Qigong for Health & Martial Arts: Exercises and Meditation (Qigong, Health and Healing) [Paperback]

Yang Jwing-Ming (Author)

Book Description

Series: Qigong, Health and Healing | Publication Date: May 5, 1998

Increase your strength, improve your health, and develop greater martial power with Qigong.

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About the Author

Yang, Jwing-Ming Ph.D., is a renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong. Born in Taiwan, he has trained and taught Taijiquan, Qigong and Chinese martial arts for over forty-five years. He is the author of over thirty books, and was elected by Inside Kung Fu magazine as one of the 10 people who has "made the greatest impact on martial arts in the past 100 years." Dr. Yang lives in Northern California.

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Chapter 1 Introduction 1-1. General Introduction Qigong (), also called Nei Gong (Internal Gongfu, ), is a practice that has been used by the Chinese people for thousands of years-both to improve and maintain their health and to develop greater power for the martial arts. Gong () means work in Chinese, and Qi () is the energy that circulates within the body, so Qigong means the cultivation of the body's energy to increase and control its circulation. Although it has been widely practiced for a very long time, many people are confused about Qigong, even in China, and many doubt the possibility of internal energy development, or even the existence of Qi. There are several reasons for this: 1. Until as recently as fifty years ago, most Qigong experts would only teach family members or trusted students, so Qigong knowledge was not widespread. 2. Many of the techniques were developed and cultivated by Buddhist or Daoist monks who would not spread their teachings outside their own temples. 3. Because most people were ignorant of Qigong, it was superstitiously regarded as magic. 4. Lastly, some people learned incorrect methods and experienced no effects from the training, or even injured themselves. This resulted in people either being scornful or fearful of Qigong. You should understand that Qigong has a scientific foundation and theory. It is part of the body of Chinese medicine with a history that goes back thousands of years. The most important books describing Qi and its actions are the Qi Hua Lun (Theory of Qi Variations, ), which explains the relationship between Qi and nature, and the Jing Luo Lun (Theory of Qi Channels and Branches, ), which describes Qi circulation throughout the human body. (Jing, means primary Qi channel or meridian. Luo, refers to the subchannels that branch out from them). A channel, or meridian, is a major connector of the internal organs with the rest of the body. These channels frequently are co-located with major nerves or arteries, but the correspondence is not complete, and it seems that they are neither nerves nor blood vessels, but simply the main routes for Qi. There are twelve main channels and two major vessels (Mai, ) in the body. Along these channels are found the cavities (Xue, ), sometimes known as acupunctu Qigong is also based upon the theory of Yin () and Yang (), which describes the relationship of complementary qualities such as soft and hard, female and male, dark and light, or slow and fast. According to Yin/Yang theory, nature strives for harmony, so that all things are neutral or balanced. Since people are part of nature, they should also strive for balance. Included in Yin/Yang theory is the theory of the five elements or phases. The five elements are Jin (metal, ), Mu (wood, ), Shui (water, ), Huo (fire, ), and Tu (earth, ). These elements are somewhat different from the old European elements of fire, air, water, earth. Again, because people are part of nature, they participate in and are affected by the interplay of the elements. According to Chinese medicine, there are two ways to study health and illness. The first way is externally, called Wai Xiang Jie Pou (). The second is internally, called Nei Shi Gongfu (). Wai Xiang Jie Pou is a way to understand the human body by dissection or by acting physically on the body and observing the results, as in modern laboratory experiments. In Nei Shi Gongfu the researcher learns by introspection. He observes his own body and sensations and develops medical knowledge this way. The Western world has specialized almost exclusively in Wai Xiang () and has viewed Nei Shi () as unscientific, although in recent years this attitude has been changing among the general populace, if not within the medical profession. Nei Shi Gongfu developed from observations of the correspondence between changes in nature and the way people felt, and the discovery of Qi variations. Nature here includes periodic cycles (Tian Shi, ) such as time of day, the seasons, air pressure, wind direction, and humidity. It also includes geographical features (Di Li, ) such as altitude, distance from the equator, and distance from large bodies of water, such as an ocean or a lake. These empirical observations led to the conclusion that Qi circulation is related to nature, and led to a search for ways for people to harmonize with natural variations. In addition, Qi was also observed to be closely related to human affairs (Ren Shi, ). This includes the relationship of Qi to sound, emotion, and food. Because Qi flow is controlled by the brain, agitation of the brain by emotion will affect Qi circulation. The sounds people made in various situations were also observed. For example, in cold weather the sound Si () is used in combination with breathing deeply and keeping the limbs close to the body to help keep warm. The pain from cuts can be relieved by making the sound Xu () and blowing air into the cut. The Xu sound helps to stop the bleeding and calm the liver, and the relaxation of this organ in turn relieves the pain. The sound Hei ()is used to increase a person's working strength. The sound Ha () will help to relieve fevers the same way a dog's panting helps it to bear the heat. From all these observations it was concluded that different sounds can relieve the pressure or strain on different organs, and since inner organs were relat

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center; 2nd Edition edition (May 5, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886969574
• ISBN-13: 978-1886969575
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best chi kung books to buy!, February 24, 2002

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This review is from: Qigong for Health & Martial Arts: Exercises and Meditation (Qigong, Health and Healing) (Paperback)

Many years ago, when I was sweating and groaning my way through a daily karate class, I was exposed to chi kung. This book was my first text. The instruction, both text and photo, is exceptionally clear. You will find the Eight Piece Brocade and the Twelve Moving Forms, each of which make a wonderful physical work-out, even if you aren't particularly interested in all that chi-stuff. There is also a set of standing chi kung forms which are very good for learning to notice and direct your chi. The martial section was fun to read as was the section on Chinese yoga.

I used to get pretty banged-up in that karate program, because I was a middle-aged mom in there with a bunch of teens and young men. Every night, I would do these chi kung exercises to get rid of the pain and bruises so I could get back to class the next day. Yes...it works! I am not doing karate any more, but have pursued chi kung through the years. This book is a magnificent introduction to the subject. It's all business; no new-age drivel anywhere.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great intoduction to Qigong., April 27, 2001

By 

John M. Perlin "jperlin" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Qigong for Health & Martial Arts: Exercises and Meditation (Qigong, Health and Healing) (Paperback)

I bought this book while I was undergoing acupuncture treatment for arthritis. The acupuncturist was also a Kungfu Sifu who recommended the exercises in this book, to supplement his treatments. That was about one year ago, today my arthritis is virtually gone and whenever it acts up these exercises help me a lot.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful introduction to Quigong, if a bit erratic., August 9, 2002

By 

Steven Savage "Steve Savage" (California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Qigong for Health & Martial Arts: Exercises and Meditation (Qigong, Health and Healing) (Paperback)

This book is not going to be the only Quigong book in your library. However, it is a useful one.

Simply, it's an introduction to Quigong in various forms, from exercises to medicine to martial arts. It's not the most consistent book, and there are times where one may wish for more detail or less. However, there's also enough good material on breathing, exercises, history, and what to expect when you get deeper into Quigong that it's worth the price.

If you're an experienced practicioner, it's probably not worth your time, though it may be good for helping others start out.