Generating Chi or Something?!

[Mister Hansome]

What is this term i see alot around the web, Zhang Zhuang. All i know is that it is a particular genre; maybe it is the generating of chi or something.

Can anyone here help me understand this term to a furthur extend than now. And what are the styles associated with Zhang Zhuang. If there is any term i should know to understand this please explain the significance and the meaning and if possible origin.

Oh, and what is considered to be the most efficient and powerful chi generating exercise or type.

An advanced thanks to any contribution to my furthur knowledge on this great art would be extremely appreciated.

Oh, and if any of these words written offend you in any way please notify me on it. And please consider that i have very little knowledge on the background of internal arts and i am here to get help to understand this material.

Thank you!!! :)

Real Wisdom comes through experience!

[Mister Hansome]

Other materials that i should know about please teach, i will learn.

Materials such as technics to furthur develope the capacity for chi. Or any technic to help use chi. Maybe notifying me on what is compatible with what. Combinations of chi generating, chi capacity, and chi usage technics and exercises.

Oh, please first help me on the questions originally posted. Then this ( i think this would be more orderly and help me understand alot more about this)

Thank You

(PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NEW AND ONLY 15, I RECENTLY HAD INTEREST IN THESE FORMS SEEING MY GRANDPA AND GRANDMA PRACTICE. I have no idea what style they practice or anything. I think he learnt it from a friend back in vietnam for health, then he left because of the war. He said after he got here a friend taught him a different style that what he learnt before, but he was never told what it was called because he didn't ask all he knows is that it keeps him healthy and he's going to keep on practicing until it doesn't.)

(OH AND I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE, ANY OF THEM; SO PLEASE EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF EACH TERM WITH AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE.)

Real Wisdom comes through experience! :)

[This message was edited by Blue man on 11-05-01 at 10:02 PM.]

[Gluteus Maximus]

Blue Man

Zhanzhuang is called 'standing post meditation' in English. It consists of standing ('apparently' still) in different postures and develops internal strength, or Chi (these days usually spelt 'Qi'). Certain postures develop health and others develop strength for use in combat. You have to work on the health ones first, to initially free energy blockages in your body and then develop Qi.

There are other types of Qigong (exercises that build Qi). Even the moving forms of Taiji and other internal arts are types of Qigong. What your grandfather practises sounds like a type of Qigong for sure.

The impression I have is that Zhanzhuang was developed as part of Xingyiquan, but I may be wrong. I know it's used in Yiquan, which was derived from Xingyiquan. Some (maybe all) styles of Taiji and Bagua also practise Zhanzhuang.

Max

Yooby Yoody

[Repulsive Monkey]

are not exclusive to Hsing -I Chuan as Taiji Chuan originated from holding postures for a duration and then putting them together. Standing postures per se have been with internal arts I believe for as long as the arts themselves.

[[Censored]]

is a total rip-off of the Smurfs. :cool:

[Mister Hansome]

What's the blue man group?

Real Wisdom comes through experience!

[grounded]

From what I understand, at one point standing on stake (standing meditation) was a prerequisite for moving taiji forms. If you find a good taiji teacher this will be incorporated into your training, as a warmup or as taiji qigong. It is the secret to true martial power of taiji.

ps
please don't try to do this off a webpage or out of a book
you can injure yourself quite badly if your posture is not perfect. :o 0