I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now. It’s come together a lot more in the last year, during which I started doing weight training. I have a suspician that muscle is better for your health than I initially thought. I seem to get sick alot less. My favorite activity is still the 8 brocade though. and I always do it while watching TV.
One thing I like to do is on the 7th part, with the opening and closing the fists, I like to, on the last section where both arms go out to the side, I like to hold them open for a long time before I close the fist, longer than a breath. It’s hard to explain here I guess. That’s the only one where I only do three reps.
It takes so long sometimes, like two hours, I feel like if I watch tv I won’t try and shorten it out of boredom. feng shui come on man. I drive for a living, plenty of meditatin all day.
We just finished publishing a really martial version in our magazine - part one was in our Jan Feb 2004 and two was in Mar Apr 2004. It’s one of the more intense versions I’ve seen. I published one from my Shaolin monk master back in our May Jun 2001 issue.
Also we have a poster version of the Shaolin 8 section that’s very similar. Here is a video version that’s also really martial (meaning hard). Here’s another video that’s really soft. Quite a range, eh?
I want to know if anyone could recommend a certain version of 8 section brocade to do. I was going to do the version that Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming published in Qigong for Health and Martial Arts, but then I saw the version in the back of the recent Kung Fu tai chi magazine. The version in the back of the mag has more description. Does anyone have any experience with either of these versions? If so, which would be better for a beginner of qigong practice? Thanks
…it definately not for beginners. I’d begin with a soft version, then once you have a good feel for it, start researching the others. When dealing with multiple versions, there are a lot of approaches. Some keep each version consistent. Others mix it all up - choose the strongest move in each version. It’s probably best to do what feels right for you personally. But definately start with an easier version than the one we just published. That’s one of the more advanced versions I’ve seen.
FWIW, I started with the Shaolin version that I published in 2001 and I’ve pretty much stuck with it - of course, I don’t really practice 8 section that much anymore - but when I do, that’s the one I still do. I look at the other versions, like that one we just published, out of a sort of academic curiousity. I always hope they will give more clues about what I’m doing now - lord knows I need another clue - but then again, I’m in a position that I’ve been taught a lot over the years, more than I can practice anymore, so I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to finding resources. Or maybe, that’s just the product of constant research. Whatever the case, I seldom feel the need to learn something like a new 8 section off a non-human source.
that was the one I learned it from. But I don’t do the deep horse stance. I think I would probably rather enjoy the scenery at songshan mountain rather then mr bill o’reillys face. if i could.
that was the one I learned it from.
Really? FWIW, Shi Decheng says that you can do your 8 section in a fairly high stance if need be - I think he was directing that to non-martial artists who might practice it. But also, he makes a big point that for the horse stance move, in particular the Sway the haed and buttocks more, you need to go as deep as you can to get real benefits.
There are many moves like the one finger move while pulling back, like a bow and arrow in Dao style too, like wild goose qigong and chen taijiquan, sometimes it connects the energy of the finger to acupoints on the other hand. You can pull back like a bow and then shoot out two sword fingers
I’ll try that one with the horse stance. It’s just that if you don’t train horse stance then it’s hard to relax when doing it and your qigong becomes something else. but even at higher stance, I do change from horse to Bow. I actually do that one in two levels, one for the lower and one for middle back. the second half is kind of strange looking like robot meets i chuan
Well, that’s the thing with 8 section. I certainly don’t have the flexibility nor the time on task to sink into horse like monk Decheng. But you do the best you can. 8 section still works even if you can’t sit in horse like a monk. That’s the beauty of it.
I’m new to this forum, just got signed up. I’ve had some qigong classes, but I’ve been practicing the 8 brocades that are in the learn at home course from Cloudwater.
I also have the Yang Jwing Ming brocards book and video, but I found those hard to follow. The Cloudwater ones are similar, but they have a lot more detail on body structure issues and such. They are more health oriented than martial, which is more to my liking.
chad- yes, my favorite versions are the health oriented ones with the commie type people wearing funky golf shirts “official recreatin” wardrobe from China. What is martial qigong anyway? To me Qigong is for healing. My best qigong I do is when I am most banged up.
i don’t know anything about the cloudwater program, but yang jwing ming’s new 8 pieces of brocade dvd is much clearer and more detailed than the video or the book.
anyone familiar with stuart olson’s “qigong teachings of a taoist immortal”?
- but then again, I’m in a position that I’ve been taught a lot over the years, more than I can practice anymore, so I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to finding resources. Or maybe, that’s just the product of constant research. Whatever the case, I seldom feel the need to learn something like a new 8 section off a non-human source.