ChiDragon

The lion dance on the posts is one application of ZZ(站桩)

Here is what real ZZ(站桩) means by standing on posts with the knees bended to keep the body in balance.

Josama... Since you didn't mention that you had bended you knees, I will have to assume that you didn't. I think I know why and it is not your fault. Here is why, it is because the translation for ZZ was "standing mediation" which threw you off. It is a westerner cultural thing; they tend to do exactly what it says rather than what it is to do. So, when you do ZZ, you stand and meditate without knowing the purpose of ZZ. You didn't know the importance of bending the knees in ZZ. Indeed, you have not accomplish what you were tried to do in your six months of ZZ practice. Am I correct...??? I would like to start a new thread on ZZ to explain why the translation of "standing mediation" is very misleading. BTW I had seen a video clip with a Chinese demonstrator of ZZ; and I do regret that he called it "standing mediation". He might the culprit.

You just hold your horses..........

Yes, one should able to gauge it if one had Fa Jin experience before.

To see the strength of Fa Jin practitioner is by observing how far back of the opponent had been moved and by his reaction. If they are at equal level, the opponent wouldn't have been moved or just fell half way back instead of flying away with no resistance as shown in the video.

Good point, Friend.....

Yes, it is quite normal because there are lots of changes taken place inside you which is effecting your nervous system and your thoughts in the brain too. BTW It happened to my wife too when she started her practice in Chi Kung. She saw horrible faces that she had never seen before. These faces were flying all around her in couple of her nightmares. She was horrified but then it has not occurred again. It was just a coincidence or coincidental. Please remove that from your thoughts.

Did you bend your knees....???

It is important for me to find out why ZZ did not help you to strengthen your leg muscles and your knees. Please answer the following questions: 1. Can you describe how did you do the ZZ stance in the six months of practice..??? 2. What did you do different in maoshan five elements than in ZZ...??? People often misunderstood what kidney qi is. In TCM, the kidney qi is the functional activity of the kidney. It doesn't mean the kidney energy. The Chinese people are so confused with the character qi or chi(氣). It was misinterpreted in many cases. Hence, this term was only known as 'energy' around the world. All people stand on the ground all the time, do you think all the qi in the human organs will be leaked to the ground...??? If that is the case, we have no energy left inside our bodies and ended up dead. Note: Energy inside your body will be generated as soon you inhale and diminished in few seconds if it was not used by you. Energy will not and cannot leak from your body. Period.

The fur/mat are for your own comfort only.

Confucian's Morality is absolute which is very impractical and difficult to enforce it.

Back to our sparring.... I am no novice. After year of practice with ZZ, the soreness and the pains in any part of the legs should be gone and able to withstand the body weights in any position. BTW even with the knees bent at any angle. To strengthen the legs muscles and knees was the whole purpose of practicing ZZ. Otherwise, don't do it at all. Why do it for nothing if it doesn't accomplish its purpose...???

The original philosophy of Wu Wei was that one take no abusive action against nature. Let Nature take its course. Another words, let the water flow, the trees grown, let the fire burn, let the mud slight and let the animals live. What are the abusive actions are to be considered had taken by human: 1. Build a dam on a river to change to course of the river which effecting the lives in the water. 2. Chopping down a tree. 3. Setting a fire rather than a natural fire by lightning. 4. Blowing up a mountain to build a road causing mud or rock slight. 5. Killing wild animals. How is the concept of Wu Wei applied by human...?? The philosophy of Wu Wei was more concern about the initiation of an abusive action. For instance, it's not natural to initiate a fight to begin with. If someone has challenged you to fight, then you did not initiate the action. Thus you may defend yourself. In the contrary, if you had initiated the fight to begin with, then you have violated the philosophical concept of Wu Wei because you had taken the abusive action instead of no action. Weren't the people who do what you describe what you call as a religion also inspired by the Tao Teh Ching etc? To answer your question, the intention of the Tao Te Ching did not inspire the Taoist religion. It was a group of people who want to interpreted it in such beliefs to inspire themselves to create a religion. As a matter of fact, the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching is atheism. It has no suggestion to have people believe or initiate a religion. The TTC talks about the two Chi elements of Yin-Yang. People were mistakenly thought that Chi was all about Chi Kung by adding more to the idea of what it was. What I am saying is that the TTC was interpreted by scholars is pure philosophy. How others want to interpret it is a different story.

Yes, bending the knees too much will cause the pain. What I am trying for you to say was did you bend your knees before when you do ZZ...??? Why you have the pains now but not then....???

Exactly. Why give him the answer before understanding the question...

Bubbles... I like to ask dumb questions, so I might get the right words from the horse' mouth. The thing is why he didn't get the pains in the knees before but now....??? Thanks for answering for him.....

Does it matter where the pain is....??? I am just very curious why there was no pain in the muscles to begin with in the first 6 months....???

Hello, nobody has ever told you that "no pain no gain"...??? If you had done ZZ for 6 months with no pain on your leg muscles, then you had wasted all your time and did it all wrong. If you had done it properly, you should had felt pains allover you leg muscles in the first few weeks. After 6 months, you should have overcome the pains and your legs should have great muscle tones. Another words, you should have stronger legs than 6 months ago....

I see that most people fell into the trap about Taoism. Taoism has two parts; and they philosophy and religion. You either believe in the philosophy or religion but not both. I see that where you are now in this dilemma. Wu Wei is to let nature take its course which is the Taoist philosophy. However, semen retention is not a Taoist philosophy; rather it is a mythical belief for longevity by doing so in the Taoist religion. In a way, this practice does not let Nature take its course which was in conflict with the Wu Wei philosophy. If you are studying Taoism, you must be able to distinguish the difference between the Taoist philosophy and Taoist religion. In philosophy, one deals with concepts and facts. In religion, one deals beliefs and myths or illegitimate practices.

"know the male, but keep to the female" Understood the hardness(the attribute of the male); thus keep the softness(the attribute of the female.)

1. There were speculations that Chi Kung practitioners, at higher level, which can direct Chi from meridian to meridian. However, there is a possibility that Chi can be directed to the wrong meridian and cause serious problem. Fortunately, this is not something that can be done by a beginner. Thus there will be a remote chance of getting injury for a novice. 2. That was not a good assumption.

They are not the same because the body is only a shelter for the spirit. It is the spirit that decides the body to be healthy or not. Thus the body is passive(yin) while the spirit is active(yang).

Do not go to the young ones nor walk in to a stranger to treat you. You should ask around to find a more reputable one. It is true that the older ones have more experiences. However, you should stay with one and only one that you are really trust. People are going crazy are only from the stories told by ignorant ones. You must have confidence in yourself to stay away from any fallacy. There are more positive facts about Chi Kung than the negatives. Indeed, you had said so yourself that Chi Kung Practice helps you in some way. There is an old saying: If you don't trust them, then don't hire them. If you have hired them, then trust them.

實事求是 Translation: Find out what it is from the truth of the matter. Philosophy: Do not say what it is because somebody else says that's what it is. Do not insert nor remove anything, in order, not to distort the facts.