CHI KUNG / πιλοτικό μάθημα / trial classDate: Thursday, July 05, 2010Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pmLocation: στο Dojo μας / at our dojoStreet: Ξανθίππου 3 / Xanthipou 3

Description The trial class is free of charge. Those interested should send an email to info@athensaikido.gr. Please come in comfortable clothing.Το μάθημα/επίδειξη είναι χωρίς χρέωση.Οι ενδιαφερόμενοι θα πρέπει να αιτηθούν σημμετοχή στο info@athensaikido.gr.Οι συμμετέχοντες θα πρέπει να έρθουν με άνετα ρούχα.

CHI KUNG Chi Kung is the Mandarin Chinese term used to describe various Chinese systems of physical and mental training for health, martial arts and self-enlightenment or Internal Alchemy.The origin of Chi Kung practice according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine community is commonly attributed to the legendary Yellow Emperor and the classic Book of Internal Medicine, even though verifiable archeological evidence suggests the first forms of Chi Kung can be linked to shamanic meditative practice and gymnastic exercises, 5 thousands of years ago.The word “Chi” (Ki in Japanese, Prana in Sanskrit) simply means “energy”, while “kung” stands for “work”, so, combined together the two words “chi kung” literarily translated mean “energy work” and describe systems and methods of “energy cultivation” and manipulation of intrinsic energy within living organisms.The concept of Chi as a form of pervasive, intrinsic energy is a fundamental pillar of Chinese Philosophy.This energy is considered to exist in all things including the air, water, food, and sunlight.In the body, chi represents the unseen vital force that sustains life.A person is considered to have been born with original amounts of chi, then he/she also acquires chi from the food by eating, from the air by breathing and from interacting with their environment.A person becomes ill or dies when the amount or type of chi is unbalanced within the body.The practice of Chi Kung involves the manipulation and balancing, regulation and control of the chi within the body in order to re-establish or maintain health, strength and vitality.The implementation details of Chi kung practice vary because of the teacher, school, and objective of the practitioner.In fact historically there are many forms of Chi Kung originating from different segments within Chinese society, being the 3 most important segments the medical, the martial and spiritual one.Each form of Chi Kung training originated from different elements within Chinese society emphasizes different aspects of Chi-Kung theory and application.For example Chi Kung practice is nowadays acknowledged to be part of alternative medicine for preventive and curative functions with proved positive effects on various ailments, its theory and practice being based on the same principles that are the very foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine with its many applications (acupuncture, shiatsu, Tui’na, moxa, herbal medicine etc ...)Also the Chinese martial arts community considered chi-kung training an important component in enhancing martial abilities, especially in the WuDang and Shaolin Tradition.

And finally some Chi –Kung exercises are used in the Buddhist and Taoist tradition to improve one’s conductivity to divine energy and in general for spiritual purposes Chi kung can also be integrated in any meditative practice to enhance and improve it – being simply a technique and having nothing to do with religious believes.Three key elements are considered to be essential in any Chi-kung practice:Body (appropriate movement)Breathing (appropriate breathing)Mind (appropriate mind work)Depending on the different exercises practiced, schools, training methods and purposes of the chi kung practice, the proportion of those 3 elements might vary.Usually a beginner starts by practicing simple chi-kung exercises that involves only body movements, and then he/she proceeds by adding breath control and synchronization and eventually the appropriate mind work or meditation exercises.A complete Chi kung system consists of one or more of the following type of training: dynamic, static (both could be practice more “externally” – Wai Chi Kung – or “internally” – Nei Chi kung),, and meditative.To conclude: Chi Kung represents a large varieties of both physical and mental training methods based on Chinese philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine designed to help the body and the mind maintain and increase their health and vitality.Through the forces of migration, tourism and globalization, nowadays the practice of Chi Kung has spread from the Chinese community to the benefit of hundreds of millions of people around the entire world.

There are many wonderful benefits derived from practising chi kung, and they may be generalized into the following five categories:Curing illness and promoting health.Enhancing vitality and developing internal force.Promoting youthfulness and longevity.Expanding the mind and the intellect.Spiritual cultivation

To μάθημα θα διδάξει ο Emanuele Argento.the class will be taught by Emanuele Argento.

A few words about me

I was born in Italy ... sometime ago.I got a degree in Computer Science with a thesis on non-conventional methods to efficiently solve complex – non linear- problems. It was fun.I worked for Hewlett Packard as consultant and project leader in the field of network security. I must confess: it was a bit boring, but a useful experience.I spent more than 2 decades studying Martial Arts, chi-kung, yoga, meditation and healing techniques in an integrated way.I have been teaching Chi-Kung, Martial Arts, meditation and self-healing techniques for more than 7 years in Greece.I define myself as an Engineer, Martial Artist and Healer… a modern-renaissance man.E. Argento

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