Qigong, Neigong, and TCM

**Anjin** · Posted On: 10/07/2012 11:48am

So, what do you think? Are Qigong and Neigong important to martial arts practice? How do you conceptualize these concepts; for example, do you see it as ancient nomenclature for things that can be correlated/explained with modern physiology or medicine? Or do you view them as metaphysical, objectively incorrect practices. If you do believe in their worth, how much time/focus do you place on these things?

Sorry if this starts a huge debate on things that people often consider bullshit, but I'd like to hear perspectives from senior members of the board.

**Rivington** · Posted On: 10/07/2012 12:58pm

Are breathing, relaxing instead of stiffening up, keeping limber, and keeping calm good in a martial arts context?

Yeah.

So, there you go.

**W. Rabbit** · Posted On: 10/07/2012 1:04pm

Certain types of qigong were developed based on daily observation (the health and wellness and physical improvements associated with 'qi' development). This observation continues today in 2012, with aggressive scientific research in the medical community.

If qigong were quackery the medical community would have dumped it long ago, instead research is growing and showing positive results, and most importantly passing standards like randomized, double blind testing that skeptics care about.

The mythological component is I think culturally unavoidable, given the age of what we're talking about..."ancient" exercises are bound to come with associated legends, half-truths, and fictions as they are passed down generations, so today you have a split between legitimate qigong (which still has word-of-mouth origins) and quackery (which defies logic, but can share the same origins or even name).

Important to the martial arts?

Search function.

**W. Rabbit** · Posted On: 10/07/2012 1:13pm

Anecdote: 3 years of qigong (and associated training) increased my lung strength from 80% to 105% (both lungs). That's based on a "Candle Blowing" computerized test during my annual asthma/allergy checkup.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 10/07/2012 1:49pm

Originally Posted by W. Rabbit

Anecdote: 3 years of qigong (and associated training) increased my lung strength from 80% to 105% (both lungs). That's based on a "Candle Blowing" computerized test during my annual asthma/allergy checkup.

Swimming did the same thing for me. There's nothing to debate unless you try to insert bullshit into the effectiveness of the three.

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 10/08/2012 7:58am

Originally Posted by Anjin

So, what do you think? Are Qigong and Neigong important to martial arts practice?

I'm not sure that you asked the question that you were trying to ask. But assuming that you did: Qigong is good for Martial arts practice just like physical fitness is.

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 10/08/2012 5:21pm

OP

Go running. Distance. Sprints. Run up stairs. Uneven terrain.

That'll do wonders for your Breathing and your overall fitness.

**Resonance10** · Posted On: 10/12/2012 2:07pm

So, what do you think? Are Qigong and Neigong important to martial arts practice?

No in general. As supplementary exercises they can be helpful. Not necessary but helpful.

How do you conceptualize these concepts; for example, do you see it as ancient nomenclature for things that can be correlated/explained with modern physiology or medicine?

I see it as ancient nomenclature describing subjective feeling/awareness (within its specific cultural context).
I don't think it can be correlated with modern physiology or medicine as these are more objective, they may explain them at some point in combination with other modern disciplines.

Or do you view them as metaphysical, objectively incorrect practices.

On the metaphysical: no I don't view them as such. On the objectively incorrect: always a possibility and the more metaphysically you view them the bigger the likelihood imo.

If you do believe in their worth, how much time/focus do you place on these things?

Personally they are a part of my warm up and cool down. I may do some of the more 'meditative' stuff longer as a stand alone.

Sorry if this starts a huge debate on things that people often consider bullshit, but I'd like to hear perspectives from senior members of the board.

It did i was a part of it, it got culled and not your fault. My apologies.

Not a senior here but its my thoughts for what its worth.

**W. Rabbit** · Posted On: 10/12/2012 4:12pm

Since you also asked about ancient nomenclature...consider the ancient Chinese gymnastic arts associated with Daoism, daoyin.

For a long time (at least 2000 years) daoyin was just daoyin. Stretching, hanging, jumping, rolling, flipping. Etc. Very good for your body.

Certain practices of daoyin then came to be used as neigong by the Daoist martial artists, because they found (unsurprisingly) gymnastics was a great complement to their martial training.

Those same exercises made their way into the Shaolin/Qigong history because it was a Daoist (the "Purple Coagulation Man of the Way") who wrote the famous qigong manuals in 1624 (e.g Sinews Changing Classic) mythically associated with Bodhidharma in the Shaolin legends.