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What Qi is not and our approach

The first thing to stress is that, in 6 Dragons Kung Fu, Qi has nothing supernatural:

Our vision is far from religion / superstition / paranormal
All of what we explain has been (at least) tested firsthand
What is still in a theoretical / experimental phase is not explained to our students (until we cannot use / replicate it at a good qualitative level)

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

We want also to underline that:

We do not overlap with other Ki / Qi concepts (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.); what we are going to describe is our school’s vision, nothing more nothing less
We refuse to pass off our teachings as certainties, instead, from a more rational point of view, we limit ourselves to transmit our constant acceptance of the probable (until proven otherwise)

What we call “Qi” in our school and its applications

Qi could be initially defined as a connection point between the set of mental / bodily skills that we are going to develop within our martial path.

This kind of “energy” has several “manifestations” and very practical uses. Here there are the main ones:

For general wellness improvement
To ease pain and stimulate the body
To manage / alter the states of heat and cold
To create a deeper perception of internal organs’ functionality
To manage the most advanced body control techniques we teach
For meditation / concentration / abstraction
For combat
For sexuality and pleasure
To control our emotional states
…

A note by Master Kongling – Gradually we will explore each of these applications, from the simplest (eg. general wellness) to the more challenging (eg. in a fight) but as it is easy to understand, these capabilities are not always quick to be obtained: for some of them may not be enough a whole life (eg. the higher levels of abstraction).

How to easily feel what we call Qi

Before studying the Qi notions, we need to understand what it is and begin to physically feel it.

Let’s therefore see some common expressions of Qi that are present in everyday life but over which, we have no control (and especially which we are so used to recognize as exceptional):

The temperature variations of our body (both emotional reactions or due to the climate)
The tension or relaxation of the compositional elements of our body
The management of fluids (sweat, salivation, etc.)
The shiver of pleasure, of cold, of fear (etc.)
The transition of force from one muscle to the others
The sexual orgasm and / or the spread of pain between nerves
The acceleration / slowdown of the heartbeat
The feelings of tension or relaxation in our head
Our degree of concentration due to brain electrical activity
The release of certain internal substances to our body (adrenaline, etc.)
The access (normally locked) to certain bodily resources in particular situations
…

A rational starting point

There is nothing mysterious, all of these exchanges of energy (heat, mechanical force, electricity, etc.):

Are common to all human beings
Have all a scientific explanation
Can be controlled consciously (more or less directly)
Can be combined with each other
Together, can be called “manifestations of Qi”

At the base of Qi effectiveness

Now that we know what is Qi, let’s introduce its sources and roots:

Oxygen and its correct distribution
Calories and all the nutritional elements that we assume (water included, read Qi and proper nutrition)
The level of control we have over our body and our mind

Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

The primary objective of those who approach Qi-related concepts is to become conscious that the more we train in recognizing its spontaneous manifestations, the more we can get closer to its voluntary active use
In most cases, all do is “just” to replicate / alter / optimize natural processes (altering aspects such as intensity, direction, duration, frequency, etc.)
In our explanations (especially those for beginners or intermediate-level practitioners) we will rarely directly refer to Qi but let’s not forget that its management is always implicitly included; only at an advanced / expert level we will deepen the most complex details
Last but not least, the acceptance of this part of our teachings is not mandatory, even if this means losing an important part of our method, it can be effectively followed even without changing our beliefs in relation to Qi
…

In the next article of this series, we will see how to collect useful and replicable traces of Qi in our daily lives.

In-depth video courses

Soft Qi Gong for wellness – How to improve wellness and health through Qi Gong
Meditation: how to start – A guided path toward meditation’s benefits
Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – Practical exercises to build real martial skills

In-depth articles

6 Dragons Kung Fu: what does it teach? – An overview of the 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s teachings
Correct breathing – At the base of Qi management

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Can you feel your Qi?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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