As Northern China generally moulded to invasion once it crossed the wall, northern systems, which are generally older, developed during more peaceful times, where students could develop their art for years before needing practical fighting skill. These styles rely on active footwork moving in all directions, teaching soft internal power first through qi gong, followed by external hard power. The internal styles generally use rounded defensive moves. Today, Bagua Zhang, Chang Chuan, Northern Praying Mantis, Monkey Style, Eagle Claw, Hsing-I, and Tiaji Quan are among the most popular systems.
On the other hand, the southern styles had to hurry their practitioners' development, as there was a need to learn how to fight quickly. Hard external power was taught first, followed later by the internal training. To achieve combat efficiency, the aesthetic techniques of posing, jumping, flipping, and so forth were mostly eliminated. Straight attacks were added to the rounded movements. Lower stances to develop strength and stability are common. The Southerners did not purposely reinvent martial arts to distinguish themselves from the North; the changes were born of necessity. Advancement to higher levels took shorter time as the artist had already developed strength and power. |
