I've got a friend who regularly practices Qi-Gong. He told me that a practitioner should abstain from any sexual activity 24-48 hours before training because of how sex affects Qi flow through the body. I was wondering what other KSW artists thought of this theory and how it applies to traditional Korean Ki beliefs taught in Kuk Sool. Has anyone had any experience, adverse or otherwise, of sex affecting their training regiment? I also thought it made a great thread title and would get a little attention
Yea yea, we've heard all this before. I don't think its ever been documented. I know a number of athletes have done the no-sex thing and then done sex right before a comp, Usually it makes no difference.
If that man's head was any further up his own **** it would probably come morphing out of his mouth. Also, it's none of his business if people 'do it' before training.
The thread would probably get a better response if it was Yea, I know, this topic has been worn out, I just haven't seen a discussion from a Korean philosophical stand point. I try to get "it" as much as possible, regardless of if I'm training or not He really wasn't delving into my or anyone else's personal life, we were just having a discussion on Qi and he brought that particular train of thought in Qi-Gong to my attention. I don't know about everyone else, but when I'm done rubbing nasties, I generally want to sleep. It makes it pretty obvious to me that it must have some impact on a person's energy. How long that impact lasts is another subject altogether.
Often boxers are told not to do the nasty the night before a fight as it makes them sluggish on their feet. I have found the same to be true for me if I do it like a rabid rabbit the day before or the day of. I generally feel pretty drained and sluggish. Oh I do kung fu, which has some focus on qi and qigong, but I don't practice qigong regularly. However, I haven't found that having a normal and healthy sex life affects my training one way or the other. Although without it I tend to be a bit more frustrated (surprise surprise)
Ki Chi Sex ALL I guess you need to read some Chi Gong books and you will see there is a connection. If any of the acupuncture students are online they can explain it better than me. I know everyone likes to dismiss the connection since its very integral part of many people’s lives. Let's just say whether its true or not is not really the point. People just don't want it to be true.
I will agree that it affects your qi, and also affects your qigong-type exercises, but I haven't found that a healthy sex life affects my performance in sparring or drills.
From a TCM perspective, sexual energy is a type of energy given to you by your parents known as "jing." Since it is given to you at birth, it would follow logically that it is finite and that the more you have sex the shorter your lifespan. I personally don't believe in this. I think sexual energy is not so different from the rest of the qi/bodily energy, it just comes from a different area. The goal of certain types of qigong is to take the jing or original essence/sexual energy, and convert it into qi, which can be used for enhancing health and martial arts (this is then supposed to be converted into shen/spirit, which is converted into nothingness. The nothingness is then "crushed" and enlightenment is achieved). I have little understanding and experience of the process past the jing to qi point, so I'll only comment on my experiences with that. The idea is not so much to avoid sexual activity, but rather to harness sexual energy, which is awakened by sexual activity, be it with a partner or by yourself. The Daoists would generally use one of the above two, while the celibate Buddhists were allowed to stimulate themselves mentally, but not physically . Anyway, when the sexual energy is "awakened," i.e. you feel stimulated, you then use breathing techniques to try to guide that energy upward and into the zhen-dantian, between the xia-dantian and mingmen. It can then enter the dantian and circulate or, theoretically, go up the chong-mai (thrusting vessel) to the brain where it can become shen and help you achieve enlightenment. Basically, I just try to guide it to the dantian and let it circulate. If you then practice your qigong as usual you will find not only that the sexual energy mostly dissipates, but also that the qigong feels much more powerful. If you had stimulated yourself to "completion" however, this energy would have dissipated. Of course, this practice still leaves you feeling somewhat dissatisfied, so I only do it sometimes. There are also supposed to be Daoist techniques for absorbing energy from your partner, but I personally don't feel like bringing qigong into my personal life to THAT degree. So, in summary, sexual energy definitely can be harnessed for use in the martial and health realm, but the degree you feel like doing so is up to you. You can still have very successful qigong practice without doing any of this and just having normal sex, though doing it right before class or a match might leave you feeling a bit "drained"...
Well, my mate got laid the night before this years European tournament and won 3rd dan grand champion. 2 things for me to be envious of him about!
Yep. No jumping, no falling, no sparring, and no being partner for techniques. (Nobody gets to mess with the pressure points.) That's what KJN says. (YKJN says to ask him.)
lol, yeah I bet all of our club was hoping to get laid aswell the night before the tourny in that big Chinese restaurant place in Norwich town centre and other places there which we went to that night... lol, KJN Philip Holmes was there aswell
I believe that the Sin Moo Kwan (Hapkido) contains a similar philosphical element. Might be a place to look....
Hey lads there is finally a GOOD reason for why we fall asleep straight after sex with a bird "hey love you drained my energy at that last bit. Personally I think its your fault...Goon Night"
Hmmm let's just lie and say it improves performance, then we can make it a testing requirement. 1000 push up...check, 5 min horse stance...check. Now, go home and get it on w/ur husband/wife...check...check...check
Getting the discussion "out of the gutter" and back on track, I think onyomi gave quite a detailed and accurate account. His stance on Taoist vs. Buddhist methods is correct AFAIK and everything I've learned in regards to the KSW version of Ki Gong seems to follow the Taoist view. Abstention from sex (actually climax - and then only for males) is only advocated until becoming successful with a technique that allows you to achieve a female-type orgasm (where you get all the "tingles" but retain your JING essence -- in fact, this makes the orgasm more intense and longer lasting). As for the nasty act detracting from one's physical performance in any subsequent contest where peak strength and endurance is needed, the ability to control your "sexual outburst" actually improves your performance since your Ki has been energized, not depleted. But most KSW practitioners are not taught this aspect of KI training (shh-- it's part of the "secret" stuff )
