2nd edition has been edited by a native English speaker. Many grammatical mistakes have been fixed. The book is revised with clearer and easier to understand English explanations of Internal Arts concepts.
The "Key to the Internal Arts" is a good introduction to the Internal Arts aspect of the martial arts. Not only are the Internal Arts effective in self-defense, but is also good for maintaining physical and mental well-being of the practitioner. Whether an external martial artist, a beginner with no experience in the internal arts, or an expert with many years of experience; there is much value, knowledge, and personal experience within the contents of the book.
For a beginner, it is a good and accurate introduction to what the internal arts are. The author reveals what the "Key" to the internal arts is, and by knowing the key, a beginner can distinguish what real internal arts are. Also, the author reveals red flags on how to spot fake internal arts practitioners or teachers. As it is true, that the internal arts are rare nowadays, it is still possible to find the right teacher.
For those with experience, the concepts and theories in the book may be of interest as it may further enhance their knowledge of the Internal Arts. In addition to concepts and theories of the internal arts, it also provides a brief history, culture, and philosophy of the internal arts. Through the author's explanation based off his personal knowledge and experience, he talks about concepts and theories that emphasize physics, body mechanics, natural relaxation of body and mind, leverage, gravity, balance, motion, philosophy, and Qi.
The internal martial/energy arts have been studied for centuries by many people. Yet, most of them have not found the key as it has been kept secret. Author, Jinho Lee, trained in the external martial arts for fifteen years, but was not able to find the key. After switching his training from external to internal martial arts, he learned much more than martial skills from them. Wisdom and enlightenment awaited him at the end of the training.
He came to Western society in 2008 and found that many people still had misconceptions about the martial arts. Most people could not accept the traditional way as business commercialization had ruined the essence of the martial arts. Modern people are familiar with the commercial dojo system, so it is hard to make the traditional method of training appealing to them. This book shows how the martial/energy arts market in Western society appears from the view of a person who has trained in the traditional way of the internal arts in Asia.
The internal arts system sounds as if it goes against conventional knowledge of effectiveness in self-defense. It does not use conventional muscle strength to generate power. You should connect to the power of the earth and heavens, and use it. The body becomes a carrier of internal power. You will be able to transmit internal power from your body to the opponent. Changing your body takes a long time, as people have developed bad habits and postures while they were growing up. What he can say about the internal arts is simply:
"Relax and empty yourself, then the earth and heavens will be on your side".
"Remove your strength and unnecessary tension, then you will be able to generate force."
There is much more to do in your practice. This book will explain some techniques and theories to you.The author has tried to make this complicated system easier to understand for modern day people. Modern society is too busy, so people do not have time to dedicate to the martial arts anymore. He has experimented with various methods and has discovered how to make learning the internal arts easier and simpler than the traditional way. This book will guide you in understanding what the internal arts are and will help you discover the key.
