Focus

Brief Interpretation for Qigong and Chinese Martial Art

(Supplementary material 7.)

Yu-Cheng Kuo¹, Ming-Chang Jeng¹

¹ Foundation Movement Academy (FMA)

The Chinese traditional culture of activities was formed and delivered by many styles, both ‘Qigong’ and ‘Chinese martial art (wushu’ are familiar well in the world. In fact, those were not represented in one thing, but composite many pattern/forms in one. The meaning for each form indicates each function and collaborates each other. The Chinese martial art should form by internal work (Neigong) and external work (Waigon). The practicing is the first step and important training for Qigong, but how to breathe in the right way is the key factor to reach the goal of Chinese breathing medication spiritual. As for breathing practice, the “ relaxing ” is the essential factor, including both the relief of mental and physical action and appropriate body posture for internal and external work, respectively. Therefore, combining this internal and external work to come into being “positive feedback”. For the external work, it is easily aware on the right approach or not, however, the internal work is hard to interpret due to conceptualization of breathing practice in Chinese Qigong. But, Qi can penetrate through whole body while relaxed, otherwise, Qi will be stagnated once the body couldn’t be relaxed.

In Chinese martial art, this is particular about the confusing strength and gentleness, which means power and slack for each respectively. You can feel the direction of moving, attacking, and power from opponents only when you are in slack situation. “Gentleness” is not weakness, it is “endurance, “receipt”, and “accommodation”. So, the opponents will be demolished due to accommodate all the fight into your gentleness. This is the pleasant level of “Chinese martial art”.

The accomplishment of life philosophy is also the part of “relief” as the well-known traditional remark: act through doing nothing. To relieve the mental and physical action, we take inaction to experience the surrounding change. In the other word, the major characteristic of Chinses martial art, slacking with accomplishment of life philosophy, is different from Western martial act.

The spirit of Chinese martial art is similar to playing chess. The situation of chess could be created by yourself, but could not go against the fate of chess, like the martial campaign. One chess moved the tide will be changed suddenly and you can understand clearly and throughout the purpose from the opponent if you play this chess with ease. As the instruction from ancestor said that playing chess without any passion in success and following the simple mind will reach the level of relaxation and inaction.

In conclusion, relaxation should be applied on breathing and training of Chinese martial art. This way also resembles to Tai-Chi that includes static and moving forms. The static form aims to help people relax from themselves then to learn moving form of Tai-Chi. Therefore, all in world are universal.