For some months now I've had nagging pains in my hands and wrists. Went to see a doctor a few weeks ago, and long story short it appears to just be massive inflammation due to many factors. So I'm taking some meds, icing my hands every night, and have to do all I can to minimize use of my hands. Easier said than done. But, in terms of the dojang, I spoke with my SBN about it and he's put me on a program of doing hyung meditation. Basically hyung meditation is a routine of ki training and hyung. For example, come in, warm up, go through all dahn jun ki bup positions and while doing so only think about hyung. Do that for maybe 15 minutes. Then get up and do hyung for 15 minutes. Then back to dahn jun ki bup for 15 minutes, then hyung for 15 minutes. Lather, rinse, repeat. Thing is, in my experiences at my school (maybe I've just missed the relevant classes), we don't do a lot with internal training; we don't really cover much of things like the finer points of dahn jun ki bup, or exactly what's proper in doing ki cho jah ki. I mean, there's what's in the textbook and we cover a bit here and there, but for the most part it's touched on and then we just go. Maybe there isn't any more to it, but I've got questions and I do wonder if there are finer points I'm missing towards getting this right... towards proper and full ki development. I do intend to speak further with my SBN about this topic to gain his insight, but I thought it might be a worthwhile discussion topic here. What do you know about ki training? What exercises can you suggest? Any tips on performing? On good development of ki? For instance, during ki cho jah ki *I* understand it that you want your body to be relaxed but your hands should have fingers spread/stretched wide and be "tense"... like sohn sah li ki ("hands alive"). Is that correct? When you finish a ki cho jah ki movement and exhale, what do you do with your hands? Just gently bring them to your side or do you "throw" your hands down, which would sorta like "snap" the energy into the ends of your fingers (easier to show than type about, I hope you can understand what I mean). But then with dahn jun ki bup positions, do you also have "tense" hands? When doing dahn jun ki bup, how should your eyes be? Wide open (eyes bright)? gently open? half closed? closed? During dahn jun ki bup, are there any finer points about how you position your hands? Just some questions off the top of my head, and hopefully a starting point for good discussion.
Are you saying he prescribed this for your hands? how will this help ? is the "meditation "is supposed to allow you to practice the hyung mentally thereby reducing the use of your hands? if so why are you doing the 12 positions? they are meant to increase the flow to the hands.....seems counterproductive for your needs..??????? If you are thinking about the hyung then you are not doing ki training. Ki training requires that your thoughts direct the ki. "the mind leads the ki" If you want to reduce swelling in your hands practice #11 for about 20 min non-stop(if you can). not enough, nea gong, wea gong & shim gong are interdependent but cannot be easily practiced together until they are easily practiced independently. KSN has already made these "exercises" widely known, there should be plenty of resources for that. Any tips on performing? On good development of ki? if you mean ki training, Practice 30 min a day, 20 min twice a day if possible for at least 100 days to about 3 years before any real results can be experinced. eat healthy easily digestable foods, abstain as much as possible. practice ton up to the point where it is natural (about 100 days)before attempting ki yu. KCCK is designed to facilitate a rush of energy to the hands,,any tension will inhibit that. "the ki leads the blood" . KCCK when done properly can increase the fluids in the hands, particularly blood. I dont know how your hand condition will be effected by that. No not closed it depends on what you feel
My understanding of the reason for this is because most people beginning a practice of lying meditation will fall asleep if they completely close their eyes. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does tend to cut your meditation shorter than you intended.
i've practiced lying meditation a few times at night time and i've never fallen asleep. It's not hard, just not recommended when you're tired
No, not really. The point is that I really need to minimize use of my hands and wrists until they've recovered, so I can't do much for technique practice, can't really do weapons work, and so on... anything that directly involves hands/wrist and thus would further aggravate my problems. So what's left for me to do? Pretty much just hyung, kicking drills, and ki training. Point is, keeps me training at SOMETHING instead of going cold turkey doing nothing until my hands are healed. That's the main point. Why #11 above all others? Just because of gravity and with hands above the heart it'll have to pump harder to get blood up there? Well, I've got a ways to go then. One theory is with increased blood flow it brings more nutrients to the area, thus allowing better repair of damaged tissue, plus the carrying of the waste away. But in a way, that's counter to what I really need... at least, from my doctor wanting me to ice my hands and wrists for 20 minutes every night... i.e. reduce the flow, get the inflammation down. Thanx, Choi, for the answers. Helpful stuff.
Ask your instructor to ask Kuk Sa Nim for you or did you go to a seminar? Kuk Sa Nim will give you some free advice.
My two cents. ChoiYoungWoo gave some excellent advice. I experienced similar inflamation when I first learned the katas (hyungs) of Tensho and Sanchin. Everything had to be hard hard hard, muscles all tense, the wrist movmenets (crane fist) in Tensho had to be very tense etc. HArd breathing too. These latter forms were created to develop KI, but I was getting nowhere. Then I realised by talking to some older instructors, and doing some research that initially everything was not hard hard hard, in fact it was the opposite, firm, yet soft and pliable. When I applied those concepts everything worked out much better. Somthing interesting, is looking at the comparative ages (life spans) of the Goju Ryu instructors after the founders death...many did not make it through mid 40's because of heart attacks etc. Makes ya go HMMMM. The breathing was changed and the rigid softness was changed to be as hard as stone, and it in trun affected many things and not for the good. After I made the switch, my wrists healed. Now concerning this: Some general information, during your Sohn Li Ki excercise, when you "pop the hand open" make it a soft and pliable hand. Do not extend beyond the normal reach of the fingers, this is a hindrance. Just open the fingers to there fully extended position of width apart. This should not be difficult or hurt, yet the skin will be a little tense. Done right your hands will not cup in the palm more than a little, natural amount, as however is done with overextension of the fingers. When you put the hands down at the sides, there is no need to "snap" them down, that is hell on your ligaments, and wrists, so again a hindrance. It is not worthwhile to try to force ki. Ki is like a seed in all of us, we must plant it in good soil (have proper understanding of ki), and then strive to cultivate it (proper breathing and Ki Bup), and water it (practice), added the sun (natural growth) and eventually you have a beautiful mature plant, the pay off of that hard work. Ki Bup takes many years, and only increases more and more with continued efforts. In regards to forcing ki with the snap its not doing ya any good. Just lower the hands at a comfortable speed, and "direct" the ki there. Ki follows the mind, especially in begginers, because they have not fully opened the correct channels, for the ki to flow freely. Visualize your ki moving from your centre outward to every part of your body, especially to the hands in this exercise and it will begin to happen, quicker and more efficiently as the channels are cleared (unblocked). Direct the ki with thought, and eventually it will onl take mere intention to activate the energy. Most important it also the keep the back straight, and the spine erect. One of the principles of ancent chinese martial arts is as follows "When the base of the spine is erect, energy rises to the top of the head" also "When the back is straight, the enery can be awaken". This is very important too...Without Chung Seh (true and proper posture) it will be very hard to achive success in Ki Bup training. The danjun, and kundalini areas need to be in proper positions, to have free unrestricted flow of ki. Just let it be natural and soft. Do not force rigid firmness. I hope that helps, --Josh
