The Progressive Boxer
TCM can be explained through western means, but it's just steeped in old-world terminolgy. It also doesn't help that it's a b!tch to define qi.Originally Posted by KungFubar
Meridian lines - as I understand it - are not part of actual TCM but were essentially made up something like 200 years ago by a westerner. How it came to be accepted as fact, I do not know.
See this thread: http://kungfuqigong.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65979
it may help.
Registered User
Wow Soco interested in a career in TCM? Has Hell frozen over?
Kymus referenced a link to a forward thinking acupuncturist Chris Kresser, who in my opinion reflects a new breed of acupuncturist. The acupuncture field is being rocked by a book that pointed out the Emperor wears no clothes. It is The Dao of Chinese Medicine by Donald Kendall
http://www.amazon.com/Dao-Chinese-Me...inese+medicine
The book will get the majority of acupuncturists panties in a bind because it declares that acupuncture is not nor ever was "energy medicine". Individuals such as Kresser and Bob Doane have ruffled the feathers of many in the TCM community by stating that:
1. The acupuncture "meridians" were simply used for anatomical reference, much like the longitude and latitude lines on a globe. They are not physical structures.
2. Qi in a medical context never meant "energy'. It means "oxygenated blood" aka "vital air" or "the function of something" (for example "kidney qi deficiency" means lowered kidney function)
3. "Mai" as in "channel" really means "blood vessel", not energy meridian
Go to www.elotus.org and click on "speakers" and watch free videos by Bob Doane to get a taste of what I feel is the future of acupuncture.
Soco: You lamented that most TCM practitioners do not have a good grasp of A&P, but I feel you are only partly right. I feel they have good A skills (especially surface anatomy) but poor P skills. I think that's due to the fact that in TCM school, we learn both medical A&P and TCM "energetics" and when you are just starting in the field, you are typically "in love" with the TCM stuff and also naively think that "Western medicine" isn't as important to the scope of practice of a TCM provider (big mistake!!!). I know at the time, I simply memorized the medical info for the tests then promptly forgot it so as to focus on TCM (as I said, big mistake!).
We did take classes in A&P. microbiology, radiology, etc., but it wasn't our focus. Anyway, interesting thread.
The Progressive Boxer
They got a hot chick on the front page and they're saying her name is "Mathew"
The site sounds awesome. I'm going to poke at it. It's nice to know that Chris Kresser isn't the only one that's trying to bridge the gap.
Are you familiar with http://www.traditionalstudies.org/? Dunno if it bridges the gap, but it's an attempt to bring the old-world skills to the present day practitioner.
Shaolin Jinnaluo War Cult
Does it have basically the same effect as Boxing Liniment or is it much different?
You can have Kung Fu in cooking, it really has nothing to do with fighting!
Banned
The active ingredient in boxing liniment is methyl salicylate. The same thing is in wood lock oil and icy hot.
Shaolin Jinnaluo War Cult
Is this the same for Jow or are there different active ingredients in Jow?
You can have Kung Fu in cooking, it really has nothing to do with fighting!
Registered User
No, some jows have menthol in it, but mostly they don't. They rely on herbs and minerals.
Banned
No. Different active ingredients. And to clarity, on the comment by Raipizo. Methyl Salicylate is not menthol. Different molecules, although they have similar superficial effects. But MS is more reactive, has 2 functional groups to methol's 1. Methyl salicylate once absorbed, is metabolized into salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is an NSAID. Meaning it can inhibit prostaglandins, which are responsible for stimulating inflammation. So, MS while weak does have a pretty founded mechanism of activity.
And for the record, methyl salicylate is also known as oil of wintergreen. Its a product of an herb.
As for jow, you have to go on a ingredient by ingredient basis as to what is actually doing what. I have a few recipes written down, I suppose I could dig them out of boxes and do it if I get time. Right now most of my references are boxed up since I'm moving to Ohio.
The other (and primary) difficulty is, jow is multiple ingredients being heated in an alcohol solution and then aged. This is 100% chemistry (and again why I think anyone wanting to go into TCM should get a heaping dose of chemistry in their prereqs). Its not enough to know what compounds are in each ingredient, but how those compounds interact in the creation process to form the final product.
As much as TCM purists might hate me for saying this, jow is not natural. Its no different than any pharm science. Only its less pure. But its 100% man made.
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