Ancient Ways
Unlike the showy action-oriented version Americans are exposed to in movies, at the heart of all Chinese martial arts is Qigong, which means 'energy work.’ Also contrary to the Western version that appears to develop quickly and with minimal effort, traditional martial arts take time and effort to achieve, and involve the study of bioelectric energy, or Qi, within the body. Through training and practice, a person can learn to actively circulate Qi energy along specific pathways throughout the body in order to produce explosive physical power or an intensely concentrated mind. By practicing over a long period, with great focus and intensity, the techniques become part of the body's memory, and the mind can be focused inward.