Liang Dehua
Those who truly know me understand that I have never attempted to create misconceptions about Qi beyond its fundamental meaning as commonly understood by Chinese people. Simply put, I’ve never tried to portray Qi as a mysterious force capable of fighting others. Instead, I describe Qi as the essential energy for life and bodily movement. Good Qi comes from good Yuan Qi (origin Qi), healthy eating, proper sleep, and balanced living. What we aim to train is enhancing the flow of Qi throughout the body to promote health, as well as aligning bodily functions with Qi for efficient and harmonious use of strength and energy without waste. However, when discussing the use of Qi in Taiji (Tai Chi), it’s inevitable that I must straightforwardly explain the four principles of Qi application in Taiji: Fu (cover), Gai (seal), Dui (intercept), and Tun (swallow). These principles pertain to training Qi usage. However, when explaining the role of Qi in the context of Taiji's applications, I emphasize that Qi complements and enhances the completeness of martial techniques. Qi cannot be applied independently of these techniques, and I never teach that Fa Fang comes solely from Qi. Instead, Fajin arises from Jin (trained force), with Qi serving as an internal driving energy. In my workshops, there have been instances where I’ve used Qi to move strangers—participants I had never met before—without prior explanation or guidance on the topic. Naturally, this often surprises and intrigues people. However, I always make it clear that such demonstrations represent the manifestation of Qi during practice. This ability to move others with Qi cannot be used to defeat opponents in real combat situations. Below is the demo on Fu.
by Szalai Tamás