Style

把勢、把勢，全憑架式。没有架式，不算把勢

Martial arts, martial arts, it is all a question of posture. No posture, no real training.

把勢 is an old way to say training martial arts.

把 means to hold, to grasp and 勢 power (its original meaning), momentum, outward appearance and gesture as far as training is concerned.

架式, posture, is also written 架勢, the character for 把勢, hence the old way to refer to martial arts can also mean to hold/grasp postures.

For internalists, 勢 can also refer to a part of the body.

Learning to stand before anything else.

External posture is about the respective position of each body part, mainly the bones.

Internal posture is about the fascia elasticity, it is a question of stretching.

External posture is mainly about straightness, internal roundness.

The "Foot Pierces Trough the Skies" is a typical advanced external posture, the "Swaying Fist" an internal*.

*Putting the foot straight up and vertical for the first one and having the upper part of the body totally leaning left, right, in front or in the back for the second one. The second type of posture is more known as the Drunken Fist while the first one is still seen in Chinese Opera. Basically external posturing works more on balance while internal on rooting.