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NATIONAL ACADEMY OF KUNG FU WUSHU - YI QUAN
HISTORY OF THE QI GONG
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF KUNG FU WUSHU - YI QUAN
HISTORY OF THE QI GONG
KEY DATES OF THE HISTORY OF THE QI GONG
1) Before HAN dynasty, up to -206
Appearance of YI KING (the book of the transfers) and of the concept of 3 energies : sky /man /earth.
2 types of training also appear at this period, Confucianist and Taoist, of which the goal is uprightness, to preserve a good health and to increase longevity. At the origin, in the first forms of Chinese acupuncture, the doctors used stone punches, then of bone and bamboo. Then came the metal needles (bronze).
2) -206 to +502
Development of 3 schools of Qi Gong
- Buddhist
- Hindouist
- Taoist
The goal of the Qi Gong is then
to make the man escape the cycle of reincarnations.
A doctor of the 3rd century, Hua Tuo, affirms that one can work the Qi thanks to the thought. He formalizes the movements in order to allow a better work of energy.
3) 502 to 1911
Work concerning the Qi develops
and reaches a very high level.
The Qi Gong adapts itself to the practice of the Martial Arts,
in particular thanks to the practice which is made by it in the
Temple of Shaolin.
Between 585 to 910 the massages and phytotherapy appear .
Around 1106, a doctor named WANG WEI YI creates the copper mannequin
or "Bronze Man ", natural size, in order to visualize
the points of acupuncture. He looks after the emperor, cures him
and this one enables him to develop his art.
Between 1102/1106, he works on tortured victims whom he dissects
alive, helped by secretaries and draughtsmen, this in order to
increase his knowledge. It is around 1068 -1086 that, for the
first time, one teaches acupuncture at the university.
WANG WEI YI wrote the " Illustrated handbook of the points of acupuncture and moxibustion according to the bronze statue ".
At the beginning of the twelfth
century, General YUE FEI (dynasty of the SONG of the south) creates
XING YI QUAN.
He also develops the series of exercises of health called "
the 8 parts of brocade " or BA DUAN JIN.
He insists on the fact that thought (YI)
must lead the breath of life (QI) and the movements.
Around 1279, CHANG SAN FENG, a hermit taoist, creates the TAIJIQUAN.
Under the MING dynasty (1368-1644), doctor YANG CHI CHOU gathers
all that relates to acupuncture and matches up the divergent sights
on the subject.
At the 18th century : creation of the BAGUAQUAN, an other martial
arts which uses the principles of
the Qi Gong.
4) THE QI GONG IN CHINA TODAY
The QI GONG must make it possible
to the man to be put in resonance with nature. If that is difficult
in our Western societies, that also became in the modern Chinese
societies.
Nowadays, the Chinese, Japanese and extreme Eastern cultures in
general carry out many exchanges.
The vision of propagation of the Qi Gong since the advent of the People's Republic of China is more to increase the health of the people than to obtain an opening on the universe, a more spiritual vision.
HOW MANY FORMS OF QI GONG ARE THERE ?
There are 5 schools :
1) Medicinal School :
its goal is to reinforce health, prophylactic, and if required to look after diseases.
2) Confucianist School :
Created by Confucius at the 6th century before our era and developed by Mancius at the 4th century before our era.
This school is characterized by
three directions of work:
- knowledge
- morality
- uprightness
3) Bouddhic school :
- teaching rests on the mental drive and the release.
- the SAMADHI school which says that " everything is only
illusion "
- the CHAN school (Japanese ZEN), which aims at the purification of the person.
4) Taoist school :
preaches not-to act, " WU WEI ". It has for goal to increase longevity and of living in harmony with nature.
5) The martial arts school :
aims to the maintenance and the improvement of health, then if required to use this strength for combat.