Why we explain “Internal”

 Here’s Why Explaining What We Do In Classical Tai Chi is So Important 

The Introduction of the book points to a complete sourcebook on finding the route to Internal Energy and how to achieve it. 

Uncovering The Treasure: Classical Tai Chi's Path to Internal Energy & Health

by Stephen Hwa

 

“There are so many books, classes, and styles of tai chi today. There is talk of internal energy in many of them, yet the definition is vague, and the route to achieving it is left unexplained.”

Master Stephen Hwa: “Jim, they cannot explain because they don’t do Internal”!

Master Hwa and I share our decades of doing and teaching Tai Chi. I have more than my share of teachers—a better word is rule enforcers—who don’t like to explain how to achieve Internal and why and likely will not/can not. 

Why Not?

I have my educated Tai Chi from Master Hwa because they “…do not do internal…”! 

My experience with several unsuccessful questions about “Internal” over 40 years leaves me wondering why people are “…vague…” I am left to think it is because they are egotists. It seems to reason that when people refuse to explain by being vague, they show they are more concerned about themselves and wanting to appear dominant rather than furthering the other person’s understanding. 

 

 It's called Proprioception, which is EVERY part of your body's ability to sense movement, action, and location. It's present in every muscle movement you have. For classical tai chi, it means "every muscle movement". Yet, there is Yin and Yang to delineate in muscle movement.  It includes the core and the delineation of what moves and what does not move. The Tai Chi Classics and scores of teachers neglect this and opt for "Metaphorical Tai Chi". The vagueness of the term "internal energy" in the Tai Chi Classics and "run of the mill" Tai Chi teaching reflects how it is conveyed through metaphors, philosophical principles, and "...push with your leg, turn your hip... at best. It is metaphorically qualified, rather than precise technical explanations, as a specific, quantifiable form of energy. A detailed scientific explanation of the underlying mechanics is indeed what we have with Classical Tai Chi.

Here is a polite way to ask when faced with "vagueness": “Could you explain to me why those definitions were put in the first place? They don’t make sense to me and if I understood it would be much easier for me to  follow the route and achieve “Internal”.