Tai Chi Qi Gong for Health

Mental Minefields in Taijiquan There are many mental factors that should be considered when practicing Taiji, and the way that people naturally react mentally can become traps, especially when interacting with a partner or opponent. We can start with the tendency of humans to let our egos affect us. For example, people with limited experience tend to think that they are better or more skilled (have higher confidence) in activities than they really are. This phenomenon is call...Continue reading

Empty Stepping, There is no commitment to the step until the practitioner chooses to commit. What I mean is that there is never a forward lean and catch. In the above example someone pushes themselves forward without a foot in front of them. They push and then they place the free foot forward in time to catch themselves. That is why some people seem almost as if they are stomping their feet. They are falling and catching themselves, which is noisy. In empty stepping the perso...Continue reading

arthritis 1&2 Lam style

What the heck is this thing called Qi? The major premise of the Chinese medical theory is that all the forms of life in the universe are animated by an essential life force or vital energy called Qi [Chi] In western medicine the mind/body well-being are described in mental and physical terms. In both cases the Qigong state is accessed through purposeful attention to posture, movement, breath and focused awareness.... In the Chinese view, Qi cultivation practice removes resistance from the flow of the Qi and assists the human system in sustaining an ample supply of Qi. Moving the body gently in an optimized posture, deepening the breath, and clearing the mind; open the pathways of the Qi flow, which allows Qi to circulate to the organs, glands, and tissues and maximize function. This is the Qigong state. In the Western view, Qi cultivation dilates the blood vessels to carry a larger volume of oxygen and nourishment to the blood and accelerates the lymph which delivers the immune cells and eliminates metabolic by products from the cells. The gentle body movement accelerates the metabolism slightly and the posture opens the spaces through which biologically active fluids are flowing. The relaxation or mind clearing triggers a shift from the primary sympatric function of the autonomic nervous system [traditionally fight or flight] to a level of function modified by the parasympathetic function [typically Relaxation Response] creating a shift in the profile of neurochemicals and hormones from an action system that put the self-healing capacity into secondary position, to a resting system that puts the self-healing system capacity into primary position of function. In this state, however it is described, the functionally of the body’s capacity for self-healing and self-regeneration is accelerated, often to the extent that one can feel it. In China this is called Qi sensation; in the west most people are too busy to have noticed it. Those who do perceive it generally will say, I feel relaxed and kind of tingly. Recently this sensation has been called the self-healing sensation. Well there you have it. Simple enough ? See more

Sent to me by a friend This is a newspaper clipping of Sun Lu Tang's passing that I've found from an old established newspaper, Nanyang Siang Pau, in Malaya (Then Singapore and Malaysia) back on 19th Jan 1934. The news of his passing took about a month to reach Singapore by boat. He passed away on 16 Dec 1933. The clipping reads (from right to left): "Our Country's Famous Martial Arts Master Sun Lu Tang passed away in his hometown. ... Our country's famous Martial Arts Master Sun Lu Tang, from Jiang Xi, has martial skills well known throughout China. Due to old age, he has retired at home and has now passed on in his hometown. " Two points to note: 1. He is not from Jiang Xi, but from Wan County. Currently split into Wang Du and Shun Ping within the Baoding Area. 2. The use of the word "Our" is an interesting one. In the early 19th century, Singapore has yet to declare her independence as a country. So many Chinese locally pledge their allegiance to China. In this case of SLT news, it is considered as internal news because we still belong to China.