How do I guide my qi?

[_William_]

In the qigong I am learning, I am instructed to move the qi to various acupoints, but I don't fully understand how to do this. My Sifu told me to simply will it to go there, and it will go there, but I don't exactly understand what exactly I should be willing. Should I will the "breath" to go there? Should I focus on the point I'm moving the qi to, and just "make" it go there? I can't feel the flow of qi in my body, so I'm a bit confused. I guess I'll go ask my sifu next week. (Maybe I should write down everything I'm confused about)

[ZIM]

Qi follows Yi. Yi is intention or mind or mindfulness.

Remember when you were a kid playing with sand on the beach? You might've dug some sand in a trench and let the water flow into the trench...that's how it moves, roughly. Qi is like water, it can only flow into where it is not blocked from.

How to do it?? If you hold your arm/hand in front of you and think 'forwards' without moving physically, you're 'digging the trench'...no effort, just thought and will. Mindfully relax and let it flow.

That's my take anyway.

[dezhen2001]

just keep practising and as you get used to the movements your attitude and health will change and it will take care of itself... trust your sifu!

dawood

[prana]

Originally posted by ZIM
Qi follows Yi. Yi is intention or mind or mindfulness.

Man we talk alike.

[Cheese Dog]

William, your energy will go where your mind directs it. That's why when doing forms you're supposed to look at where you are doing the technique. For example, if you are about to perform a turn, low block and punch, you first look in the direction you're going to turn, then turn and do the technique.

Don't try to "force" it, just let it happen and eventually, it will.

[Laughing Cow]

Originally posted by Cheese Dog
William, your energy will go where your mind directs it. That's why when doing forms you're supposed to look at where you are doing the technique. For example, if you are about to perform a turn, low block and punch, you first look in the direction you're going to turn, then turn and do the technique.

Don't try to "force" it, just let it happen and eventually, it will.

Agree, there unfortunately usage of eyes & head movement are often overlooked in modern CMA training.

Mental visualisation of the opponent during Forms practice is also important.

[dezhen2001]

That's why when doing forms you're supposed to look at where you are doing the technique.

thats a very good point. in my dayan qigong we dont realy have any visualisation as such (ie. imagining the qi moving around your body or to extremities) but we do focus on looking at our hand as it moves for example, looking in the direction we are going and having the correct intention.

just keep going and be natural

dawood

[ZIM]

Now thats interesting.

It might not matter to any significant degree, qiqong-wise, but we're usually instructed to not 'admire our hands'. That means that we don't watch our hands, but our opponent or at least the area we are striking to or the target, etc. Kind of forwards-thinking.

I think that bagua also watches the hands intently, too? Any thoughts on potential differences?

[dezhen2001]

hmmm... obviously for kung fu dont watch your hands or u will get hit

our qigong is different... in our dayan qigong system many movements relate to different things. eg. as the hand moves the hegu point (between thumb and index finger) may face some points on the belt channel, or laogong to baihui... just some examples. also the way the hand moves, like i said our intention is not really focussed on 'moving qi' as such, more about doing the movement correctly, relaxing, flowing and breathing naturally. That helps the body to be connected.

That means that we don't watch our hands, but our opponent or at least the area we are striking to or the target, etc. Kind of forwards-thinking.

hmmm... again thats intent. just slightly different i guess. When i do siu lim tao we dont watch hands, but have our intent more forwards.

im not an expert so cant really say much, but i could ask a sihing for sure. now u got me thinking i would just say its different use of intent... for my qigong its more about the connection of different parts of the body and acupoints, as well as ridding all the sick qi and gathering fresh qi.

hmmm... for my hard qigong again its different, we use different methods of breathing which in turn changes what our exercises do. the intent is very much outwards and raises the spirit (somehting you can see in the eyes/focus in someone with good MA skill when they do somehting as well).

so i guess it just depends on what you are doing and why? As for the bagua i dont have a clue, maybe someone else who trains it will

dawood

[ZIM]

Ahhh...I think I phrased it badly.

Good post, tho. For KF, yep, don't look to yer mitts. For qiqong, yep, agreed re: body connection/unification, and again for points re: hard qiqong [here is what I was thinking about, sorta].

...but here's the sticky bit: if you look at your hands, then the head alignment can be out of sorts, right? Then the shoulders, etc.
Depends on the situation, of course, and the teacher. Hey, if your teachers fine with going into it, do tell!

Currently doing kundalini yoga. Not an issue there!

[dezhen2001]

hmmm... well i mean for doing moving qigong you have to um.. move for sure i may turn to my left and look at my left hand as it raises, then my right... but the shoulders are still relaxed and back straight etc. no big deal.

moving around helps the tendons and joints remain flexible as well as mobile. so its good

dawood

[Frogman]

A very interesting thread indeed, this is my first post in this forum I am usually found in NPM group. Lately I have been thinking about how to use my internal energy more. My techniques are hard natured but I just love the flexibility of TCKF. I can not feel the energy moving through my body but I do have a sense of power (for lack of a better word). I am taught that the intent is at the end of the attack and your focus is just past the end of the attack, i.e. about six inches past you fist. I think the most important thing in understanding this is practice, think about your alignment make the connection from the floor up through the waist up to the shoulder down the arm and out the end of the attack, YEE… I love this stuff!!!!!!!!!! It’s all in your mind. The mind guides your qi your qi directs the body. How does it work Like I said I have been thinking about this more lately and hope to be on the right track. It defiantly seems to be doing something.

RibHit
fm

[ZIM]

It defiantly seems to be doing something.

I don't know if it should be defiant! LOL

I guess #1, ask your sifu, see about more explicit training in it. Some arts are more explicit than others, I've found.

FWIW, I tend to view what you described as not exactly qiqong, but more on the power generation & transfer end of things. Qi is to kung fu like white is to milk, IMHO- they can't be separated, both are just natural things- so it's there, but its just a matter of how much is explicitly taught.
If you pay attention to your stances, finding the linkages within them, and the linkage between your breath and the stancework, relaxation, etc. you'll find more keys to it.

There are different ways that teachers approach the subject, too- just as there are many types of Kung Fu. For instance, some advocate literally looking in a particular direction [as we're sort of discussing above] while other arts tend to emphasize "gaze" which is more of the feeling/intention of which direction you are not quite looking towards but intend to go to [if you understand me]. Its like the moment before the turn-to-face. This developes awareness in environment.

Maybe it may help to not think of qi as a sensation of overt power but as a sensation of possibility, at least within the standing sets.

[on edit: I just looked at that last sentence & decided that sux. You know when you focus through a target with relaxation? This is kind of what I'm referring to, but an all-over sense. In the stances, in the punches, its a kind of expansion thing going on- expansion into the ground, into a target, etc. and an expansion of awareness. I'm not aware of how far you've come along in your training though, so this may not be of help to you at present.]

[Frogman]

ZIM,
Thank you for the insight. I will be the first to tell you that I have not reached the point that I can channel qi but I am aware of it and try to keep it in mind when working my technique. Even if I don’t understand it. I try thinking about keeping my foot flat, stance low, shoulder square, focus point, ect… At this point, as with many things in life, what I understand is microscopic compared to what I don’t understand, but I am willing to learn. From what your said … I’m confused … oh wait that right, the connection from the ground up to the attack is not necessarily the same as channeling qi? I think I can relate, but now I find myself asking the same question as William. Tonight I have a Chinese New Year show and will most likely be doing my Hu Cha or Dapa routine and have been trying to think about how to exert more energy while doing so. I did the same routine last week and it felt good because I had a sense that I was more focused and plan to build on that tonight. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
I think I am going to start visiting this forum more often…
Thanks Again,

RibHit
fm

[ZIM]

From what your said … I’m confused … oh wait that right, the connection from the ground up to the attack is not necessarily the same as channeling qi? I think I can relate, but now I find myself asking the same question as William

No need to be confused- often I'm not the best at explaining things.

Same, but not exactly- white & milk, 2 sides/same coin, yada yada that's it. The connection IS important, just a question of "what's it for?" as far as how I'm trying to say it.

Qiqong is body linkage first, then this feeling of potential. KF is body linkage first, then competance. In a way, trying to explain it without the KF is kind of stoopit of me... I should add that this is the beginning of it, not the end & that I have seen the relation between the two like this: if KF is a gun, qiqong is the bullets.

Anyway, alot of how I view it is colored by yoga, too. Dezhen, I think, is more geared towards straight/orthodox qiqong, so maybe he can chime in.