Answers to Common Tai Chi and Qigong Questions

By William Ting

WHATS INSIDE

Written in a Question and Answer format, this book is intended to share a Masters secrets to performing high level Tai Chi and Qigong. Based on queries which came into his website for the past 15 years, as well as questions from his own classes and experience, Master William Ting has penned the perfect primer for Tai Chi and Qigong students.

Ranging from deceptively simple topics to extremely complex subjects, Master Ting has created a manual for students of all styles, forms and experience. Relying heavily on Basic Principles, good posture and internal awareness, this book is an extraordinary accounting of common Tai Chi and Qigong questions and answers for practitioners of every level.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465310095

William Ting

TING, KUO-PIAO OR MASTER WILLIAM TING Master William Ting is originally from Shanghai, China. He was trained in the traditional style of classic Tai Chi, studying for many years as a closed door student of renowned Grandmaster, Lu Ji-Tang. Master Ting has 40+ years of Tai Chi, Qigong, Bagua and other Internal Arts experience. For the past 35 years he has conducted classes, seminars and private lessons in the USA. His mission is to share with the world the pure art of Tai Chi and Qigong. His teaching style focuses on simplifying esoteric concepts in ways that everyone can understand.

Book preview

Answers to Common

Tai Chi and Qigong

Questions

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William Ting

Copyright © 2011 by William Ting.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011961492

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4653-1008-8

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4653-1007-1

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4653-1009-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

105329

Contents

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17

Question 18

Question 19

Question 20

Question 21

Question 22

Question 23

Question 24

Question 25

Question 26

Question 27

Question 28

Question 29

Question 30

Question 31

Question 32

Question 33

Question 34

Question 35

Question 36

Question 37

Question 38

Question 39

Question 40

Question 41

Question 42

Question 43

Question 44

Question 45

Question 46

Question 47

Question 48

Question 49

Question 50

Question 51

Question 52

Question 53

Question 54

Question 55

Question 56

Question 57

Question 58

Question 59

Question 60

Question 61

Question 62

Question 63

Question 64

Question 65

I dedicate this book to my teacher, Grand Master Lu, Ji-Tang. He shared his wisdom generously. This book would not have been possible without his guidance, his knowledge, his patience and his humility for the many years I studied with him.

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Introduction

by William Ting

I WAS VERY YOUNG when I discovered Bagua, Tai Chi and Qigong. As difficult as the political situation was at the time I became a student, I quickly realized that this was something I had to pursue, never believing at that time it would turn out to be my life’s passion.

When I began my studies with my Master, I had thousands of questions, as do all novice students. First, the questions were simple; where does a hand go, or how do you step forward and back while maintaining balance. Many of my initial questions had to do with simply learning the correct movements, the correct sequences, the correct placement of hands, feet, and body. As my practice progressed, these same questions took on new dimensions as my form improved, as my knowledge increased and my practice steadied.

Asking questions became the basis of my education. Books were scarce and the actual practice of the martial arts was forbidden. The only medium available for me to learn was through the constant dialog of questions with my Master. It was very important to both of us that a student not only learned how to do a movement, but why the movement was performed in a certain manner to make it effective. Knowing how was not enough; knowing why was the key.

Tai Chi and Qigong spring from a rich oral tradition in China. Passed down from teacher to student through consistent exercise and one on one tutoring, these disciplines have their roots in Chinese philosophies and practices that are millenniums old. And many of the questions found in this book have been asked by students for as long as there has been practice.

When I arrived in the United States from China in the early 1980’s, I did not intend to become a teacher. But I treasured my practice and the gift my Master had entrusted to me; so I began to exercise in the park, primarily to give me a connection to my home which now seemed so very far away. It was not long before other students in the park asked about my form and whether or not they could practice with me.

By practicing and studying with these new friends, I discovered that much of the underlying foundation of Tai Chi was still undiscovered in this country. Many of the Tai Chi classics were unavailable in English, or poorly translated, leaving out much of the internal processes in the movements. I could see that students had mastered the physical, but something vital was missing from their form. I could only presume that it was the internal connections and foundational principles for the movements, which are very difficult to understand, and even harder to assimilate, especially without good instruction and proper translations.

Determined to teach these principles to as many students as I could reach, I took up instructing as my sole vocation. I traveled all over the country lecturing, explaining, demonstrating and answering students’ questions. In my studio, I started with basic principles and showed students not only how a movement is performed, but why it is done this way. In order to reach more students, I put up a website to encourage questions from practitioners all over the world. Some of the questions were simple: What is Qi? or Explain Qigong. Some of the questions came in from students with many years of practice, searching for a missing connection or tidbit of knowledge that would give their form more of an internal sensation. Almost all of the questions which came into the site in some way dealt with the Basic Principles.

These questions became the basis for this book. They are common to all students who are interested in taking up the journey of Tai Chi or Qigong. There are questions I asked when learning, there are questions that my students have asked me in my classes, and there are questions that have been asked of teachers since the shadowy beginnings of martial arts. So often I have heard a teacher tell a student how to perform a movement, and yet cannot tell the student why they are doing it. Hopefully, some of the questions in this book will resonate with the practitioner on some level and provide you with the answers you seek.

Along the way, I have encountered many special people who have encouraged and supported my efforts to share this knowledge with the world. I wish I could acknowledge everyone individually, for their kindness, for their assistance and for their belief in me but there could never be room for all of these names. Please believe me when I say that this book would never have been written had it not been for all of the students who generously contributed their time, effort and skill to make it happen.

I would especially like to thank Lynne Kemler, my senior teaching assistant, for all of the work done preparing and editing questions for the website and for this book. It was countless hours of listening, asking, writing, typing and re-editing for which I am very grateful. I would also like to thank Gene Killian for his legal input and support for this work. I would like to thank my wife Lynn, for the long hours and patience it took to bring my thoughts and words to life for my students. And finally, I thank my Master, Lu Ji-Tang, for his patience, skill, knowledge and generosity of spirit for sharing his life and thoughts with me as his student.

Question 1

Q:   I hear people talk about their Qi. I do not feel it. Can you describe what it feels like?

A:   Whether or not you feel your Qi, or are even aware of Qi, everyone has Qi. The Chinese teach that this is our internal energy; it animates life. Without Qi, we cannot survive. We practice Tai Chi and Qigong to accumulate and cultivate Qi in order to improve our health as well as our martial art skills.

As students practice the different postures and movements, they learn to feel, recognize, and experience their own Qi. Some people may feel Qi easier in some movements rather than others or the energy might feel stronger or weaker in certain sections of the Tai Chi form. As soon as we experience what Qi feels like in a single movement, we should then try to apply this feeling to all other movements.

People experience Qi in many different ways. You may feel the palms of your hands get warm, your fingers might tingle, or your hands may feel heavy, full or thick. Your arms might feel buoyant, floating as though you were in a pool of water. When you try to raise them, they lift with almost no effort. You may feel the energy go through your body like a warm wave of water or air. You may also discover that the more you are able to relax the body, calm the mind and deepen your breathing, the stronger the feeling of energy will be. On the other hand, if you are tense or distracted, it will disrupt and decrease the flow of energy so you will feel little or nothing during practice.

Most students discover their Qi during the Qigong movements. If they are practicing correctly, they may feel the palms of the hands touch something warm. A student might experience resistance between the palms when they push, similar to the sensation of trying to press together the ends of two magnets. There is nothing physical there that can be seen, heard, smelled, or touched between the palms, nevertheless a student will feel something intangible between their hands. When they separate their palms, the feeling of connection remains, similar to pulling taffy apart with the fingertips.

All of these physical sensations are very typical characteristics of Qi. Some people will experience all of the feelings that I have described, others may only sense one or two. Some people will never feel Qi. Wherever you fall in this spectrum, you should not be overly concerned about whether or not you have Qi. Rest assured; everyone has Qi. The key to experiencing Qi is to be calm and relaxed. Do not try to force Qi to manifest because you think it is expected. Qi occurs in the presence of awareness. When you do not focus on it, you may suddenly become aware of a sensation and you will know it is Qi. The more relaxed you are, the stronger the feeling of Qi will be. The feeling will be different for everyone. Once you experience Qi however, it now becomes your challenge to apply this feeling to other movements and gradually increase this sensation throughout your entire practice.

Question 2

Q:   I have read two rather different descriptions pertaining to the flow of Qi within the body. First: Qi is felt flowing through well-grounded feet, up through the legs and down through the top of the head, joining at the dantian (meeting of heaven and earth point in acupuncture). Second: Qi will wash through you, over your whole body as if you were transparent to it. I can feel both sensations happening and the second is the stronger feeling. However, I suspect that the first description is nearer to what you teach. How would you guide me?

A:   Both descriptions and your sensations are correct. Qi can be gathered through the Bubbling Well points (Yongquan) in the soles of the feet and also through the point at the top of the head (Baihui) and at points in the palms of the hands (Laogong). It is then accumulated in the dantian and distributed throughout the body. There is a small circulation through the torso of the body and a large circulation that extends around the whole body from head to toe. There are also 14 main meridians of Qi flow and numerous lesser ones. Qi travels through the connective tissue (fascia) of the body, between the muscles and the skin, and also across the surface of the skin.

Both of the feelings of Qi you mention above are all part of the same process. They should not be separated as though they were individual feelings. The movement of Qi pulling up from the feet will enable the circulation of energy throughout the whole body. Both sensations you describe are part of this continuum and should not be viewed as separate.

Question 3

Q:   You have mentioned that blood and Qi travel together. What do you mean by that?

A:   When Traditional Chinese Medicine considers the circulation of blood, it always includes the element of Qi. Although blood and Qi are distinct from each other, they share an interactive relationship. It is traditional to say that Qi is the commander of Blood… Blood is the mother of Qi.

Within our bodies, Qi has many functions that are responsible for physical well-being. At this point, I am not going to attempt to describe what Qi feels like; that has already been discussed in a previous answer. I would rather refer here to how it works, more specifically, as it relates to blood. To go into a more complete discussion of Qi would fill volumes and is beyond the scope of this question.

Qi is the source of all movement in the body. It is what animates being. Every physiological function depends upon its activity. The action of Qi generates the processes that change food and air into substances that the body needs in order to create and replenish itself in bone, muscle, skin, and blood. So in a sense, Qi creates blood. Blood then helps to nourish the various organs that adjust and produce more Qi. But do not think of Qi only as the source of all movement. It also travels along with all movement. As such, it circulates with blood within and through all vessels.

Do not get confused on this point. Although Qi is an essential part of blood, blood is not an element of Qi. Qi travels in places that blood cannot go. Qi is everywhere; it dwells in space; and in between space. There is no space that it does not penetrate.

So what does all of this mean to us as we practice Tai Chi? We practice to accumulate, balance and coordinate our Qi to flow calmly, smoothly and continuously. By doing so, we help our bodies to relax, which, in turn, affects the way we assimilate food and air, and ultimately controls how we adjust our blood’s circulation to the body’s benefit.

Question 4

Q:   In class you tell us that proper posture is basic to achieving a high level of Tai Chi. The whole body must be aligned and relaxed to generate and circulate Qi through the body. What are the basics of posture and why are they important?

A:   Posture is, perhaps, the most important factor in the practice of any athletic endeavor. If you play baseball, golf, tennis, actually, any sport, if your posture is poor or uncoordinated, your follow-through movements will be clumsy and ineffective. However, if you have trained your body to work as one unit, balanced and strong, your ability to connect effortlessly to your goal can be achieved.

It is the same in Tai Chi and Qigong. Without proper posture, there is no way to attain an internal balance and connection between the parts of the body; proper posture allows the physical frame to move around its central axis, uniting mind and body. For Qi to travel through the body connecting everything together, every joint and muscle group that Qi travels through must be opened and relaxed. Good posture will allow the energy to flow, strongly and unimpeded, through the entire body.

When I studied with my Master, we were taught the 24 Musts of Posture: these elements must be present in a student’s posture in order to achieve the maximum circulation of energy in the body. They are, as follows:

Head straight

1) Top of the head suspended from ceiling

2) Neck straight (tuck the Adam’s apple)

3) Nose in line and connected with the navel

4) Eyelids relaxed

5) Center the vision—the Eyes are the window to the soul

6) Close the mouth

7) Tip of tongue lightly touches the roof of mouth

8) Teeth slightly touch each other

Torso straight

9) Relax the waist, opening the lower back

10) Shoulders slightly forward, armpits open

11) Chest in, back out

12) Tuck in the tailbone and sink it to the heels

Feet evenly touch the ground

13) Inner thighs open out, knees connected in

14) Knees relaxed and slightly bent, keep knees in-line with toes

15) Toes lightly grab the ground, ankles & knees feel lifted

16) Bottom of the foot is hollow & absorbing

Back opened and rounded

17) Open the upper back: slightly round the shoulder blades

18) Shoulders relaxed down and level

19) Elbows never straight, point tips down and connect with the knees

20) Wrist curves smoothly, opening slightly outward like the ankles.

21) Hand & fingers have a slight smooth curve, palms feel hollow

22) Space between the fingers as if holding a soccer ball, the fingertips lightly grabbing

23) Space between the thumb and index finger like a half circle mouth of the tiger

24) Middle of palms feel absorbing, palms and fingertips feel connected

In addition to the 24 musts above, there are