yet another new member - AlchemistGeorge

[Alchemistgeorge]

Hello all.

 

I've been practicing qigong since ~1985 when I lived in Japan. I was there on business, but my personal agenda was to study koryu bujutsu - the old stuff - which I did. I was very interested in the martial applications of qi (ki), and having practiced Aikido for three years before moving to Japan I was really eager to learn something, anything, about this mysterious "ki" stuff.

 

I first heard of qigong from a co-worker. My first qigong class was "stand in the horse position for 45 minutes a day, if you do that every day, next week I teach you something more." That was how I eventually learned what Kenneth Cohen calls 'one finger zen' or Mantak Chia calls 'buddha palm.'

 

Since then I've studied with a couple of teachers, read dozens of books, learned and practiced a lot of stuff - I did a lot with the Healing Tao.

 

Six or seven? years back I got sick, started practicing again pretty seriously, with a big focus on zhan zhuang. Worked my way slowly through what I could find on amazon.com until I wound up with a copy of 'Opening the Energy Gates.' Since then I've been learning and practicing a lot of stuff with Bruce Frantzis and his students. I'm very pleased with the results.

 

My biggest learning so far? Whatever you do, do it consistently. As far as I can tell, the results of practice are cumulative. If you practice only 10 minutes a day - but you do it for two years you will get results. And the results you get like that are yours, and they last. Teachers can give you a jump start at a workshop, but its just like jump starting a car - now you have to drive it enough for the car to charge itself, or that battery will be dead again tomorrow.

 

I am very interested in classic cocktails, and the guy who really got me going on the right track was an author & blogger named Paul Harrington. On the internet they called him 'the alchemist' because he could mix sweet and sour and bitter into an elixir of deliciousness. And my friends started calling me AlchemistGeorge.

[thelerner]

You seem pretty experienced. I look forward to your participation on the board.

 

Michael an old Ki-Aikidoist

[rene]

Me too. Welcome.

 

(-:

 

Rene - another old Aikidoka (more like perpetual Uke, lol)

[Cat Pillar]

Welcome, AlchemistGeorge!

 

I like what you said about consistent practice...that is definitely one of the most important aspects!

[PPagan]

Echo

 

PPagan

[Dainin]

Welcome, George. I've read some of your book reviews on Amazon.com, and thought that they were very insightful. Look forward to reading your comments in this forum.

[Alchemistgeorge]

Thanks Dainin. Sometimes I wonder who reads those reviews. Like most of us I've gotten burned many times buying books based on the author's or publisher's description.

 

May I ask a favor? If you like the reviews / found them useful, please click on the "yes" button next to "was this review helpful to you"

[Celestial]

Welcome, George.