Who has felt internal power?

**roadsterdriver** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 9:42am

Just curious about who has experienced internal striking or pushing force?

Leaving out qi phenomenon or fuzzy notions or theories or other people's stories...
who has personally been knocked across the room by someone who has barely moved or not moved at all, and has demonstrated little or no effort at blasting you across the room?

**roadsterdriver** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 9:53am

I take it to mean, not you.

The question wasn't really "who has NOT felt something and therefore feels qualified to talk about it?"

It was sort of the opposite, really.

I assumed since this is the kung fu forum, that it would be many. Vince Black hit me so hard, through a pad, that I though freakin truck had hit me. I ended up on my ass fifteen feet from where I was standing and he barely moved a couple of inches.

**Cullion** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 10:15am

Yes. It's the power imparted by an explosive movement of the legs and/or core that does the work when stuff like this happens. It's possible to impart quite a lot of impulse without the hands having to move much distance from the body with the right technique.

***Omega Supreme*** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 10:30am

Originally Posted by roadsterdriver

Just curious about who has experienced internal striking or pushing force?

Leaving out qi phenomenon or fuzzy notions or theories or other people's stories...
who has personally been knocked across the room by someone who has barely moved or not moved at all, and has demonstrated little or no effort at blasting you across the room?

LOL. Okay, I'm going to put myself out there. I teach at a mma gym. Every once in awhile I'll have a fighter ask me why I practice kung fu and if I really believe in that crap. I ask them if they want to feel it. They say yes and then I have them put on a chest shield and I hit them.

When they shake the feeling out of their body they then ask me if I could do that why don't I just keep fighting and hit people with it. It takes me a couple of seconds to root myself, by that time I could get hit 4 or 5 times.

So yes I have felt it and I have delivered it. That being said it's really basic applied physics. It is what it is.

**roadsterdriver** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 10:38am

OK, so that's me, Cullion, Omega Supreme, so far. Thanks.

**Kouch** · Posted On: 6/22/2011 12:58am

its nothing too special. with the right body mechanics, you can make a person step back a couple feet by what looks like an effortless punch. the famed "one inch punch" is an example. using rooting and your core. when fighting in close ranges, being able to deliver short power or an internal punch can be more beneficial than an external punch that needs grosser motor movements and more space.

**Cullion** · Posted On: 6/22/2011 1:17am

There's another kind of 'internal strength' I've felt in Tai Chi, but this happens more in a wrestling/pushing hands context. People who are very good at going from very relaxed, to explosive movement, back to relaxation can sometimes yank you violently off balance with little warning and very little movement. But it does leave you feeling 'how is he so damn strong'? if you don't understand what's happening.

When it happens to you as a noob it's certainly a WTF? moment, but it's nothing magical or mystical.

**Colin** · Posted On: 6/22/2011 1:20am

Omega said it.. you need time to set your attack and root your stance. There really isn't any quick way to do that.

The "internal" power as I understand it is essentially just another kinetic link, like a regular boxing punch, you're just involving more muscles, (with some lung shenanigans) and gain power as a sacrifice of speed.

Just to be clear on this: I can't punch like that. I just use regular boxing punches..

That being said, my teep can probably knock over a phone booth. There are SOME advantages to being heavy.