Kundalini & Chi

Many people have written about " Zen" and "Martial Art's", but before we get started we should know a little bit out about "Buddha".

Who is Buddha?
Sidhartha Gautaum, who was a Prince was born in Lumbini ,Nepal who later become Buddha. Buddha was well educated both in Vajramushti/Prana techniques and in philosophy and theology. Later he succeeded and gave birth to a new Philosophy and Martial Arts.  In the old days Buddhist  consider martial arts as part of their discipline and used philosophy Zen with it. Modern Buddhist went towards more spiritual practice. Still a few monks practice Martial Arts today. On the other hand, many of the Martial Arts that have been commercialized in modern world are practiced as a self-defense course. It is losing its philosophical approach everyday, and only a few schools have managed to maintain it.

How did Zen become popular?
There is strong relation between Zen and Martial Arts, but it is important to know about Zen before we link it to Martial Arts. Zen means meditation. The Chinese had combined Nepal's Buddhist philosophy with Daoism methodology, which became orthodox.

Four wisdom's of Zen are well known:

1.  Charity
2.  Tenderness
3.  Benevolence (A kindly act or a gift given out of generosity)
4.  Sympathy

Origin of Kungfu (Martial Arts): In 4th Century Buddha's follower, the Bodhisattvas went to china to spread the religion Buddhism. Soon he was invited to the Imperial Court of the Liang Dynasty's, Emperor Wu. He did not fail to use the opportunity to publicize his new Zen doctrine This was the rationale that would become the governing code of martial arts' conduct: The Code of Wu Shi Dao. The Warrior's (Wu Shi) Way (Dao). In Japanese it is known as Bushido.

The Bodhisattvas stayed away from the Palace and politics.
The Bodhisattvas lived at the Shao Lin Temple. There Ji, Zen's First Patriarch found the priests to be in such poor physical condition that, in addition to teaching them his new form of meditation Buddhism, he instructed them to some kind of exercises and fighting techniques that discipline known to us Gong (Kung) Fu today.
 

Force behind the Martial Arts, Prana, Kundalini, Chi: There is no doubt that the popular word Chi "Qui" by Daoism is actually derived from "Prana" a Sanskrit word. Where Yogis & Monks were practicing Pranayam thousands and thousands of year's back, even before the birth of Buddhism. Later Buddha practiced it in a more scientific way and developed a methodology that many people could access. That made Buddhism very popular.
 

Pressure Points & Martial Arts:
The more scientific study of the meridians, the psychic nerve channels through which Qi was delivered and circulated, gave rise to the knowledge of dozens of particularly sensitive pressure points, points which the martial artist would later be exploited. The human body's vulnerability to acute pain or to muscular paralysis at these points would make them the prime targets of a combatant's strikes.

Kundalini & Chi:
The philosophical principles of Yoga were well known in South China: Brahman and The Dao were virtually interchangeable concepts. Chinese had refined the concept; and Daoism was a cooler, more elegant version of its Yoga concept.

Kundalini as a main source of internal energy, which will begin from lower end of spinal chord. It is an imaginary concept, which will regulate the Prana-Bayui to achieve the high level of meditation is well known in Yoga. In other words Kundalini Yoga were refreshed and moderated, when presented as Daoism's Microcosmic Orbit meditations.

Prana was more than just the breath of life, the vital force or "inspirit". It was the root of Yoga. Daoism's spirituality simplified the science and made it more accessible to practitioners. Additionally, Daoism subsumed the entire body of Chinese medicine: the knowledge of physical anatomy, the comprehensive pharmacology and the pain relieving procedures of acupuncture and acupressure. Daoism's pragmatic approach also expanded and enriched appreciation of Prana.
 

Martial Arts & Life:
First people practice Martial Arts for self-defense purposes. Once they get into it and find a strong bond between life and the philosophy they will start understanding their inner self and Martial Arts in depth.
You will be ready for more challenges and learn to overcome them. Your goal will be to understand yourself, your inner world and the universe.