Dantian and Qi with Iron Palm: Dantian 24Jan20 I did another one of my one-off, ad hoc videos in order to show another approach to developing qi and dantian usage. The actual Iron Palm part is a secondary issue which I'll expand upon in a later video. There are a number of points being made in the video, but I'm going to simplify for those just starting out: try to keep the "stretch" or "silk" throughout the movement. In other words, (1.) try to keep the slight tensile connection from fingertips to toes without a break ("do not break the silk") all the way through the swing and down-hit. (2.) Try to control the movement by twisting the dantian, waist, and legs to control the upper body and arm. Inhale on the lift of the arm and let that inhale's pulling on the tissues aid in pulling up the arm. On the down-drop/hit, it's done by dropping the middle to pull the arm down: the middle pulls the arm through the tissue connection...
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"Qi" and Biofeedback mechanisms
"Qi" and Biofeedback mechanisms Someone said something the other day about relating to the idea of biofeedback mechanisms more easily than the amorphous term "qi". It's a good discussion (as in "more people than just me offering opinions"), so I'll toss in a couple of comments. A lot of the mystique of Asian "religions", "meditation", "gods", "possession", and so on has to do with cultivated reactions between the subconscious mind and the body. The "qi" of the body is first of all meant to be a real and substantive part of the body that involves involuntary-muscle systems (i.m.) that are controlled by the subconscious, but which we train to gradually have some control over (hence "meditation" and other exercises). If you think about it, biofeedback training is essentially a methodology for learning to affect the body areas controlled by the subconscious, too. These ...
The Silly Magic of Asian Martial Arts versus Reality
The Silly Magic of Asian Martial Arts versus Reality Mike Sigman: March 2020 I was reading some remarks by a "Tai Chi" enthusiast and I spotted right away that there was something not right with his mentation … his words were full of nonsense prattle and attempted to portray some knowledge of Hidden Secrets that he was privy to. The more I thought about it, the more I thought "this guy is really doing nothing different than a lot of established "Tai Chi Teachers". I've watched a couple of qigong videos in the last week or so and I decided it was a waste of time for people to take these online videos seriously. I watched one video by an absolute master/expert that I know personally, and the video was very clear in how the choreography went … however, I knew that this man would never discuss or explain the ramifications of the breathing, qi, jin, and involvement of the subconscious mind. So basically, most people would simply learn a chor...