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Old 07-07-2007, 07:35 AM   #2
Mike Sigman
Location: Durango, CO
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,123
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Re: Understanding fascia and tensegrity

That book is an OK reference book about fascia, Tom, but it doesn't really tell you much that is useful. Roughly speaking, the strength from the ground goes through the bones (ki of Earth) and the "connective", "down-pulling" strength (ki of Heaven) goes through the fascia/ki arrangement (which is more complex than that simple statement implies).

Just saying "strength through the bones" makes someone want to say "of course... everyone knows that", but the kokyu/jin strength through the bones is something different and not part of the normal mechanics of the body. That's the jin/kokyu-force area and I'd recommend people focus on that before they get into the fascia stuff. Dan's discussions and training are pretty obviously more around the jin/kokyu area and that's the correct thing for people to learn first, IMO. There is no good book that adequately describes the how's of jin/kokyu... they're all to vague and cryptic.

If someone wants a sketchy overview of the basic Shaolin approach to "fascia" training (you really can't do jin without fascia and its breath training.... you can't really do correct fascia training without jin), then I'd recommend getting a copy of Mantak Chia's book "Iron Shirt Chi Kung I). It's not complete or fully coherent, but it will give a good intro and pictures to give people an idea.

I think I mentioned this before somewhere, but one of the exercises Tohei Sensei described in "Ki in Daily Life" is actually a breath/fascia exercise, although he doesn't say that clearly. Someone else posted the comment that Tohei attributed that particular exercise to Ueshiba Sensei.... that would make sense, since it is essentially a power-gung.

Regardless, it doesn't hurt people to look around. Ueshiba certainly did.... Aikido is founded on the Ki of Earth and the Ki of Heaven, the famous Yin-Yang dichotomy.

Best.

Mike Sigman
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