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Thursday, April 14, 2005
Mind Over Matter? QiGong Scepticism
Was talking last night to my fellow practicioners Kam, Keiron and Pash, and the hot topic was QiGong, or Chi Gung or Kung, or simply translated as Breath/Energy Work/Exercise (delete as applicable), and Kam related events of the recent seminar he and Keiron had attended about pressure points.
They were both fairly impressed with the pressure point locks and strikes and saw some potential in their use in a situation, but both were rather more sceptical to differing degrees regarding the magical Energy blocks and remote strikes.
One demonstration of the Energy, or Chi, Shield required a member of the audience to strike the Teacher at a specified spot, in this case the shoulder so that in the case of actual contact, at least he wouldn't be knocked out.
As the first strike was thrown, the Teacher whipped his hand in front of his shoulder as though to meet and catch the oncoming punch, but as the punch is about to land, the block is followed by a loud yell, and no doubt some mystical channeling of powers.
Lo and behold, the punch is stopped before it makes contact anywhere, leaving a confused would-be-attacker. This was repeated another two more times for the benefit of unbelieving heathens.
Now, that might be some great demonstration of hard Chi, had it not been for the fact that the said volunteer was one of the Teacher's students. Pinch of salt material I'd say, much as my friends had felt as they watched it.
The next trick, er, ahem, demonstration, his remote striking, which had another of his students volunteer to stand a few feet away from him, then again followed by a remote punch and I presume a yell. Well, the student went down like a sack of spuds and it took several minutes to revive him, as though he had been KO'd.
Well, Kam concluded that the KO'd volunteer was either the best actor in the world, or had really been felled for several minutes by what seemed an invisible force.
Or, for another explanation, have you seen Derron Brown, the Mind Magic Man, who has some amazing hypnotising, body-language-reading, penetrating stare of evil genius?
Well I remember watching him perform the 6 foot punch (as opposed to the 1-inch one) and knock a volunteer, a random UK Kung Fu champion. Stood close to the volunteer, Derron set up the performance by 'testing' first that the subject could 'feel' something when Derron moved his hand towards him as though to strike.
Next he stepped back several feet and told the volunteer to prepare for the demonstration.
Derron then made a slow, short punching movement, and the volunteer immediately collasped on the floor, like someone had winded him badly. Derron rushed up to the felled subject and murmured calming words and the volunteer was instantly better and back on his feet.
Derron then repeated the Mind Magic with the volunteer facing away from him with no way of seeing him in a reflection or shadow, and when he made the punching move again behind the volunteer's back, the guy fell just the same as before.
Could it be that some people have simply learnt how to speed hypnotise people without actually realising they are doing it? Some ppl say it is the voice and the tones that hypnotise you, and then when under, even if not fully under and semi-conscious, they are still susceptible to hypnotic suggestion.
Personally, being of Chinese origin, I am not very sceptical on the subject of Qi and have had many experiences of energy flow in my own practice and exercise. However, all demonstrations of this type must be taken with a pinch of physical reality, and rather than trusting only your eyes, try to use all your senses, read the person performing, pick up on their body language, to determine whether they are genuine, or simply acting.
Meet a real Chi Kung master, and you will see that they are not an impenetrable wall of hard energy, ready to tackle the world with their invisible wings of steel and flying invisible hammer punches (the real world ain't Hong Kong cinema!).
Rather, they possess a quiet, calming presence, which never interrupts your own being or energy, but envelops you in a gentle atmosphere of compassion. You know that there is great power and strength there, but there is no animosity, no threat and no yelling.
A true Chi Kung Master does not need to advertise his strength, he would already have disarmed you with compassion, not aggression. And in the event of that failing, any Chi Kung Master worth his pinch of salt would have a few tricks up his invisible sleeves!
May the Force be with you....
They were both fairly impressed with the pressure point locks and strikes and saw some potential in their use in a situation, but both were rather more sceptical to differing degrees regarding the magical Energy blocks and remote strikes.
One demonstration of the Energy, or Chi, Shield required a member of the audience to strike the Teacher at a specified spot, in this case the shoulder so that in the case of actual contact, at least he wouldn't be knocked out.
As the first strike was thrown, the Teacher whipped his hand in front of his shoulder as though to meet and catch the oncoming punch, but as the punch is about to land, the block is followed by a loud yell, and no doubt some mystical channeling of powers.
Lo and behold, the punch is stopped before it makes contact anywhere, leaving a confused would-be-attacker. This was repeated another two more times for the benefit of unbelieving heathens.
Now, that might be some great demonstration of hard Chi, had it not been for the fact that the said volunteer was one of the Teacher's students. Pinch of salt material I'd say, much as my friends had felt as they watched it.
The next trick, er, ahem, demonstration, his remote striking, which had another of his students volunteer to stand a few feet away from him, then again followed by a remote punch and I presume a yell. Well, the student went down like a sack of spuds and it took several minutes to revive him, as though he had been KO'd.
Well, Kam concluded that the KO'd volunteer was either the best actor in the world, or had really been felled for several minutes by what seemed an invisible force.
Or, for another explanation, have you seen Derron Brown, the Mind Magic Man, who has some amazing hypnotising, body-language-reading, penetrating stare of evil genius?
Well I remember watching him perform the 6 foot punch (as opposed to the 1-inch one) and knock a volunteer, a random UK Kung Fu champion. Stood close to the volunteer, Derron set up the performance by 'testing' first that the subject could 'feel' something when Derron moved his hand towards him as though to strike.
Next he stepped back several feet and told the volunteer to prepare for the demonstration.
Derron then made a slow, short punching movement, and the volunteer immediately collasped on the floor, like someone had winded him badly. Derron rushed up to the felled subject and murmured calming words and the volunteer was instantly better and back on his feet.
Derron then repeated the Mind Magic with the volunteer facing away from him with no way of seeing him in a reflection or shadow, and when he made the punching move again behind the volunteer's back, the guy fell just the same as before.
Could it be that some people have simply learnt how to speed hypnotise people without actually realising they are doing it? Some ppl say it is the voice and the tones that hypnotise you, and then when under, even if not fully under and semi-conscious, they are still susceptible to hypnotic suggestion.
Personally, being of Chinese origin, I am not very sceptical on the subject of Qi and have had many experiences of energy flow in my own practice and exercise. However, all demonstrations of this type must be taken with a pinch of physical reality, and rather than trusting only your eyes, try to use all your senses, read the person performing, pick up on their body language, to determine whether they are genuine, or simply acting.
Meet a real Chi Kung master, and you will see that they are not an impenetrable wall of hard energy, ready to tackle the world with their invisible wings of steel and flying invisible hammer punches (the real world ain't Hong Kong cinema!).
Rather, they possess a quiet, calming presence, which never interrupts your own being or energy, but envelops you in a gentle atmosphere of compassion. You know that there is great power and strength there, but there is no animosity, no threat and no yelling.
A true Chi Kung Master does not need to advertise his strength, he would already have disarmed you with compassion, not aggression. And in the event of that failing, any Chi Kung Master worth his pinch of salt would have a few tricks up his invisible sleeves!
May the Force be with you....
