On Jul 23, 2009, at 10:42 AM, Kenn Day wrote:
Where I beg to differ is this: The Qi that we use in medical QiGong is exactly the same Qi we use in TCC (Tai Chi Chuan). There is no other. To claim that it is a different Qi would be like saying that the electricity that heats the toaster is different from that which turns on the light bulb. It is the application which differs, but the energy is the same. But perhaps I'm just not understanding your statement.
I recognize that I am coming from a somewhat different perspective, and I am not saying that this is the only way. However, as a full time Medical QiGong practitioner since 1989 and a TCC player since the late 70's, I can assure you of what my own experience has taught me. (Mind you, I consider myself a perpetual student. The main reason I teach is that I continue to learn from my students.) What I have learned is this: The Qi (Qi, Shen & Jing) that we use to heal people is the same as what we use to know people on their backs. In fact, my Medical QiGong has been vastly improved by the work I've done with Master Ting. The converse is also true. The fact that I work with clients mon-fri with Qi, shen and jing helps to strengthen my internal power and lengthen my line.
Master Ting's perspective is that TCC IS QiGong. That applies more for his style (WuJiJingGong) than for others, but he has martial applications for every one of his QiGong movements.
Michael Phillips Responds:
No actually, I think you're understanding me very well, Kenn......
William Ting is of course entitled to his 'perspective' , but except for it's usefulness in maintaining excellent general health, in my experience, the "Qi" of TCM qigong has no relationship at all to the "Qi" of martial qigong.
Ok, since Fernando recently accused me of being like a TV huckster who says just enough to get people to 'buy', I'm going to tell you the God's honest truth about how TCC, Qigong, and the ability to Fa-jin are all inter-related, and the difference between Martial Qi and TCM Qi - Fernando, I hope you've got your "pearl-stringing" equipment ready.......
Martial "Qi", the type used in fa-jin and striking, originates as a huge hydraulic "pulse-wave" in the dantien; it does not follow the Jen and Du meridians thru their complete circuit, but rather travels thru a shorter route called "The Martial Circuit"; it does this to avoid sending this huge pulse-wave thru your own brain and knocking yourself out.
The only qigong that facilitates this process is a little-known 'inside-door' qigong called "Embracing the Wind, Caressing the Moon"; the objective of this qigong is to become "transparent" to your own breath (the "Wind"), while at the same time maintaining the "sinking the Chi" in your dantien (The "Moon").
There are several similar qigongs depending on which martial arts family is involved, but all of them share this one central idea - namely, that if your body-system can become become more 'transparent' to the pulse-wave your own breath, you can then more safely and powerfully transmit the pulse-wave of martial Qi.
I repeat, the more "transparent" you can become to your own breath, the more "transparent" you can become to the martial qi pulse-wave, and the more power you can safely generate with little or no outward movement.
Let me also repeat, none of this has anything at all to do with the "Qi" of traditional Chinese medicine, and every true internal martial arts master knows this fact very well - every last one of them, since "this is how it's done".
This is what I learned from my TCC masters, all five of whom taught the same essential method, even though they were separated by space, time, and in some cases life and death - and it's what I teach all my 'inner-door' students, ALL of whom can do fa-jin exactly as I myself can do it, every last one of them.
If someone wants to learn this true 'inner-door' method, you all know where to find me; http://michael-philliips.net.
