Chi Power Q/A

[bushido_man96]

Has that been proven? The main problem I have is finding some physical evedence that chi is in all these bodily areas.

[Alan Armstrong]

I think therefore I am. I feel the chi in my body therefore it exists. I have a heightened body awareness... I read once that a very fat woman went to use the toilet and while there gave birth. Many people do not take care of or listen to their own body. Chi is just energy! Having awareness of my own chi or energy enhances my life in general. I sleep as much as possible because my body needs it and l feel better for it. I don't question it I just feel the benefits of doing it. I feel the benefits of practicing chi kung and once again I feel the benefits of doing it. I only buy in to Chinese concepts because they make sense to me on a natural way of being. The Chinese invented gunpowder and used it for celebration purposes. We in the West used it to dominate other cultures. I have chosen the celebration way. I had heard many years ago that the chi mystery was proven by Western science to be true. For me it is like Christopher Columbus discovering America. The natives there from their perspective were invaded. Chi waiting to be discovered? I hope not, because I'm sure the spontaneous human combustion weapon will be invented the very next day. If you feel sunlight on your skin then you feel chi also. Chi is also absorbed in to the body through our largest organ, that being the skin. Some people need therapy with the use of light. All those people on the beach just soaking up the sun/chi. Why? Because it feels good and a certain amount of sun/chi is healthy but cross the line and then it is dangerous. Dancing is another way to get chi energy absorbed up from the ground. Chi Kung masters use the way of being like a tree, absorbing chi from the sky and the ground, with the surroundings adding to the chi balance. Chinese are known to be hard workers. They can do this, because of living in a chi energy culture. With chi theories imbedded in to their culture and handed down through the centuries. With chi there is nothing to prove or disprove because for the Chinese it just is and they accept it for what it is.

[MasterPain]

I think chi is viewed in the west like Harry Potter magic. I really don't think that was the intent of the people who came up with the concept centuries ago. I poke fun at chi sometimes, but mostly because of the idea that people have that it's some kind of magic force that will do no touch knockouts.

I've heard it said that a bear has great amounts of chi. I'm pretty sure bears don't believe in chi, but if chi is simply energy in living things, then a healthy bear has tons of chi. So my question is: if I try to develop my chi by eating a good balanced lower calorie diet, walking, and doing some resistance training, will it work? And if not, what do I need chi for?

[Alan Armstrong]

Chi cultivation not only gives me a quality of life beyond what money can buy, it also has extended my life also. More than ten years ago I looked terrible. Had four heart attacks; so I should be dead. A personal trainer just a few days ago told me that I have the physique of a 36 year old; I'm almost 60. He wanted to know my secret. I told him that I practice chi kung about 30 hrs a week. I had been fascinated about chi since about the mid 1970's. Since my heart attacks, I have turned my life around in the right direction and now my health issues are working out brilliantly.

[MasterPain]

Hey, that's great.

[Alan Armstrong]

Question, what do I need chi for. Yes a balanced life style with food and exercise will work. Chi kung is a way to cultivate it in a focused way. Do you see the way trees move or water flows. The more connected with nature the more awareness you will develops. If you just focused on body posture alone you would start to notice how most around you ignore this most basic practice. Fat belly creeps in and then huching the back... and so on till your ankles are swollen and you need a walking stick to move. Good posture will develop positive chi in you. Tao is the way; the right way. There are millions of right ways to do things; you choose!

[Alan Armstrong]

About bear chi. Bears a born with prenatal chi, inherited from their genes. Their life style now depends on postnatal chi. Depending on where they live, plenty of salmon is on the menue. They sleep alot and hibernate. They climb trees to eat honey and berries. They live in forest without much pollution. They don't have stressful jobs. They don't drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. They live close to nature. When you sum up the life of a bear, they don't need to learn how to do chi kung; they have already mastered it inherently. We as humans could do ourselves some good by taking some of their positive attributes and incorporate them into our own life style.

[Alan Armstrong]

Chi is derived from Chinese medicine. We in the West were skeptical about acupuncture. Now it is an accepted practice. Chi channels and meridians flow chi around the body. Pain derives from blocked channels and Chinese acupressure and acupuncture practice is use to unblock these channels. Chi kung exercises are practiced to keep the chi flowing in these channels, for health and vitality. With the idea that flowing water never goes stale. Atrophy, diabetes, blocked arteries, gangrene, strokes and heart attacks are mostly attributed to poor lifestyle habits. Chi kung exercises is preventative medicine. Keeping the body balanced without under doing or over doing anything. Using Yin/Yang principles. Keeping chi flowing is also practiced mentally with the help of I-Ching; the book of changes. Like the flowing water principle for the body also I-Ching principles keep to the same principles keeping the mind flowing and active, preventing mental stagnation. Brain cells are said to use up to 12 times more chi energy than the rest of the cells in the body. Could be why thinking can be very metally exhausting at times. In martial arts we are constantly encouraged to "Don't think just do"

[Alan Armstrong]

Why chi kung exercises are important for martial artists. The more tension in the body the less maneuverability we have, stiffness reduces agility and spontaneity of movement. The more relaxed and ready the muscles are the better they can perform. To be super good at martial arts, chi kung axillary exercises were invented. Tai chi chuan, chi kung exercises are none aggressive and are gentle, because they are designed for the elderly. Chi kung exercises consists of 100's of moves. Depending on your chosen specialty as a martial artist, you can pick and chose what works best for you. Personally my chosen field for my age and health history; as my specialty is health and longevity. The Chin na martial art aspects I choose to practice, are for self defense and an inquisitive interest in body mechanics relating to martial arts. Practicing Chin na with a partner hyper extending my muscles/tendons/joints is a way to keep them strong and flexible.

To perform like a high performance race car (human style) doesn't just happen by itself. Getting the right information and training is all important for your performance. Know what type of martial artist you want to be. Hobby or career. To help others or for you to be all you can be. If you don't know right now, think about this. Time spent improving yourself is time never wasted!

Chi power is pocessing the right knowledge, then combining it with diligent practice till perfect and initiated it all with focused timing and coordinated intent. Then try to make it all look natural and easy to do.

[Alan Armstrong]

As you may start to notice is that there are many types of Chi, as in there are many forms of energy. This is why there is so much confusion on the subject. This is why there is no matter of fact or scientific proof that it exists. So why do 60 million Chinese people practice Chi Kung?

All I can offer on the subject of Chi power is to point in the directions that you can discover it for yourself. This is the way to understand it. We hope to grasp the martial art aspect of chi power; yes?

One aspect of chi power can be understood by understanding trees. Don't run away just yet; hear me out!

Chi power for martial artists are stressed upone not to use muscle power but instead to use chi power. Sounds like a contradiction. Trees have limbs as we have limbs but trees don't have muscles, we do. Have you noticed that Tai Chi is practiced in parks? This is no coincidence. Trees sway and their limbs gently bounce so does the Tai Chi master. If a tree doesn't sway with the wind or weather conditions it's limbs will snap off and it could also be uprooted. It is if the tree is dancing or yeilding to the wind. The tree has no muscles and yet it can withstand alot of punishment. Sticking and yielding, swaying and bending, turning and twisting. All of these movements are what trees do and Tai Chi masters do also. For combative porposes these moments are anticipated and counter movments are used to blend or merge, to strike back or avoid being hit. Push a child on a swing and play dodging and weaving try not to get hit. Now move forward when the swing, swings away and move back when it swings towards you. This is the same principle when in a physical fight. As the swing is attached at two points so is your fighting opponent. Lightly hit one side of the swing's chain and it start moving erratically. You have disrupted the swinging swings chi. Those that develops chi power just help people to fall down. People fall down accidentally because of a number of reasons, many times people fall down on the street because they loose their balance when in a rush to get somewhere... If I lightly touch your shoulder and your response anticipates it to be hard, you will try to push against it with equal resistance, but as my touch is soft and your response is hard, you may fall over. If you don't fall you maybe unbalanced. Then a little tug/push or pull in the direction you are already headed could also make you fall down. A little gentle persuasion goes a long way, if you now how to work it.