The dan tien in wing chun....

[RedJunkRebel]

I was wondering if anyone here focuses specifically on the dan tien when moving or turning the hips? What about in energy cultivation in SLT?

We focus on the lower dan tien a great deal in our Wing Chun practice including the breathing, balance as well as the knee/hip/elbow connections. Our practice follows a very internal, Taoist approach similar to Tai Chi. In fact, we use the Tai Chi Classics as a guide to refinement. We also practice what I call internal Wing Chun breathing, focusing on inhaling into the lower dan tien rather than simply chest breathing. You can imagine your lower belly expanding like a balloon as you breathe in. Start by spending 5-10 minutes a day breathing this way. We include this in our practice of the Siu Nim Tau form. The goal is to gradually increase the time you practice up to at least 20 minutes or more a day. Once you can maintain abdominal breathing for that period of time you will notice how much easier it is for you to become relaxed when needed, including during hard sparring.

[Yoshiyahu]

very very interesting thanks for your post!

We focus on the lower dan tien a great deal in our Wing Chun practice including the breathing, balance as well as the knee/hip/elbow connections. Our practice follows a very internal, Taoist approach similar to Tai Chi. In fact, we use the Tai Chi Classics as a guide to refinement. We also practice what I call internal Wing Chun breathing, focusing on inhaling into the lower dan tien rather than simply chest breathing. You can imagine your lower belly expanding like a balloon as you breathe in. Start by spending 5-10 minutes a day breathing this way. We include this in our practice of the Siu Nim Tau form. The goal is to gradually increase the time you practice up to at least 20 minutes or more a day. Once you can maintain abdominal breathing for that period of time you will notice how much easier it is for you to become relaxed when needed, including during hard sparring.

[Yoshiyahu]

I always say Fried Rice, but my mom always called it Flied Lice. Same difference. It is because lots of people have the wrong idea of what Chi actually is. They think of it as a loaded gun you shoot people with, but it is only the energy you use in your existance. Without it you just lay dead. It is the fuel that drives the body. You could also call it your strength, but it really isn't. However, you can focus your body strength into singular movements, and this is called Chi.
A little, skinny fellow that is without muscle tone or strength will have weak Chi, and a really strong and fit man will have strong Chi.

thank you sir!

[Graham H]

oooh so i guess wing chun must be different!!!

You can put what you like into your Wing Chun mate! I don't beleive in chi and nor do my peers, Sifu and Sigung. Nor do I beleive in ghosts, magic or that 95% of the Ip Man Wing Chun that is around today is anywhere near close to what Ip Man practiced himself!

My opinion of course. You don't have to agree. In fact I would be happy if you didn't.

GH

[Graham H]

I always say Fried Rice, but my mom always called it Flied Lice. Same difference. It is because lots of people have the wrong idea of what Chi actually is. They think of it as a loaded gun you shoot people with, but it is only the energy you use in your existance. Without it you just lay dead. It is the fuel that drives the body. You could also call it your strength, but it really isn't. However, you can focus your body strength into singular movements, and this is called Chi.
A little, skinny fellow that is without muscle tone or strength will have weak Chi, and a really strong and fit man will have strong Chi.

So chi means muscular strength does it? If so then call it what you like! I call muscular strength......muscular strength.

The chi that I'm on a bout is the chi that many so called "masters" use as a marketing tool to lead people into thinking they can do magical things. Things outside the normal human realm! It's all BS! Skill and power come from hard work which ironically is what "Gung Fu" actually means!

I can tell if somebody has been spending years and years of hard work to acheive a certain level of skill and striking power and I can also tell who likes to talk, sit at the foot of the kung fu hall in a chinese kung fu suit and nore more a gifted fighter than I am a gifted quantum mechanical physicist!

GH

[Graham H]

Just like some people believe in God which also isn't true. Like me many don't. It wouldn't be good to all be the same.

G

[Yoshiyahu]

so ur saying the way ip man practice himself is no where near what most wc does today?


Also who is your sifu and your sigung?

You can put what you like into your Wing Chun mate! I don't beleive in chi and nor do my peers, Sifu and Sigung. Nor do I beleive in ghosts, magic or that 95% of the Ip Man Wing Chun that is around today is anywhere near close to what Ip Man practiced himself!

My opinion of course. You don't have to agree. In fact I would be happy if you didn't.

GH

[Paul T England]

The lower Dan Tien is your centre of gravity and the central point of your body where most of the major muscles etc attach. You cannot move properly without it being used.

Saying that the approach is a little different to taiji as all styles have a different idea but are all based on the human body.

No need to think about chi or anything mystical...if you understand somethign it should be able to be explained without cultural or religious views.

Understand every eastern martial concepts in western terms.

There are mulitiple ways to turn, punch, step etc depending on what the objective is.

Breathing can be done in many different ways but whether it was originally part of wing chun, who knows...

Paul
www.moifa.co.uk

[Graham H]

so ur saying the way ip man practice himself is no where near what most wc does today?

Too f***ing right I am!

GH

[anerlich]

The lower Dan Tien is your centre of gravity

I can accept that argument, though with some scepticism

and the central point of your body where most of the major muscles etc attach.

Um, No.

[Neeros]

A little, skinny fellow that is without muscle tone or strength will have weak Chi, and a really strong and fit man will have strong Chi.

Then how come many of the great kung fu masters were elegant and graceful, as opposed to large and muscular?

Chi is just Chi, I don't try to define it but I know it exists from direct experience through my practice. What I do know is that it has little to do with big muscles, or hadoukens for that matter.

[Lee Chiang Po]

So chi means muscular strength does it? If so then call it what you like! I call muscular strength......muscular strength.

The chi that I'm on a bout is the chi that many so called "masters" use as a marketing tool to lead people into thinking they can do magical things. Things outside the normal human realm! It's all BS! Skill and power come from hard work which ironically is what "Gung Fu" actually means!

I can tell if somebody has been spending years and years of hard work to acheive a certain level of skill and striking power and I can also tell who likes to talk, sit at the foot of the kung fu hall in a chinese kung fu suit and nore more a gifted fighter than I am a gifted quantum mechanical physicist!

GH

No. Chi is not actually muscular strength. It is the energy of the body. I don't know how else to call it, but it is the life force itself. If you work until you drop, you have no energy left to function. You are so tired that you simply cannot move. You have expended your chi. Chi is just your energy force. You can actually learn to direct it into individual movements and actions, like striking or kicking. You can not project it beyond your skin though. It is none existant outside the body and can not be used except to drive the mechanics of the physical body. If you are strong and have large and powerful muscles, then you can more effectively apply this chi. If you are weak and without muscle strength you can not apply your chi as effeciently. That is what I was saying.

[Graham H]

No. Chi is not actually muscular strength. It is the energy of the body. I don't know how else to call it, but it is the life force itself. If you work until you drop, you have no energy left to function. You are so tired that you simply cannot move. You have expended your chi. Chi is just your energy force. You can actually learn to direct it into individual movements and actions, like striking or kicking. You can not project it beyond your skin though. It is none existant outside the body and can not be used except to drive the mechanics of the physical body. If you are strong and have large and powerful muscles, then you can more effectively apply this chi. If you are weak and without muscle strength you can not apply your chi as effeciently. That is what I was saying.

I don't agree! If "chi" is the chinese term for energy then that's ok. I would just rather call it energy. I do not believe that you can learn to direct chi! We as humans can do that already. It takes muscular energy triggered by the brain to do every single movement. Why make it so f***ing mystical???? The amount of force and speed you can generate naturally varies amongst humans in their natural state. Everything else comes from hard training. It's not rocket science. If somebody believes they can manipulate chi and send it to certain body parts you are just stating the obvious. Those that think it gives them special powers or sets them apart from the rest need lining up and shooting with very large guns!!

GH

[Graham H]

.......in fact I think that those who think they have "special chi power" are slightly retarded!

GH

[CFT]

What we call the dan tien, modern athletes call the 'core'. They don't practice chi gung to exercise it though, just specific physical exercises to strengthen that abdominal area. It's all about posture IMO.