Internal/external

[Joe2334]

If i got into a street fight which would be a better art to defend my self an internal(mainly Hsing I) or external art.

[Chris McKinley]

That depends. Who would be doing the fighting? You, or somebody else? My point is that it is both the art AND the artist that make the difference, and I tend to think it leans a bit more toward the artist, given the underestimated importance of psychological factors. Perhaps if you could give a bit more information on what you are choosing between, we could be of more help to you.

[Joe2334]

Im choosing mainly between Hsing I and praying mantis

[Chris McKinley]

Both can be very effective styles. The only thing I can offer is that there is a saying that "the Mantis only fears XingYi". It is a statement regarding the overall effectiveness of Mantis styles and also of the difficulty they might have with XingYi's angling attacks. With a good teacher, you could make either one work very well for real fighting. I suggest you check both schools out and notice if they teach real combat applications along with the forms. That could be the deciding factor for you.