Defining Qi for the Martial Arts and Cultivation Practices

A General overview of the different types 'Qi' in our body:

1. 空氣 kōng qì (air energy) - is essentially breath, oxygen in the body.

2. 水穀精氣 shuǐ gǔ jīng qì (water food essence energy) - is the 精 'Jing' (polyamines) and nutrition we absorb from our diet to combine with oxygen from the lungs to form ATP and every other biological process.

3. 先天精 xiān​tiān jīng (pre-heaven/ ancestral/ innate/ intrinsic essence) - is the 精 'Jing' we get from our mothers while in the womb. (The 神 'Shén' (Spirit) comes from the father.)



So - 1. Breathing in fresh air, 2. Eating good food and drinking clean water, and 3. Practicing moderation in the bedroom, for men; Acupuncture or similar, (to shorten the periods), for women; to conserve 精 our 'Jing'.

Then, through various autonomic physiological and chemical functions of the body those components are ultimately transformed into 衛氣 Wei qi (defensive qi) and 營氣 Ying qi (Nutritive qi), Yang and Yin respectively. (* ~ see picture below)

Through the 'Standing Practices and 行桩 Xing Zhuang (Moving - Standing Practices), such as Baguazhang's Circle Walking or other slow-moving meditation type of practices, the body is transforming food, air, etc. into useable energy for the muscles. After one spends enough time doing 'Standing Work' (Zhuang Gong) and can hold the weight of their own limbs and body up, at that point, since the body is still transforming and producing energy but there is little actual work being done we begin to develop a surplus of Wei and Ying Qi. Where: "The outside of your body becomes like a type of 'iron body' and the inside is free of disease and sickness." (Note -- that at this point passive, relaxed standing doesn't develop near the same amount of surplus compared to actively using the muscles to isometrically work, so as to further trick the body and, more importantly, drive the muscle cells to divide and increase in number, which sends more signals for more required energy and increases our overall storage capacity for energy.)

Wei qi is the insubstantial feeling that moves around in the spaces between the skin and muscle (fascia). You can listen (ting) to your own wei qi and that of other people but it's main purpose and function is to autonomically tense up the skin, flesh, muscle and ligaments to protect the body from a blow, such as a punch or kick at and around the point of impact. It's directly linked to our eyes because if you are not aware of an incoming blow then it's what we know as the devastating "sucker punch". It's also why there is the saying, and strategy of: "It's not the obvious hand that hits; but the hidden hand that hits." in the CIMAs.

Ying qi is a substantial feeling that guides, moves, and resides in the blood. Wei and Ying qi are coordinated and harmonized and one can train them to be consciously directed by our Eyes and/or the 意 Yì (mind; intent). [This is where you don't want to gain too much somatic control as you always want their autonomic functions to return to normal. It's a slippery slope and really, as martial artists, just having a surplus is all we need.]

A surplus of Wei and Ying Qi is referred to as “后天氣 Post heaven Qi or Acquired Energy. And this whole process is, more or less, the 精 Jing -> 氣 Qi -> 神 Shen (neurotransmitters and the 5 Shens) cycle.

This surplus of energy can then promote or rather return to become 先天炁 Pre heaven Qi or Innate/ Intrinsic Energy/ Vitality. This type of 炁 Qì (Vitality) begins to build up and is stored in the 丹田 Dān​tián and eventually throughout the whole body. (It is: 精 Jing -> 氣 Qi -> 神 Shen -> 炁 Qi).

As martial artists we can use this 先天炁 Pre heaven Qi (Intrinsic Energy) in combination with 'Physical/ mechanical movement' - 力 Lì to become a 'Physical and underlying Energetic movement' called - 勁 Jìn - (the character for 'Underground River' - 巠 Jīng; next to 'Mechanical Force' - 力 Lì ) which is then like a refined, trained type of movement that can be used to 'Fa' (Issue/ Emit), 'Zhan' (Cause the opponent to Stick), etc.







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