Many kinds of martial arts have evolved over the centuries, but all can be classed into two basic types: external or hard ( waijia), such as the widely known Shaolin kung fu , and internal or soft ( neijia), the most famous of which is tai ji quan . Though fundamentally different in approach, both types use pre-arranged sets of movements known as forms to develop necessary speed, power and timing; both use punches, kicks and open hand strikes as well as a wide variety of weapons in combat; and both also incorporate the natural movements of animals - for instance, in monkey-style kung fu the practitioner behaves and moves like a monkey while fighting.

All Chinese martial arts also tend to have a religious basis , possibly because they were often used in monasteries as exercises between long sessions of meditation, but here internal and external martial arts differ in their respective philosophies and techniques. External styles are associated with Buddhism , which seeks eventually to rise beyond the mortal world. This idea that humankind is ultimately above all else is reflected by the way that external practitioners concentrate on developing their li , or physical strength, to literally overpower opponents; for example, conditioning their hands by punching plate iron and slapping concrete blocks thousands of times until they are able, by sheer force, to break planks of wood and stones - a skill suitably known as "Iron Palm". Internal styles, however, reflect Daoist principles, which see humanity as part of a larger whole rather than as a superior force. Instead of training to dominate physical objects, the internal styles use qi gong movements and breathing exercises to accumulate qi - a universal life energy - and channel it from a reservoir in the belly known as the dantian to the hands. Power rests on developing jin , a balance of tendon and sinew elasticity and focused qi, which is released explosively as fajin . Qi itself, which circulates around the body along acupuncture meridians, is one of the central aspects of not only internal martial arts but also Chinese medicine; performed slowly, internal styles such as tai ji quan provide immense health benefits by regulating the body's qi flow.

One of the most influential people in the development of Chinese external martial arts was the sixth-century Indian monk Boddhidarma , who spent many years at Shaolin temple soon after its foundation. Here he taught the monks movement and breathing exercises, which were later combined with indigenous martial arts to form Shaolin kung fu, now a dominant style in China, though somewhat watered down outside Shaolin. As for internal martial arts, the founder of virtually all extant methods was Zhang Sanfeng (1247-1368), a successful general who ultimately withdrew to the Daoist centre of Wudang Shan in Hubei Province and used a lifetime of practice to develop his own fighting style. It was from this that tai ji quan, as well as the lesser-known (in the West, at any rate) internal arts of ba gua zhang and xing yi quan are derived.

Of all the different styles of tai ji quan, the most popular form around today was started by Yang Luchan (1799-1872), who won many public martial arts competitions with his own explosive system, now known as the " Old Yang style ". This was modified by his descendants, who - on removing the more athletically demanding moves, promoting its non-combative, health-preserving benefits, and simply teaching it to all-comers - ensured Yang tai ji 's widespread fame. Yang Luchan's family village, Yongnian in Henan province, is regularly visited by tai ji enthusiasts.

When the Chinese government standardized martial arts in the 1950s (along with everything else), they simplified both internal and external styles, producing "official" versions, collectively known as wushu . Not wanting to encourage fighting arts amongst the population, the government also toned down their martial applications, producing styles that are best seen as competitive sports, or as a way of keeping healthy. In the process, much philosophical significance has been lost - certainly, there's little to be seen today amongst the swarms of sightseers and would-be film stars who have turned Shaolin temple into a commercial circus. Nonetheless, serious students of all martial arts who train in the traditional forms - and there are many traditional practitioners both in China and abroad - are still able to touch on their true spiritual nature.