Does Calisthenics Build Qi?

[TigerJin]

In Yang JwingMing's book, he mentions martial artists being able to achieve small and large circulation through their training. But I'm not sure if he's talking about them doing this through Da Mo's arm waving wai dan exercises or if it's through punching and kicking, and calisthenics instead.

 

I can martial arts forms and calisthenics making qi move to the limbs. In Root of Qigong he says that qi follows thought. To prove this, and qi's existence he says to imagine pushing a table down. Qi soon moves to the hands, making them warm. So, I think "What if you are actually pushing?" If you're doing pushups, wouldn't that be moving qi to the arms?

 

Also, compare Da Mo's arm exercises to martial arts forms. In Da Mo's exercises, you are imagining, or slightly clenching and relaxing the fists to move qi to the arms. In martial arts, you are actually clenching the fists everytime you punch and relaxing before and after doing so.

 

So, wouldn't martial arts and calisthenics achieve grand circulation?

[Aetherous]

Yes, people who exercise have better qi flow. They might not be as sensitive to qi without that training, but their channels are more open than a non-exerciser.

[Starjumper]

Calisthenics is good as a preparation for cultivating chi because it leads to vitality, and strong vitality is a great aid in cultivating chi power.  Calisthenics in and of itself doesn't work so well because what you need for cultivating energy is slowness, relaxation, and meditational internal observation

[Wu Ming Jen]

Chi Gung means energy work. The Chinese practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and martial arts training, extends back more than 5,000 years. the ancient Chinese meditative practice xing qi (circulation chi ) and the gymnastic breathing exercise tao yin (guiding and pulling). we start to become aware of the relationship between our consciousness and the chi that gives us physical form and animates us. Through precise conscious movement we move chi through channels in our body (often referred to as acupuncture meridians or Jing Luo) and encourage a more free and fluid flow of this energy through our body.

Chi Gung  is always practiced in the early morning at the temple.

[idquest]

Qi is built with separation of yin and yang. On of the ways to separate them - doing physical movements so that the connective tissue gets activated. What this means is that not any callisthenics will generate qi but only performed in a manner that activates the connective tissue. So the answer to your question is yes and no.

 

Regarding waving arms - if you are an experienced cultivator, you will notice when it is indeed waving the arms and when it is deep internal work.

[Michael Sternbach]

While calisthenics and martial arts training are generally good for you, they don't all build up chi to an appreciable degree.

 

The types that have a pronounced effect in that area are characterized by things like relaxed and natural movement involving the whole body, breathing techniques, and visualization. Which includes (for example) yoga.

 

Sometimes it's possible to take a more external method of exercise and turn it into more of a chi practice.

[windwalker]

6 hours ago, TigerJin said:

I can martial arts forms and calisthenics making qi move to the limbs. In Root of Qigong he says that qi follows thought. To prove this, and qi's existence he says to imagine pushing a table down. Qi soon moves to the hands, making them warm. So, I think "What if you are actually pushing?" If you're doing pushups, wouldn't that be moving qi to the arms?

 

Not in the way as you've  explained.

 

What  Dr Yang,  is talking about is improving ones intent of action with out action...This is different then intent of action with action and develops different processes that can be used in different ways....All CMA are internal..The distinction between Internal or external Is basically how the qi Is manifested and used.

 

what are called external reinforces the body/mind  To operate In a normal enhanced  way .   The qi is used to enhance normal body functions and activities. 

 

What is called internal develops an excess of energy "qi" that can be used directly if its not trapped within the body by doing external work that promotes this like "push ups"   

 

translation by one of my students.   

One can not do what he demos by doing push ups or practicing whats called external work.

Which often becomes the subject of much confusion on the net by those who dont do this type of work expecting it be 

the same as what they practice or do... Its not.

 

 

 

Time stamp: 0..1:0:
Need to know what "TaiChi" means in order to learn it well.
TaiChi means: "no pole" (Field/Circle/Empty) which generates "poles" (YingYang/In & out/Body).
The core of TaiChi Quan is to interchange the act of Field affecting body and body reacting to field.

 

the question one might ask is what is the field he talks about..Im sure some of the native speakers

can fill in the details of what the field is...

..
Ying & Yang are two faces of one thing, cannot be separated.

 

1:0 ..1:25:
When we contact, we consist of the "no pole" (combine our fields?), if he is Yang, then I will be the Ying; vice versa. 
I can hit him by breaking his own Ying & Yang. 

 

1:26..1:36
I can hit him by my internal as outside is hard, expand my internal out.

 

1:37..1:53
I can hit him by my outside, go to my inside then hit him by my outside.
When he came in, I am Ying, then become Yang. I am Yang, then become Ying.
It is all about the ying/yang change.

 

1:54..2:20
When he touch me, I can use my circle to hit him; use my center to hit him; my center expanded to hit him.

 

2:21..2:55
I can also hit him by changing curve to straight, by my knee, by my hip by expansion, by my Dantian, by my waist due to loosing my shoulder and back to my waist, 

 

2:56..3:30
I can hit him by my shoulder, shoulder sinks to my YongQuan (on my foot).
I can hit him by one finger softly. When I touch him, I grab his foot root and hit his foot.
The change of Ying/Yang is layer by layer with angle.

 

3:31..4:11
I do my form to have my field first, then follow the field, change my shape to bring in my field, I move within my field.

 

 

4:12..4:39
My single foot is not only support my weight, also can farjin. This is due to expansion/compressing; i.e. ying/yang.
 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2018 by windwalker

[windwalker]

10 hours ago, TigerJin said:

So, wouldn't martial arts and calisthenics achieve grand circulation?

 

 

depends on the art...For those practicing a martial art this would be a part of what they might achieve but not the not the point of the practice as with practices like "qi" gong...

 

Problems arise when some feeling what they are practicing is "martial" are actually practicing something that has been turned into a qi gong practice when called to use as a martial art.

 

this has been noted by past masters.

 

Quote

Those who have the outward skill but lack the civil principle will be consumed by reckless glory. Discarding the original purpose of the art, they will try to overpower opponents and inevitably lose.

 

Those on the other hand who have the civil principle but lack the outward skill will be distracted by meditative expectation.

 

They will have no idea what to do in a fight, and they will be destroyed the moment it turns chaotic. To apply this art upon an opponent, you must understand both the civil and martial qualities.  https://brennantranslation.wordpress.com/2013/09/14/explaining-taiji-principles-taiji-fa-shuo/

 

Edited June 24, 2018 by windwalker

[lifeforce]

18 hours ago, idquest said:

Regarding waving arms - if you are an experienced cultivator, you will notice when it is indeed waving the arms and when it is deep internal work.

https://youtu.be/Dq5DYOlJoVI

https://youtu.be/pFUGi2bZqLg

Deep internal arm waving... Tongbei style.

Edited June 24, 2018 by lifeforce

[Starjumper]

59 minutes ago, lifeforce said:

https://youtu.be/Dq5DYOlJoVI

https://youtu.be/pFUGi2bZqLg

Deep internal arm waving... Tongbei style.

 

The first one has a wee bit of internal work, the second one has none and it's purely stretching or martial arts practice

Edited June 24, 2018 by Starjumper