GreytoWhite

After doing some research it seems that this style of taijiquan is powered by White Crane mechanics. The swallow and spit part of the curriculum kinda gave it away. I checked and Liao Weishan was one of the few who brought Fujian Shaking Crane to Taiwan. It's a fairly common thing for groups in Taiwan to use a White Crane engine to power their taiji frame. It is quite different from the other taiji styles.

dwai the single form training you describe is called taiji zhuang in some of the family lineages and is usually an "indoor" teaching. In the flavor of Chen family taiji I was taught each stance as a transition of energy in its own right and the form was just meant for public display and flowing from one energy into another.

We have a wonderful search feature on this web site. There are many threads with the information you seek. Also you can use Google to search specific sites in this manner. site:thedaobums.com internal martial arts health benefits or whatever the fuck else you wanna search Here is a good thread to get you started. http://thedaobums.com/topic/20672-living-proof-that-qigong-works/

Use the search Luke.

Kumar spent time in India or Tibet (can't recall at the moment) previous to his time with Liu Hung Chieh.

Aye, what you're hoping to achieve is a good question. The majority of my personal experience has been martial cultivation with healing aspects. Neigong for different styles may lead to similar results but the method is often rather different. I've found the neijin of xingyiquan and baguazhang to have some crossover with the Chen taiji I initially learned but the teaching is very different and usage can be vastly different. That said I know of a few different lineages that I have touched hands with or actually practiced that I can comment on. Chen Village/Family Taijiquan (practiced) Usually very good for developing chansijin (silk reeling) and leg strength. Applications typically focused on qinna but some striking. May not be the best in detailed instruction of proper middle dantien usage, one is expected to intuit this from push hands. Also there has been an agreement amongst some of the top Chen instructors not to teach the true mechanics to Western students. Some instructors are more open, I recommend training with a xiaojia focused instructor if you can. Chen Style Practical Method Taijiquan (touched hands, comparison) This version of Chen has some heavy influence from Yang and Wu styles and teaches certain skill sets that are entirely outside of the traditional Chen methods. Unlike the focus on chansijin these additions are focused on one part is still while everything moves - very good for push hands. There is some argument about training with Chen Zhonghua vs his older gong fu brothers. CZH's instruction is different from his older gong fu brothers as he has a wider range of instructors and did not actually train under Hong Junsheng. Li Enjiu and Li Chugong represent something closer to Hong Junsheng's teachings and they are arguably two of the best taiji players in the world. Xie Peiqi's lineage Yin Style Baguazhang (practiced) This one is very balanced in hard/soft, Buddhist/Daoist cultivation and health/martial purposes. The Lion system is very good for transforming the body and opening the ribs. The Bear system has similar mechanics to taijiquan. The Dragon system's mechanics are similar to xingyiquan. The Rooster system is kind of like a Northern/Southern hybrid. Unicorn is probably the most internal of their styles but I have yet to see someone use it in person. Kenny Gong's Xingyibagua (practiced) This is very focused on body changing and martial application. The xingyi is the core of the system and as my teacher presents it we practically discarded ming jin and focus on an jin and hua jin. Unlike many other xingyi systems this one is very soft and relaxed. The structure of the body and spiral forces are readily apparent to experienced practitioners and there is less focus on dantiens and more focus on the entire central column of the body. The ribs are opened at first and then you learn to integrate ribs opening and closing into the movements. The baguazhang is very soft as well and is the Old Jiang Rongqiao bagua with dragon flavor. Internal power quickly ramps up from this combination system and it can be too quick in releasing blockages, good luck dealing with a lot of the middle dantien releases, the emotional stuff is intense. Middle dantian flowing downward to lower dantian mechanics are focused on more than LDT up. Bruce Kumar Frantzis Baguazhang and Wu Taiji (practiced) My first baguazhang teacher was a student of Kumar's before he learned from Xie Peiqi and He Jinbao. The bagua is a very systematic art that painstakingly programs certain movement patterns into the body. Structure in a straight line is focused on first and then increasingly complex movements and patterns are developed. The material is largely Cheng based externally but it is said Liu Hung Chieh's biggest influence on the bagua side was a Yin Fu disciple. The Wu taiji is a little different than others and his branch uses terms I've not heard used elsewhere. That said there are some very effective skills that Kumar teaches from that style which crossover with other internals. I Liq Chuan (touched hands) A hard/soft martial art I Liq Chuan (Intent Strength Fist) is described as taiji body, Zen mind. Certain Hakka arts and taiji are the main influences in the creation of this hybrid art. The mechanics are quite effective for developing neijin, the curriculum is very structured with testing, and these people tend to mix it up on the lei tai or push hands circuits. Sam Chin is quite impressive and his students can represent some of what he does rather well. They are currently working with Bernard Langan in the Bay Area to integrate things like Rolfing and Feldenkrais into the material for healing purposes. Sam Chin also has extensive experience in Buddhist meditation. Dragongate Sanctuary Baguazhang and Qigong (touched hands, participated in practice) One of my elder gong fu brothers practices this alongside the xingyibagua. His description of the bagua is that it is more of a martial qigong and fighting applications are not focused on much. He also teaches the Kunlun stuff from Max with Chris Matsuo's modifications as well. The bagua is supposed to be a Cheng variant with Tibetan White Crane influence, I've never seen the martial side of this and my xingyibagua teacher refers to it as "baby bagua bullshit."

This is gold right here, diamonds, rubies, and sapphires too. My first meditation teacher was also my professional mentor and I looked up to him quite a bit. After a few years his life crashed around him due to a number of factors and I came to a similar realization - regardless of how far along a spiritual path one may be, even teachers are people with flaws.

When I first started learning about Daoism and didn't know any better I thought drew might really be on to something... Then after some intense practice, lots of training, legitimate texts, and a few different perspectives on these arts I think drew has zou huo ru mo.

Normally it's like a super intense flood of emotion out of nowhere that I can't figure out why until she contacts me. She only contacts me when she is having difficulty which is very frustrating, I'd happily rekindle that relationship but she just wants an energetic boost so she can feel better. Usually when she is having issues my heart kinda feels weird and sometimes I get sensations out to my pericardium meridian to my left hand. I can also "send" her energy.

I'm not talking about the perception trick of changing focus, rather there are a few different layers of what comes out of a street light. There is the light, then there are electromagnetic fields coming off the ballast, and the EMF from the bulb. It's slightly different colors and almost looks like a layered dandelion puffs of light. Another thing I've noticed is that I can hear when certain electronics are not working. I have hearing damage so I shouldn't be able to physically hear it. Some cell phone chargers sound like running water, others are a high pitched whine. I pay attention to microwave ovens sometimes, I can always tell if one is not working properly by its sound. Also, thanks to some ridiculous experiments with dual cultivation I can always tell when my ex is having issues emotionally. It's really bloody annoying. She still contacts me sometimes.

Yes, take a look at a street lamp at night. Notice the multiple layers of light, EMI, and EMR.

http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/ I bought this recently and listened to it on my morning commute in the last two weeks. I found Daniele's viewpoint very interesting. I fully agree with much of what he says in the book and think his criticisms of practices like jing retention are on point. I found his comparison to Heraclitus to be very interesting and am now researching more about the Greek philosopher. While most of the material was not new to me I think it's a great overview of some of the basic Daoist concepts. I've definitely spent more money for less valuable or insightful books on Daoism.

It's pretty much the only way we can keep our xingyibagua practice group organized.

sketchbo0k is your santi practice guided by your teacher as well or are you practicing this on your own? I would recommend standing only in the stances your teacher has shown you. The energy of xingyi's santi stance is perfectly compatible with dragon bagua lineages but lion and snake bagua not so much.

Don't get the theory and the practice overly conflated. For now keep practicing and let your teacher guide your progress. The words aren't as important as the feeling. B.K. Frantzis' bagua system is Cheng based his system is completely different than the Cheng descended xingyibagua I am currently learning from one of Kenny Gong's students. Some aspects are focused on more than others dependent on lineage and experience of your teacher.

Aye, white and red are yin and yang. The black side of the taijitu is supposed to be red.

IHTBF - It Has To Be Felt (internal martial arts reference) IBTL - In Before The Lock (for controversial threads)

Maybe you got a psilocybe shroom instead?

Check out Heraclitus of Ephesus.

I'm looking to go back to school for a Chinese language and cultural studies program and was wondering if anyone had input on good schools where it doesn't snow. I mean NO snow not, "It only snows a little, like 4" a year and doesn't stick." No, I can't put on enough layers to keep warm. I know this completely eliminates a lot of really good schools but having grown up in temperate Northern California, lived here in Phoenix for about 12 years, and post-stroke my joints are too sensitive to cold. UCSD looks promising but I haven't done much research yet.

It sounds to me like the "teachers" you were learning from may have some energetic juice but are more interested in psychopathic games with their students than actually teaching. Personally, I wouldn't take a third hand story as the most accurate of things. There are a lot of stories about Max and Kunlun. I'll admit my ignorance of a lot of it. Do you know Max? I don't, so I don't talk about him - but I have heard lots of stories.

Hey guys I've decided to start reading this book. I've gotten through some of the intro in the past, going to read it during the down time at work. http://www.amazon.com/Internal-Alchemy-Kohn/dp/1931483116/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1446225607&sr=8-4&keywords=livia+kohn

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Telepathy-Experiments-Extrasensory-Consciousness/dp/1571743219

Hey guys my xingyibagua sifu is wanting to do some seminars in the near future. What focus would you like to see? What kind of venue would you prefer? I'm probably going to have to organize all of this so I'd like input from you guys to see how we should proceed.

I don't mean to be an ass, I understand you're having trouble but this is probably the biggest thing holding you back. Sometimes we have to do shit we don't wanna to get by. Would you rather be homeless? I was pretty close to it again this year because I felt like you do. Now, I'm working and while it bores me, doesn't interest me, and is far from enjoyable I do not have to worry about eating, a place to stay, or enjoying social life with a wider circle. Money helps sometimes - it's only a tool and to use it you sometimes have to make sacrifices.