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Chwi ryong Sam sik Seize the Dragon

“Chwi-ryong Sam-sik” refers to a stance for seizing the dragon. Here, “dragon” symbolizes the Ki writhing in our bodies. Once Ki is accumulated in the Dahn-jon through training, energy moves within us like a writhing dragon. As you perform these movements, think about pressing this Ki into the Dahn-jon.

Hold your palms together in front of your chest, standing with your legs as you would in the Il-si Posture. Put your feet together so there is no space between your knees and ensure that your buttocks does not protrude backwards to much. Stand with your upper body relaxed and erect, without leaning forward or backward. Continue to inhale as you raise your hands above your head, gathering energy. Hold your breath when your palms touch above your head. Look at your hands at this time.

Still holding your breath, lower your arms and start moving your hands apart — wrists first, fingertips last — beginning in front of your chest. Spread your palms and press downward, as if pushing energy into the Dahn-jon. Keeping your knees together, bend your legs as you press downward with your hands. Repeat this process three times.

Turn your hands inward, bending them back at the wrist slightly, as you press them down in front of your Dahn-jon by Ilchi Lee, so that the outer edges of your wrists press outward. Also lift the ends of your little fingers, turning them inward slightly. Feel the energy generated in your hands. The elbows should be bent to about 45 degrees. Turn your wrists inward as far as they will go. Hold your upper body erect, being careful not to lean backward. Keep your shoulders relaxed and tense only your fingers.

Ilchi Ki-gong Training Method

There are several ways to train Ilchi Ki-gong. The first method is to perform the movements very slowly while feeling the energy after learning the form. Another method is to speed up, performing the movements rapidly.

Once we are comfortable with all the movements, we can practice the form from beginning to end without stopping, or we can concentrate on just one set, repeating it and getting a thorough feel for it.

One good method, as a type of Dahn-jon training, is to work the body by holding one posture for an extended period. The most common approach is to unite breathing, movement, and awareness, feeling stillness in motion and moving naturally like flowing water.

Just going through the motions as we practice Ilchi Ki-gong is virtually meaningless. It is important that we understand and appreciate the purpose of each movement.

Training Principles of Ilchi Ki-gong

Unlike ordinary Ki-gong or martial arts techniques, the lines of movement of Ilchi Ki-gong are harmonious, smooth, and very soft. Ki-gong for self defense or fighting involves many blocking and striking types of movements. Employing aggressive movements and energies without a proper philosophy is likely to lead the temperament of the practitioner in that direction as well. With Ilchi Ki-gong, if we train each movement intent on the spirit contained within it, harmonious, peaceful energies are produced, and in no time at all, our bodies and minds are suffused by the principle of harmony.

Ilchi Ki-gong is the essence of Dahnhak Ki-gong, designed so that modern people can learn it readily and yet obtain the greatest exercise benefit possible. The eight sets of Ilchi Ki-gong have a high level of perfection in terms of kinetics. Made up of movements that involve turning, pushing, pulling, raising, and lowering each part of the body, they produce a well-balanced physique.

Major movements comprise rotational motions and simple actions that involve angling the joints and squeezing out energy. Slowly performing simple movements as we gather and release Ki through respiration causes the entire body to be flushed with heat, sweat, and circulating energy.

The following table shows the relationship between body control (kinetic aspects >, breath control, and mind control achieved by practicing the eight sets of Ilchi Ki-gong.

Characteristics of Ilchi Ki-gong

Lifting heavy weights to train the muscles is not the only way to train the body. By performing movements that slightly angle the joints and by practicing breathing techniques as we gather and release Ki, even in a short period of time, our bodies are warmed up, energy circulates, and we can train internal Ki. Beginners can readily develop Ki awareness merely by repeating these simple movements. Although performing the same actions, the advanced practitioner with a deep level of training is able to enter a blissful state of deep concentration through these simple movements. This is the essence and true beauty of Ilchi Ki-gong.

So practitioners need the right mindset and correct principles, and a proper teacher, all of which serve as guides. Proper philosophy, principles, and teachers act as guides which the practitioner can use during training to conquer confusion and reach his or her goal. This is why the spirit and philosophy contained in Ki-gong training are so important.

Another characteristic of Ilchi Ki-gong is that infinite changes are possible within a single movement. The basic movements of this method are simple, but infinite creation and change are possible once Ki is felt within them. With music and soft energy, the sets become a dance; with breathing and gathering of Ki, they become Ki-gong; and with application of potent Ki energy, they become martial arts training in self defense.

Philosophy of Ilchi Ki-gong

Ilchi Ki-gong is an ideal combination of physical and mental training. Permeating its eight sets are the philosophy and spirit of the Korean people as well as kinetic principles necessary for training the body.

The eight sets of Ilchi Ki-gong express the philosophy and principles of creation, education, and civilization. The principles of creation, education, and civilization gave birth to a philosophy and spirit of enlightenment and became the founding ideology of a nation in Korean antiquity. The principle of creation involves the concept that there are three intrinsic elements of harmony, rather than a dichotomous structure of competition and confrontation. It is a universal principle of life and enlightenment, in which humanity, nature, and the cosmos blend together. The principle of education involves sharing with the world and educating people in this philosophy and principle of enlightenment. According to the principle of civilization, this philosophy of enlightenment forms the basis of a social system in which all members live to perfect their lives as human beings. Each and every movement of Ilchi Ki-gong contains such profound philosophical principles.

A trap into which Ki-gong practitioners readily fall is remaining at the level of Ki once they learn to feel and harness it, as if Ki were everything. This is only the beginning of genuine practice, however. As our practice deepens, we come to experience a great number of miraculous, spiritual phenomena. When this happens we encounter great confusion, like a person looking for a needle in a haystack, unless we are armed with the right mindset and correct principles.

Self-Realization Posture

When ending this set of movements, hold your breath and press forward with the center of your left palm, then count to yourself, “One, two, three,” and focus your Ki with a yell, “Yap!”

Exhaling, open your right fist and press forward with the center of the palm of your hand. At the same time, form your left hand into a r^   fist and bring it to your left hip. Repeat this two more times.

With this closing posture, we return to the breathing we use in everyday life by exhaling the last 20 percent of the air in our lungs, which remained in our bodies during Dahn-gong by Ilchi lee.

Simultaneously relax your hands and shoulders, drop your head, and exhale the remaining 20 percent of the air in your lungs. With your head dropped toward your chest, feel the sensation being transmitted to your spine. Repeat these movements three times.

Breathe out, lowering your hands as if pushing the air out of a bag, and stop when you have exhaled 80 percent of the air in your lungs.

WHOLE BODY PATTING

Meridian exercises are designed to open the meridian system of the body, and to balance the energy of their associated organs. Meridian exercises combine proper breathing with stretching movements. When breath is combined with body movement, metabolism can be influenced more effectively.

While there are hundreds of meridian exercises, as an HT tool this book will introduce several fundamental ones for maintaining our health. Whole Body Patting, Toe Tapping, Intestinal Exercises, and Abdominal Clapping are ideal for your morning and evening routine. I believe that consistent practice of meridian exercises can help maintain our health in the optimal state.

This exercise consists of patting the body to help circulation, open blockages, and release stagnant energy throughout the whole body. By patting, cells are strengthened as they are stimulated and acupressure points are opened. All age groups can do this exercise. It is a very effective method for general health. Pat the body gently and comfortably to achieve the desired results. You can concentrate better if you allow your eyes to follow your movements.

1.    Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Form your fingers into stiff claws and lightly tap all over your head and face.
2.    Stretch out your left arm with your palm facing up. Take your right hand and starting from the left shoulder, patrhythmically downward all the way to the left hand.
3.    Then turn your left hand over and with your right hand, pat your way back up to the left shoulder again.
4.    Repeat step 2 and step 3 with the opposite hand.
5.    Pat your chest with both hands.
6.    Starting from your chest, pat your ribs, abdomen, and sides.
7.    With both hands, pat the area just below the right rib cage where your liver is located and concentrate on radiating positive, clear energy to the liver.
8.    With both hands, tap the area just below the left rib cage where your stomach is located and concentrate on radiating positive, clear energy to your stomach.
9.    Bend over slightly from the waist, and pat the area onyour lower back (on both sides) where your kidneys are located and move up, tapping as far as your hands can reach. Then tap your way down to your buttocks.
10.    Starting from your buttocks, pat your way down the back of your legs to your ankles.
11.    From the ankles, start patting your way up the front of your legs until you reach your thighs.
12.    From your upper thighs, pat your way down the outsides of your legs to your ankles.
13.    From the ankles, pat your way up the insides of your legs to your upper thighs.
14.    Finish up by striking your lower abdomen about twenty times. This exercise is most effective when done with the legs shoulder-width apart with the knees slightly bent. side, tapping the big toes together and the pinky toes on the floor. Keep your heels together throughout the exercise. Begin with one hundred times and increase to five hundred times.

Announcing Review Contest Winner!

Here is the result of our 2nd review contest. We got 30 contestants and once again Random.Org’s random integer generator is used to pick up the winner. Once again I did not pick up the winner and random.org should be blamed for not choosing you! So screw random.org!

And The Contest winner is David Blake.

Get Out Your Puzzle Book

Happily, you can reduce your risk of age-related dementia by doing some very simple, pleasurable things. Any activity that forces your brain to figure things out will help lower your chances of developing some form of dementia by making your brain generate newer nerve cells. Dancing, which asks you to concentrate on music while moving your feet, results in a seventy-five percent reduction in Alzheimer’s risk, according to a study cited in U.S. News S^World Report. Many of the other activities that benefit the brain are surprisingly common: knitting, gardening, traveling, for example. If it forces your brain to make choices, coordinate your movements, or calculate strategies, it’s helping your brain to remain healthy. The important thing is to do a wide variety of activities that stimulate various parts of your brain. Some of the best options are the ones that really put your brain into high gear: reading new books, playing chess, doing tough crossword puzzles, learning to plav a musical instrument, learning a foreign language, or learning a new skill such as sailing or carpentry. These are all great sources of brain benefit. Just developing the independent hand motion needed to play the piano proficiently rewires your brain in many wrays, to say nothing of the gymnastics your brain goes through in learning the diatonic musical scale and remembering the difference between sharps and flats.

All this information supports the Doctor Ilchi lee’s idea that older people should never truly retire if they want to retain mental and physical wellness into advanced age. It is one thing to leave your job; most of us want the freedom to control our time. But when you compare men and women in their seventies who remain active and seek challenges after ending their working life with, on the other hand, those who sit on the porch and rock, the difference is very clear. If you want to keep your brain and mind vital into your senior years, start a business, volunteer, or take up new hobbies, sports, and passions. If you want to see your mind wither and sputter and possibly rob you of your identity, retire from work and become a passive observer of life, stuck in your routine. The better choice is obvious.

FOR THE LUNGS AND LARGE INTESTINE

1.    Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lock your fingers behind you.
2.    While exhaling, bend your upper trunk forward with your face toward your knees. Stretch both arms backwards and up.
3.    Inhale calmly when your body has stretched to its limit, and keep this position for a while. You may feel some tension in the lower legs, stomach, back, shoulders, or arms.Exhale calmly so that you can release any tension, similar to relaxing your attention. Repeat step 3 and step 4 several times

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ABDOMINAL CLAPPING

Abdominal Clapping is a simple but effective method for strengthening the lower abdomen (especially Dahn-jon, your body’s energy center) by rhythmically striking (patting) it with the palms of both hands. Stimulating the area in this way facilitates the circulation of both blood and energy throughout the body. You will also feel increased warmth in the area. This exercise will assist in the prompt removal of excess gases and waste from the bodv.

1.    Spread your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly.
2.    Point your toes slightly inward and feel a slight tightening of the lower abdomen.

Strike the lower abdomen area with both palms in rhythm, lightly bouncing your knees with each strike. Begin with only fifty strikes per session and work up to three hundred strikes as the lower abdomen is strengthened. You may increase the number and force of the strikes with more practice.

Meridian Exercises

Ilchi Lee’s Human Technology suggests that meditative experience can be deeper if preceded by stimulation and energizing our bodies and breath. We do this through “meridian exercises,” an effective way of moving our bodies to improve our breath-work and to enhance our awareness while energizing our bodies.are portals through which energy enters and exits the body.

It is easy to understand the system of meridians and acupressure points if you imagine the body as representing land. The meridians would be the main roads while the acupressure points are the bus stops. Just as goods and merchandise are transported across a highway system, our body can supply energy to the organs and different parts of the body through meridians. If energy flows well through the meridians, it is distributed evenly throughout the body, helping the body and brain to maintain their optimal conditions.

Our body consists of twelve main meridians and eight secondary meridians. The twelve main meridians are each associated with a principle internal organ and are named accordingly. These twelve meridians run on both sides, symmetrically on either side of the body. Energy flows constantly through them.