Training Prohibitions: Don’t Exercise When Too Full Or Too Hungry
This one is pretty much a no-brainer. Even in Western culture we know that we should not eat a sandwich and then go for a run or that we must wait a certain period of time after eating to go swimming. This is just common knowledge and this same knowledge applies to the practice of traditional Chinese Kung Fu.
Before practicing traditional Chinese Kung Fu you should wait at least 45 minutes to one hour after eating. And, you should wait 45 minutes to an hour after practicing to eat. This ensures that your stomach is not full while practicing. This is important for several reasons.
The first reason why this is important is because, when you eat your body diverts energy away from other functions to focus on digestion. This means that other nonessential processes in the body take second stage to the important physiological process of digestion. When the body is in the process of digesting a meal it is not the best time to exercise, resources are already diverted and are not available for strenuous exercise.
In addition, when you eat your stomach becomes full. The process of digestion works to break down the food in the stomach and sends it further down the digestive tract. If the stomach is full moving around too much can hinder the process of digestion. In addition, when the stomach is full and you move around it can place stress and pressure on the surrounding organs and tissue.
So it makes sense not to eat before training, but why should we wait after we train for certain amount of time before we can eat? The answer is also simple, after we finished training the body is in a cool down period as it returns to the state of rest. During this time it’s important for the body to naturally go through this process, changing from works to rest. This process should not be interrupted. If you eat at this time, then naturally this process will be interrupted. Not only would it be interrupted by the physical addition of the food in the stomach, but the body will start to divert energy away from other processes and channel it to the process of digestion. This would basically hinder the body from going through its natural cool down process, which is important for normalizing the body’s systems, repairing damage, and making the body stronger.
Some people might forget that these prohibitions are important, especially if the practice time is devoted to something non-strenuous like Tai Chi or Qigong. Why keep these prohibitions if it doesn’t feel like you’re doing a strenuous exercise? The reasons are the same, and these prohibitions are just as important regardless of how strenuous the exercise is. It is very important to warm the body up before exercise and cool the body down after exercise. This process is physically interrupted if a meal is taken too close to training.
Now we must cover the other aspect of this provision which is not to train when feeling overly hungry. Similar to training on a full stomach, when you train on an empty stomach and you feel hungry the body is also not in its optimum state for exercise. Usually when the body is in a state of hunger and means that the body is lacking energy. This means you don’t have the resources to perform strenuous exercise. You won’t get benefit from exercise period because it’s like trying to drive a car without a gas, you just won’t get anywhere. In addition, if you exercise while in a state of hunger, then your body will not have the resources to cool down and repair itself after the exercise finished. If you feel hungry, it is better to eat something and then wait to do your training.
Something as simple as not eating too soon before and after exercise or not exercising when hungry can have a profound impact on the body’s state of health in the long run. Proper training can build the body over time, increasing your health and vitality. This simple prohibition can help make sure that you don’t damage yourself and that your body has the resources to become stronger and repair itself after strenuous training.
The Best Time to Practice Tai Chi, Qigong, or Kung Fu.
A common question that beginners often ask is: “what is the best time to practice?” The best answer to this question is that the student should practice whenever is most convenient for them. Usually the problem students face is finding the time to practice, not deciding which time of day would give them the most benefit.
New students are usually very enthusiastic and this enthusiasm leads them to question and ponder in the hopes that they can learn everything about the art, style, or practice that has them so enthralled. But, the question “What is the best time to practice?” does not have a simple answer.
The day can be divided into nighttime and daytime. These two periods correspond to Yin and Yang. The night corresponds to Yin and the day corresponds to Yang. Traditionally the best times for practice were during the transition between these two periods. That makes the best time to practice around 6 AM and 6 PM. During these times you’ll notice that the quality of the day is different. The air is quiet and somehow it seems more peaceful. In traditional thought this is because the energy is changing from Yin to Yang or Yang to Yin. These two periods for practice also correspond to the rising and the setting of the sun. In the morning the sun (Yang) is rising ending the period of night (Yin). In the evening the sun is setting which is the ending of the Yang period of day and the beginning of the Yin period of night.
The Yin and the Yang periods can also be divided in half. At the halfway mark it is considered that the energy for that period has reached its maximum and will now go into a period of decline. This means at noon the Yang energy has reached its peak and at midnight the Yin energy has reached its peak. Some traditions say that these times are also beneficial for training. But a common prohibition in many arts is to avoid training at midday because the Yang energy at this time is too strong.
In addition to these large divisions of the day, traditionally the Chinese day is also divided into 12 periods. Each of these 12 periods is two hours long and each of these 12 periods corresponds to one of the 12 energy meridians. This means that for each of these two hour periods the energy is activated in one of the organs and its corresponding meridian. So training times can also be chosen based on this knowledge, but this type of consideration is beyond the scope of most practitioners.
In general the student should first choose a time that fits into their schedule, a time that is convenient for them to train or practice. The most important thing is to practice. Without practice there will be no benefit. The next thing the student can consider something more specific like is this time a beneficial time for practice according to traditional thought. Generally it is considered that in the morning or the evening is the best time to practice. This corresponds with the Yin Yang theory discussed previously. Any consideration taken beyond this point is usually not necessary. If it is, this is the type of knowledge that will be given to student by the teacher.
Traditional Chinese Kung Fu and Qigong Training Prohibitions
Anyone who’s been in the Chinese martial arts for a period of time will be familiar with some sort of training prohibitions. Some of these prohibitions make perfect sense like don’t exercise with a full stomach. But, other prohibitions seem very far-fetched and almost mystical. To the Western mind some of these don’t make any sense at all. In this series of articles we will tackle someone most common prohibitions and explain their reasoning.
Before we get started with explanations we should first layout some of the common prohibitions. Some of these you may have heard before and some of them might be new. This list is not all-inclusive and should not be taken as such. These are just some general prohibitions that I can come up with off the top of my head while sitting in front of my computer.
- Don’t exercise when to full or too hungry.
- Empty the bladder and bowels before exercise.
- Wait at least one hour after meals to train and wait one hour after training to eat.
- Don’t expose yourself to wind as you practice or after you practice.
- Don’t practice when it’s raining or storming out.
- Don’t practice while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- During training or after training avoid drinking anything cold.
- Don’t practice when angry or upset.
- Don’t use the bathroom directly after practice.
So these are just some general prohibitions for practice. As you read the list I’m sure you can understand some and some might be a little confusing.
In the coming articles will go into each of these prohibitions and explain them a little bit more.
You must keep in mind that these are just general prohibitions. Certain arts or certain practices might have their own specific prohibitions depending on the nature of the training, the goal of training, and the origin of the practice or art.
It’s important to remember that even though we might not understand the reasoning behind a certain prohibition we must remember that there is a reason these rules were passed down. These prohibitions were passed down so that students could benefit and avoid certain dangers. Even though the origin of certain rules might not follow what we consider scientific knowledge today, we must remember that they were created based on observations and experience.
Top Reasons Why You Should Learn Kung Fu
There are many reasons why you might want to learn Kung Fu. The benefits of training are not exclusive. This means that if you are interested in training for one reason you might get some of the other benefits listed as well. It really doesn’t matter why you are interested, if you train you will experience at least some of the benefits listed below.
Kung Fu is a Great Workout.
Tired of the same old gym routines or the newest craze in fitness that is just like all the others. Why not try some Kung Fu training. Kung Fu is not new, in fact it is ancient. It strengthens the body and the mind. Originally the goal of training Kung Fu was to become a well conditioned and deadly fighter because back in the day your life might well depend on it.
Today we can use the traditional exercises and forms of Kung Fu to get a great workout. It will keep your interest as you learn new material. If you want fitness that is more than just calisthenics or a simple collection of drills and exercises that you will probably find boring in a couple of weeks, then you should learn Kung Fu.
Kung Fu is great for Self Defense.
As stated previously Kung Fu is originally a fighting art. Each movement in Kung Fu is practical and can be used to defend against an attack. But, Kung Fu training is more than just techniques. As you learn Kung Fu you train your mind and your body, you develop coordination and confidence, and you develop awareness. These aspects are essential when facing any situation. Of course the punches, kicks, joint locks, and throws help too.
Kung Fu training can be great for your Health.
One of the benefits of a great workout is how it can enhance your health. When people think about Kung Fu they might picture high kicks or acrobatic forms but that is only one aspect of what Kung Fu is. There are many styles of Kung Fu that can be considered low impact. An example would be Tai Chi Chuan whcih is one of the soft or internal styles of Kung Fu. Other internal styles include Xing Yi Quan and Bagua Zhang. These internal arts are well known for their health benefits and are very popular throughout the world because of them. In addition many arts have exercises for improving health, flexibility, and for conditioning and strengthening different parts of the body.
Learn Kung Fu for the Art.
As you learn Kung Fu you find that the practice is more than just kicking and punching. As you progress through an art you learn the basics, the principles, the forms, the exercises, the applications, but all of these are really a study of yourself. It is you who is doing the movements, and in time it may become more than something you "just" do. The understanding gained from long term practice becomes part of who you are.
You also realize that you are part of a living tradition. Its not just about how many repetitions you can do or how you look in the mirror. You become a part of a tradition that has been passed down through many generations.
If you are interested in how Kung Fu can help you check out our selection of Kung Fu DVD or you can even start your training today and Learn Kung Fu Online.