QI GONG ( Chi Kung ) - Secrets of the Use of Breath - Qi in Shaolin Practice

Shaolin Kung Fu

Teachers of the past have preserved the traditions of the Shaolin School of Qi Gong. One should practice it day after the day, during thirty years, notwithstanding if it is cold or hot. If you have got a will, you can acquire the true mastery in it: due to your efforts an iron beam can be worn off to a needle.

The correct movement of Dong makes a fighter fast and powerful like the tiger and gives the strength to move off a mountain...

Secrets of the use of Breath-Qi (Qi Gong, Chi Kung) in Shaolin Martial Practice

Breathing exercises (qi gong or chi kung) are one of the components the Shaolin Martial Art and breathing practices are united with combat arts.

There is a saying: "Before a foot or hand strikes, comes Breath - Qi which is transferred with blood and is the base of Courage and Strength". 

General Requirements

During training it is necessary at first to reach tranquillity which should immediately turn into movement. It is necessary to strengthen the Breath - Qi in the Cinnabar Field - Dantien, to reach self-discipline and fast limpness in a moment. One should pay special attention that the Mind would control the Breath - Qi which should function in unity with the physical force - Li; the Breath - Qi should strengthen the physical force - Li and the force Li should control the Breath - Qi.

As far as the Breath - Qi is concerned, it must not only make the man energetic and his movements natural, permeate the four extremities and impregnate one hundred joints of the human body; due to special practices the body must become light and capable of doing high jumps so that the man could climb a cliff or get over an abyss.

Shaolin Kung Fu  OnLine Library

Shaolin Kung Fu  OnLine Library

The Basic Principles of the Breath - Qi (Qi Gong or Chi Kung)

"A Lantern will light up in a Small Hall and it will light during all the four seasons, the meditation - Chan will help this Lantern which burns under the influence of healthful breath of the organism Zhen - Qi. Food and water moisten skin and muscles, but only the main Breath Qung-Qi makes the body strong. In training with the Breath Qi Gong (Chi Kung) one must be guided by the following three instructions. First, one should keep Tranquility, second, Limpness - Song, third, Smoothness and Thoroughness. The Tranquility consists in heart emptiness; the heart keeps only the image of the entity, all things fall into the void like stones sinking to the sea bottom. In the state of limpness your muscles are quick as quicksand in which Blood smoothly follows the Breath - Qi. Inhalation and exhalation must be deep, long, thorough and steady so that the duration of inhalation and exhalation would not differ a bit."

Explanations

Tranquility
When practicing Qi Gong, your thoughts must be in a state of full concentration: "You do not look at celestial aphthars and thoughts about dragons playing at your gate do not appear in your head; you are not afraid of a sharp sword near your head, you are as quiet as a junzi strolling in faraway mountains." 

In other words, during training you must put an end to all extraneous thoughts and only then you will be able to reach a state of mind concentration and as a result of it the brain will keep tranquility. This state is achieved by mind concentration on Dantien - the Cinnabar Field".

They say: "The Cinnabar Field is a Sea of Qi, it can engulf each of one hundred diseases." Thus, the concentration of the mind on Dantien, the Cinnabar Field, is the main secret and the basic principle of Qi Gong practice. "When the tip of the tongue raised to palate, the Breath Qi becomes healthy, and when the Breath Qi makes for the Cinnabar Field, the spirit  - Shen - becomes strong."

During the Qi Gong (Chi Kung) practice the mind must concentrate on the Cinnabar Field and the tongue must be raised to the palate (i.e., the tip of the tongue is bent up and touches the upper palate); as a result of it the mind obeys the call of reason. Only in such a way one can reach a state of tranquility, in this state the Breath Qi does not dissipate in the body.

The treatise "Nei-Zin" ("Canon on the Concealed") quoth: "The Breath Qi controls the blood and the blood gives a birth to the Breath Qi." If the Breath Qi is obedient and the blood moves freely, the blood will be healthy and the Breath Qi will be strong, the Breath Qi will be fast and the blood will be swift.

If you control the Breath Qi, it means you accumulate the force - Li; if you releases the Breath Qi, so it means you makes an effort. If the Breath Qi comes, so the force Li will come too; that's why the Breath Qi is of the highest value and at the same time a force.

Shaolin Kung Fu  OnLine Library

Shaolin Kung Fu  OnLine Library

Shaolin Kung Fu  OnLine Library

Limpness
The muscles of the whole body must be limp. The "Secrets of Shaolin Pugilism" quoth: "As a result of limpness the Breath  moves freely; when the body contains sufficient the Breath , the body is healthy". During training in combat arts it is necessary to control and regulate the Breath , only in that case you will react accordingly to all stances and techniques of the enemy who all the time during an attack delivers various strokes with his hands and feet. The Breath must move alternately up and down, from the left to the right, from the right to the left. Those transitions of the Breath  are called shift or switch-over of the Breath Huan-Qi. Before doing such a shift it should be weakened, as without weakening it is difficult to shift the Breath. The Breath in a weakened state freely enters all parts of the body, obeys instructions; orders direct the Breath  to a certain place. Such is the function of "Limpness" in Breathing Exercises Qi Gong ( Chi Kung ).

Smoothness and Thoroughness Yun Xi
During Qi Gong (Chi Kung) exercises an inhalation and an exhalation must be deep and long, they must be done smoothly and thoroughly. The "Secrets of Shaolin Pugilism" say: "The Breath must go down up to the center of the foot and must go up to the Kunlun mountain" (i.e, the brain). During an exhalation Breathe out completely; during an inhalation Breathe in completely. Furthermore, it is necessary to Breathe smoothly and thoroughly. One should not be careless and coarse. Pay sufficient attention to the duration of Breath, do not do too short Breathes. It is necessary to monitor your Breath all the time. Inhalations and exhalations must be of the same duration, one ought not to do a long inhalation and a short exhalation or vice versa.

Persistency
Persistency is the most valuable thing in Qi Gong (Chi Kung) exercises. In spite of very cold weather in winter or unbearable heat in summer, notwithstanding that you feel bad or that you are seriously ill, in spite of other circumstances, it is necessary to do exercises all the time with zeal and not to give way to laziness. Let four seasons last like an instant, let several years pass like a day. If your life does not come abruptly to an end, do not stop your exercises, engage in regular practice, do not pay attention to hurricanes and weather extremities.

Triple practice
It is necessary to exercises at dawn, it is necessary to do exercises late in the night, it is necessary to do exercises at noon. Training is carried out three times a day. "The Secrets of Shaolin Pugilism" quoth: "When you exercise in the morning, you remove from your body the spent Breath Qi and get a new one; when you exercise at noon, you help free movement of the Breath Qi and semen "Jing" accumulated in the body; if you exercise late in the night, you train your Breath Qi and make it so keen and fine that you can pierce a wooden board with your finger like a straw mat". 

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