Advice for Getting Started

[Thesemindz]

I've been doing some reading about meditation, Taoist Yoga, Process Work, Reiki, chakra alignment, and other energy disciplines in reference to my martial arts training, and I've come across some information about Qigong. I looked around and found a local instructor who's website seems more or less on the level and I'm thinking about giving him a call. Here's his site,

http://www.taichiforme.com/

More than anything else, I'm just curious and interested in learning more. Are there any books, websites, videos, etc. that you guys would recommend that could give me more information? I'm not trying to replace an instructor with electronic media, I'm just curious and interested.

I was also curious if anyone had heard of Qigong deviation or kundalini syndrome, whether anyone had any experience with this, and how these things are viewed within the Qigong community.

I don't know if now is a good time for me to engage in a serious study of this subject or not, but I'm interested and looking for the next step in learning more, and I thought you guys might have some advice.

Thanks.


-Rob

 

[oaktree]

I've been doing some reading about meditation, Taoist Yoga, Process Work, Reiki, chakra alignment, and other energy disciplines in reference to my martial arts training, and I've come across some information about Qigong. I looked around and found a local instructor who's website seems more or less on the level and I'm thinking about giving him a call. Here's his site,

http://www.taichiforme.com/

Hi I visited the website. I found it to be jumbled and things I did not understand. The Tai ji section with random Taijiquan pictures, The Woman's day magazine article, the whole me and Barb met on match.com online and married 8 months later is more than I need to know just the site comes off as an informical then anything else.

He teaches Yang style so Xue and East Wind can comment on his form considering he is a big guy and the camera was far away I have seen worse and I have seen better. I do not see any mention about Taijiquan and anything martial so I have no idea if that is something you are looking for but it is something to consider.

The Qigong is stationary so it is most likey Zhan Zhuang standing again have no idea how much Qigong you will learn or if he is a good teacher at it.
On this forum someone wrote what to look for in a Qigong teacher its a worth a look.
Also since he is a Yang stylist you can see if he applies http://scheele.org/lee/classics.html
and Yang Chen Fu 10essentials http://www.easytaichi.co.uk/tenessentials.html

More than anything else, I'm just curious and interested in learning more. Are there any books, websites, videos, etc. that you guys would recommend that could give me more information? I'm not trying to replace an instructor with electronic media, I'm just curious and interested.

Yes there are some great books on the subject. Dr. Jwing Ming Yang has done wonderful work on Qigong. There is some excellent Taijiquan books as well
Yang Chen Fu's essence and application
Chen Tzu's 13 treatises on Taijiquan
A study of Taijiquan by Sun Lu Tang
Taiji touchstones by Douglas Wile
Taijiquan theory by Jwing Ming Yang
Chen:Living Taijiquan in the classical style by Jan Silberstorff
Alchemy of Pushing hands by Oleg Tcherne who worked from Chen Xin's original manual

As for videos:
There is quite alot of them from 56.com and Toudou.com I posted some complete instructional videos of Yang,Chen,Wu and I think Sun I think I also put application videos too on Martial Talk if not let me know and I will look for them and post them.

I enjoy the intructional videos because to me its like listening to or reenforcing things my teacher is trying to tell me or brings a topic to discuss with my teacher so to me instructional videos are excellent conversation starters.

I was also curious if anyone had heard of Qigong deviation or kundalini syndrome, whether anyone had any experience with this, and how these things are viewed within the Qigong community.

Yes it usually occurs when someone does not have a teacher or does things way to much. Like I know of people who can not talk about anything else but the subject or others who can not function normally. The common view is I think of fire. If you do not understand the idea of matches you can get burn or possible worse. If you understand how matches work you know how and when to use them and have the understanding that it is a tool only needed at certain times and conditions.

I firmly believe that people in the past who practice Qigong such as in temples may have suffered from Qigong deviation but I think in the time line and reading from their writings they chalked it up to religious experiences but the writings do seem to point to fanaticism could be a great book to write :uhyeah:

I don't know if now is a good time for me to engage in a serious study of this subject or not, but I'm interested and looking for the next step in learning more, and I thought you guys might have some advice.

My advice is if you are not sure to engage in it serious do not engage in it seriously. What I mean is learning a simple moving form like the Ba Duan Jin is a simple form that should not cause any of the deviations that more advance forms can cause.
If you do not take the time to build the fundmentals up you may injure yourself.

in Taijiquan or any Internal martial art it takes time and dedication to really start feeling things. For example you will think I got it then 6 months later you will say I have no idea why I thought I had it because now I am sure I have it then a year later you think wow I knew nothing before now I really know and so on and so on.

For the years I have been practicing I come to conclusion I don't have it I won't get it but I'll keep trying.:lol:

 

[Xue Sheng]

His history of Taijiquan is not correct and I cannot find a lineage anywhere on the page.

His video is labeled classical Yang style and it is not, beyond that all I will say is I do not like it.

This is Traditional Yang style

books that have been listed are good I will add
Chen Style Taijiquan, Sword and Broadsword b Chen Zhenglei

 

[Xue Sheng]

Two more book

Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan by Fu Zhongwen

Another good book is Tung Ying Chieh is also very good but sadly it is translated badly. You can get some of it that is translated a bit better here for free. However if you can read Chinese the Chinese version is excellent.

You can get a lot of information with pictures here

 

[East Winds]

I would agree with both oaaktree and Xue Sheng. According to his website, he teaches Taiji differently depending on which group he is teaching. NOT a good idea!!

Very best wishes

 

[mograph]

His video is labeled classical Yang style and it is not, beyond that all I will say is I do not like it.

I see a torso that isn't vertical, but leaning forwards, left and right. When he steps, he falls into it, making him look clumsy. He also lets his attention drop between moves.

... but he seems to have practiced standing on one foot and creeping low.

As for teaching differently, sometimes that's needed ... as some people need softening and others need strengthening (whole-body connection), but I wouldn't call all of those classes "tai chi" -- I'd only call the "real" class "tai chi". The others I'd call "relaxation", "warmup" or something like that and I wouldn't teach tai chi in those classes, just the exercises that those people need.

I sure wouldn't combine stretching and turning exercises with Tai Chi.

 

[Valhalla]

I'm relearning Yang style, so I'm no expert (not even close) but his stance is wide open and not fluid compared to the teacher.

As I said I'm relearning with a local school I don't get a lot of time there so I'm also watching this video.

http://insidewushu.info/2009/04/13/fu-zhongwen-video/

I learnt from his son and Grand-son when I first started.

If I can get at least half as good I'll be happy.

 

[WC_lun]

I'll have to agree with the others, I'm not impressed by what I've seen here.

 

[mograph]

Here's my take on Qigong: it's really important to be prepped before you go into the serious stuff. I recommend learning this before you try to feel qi:

- learn to relax and be calm. This is paramount.
- don't be upset if you don't feel anything odd or chi-kungy just yet.
- learn to find the places in your body where you hold tension and then soften them. It's like weeds on the lawn: you think you've found them all, then you find another one. Be patient.
- learn to relax while standing in Zhan Zhuang. Find a balanced stance where your weight is so well-distributed that you only feel pressure on the bottoms of your feet -- not your shoulders, upper back, lower back, quads, hamstrings, whatever. One way to do this is to find the muscle group that's doing the work, then shift your weight and balance the load so the opposite muscle group helps with the carrying (e.g. thighs vs. calves). When they are balanced, they won't really be noticeable, then you can shift your attention to something else that needs balancing and softening.

I like the approach to qi of our Yiquan class: relax and let the qi flow where the body naturally wants it to flow ... yet stand to keep the qi level up. After that, if you want to move qi around, seek out a qualified master ... but don't try it without doing the prep I've described.

My opinion.