Internal martial arts are a classification of fighting systems that generate power by conducting force through the connective tissues of the body, as opposed to relying on skeletal muscles. As the mind becomes accustomed to routing force through the fascia, the fascia knits together to form long, connected pathways across the body, and the body develops a distinct elasticated quality. Operating this alternative power-generating system requires a new mind-body interface, which is referred to as Qi. The quality of moving the body via manipulation of Qi versus conventional neuromuscular pathways is foundational to the internal arts.

Progressing through internal training means allowing your body to reset to a place free of the accumulated physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual blockages that give rise to any number of issues that can afflict us. Internal power cannot develop until the habitual inefficiencies carried in our bodies are resolved, so the pursuit of internal power naturally involves the rehabilitation of our mind and body, the benefits of which are broad but can include:

• Improved physical power, endurance, and resilience

• A stronger connection between the mind and body

• A deep sense of peace and calmness in the mind

• A balanced emotional state

• Transcendence of the normal limits of one’s ego

• Broadening of one’s perspective

All of these qualities are then brought to bear within highly sophisticated fighting systems that boast even more benefits, specifically for combat application:

• The ability to generate massive amounts of power unrelated to your size or build

• Knowledge of how to most effectively apply this power against opponents

• The ability to absorb force without injury

• The ability to act decisively and effectively in challenging situations with equanimity and presence of mind

• Versatile approaches for managing confrontations far exceeding the limited options typically available through external training, which often require you to seriously injure others in order to defend yourself

The internal arts are extremely dominant fighting systems, but fighting ability comes only after many years of committed practice to transform the body and discipline the mind. Those who are in a hurry to learn how to fight will be disappointed with these arts, but those who invest the time and energy will be rewarded with truly superlative abilities.

Whereas the prevailing approach to combat likes to ask, “Can this style or technique be used in a fight”, we believe the more relevant question is, “Can this body?”

While internal training focuses on bolstering the practitioner’s health and developing functional strength, it doesn’t give any consideration for external appearances. Furthermore, the development of muscle tissue can interfere with the development of fascia during the initial stages of training, so it is not advised to divide one’s efforts between internal and external training before the former becomes well-established, at which point muscle-based training may be resumed if desired.

Taijiquan was created in the 16th century by a retired military commander, though it did not acquire that name until the art became popular among Beijing’s literati. Taijiquan’s reputation as a preeminent fighting art is well-documented, and it is only relatively recently that Taijiquan has become known primarily as a health practice or geriatric exercise.

At UVMA, we believe that it is critical to train Taijiquan as a martial art even if your goals are solely health-oriented. This is because the promised health benefits are a side effect of correct training, and the only way to know if your training is correct is to participate in power testing. This can be done in very controlled ways that don’t involve any high risks of injury.

While casual Taijiquan training can still yield numerous benefits, truly transformative health benefits cannot be accessed without martially-minded training.

We regularly use traditional conceptual frameworks for understanding the theory behind our training, and these frameworks invoke many Chinese philosophical concepts stemming from Daoist esoteric practices. While you may find yourself learning more about these traditions, there is no need to treat them as anything more than a way to discuss experiences and phenomena encountered over the the course of training that might otherwise be difficult to articulate.

The training involved in internal martial arts, particularly in the beginning stages, requires long periods of time spent either not moving at all or performing very limited repetitive actions. For children and young folks who are best served by exploring their bodies through very active and unrestricted play, this training likely amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment” in their minds. In order to maintain the high standard of training the internal arts deserve, we cannot take students younger than 16.

The Internal Martial Arts are not consistent with an end date culminating in mastery; rather, these arts become a lifelong practice that never cease yielding their profound benefits. These arts are exceedingly deep—the study of a single principle can easily occupy one’s practice for years.

Our school does not confer any ranks and doesn’t use any other explicit method of denoting progress. Students can refer to their own experiences of internal change to gauge their progress, which is confirmed, among other ways, when touching hands with others.

Sparring in the Internal Martial Arts is deferred until students obtain the prerequisite skills, which include the ability to generate internal power, absorb force, and control the opponent’s force, as well as familiarity with their art’s fighting strategies and foundational techniques. Furthermore, sensitivity and comfortability while engaging with an opponent’s body must be established through various partner drills first. Thus, sparring represents one of the final methods of partner training, and is not currently undertaken by students at UVMA.