gongfu

 In external gong fu, the idea of “external” qigong is very important. The premise, is that you build Qi in the muscles/tendons and skin by deep physical conditioning, and when that qi accumulates, it is able to blast through blockages and open meridians, and natural accumulate at the dantiens as necessary. It is physically hard, but doesn’t require any special knowledge of internal theory to gain the same results as internal gong fu/qigong, over a shorter period of time in a young and dedicated student.

 Another benefit of external gong fu, that cannot be said for internal gong fu, is that the body is made very strong and flexible and able to be put to use martially years and years sooner. While the techniques may not be very complex in an intermediate student’s arsenal, there really isn’t any need for complexity. It is valid in all areas of Chinese MA and qigong, contrary to what many masters of qigong have said.

 I would say, one of the real reasons that internal arts like tai qi were taught in secret, is that their students would have been easily beaten before the ten or fifteen year mark. After the point when they had started to develop real internal strength they have already developed real skills, and according to legend, many high level gong fu masters were beaten to death and into the dirt by them. Obviously, Tai Qi and Bagua are quite merited, in proper context and Hsing Yi and Baji are both internal and external and yield martial prowess sooner.

 In external qigong practice, the body is built up muscularly, including the tendons and ligaments. By building strength and endurance in the physical body, and by understanding principle/core techniques, a person’s skill can become quite formidable. Without strength, in the muscles and bones, a person’s external gong fu is useless for most of their training, in some systems like “lohan” and “Mantis” probably forever. If you punch someone athletic, and you are physically weak, it won’t hurt them. Even if you punch some supposed “softspot” it won’t cause you to win a fight. Even with your crazy chain punching skillz or whatever.

 In gong fu, there is a basic formula to achieving a battle worthy body.

 1.) Flexible muscles are healthy muscles.

 2.) The entire body is a muscular network. We think of it as one muscle.

 3.) After the point of exhaustion, is when benefits are gained.

 4.) The harder you work, the more you get out of your work.

 It is a good idea to have a few tools at hand.

 1.) Free weights, or kettlebells.

 2.) A Chinup bar.

 3.)Pushup bars- pushups/chinups and dips will be the bulk of your upper body work. 

 4.)Enough space to work sequences.

 While you are developing muscular strength, it is important to be doing qigong sets and gong fu sequences immediatly after. This refines the muscles to specific tasks while they are still hot, and ensures that plenty of nurishment is going throughout the body to properly grow and heal. If you do your sequences at night, and your conditioning in the morning, which is a perfectly valid way to practice most gong fu, you should still do “martial” qigong sets immediatly after conditioning, even if you use medium depth stances and no jing.

 In the famous words on the now N.Y based Shaolin Monk- Shi Yan Ming- “More qi, train harder!”

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