Short Answer: Internal martial arts are the arts of Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan), Hsing I Chuan (xingiquan) and Pa Kua Chang (Baguazhang) as well as a number of other arts, less well-known in the West.

Longer Answer: Google Internal Martial Arts or Nei-Jia Chuan and it will tell you that “they are arts that practice nei-jing, literally “internal strength”, usually translated as internal martial arts, occupied with spiritual, mental or “qi”-related aspects, as opposed to an external (wai) approach focused on physiological aspects.”

This is more or less correct as far as it goes, with one exception. Internal martial arts are very interested in the physiological aspects, perhaps more so than external. And external arts have a definite interest in Qi related aspects. The real differences are in the methods and they are based in their distinct histories and origins. The differences are both complex and worth exploring.

Many Chinese martial arts have been heavily influenced by Buddhist traditions and others have been just as influenced by Taoism. This is at the root of the distinction. Many of the concepts in Chinese internal martial arts can be connected directly to the Huangdi Neijing, The Yellow Emporer’s Internal Classic. Concepts like qi and the 5 elements working in the body are old and mixed with Taoist thought about medicine, the body, human life, and the cosmos.

Both approaches have internal methods; the Buddhist within the Shaolin trainings having Bodhidarma’s tendon changing and marrow-washing teachings, and the Wu-Dang arts carry many of the Taoist methods. Both are very interested physiological aspects and their connection to “the spiritual, mental, and qi-related aspects.” They just work a bit differently.

Brian talks about it more here: (video coming soon)