Steel Tiger
Senior Master
A little some thing I just re-read to day:
It is an interesting an oft professed concept. He is suggesting that under the Waijia principle it does not matter what your opponent intends to do as you take control of the situation and dictate all aspects. Seems perfectly logical.
The Neijia principle does take into account what your opponent intends but only in so much as it allows you to know how best to attack him.
I'm not sure if I agree with the suggestion that your opponent takes control of the situation. It seems that using either principle you are the controller, whether it be by ignoring his actions or by manipulating them to your own ends.
Thoughts anyone?
Waijia's central fighting principle is that you are the master of the fight. Your goal is to take control by making the initial attack and to maintain control throughout. The design and execution of all your moves and countermoves are determined and practiced as part of your training. The design of your attack and defense skills is defined by what you imagine your opponent will do. You follow your designed sequence of skills until you have thoroughly mastered it. Then during a fight, you have only to execute the much-practiced sequence in order to gaincontrol and maintain the advantage. This strategy is called "fighting by initiating the attack."
The central Neijia fighting principle holds that you should remain alertly quiet as the fight begins and let your opponent take initial control. Your goal is to followyour opponent, and as soon as you sense an opportunity, you take control. You do not design or repetitively practice a sequence of moves but rather learn about your opponent through actual contact with him. You keep changing your responses in order to follow whatever your opponent does at each moment. This strategy is called "using quietness to defend" or "yielding yourself to follow your opponent."
The Waijia fighting principle is direct and clear-cut: you must control the fight from the outset and never yield control to your opponent. This strategy is thought to offer the best chance to prevail.
The Neijia fighting principle, by contrast, is indirect and lessobvious in practice. It holds that because it is not possible to maintain total control at all times, you should seek to control your opponent by understanding his movements and intentions. You can accomplish this goal by remaining relaxed and following his attack with sensitivity and patience. Do not worry if your opponent is in control. In asserting control, he is also giving you a chance to know and eventually to control him. According to the Neijia fighting principle, this is the safest and most effecient way to win a fight." - p14 Combat Techniques of Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua Lu Shengli
It is an interesting an oft professed concept. He is suggesting that under the Waijia principle it does not matter what your opponent intends to do as you take control of the situation and dictate all aspects. Seems perfectly logical.
The Neijia principle does take into account what your opponent intends but only in so much as it allows you to know how best to attack him.
I'm not sure if I agree with the suggestion that your opponent takes control of the situation. It seems that using either principle you are the controller, whether it be by ignoring his actions or by manipulating them to your own ends.
Thoughts anyone?