Differences Between Soft Styles and Hard Styles in Kungfu

We already know that Chinese Martial Arts (Kungfu) are can divided into 2 styles: Internal and External. But, what the meaning of internal and external styles? Sometimes people said that internal styles are soft and external styles are hard. But, what about Xingyi (Hsing I)? it's hard isn't? but Xingyi's already categorized as internal style. And people also usually considering internal kungfu will always soft even in real fight and external kungfu are always hard even in all condition.

Now, I will try to explain about differences between external and internal styles in this post as clear as I can (of course, please check me if I am wrong). :)
According to all literature and references which I read, The various chinese martial arts are divided into external and internal. While the external styles emphasize training techbiques and building up the physical body through some martial Qigong training, the internal styles emphasize the build up of Qi in the body. in fact, all styles both internal and external, have martial Qigong training. The external styles train the physical body and hard Qigong first, and gradually become soft and train soft Qigong; while the internal styles train soft Qigong first, and later apply the Qi built up to the physical techniques. It is said that: "The external styles are from hard to soft and the internal styles are from soft to hard, the ways are different but the final goal is the same." It is also said: "External styles are from external to internal, while internal styles are from internal to external. Though the approaches are different, the final goal is the same." Again, it is said: "External styles first Li (muscular strength) and then Qi, while internal internal styles first Qi and later Li."

This writing should have given you a rough idea of how to distinguish external and internal styles. and give you some idea about hard and soft in kungfu. It is said: "the internal styles are soft as a whip, the soft-hard styles (half external and half internal) are like rattan, and the external styles are like staff".