My take on the internal aspects of martial arts and sports.
Much of my understanding comes from reading about Chinese martial arts. As I understand it, there are different components that make up the internal aspect of martial arts. Here I attempt to break it down even more for my own benefit. The first is Strength . This can be thought of as muscular strength that can be trained. A technique with the necessary amount of strength can be effective. You need strength to manipulate. The second is Force Dissipation , the ability to generate maximum force through muscular tension release in the shortest time possible. This requires one to learn to relax (zero tension) and contract (maximum tension) in minimal time. A practitioner can be taught to practice going through cycles of relaxation-tension, and also to improve reactionary time. The third is Intention . The intention is what the mind wants to achieve. It is mental resilience, and the ability to block out distractions (mental, visual, auditory, touch, smell, etc). ...