Single and double weighted qi gong

[wenwu]

Hello,

 

So as part of my practice I do a bagua standing qi gong set. Asides from the first posture, they are all single weighted (weight on one foot) or as near as.

 

One of the guys who is relatively new to the practice was chatting to a teacher of a different lineage and was told that all qi gong should be done double weighted  (equal weight on both feet) as a person's leg isn't strong enough to do single weighted and will cause injury.

 

Whereas I don't agree at all with that teachers ideas it got me to consider some of the differences of single and double weighted.

 

As I said on the first posture of our standing is a double weighted mabu. I have always seen this as a preparitory stance/posture. Weight is equal, hands are down, this give you a chance to focus on your breath and turn your attention inside before the more strenuous postures. If your aim is just health possible this is the only qigobg posture you need.

 

The following posture stress your body and can be quite taxing but also teach you about what could be called "active relaxation" 

 

I remember reading once about how a single weighted stance was a very strong qi gong but I can't remember why.

 

I would be interested to hear other' opinions and experieces on this

Edited January 22, 2018 by wenwu

[thelerner]

I've never done bagua, but in my experience double weighted keeps one from moving as quickly.  Fine for forms, but movement requires.. dynamic imbalance. 

[lifeforce]

https://goo.gl/images/P9rTeM

Wang Xiangzhai, the godfather of modern zhan zhuang executing a single leg posture.

In Yiquan, this is a very advanced method and usually not practiced for the first few years.

Edited January 22, 2018 by lifeforce

[steve]

While most qigong forms are done with equal weight distribution, it is certainly not all.

Shiba Luohan Qigong has several single leg stance postures as well as some weight shifting in postures.

I think a rule of thumb is that health based qigong is more likely to be 'double-weighted' whereas martial qigong (this would include bagua and shiba luohan) are more likely incorporate more physically challenging postures including single leg and 'single-weighted' stances.

[Taomeow]

"Double weighted" has nothing to do with equal weight distribution, and is not useful in anything.  It is an English translation of a term that refers to a very specific (and common) type of mistakes of execution in internal MA and some moving qigongs, and the ubiquitous misunderstanding of it as a reference to equal weight distribution between two legs is partially terminological (people think that's what "double weighted" means but it does not) and partially empirical (what it really means is learned through practice and the term is just a pointer, not an explanation.  The explanation is in actual execution and would take too many words otherwise and still not be useful unless understood by the body.

 

Equal weight distribution between two legs in qigong is neither wrong nor makes one "double weighted."        

[Astral Monk]

On 1/21/2018 at 5:52 PM, wenwu said:

 

As I said on the first posture of our standing is a double weighted mabu. I have always seen this as a preparitory stance/posture. Weight is equal, hands are down, this give you a chance to focus on your breath and turn your attention inside before the more strenuous postures. 

 

 MORE strenuous than mabu? Such as..?

 

For bagua and taiji being equally balanced on two feet is almost always a brief moment in transition from one step to the next. In stepping it usually goes 0% to 100%, empty to full. Bagua stepping the same--once lead foot connects, weight all goes there and momentum carries through to next step. So training single leg stances is important bc you will always be using them in motion.

 

But equal balance is for standing posts. Basic zhan zhuang is equal balance. You need this to allow all channels to open properly. Single leg posts are def more advanced.

 

But I'd suggest there is also a difference between neigong prep posture practice and post standing.

 

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