“What does he think she is, a G.I. Joe action figure?” I said to myself.

I was taking a tai chi workshop and the teacher was poking, manipulating, and downright manhandling a 60-something student into what he dubbed “proper alignment.”

It wasn’t working, not by a long shot. And no wonder. The woman obviously had what we call kyphosis, an excessive curving of the upper spine that causes a slight hunching. With kyphosis, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia gradually adjust to the hunched posture over a period of years. Kyphosis is very common and although it can be reversed, it’s not a quick fix. It’s certainly not something that can be solved in a weekend workshop.

Meanwhile, this teacher seemed convinced that, with enough prodding, he could fix this poor woman’s posture NOW.

Is Proper Alignment Necessary?

If you’re learning qigong and/or tai chi, then “alignment” is a word that you probably hear often. You probably hear instructions like this:

• “Your nose should be aligned with your navel…”
• “Sink the shoulders, drop the elbows…”
• “Keep your knee aligned with your toe…”
• “Sink the chest…”
• “Don’t lean forward…”

What are we to make of all this alignment talk?

“Alignment is critical,” the teacher said to the woman and the class as he adjusted her. “Without proper alignment, we can’t do tai chi.”

Is what this teacher said true? Must our alignment be perfect in order to do tai chi? What about qigong?

Clearly, this woman’s alignment wasn’t anywhere close to perfect. Nor was it going to improve much over the span of a weekend. So was she just wasting her time in the workshop?

During one of the breaks, I had a little chat with her. It turns out she had been doing qigong and tai chi for a few years. More importantly, she’d been getting pretty good results.

In other words — she’d been getting results DESPITE her poor alignment.

Functional vs. Aesthetic

Alignment isn’t limited to qigong or tai chi. Alignment matters in virtually all movement arts and sports.

If your alignment is bad, your golf swing will suffer and your arabesque won’t look right.

However, I think it’ll be helpful to differentiate between “functional” and “aesthetic” systems. Golf is a functional system whereas ballet is an aesthetic system.

What’s the difference?

In golf, it doesn’t matter how your swing looks as long as you get the ball in the hole. If someone invented a totally new golf swing that worked better, it wouldn’t matter how the swing looked. People would adopt it because it works. And eventually, this new swing would be considered “beautiful” because of how beautifully it functions.

The same is NOT true of ballet. An arabesque is, first and foremost, aesthetic. How it looks is what matters most. The aesthetics of ballet dictate the form.

In functional systems like golf, alignment is based on results. You can win The Masters with an ugly swing as long as you get the ball in the hole faster than your competition.

In aesthetic systems like ballet, the look is everything. You’ll never get chosen as a principle dancer if your alignment is ugly.

What’s Your Function?

Qigong is pretty to watch. So is tai chi. There’s just something about the flow that is aesthetically pleasing.

But we need to be absolutely clear here: Any aesthetic beauty that we perceive in qigong or tai chi is a bonus, not the primary goal.

What’s the primary goal? That depends on the type of qigong or tai chi that you’re practicing.

Let’s look at the functions of 3 different types of qigong:

• Medical Qigong is designed to help people heal themselves from pain and illness, to prevent future illness, and to promote vitality and longevity.

• Martial Qigong is designed to improve performance and power in martial arts.

• Spiritual Qigong is designed to help you wake up to the nature of true reality.

Now let’s also look at different types of tai chi, as well as other Internal Martial Arts:

• Health Tai Chi is any form of tai chi that has diverged from its martial arts roots. The function is similar to Medical Qigong. It aims for health and vitality and is unconcerned with self-defense. This is, by far, the most common type of tai chi practiced today.

• Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) is any form or style of tai chi that retains its martial roots. In these forms, the martial aspects supersede the medical aspects. Health and spiritual benefits are a bonus, not the primary aim.

• Xingyiquan is an internal martial art that has little-to-no spiritual aspects. It was designed purely for self-defense. Health is a bonus.

• Shaolinquan has both internal and external versions, but both are martial arts. Since this type of kung fu was practiced by Shaolin Monks, spiritual cultivation was also a goal.

As you can see, these are all FUNCTIONAL arts. Aesthetics are not a primary aim in any of them.

Pretty Tai Chi

However, in the 21st century we’re witnessing the rise of tai chi tournaments. There are even qigong tournaments now!

Tai chi tournaments focus on aesthetics. Alignments are adjusted not for martial arts, but for the judges. For example, many of the stances done in tai chi tournaments are impractical for self-defense. Ironically, these stances also inhibit the flow of qi because they are so extreme.

So you’re left with a version of tai chi that is not as good for the health, is totally useless for self-defense, but looks really really pretty!

Actually, I disagree that it looks pretty. To my eye, the alignments look ugly because they are so empty of meaning. To each their own.

Do You Need Good Alignment?

Let’s come back to our question from earlier: Is it necessary to have proper alignment in order to get results?

The woman I described above was practicing Health Tai Chi. She had zero interest in self-defense. The only thing she was interested in combatting was her arthritis. And she was doing a pretty good job!

Was her alignment good? Hell no. But was she getting results? Hell yes!

Although she called it tai chi, she was really practicing Medical Qigong. In other words, the primary aim of her practice was medical, i.e. arthritis.

We need look no further than this example for an answer to our question about alignment. People with poor alignment can  absolutely get results with Medical Qigong or Health Tai Chi.

The truth is that most modern humans have bad posture and thus bad alignment. And it’s not just the older folks. The younger generation has bad posture too, largely because of cell phones. There’s even a condition now called “Text Neck”. You can guess what that looks like!

If qigong could only be practiced by people with perfect alignment, then none of us would qualify, myself included.

Working With What You’ve Got

I would guess that 90% of my students had alignment issues when they came to me. I’m being conservative with that estimate. The number is probably closer to 99%, but let’s just use 90% to be safe.

If perfect alignment were necessary in order to get results, then 90% of my students would have failed! And yet, my students have gotten remarkable results with qigong.

And you know what? Even after years of practice, even after getting results that doctors described as “impossible,” many of my students STILL have poor alignment.

The tai chi teacher who was trying to poke and prod the woman’s hunched back — he refused to acknowledge how long it can take to restructure the body. It takes years, and sometimes it can take a decade.

And yet, we can and should work on our alignment, no matter how old we are.

Teachers who admonish against bad alignment aren’t wrong about the negative effects. Poor posture and poor alignment definitely block the flow of qi. (Click here to read a related article: Fix Your Posture, Fix Your Qi, Fix Your Biochemistry)

But that’s just life! Everything we do blocks the flow of qi, from the crap we eat to the way we sit. Pointing out things that block the flow of qi is easy!

Start where you are, and work with what you have. Whatever hand you’ve been dealt, qigong will significantly improve it.

What about Internal Martial Arts?

When it comes to Internal Martial Arts, then alignment is more important simply because we’re dealing with self-defense.

For example, the Yang Style Tai Chi pattern commonly called “Warding Off” is basically a defense against a punch to the face. If your alignment is off, then you won’t block the punch! Ouch!

These days, tai chi has lost its martial roots. Very few people can use tai chi for self-defense. And that’s fine as long as they acknowledge that they’re basically doing Health Tai Chi, which is really just a form of Medical Qigong.

In other words, it’s important for teachers to be honest about WHY the alignment should be this way or that way.

Mediocre Form, Great Results

In my 20s, I taught the violin to young kids. It’s truly incredible what a 4-year-old can do with a violin, but let’s be honest — it doesn’t sound very good for a long time! That’s just part of the process.

In any style of tai chi, no matter how athletic you are, your form is going to suck for the first few years. There’s just no way around it.

And yet, you can get remarkable health benefits despite having crappy form. This is even truer with qigong.

In my qigong classes, I actually encourage my students to butcher the form. And they do! If you were to watch my students doing a simple qigong exercise like Lifting The Sky, it wouldn’t be pretty!

And yet, my students get results. You’ll be hard-pressed to find qigong students who consistently get better results than mine. And results are what really matter.

My students don’t give a shit about how pretty their form is because they are busy beating depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and other serious issues.

Aligning the Qi

In my teachings, I talk about the 12 different skills that can be cultivated through qigong. These skills are as follows:

1. Discovering the Qi
2. Circulating the Qi
3. Aligning the Qi
4. Gathering the Qi
5. Protecting the Qi
6. Purifying the Qi
7. Mobilizing the Qi
8. Directing the Qi
9. Consolidating the Qi
10. Transforming the Qi
11. Unifying the Qi
12. Transmitting the Qi

As you can see, Aligning the Qi is one of the early skills.

Notice that I speak of Aligning the Qi, not Aligning the Body. This is critical. Aligning the body is not only impossible for some of us, it’s also unnecessary. The truth is that we can better align the qi even if the body is out of alignment.

And this makes perfect sense. This is why people with kyphosis get a wide range of health benefits before they fix the hunching in their back. The same is true of any alignment issue, whether it’s lordosis (excessive curvature of the low back), scoliosis (abnormal lateral curvature of the spine), or something as simple as a hip hike.

I speak from experience. I have the world’s flattest feet. While this may not seem like a big deal, your feet are your root. The angle of your ankle determines the angle of your knee, hip, and pelvis, which in turn determines the angle of your spine.

In that sense, my alignment has never been perfect, and it probably never will be. And yet, I get amazing results from qigong.

I’m able to align my qi despite my flat feet. This is how qigong works in the real world. This is how my students use it.

We’re not perfect. We’re all just trying to make the best out of the cards we’ve been dealt.

And I can’t think of a better art to do that with than Qigong.

How does your alignment affect your qigong or tai chi practice? Share your experience and let’s chat about it in the comments

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Does Alignment Really Matter in Qigong and Tai Chi? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Just kidding! Please stop sitting by the mailbox waiting for yours to arrive.

But seriously, what does a “master” of any art look like? In this Walk-and-Talk, we’ll dive into what qigong mastery is and isn’t.

What I hope you’ll remember most from today’s post is this:

Mastery is a journey, not a destination.

Write that down on a sticky note and put it where you can see it!

Click play, and let’s talk about what the mastery journey looks like.

Now I’d love to hear from you. Are you a master of another art? Are you on the path to mastery with qigong? Leave me a comment below!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Am I a Qigong Master? Are You? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Charlie Brown was definitely a qigong master. He knew about the connection between posture, biochemistry, and energy.

His wisdom is forever immortalized in this old Peanuts cartoon:

There’s so much wisdom in this cartoon, but when I first saw it, I was a little offended.

“It’s a serious illness,” I thought to myself. “Depression isn’t caused by poor posture!”

I was right, of course. But Charlie Brown was also right.

The truth is that bad posture doesn’t cause depression, but it sure doesn’t help. And vice versa — fixing your posture won’t cure your depression, but it sure does help.

Maybe you battle depression, or maybe not. Either way, I think Charlie Brown was right. It’s important to pay attention to your posture. Here’s why…

Posture Affects your Biochemistry

(*The following are Amazon Affiliate links, which means that if you purchase using them, then Amazon gives me a tiny commission at no cost to you. Thanks for helping me to buy more books! Woohoo!)

Jordan Peterson, the controversial bestselling author, says that you should stand up straight with your shoulders back. That’s rule #1 in his book, 12 Rules for Life.

Like him or not, that’s a good rule.

Peterson argues that body language is ancient — hundreds of millions of years ancient. Even lobsters display mood and hierarchy via body language.

For humans, standing up straight with your shoulders back tells your fellow humans that you are a high status individual in your tribe.

Maybe you’re not high status. Maybe you don’t have a tribe. Maybe you don’t even believe in hierarchies.

But there’s a problem. Our brains have remain unchanged for 50,000 years. This means that your biochemistry still believes in status.

Standing up straight doesn’t just send a signal to your fellow humans; it sends a signal to your cells.

Amy Cuddy, bestselling author of Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges, backs this up with tons of research.

You can also watch her famous TED talk: Your body language may shape who you are.

The science is overwhelmingly clear: Your body language, including your facial expressions, affects your hormones, your mood, and your health. 

Pro Tip: Whether you’re sitting or standing, roll your shoulders forward, up, and then back in one smooth movement. This resets the shoulders to a position that you can’t otherwise get them in to, and helps to create better posture (and thus better biochemistry).

The Victory Pose

Amy Cuddy talks about a power posture called the “victory pose” that seems to be universal across all cultures: Two fists held to the sky in a v-shape, chest open, excitement on the face.

Here’s a kid demonstrating the pose after, presumably, winning big at a video game.

Try it. Pretend you just won the NYC Marathon. Hold the posture for 30 seconds, and your biochemistry will change.

And then try an ancient power posture called Lifting The Sky.

Personally, I think that Lifting The Sky is more sophisticated and more powerful than the victory pose above. Maybe I’ll teach it to Amy one day!

Posture Affects Your Qi

The qigong masters have been saying something similar for millennia, albeit in slightly different terms.

They didn’t talk about biochemistry, but rather about qi, or your vital energy. The qigong masters taught us that specific postures affect your qi in specific ways.

For example, ancient texts on The 8 Brocades Qigong (Baduanjin, 八段錦) talk about the effects each posture has on various organs.

From those texts, we know that;

1. Supporting the Heavens stimulates the Triple Warmer Meridian.
2. Drawing a Bow stimulates the the Kidney and Spleen Meridians
3. Raising One Hand stimulates the Spleen and Stomach Meridians
4. Looking Backward eliminates the “five fatigues” and “seven Illnesses”
5. Swing the Head eliminates “heart fire”
6. Punching with Fiery Eyes builds internal strength
7. Hold the Feet strengthens the Kidney Meridian and lower back
8. Shaking the Back helps to boost the immune system

(Confused about the Meridian System? Click here to learn what qigong students need to know.)

On a side note, the above hypotheses be easily verified using the diagnostic methods of Chinese Medicine. For example, if a student with Stomach Fire practices “Raising One Hand”, we should see a change in the the tongue and pulse diagnostics.

And you know what? We DID see those changes! Because I was both a student and a teacher at my acupuncture college, and because I later worked directly with dozens of different acupuncturists, I got a behind-the-scenes look at how Flowing Zen Qigong affects patients. It was fascinating!

And don’t forget the tai chi masters! In fact, I could argue that ALL of the 10 Principles of Tai Chi Chuan are an attempt to affect the qi through proper posture:

1. Head Upright, Spirit Rising
2. Sink the Chest, Lengthen the Back
3. Loosen the Waist
4. Differentiate Between Empty and Solid
5. Sink Shoulders, Drop Elbows
6. Use Will, Not Strength
7. Coordinate Top and Bottom
8. Harmonize Internal and External
9. Move with Continuity
10. Seek Stillness in Movement

(Click here to read all about the 10 Principles of Tai Chi.)

Postures that Heal and Harm

Speaking of tai chi, most people think of it as a gentle form of self-healing. And this is absolutely true.

But inside the slow-motion postures is a hidden power — the power to save your life in self-defense.

For example, the Lu (Rollback, or Double Dragons Carry a Pearl) posture from Yang Tai Chi Chuan can be used to break the neck of someone attacking you.

It looks harmless (see below), but once you understand the martial application of the technique, you quickly realize that it is powerful.

Sadly, the vast majority of tai chi practitioners have no clue about the martial applications. They learn it as a form of qigong, not as a martial art.

I think this is a mistake. Even a cursory understanding of the martial applications helps to bring the postures to life. You don’t need to be a cage fighter to benefit from the hidden power of the tai chi postures.

On the other hand, many people obviously benefit from practicing tai chi even without an understanding of the martial applications — and I think Amy’s research helps explain this. There’s power in the posture, even if you don’t understand why.

And more research is being done. For example, check out this recent study: Can Tai Chi and Qigong Postures Shape Our Mood?

Power Corrupts…or Does it?

Having taught several different martial arts since 1994, I know that some people have an aversion to the word “power”.

In essence, they think that martial arts train you to be violent. The maxim, “power corrupts,” comes to mind.

But here’s the thing: According to Amy’s research, a LACK of power is at least as likely to corrupt!

Amy says that it’s important to distinguish between people with social power (i.e. rich people, celebrities, and politicians), and people with personal power (like me and Charlie Brown).

Personal power brings benefits rather than corruption, and this is exactly what we’re after with arts like qigong and tai chi.

Here are some examples of the benefits of personal power cultivated through qigong and tai chi:

• a clearer, calmer mind
• the ability to stay relaxed under stress (i.e. grace under pressure)
• more confidence
• greater clarity when making decisions
• a stronger, healthier body

And if you practice tai chi as a martial art, then you can add “self-defense” to the list.

What We Can Do

So by now, it’s clear that we need to improve our posture. But how do we do that?

Duh. Learn and practice qigong and/or tai chi! (Not sure which one to learn? Click here for a free video that will help you find an answer.)

If your posture is really bad, then I suggest that you focus on particular type of qigong that I call Aligning The Qi. (Other teachers may use other terminology, but the idea is the same.)

With the right techniques, anyone can improve their posture. I’ve watched 20-somethings with scoliosis and 80-somethings with kyphosis (excessive hunching of the upper spine) get amazing results by focusing on aligning the qi.

The truth is that many modern humans have poor posture because their bodies are no longer capable of good posture. Obviously, this gets worse with age, but it’s a problem that even affects teenagers now. So it’s not just an age issue.

The solution is to build strength (especially core strength), cultivate flexibility, and open up the energy channels. And that’s exactly what we do with exercises that align the qi.

(Aligning the Qi is one of the 4 main skills that I teach in my Qigong 101 program, which reopens this Fall. If you want to learn more, then make sure to get on the waiting list. Click the link for details.)

Myofascial Release

I’m also a big fan of Myofascial Release (MFR)

Go buy yourself a good foam roller and a lacrosse ball, then go on YouTube and look for foam rolling tutorials as well as tutorials on using a lacrosse ball.

Many experts think that humans need to spend at least 10 minutes 3x per week on MFR in order to undo the negative effects of modern living (like sitting too much.)

Personally, I do at least 10 minutes a day, and I think it’s a great compliment to my qigong practice. The combination of qigong + MFR is synergistic. If the topic is of interest, then I’ll work on another blog post about why I think that qigong and MFR go together like milk and cookies.

Summing Up

• Posture matters, especially if you are battling depression.
• Posture affects our biochemistry, our mood, and our health.
• Qigong and tai chi are effective ways to improve posture
• Myofascial release is another way to improve posture

Experiment with power postures this week. In your daily life, and daily qigong and tai chi practice. Then share with us what you find. Questions? Comments? They are always welcome in the section below! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Fix Your Posture, Fix Your Qi, Fix Your Biochemistry appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“I tried qigong, but it didn’t work for me,” she said.

This is my nightmare. This is what wakes me up at night screaming “NOOOOOOO!” like Luke Skywalker after he found out that Darth Vader was his father.

I want people to fall in love with qigong. I want them to have an amazing, positive experience with this beautiful art. I want them to get the many health benefits of qigong for themselves.

And they can do exactly that, but there are some pitfalls to avoid along the path.

If you avoid these traps, then qigong will work wonders for you.

In Western civilization, one of the biggest traps is treating qigong like calisthenics.

In this article, I’ll explain why qigong is fundamentally different than calisthenics, and how to avoid this common trap so that you can get the benefits you deserve.

What Are Calisthenics?

First, let’s define calisthenics:

cal·is·then·ics

n.

exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements—running, standing, grasping, pushing, etc.—often performed rhythmically and generally without equipment or apparatus. They are, in essence, body-weight training. They are intended to increase body strength, body fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches. [from Wikipedia]

Let me be absolutely clear that calisthenics are a good thing.

Many, many people — especially in the US where obesity and inactivity are becoming epidemics — could benefit from calisthenics.

But I didn’t dedicate my life to the art of calisthenics. I dedicated my life to the art of qigong, and with good reason.

Calisthenics Didn’t Heal My Depression

Calisthenics didn’t save my life. Qigong did.

Specifically, it saved me from an illness that has killed more people in the 21st century than all of the global wars combined.

I’m talking about Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), or clinical depression.

Although there’s evidence suggesting that regular exercise and calisthenics can help with depression, those things didn’t work for me.

I was in my 20s when I was diagnosed.

At the time, I was already a black belt in Karate, I could crank out 50 knuckle pushups like it was nothing, and I probably could’ve gotten a job modeling men’s underwear because I had amazing, washboard abs.

I also had depression, low-back pain, a weak immune system, and anxiety.

Calisthenics are great, but they didn’t help me to heal.

It was qigong — REAL qigong — that helped my body to finally heal, not calisthenics.

The Yoda of Yoga

Before we talk about what real qigong is, let me tell you what it isn’t.

To do that, I’ll tell you a quick story.

I heard this story from a friend who, interestingly, now practices qigong rather than yoga. Since I seem to be on a Star Wars theme today, we’ll call him Luke.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Luke was living in an ashram in India. He was there to learn from a famous yoga master.

While he was there, a young American yoga teacher came to visit the ashram. We’ll call him Han.

Han requested an audience with the guru, and it was granted. While the guru and many disciples watched, Han proceeded to demonstrate several advanced yoga postures.

You know — those pretzel-like ones that you and I will never be able to do.

After getting into one of these poses, Han would glance at the guru, presumably looking for approval.

This went on for a while, with the guru saying nothing. The silence was thick and tense.

Finally, the American stopped posing and asked, “Master, what did you think of my yoga?”

The master paused for a moment before responding. Then he spoke.

“I have not seen you do any yoga yet,” he said.

BOOM! Best answer ever! That guru was like the Yoda of yoga. 

If this answer confuses you, then here’s what he was conveying with his ingenious comment:

• Yoga is more than just going through poses.
• Yoga is an internal art.
• If you’re constantly glancing at someone while doing poses, then you’re obviously not practicing it as an internal art and thus you’re not really doing yoga.

That Ain’t Qigong

These days, yoga has gotten so muddled with calisthenics that the guru’s message is almost completely lost. It’s sad, but many people view yoga as Indian calisthenics, completely ignoring the internal aspects of the art.

And the same thing is starting to happen with qigong.

Qigong is becoming more and more popular, and that’s a wonderful thing! In fact, I believe qigong will one day be bigger than yoga.

But popularity brings its own problems. 

Like with yoga, many people don’t understand that qigong is an internal art.

When someone says, “I tried qigong, but it didn’t do much for me,” it makes me want to scream because what they did most likely wasn’t qigong.

They were just doing bad calisthenics.

Often, these are the same people who ask which exercise they should practice for X problem and then expect that exercise to fix their problem in just 3 weeks.

Gentle Calisthenics?

In the West, we have no point of reference for an art like qigong.

When we see the slow, gentle exercises of qigong we have nothing from our culture to compare it to. So we just compare it to calisthenics.

Here’s an example from my recent retreat in Costa Rica:

From a Western perspective, an exercise like this makes no sense. How could something like that make you healthier?

It’s too gentle, too soft, and too simple.

Even when compared to yoga, qigong is gentler.

With yoga, if you ignore the guru’s advice from above and you practice it as calisthenics, you’ll still get some health benefits.

Anyone who has accidentally wandered into an “All Levels” yoga class knows just how challenging it can be.

That shit is hard!

I think that many people who practice yoga KNOW that they’re just doing it as calisthenics rather than an internal art.

But they’re still getting results because calisthenics are good for you! Duh.

The Secret of Both Qigong and Tai Chi

With qigong, it’s different. There are many styles of qigong, and some are more vigorous than others.

But all of them are built on a foundation of softness and relaxation.

If you were learning qigong in Mandarin Chinese, then virtually every teacher would say the same 2 words over and over, regardless of the style:

fang song (放 松)

This simply means “loosen and relax”.

Even if you were doing a tai chi form, which is more complex and usually more vigorous than qigong, you would still hear fang song repeated over and over.

(If you’re not clear about the difference between qigong and tai chi, then this article will help.)

Both tai chi and qigong aim to get the qi, or internal energy, flowing smoother and smoother.

And to do this, to get your qi flowing smoother, you need to practice fang song.

Softness vs. Calisthenics

This concept of softness is not found in calisthenics nor in yoga.

Savasana (Corpse Pose) is the closest thing I’ve found in the yoga tradition, but it’s characteristically different because it’s done lying down rather than standing.

If you try to fang song (loosen and relax) in yoga like we do in qigong, your teacher will not be happy.

And fang song is even more foreign in calisthenics.

Relax while doing pushups? No way! Tense yours muscles and your core!

Keep heart rate low? No way! Get it up into the target zone!

Really, qigong and calisthenics couldn’t be more different in their approach.

This is good news for people who hate calisthenics.

The truth is that many people come to qigong precisely because they hate calisthenics. And that’s fine!

As long as you’re doing REAL qigong, you’ll still get results even if what you’re practicing is super gentle.

What Is Real Qigong?

What is qigong then? I’m glad you asked! Let’s start with a simple definition.

qigong

n.

An ancient Chinese mind-body practice that cultivates the internal energy, or qi, to restore wellness, build mental and emotional strength, reduces stress, and increases vitality.

The key words in there are:

• mind-body
• qi
• cultivate

This is similar to what the guru was trying to tell the American about his yoga. And that’s what I’m trying to tell you.

Here’s a simple way to tell if you’re doing REAL qigong, or just calisthenics.

Can you get results with a simple, gentle exercise like Gathering Qi from the Cosmos?

(If you don’t know this exercise and you’d like to learn it for free, then click here for lifetime access to an online mini-course.)

This exercise is a good example because there’s no real stretching, no squatting, and no complex movement.

If you can get health benefits with an exercise like this, then you’re doing REAL qigong.

Essence, Mind, and Energy

In Chinese, there’s an ancient phrase that nicely sums up the difference between calisthenics and qigong:

nei lian jing shen qi
wai lian jin gu pi
(内練精神氣外練筋骨皮)

This translates to:

Internal training cultivates essence, mind, and energy;
external training cultivates tendons, bones, and flesh.

(It sounds better in Chinese. It even rhymes!)

Here’s another way to say this:

With internal arts, the most important stuff happens on the inside!

The Best of Both Worlds

Of course, not all qigong exercises are easy.

Some of them are downright challenging, even if you’re in good shape.

For example, Lift Heels Bend Knees (#18 from the 18 Luohan Hands) involves a full squat while balancing on the toes.

If you practice this as calisthenics, then yes, you’ll get the benefits of calisthenics.

But why would you want to do that when you can have the best of both worlds?

Here’s a profound truth that all great martial artists throughout history have known:

You get the best results if you train both internal and external.

Internal Vs. External Martial Arts

Tai Chi is considered an internal martial art. It focuses on cultivating essence, mind, and qi. This is why it’s so closely related to qigong.

Karate, on the other hand, is considered an external martial art. It focuses on cultivating tendons, bones, and flesh (i.e. muscles).

But is it really true?

What if you practice tai chi devoid of the internal aspects? Is it still an internal art?

Similarly, what about the tiny Okinawan Karate master that I met 23 years ago who showed me an exercise to train energy and mind? (I didn’t realize what it was until many years later, sadly.)

The truth is that internal and external overlap more than many people realize.

Ideally, you want is to train BOTH internal and external together.

People who train tai chi but can’t do 10 pushups are only training the internal side.

People who train karate but can’t feel their qi are only training the external side.

Train both, and you’ll not only be a better martial artist, but you’ll be happier and healthier too.

Qigong For The Win

But this article is about qigong, not martial arts.

For many people, qigong provides us with a simple solution to this problem.

No matter what, qigong should be practiced as an internal art. But it can also be practiced as calisthenics.

It gives us a simple way to train the internal side at least, plus the external side if we want to.

But don’t fall into the trap.

There are 3 possible ways to train qigong:

a) practice it as an internal art;
b) practice it as an external art;
c) practice it as both an internal and external art;

By now, you should realize that b) is the trap that too many people fall into.

Don’t be one of them.

More Internal Training, Please

In the 21st century, what the world needs is more internal training. Perhaps more than ever before, we desperately need to train essence, mind, and energy.

We don’t need another external art. We’ve already got plenty of those.

If you want to train qigong as BOTH internal and external, great. That’s option c) from above. That’s what I do.

The same goes for tai chi. If you want to use it as both internal and external training — great. I do this too.

But if you had to choose ONLY one aspect, if you had to choose between internal and external — then make sure you choose the internal aspect. That’s choice a) from above.

You can use other arts for your external training if you like. If you enjoy yoga, use that for calisthenics. (Just don’t tell Yoda.)

If you have a calisthenics routine built into your martial art, use that.

Or if you absolutely love the elliptical at the gym — go for it.

Just make sure that you’re also training the internal side.

So How Do You Train Internally?

If you’re interested in learning the true internal skills of both qigong and tai chi, then you’re in luck.

It just so happens that I teach these skills online. What an amazing coincidence!

In a recent article, I mentioned the 4 primary skills of qigong:

1. Discovering the Qi
2. Circulating the Qi
3. Aligning the Qi
4. Gathering the Qi

Different masters might use different terminology, but these skills are universal to all forms of qigong.

If you want to train qigong (or tai chi) as an internal art, then you need to learn to relax your body (fang song), clear your mind, and feel your qi.

You need to learn how to get your qi circulating through the 12 primary meridians so that it can heal your body (and mind).

You need to learn how to align your body properly so that the qi is able to flow.

And you need to learn how to gather more qi into your system.

And that’s exactly why I spent so much time and energy creating my flagship online course called Qigong 101: The Art of Healing for Busy People.

If you want external training, then this course is NOT for you. But if you want to learn the internal side of qigong, if you want to learn the 4 primary skills, then consider joining us.

Registration opens in November, but the 12-month course doesn’t officially begin until January so you can start the new year right.

I say “officially” because you’ll get lots of goodies to hold you over, including a special module on beating holiday stress with qigong.

If you’re not already on the waiting list, then you can join at the bottom of that page. Here’s that link again.

And keep an eye out for my free video training series that I’ll be releasing in a few weeks.

I’ll teach you some of the internal secrets of qigong in that series — for free. Yes, you read that right. FREE!

In the meantime, do you have a question or something to add about the internal nature of qigong? Comment below, let’s converse!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Why Qigong and Calisthenics are NOT the Same appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Qigong is the ancient Chinese art of energy cultivation. It is especially beneficial for boosting health, vitality, internal power, and mental clarity.

Tai Chi is a form of Chinese Kung Fu. It’s a martial art that emphasizes softness, internal energy development, and spiritual cultivation. It also happens to be good for the health.

Which one should you learn?

Or should you learn both?

In this video, I’ll give you 5 good reasons to learn qigong, and 5 good reasons to learn tai chi.

If you don’t yet know either art, then I recommend that you click here to get started for free.

Here’s the video:

In the video, I mentioned this article: The Difference Between Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Chai Tea

This article may also be helpful: The 15 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Qigong

If you have questions or comments, please post them here in the blog (scroll down), not on YouTube.

I don’t get notifications for YouTube questions, so I prefer to answer all of the questions here in the blog. Thanks!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Should You Learn Qigong, Tai Chi, or Both? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Sometimes, emails arrive in my inbox with questions that beg to be answered with a video.

A few weeks ago, a sincere young man named Nick sent this question.

“I read online that qigong is a style of kung fu. Is it true? I’m confused.”

Well Nick, the internet can be a pretty confusing place! With so much information at your fingertips, it’s hard to separate the true from the false.

Normally, I would write a blog post to answer Nick’s question. But this time, I decided that a video would work better.

Videos are a fantastic teaching tool because they give me the ability to demonstrate my answers. I can also pronounce confusing Chinese terms.

I shot this quick video in the Ozark mountains after giving an advanced qigong workshop to a wonderful group of students at the Stone Wind Retreat.

If you’re still confused about how kung fu relates to qigong, then the video below will help.

Here are some of the topics covered:

• The real meaning of kung fu…
• How Tai Chi Chuan fits in…
• The confusion with wushu…
• Various styles of kung fu:
  • The Shaolin Five Animals…
  • Wing Chun Kung Fu…
  • Tai Chi Chuan…
• The dividing line between qigong and kung fu…
• The flowing characteristics of Tai Chi Chuan…
• Cursive writing vs. block writing in kung fu…
• Is Lifting The Sky a form of kung fu?
• Can you fight with Golden Bridge Qigong?
• One Finger Zen Qigong
• Shooting Arrows Qigong
• Martial vs. Non-martial Qigong.

Watch the video for free here:

I’ve written on this topic before. If you’d like to read more, here are 4 good places to start:

1. The Difference Between Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Chai Tea
2. How Tai Chi Lost Its Mojo
3. The Difference Between Kung Fu, Gung Fu, and Gung Ho.
4. The History of Qigong and Tai Chi: Facts And Myths

Do you enjoy video blogs like this? If so, let me know in the comments below.

Normally, I prefer to use the written word along with images, but videos can be super helpful. I hope that you found this video helpful. If you’d like me to shoot more like this, then make sure to let me know! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Kung Fu vs. Qigong: A Quick Visual Explanation appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“What are you talking about?” he said. “Tai chi is MUCH older than qigong!”

I raised an eyebrow at this. Probably two eyebrows since he was being so aggressive.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Earlier in the conversation, this so-called “expert” had also insisted that the “chi” in tai chi means “energy”.

It absolutely doesn’t.

And tai chi is not older than qigong  — not by a long shot.

The man I was chatting with, let’s call him Dan, had presented himself as a tai chi instructor and an authority on the subject.

But his statements about qigong and tai chi were unequivocally false.

Unfortunately, untruths like this abound in the the world of qigong and tai chi, causing confusion for students.

Let’s correct some of those myths, shall we?

(Note: If you want to skip all the history, then scroll down to the video at the bottom, which will give you a super-simple 6-minute explanation, along with a few demonstrations.)

How Old is Qigong?

Qigong is an umbrella term for a variety of ancient Chinese healing arts, all of which focus on cultivating the qi, or internal energy, especially for health, vitality, and longevity.

The most important thing you need to know about qigong is that it works wonders for self healing. In that sense, it really doesn’t matter if it’s 1000 years old or 4000.

But I LUVS ME some history, and I find the history of qigong to be fascinating.

First, let’s clarify that qigong is a modern, umbrella term for various Chinese energy arts. In the past, these arts were called by many different names. Today, because they all share similar theories on energy cultivation, we lump them all together under the single term qigong.

Here are a few examples of the historical evidence we have regarding qigong:

• ca. 5000 BCE – archeological evidence (pottery) shows a qigong posture that looks just like a famous technique called “Hugging the Tree” that is still practiced and taught today.

• ca. 400 BCE – The Classic of the Way’s Virtues (The Dao De Jing, 道德經) by Lao Tzu (老子) speaks about focusing on your qi through breathing, and about cultivating softness (a hallmark of qigong).

• ca. 400 BC – Chuang Tzu (莊子) talks about how past masters breathed qi down to their feet, which is an advanced qigong technique.

• ca. 300 BC – The Circulating Qi Inscription (Xing Qi Ming, 行氣銘) basically describes the Small Universe Qigong technique, another advanced qigong method.

• ca. 200 BC – The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine (Huang Di Neijing 黃帝內經), which is the fundamental text of Traditional Chinese Medicine, speaks about breathing qi and keeping the mind tranquil and promote longevity. It also talks about Qi Circulation Theory, the Theory of 5 Elements, and the Theory of Yin and Yang

As you can see, there’s considerable evidence suggesting that qigong is older than Jesus. And many scholars think that it might even be older than the pyramids!

But what about tai chi? How old is that?

How Old is Tai Chi?

Let’s get back to my conversation with Dan, the tai chi “expert”.

In an attempt to prove his earlier statement about tai chi being older than qigong, Dan said the following:

“The I Ching talks about tai chi, and it was published in the 9th century BC!”

If Dan could have dropped the mic and walked off stage, I think he would have.

Dan struck me as one of those guys who doesn’t let a few pesky facts get in the way of his opinions.

Despite his confidence, Dan’s statement is ridiculous.

I wouldn’t criticize a beginner for a statement like this, but an expert should know better.

Unfortunately, his opinion is shared by others. I see it popping up more and more often in the tai chi world.

Let’s bust this myth that tai chi was created in the 9th century BC.

Putting the Chuan Back in Tai Chi

The I Ching (The Book of Changes, 易經) is an ancient Chinese divination text.

And technically, it DOES talk about tai chi. But not the tai chi that Dan was talking about.

I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating:

Tai chi, the beautiful, slow-motion martial art that is good for the health, is actually called Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳).

The “chuan” at the end makes a big difference.

Look, I’m guilty too. It’s easier to just say “tai chi”. But when we leave off the “chuan,” we’re not talking about the same thing any more.

Instead, we’re talking about the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. You already know at least one thing about this philosophy:

This symbol above is called the tai chi tu. Tu in this case just means “symbol” or “diagram”.

In other words, tai chi (太極) is a philosophy, whereas Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳) is a martial art.

Of course, Tai Chi Chuan incorporates the theory of yin and yang, thus adding to the confusion.

What The I Ching Really Says

Dan was correct that the I Ching speaks about tai chi (the philosophy)

But he was false in asserting that it speaks about Tai Chi Chuan (the martial art).

When it comes to the origins of Tai Chi Chuan, Dan wasn’t off by a small amount.

If someone said that Jesus was born 1000 years ago, that statement would be more accurate than Dan’s.

In that case, they would only be off by about 1000 years, whereas Dan was off by at least 2000!

The Actual Origins of Tai Chi

There are 2 main origin stories for the martial art called Tai Chi Chuan:

• Story #1 – Tai Chi Chuan was created by the Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng in the 12th Century AD.

• Story #2 – Tai Chi Chuan was created by Chen Wangting in the 17th Century AD.

Many modern scholars subscribe to the 2nd story because of the lack of evidence to support the Zhang Sanfeng theory.

But even if you believe that Zhang Sanfeng created Tai Chi Chuan — that’s still 2000 years later than Dan’s origin story.

The Grandmother of Tai Chi Chuan

Okay, so we’ve established that Tai Chi Chuan was created — at the absolute earliest — in the 12th century AD.

And we’ve established that qigong was created — at the absolute latest — in 200 BC.

So that’s a difference of 1300 years — MINIMUM.

In truth, the difference is likely a lot more than that.

I like to say that qigong is the grandmother of tai chi. It’s not just one generation older, but two.

Qigong is not the parent of tai chi because there were other arts in between, notably Shaolin Kung Fu.

What About Shaolin Kung Fu?

If there is a parent for Tai Chi Chuan, it’s undoubtably Shaolin Kung Fu.

Whichever origin story you subscribe to for Tai Chi Chuan — it leads back to the Shaolin Temple in China.

If you believe that Zhang Sanfeng created Tai Chi Chuan, then you must also acknowledge that he spent time learning kung fu at the Shaolin Temple.

If you believe that Chen Wanting created Tai Chi Chua, then you must acknowledge that his home town in Henan province was quite close to the Shaolin Temple. Plus, by the the 17th century, most martial arts in China had been influenced by Shaolin Kung Fu one way or another.

Shaolin Kung Fu is generally viewed as an external martial art, like Karate. But there were secretive internal branches of Shaolin Kung Fu as well.

It’s safe to say that without the internal practices of Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan would not have developed.

Similarly, it’s safe to say that, without the internal practices of Shaolin Qigong, Shaolin Kung Fu would not have developed.

In other words, Qigong is the grandmother, Shaolin Kung Fu is the daughter, and Tai Chi Chuan is the granddaughter.

Now don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love Tai Chi Chuan, and practice it every day. In fact, I prefer it to Shaolin Kung, which I practiced for many years.

But I also love Grandma Qigong.

And many people prefer qigong simply because it’s not a martial art, and because it’s simpler.

This video below was taken during a workshop that I gave in Mexico City. It will give you super simple overview of the history of qigong, Tai Chi Chuan, and Shaolin Kung Fu, along with a few quick demonstrations.

If you’re like me and you like reading about history, then the following articles will be a big help:

The Difference Between Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Chai Tea

The Difference Between Kung Fu, Gung Fu, and Gung Ho.

The Man Who Made Shaolin

History of Qigong: The 18 Luohan Hands

History of Qigong: Sinew Metamorphosis

History of Qigong: Bone Marrow Cleansing 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post The History of Qigong and Tai Chi: Facts And Myths appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“I’ve been practicing Tai Chi an hour a day for 30 years,” he said,  “but I’m still a long way from being a master.”

It was a beautiful, cloudless day in Golden Gate Park. I was 25 years old, and I had recently earned a black belt in Goju-Ryu Karate.

Tai Chi was completely foreign to me.

“How will you know when you reach mastery?” I asked.

I didn’t mean to be insulting, but the man clearly took offense. A quick scowl, and then he walked off.

I never did get his name.

I Want To Learn The Ways of the Force…

In the original Star Wars, there were obvious signs that Yoda was a Jedi Master. Levitating the X-wing Starfighter out of the muck, for example.

If I saw someone do that, I think I’d be pretty confident that they were a master.

But what about internal arts like Tai Chi and Qigong?

How can we tell when someone reaches mastery?

My question to the guy in the park was sincere, if also a bit naive. I truly wanted to better understand the concept of mastery, especially as it applied to the martial arts.

Although I was new to the martial arts world, I had already spent 2 decades in the classical music world. (Yes, I started playing violin when I was 5.)

In that world, no one really used the term “mastery”.

I never heard anyone at Juilliard say, “Dude, I’m getting so close to violin mastery!”

The whole “mastery” thing I encountered in the martial arts world has always been confusing to me.

After 24 years, I think I finally have a good answer.

I also know why that man’s comment in Golden Gate Park confused me.

Master Anthony, Jedi Knight

People sometimes call me “Master Anthony.” True story.

It always makes think of an earnest, young Padawan from Star Wars.

(Fun fact: Anakin Skywalker was never given the title Jedi Master even though he was more powerful than many of the Jedi Masters on the Council.)

Sometimes, I pretend to use the force to levitate nearby objects. I’m hoping it will magically work one day.

Until then, I’m not even a Padawan, let a lone a Jedi Master.

I’ll keep trying though!

Does NYC Have 13,000 Sifus?

Believe it or not, the term “master” is no where to be found in traditional in Qigong or Kung Fu (including Tai Chi).

The traditional title is Sifu (or Shifu in Mandarin, 師父), which translates literally to “teacher-father”.

Here’s the confusing part: the title Sifu doesn’t denote skill.

Confused? Just wait! The whole Sifu thing gets even more confusing!

In Chinese, there’s another term that is pronounced the same as Sifu, but uses different Chinese characters (師傅 ). This term is an honorific that is used for anyone with a special skill.

For example, this term is commonly used for taxi drivers.

Apparently, I was surrounded by Sifus when I lived in NYC! And that was before Uber!

To summarize: the Kung Fu version of Sifu does NOT denote skill, whereas the Taxi version DOES.

So weird.

In other words, a Qigong or Kung Fu Sifu may be skillful, experienced, and wise – but none of that has to do with the title.

The Violin Master

All this confusion doesn’t exist in the violin world.

After 30 seconds listening to a violinist, you can tell if he or she is a master.

But with Qigong and Tai Chi, it’s trickier.

It might seem logical to measure the health of the Qigong master, and the martial skill of the Tai Chi master.

But is that enough?

For example, a person can be naturally healthy, and that doesn’t make them a Qigong master.

And someone can be an excellent martial artist without knowing a thing about Tai Chi.

So what’s our objective measure of mastery?

10,000 Hours

This brings us to something called the 10,000 hour rule. Personally, I love this concept. It works like this:

“Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: 10,000 hours.” – Malcolm Gladwell

In other words, to acquire world-class expertise in an art, you need to put in 10,000 hours of dedicated, concentrated practice.

This is not as easy as it sounds. If you practice 3 hours every day, it will still take you 10 years to reach 10,000 hours.

Not easy, but totally doable.

Am I a Master?

I know what you’re wondering.

“Is Sifu Anthony a master?”

It’s been hard for me to answer that question myself. I can relate to that man I met in the park 20 years ago!

On the one hand, I still feel very much like a student because I have so much to practice.

On the other hand, I’ve put in well over 10,000 hours of practice since I began this journey in 1992.

4th Degree Master?

If forced to give an answer, I would say this:

I think I’m a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tai Chi and Qigong.

There are no belts in Tai Chi or Qigong, of course. It’s an analogy. Let me explain.

In the Karate world, the belt system goes like this. You start at white belt, work your way up various colored belts, and then earn a black belt.

This process usually takes 3-5 years.

In terms of hours, it takes roughly 1000 hours to become a black belt.

But black belt is just the beginning really.

After that, there are 10 degrees (called dan in Japanese). Typically, these are harder to earn than the 1st degree.

I earned my 1st Degree Black Belt in Goju-Ryu Karate in 1995. I don’t do Karate any more, but if I did I’d probably be a 4th Degree Black Belt by now.

So to answer the question — yes, I think I’m a master of Tai Chi and Qigong. But no, I’m not done mastering these arts.

When people use the word “master”, they immediately think of the Super Ultimate Grand Mega Master. A state of perfection. A 10th Degree Master.

But that’s not how this mastery thing works.

You see, mastery is a process. It sounds trite, but it’s the journey, not the destination.

In other words, even Grandmaster Yoda is still mastering his art.

Do You Need a Master? 

I’ve been thinking about this question for two decades.

Do you need a Master?

I’ve already written about spotting a bad teacher (and by extension, finding a good one).

Here’s the problem: a master is not necessarily a good teacher, and a good teacher is not necessarily a master.

I once learned from a famous violinist. He was, by far, the best player I had ever studied under.

But he was an awful teacher.

On the other hand, my best teacher was Louise Behrend. She was not known as a fantastic player, but she produced some amazing violinists (far better than me).

The lesson is clear: you might be better off learning from a good teacher rather than a high-level master.

If you can find someone who is both, if you can find Mr. Miyagi — good for you! Paint that fence!

Master of….

I’m not confused any more. I think I finally understand what mastery is.

If you call someone “a master of ___” rather than using “Master” as a title, things get much clearer.

For example, Joshua Bell is definitely a master of the violin.

So call me a master of Qigong, or a master of Tai Chi, if you like.

But please don’t call me Master Anthony.

Not until I levitate that X-wing. Then you should definitely start calling me Master.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post What Everyone Ought to Know About Jedi Mastery appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Asking questions is an important part of learning.

Here’s how the “Ask Sifu Anthony” series works.

The post Ask Sifu Anthony – June 2014 appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I’ll just come out and say it: Internal strength is real.

Of course, it looks nothing like what’s in the picture above! Come on now, people! Life isn’t a video game!

My mission is to help bring Qigong and Tai Chi into the 21st century. This includes helping people to separate fact from fantasy. 

When it comes to fantasy, there’s nothing like the topic of internal strength (nèi jìn, 內勁) to stir people’s imagination.

In an earlier article, I introduced the concept of internal strength. If you haven’t read that article, then I recommend that you do.

But relax — you can read this one first.

The Importance of Direct Experience

In this article, I’m going to stick to things that I have personally experienced.  I’ve heard stories that are far more fantastic than anything I’ll discuss in this article.

Although those stories come from people that I trust, I’d like to leave them out of the discussion simply because they are not first-hand accounts.

I’ve been cultivating internal strength for over 2 decades. My own experiences give us plenty to talk about without needing to delve into the realm of hearsay.

As we move into the 21st century, I think it would be wise for us to stick to things that we have seen or experience personally.

This doesn’t mean that you should only believe in things you’ve seen or felt. For example, I personally believe that some feats are possible even though I haven’t witnessed them (yet!).

This is the delicate balance of being a healthy skeptic. Investigate things, but remain open minded.

So let’s get started. Here are some of the things that I’ve personally experienced.

Experience #1: Vibrating Arms and Fingers

When I practice a Kung Fu form (especially Tai Chi forms), my arms and fingers start to vibrate. The same thing happens when I practice martial qigong exercises like One Finger Zen.

I’ll be the first to admit that the phenomenon is a bit odd. It looks as if I’m tensing my arms so hard that they are shaking.

But I’m not tensing. The vibration definitely doesn’t come from isometrics. My arms remain soft when this happens.

How to NOT Develop Internal Strength

In my Karate days, I learned a famous exercise called Sanchin Kata. I learned different variations from several different teachers.

In all cases, I was taught to tense the arms until they started vibrating. I was also taught to use a specific kind of forceful breathing. Here’s an example by a famous Grandmaster of the style of Karate that I practiced:

It’s not politically correct for me to say this, but I honestly believe that this kind of training is incorrect — assuming that the goal is to develop internal strength.

Why is it incorrect? Because it breaks all of the principles of internal training! Tense muscles and forceful breathing are NOT the way to internal strength.

Before I go on, let me be absolutely clear that one can be powerful without internal strength. There are plenty of tough Karateka who have done tons of external training and are incredibly strong and powerful.

I wouldn’t want to fight them. (But if I had to fight them, I’d be glad to have internal strength on my side. And perhaps also a sword.)

From China to Okinawa

For years, I’ve thought about how Sanchin Kata probably developed. Here’s my theory.

The ancient Okinawan Karate masters originally learned their skills in China. But there was a language barrier as well as a culture barrier between China and Okinawa (an island close to China that now belongs to Japan).

The Chinese masters, while demonstrating their Kung Fu skills, probably demonstrated the vibration of internal strength that I described above. And the Okinawan Karate masters, trying to be good students, simply copied the vibration.  Because of the language and cultural barriers, the Chinese masters  didn’t correct this mistake.

It’s also possible that the Chinese masters were doing it wrong. Perhaps they had already been doing it wrongly for many years.  We’ll never know.

Either way, the problem is the same. If you try to force the vibration, you’ll never develop internal strength.  Not ever.   Not in 10 years.  Not in 100 years.

If you tense the muscles and force the breathing, you block the flow of Qi, and thus block the development of internal strength.  You can be powerful, but that power won’t come from internal strength.

What good is this vibration? Well, I believe it plays a part in Experience #2.

Experience #2: Hitting Like a Heavyweight

I’m not a big guy.  I’m not even a medium guy.

If you’ve ever wondered who buys clothing in “small”, that’s me. I’m 5’7″ on a very good day, and I currently weigh about 145 pounds. (Fun fact: Al Pacino is almost exactly the same size as me.)

In boxing, I would be in the welterweight class. Nevertheless, I hit surprisingly hard.

As a sparring partner once put it, “You hit like a heavyweight!”

I know I hit hard — harder than most people my size.  I’m just not sure how I do it!

The Physics of Punching

Here’s my theory on why I’m able to hit so hard.  First, let’s analyze why a heavyweight boxer hits so hard.

If I remember my physics formulas correctly, Force = Mass x Acceleration (F=MA).

In other words, heavyweight boxers have more forceful punches because there is more mass (M) behind the punch.

But that’s only part of the story. How much mass is delivered via a punch also depends on how connected that punching arm is to the body, and also the ground.

By “connected” I mean this: If you don’t have your weight behind your punch, then you’re only punching with the mass of your arm instead of the mass of your body.

But punching is not efficient. All punches have “leaks” where power is lost.

For example, the fist itself compresses on impact, dissipating some of the power. Similarly, if the puncher’s body “gives” a bit during the punch, more power will be lost.

The Relaxed Punch

Those of us with internal strength are still bound by the same laws of physics, but our power generation is nonetheless different.  Whereas boxing uses tension to create force, I use relaxation.

A boxer can only relax so much during a punch or else he (or she) will lose that connection that I talked about earlier. In other words, they need to tense their muscles enough that they are still punching with their entire body, and not just their arm.

But with arts like Tai Chi, we learn to connect the arm without tension. We connect the arm to the waist, and then to the legs and the ground — all of this using Qi (or energy).  Actually, it’s the other way around — the power comes from the ground, through the waist (or the hips) and then out the arms.  But you get the idea.

The type of body connection or integration that Tai Chi practitioners can get is downright foreign to those who are used to arts like boxing. We achieve the same effect of connecting the arm to the body as boxers, but without the tension.

Because we don’t use tension, we’re also able to punch faster. In the physics equation above, don’t forget about the acceleration part. It’s the combination of BOTH mass and speed that creates force.

In other words, I hit so hard because I’m more connected, and because I’m using my speed and my mass more efficiently.

Experience #3: The Bottom Brick

When I first heard one of my teachers talking about breaking the bottom brick, I thought he was joking. It sounded like something out of a Van Damme movie.

Remember this?

But he was dead serious.

As is my way — I decided to test it out. I placed a brick on top of two other bricks, the way I would normally place them if I were going to break a brick (which I had already done in my Karate days). Then I placed another brick on top of the first brick.

So there were 2 bricks back-to-back, with no space between them.

Then I hit the top brick, trying to break the bottom one.

How To Break Your Hand With A Brick

I almost broke my hand. For those who have tried to break bricks, you know that, if you do it wrong, it hurts like hell.

This hurt worse than that.

Being genetically predisposed to high levels of stubbornness, I did the most natural thing I could think of: I tried again with my other hand.

I walked away with two bruised hands, a  bruised ego, and a fascination with the challenge of breaking the bottom brick. 

For about a year, I kept trying on and off. I never succeeded. I broke the top brick a few times. And one time, I broke both bricks.

But the bottom brick eluded me.

The Art of Cosmos Palm

Around the same time, I started practicing an art called Cosmos Palm.

If you’ve heard of Iron Palm (where you condition the hand by striking it into bags filled with beans, then rocks, and finally iron shot) then think of Cosmos Palm as the internal version. There’s no external conditioning, but the end result is a powerful palm. (The method involves a lot of time practicing a Qigong exercise called Pushing Mountains, see picture below.)

So one day, after doing my Cosmos Palm training, I tried to break the bottom brick. Honestly, I expected the usual hand-numbing experience.

But this time, something else happened. The bottom brick broke!

I thought it was a fluke, or a bad brick. So I tried again. I messed something up, and hurt my hand again. But then, because I’m stubborn, I tried my left. Success again!

Here’s a video of me breaking the bottom brick in Malaysia circa 2008:

Note that my classmates, who weren’t able to break the bottom brick, still showed decent breaks nonetheless, especially since none of them do any external conditioning.

So How Does It Work?

My best guess is that this has to do with the level of connection that I talked about in Experience #2.  My palm is more connected to my body via the Qi. But’s more than this.

The Qi also seems to protect my hand, and make it more resilient. It’s not the same as Iron Palm, but there’s definitely a hardening effect.

How does it work? I honestly don’t know. 

But I know that our hands aren’t as solid as we would like to believe. Our hands are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, spinning and vibrating. And those are made of quarks.

What gives things solidity is, in the end, just energy.

If you have comments or theories to add to my own, then please do so in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

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