newbie in every sense

[cottonboxer]

Hi all.

I am very new to internal martial arts so I will possibly ask very basic questions, so I hope this is the place for me!

I guess we all have to start somewhere.

Regards, John.

[Bailu Taijiquan]

Welcome along, John!
Feel free to ask any questions you like, and we'll do the best we can to answer!

What internal martial arts are you starting to practice?

BT

[cottonboxer]

Hi BT

I am learning tai chi but am getting very confused! Can you help at all?

My teacher tells me that tai chi means supreme ultimate...but chi gong means breath work. I asked if chi means different things in these two instances and was told I should concentrate on listening and learning.

I know I am new but thought I should be able to ask questions. Maybe I have broken some centuries old chinese ettiquette by speaking up.

I am thinking maybe to look for another teacher.

If you have any time, do you have any thoughts or advice?

Thanks, John.

[Bailu Taijiquan]

cottonboxer said:

My teacher tells me that tai chi means supreme ultimate...but chi gong means breath work. I asked if chi means different things in these two instances and was told I should concentrate on listening and learning.

This is a very common misunderstanding.
The confusion comes from the different ways we translate Chinese into English. The old version of translation, called Wade-Giles, would have the spellings as T'ai Ch'i Chuan and Chi Kung. The modern, Pinyin system clears the issue up by spelling them Taiji Quan and Qigong.
No matter how it is spelt, the pronunciation is the same. Taijiquan is pronounced "Tie Jee Chewen" and Qigong is pronounced "Chee Gong"
So, the simple answer to your question is yes, in this instance the "Chi" in Tai Chi and Chi Kung is different.

cottonboxer said:

I know I am new but thought I should be able to ask questions. Maybe I have broken some centuries old chinese ettiquette by speaking up.

I am thinking maybe to look for another teacher.

If you have any time, do you have any thoughts or advice?

Thanks, John.

As far as I know, you haven't broken any age old rules.
Not to make any assumptions about your teacher, but sometimes teachers use the "don't ask questions, just concerntrate" line to cover up a lack of knowledge on their part.
It's always worth looking for different teachers. New viewpoints are always beneficial.

BT

[cottonboxer]

admin said:

This is a very common misunderstanding.
The confusion comes from the different ways we translate Chinese into English. The old version of translation, called Wade-Giles, would have the spellings as T'ai Ch'i Chuan and Chi Kung. The modern, Pinyin system clears the issue up by spelling them Taiji Quan and Qigong.
No matter how it is spelt, the pronunciation is the same. Taijiquan is pronounced "Tie Jee Chewen" and Qigong is pronounced "Chee Gong"
So, the simple answer to your question is yes, in this instance the "Chi" in Tai Chi and Chi Kung is different.

Ahhh...I see. That makes sense!!

admin said:

As far as I know, you haven't broken any age old rules.
Not to make any assumptions about your teacher, but sometimes teachers use the "don't ask questions, just concerntrate" line to cover up a lack of knowledge on their part.
It's always worth looking for different teachers. New viewpoints are always beneficial.

BT

Hopefully, I will get the confidence to ask questions, regardless of my teachers reluctance to answer. I do not wish to be difficult in class...I want to learn as much as I can. ;D

[goldendry]

Your teacher is probabaly right in a sense.. .
Taiji theory is a very broad field, and the further you read the further you will need to read into taoist philosophy, chinese medicine theory, different ideas on taiji theory etc...
so in that sense, he is right.. just practice

Having a physical / energetic experience, it is far easier to find the word to describe your experience.

If you learn the word first, you may be trying to fit your experience into that box, which can then change the underlying quality of a feeling...


anywa, that was just a passing thought.

J