Post by stuke on Apr 8, 2021 23:08:46 GMT
Do you believe that last part?
I remember reading American Shaolin, the monks there onviously practiced a lot with chi, yet the ones who perfomed breaks etc had relatively deformed hands, forehead etc, ie nerves damaged etc. Seems the chi work did not prevent the physical damage.
I have a problem with so-called "hard chi kung" as I believe that while chi is always present in anything we do (otherwise you're dead), the emphasis on muscular strength and force is counter-productive to the development of chi via chi kung. Certainly some momentary tension may be required in drills such as the Ba Duan Jin set e.g. at the end of a punch in the punching drill, the continuous tensed movements of various drills such as the Iron Wire set, although valuable from the combat-tempering aspect, do not promote chi enhancement in itself, beyond simple repetition.
It is perfectly correct to question certain claims re chi kung and "kung fu", especially with the amount of outright fraudulent bullshit on the Net these days, and the excessive nonsense of the breaking practitioners in the original post of this thread.
But there comes a time where research and personal experience leave some bits of truth that remain amongst the garbage. While I haven't attempted any breaking at all (being more interested in mental aspects of chi kung) Wong Kiew Kit has ongoing classes over the world, and his books are perfectly understandable with chi kung drills that definitely improve the health and strength of a regular practitioner.
In a relaxed manner, NOT tensed. And I've never seen anything on the Net so far, questioning him. And the Zhan Zhuang standing postures of just about all forms of martial art are notable for bringing a great difference to the practitioner's martial power, the postures themselves performed in a relaxed manner, concentration on the Lower Dantian.
Wong's further accounts of his students that are up to higher levels gathering together and trying out their breaking skills (plus the techniques for breaking a brick in his books), plus his own experience in the days when he was under tutelage himself, form a definite protocol that one can try for themselves re brick-breaking, and like any training "hard or soft" if done in the prescribed manner and with sufficient regular practice, will bring the desired results.
Part of the "gatherings" that Wong describes is the breaking of a bottom brick in a stack or two or three, while leaving the top ones intact. That may be able to be explained by science, but it is still a notable technique inasmuch as it will almost certainly result in a punch to the chest doing internal damage to the organs while leaving little evidence on the surface.
As a personal example of chi (bio-electricity) training, I've posted more than once training the Yi Jin Ching 12-position open palm relaxed set as described by Dr Yang Jwing-Ming for a few months in early 90's, and breaking the handle of a good quality pair of side cutters on the job, that I had used for years, in two places. Without any strength training (hand-grips etc) whatsoever.
And when I trained this set of drills, if I was nearer than about 15-20 feet from a TV set, it would turn off by itself on remote. Or if it was off, on remote, turn on.
I certainly don't expect anybody here to believe that, but it was witnessed as it happened by both my wife and daughter. On one occasion my wife was watching a program and the TV turned off by itself while I was training this set in the next room.
At the last, don't believe anything. Try it out for yourself. Make sure you are not tensing up. Do whatever set of chi kung you choose properly and regularly and see what you get out of it. Use your Mind primarily, not your muscular strength. Then form your opinions accordingly.
Thanks for explaining. I have no reason to doubt you.