuan. Its power is similar to Taijiquan, but Bagua utilizes circle walking in its training forms. Its philosophy places an emphasis on circular movements, including defensive and offensive applications.
There is a sort of elegance in the appearance of internal martial arts. They require a high state of nothingness of the mind in order to attain the calmness needed to truly manifest their power. Yet behind their beautiful movements and postures lie a deadly power that holds almost no rival in fighting.
MORE ARTICLES:
Dragon Origin
The origin of the Chinese dragon is not certain, but many scholars agree that it originated from totems of different tribes in China. Some have suggested that it comes from a stylized depiction of existing animals, such as snakes, fish, or crocodiles.
HISTORY OF EASTERN DRAGONS
Unlike the ugly, nasty, Western types, most Eastern Dragons are beautiful, friendly, and wise. They are the angels of the Orient. Instead of being hated, they are loved and worshipped. Temples and shrines have been built to honor them, for they control the rain, rivers, lakes, and seas. Many Chinese cities have pagodas
Chinese Dragon Tattoos - The Most Popular Chinese Tattoos
Chinese Tattoos have always been hugely popular.
Dragon Toes
The Chinese dragons have five toes on each foot, Indonesian or Korean dragons have four, and the Japanese dragons have three.
Chinese Dragons: The Mythology & the Art It Spawned
Chinese dragons are based on mythology that goes back thousands of years. In European mythology the dragon has a negative connotation, but in the Chinese culture dragons are benevolent creatures that possess power, wisdom, and the ability to bring good luck. The imperial dragon, the lung, is one of the most common types. Dragons represented emperors in the imperial age, and were believed to have divine powers. Dragons are associated with water, perhaps reflecting the way that the ancient Chinese viewed alligators during a flood. In Chinese art dragons are beautifully depicted in vivid colors.
Chinese Dragon Culture
Dragons are deeply rooted in the Chinese culture. The Chinese often consider themselves, 'the descendants of the dragon.
The Oriental Dragon Tradition
Oriental dragons have many similarities with Western dragons but also some significant differences.
