Sifu Franklin Fick Interviewed by MartialArtsReport.com
Sifu Franklin Fick was interviewed by MartialArtsReport.com
The interview covers:
- How Sifu Fick got started in the Martial Arts
- The differences, similarities, and characteristics of Southern Shaolin, Tai Chi, Xing Yi, and Bagua
- More about Tai Chi Training
- More about Qigong
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.
The Best Qi Gong System for You.
There are many different Qi Gong systems. These systems can be vastly different in their practice methods and in their goals. It would be false to assume that one Qi Gong system is the best for everyone. Instead it is up to you to find a system that best suits your needs and gaols.
The first thing you should think about is what you want to get out of your Qi Gong practice. You should choose a system that will give you what it is that you want.
You should clearly define what is that wish to gain, how much time you have to devote per day, and what types of practice you are interested.
While many Qi Gong systems have the goal of enhancing your overall health there are also many systems that are for developing specific skills or reaching specific goals. An example would be Iron Body Qi Gong. These types of systems are designed to increase the body’s ability to withstand blows. This is great training for people interested in martial arts but might not be for everyone. There are also other systems are geared more to enhancing or strengthening a specific organ system. These systems are great if you have an imbalance that needs to be addressed or an underlying health issue that would benefit from this type of training. The most important thing is to be clear about what it is that you want and know what it is that you can expect from your practice.
The next thing to think about is how much time per day you have to devote to your practice. Some practices take only a few minutes to go through while others can take several hours or more. If you’re very busy it would be unrealistic to choose a system that does not fit into your daily schedule. You should also take into account that when first starting there is a certain enthusiasm that tends to fade with time. This means we should be realistic in assessing the motivation and the amount of time that are willing to devote to the practice. We might be enthusiastic about an hour and a half of practice per day for several weeks but then we might start finding excuses for why we cannot practice that day. It would be more realistic to find a system to practice in the beginning that takes less time. Then when we start to see results, the results and benefits will motivate us to continue.
The third thing to think about is what type of things we’re interested in. Not all Qi Gong systems are the same. If you find it boring to sit still for long periods of time then you should not choose a system that requires this. If you’re not able to move vigorously than a system that requires that will be unsuitable for you. You should choose something that you find interesting and fun to practice
If you choose a system that you enjoy practicing, fits into your daily schedule, and provides the benefits that you’re looking for then you have found the best Qi Gong system for you. Finding the best system for yourself is very important.
Qi Gong- Should you Mix and Match?
A common question that beginners have is, "Can I mix this Qi Gong movement with that Qi Gong movement from another system?" Because beginners are usually eager for results, this type of reasoning seems logical. They believe that by combining certain movements or even entire Qi Gong systems they can achieve the results that they want faster and easier. This type of thinking is incorrect and sometimes it can be damaging to the body. As a general rule you should not mix movements from different systems or even complete systems together.
Each Qi Gong system works with the body’s energy in a certain way. The movements of a set are designed to move the energy, to accomplish a certain goal, or achieve a certain result. Sometimes it can also be bad to practice just a certain movement of a Qi Gong set outside of the complete set.
Traditional sets are designed to be balanced and healthy. They should be seen as whole and complete things. They should not be seen as a Lego set which can be broken down and combined to build something new. To accomplish something like this would require a vast amount of knowledge and skill.
Of course people will argue that the Qi Gong sets that we have today had to have been created at some point by someone. This is true. But, many of the sets we have today have a very long history. This history includes refinements that have taken place over the generations both making the sets safer and more effective. This long history also gives lots of data pertaining to how these sets work and what results they produce.
Now some Qi Gong sets or movements can be practiced together without doing any damage to the body. The type of sets that are safe to practice alongside other sets usually contain milder practices or practices for general health maintenance. When two sets like this are practiced together in the same day they are not practiced back to back. Instead you allow some time between the sets for the body to normalize or "cool down", much in the same way you should cool down after any exercise as it allows the body to return to a normal state. This prevents the exercises from confusing your body or contradicting each other.
Qi Gong has a long history with a proven track record. Always practice safely and when in doubt seek advice and guidance from someone with the experience and knowledge to give it. Sometimes is is better not to try to reinvent the wheel.
Qi Gong- Fitness that can fit into any schedule.
Sometimes we know that something can benefit us greatly but for some reason we keep putting it off or cannot find the time to include in our daily schedule.
Fitness routines seem to fit that bill for almost everyone. Most people think that to be healthy we have to go to the gym and exercise for hours everyday. We know that we should, but somehow we make excuses and find ways to get out of doing what we need to do in order to get healthy and feel better.
This can set up a cycle where because we know that we should have done something but instead didn’t we end up feeling bad about ourselves. Maybe something important comes up. Maybe the traffic is bad at the time when we should be driving to the gym. Maybe work or family is the reason. Maybe we tell ourselves that we will start tomorrow. All these excuses can lead to more stress and tension in our lives. This is the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve by starting a fitness program.
If you haven’t heard of Qi Gong then maybe you should take note. It might be just the thing you have been searching for.
Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese art with many benefits that go beyond pure fitness and it can fit into almost anyone’s daily schedule no matter how busy you are.
Qi Gong does not require any special practice space. You can practice almost anywhere. That means you can practice and save time in the process because you don’t have to drive anywhere to get your workout in. You can practice at home before work, after work, before bed, or whenever you have some spare time. You can even practice Qi Gong at work during one of your breaks.
Most people think that working out is time consuming but Qi Gong not time-consuming. Some Qi Gong systems only take 10 to 15 minutes practice. Almost everyone has 10 or 15 minutes that they could spend to make themselves healthier.
Qi Gong is also fun to practice. It leaves you refreshed, relaxed, and energized. When you start to experience these results you might fit more than one practice session into your busy day.
Qi Gong- The Best Place to Practice
Qi Gong is a great addition to everybody’s daily routine because of the many benefits that only a couple minutes of practice can give. It doesn’t require any fancy equipment, special practice area, or a great deal of time.
The most ideal place to practice Qi Gong is outside in a natural setting. A place with plenty of fresh air and beautiful natural scenery is the most ideal but Qi Gong can also be practiced indoors or almost anywhere for that matter.
There are some general guidelines that make a place suitable or unsuitable for Qi Gong practice.
First the practice area should not be too hot or too cold. You can adjust your body’s reaction to the area by wearing appropriate clothing. If your practice area is colder then you should wear more clothes. If your practice area is warmer then you should wear less clothes. It is important that you never expose yourself to any draft. This means that a place that is windy is not appropriate for practicing Qi Gong. It also means that in warmer climates you should not practice without a shirt or expose your body to the wind.
Second your practice area should have plenty of fresh air. If you are outside it is good to practice in nature but you should try to be away from major sources of pollution such as industry or traffic. If you’re indoors you should have some windows open so that air can circulate but be careful not to expose yourself to a draft. Practicing in the city, while not ideal, can still be done in outside in parks or indoors.
Third you should practice in an area where you’re less likely to be disturbed. Qi Gong requires concentration. If you’re practicing indoors you might want to turn off the phone, use a room where there is less traffic, and let people know not to disturb you for a certain amount of time. If you’re practicing outside choose an area where people will be less likely to interrupt your practice.
With these simple guidelines you can find many places suitable for your Qi Gong practice.
Qi Gong is Not Complicated
A big myth about Qi Gong is that it is complicated. This just is not the case. In fact it is the complete opposite. Qi Gong is simple. If you find someone that is trying to promote Qi Gong as being complicated it is probably best to keep looking.
Qi Gong is based on nature. Ancient people observed nature. They noticed natural rhythms and patterns. These natural laws form the basis for the energy practices that we have today.
Ancient people noticed that flowing water does not get stagnant and dirty. They devised exercises that move the body and circulate the energy in the body imitating the flowing water they observed in nature. Other systems of exercise are based on the movements of different animals. A good example would be the Five Animal Frolics. Animals know how to keep themselves healthy. Just watch a cat stretch when it wakes up from a nap.
So why do some people promote Qi Gong as being complicated? I feel it is because they need to differentiate themselves- maybe from other teachers or maybe to differentiate their system from other systems. Sometimes this can be more about the business aspect of teaching Qi Gong then anything else.
Some of these teachers try to impress students with theories. Now the theory of Qi Gong can be very complicated and intricate but the practice always starts form the basics and works up. The practice is what gives the benefits. The theory is to guide you as you advance and continued practice helps you understand the theory.
Now there are systems that do have very complicated practice methods. These systems often contain forced practice methods. The more complicated and forceful the training methods means that there are more things that can go wrong with the training. This type of training needs careful guidance and supervision. Other then this type of system, many styles of Qi Gong can be easy to learn and safe to practice.
Remember, nature is simple. It is not contrived. Qi Gong should be the same.
Qi Gong an Exercise for Your Energy
Qi Gong literally means energy exercise in English but many people don’t understand how Qi Gong works with your body’s energy.
Energy is not something mysterious. We experience it every day. When we wake up in the morning we either feel energetic or tired. As we continue throughout our day we also experience either states of elevated energy or depleted energy. Judging from the commercials on TV it seems many people experience low-energy in the afternoon.
Qi Gong can help you feel more energetic and less tired. Practicing Qi Gong in the afternoon can give your body the natural energy boost that it needs. While long-term practice of Qi Gong can enhance your body’s overall system giving you extra energy and helping you feel more vibrant throughout the day. But how does this work?
The first way that Qi Gong helps your body’s energy is that it keeps it flowing freely throughout all your vital systems. The movements of the exercises help to lead and guide the energy. Specific Qi Gong systems have different goals but in general the exercises that are for improving and maintaining good overall health lead and guide the energy throughout the entire body. In addition to circulating the energy throughout the entire system the movements help to remove stagnation. So by practicing you remove any stagnation that exists, keep the energy flowing freely, and make sure that it reaches every part of the body. This is essential for maintaining the health and becoming healthier because it is this circulation that provides nourishment that the body needs to function properly and repair itself.
Secondly if your body is able to more efficiently circulate and use the energy then your energy level will increase. When energy is flowing freely without stagnation to the entire body, your body is better able to repair itself from the normal wear and tear it experiences everyday. This means that by practicing Qi Gong your body will get healthier overtime.
These are just some general ways that Qi Gong affects your body’s energy. By practicing you can enhance the way your body stores, circulates, and utilizes energy. The results you see from practicing Qi Gong can show themselves in many different ways. The best way is to practice and start experiencing the results for yourself.