How do I lead Chi

Discuss Qigong, its ideas, theories and practice. Please stay on topic.

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Re: How do I lead Chi

Postby Brian » Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:11 am

pete5770 wrote: I started Tai Chi in 1974 or 75 when I lived in Denver, Colorado. The names of my two instructors eludes me at the moment(old age I guess). One was Chinese and couldn't speak English so I guess I can be forgiven for forgetting his name. Here at my current residence in Toledo, Ohio my most recent teacher was Doctor Harold Lee, a Biology professor at the U. of Toledo. He retired some 10 or 15 years ago and moved to California and is now teaching classes out there. I took over teaching his class for a few years but I guess I just didn't have his charisma, plus I wasn't Chinese(which didn't help). I any case classes wound down like they always seem to do. I have taught some since then but nothing steady. My main focus these days is Yang Long Form but in the past I flirted with the Wu variation of Yang. Yang has been the one for me as I long ago found out that I simply don't have the time to spend on everything, so I picked Yang. I have an hour or two a day to spend on Tai Chi and then "other things" creep into
life as we know it. Cycling is a passion of mine as is playing the violin(maybe a much better word to describe my fiddle prowess would be practicing). Carnegie Hall hasn't called yet. I've been retired now for about 2 years so maybe, just maybe I can find a bit more time to devote to all 3 pursuits. Unless of course my wife has filled up the Honey-Do jar. It's always something.


Thanks Pete! My own martial history is not unlike yours except I started a bit earlier...1966, with Judo. Most of my martial career has been in the 'external' arts of Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Aikido, Iaido and Jo Do. In the early '90s I met Dr. Yang and started training Taiji Form, QiGong, Shaolin Chin Na and Taiji Chin Na. This continued for a number of years until I met Sifu Ding Teah Chean (London) with whom I've been training ever since in Traditional Yang Style Taiji. I run one of his Acadamy's branch schools here in Ireland.
Also, like you, I am retired (in 2009)...having worked for 35 years in the scientific community...but I retired early in order to pursue my passion for Taiji and the teaching of it. This year, 2012, sees me in my 46th year of training/studying and teaching martial arts....and I'm looking forward to next 40 or so years!! ;0)

Anyway...as my Sifu says...'Bu Yi, Bu Qi'........'No Intention, No Qi'

Brian
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Re: How do I lead Chi

Postby pete5770 » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:14 am

Brian wrote:
pete5770 wrote: I started Tai Chi in 1974 or 75 when I lived in Denver, Colorado. The names of my two instructors eludes me at the moment(old age I guess). One was Chinese and couldn't speak English so I guess I can be forgiven for forgetting his name. Here at my current residence in Toledo, Ohio my most recent teacher was Doctor Harold Lee, a Biology professor at the U. of Toledo. He retired some 10 or 15 years ago and moved to California and is now teaching classes out there. I took over teaching his class for a few years but I guess I just didn't have his charisma, plus I wasn't Chinese(which didn't help). I any case classes wound down like they always seem to do. I have taught some since then but nothing steady. My main focus these days is Yang Long Form but in the past I flirted with the Wu variation of Yang. Yang has been the one for me as I long ago found out that I simply don't have the time to spend on everything, so I picked Yang. I have an hour or two a day to spend on Tai Chi and then "other things" creep into
life as we know it. Cycling is a passion of mine as is playing the violin(maybe a much better word to describe my fiddle prowess would be practicing). Carnegie Hall hasn't called yet. I've been retired now for about 2 years so maybe, just maybe I can find a bit more time to devote to all 3 pursuits. Unless of course my wife has filled up the Honey-Do jar. It's always something.


Thanks Pete! My own martial history is not unlike yours except I started a bit earlier...1966, with Judo. Most of my martial career has been in the 'external' arts of Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Aikido, Iaido and Jo Do. In the early '90s I met Dr. Yang and started training Taiji Form, QiGong, Shaolin Chin Na and Taiji Chin Na. This continued for a number of years until I met Sifu Ding Teah Chean (London) with whom I've been training ever since in Traditional Yang Style Taiji. I run one of his Acadamy's branch schools here in Ireland.
Also, like you, I am retired (in 2009)...having worked for 35 years in the scientific community...but I retired early in order to pursue my passion for Taiji and the teaching of it. This year, 2012, sees me in my 46th year of training/studying and teaching martial arts....and I'm looking forward to next 40 or so years!! ;0)

Anyway...as my Sifu says...'Bu Yi, Bu Qi'........'No Intention, No Qi'

Brian

Most interesting. A very impressive background. Good luck luck in the next 40. I'm sort of pushing for another 40 myself.
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Re: How do I lead Chi

Postby brer_momonga » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:33 am

pete5770 wrote:I'll play the devils advocate on this one and suggest that you ask whomever is teaching you this thing called Chi to actually demonstrate it to you in a meaningfull way and one in which YOU actually believe it. I have never seen anyone demonstrate anything that I would call Chi. I've seen 100's of people do 100's of Chi excercises but not a single demonstration of anything useful
other than some excercise value..


it sounds like you're looking for a magic trick like a youtube video someone starting fire with their mind
or some guy healing someone's cancer with a slight of hand trick with chicken guts.

pete5770 wrote:"There, nothing like a little Chi to help ease the pain", well, I know what I thought but won't repeat it here.

I know what you mean here. That would rub the skeptic in me the wrong way - but also, in Tai Chi class - it can
be kind of like a work environment where the jokes are corny and overly-friendly. I was just at a YMAA seminar
and I worry if I sounded corny trying to muster up small-talk with other participants basically saying that Dr. Yang's books and dvds are
"so deep." Even in a church community
one may find that people explain everything in their lives as an act of God - some people may very well be taking it all seriously and
literally, but others are simply making conversation with the metaphorical vocabulary of the group.

As for practicing Qi Gong exercises:
I don't see any harm in training ourselves to hold and carry our bodies, many of which have endured years of abuse from ennui and '
malnourishment, in balanced postures while thinking deeply about natural breathing and healthy cellular circulation.

Has anyone shown me Qi? No, not the Qi you're talking about. But I've seen two instructors move their bodies in a
way that I think Dr. Yang refers to as a "soft whip". If the body and mind are disciplined enough to work together each day
to carry the physical body in that way - then the insides are probably in good working order and the Qi or whatever
the heck you want to call is of good quality and not too stubborn.

But if the only thing we do to maintain our health is Qi Gong exercises and we neglect polish everything else in our lives
: our diet,
our relationships, other physical exercise, our job, our household... then yes, we come to expect someone
to perform a miracle to convince us to take care of our bodies and minds.

You ask about how to apply Qi Gong to your daily life, it's a struggle, but I try to apply it the everything. I'm sure you summon a clear mind and balanced and precise movements each time you put your violin bow
to the string or take a task from the honey-do jar - trimming bushes, caulking a bathroom, taking out the trash, whatever...

Still, I do feel that it largely conflicts with many modern environments. This isn't Qi's fault though, its ours.
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