ki training

Hi all,
I was just wondering about what exorcises or meditations you do to develop Ki and Ki awareness, control.

Thanks

Are you in a dojo that teaches Ki exercises or testing? If so, what do you do?

I have been in some that do, not where I am now ... so while kokyu-dosa is not taught as a Ki exercise, I consider it one when I do it... Tenkan is also not taught as a Ki exercise, but I still look at it as one... ude-furi choyaku undo I do by myself, also ude-mawashi-undo (which I also try to concentrate on when that movement is actually IN a technique we are doing. Ikkyo-undo, of course, finds its way into lots of techniques. Zengo-undo and happo-undo get a lot of attention on my roof top deck...my neighbors love it. Ki breathing has gotten me through more than one rough day at work, and more than one rough night at the dojo...

I think if I could only have a couple, it would be happo-undo and Ki breathing. If only one, Ki breathing...

How about you?

Hi Marty,

check out this site www.bodymindandmodem.com
fun ki exercises

Originally posted by Marty Hi all, I was just wondering about what exorcises...

Exorcises? Have you tried a priest, I believe some of them could actually cast out bad spirits (exorcism)...

Originally posted by Marty Hi all, I was just wondering about what exorcises or meditations you do to develop Ki and Ki awareness, control. Thanks

Hi, Marty!
Here's a link for you to try, they've got in depth descriptions of some good ki-development exercises:
http://unofficial.ki-society.org/Four.html

and here's another for a more detailed description of ki breathing techniques:

http://unofficial.ki-society.org/Breath.html

A question to those who have been doing "ki breathing" for a while: I've read (in the second link above) that to do it properly, you should pause for five seconds (a count of five) after you breathe in and after you breathe out. The thing is, I cannot, for the life of me, hold my breath for five seconds after I've breathed out. I start gasping for air if I try . Am I expelling too much air? Is it something that you just have to train yourself to be able to do? Or am I wrong that you have to hold it for a count? Any input please . . .

Sarah

Hopefully someone from the Ki Society or other similar styles can answer this better, but until then:

you may be starting with too long a breath. In 'Ki in Daily Life' Koichi Tohei Sensei writes that longer breaths may be too difficult for beginners, who may do better to start with 15 seconds and go longer periods with more practice.

It could be other things, too, it's best if you have someone who can see what you are doing...I think posture, whether your muscles are tense or relaxed, and a bunch of other things can influence it, as well as what is going on in your head....

good luck

Originally posted by Arianah A question to those who have been doing "ki breathing" for a while: I've read (in the second link above) that to do it properly, you should pause for five seconds (a count of five) after you breathe in and after you breathe out. The thing is, I cannot, for the life of me, hold my breath for five seconds after I've breathed out. I start gasping for air if I try . Am I expelling too much air? Is it something that you just have to train yourself to be able to do? Or am I wrong that you have to hold it for a count? Any input please . . .

I've been doing meditation and ki breathing for a few years now with various systems and senseis, although lately I've been slacking-off in exchange for sleep

Colleen statement about the breath being too long is probably correct. Take your time in getting up to three, two or one long breath cycle per minute.

Some people might disagree with me, but I was taught when you breathe out to always keep just enough air in your lungs for the pause/hold. You shouldn't inhale so much that you have an uncomfortable pressure in your hara, and you shouldn't breath out so much that you feel like your suffocating. You breathing should be deep, diaphramic, and comfortable.

Find your limit, and practice at one notch below that. Slowly work towards exceeding that limit at a good pace. Then find your new limit.

Peace and Blessings.

Originally posted by ca Are you in a dojo that teaches Ki exercises or testing? If so, what do you do? How about you?

My organisation, Lancashire Aikikai, for various reasons, separated from the national Aikikai organisation before Tohei Sensei left to set up his Ki Society. We therefore emphasise both martial aspects and ki. Our late founder, Sensei Mucha, said that all technique is a ki development exercise, and the testing of unbendable arm etc. does not in itself do as much to develop ki as spirited martial practice.

The problem, it seems to me, is that as my ki develops, my techniques get more powerful, and, unless my uke is good at ukemi I have to hold my ki back to avoid injuring him/her. My experience of some ki clubs is that little ukemi or powerful martial practice is taught, and it would be difficult for me to practice extending my ki through technique with people who can't protect themselves.

Yours in budo,

Peter