Qigong (or Tai Chi if you want)

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there was another thread that turned into a fight and got locked, so i started a new one.

hadn't really heard of this before, i was looking for a tai chi dvd and couldn't find one at Barnes & Noble so I got this instead...

been doing it for a few weeks now and am really liking it. I do a Wuji Short Form routine on mornings when i don't have a lot of time and a longer 16 exercise one when i have more time...

some of them are suprisingly hard work for how simple and slow they look. my breathing still sucks, it's hard to keep in time w/the exercises, plus i smoke so my lung capacity isn't near what the instructors have.

but yeah it REALLY calms me down in the morning I feel was better mentally the days I do it...also I think I'm less stiff in general and seem to be holding my body with a better posture when i walk...

does anyone here do qigong (or tai chi?)...i'm not sure if i believe in all the "Chi flow" talk the guy says on the video, it's sort of like a life energy or something??? he doesn't explain very well...

so yeah if any of you do it or have advice for other DVDs, etc I'd love to hear it...

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 18:19 (nineteen years ago)

also, i'm not real clear on how this is different from Tai Chi...

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 18:20 (nineteen years ago)

qigong and tai chi are totally different.

qigong is the skill of controlling your chi/breathing

tai chi is name of a style of martial art

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

you you elaborate more ken, cuz the stuff i've been doing i guess just reminds me of tai chi, the slow, flowing movements and exercises?...so tai chi is the physical part and qigong is just the breathing/chi flow?

so the chi is sort of a star wars force kinda thing, like a religious belief?

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:27 (nineteen years ago)

In qigong, the Five-Point-Palm Exploding Heart Technique is executed from the basic standing posture, but in Tai Chi you must be in the din boo position. If the Five-Point-Palm Exploding Heart Technique is attempeted from the sui boo position, it will be rendered completely ineffective, though it has been known to induce bad gas.

― Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:27 (nineteen years ago)

haha I'M TRYING TO BE A HIPPIE HERE FLUFFY! DON'T DISTURB MY LIFE FORCE!!!

p.s. you coming to the drum circle tonite?? we're meeting at 7 at hard times....

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:35 (nineteen years ago)

i almost started qigong classes this fall but pretty much just have to wait until i have $$ again :( - they don't offer classes at very many places here in mtl - i could only find 2 places - both were martial arts academies - they said that qigong can be practiced on its own or as a supplement to a physical martial art. but from what i've read/heard, it's kind of a martial art in its own right - harnessing energy control, etc., which is obv useful, in life. the idea of a qigong dvd is both appealing and irking - good to have something but it seems like the kind of thing where it would be better to work with real people.
xpost
haha i am such a hippie that i'm like, dude, how can you doubt the presence life force; it's so obvious

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:40 (nineteen years ago)

(i am not into drum circles)

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:42 (nineteen years ago)

http://articles.closeup.de/large/F/F326645.JPG

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

ever since i started doing qigong my mitoclorian count is thru the roof!

(thx rrrobyn, this dvd has been helpful, the guy seems like kinda of a d-bag, but it was a $20 way to check it out and plus i don't have to leave the house...i might check into classes...)

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:52 (nineteen years ago)

Tai chi is not a martial art. Tai chi is a concept of wholeness. It means Grand Ultimate and refers to the yin/yang complementary opposites symbol that looks like 69.

T'ai chi chuan (or, preferably for me, taijiquan) is a martial art based on this philosophy.

Qigong is closer to yoga - a body discipline for strength, flexibility, longevity, health, etc. but (in general) lacking martial applications. There are types of qigong that toughen the body and extremities (iron shirt, iron hand, etc.) for smashy smashy, though.

― Candy: tastes like chicken, if chicken was a candy. (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

which is also interesting b/c "yoga" doesn't only refer to poses or the physical practice but to the mental work and physical labour (cleaning, cooking, gardening, etc) as well

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

dif interpretations/practices of similar things related to energy (LIFEFORCE!#1!) balance or control

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:15 (nineteen years ago)

As for qi - well...most literally it means "breath" or "air" which is a pretty good start on understanding how it can flow. A lot of the time it means something like 'vital energy' and is said to dwell in the tantien (to find your tantien, go four finger widths down from your navel) which sort of suggests that qi can also mean the metabolic energy your body extracts from food in the intestines. It also suggests that your tantien, which they sometimes call the center, is just your center of gravity. To further complicate matters qi is also discussed in terms of kinetic energy when you throw a punch or something similar. What it seems to amount to is one word pointing at a bunch of vaguely related concepts - breath, vigor, bio-mechanical alignment, and so on. Mostly just a hazard of translation, if you ask me. I tend to prefer demystification to mystification, though.

― Candy: tastes like chicken, if chicken was a candy. (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:16 (nineteen years ago)

we are all nude spock now

― and what (ooo), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

I am Nude Worf, bitch! Come get some if you got the balls!

― Candy: tastes like chicken, if chicken was a candy. (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

...

― and what (ooo), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

I guess I don't understand why someone would post on a thread that they're not interested in just to insult the people who are, unless that person is a troll.

Oh, right.

― Candy: tastes like chicken, if chicken was a candy. (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

i thought it was funny that everyone was talking like nude spock

― and what (ooo), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

if i start a thread blaming the jews for 9/11 & saying millar looks like jared from subway feel free to call me nude spock even if you arent interested in threads about 9/11 or jared from subway

― and what (ooo), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

Fine, okay, whatever. Truth is, I'm just not that interested. I've got a whole inbox full of meridians that need aligning over here.

― Candy: tastes like chicken, if chicken was a candy. (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

i don't think nude spock talks like this thread talks

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

at any rate we can agree the burden of proof falls upon the claimant; and the more extraordinary a claim...

― SÆbästìên (immortalist), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 20:54 (nineteen years ago)

i didn't mean to be nude spock.

xpost

they talk alot about the tantien in this dvd. that's where i'm supposed to keep my hands in the "rest position"

my biggest problem right now is keeping my spine straight in the rest position, yr supposed to tuck in yr butt so yr spine is straight, i forget lots of times and end up getting a sore lower back, but if i concentrate on it i don't have that problem...

...there's a lot to keep track of, esp. if you really match your breathing to the movement like yr supposed to, it's been pretty challenging to me, but like i said i smoke so i'm sure that makes it much more difficult...

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 21:03 (nineteen years ago)

When I was taking classes and having trouble with a movement, my teacher would break it down to a piece at a time. Say, make sure you're feet are moving right first. Then the hips and trunk. Then the arms and hands, then breathing last.

― Candy: tastes like chicken, if chicken was a candy. (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 21:08 (nineteen years ago)

they just freakin mapped dark matter! plus there are extraordinary claims and then there are extraordinary claims... but anyway, qigong really isn't all that far out there.
xpost x2

i find the stronger my stomach muscles, esp lower abs, the easier it is to sit with spine straight. but practice is also key, obv.

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

haha er yes sorry i missed the bit that means punch in tai chi chuan.. but yes

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 21:56 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tib2Urowsdc&NR
Watch the mysterious qi biological plasma power undetectable by scientific instruments used in combat: a master knock out students left and right with a "NO TOUCH" fighting style!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQeUkUO5ZPo
Watch the same master perform in a less controlled environment! Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity

― SÆbästìên (immortalist), Thursday, 11 January 2007 15:40 (nineteen years ago)

i didn't mean to be nude spock.

I am hearing this to the tune of "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On"

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Thursday, 11 January 2007 15:47 (nineteen years ago)

The look on that kiai guy's face while he's sitting on the mat is priceless.

― Candy: tastes like chicken, if chicken was a candy. (Austin, Still), Thursday, 11 January 2007 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

I am starting classes in 45 minutes. I asked what to wear and the guy said "thick socks", so that's what I'm gonna do.

― caek, Tuesday, 15 July 2008 16:16 (seventeen years ago)

qigong? exciting! report back!

tho i am kinda loling @ thick socks recommendation, but hey

― rrrobyn, Tuesday, 15 July 2008 16:35 (seventeen years ago)

very chilled out vibes.

really just an introduction, some breathing, some standing (I stand corrected). Surprisingly tiring given how it was only 90 minutes of sitting or standing.

only one manifestly dangerous bullshit claim for its curative abilities (cancer).

will probably sign up for the ten week term next week.

― caek, Tuesday, 15 July 2008 20:09 (seventeen years ago)

I just got emailed by a guy from my old training gym asking if I was still into MA.

― Oilyrags, Tuesday, 15 July 2008 21:36 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

anyone ever participated in any demonstrations of stuff like people rendering your arms weak...

― CaptainLorax, Monday, 10 May 2010 05:03 (fifteen years ago)

stuff similar to 3:17 in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52o6V9F1xPA#t=3m17s

― CaptainLorax, Monday, 10 May 2010 19:00 (fifteen years ago)

stuff similar to 5:05 in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4YoU_r2J1w

― CaptainLorax, Monday, 10 May 2010 19:00 (fifteen years ago)

Several years back when I was taking a DUI class at my college one of the teachers got people to volunteer (somehow she tied it in to our lesson). The volunteer came to the front of the classroom. She made him hold out his arms straight forward and with his palms facing up (I think). She let her hands lightly rest on top of his hands and asked him to lift her hands and he couldn't do it. I don't remember all the details but I got to see both scenarios where dude can lift her hands and when he can't.

Anyone ever been in any demonstration like this? Or seen a demonstration like this?

― CaptainLorax, Monday, 10 May 2010 19:07 (fifteen years ago)

erm, I mean public intoxication class

― CaptainLorax, Monday, 10 May 2010 23:45 (fifteen years ago)

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