ChiDragon

Walker... FYI... All these charts were derived from the Yi Jing. One will not understand them without having a thorough comprehension of the Yi Jing.

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The forbidden city was constructed base on the yin-yang concept of the Yi Jing. There is a Summer Palace built in the north of the forbidden city. It is because North was the coolest and coldest in any season. It was called the Summer Palace because it is the coolest spot in the summer for the emperor to live in. However, In the Winter, the emperor's living quarter will be in the warmest palace in the South. The cold is yin and the warm is yang. Living in the different quarter with respect to the seasons is the application of the yin-yang concept and in harmony with Nature.

The 5 Elements/phases are directional and seasonal according to the concept in the Yi Jing. 1. Wood: The plants are abundant in the East because the Sun rises from the east. The plants in the east get the sunlight at the beginning of each day before other parts of the world. Thus Wood was assigned to the East and designated the season as Spring. 2. Fire: The Sun is the highest and brightest, at high noon, in the South. Thus Fire was assigned to the South and designated the season as Summer. 3. Water: The Water was originated from the melting ice in the North pole. Thus Water was assigned to the North and designated the season as Winter. 4. Metal: The metal(copper) was the color of the Sunset in the West and the tree leafs turn yellow in the autumn. Thus Metal was assigned to the West and designated the season as Autumn. 5. Soil(earth): The Soil was assigned to the center of all directions signifying that all the seasons begin in the center. PS.... All feng shui master do their readings based in these directional assignment and designation.

Most Chinese said, if they eat banana with an empty stomach will have stomach problem such as stomach ache. It was OK to eat with something in the stomach. FYI Banana has rich in potassium to relax the muscles. Otherwise, one may have cramps due to the lack of potassium.

One apply mindfulness by entering the state of tranquility only during meditation. For a scholastic meditation, one was to get into a state of tranquility to cease all negative thoughts to refresh one's mind. After that, one will be in the state of inspiration and become well being again. To answer your question, basically you are no longer in a state of thoughtlessness when you are out of the meditation state.

Buddhism is to stay away from the bitter life of the competitive materialistic world to have a peace of mind. Taoism is to live naturally, stay in balance, and in harmony with Nature.

darx888..... If you cannot find the answer in the book, then you will never find the answer. Perhaps you go ask the author what they all meant by him....!!!

My thought of the day: The possession of knowledge is not to demonstrate how much one knows. It is a matter of digestion and application. Ignoring the facts blurs the foreseeing intellectual focus. One with an open mind can behold a panorama blindfolded. Finally, the denial of the unwanted truth is a move for the deprivation of learning.

You welcome... BTW This float chart is more comprehensible and updated with modern terminologies I've seen so far....

Beijing Form 24 step Tai Chi

Why is Tai Ji Quan is a form of QiGong....??? Let's determine what is QiGong...!!! What are the commonalities of both arts...??? Let's give it an observation from a point of view of someone without any martial arts knowledge. The movements are performed gracefully and slowly and the breathing is deep and slow. The final product of both arts was to develop the inner body strength by putting the emphasis on breathing. Therefore, let's ask a question. Is QiGong a method in cultivating energy or breathing....??? As I said before, the final product was to develop the inner body energy. In order to accomplish the development of the body energy. One must need to breathe properly. It is there was a famous saying for all martial arts： 氣沉丹田，chi sunk deep into the dan tien. Another words, breathe deep into the dan tian. How do I derive to this conclusion...??? It all depends how one interpret the character 氣(Qi). Is it "energy" or "breath"....??? If one would like to interpret the character Qi as "energy", then, QiGong is cultivating energy. If one assumed that QiGong is a method to develop energy through breathing, then, it implies that QiGong has no energetic effect without breathing. Hence, QiGong is the ultimate method of breathing in developing energy. The ultimate goal of breathing was to be breathing slowly and breathe as much air as possible into the lungs. In order to do so, one must breathe deeply to expand the abdomen to flatten the diaphragm which allow the lungs to increase in volume. Another thing to be considered was to allow ample of time for the oxygen to be collected by the red blood cells. It can be accomplished by breathing slowly. Indeed, all QiGong practitioners must take the ultimate method of breathing into consideration. Otherwise, it will not be considered that one was practicing QiGong.

Could you please translate the following: 間，昂首振羽間，昂首振羽 In between, in between raise the head and vibrate the wings, raise the head and vibrate the wings 將白鶴的振翅、撲翼、抖翎、晾羽、纏脖、鳴叫等動作，揉合在少林 Let the vibrating wings of the white crane, swing the wings, tremble the plume, hing dry the feather, wind the neck, and scream and etc., integrate these moves as Shaolin(少林). Figure 1: In the Chinese Tao religion "xing, chi, shen" are the three basic criteria as a whole in the observation of the human body structure. 練精化氣: refine jing into chi 練氣化神: refine chi into shen 形: form 氣: energy 神: the spirit or the soul of the human body 軀體結構: body structure 生命結構: vital structure 心理結構: psychological structure 物質: substance 能量: energy 信息: information; signal; intelligence.

This seems like a Zhan Zhuang stance with the legs bent and the hands hinging down. 頭戴石磨: head wear a stone grinder 垂脊正身: suspend the spine and straighten the torso 龜背鶴身: Turtle back and crane torso 懸肩插胛: suspend the shoulder and stick it into the shoulder blade 手似楊柳: the hand is like a willow tree 氣沉丹田: Chi sink to the dan tian 鬆腰坐胯: loosen the waist and sit on crotch 圓襠曲膝: circular stance and bend the knees 不丁不八步: the legs do not stand like the character "丁" nor like the character "八". 帥: General 主: Master 兵: Soldier 將: General

I see why you are confused because the source that you are using was confused in the first place. Find another book that the author has a better understanding of the 5-Phases system.

Hi, Marcus.... First of all, don't get involve with too many styles all at once. For internal arts, your best bit is too stick with Wu Taijiquan and then worry about the marital part later. The long form will take you a long way. This is not the case in the more the merrier. The WU Taijiquan is the best practice that will lead you where you wanted to go. It has the combination of internal and martial arts hidden in the system. You just need to put your heart into cultivation for a long time before you can realize what it can do for you. Please keep in mind, internal arts cannot be accomplished in days but years.

I am an atheist and practicing Chi Kung and Tai Ji perfectly without attracting any spirits. The notion about spirits was only in the mind of the practitioner.......

You are right about feeling lost. Nowadays, the kids are living in a world of rock n' roll which are too young to be learning about "emptiness" and sitting quietly. Emptiness is easier to be comprehended are those who are more mature and went through a series of failure and depression.

If a person is standing up straight, the body can be only turned within a limited space. The ankles and the hips are the pivot points. Anyhow, one standing in a Zuan Zhuang position has more flexibility to move freely and cover more space. It is because the knees are added to the pivot points. The body can move freely by bent the knees forward and the torso moving backward to maintain balance. Especially, the knees can move back and forth in different directions to have a greater flexibility for balancing. Generally speaking, standing up straight up one has two pivot point(the ankles and the hips). While in the ZZ position, it has five pivot points, the ankles, the knees, and the hips. In the ZZ position, the both ankles and knees can be moved in different direction separately. In addition with the combination of the bending arms and the hips, in deed, it gives more flexibility for the body to move as a whole to cover a variety of space around the body area. Of cause, the feet must have good rooting to anchor to the ground or floor. Good rooting was based on the Fa Jin in the lower leg muscles. The ankle joints must be strong to support the whole body weights. The strong ankle joints can be strengthen by practicing Zuan Zhuang for months and years. Another words, the purpose of Zuan Zhuang was the strengthening the lower leg muscles and the ankle points. Zuan Zhuang is equivalent to have the lower legs and ankles lifting weights; it is because they are supporting the weights of the whole body while standing in this position. Eventually, the muscle tone were developed in the lower legs and made them stronger. A good foundation for rooting was based on the strong lower legs and ankle joints. All these were accomplished from practicing Zuan ZHuang.

While the arm is fully extended, it gives a less chance to retract while someone was grabbing the wrist. At the time, the shoulder would be the weakest point. One can lock the elbow but not the shoulder if the arm was being pulled by someone. The shoulder is the root for the arms, so to speak, because the shoulder is the only part that supports and kept the arms in place. If a person was standing up straight with the arm fully extended and the arm was being pulled forward, then the person will be difficult to maintain balance. Most lightly this person will lean forward due to the pulling force. If a Tai Ji practitioner with the arms bent, most lightly, the arms can be retracted very easily because there was some potential energy(Jin) are readily available in the muscle. It allows the arms to retract by moving toward the body to counteract any pulling force. However, the most effective way was to push the opponent away. That way will put the opponent in the worse situation. Under the pushing position, the opponent will have the pulling force + the body weight + the pushing force against him/her. That is why we see a person flew across the room and hit the wall during a Fa Jin demo video. Btw The highest opposing force was the pushing force(Fa Jin) in the calculation. The summation of the forces will cause the opponent to go off balance in one direction by falling backward.

The last statement has a "?". Is that a question....???

Every practitioner of Tai Ji Chuan should know this. The most unique thing about Tai Ji Chuan, at all levels, is bending the arms and legs for every movement. It would very noticeable if one is a good Tai Ji practitioner or not. A good Tai Ji practitioner will never straighten the arms and legs. The concept was to have the yang within the yin. That means by having a little tension on the arms and legs which allow them readily for action. The bending arms are readily to go any direction; the legs are readily to go up and down to maintain the body balance. A bending arm will have two pivot points such as the elbow and shoulder joints. The ankle and the knee are the two pivot points for the legs. The advantage of having two pivot points which allow the arms and legs to move more versatile and dynamically. Overall, the body was allowed to move more swiftly with the arms and legs bent. Especially, the bending legs allow to have more spring actions.

FYI..... 1. The Chen 108 Long Fist(Chang Fist, 長拳) is different from the 108 Tai Ji Chuan(太極拳). Ai Ping Cheng was doing the Fast Tai Ji with Fa Jin at the second level. At first level, the practitioner does not stumble the foot nor fast strike with the hands. Stumbling the foot and fast strike with the hand were in the process of Fa Jin at the moment.

You welcome....No problem....!!! When in doubt, one must not pass a good opportunity to ask question promptly.

If your teacher teaches the same set of movements in all sessions with consistency and ask you to practice it for one whole week before the next set of movements, then, the teacher is a good one. However, I wouldn't consider taken lessons from the one who gives instructions randomly.