How can I develop the “internal qi” of taijiquan?

A lot of taijiquan teacher ah, as soon as you see a new student, will be anxious to talk about “Taiji internal qi”, said as if the magic of the gods, so that people listen to the cloud, the beginning of quite worship, but later full of questions.

internal-qi-of-taijiquan

That “Taiji internal qi” in the end what is a thing? Today, we will use the simplest words, Chen-style Taijiquan as an example, together to unveil its mystery.

What is “Qi”?

In our traditional culture, there is a special thing called “qi”. Chinese medicine, martial arts, and religion all love to talk about it. These masters have proved that “qi” really exists by practicing kung fu and curing diseases. However, modern science has not yet been able to fully explain what it is, so let’s imagine for the time being that it is a kind of synthesis of nerves, bioelectricity, oxygen in the blood… and other elements. Let’s just imagine it as a kind of synthesis composed of nerves, bioelectricity, oxygen in the blood, and other elements!

How can I practice “Tai Chi Internal Qi”?

Actually, practicing “Tai Chi Internal Qi” is not that mysterious. Beginners, just follow the requirements of the style and practice the stances and movements step by step. After a long time, your body will naturally have a force from the inside out, which is the “internal qi”.

taichi qi

However, if you want to practice boxing well, don’t forget the following points:

  • The body should be relaxed and flexible: Imagine yourself as a spring that can be stretched and retracted. This will make your movements more flexible and less rigid.
  • Movements should be spiraled: don’t go straight, but twist the fist like a twisted rope. In this way, the movement will have ups and downs, and the spirit will follow the movement.
  • The reality should be clearly distinguished: light and heavy, fast and slow when punching. In this way, the body is like a living bead, spinning smoothly.
  • The strength should be coherent: each movement should be connected and passed from the beginning to the end like a dragon.
  • The whole set of punches should be punched in one breath: don’t stop halfway through the punch, but punch continuously to have strength.
  • Flexibility, speed and slowness should be coordinated: take your time when punching, but be fast and powerful when the time comes. In this way, you can practice both qi and combat.
  • When you are practicing boxing, your mind should be on the movements, don’t keep thinking about how the qi runs. Just think about driving the qi with your mind and letting the power sink into the soles of your feet. Don’t just think about how the chi moves, that’s easy to get distracted.
  • Through repeated practice, your stomach (dantian) will become more and more powerful, and this qi will slowly spread to the whole body, and even the tips of your fingers will be able to feel it.
  • Some people want to learn that kind of breathing method (reverse abdominal breathing) when they come up, that is actually practiced, not learned. When you have practiced boxing first, your body will naturally breathe that way. If you learn it before you have practiced it well, you may have problems.

So, let’s just practice the kung fu practically, and make a little progress every day, and one day you will feel the magical power in your body – that is the “Taiji internal qi”.

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