So, so tired of all of the "sink the qi" talk....

[Trick]

"You need to sink the qi"...

If a topic has nothing to do with combat, usually I'm not interested in it. Am I the only person who thinks that RSF discussion lately concentrates too much in theory and not enough in reality?

When was the last time that we have discussion about "how to land your fist on your opponent's face?"

Did you use feet-ground connection when you planted your fist in the opponents face, or was it done with an isolated arm movement?

[Trick]

"You need to sink the qi"...

If a topic has nothing to do with combat, usually I'm not interested in it. Am I the only person who thinks that RSF discussion lately concentrates too much in theory and not enough in reality?

When was the last time that we have discussion about "how to land your fist on your opponent's face?"

How to not theorize on a internet ‘discussion’ forum, if on an “open” martial arts forum maybe reality would hit in sometimes......As close to reality I can theorize on this topic and how it maybe relate to combat. If one has properly learned to relax ones mind and body(muscles) while doing whatever activity let’s say boxing sparring the electric impulses shooting back an forth in the nervous system can do so smoothly. And hopefully the mind-muscle interaction will result in proper action dealing with the opponent’s movements. If ones mind and body is relaxed and yet alert our senses are clear, one might be able to read the opponent’s mind-muscle interaction to the point it confuses him, letting the electric impulses in his nervous system not going the correct ways for him...on could almost say one has with ones own Qi manipulated the opponents Qi....then one can chose whether to punch him in the face or something else......So first step, sink the Qi, or just relax actually.........This rant was all theory, probably not based in reality since biology and physics re also not my strong points

[everything]

Sun is credited with grouping the "big 3" (which is presumably what the main board covers). Here are some of his instructions. Other than a trigram and taiji reference, his instructions are practical, not theoretical.

Begin by facing squarely. Your body stands straight. Your hands hang down. Your shoulders must not go downward with exertion, but in hanging down should do so naturally. Your feet make a ninety degree angle, as in the photo. Your toes do not use exertion to grab and curl in, and your heels do not use exertion to press and twist. Your body seems to be standing in sand, your hands and feet without balance-correcting movements. Your body and mind do not yet know of expansion or contraction, or the liveliness of pressing up your headtop. Just innocently go along with what is natural, flowing along selflessly, your mind void and cavernlike, inside without thinking, outside without looking, and as for expanding and contracting, coming and going, advancing and retreating, they all show no sign of activity.

Begin with your hands hanging down, shoulders loosening. Your right toes twist inward to point straight and make a forty-five degree angle with your left foot. As your right foot twists inward, your head twists to the left so your gaze is to the corner. Make your mind steady. Your energy sinks down. Your waist uses intention to sink, and should do so naturally and must not use exertion. As it sinks and your head twists, they should, with your intention, elixir field, upper body and lower, inside and out, have a sense of turning in unison. Your tongue touches your upper palate and your rectum lifts. When like this, it is called “the inverting of Qian and Kun, the mechanism of turning the energies”, reversing their movement to restore the innate singleness of energy. This energy is called “grand polarity”. It has been said that “Taiji is continuousness and continuousness is Taiji”. Looking at it from this point of view is sagelike and saintlike. The boxing arts of the internal school all have this principle, preserve this principle, and make use of this principle. To not do so and yet hope to cultivate your body until it is agile, inside and out are a continuousness, and you are one with the universe, would be difficult to realize.

[GrahamB]

That's lovely. So. How do you sink the qi?

[aiasthewall]

That's lovely. So. How do you sink the qi?

You seem to know, so why don't you say? Or have you elsewhere?

[GrahamB]

People on this thread, including the op, are saying they know how to "sink the qi", but I've not read one actual "how to" explanation yet. Come on guys, you're overpromising and under delivering here....

aiasthewall - do some research - my explanations are out there in the public domain

[everything]

Relax is maybe a good analogy. You don't really "do" as much as "let" other than using yi. It's hard to say to "do" something. More yin, less yang. The hold ball and relax instructions are kind of "how to", though, I guess.

[johnwang]

Did you use feet-ground connection when you planted your fist in the opponents face, or was it done with an isolated arm movement?

After you have borrowed the counter force from the ground, your Qi (energy) is floating from your leg, throw your back, through your arm, and reach to your hand. Your Qi is no longer sinking at that moment.

[johnwang]

How to not theorize on a internet ‘discussion’ forum,

Besides theory, there are how to

- enter,
- finish,
- counter,
- counter a counter,
- use one move to set up next move,
- borrow the resistance force,
- borrow the yielding force,
- use straight line to interrupt a circle,
- change a straight line move into a circular move,
- change a circular move into a straight line move,
- attack one direction then attack the opposite direction,
- use footwork,
- ...

We can always learn something from each other through concrete discussion (such as how to move in your back leg). How can we learn anything through "theory" discussion (such as sink the Qi)?

[GrahamB]

If sinking the qi was just relaxing... why would there be separate instructions to relax (fang song) and sink the qi?

[Bao]

If sinking the qi was just relaxing... why would there be separate instructions to relax (fang song) and sink the qi?

It shouldn't. This is my problem. You can sink physically and/or you can have the internal feeling that you drop your weight down to your feet, but you can not order or demand your qi to think. There's a common statement that says that if you focus directly on the qi, it will become stagnant. So you cannot really"sink the qi" directly. You can only clear the path and create certain prerequisites for qi to sink. Then it will sink or drop by itself. So if someone says "now I just sink the qi" you always know that he is either doing something else, or maybe he has no clue about what he is talking about.

I would not say that "sink the qi" is just or only "relax". But pretty much the same. You need to really relax and you need a good base as well. It's a feeling of internally sinking, dropping or release. Drop or release is better. I think you know what I mean. The problem is that people believe that they should think about "Qi". But you should never focus on qi, you should focus on the mechanics, what do physically or internally do to drop or release. If there's qi, it will follow.

[Bao]

"You need to sink the qi"...

If a topic has nothing to do with combat, usually I'm not interested in it. Am I the only person who thinks that RSF discussion lately concentrates too much in theory and not enough in reality?

When was the last time that we have discussion about "how to land your fist on your opponent's face?"

How to land? How do you make your punch strong?

I feel that my punch is stronger if I have a good base and work from the feet. To get the strength down my legs I need to relax and drop my strength down.

So from this perspective: Sink the qi = Stronger punch to the face.

[windwalker]

If sinking the qi was just relaxing... why would there be separate instructions to relax (fang song) and sink the qi?

One can relax and not sink the QI
To be able to allow qi to sink one has to be able to relax.

What sinking the chi means is dependent upon the context in which it's used.

Qi, is colloquial to the culture from which it comes.

[GrahamB]

We're getting closer to an actual "how to", but I don't think we're there yet...

Here's a good question:

Can you 'sink the qi' in this posture?



If you can, how would you do it?

[Trick]

People on this thread, including the op, are saying they know how to "sink the qi", but I've not read one actual "how to" explanation yet. Come on guys, you're overpromising and under delivering here....

aiasthewall - do some research - my explanations are out there in the public domain

Well I put forward my interpretation of “sink the Qi” = Relax. No Qi/nervous system electricity/Energy is actually sunken, it moves more smoothly all over because the relaxed state of mind and body. All around/all over, from top to toe alertness....