Mike Sigman's Internal Strength programs.

Discussion in 'Tai chi' started by wonk, Aug 7, 2006.

  1. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    Go to: http://www.plumflower.com/frames7.htm

    Scroll down to the description of Michael Sigman's Internal Power DVD programs. Since receiving it, I watched the first one a couple of times.



    There is nothing necessarily new in what Sigman is explaining. He makes the same points that my taijiquan teacher (a chen stylist, as I think Sigman is) makes in our qigong, form and applications classes, but Sigman does it in a interesting, utterly straightforward way.

    Anyone else see this DVD? What did you think?
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2006
  2. tccstudent

    tccstudent Valued Member

    Those dvd's have been out for a while. I haven't seen them myself, but there are mixed reviews from what I have read on other forums. What a shock huh? From what I have gathered, Mr Sigman is a very controversial figure, and has been kicked off mulitple forums for being abusive. You can take it from there.
     
  3. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Can you direct me to some of those forums. I'm pretty curious to see what other's have said about them. As I said, I watched, and liked the first one.

    What makes Sigman so controversial, his manner of "speaking" on-line, or the material/content of his lessons?
     
  4. tccstudent

    tccstudent Valued Member

    Last edited: Aug 9, 2006
  5. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    Thank you for the references, TCC Student!
     
  6. Buddy

    Buddy Valued Member

    Mike rubs many people the wrong way and it seemed he thought he was the only one who knew what pengjin was ( I think he knows better now), but his rallying for true methods really seperated the posers from the chaff. His vids aren't the end-all, as I think he would readily admit, but they are an excellant place to start. I liked them very much.
     
  7. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    Thanks for replying. (I've since seen the other two.) I like them too. Again, my instructor covers much the same ground in class, but he does use a different (more traditional, I guess) vocabulary and set of descriptive metaphors - but the Sigman DVD's have the virtue of being easier to understand at times. My only complaint, on first viewing, of the second two parts, is that some of the explanations on the second DVD aren't as effective (in terms of imparting an academic understanding of the points made) as those on the first and third disc.
     
  8. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    Many on the net recommend the Mike Sigman's videos. Many also said that his is »only« a simplification.
    However from what I saw in his articles his methodology is very similar with that presented in the book Taijiquan Wuwei of Kee-Jin Wee (the best book generating Jin).
    This DVDs will be my next buy! :)
     
  9. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    I hope you find them as interesting as I did. Looklng Online,...

    .... sounds good....

    Schiesse!

    Well, I'll keep looking... thank you for the reference!
     
  10. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    1) Mike Sigman is mainly a Chen TJQ stylist, but he also studied Yang TJQ, Xingyi and Bagua. He said that his stuff is not style-specific. How many are the exercises presented in the DVDs based on the »Relling Silk Exercises« of the Chen style TJQ (or others Chen style exercises)?

    2) Exists any others (recommended) DVDs about the Jin generation???

    3) The book Taijiquan Wuwei is based on the Cheng Man Ching style TJQ but is useful also for others TJQ styles (because it explain the internal part of Jin generation not the movements/postures).. Yes, it is out of print (I hope that is only temporaly). However I ordered the book few months ago from Germany. :love: The book is aviable in German language so I think that they will not buy it English versions! :D
     
  11. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    ... that was part of the appeal to be honest, as I'm currently studying at a chen style school. Almost all of the exercises clearly have thier basis on silk reeling drills. In that there is nothing new that I can see in what he's teaching: the virtue of his approach is the straightforward (if a bit oversimplified in places) easy to understand way he explains how to use them to practice rooting, peng energy, and other skills.

    Are you asking if there are such DVD's? ... Sigman touches on fajin in the second and third DVDs. To what depth, I'm not yet sure, as I've only gone through the latter two quickly, and have been watching the first one since I got the set, thinking about the points he raises and working out how they might help by form practice.

    Thanks, I'm sure if I poke around a bit I might find a copy to look at somewhere.
     
  12. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    On internet I found that Mike Sigman recommends the Yiquan videos of Bo Jiacong and the Hunyuan Qigong. In my opinion he recommends the Yiquan videos because they have a very good explanation of the Zhan Zhuang and the Hunyuan Qigong because it is a tipical »Chen« style TJQ Qigong.
    However in my opinion the »Stand Still Be Fit« video of Lam Kam Chuen is best video on Zhan Zhuang and I also preffer the Yang (family) Taiji Qigong. :love:
     
  13. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    I previously learned a good qigong set from one of my yang style teachers in New York. I was wondering about the latter program, as I study the chen style. Though curious I haven't checked it out yet, as my current chen style teacher teaches a number qigong postures as it is... I don't know if these are Hunyuan postures. As he's trained with Chen Xiaowang, Chen Zhenglei & Zhang Zijun (and not Feng Zhi Quan) I am not sure if any of these are Hunyuan postures.

    Having read Ty-Ky Lam's articles on the value of yiquan & xyingyi standing postures, particularly the santi stance, for chen style practictioners in Tai Chi Magazine I was thinking about ordering Fong Ha's videotape on same.

    I'll look around for Lam Kam Chuen's tape. Lam Kam Chuen wrote The Way of Energy correct? I have that at home somewhere.
     
  14. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    1) Today I ordered the Mike Sigman's DVDs. :D :D :D I will put my review here when I will receive them. :)
    2) As I understand the Hunyuan Qigong was made by Feng Zhi Qiang. I am not an expert on the Chen style. :eek: I found that in Chen style is also used the Hunyuan Zhuang (not Hunyuan Qigong!) which is a Chen style Zhan Zhuang.
    3) The Lam Kam Chuen's book "The Way of Energy" is in my opinion The best Qigong book!
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2006
  15. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    1) Today I received the Mike Sigman's DVDs. :love: I didn't have time to watch them yet, but I made only a fast overview. The videos seems GREAT!!!As I understand Sigman explain the Internal Strength from the Chen style TJQ view and with his interpretation. I will write more about them when I will watched them.

    2) Another controversial and also great man in the TJQ world is Richard Mooney. Does anybody know where can I get his video(s) about Lin Kong Jing (Powerful Empty Force and also know as Psychokinesis)? Also where can I get the Richard Mooney's book "Lin Kong Jing--Powerful Empty Force A Practical Guide"? Anybody knows his actual e-mail?
     
  16. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    Hope you like the Sigman DVDs. I've watched two so far. The first one was pretty good I thought... the second, a little less so. I much prefer regular silk reeling exercises to his universal exercise... not the least because i'm uncomfortable with the way he flexes his knees inward on the contractions. Also I couldn't emulate his fajing demo... but I figure thats' more to do with my lack of experience, than any failing on his part...

    I read something earlier today on line about the popular Berkeley Yiquan and Taiji teacher Fong Ha demonstrating lin kong jing during a recent seminar... you might try to find it via google. I'd run the words "fong ha", "yiquan", "seminar", "kong jing",... you get the idea. He does have dvds available on the 108 yang long form, and zhan zhuang & qigong but I don't know if kong jing is covered in either program. See: http://www.fongha.com/memorabilia.htm
     
  17. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    Fa Qi (Qi Emission) is possible but (in my opinion) is useful only for "cool" demonstrations (as Lin Kong Jing) [and for Healing] not for self defense. For self-defense is more useful Fa Jin (Jin Emission) [teached also by Mike Sigman].

    Fong Ha has an exellent lineage but I don't know if I will buy his stuff (for now). Maybe in a future ;-)
     
  18. wonk

    wonk Valued Member

    Interesting: which was which? Sigman's Fa Jing demonstration/explanation makes up a good part of the second DVD in the set. I don't recall a Fa Qi demonstration.

    Though I already practice the wuji and embrace balloon postures (taught by my first yang style tajiquan teach years back) I'm ordering the Yiquan/Qigong DVD, largely because my own teacher teaches some of these postures in class, as well as Ty Ky Lam's articles in Tai Chi Magazine about the short term value of standing practice for taijiquan practitioners. (Mentioned earlier... here, short term meaning three years or so of continuous practice. Clearly there is no point even thinking about rushing this,... retraining the body takes time ). Both have piqued my curiosity.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2006
  19. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    I finaly found the time to watch the Sigman's DVDs! They are great and I highly recommend them to all who are interested on how to generate Jin (Internal Strength).
     

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