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Louis I. Butto
7th August 2017, 11:43
Greetings,

Maybe somebody has posted these questions before, but....

1) Basically, are the fundamentals of Japanese Aiki internal arts the same as Chinese internal arts?

2) In the Chinese internal arts, like Qigong, there exists Qigong deviations--mental or physical problems that may arise. Do these exist in the Japanese internal arts as well? I have never heard of any, but that would mean these arts may be different.

Thanks for any insight.

Cady Goldfield
8th August 2017, 05:41
Greetings,

Maybe somebody has posted these questions before, but....

1) Basically, are the fundamentals of Japanese Aiki internal arts the same as Chinese internal arts?

2) In the Chinese internal arts, like Qigong, there exists Qigong deviations--mental or physical problems that may arise. Do these exist in the Japanese internal arts as well? I have never heard of any, but that would mean these arts may be different.

Thanks for any insight.

In my experience, yes, the fundamental principles and concepts are the same in Chinese and Japanese arts, with some variation on the way the mechanics are expressed. Strong evidence points to China as the source, as for many other things that found their way into Japanese culture. What differs, is the expression of those principles and concepts. Also, different arts and practitioners have different degrees of understanding and ability, and some do not have the complete "kit."

len mccoy
15th August 2017, 02:50
I am glad Cady took first turn at question 1. The only thing I would add is read Chris Li's blog and the book "Hidden in Plain Sight".
As to question 2 I am curious what exactly are the negative effects. I have been doing qigong and tai chi for about 8 years. My teacher hasn't talked much about negatives and most books say something cryptic like "we are limiting this to techniques you can safely practice on your own." I don't want you to post dangerous practices on an open forum but I would like to know what kind of dangerous effect you have seen or heard of.

Thank you,
Len McCoy

Cady Goldfield
15th August 2017, 04:26
I have never heard of any negative effects in the Japanese internal arts, though as with any physical overtraining or overworking of the body processes -- such as cranking too much force when wrapping in the legs -- can cause injuries and chronic damage. A little bit of internal movement goes a long way.

Louis I. Butto
19th August 2017, 10:09
Thanks for your comments. I have been reading Chris' blog which is quite informative. "Hidden in Plain Sight," is out pf print. I hear another updated edition will be coming out some time this year. I am looking forward to that.

"Qi deviations" as they call them in the Chinese internal arts, as I understand them (which isn't saying much), has to do especially with neigong, and hard Qigong. For example, breathing techniques can really screw you up if done incorrectly. Practices that lead to excessive rising Qi to the head can also cause problems. Jwing Ming Yang in his "Root of Chinese Qigong" talks about this. Anyway, from what I gather here, these are not issues in the Japanese internal arts. I hope I made some sense. Thanks again for your input. I appreciate your comments.

Cady Goldfield
19th August 2017, 19:22
One thing to consider, is that internals are actually very rare in Japanese martial arts, and limited to a small number of arts, most of which arose from the same root(s). Within those arts, there are also some narrow definitions, levels of understanding, and ranges of application.

Evidence points toward a Chinese origins for the internals in the Japanese arts that have them to any degree. The breathing tanren (forging drills) I've been exposed to in both Chinese and Japanese internal arts, are virtually identical, differing only in some stylistic "flourishes."

It is, of course, possible (and likely) to make mistakes in breathing, alignment, manipulation of soft tissues, and mental conditioning that will mess up your ability to create both a unified body and the ability to receive/neutralize and generate power. Bad practice exists in both Chinese and Japanese training. ;) IMO, there is no "Chinese internal arts have this problem, while Japanese arts don't." Just that incomplete teaching and bad practice are just that, in whatever tradition one is practicing.


Thanks for your comments. I have been reading Chris' blog which is quite informative. "Hidden in Plain Sight," is out pf print. I hear another updated edition will be coming out some time this year. I am looking forward to that.

"Qi deviations" as they call them in the Chinese internal arts, as I understand them (which isn't saying much), has to do especially with neigong, and hard Qigong. For example, breathing techniques can really screw you up if done incorrectly. Practices that lead to excessive rising Qi to the head can also cause problems. Jwing Ming Yang in his "Root of Chinese Qigong" talks about this. Anyway, from what I gather here, these are not issues in the Japanese internal arts. I hope I made some sense. Thanks again for your input. I appreciate your comments.