Sorry to do this but.........

[Earth_Monkey]

I think quickstep missed the point

[Chris Fleming]

Yeah dude, stop looking at naked chicks at work.

[northern_mantis]

The pics are making this page difficult to read at work.

But if you are interested in qi, this is the best book to read right now.
http://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Qi- ... 0912111631

It talks about this topic in depth and has a lot to offer to the commentary on qi and how it relates to the many aspects of Chinese Culture including martial arts. If you want to get beyond a very basic level of understanding beyond "qi is energy" then get this book.

At the risk of sounding like a boring old git, thank goodness finally a sensible post. Great recommendation, this book goes as far towards putting the argument to rest as you possibly could. I think in my own mind I am comfortable with the concept now. I'm surprised so few other people are interested, would explain why IMA is in such poor shape and so misrepresented.

Ironically, in my experience the concept of qi has been dealt with much more carefully and competently in external systems.

[qiphlow]

Yeah dude, stop looking at naked chicks at work.

that's not entirely true. none of those chicks are technically "naked."

[D_Glenn]

At the risk of sounding like a boring old git, thank goodness finally a sensible post. Great recommendation, this book goes as far towards putting the argument to rest as you possibly could. I think in my own mind I am comfortable with the concept now. I'm surprised so few other people are interested, would explain why IMA is in such poor shape and so misrepresented.

Ironically, in my experience the concept of qi has been dealt with much more carefully and competently in external systems.

You are new here, so trust me this topic has been discussed to death on here and previous incarnations of this forum. I think I can speak on behalf for everyone that we are never going to discuss or argue on the topic again.

Try searching through old posts, but please don't necro-thread them, just read.



.

[meeks]

eventually you stop trying to pinpoint the contextual variances in the word qi and just 'shut up and train' - you just get past it.

[Dmitri]

eventually you stop trying to pinpoint the contextual variances in the word qi and just 'shut up and train' - you just get past it.

...or, alternatively, you go in the opposite direction and make one of these:



http://www.amazon.com/Empty-Force-Ultim ... 1852307838

[northern_mantis]

I realise it is a tired debate and have no doubt it has been done to death here. The point I'm trying to make is it's a technicality which is of primary concern in IMA. People are happy to go in to the finest of details about weight distribution or use of the waist but not talk about this or similar concepts which are equally or more valid than many subjects which occupy the main forum.

So why bother with the internal arts??? Because of fear of ridicule it's being neglected all together. And as I said before, in my experience this and other more esoteric concepts are being dealt with alongside the external arts resulting in my shaolin training having more internal elements than my tai chi training! Given other characteristics of IMA such as softness are also available in external arts then IMA is just getting left behind.

[qiphlow]

[Chris Fleming]

[affa]