INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS

Internal Martial Arts distinguish themselves from ”external” styles – boxing, karate, muay thai, Shaolin boxing, etc. – in that the main emphasis is to minimise the extent to which one relies on muscle tension to generate movement, speed, endurance and power, and instead one relies more on an integration of your whole body as a tensegrity structure, similar to what many animals have naturally, particularly cats.

This is accomplished by adhering to unique Qi Gong principles of postural alignment, breath control, body mechanics and mental concentration, to maximise output whilst minimising physical effort.

However, this does not mean that Internal training is less demanding, as it is actually quite the opposite. A big focus in Qigong training is stationary “Standing Stake” 站樁 meditation, which is serves as the foundational tool to align your body and still your mind as you endure the process of muscular tension transferring onto your sinews.

More importantly, authentic martial arts are not just about learning how to fight, but just as importantly, learning how to stop a fight, while also avoiding personal injury – accomplished through the regular practice of two-person exercises in the form of ‘pushing hands’ 推手 Tuī Shǒu, which develop the ability to manage force whilst under stress.

Adjusting your posture out of habit minimises any unnecessary pressure and strain on your joints, organs, nerve pathways, blood vessels, glands, etc. and therefore more of your whole body can be engaged on exertion with less effort.

Adjusting your breath increases the amount of oxygen available for organ, glandular & ultimately cellular functioning, as well as decreasing the strain on your heart, consequently allowing your mind to settle and being much less distracted by mental & emotional stimulation, granting you more clarity in your decision-making, whether in self-defence or, more realistically, in life.

One is therefore able to engage life’s challenges more calmly whilst maintaining a sense of self-control = an invaluable skill to be able to rely on as we continue to walk life’s often unpredictable path.

“The systems of Xíng Yì Quán “”Form & Mind Boxing”, & Tài Jí Quán “”Grand Ultimate Boxing” and Ba Gua Zhang “Eight Trigram Palm” serve as very accessible, effective & safe tools to gain an ever-increasing sense of self by nurturing the most precious gift of all = one’s health.

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CLASS SCHEDULE

I currently teach group classes twice per week. Private one-on-one sessions are also available by appointment. Workshops will be announced via this and social media platforms. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, I am sure this approach to cultivating yourself and your body will have something for you.

WEDNESDAY 8AM – 9:30 AM

St Joseph’s Church, Kommetjie

Qi Gong / Push hands (all levels)

THURSDAY 7AM – 8:30 AM

The Labia, Gardens

Qi Gong / Push hands (all levels)

👗Wear comfortable, loose clothing and flat-soled footwear. Bring a towel and water to rehydrate.
💰 Cost: R150 cash / 90 min session
☎️ Contact Thomas +27 079 517 8544 for more info or to be added to the Qi Gong WhatsApp groups.

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Styles Trained

They are a kind of ‘next step’ in the development of one’s Nei Gong or ‘internal skill’.

The Internal Martial Artist enriches their practice with additional postural, movement and partner routines to develop certain qualities of sensitivity and power, all of which are based on the quality of ‘release’ inside the body.

QI GONG

Qi Gong is an ancient system of stationary and dynamic therapeutic health-enhancing exercises that enable you, as the practitioner, to contribute to an unobstructed flow of Qi/vitality throughout the entire body – a prerequisite to proper physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and well-being.

TAI JI QUAN

‘Great Ultimate Boxing’, known for its often slow movement sequences, TAI JI emphasises maintaining and further developing the ‘released state’ while progressing through the movements of a form.

XING YI QUAN

‘Form Mind Boxing’ uses the ‘trinity posture’ – a standing meditation exercise that requires displacing one’s body weight predominantly over one leg at a time, to develop a solid foundation in the legs, waist and spine. From this foundation one trains Five Element Boxing – a unique set of stepping sequences that further develop whole-body coordination with subsequent increases in stability and power.

BA GUA ZHANG

‘Eight Trigram Palm’, relies on ‘circle walking’ training, where one walks along a curve around a central point. Initially, this is done whilst holding the arms and hands in unique postures called ‘Mother Palms’, followed by training the ‘Palm Changes’.
Ba Gua is a more demanding system to train, as progressively all of one’s joints are integrated to be moved along a curve, and eventually along spiralling lines.

PUSH HANDS

Push Hands is a two-person exercise that promotes the very same principles that Qi Gong and internal Martial Arts do. Here, the focus is to challenge the state of ‘release’ of one’s body and that of one’s training partner, by constantly attempting to avoid ‘resisting’ the attempts of the other person to control you physically, and instead, control them.
Herein lies the essence of the entire practice – settling our innate confrontational nature.

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Student resources

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