qimaster
10-28-2001, 10:20 PM
kong jing is for personal health and well-being.
there is no martial arts capability derived from its practices.
Lin Kong Jing is the martial "cousin" to kong jing.
THE USE OF ENERGY (QI) IN MARTIAL
ARTS APPLICATIONS
I have been studying Asian martial arts disciplines since 1970, and meditative disciplines since 1987. In the past twelve years of cultivating Qi, I have been able to realize a certain amount of success and have made public my results. I have been greeted with skepticism by a great many people, and have since shown that my abilities are valid in the realms of Healing and Martial use of Qi derived from the practice of Qigong.
One of the most astonishing, and disturbing things that I have come across is the lack of understanding that modern day martial arts practitioners have concerning what Qi "is", and what can be done with it. To most of them the word Qi conjures up ancient legends and implausible feats, that while interesting to read, and titillating to the mind, are beyond reality. Beyond that I have encountered martial artists who think that Qi is a concept that only embodies a specific type of mindset, or structural alignment. These people are mistaking the package for the product inside.
It is the purpose of the paper to inform and enlighten the reader
as to the valid reality of the use of Qi for healing and for self defense. It is sad that modern technology, while advanced, is not yet up to the task of being able to detect or measure Qi. It is hoped that one day such advanced technical know how will exist, and verify that which has been known for millennia: Qi exists.
When I see a person throw a punch, most often I see them throw just their arm, or part of their body into it. Some of the better ones have a great deal of structural alignment, and so their punches are much better. The invariably use a great deal of energy in the process. What is the "energy" that they are using? Is it just the result of muscles being tensed and released, of glucose being consumed during the act of physical activity, or is it something more?
It IS something more. The Chinese in particular have made study into the internal qualifications and aspects of strength. In all "Internal" martial arts, you will hear the admonishment to let "the qi flow". There are poems, and papers and monographs all pointing to the importance of using Qi. If Qi were just a concept, why would there be such a plethora of information regarding it's importance and use?
There is only one way to build up Qi, and that is through the practice of Qigong, or energy work. There are thousands of styles and methods for building Qi. So much so that they are broken down in various schools. For the purpose of this paper, we will only focus on two of the schools: the Medical and the Martial. The Martial gave birth to the Medical, so they go hand in hand so to speak.
The martial school of qigong is a type of training that one goes through to build energy for the purpose of fighting or for the purpose of self protection. There are Qigong methods for the protection of self, such as Iron Vest, and Golden Bell. Iron Vest is the little brother to Golden Bell, and only will serve the practitioner for a few hits and then it breaks down. Golden Bell is a method that is harder to train in, and takes longer to master,but can withstand a lot more in the terms of abuse. The practice of Iron Vest can also lead to premature death of the practitioner if it is shown off to excess. The energy used for protection in Iron Shirt is energy reserved for the later lifetime of the practitioner, and once exhausted leads to heart attack, stroke, and organ failure. Iron shirt is easier to train in, and hence many more people practice it. If not used to show off, it is a fine method for emergencies, like if you get into a car wreck, or get sucker punched. Some Iron Shirt methods require that the
practitioner prepare before getting struck, others do not.
Golden Bell is a far superior method. Whereas Iron Shirt mainly uses external means to acquire the skill, through beating various parts of the body with harder and harder objects, to develop immunity from the pain and shock of being hit, Golden Bell uses a lot more internal meditation, herbs and less of being hit. More attention is focused towards "filling" the body much like one would fill a tire with air. A tire filled with air is quite strong and sturdy, and the ability of a competent Golden Bell practitioner is far superior to the skill of someone into Iron Shirt.
Those are just two examples of Martial qigong methods for protection. Then you have martial qigong methods for inflicting injury on an opponent without having to exert too much in the way of obvious physical strength. One example is Iron Palm. In this method one seeks to make the hand as iron, but without any noticeable sign that it has been trained. The training requires the use of varying materials to strike, usually a period of three years is required. Striking a bag filled with mung beans, then
gravel, then iron pellets in conjunction with the use of a liquid
applied before and after training to protect the hand from the punishment. The liquid is called in Cantonese Dit Da Jow. There are hundreds of recipes that qualify as "Jow". Some jow have lethal herbs in them to boost the properties of it, including the use of aconite and strychnine among others.
The hands of a well trained Iron Palm practitioner will be as soft and as smooth as a baby's bottom. Compare this to the hands of someone who has been striking a makiwara post for many years and the difference is quite noticeable.
The next type of Martial qigong comes from the collective school of Zhan Zhuang, or Standing-on-Stake methods. There are many types of standing meditation methods, such as Yiquan, Dachengquan, Lin Kong Jing and Shaolin Neijing Yizhi Chan. For this paper we will focus on Lin Kong Jing.
Lin Kong Jing, or Powerful Empty Force is a method derived from the Hsing-I style of internal martial arts. The ability has attained legendary status because of the difficulty of the practice and the rarity of proficient practitioners who are willing to go public. Lin Kong Jing allows one to affect another without physical contact, and at a later stage with touch. When used without contact the force is called "Empty", as it must travel through empty space to reach the target. When used with contact it is called "Shi Jing" or "Solid Force".
From a purely physical standpoint, the practice Zhan Zhuang will strengthen ones entire body. It will promote the development of muscle in the legs, and Back. Discipline, endurance and stamina are also increased as the practice sessions become longer and longer. Breathing becomes deeper, And the use of oxygen by the body decreases, while the stress load upon it increases, and the body gains greater internal and external awareness.
Those are reasons enough to engage in the practice. But then the ability starts to manifest, and a new reason to practice asserts itself. One might consign the ability to affect someone else without contact to the misty realm of legends. When you yourself manifest this ability, and watch it grow, you begin to wonder how far can this ability go, what are the limits of its expression, and what are the heights of its application.
Going back to the puncher who only uses sheer physical force, and confuses Qi with simple focus or intent. if that same puncher had taken the time to train in standing meditation, he would have realized that physical strength has its limits. Once those limits are reached on a subjective basis, then one must rely upon the hidden abilities of the mind that lay dormant within each and everyone of us.
When the Lin Kong Jing energy is used in the context of "contact force" or Shi Jing, a very innocuous looking strike that appears almost lazy and unfocused contains a very powerful, penetrating and deadly striking capability. As we grow older and our muscle tone and power decline, we must seek out other methods that will allow us to protect ourselves. In learning standing meditation, such as the Lin Kong Jing method, we are able to start saving up and building a large supply of Qi for later on in life.
The practice of Lin Kong Jing is used for the defense of one against the attacking fists of another. It is also used as a defense against the encroachment of old age, illness, infirmity and death.
I would now like to go into specifics of the ability. It has limitations like all things do. There are people who are quite sensitive to the Lin Kong Jing energy, and exposure to it will cause them varying amounts of distress, illness or harm with a minimum of application. There are those who would have to be exposed to it for longer periods of time to manifest the same results. Then there are those who have an immunity to the effects. One might argue that if the ability cannot effect everybody, that it is not a valid martial arts method. I say they don't know what they are talking about.
On any given day a champion weight lifter cannot match his best lift, a World-Class sprinter cannot duplicate their best run, and the best fighter's punch could fail against any amount of competitors. Does that mean that those people's accomplishments are invalid or faked? NO.
It simply means that all things have limits. I have heard the same banter regarding Kyusho Jutsu, and Tuite. That no one is going to stand there and let you select and tap a requisite number of points that result in a knockout. As with qigong, most people who make comments like that have never engaged in the practice of either qigong, or kyusho or tuite.
By building up a great store of Qi through the practice of qigong, one is able to access points in striking with greater focus, clarity and penetration with a minimum of physical exertion and effort. This is one of the major goals of martial arts: to be able to defend yourself with the least amount of physical force while being able to inflict the greatest amount of damage on the opponent.
People have asked me; "What do you think about when projecting the energy in a strike"? The great secret is that you DON'T think when projecting. You see the result of the task, not the task itself. When I deliver a contact force strike, I see the energy as already having done its damage.
When practicing your Kata, Bunkai and Waza, you MUST always have the presence of enemy. You must feel as if you are engaging in a life or death struggle. Once you can key in on the use of intent, then the flow of energy will be available to you for use in self defense. This is of course not to say that when you train with your fellow classmates, that you are to actually rend them limb from limb. It simply means that when you do a technique, that it is to be a spirited one. You would be quite surprised to see some of the ways people practice when they go to class. Their movements are mechanical, and Lifeless, without spirit. Such a technique if attempted in a real life situation would most certainly fail. Train responsibly, but with the proper attitude, and you will reap many benefits. Train as if you are made of cardboard, and you will wind up getting beaten up or killed.
As an experiment in the use of energetics you should try to see how various emotional states will affect the outcome of technique. Have your training partner get his or her attitude up, as if they are very angry and in a foul mood or temper. At the same time, use your intent when tapping points that will result in causing pain in their body. Then do the same technique with them again, except this time do the technique in a happy mood, have them also assume the light-hearted manner, and see how the technique works. Based upon my own experiences working with various emotional states, I have discovered that the more anger that the partner generates, the greater they are affected when tapped on points.
Consequently, I have also discovered that if their heart and mind are not involved in the technique, and they are just standing around waiting for class to end, that the technique requires more input in terms of force in order for an affect to manifest.
This is also true when using Lin Kong Jing. The more my partner focuses on me, with an attitude of "I wanna rip out your heart", the greater the Jing will affect them internally. I feel that this happens because when the person devotes their sole attention upon you, it causes an internal reaction that allows the energy to affect them very strongly.
Conversely, I have also found that if I attempt to use either Lin Kong Jing, or use Kyusho (Dian Xue) methods while in a flustered state; or if my mind is wandering and I am not staying on task, that I am not able to pull up enough energy to affect my training partner in a significant manner. This is why it is vital to train and practice qigong as a part of life. The practice and study of qigong allows you to develop a type of focus and intent that is not possible to develop by any other means.
The practice and utilization of energetics (The study of the use of energy for practical martial arts applications) should be looked upon as a necessary adjunctive practice. Too many people get caught up in only one area of training, to the neglect of all others. To that end, a grappler should learn how to kick, a kicker should learn to punch, and all should learn Qigong to help enhance existing physical attributes.
Remember this: as you age, your strength will naturally decline, however that is not true when discussing the energy gained from Qigong. The energy built up from dedicated practice will grow as you get older, and your practice matures. Indeed, as you age and start to lose some of the muscular tension that binds you up in youth, your energy will flow smoother and with greater authority.
When applying the energy in a fighting situation, you must remember that relaxation is the key element. If you are tense and bound up, so too will the energy be. Just imagine trying to throw a good punch if all the muscles in your arm are tightened. There will be no strength or speed to call upon when there is a need to strike. The same rule also applies to energy. If you are physically bound up, or mentally bound up, the energy will also get bound up within you, and any expression will be very weak.
Know also that when you strike someone with energy that the effect will vary from person to person. Some will drop like they were hit with a hammer, others require a few taps before they fall, and yet others will remain unaffected. When you encounter those who drop with one strike, that is an incredible experience. When you have to use a few strikes to send someone to the ground, that is a learning experience to be remembered, and when someone shows no effect at all, it is a lesson that all things have limitations.
Speaking of limitations, I wish to let you know that as you train, your abilities in energetics will increase both in depth and width. There will be more and more things that you can accomplish with the energy that you have built up. This martial ability of Lin Kong Jing also extends to the healing realm as well, and you will find that your skill will be more called upon for taking away a headache, or soothing a sprain, than for knocking someone down, or knocking them out.
You will also find that most illnesses will not touch you, such as flu bugs, colds, and other opportunistic maladies. Your Wei Qi, or Guardian Qi will be very full, and you will present a figure of glowing health. There is only one catch to gaining all the above benefits and abilities and that is : Perseverance and dedication.
If you would reach the heights of ability in Qigong, you must practice each and every day, unless you are hampered by an injury or the occasional illness that wears you down over time before you succumb to it. A simple case in point: This past winter my family was afflicted with a cold that just lingered and lingered. I was able to stave off the effects for a good three weeks at least, until my defenses were worn down so much, that the cold finally claimed me as a victim. A few months later my family caught a raging stomach flu. The effects of the flu only lasted for a few days, but I was totally unscathed.
In trying to maintain the drive and discipline required of any qigong practice, many people find themselves on the losing end. Most people have other things going on in their lives that take precedence over a lonely and solitary practice as qigong is. People have work matters to attend to, family obligations and diversions they find too much pleasure in. In order to be successful at Lin Kong Jing, I was willing to give up at least 2 hours of my day, every day for over three years, and later on in my practice I was training as much as 5 hours per day.
Circumstances allowed me to delve deep into my practice as I wished and I had a single minded drive and purpose: to train and gain the strength and ability I had read about and heard about since my childhood. There is however a drawback; one can truly become addicted to the practice. The wonderful feelings that come from the practice are very seductive. Over a long period of time one can become withdrawn and asocial, not wanting to socialize with others, but instead always wishing to look inwards and enjoy the immense feelings of bliss that the practice engenders.
After a time I found that I had pretty much become addicted, and this gave rise to the thoughts of the hermits and monks who had themselves walled into their cells for years at a time. I willed myself to reduce my practice to no more than 3 hours per day, and in this fashion I was able to maintain a martial and qigong lifestyle, and also have a sociable life as well.
Now, as regards theory and the study of qigong: I always like to fall back on the sage words of Confucius - a little knowledge makes you respected, and a lot makes a slave of you. I have a novel approach to the quandary of whether or not to delve into theory: I say leave it alone until you have gained skill and ability. There is, in my opinion, way too much theory. Too many chefs as it were. The practice and principles of Qigong are embodied in a few basic theories that are very simple, types of advice that are basically common sense, but applied to energy. When people start out trying to theorize, the practice soon gets lost in a quagmire of archaic terms and "hidden" meanings.
So, in your quest to build energy, and use it for martial art or for healing, adhere to the K.I.S.S. principle, and leave theory to others who are hell bent on researching something to pieces. Qigong is something that one never finds an end to when it comes to gaining ability, health and well being.
Another thing to be cautious of is in "showing off". If you build your qi for use in healing or in martial arts, one of the most important pieces of advice is to conserve what you build. Each session of training puts forth what may be called a droplet of qi. Each droplet is precious, and through training each day you continually add more and more droplets to your collection of qi. After some time the collected qi forms a pool, and you begin to feel the energy very strongly when you practice. You may think to yourself that it would be a great time to see what you can do with the accumulated energy that has been built up. I steadfastly advise against this.
Until you have built up a very substantial amount of energy, usually taking three years to do so, you need to preserve what you have developed. If you go out into the big wide world to show what you can do, you may run the risk of depleting yourself. The initial results will be like a tremendous rush of water that accompanies a flash flood. It will be very strong, but then will suddenly fall off to a trickle that will leave you looking foolish, when one day you go to do a demonstration, and you can only manage a squeak where once was a roar.
Once you have trained for a few years, your energy will be pretty much self sustaining. This is one of the major benefits of doing Nei Dan qigong, versus Wai Dan qigong. In Nei Dan methods, the energy you build up is what you will always have access to after you have built up a sufficient supply.
With the Wai Dan methods, you will continually have to train to maintain what you have built up. Wai Dan methods are generally easier to do, and hence the requirement of constant training. Nei Dan methods are a bit more involved, usually requiring the use of herbs to augment the energetic development.
copyright 1999, Richard m. Mooney, all rights reserved.
email me if you desire any further information on it: qimaster@hotmail.com
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