Cross referring the internal arts and goju has helped me discern not only a possible historical and technical relationship, but more importantly it has helped me understand the function of "formal" training, such as kata. I think that seeing how someone else does the same thing can give you a great deal of insight into what it is you are doing and why.
Ultimately we all want to effect a natural, "no-nonsense" technique. However it seems to me that many “modern” stylists have thrown the baby out with the bathwater by abandoning the "formal" aspects of traditional martial arts, not realising that these have a training purpose (not unlike the speedball might have a particular training purpose for a boxer, even though no boxer ever "hits someone like that").
I have found the Chen Pan Ling taijiquan movements generally correspond the most with minimalist, natural way of moving. Bagua and xingyi tend to have progressively greater elements of "formality" in the movement. I think the formality is not there for its own sake, but to focus attention on certain aspects that are vital in producing an effective technique (eg. tension in a particular muscle, lack of tension in another).
In my opinion karate techniques are, yet again, even more “formal” than the internal arts of xingyi, bagua and taiji. This formality can be seen not only in the basics (which many argue cannot be applied in sparring — more on this contentious subject later) but also in the tempo and “phrasing” of kata performance. For example, sometimes a kata employs dynamic tension at a particular point in a movement to prepare the body for encountering resistance.
In this regard it is interesting to note that both Chen Pan Ling and Hong Yi Xiang of Taiwan taught their arts in the following order: an external Shaolin art (comparable to karate), xingyiquan, baguazhang, then taijiquan. The justification for this methodology is that you start with less "natural" movements, but spend necessary time training in basic skills, muscle development etc. When you have become sufficiently senior you "abandon form" so that you are moving naturally - almost like a beginner, but this time with purpose and efficacy.
Copyright © 2008 Dejan Djurdjevic
Tags: Form Formality Kata Internal Goju Karate Xingyi Bagua Taiji
