Can you help me started ?

[TzuChan]

Hello,

I'm going to start with Wing CHUN? BUT Taijiquan and Qi Gong are also interesting me an awfull lot. But since I'm new, I have couple of questions :


-What's the difference exactly between Qi Gong and Taijiquan ?
-Any suggestion for a good book so I can start learning it at home ?
-If you perhaps know a descent link to a good article that could keep me busy till my book arrives I would appreciate it an awfull lot !
-Now, the ultimate question :) :

How do you guys relax after a day of really hard labour at work/school ? :) (btw this is NOT a joke)

You practice Wing Chun ? COntact me on my icq ! 71470721(my name there is "vision")

[Ky-Fi]

Well, my teacher defines qigong as "any activity which regulates qi flow"----so along with specific qigong excercises, this also inlcludes walking, running, dancing, weight-lifting---pretty much any physical activity. So, really, any Chinese martial art is a form of Qigong.

When you get into specific Chinese qigong excercises, these can take a wide range of forms, with different goals in mind. Some are for building martial abilities, some are for health, some are for religious enlightenment. They usually involve some degree of coordination of the mind, breathing, and physical movements ( although sometimes the physical movements are pretty minor----for example during still meditation qigong).

Books are great for learning about the theory, and I would recommend "The Essence of Shaolin White Crane", by Yang Jwing Ming. In regards to actual practice, though, I can't really recommend a book or video, as I believe you have to get at least the foundation from personal instruction.

[Kumkuat]

-What's the difference exactly between Qi Gong and Taijiquan ?

I don't know, I don't do Qigong so I can't really tell you the difference.


-Any suggestion for a good book so I can start learning it at home ?

nope, I found no book that is good for learning taiji at home.

-If you perhaps know a descent link to a good article that could keep me busy till my book arrives I would appreciate it an awfull lot !

http://www.neijia.com/links.html
go visit the links there.


-Now, the ultimate question :

How do you guys relax after a day of really hard labour at work/school ? (btw this is NOT a joke)

workout.

You practice Wing Chun ?

nope, although I dabbled in it a bit.

[Taoin]

Qigong is the art of energy management. If you are learning REAL Taijiquan rather than tai-chi dance, qigong will be integrated into your Taijiquan training. In essence, your Taijiquan becomes dynamic or moving qigong.

By the same token, virtually any posture from whatever form you study can held as a type of static qigong or standing meditation practice.

While almost any physical activity can be said to move the chi around to some degree, it does not necessarily equate to practcing qigong. As someone else posted, there exist various categories of qigong such as martial, medical, taoist, buddhist etc. You need to be clear on your objectives before you decide what to practice.

I don't really need to "relax" after my practice at my school as it does not leave me tense or drained in any way. The style of Taijiquan (and Hsing-I) that I train is physically demanding yet energizing at the same time. Usually when I get home I do a short review of the lesson & then I curl up with a good book or take care of anything else I need to
do.

I've dabbled in Wing Chun, by the way, and liked it a great deal, but just practicing Taijiquan & Hsing-I is more tahn enough on my plate. If you truly want to learn Taijiquan, you will need to find a good teacher----this is not something you can learn from a video or book.

Good luck in your training. Hope this helps in some small way.

*****************************************

"The thorn defends the rose, and only harms those who would steal the blossoms."

[honorisc]

Qigong is not Taijiquan.
Taijiquan is a form of Qigong.

Qigong develops a person; sometimes to a level of enhancing an attack or defense.

Taijiquan develops a person with attack and defense~.

book: Yang Tai Chi: the Secret Songs and Transmissions...some-such. Brown cover, a posture (two people (white against the brown of the cover), oval old black and white pictures of faces.

http://internalarts.org might provide guidance to greater understanding.

Some-such...very good

Very some such,perhaps might have been, likely say some, some not.

[Internal Flow]

Taiji Quan is a martial art, Qi gong is the art of controlling your internal energy (qi)

Learn respect for your parents
Learn respect for your teachers and seniors
Learn respect for every teaching
Learn kindness
Learn righteousness
And then, learn Kung Fu