Well, it is hard to say. When I was young, I just did it without any reason which I could know. But, maybe the only reason is that I was born in a martial art family and I had to studied it in order to transfer it from my elder generation to younger generation in my family. Now, I understand it. Because I got the beneficial effect after I did it. First, people can get self-discipline through doing it. When I was very young, I had to get up very early in the morning no matter how sleepy I was.

Qigong is a self-healing art that combines movement and meditation. "Qi" is a Chinese word that means vital energy or life force. In different cultures it has different names such as "prana". The concept of Qi is an important part of Chinese culture and underlies much of traditional Chinese medicine which believes in balancing or unblocking Qi in order to create or maintain good health. "Gong" is the physical manifestation of Qi through special movements.

Wudang is the name of a famous mountain in China. Wudang is the name of internal style as well, because, in China, people say Shaolin is external and Wudang is internal. Then classify Xing Yi, Tai Chi and Ba Gua as Wudang style internal martial arts. This is the official classification of different styles. for the logo, I designed it by myself although my artistic sense is not good. The red flame stand for energy, power.

In my opinion, martial arts and Qi Gong is only a kind of sport or exercise which has special effect. Although they are practiced by monk, or priest, they are not religion. Originally, people used etiquette in martial art training. But, that's only for respect , not for religion. And, in Chinese internal style, we study philosophy in order to make our martial arts' practice better. Because internal style has very closed relation with Chinese philosophy, such as Yin Yang and the nature.

From my personal experience in my public teaching, I find that Qi Gong treats Chronic Fatigue Syndrome effectively, and it is also one of the most effective ways of dealing with anxiety, depression, PMS, and other stress related symptoms. I find that people become much more calm, relaxed, and happier after only a short time of practice. Qi Gong is well known for treating common headaches, bodily pains, high blood pressure, arthritis, and other degenerative physical conditions.

It depends on one's expectations and needs. For the purpose of improving one's ailments, one should practice it as long as one sees the progress. For the purpose of enhancing health and physical performance, Qi Gong should be practiced as a part of daily routines. Each Qi Gong practice session should only take 20 minutes to an hour.

It should not take more than two months for people to notice the obvious changes within their body and mind. In my practice, people often experience changes within the first few weeks.

All people can practice Qi Gong regardless age or fitness levels. But the question is always universal: it is not what one does, but how one does it! The key again is to practice it correctly and regularly. Thus, finding a good Teacher/Master and making a commitment become the most important part of one's approach. Not true. Qi Gong practice has always been somewhat esoteric in the Chinese history; the majority of people don't practice it.

Yes, unless one's Teacher/Master specifically teaches one with the specific methods, one should do the following: Practice Qi Gong everyday or at least five times a week (once a day, not two or three times in one day, then stop for the rest of the week), at the same place and the same hour, unless there is an emergency, or trip. Remember the practice is a work of the accumulation of doing. Do not rely on any sense of miracles.

With the freedom of speech and the information-flood in our time, it is crucial to read about Qi Gong, especially the serious writings, as much as possible. Therefore, one can ask many good questions to find out more about the prospective Teacher/Master, and to clarify what is expected from the practice of Qi Gong. But, one cannot practice from these mediums. The central point of Qi Gong practice is to enhance the Qi, or the internal energy flow.

Before breakfast and at least an hour after dinner or whatever time feels good and works for you to do on a regular basis.

We have a good relationship with the MIT Judo Club. They are a great group... and if you are more interested in sport than self-defense, they might be a great option for you! Although I am the Head Instructor for American Jiu Jitsu at MIT, I also enjoy being a student of the MIT Judo Club. I also occasionally practice with the other Jujitsu club.

Yes, actually starting the martial arts will be the perfect way to lose weight. Shroff Sensei guides and supervises the training closely of beginners with weight problems for them to be able to train according to their conditions and have a constant and steady improvement. Many adults related to the last questions are concerned to join a Dojo and that adults already practicing will make them feel inferior or make fun of them. At the Y.K.K.F.

Yes, of course. Ultimately you can only benefit from training with other instructors and in other martial arts. However, you should understand that to study two martial arts at the same time requires serious commitment, if you are to do justice to both arts. Shinseido instructors will be happy to give whatever advice or insight they can to students who are interested in 'cross-training'.

No. Universal Chigong is just healing art, not any religion, even though we selected the exercises from different religious group. Yes. The best metal is gold and then silver, copper. Body piercings and Tatoo's will effect the flow of chi to some extent.

Unless it is a severe limitation, it should not be a problem to practice the martial arts. Shroff Sensei shapes the training of practitioners with physical impediments to be able to train by working around their limitations.

There are dozens, but essentially only two. One is the most common form, the "Moving Qi Gong," which is slow and soft stretching orientated movements, such as the Five Animal Plays, or the Eight Length Brocades etc., while the other form is more meditative, sitting in cross-legged posture to meditate without much body movements but mental concentration, visualization, and breathing.

Traditional martial arts emphasize a holistic view to training both the body and the mind. Philosophy and ideals are just as important to traditional martial arts as physical prowess (see the Dojo Kun). Traditional martial arts are based on time-honored techniques and systems. Classes are more disciplined and place more emphasis on etiquette than the typical street-corner karate school.

I ran into an interesting website About.com (a career planning site) and have linked to a few of their pages. Martial Arts.About.Com has an interesting series of articles on the martial arts. (Some pretty funny) This next one is how to choose a school. Martial Arts Choosing a Style

Gong Teacher/Master uses his/her Qi (mental and physical concentration) to heal illness or reduce physical pains, without using any medium and without touching the person. A Qi Gong practitioner heals or reduces his/her own illness/physical pains by practicing such concentration. In this case, it is a Magical Work. This Magical Power can be obtained by correct and regular discipline. Like everything else, it is all about the work, one has to earn it.

It is very possible and easy to reflect and understand (see through) other people's minds after a prolonged practicing of Meditative Qi Gong. However, there is a great distinction between reading other people's minds for a profitable or self-interested purpose, versus reflecting and understanding other people's minds for the purpose of a better understanding based on the idea of peace and compassion.

A practice like Qi Gong is not about teaching information, knowledge, and techniques, but transmitting a living wisdom, the way to fully realize one's life and potentials physically and mentally. In other words, the Teacher/Master is always to be the best example of what he/she can offer to the students.

A : Generally no, they are too valuable and you risk destroying important artistic and historical swords by using them. Some WW II era swords may be suitable to be remounted for use in martial arts. However, they need to be properly remounted by someone who knows what they are doing. Otherwise the blade may come loose and go flying across the room when in use - not a good thing. I recommend the use of a sword designed and made for martial arts.

There is no upper age limit. The beauty of the FMA is that you can continue to study up into your 70s & 80s where in other arts you may not be able to do that. The U.M.S.A. does not usually accept any students younger than 12 years old into our full time F.M.A. program. Exceptions can be made depending on the maturity of the student. Talk with the instructor for details.

No, most of our new members have no previous experience. If you have experience in karate or some other martial art, of course you're also welcome.

All martial arts have their specialties and unique character. Shotokan is traditional Japanese karate that specializes in punching, striking, kicking and blocking techniques. However, there is much overlap in technique among martial arts styles. For example, we also do sweeping, throwing and joint-locking techniques. In Shotokan, you won't see much of the flashy spinning and jumping about that is popular in martial arts movies - just techniques that are powerful and effective.

The Olympic sport of fencing is comprised of three weapons: foil, epee, and sabre. All are fenced on a long rectangular strip, and electronic scoring aids are normally used to assist in the detection of touches. The rules governing these three weapons are determined by the FIE (Federation Internationale d'Escrime).