I’m wondering how important these forms of qigong are for Songshan Shaolin.
There is a very experienced qigong and Tai Ji practitioner near me who teaches these sets. Would learning them be beneficial for my Shaolin training? I’ve seen many high level Shaolin practitioners train in these qigong sets.
Just wondering.
they are preparation exercises for traditional weight lifting
Important for Southern Shaolin at least
Don’t know exactly for Song Shan Shaolin but as way of comparson in the Shaolin I practise, Gao Can Pai, Yi Yin Jing is very important.
It opens the body, makes it more elastic and provides the preparation training for the practise of Ying Gung.
Dave
It should also be noted that versions of qigong sets called Baduanjin and Yijinjing are popular throughout China and can be quite different from that practiced in Songshan Shaolin, some related, some unrelated.
Are these like the Songshan one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQzml7sZ138&feature=plcp
[QUOTE=Sima Rong;1191229]Are these like the Songshan one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQzml7sZ138&feature=plcp[/QUOTE]
Yes, these are both Songshan Shaolin, but appear to be more similar to the way I’ve seen most people in China in general do them than in Shaolin. There are different versions in Shaolin itself though. Shi Deyang’s versions are the same overall but done quite differently from most.
in taiji mantis, the baduanjin version practiced is called taiyi zhenren baduanjin and actually has 10 movements. it is done very differently to most versions, i think it might even be unrecognisable to some.
there are 2 main versions ive seen in china, one is called “modern baduanjin” and the other shaolin. the modern one is really simplified, people often teach themselves. they even give out flyers to old people teaching them the movements
[QUOTE=Sima Rong;1191209]I’m wondering how important these forms of qigong are for Songshan Shaolin.
There is a very experienced qigong and Tai Ji practitioner near me who teaches these sets. Would learning them be beneficial for my Shaolin training? I’ve seen many high level Shaolin practitioners train in these qigong sets.
Just wondering.[/QUOTE]
I’ve never practiced Ba Duan Jin but do practice Yi Jin Jing. Depending on your goals, these can be useful sets and are also recommended by scholar/practitioners like Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming.
The most important aspect of these sets, IMO, is the introduction of combining movement with breathing.
[QUOTE=xiao yao;1191238]there are 2 main versions ive seen in china, one is called “modern baduanjin” and the other shaolin. the modern one is really simplified, people often teach themselves. they even give out flyers to old people teaching them the movements[/QUOTE]
The “modern one” you typically see people do in the park is watered down from the official version promulgated at the sports universities, which is much more detailed and requires extensive training. People can teach themselves the basic one, but the university version requires a teacher. Coaches often use the modern version to springboard to more traditional or local versions of the movements.
The “modern” version of Yijinjing even has an “advanced” version, which requires a lot of skill and patience to learn.
Shaolin has “official” versions of both, but again, really depends on the teacher and the tradition. Local groups around the temple often have qigong practices that are more important than these two.
As bawang said, these are great to practice alongside weightlifting.
We’ve discussed this before on other threads
I practice baduanjin daily. It helps my Shaolin practice just like all of my daily calisthenics do. As some of the sequences are from mabu, it helps a little more than the others.
I’ve dabbled in yijinjing. I did it as a daily practice after I first learned it at Shaolin, but didn’t keep it. I could see where it might benefit my Shaolin practice as well.
[QUOTE=bawang;1191214]they are preparation exercises for traditional weight lifting[/QUOTE]
I went to a village once where ba duan jin was itself just a weightlifting excercise. In the hands you hold a large circular rock. The rock is cut to a very thick disc (almost a squashed sphere) with a hole in the centre. This means it is larger than a rock you could usually lift. There were different sizes/weights.
Then you simple hold it in your arms when going through the motions of the excercise. Sometimes held between one arm and the chest. Their Ba Duan Jin was a little different… But mainly the same. A Lot strenghtens the waist and lower back. There was some specific breathing.
Important for Shaolin? I have seen Ba duan jin with breathing focused on and BaDuanJin where the excercise is devoted to rotating XIaoJiuTian. It depends what you want to get out of it and what the goals of your training are. There is no point just learning the shape of the moves…you need some detail on whatever it is you want to use it for (Breath Qi, XuanTianQi, Strength, Flexibility etc.)
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1191278]Baduanjin
I practice baduanjin daily. It helps my Shaolin practice just like all of my daily calisthenics do. As some of the sequences are from mabu, it helps a little more than the others.
I’ve dabbled in yijinjing. I did it as a daily practice after I first learned it at Shaolin, but didn’t keep it. I could see where it might benefit my Shaolin practice as well.[/QUOTE]
Oops and thanks Gene!.. should have used the search function I guess.
No worries
We really don’t have a thread that addresses both qigong routines as a pair, otherwise I would have merged it into this.
So while we’re here, should we discuss the theory that one originated from the other?
Also, does anyone have the complete baduanjin as a weight lifting regimen? If so, PM me.
I have an interest in Yi Jin Jing, been doing the ba duan jin for some time now.
Is the YJJ exercise tense/isometric at all? What are some good resources to learning the form? I know I had older KFM issues that detailed the form, but they seem to have been lost to housecleaning over the years.
[QUOTE=Crushing Step;1191692]I have an interest in Yi Jin Jing, been doing the ba duan jin for some time now.
Is the YJJ exercise tense/isometric at all? What are some good resources to learning the form? I know I had older KFM issues that detailed the form, but they seem to have been lost to housecleaning over the years.[/QUOTE]
The YJJ as I practice it is a set of isometric tension exercises. Combined with the breathing, it’s similar to some yogic postures.