==============As for the horse, I'm doing night training tonight. It'll be in there.[/quote]I was a little surprised by the absence of Nei Kung discussion in this forum, so I?ve taken the liberty of quoting Bruce Frantzis at length from his ?Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body.? It seems as lucid as any other scholar/writer I?ve read, and is consistent with the writings of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming in ?Qigong for Health and Martial Arts.I hope everyone finds this useful. Again, I am quoting; these are not my conclusions, although my fledgling Nei Kung experience of a mere two years is consistent with the author?s. Since I have begun to work out with my personal training clients in the last few weeks, after taking some time off from kettlebell drills, I now experience a constant, low-level vibration throughout my upper torso and limbs, and, as Frantzis makes clear, it is subject to the mind?s direction. (Freakishly cool. I?m in heaven.)?Traditional Chi Kung and Nei Kung ? What?s the Difference???Up until fifty years ago, the term Chi Kung was rarely used in China for chi development practices; the more prevailing terms were Nei Kung (internal power) and Lien Kung (practice power). During the last half century, however, the term Chi Kung has gained ascendancy, especially in mainland China, where one finds a variety of forms, many with poetic or strange names, such as White Crane Chi Kung, Old man Climbs the stairs Chi kung, Plum Blossom Chi kung, and so forth.All Chi king practices are derived from the parent Nei Kung systems. (The techniques found in this volume, for example, are al original Nei Kung practices.Nei Kung Moves from the Inside Out;Chi Kung Moves from the Outside InThe emphasis in Nie Kung is on developing the core energy that travels through the center of the body, and, from the core, opening and energizing the peripheral energy lines (the acupuncture meridians, for example). Chi Kung concentrates on working the more superficial energy lines first, and, through these, affecting the core energy. In this sense, Chi Kung is similar to acupuncture, which also manipulates the more superficial and peripheral energy through the meridians, collateral channels, and the eight special meridians to bring about changes at a deeper level.Chi Kung Moves Chi with a Sequence of Body Movements; Nei Kung Moves Chi through Multiple Mind-body InteractionsIn Chi Kung, the practitioner works one technique at a time, combining them gradually into a specific sequence. For instance, once an acupuncture channel is opened, then once opened, the practitioner opens the next in line, and so on. Thee are any number of techniques used in Chi Kung, from slapping to stretching to stomping, but the most important principle to remember about Chi Kung in general is that one chi flow is sequentially followed by another. Two or more rarely go on simultaneously.The Nei Kung system, on the other hand, seeks to work all the chi flows of the system at one time, the ultimate objective being to synergistically combine the hundreds of chi flows in the body. This way, the practitioner will eventually have access to energy which, in its totality, is more than just the sum of the chi flowing through the channels. At high levels, the chi of the body, mind, and spirit integrates. The whole person then functions in the manner of a single huge cell, with all its chi pulsing in unison.Of course, Nei Kung is learned one piece at a time, but it is practiced in a way that all learned pieces are performed simultaneously. Eventually, the practitioner?s energy permeates to the center of both the bone marrow and the spine. For this reason, Nei Kung is generally considered superior for people who want to have both superior health and great physical prowess.Put simply, the main difference between Chi Kung and Nei Kung is that, in Chi Kung, technique A is followed by technique b followed by technique C, the effect of these is the cumulative effect of A plus B plus C. With Nei Kung, however, technique A is done at the same time as B and C; synergistically, the effect is that of A multiplied by B multiplied by C.In Chi Kung, the Breath is a Vehicle for the Movement of Chi; in Nei Kung, the Mind Moves the Chi DirectlyIn the Chinese internal arts, the term ? breath? refers to distinct processes: first, the movement of air in and out of the lungs, which we will call the physical oxygen breath; and second, the ebb and flow of the chi or life force throughout the body, which we will call the subtle breath. The physical breath and the subtle breath can be coordinated, or they can work independently. Chi Kung coordinates the two, while Nei Kung works directly with the subtle breath, without the need for the intermediary of the physical breath.In Chi Kung, the physical breath is used to forge a link between the mind and the chi or subtle breath. The mind or awareness focuses on the physical breath: you visualize the physical breath moving chi through your body and you feel the breath go into a particular part of your body. It thus makes contact with the chi or subtle breath. The in/out, suspension and quickening/slowing of the physical breath is coordinated with whatever one is doing, whether it be body movement, energy development, or visualization for the emotional, psychic, or spiritual aspects of one?s being.In Nei Kung, however, the mind or awareness moves the chi directly, without the assistance of the physical breath. The mind may remain purely aware of the internal energy, or may direct it to specific tasks and energy channels. Nei Kung uses efficient physical breathing mechanisms that recreate how a baby breathes in the womb, but chi movement is independent of the physical breath, regardless of how you are breathing. The physical breath at times may become so slow, quiet, and still as to seem to disappear. The context of the subtle breath shifts from the physical breath to the presence of the mind itself.Chi Kung is in general concerned more with specific acupuncture channels and points, whereas Nei Kung works more with the energy running from the crown of the head to the perineum and through the center of the bones of the arms and legs, as well as with the muscles, fascia, internal organs, glands, spinal cord, and brain. From a medical perspective, Chi Kung usually utilizes specific techniques for specific problems, while Nei Kung energizes the whole system, and this overall improvement in energy function leads to the eventual resolution of particular problems.Chi Kung and Nei Kung Each Have Unique StrengthsAs a general rule, a true Nei Kung expert with understand the methodologies of Chi Kung. However, the reverse is not true, - a Chi Kung expert will usually not be aware of all the Nei Kung methods. This would lead one to believe that Nei Kung is superior to Chi Kung, which is not necessarily the case. Many diseases and dysfunctions may be caused by and imbalance in only a small part of a person?s system. In these cases, it is better to apply Chi Kung techniques because only a limited number of chi flows need to be learned and practices to address the problem.The Internal Martial Arts: Tai Chi, Hsing I, and Ba GuaThe three internal martial arts (above) are all based on the Nei Kung system of chi development. They combine the most effective fighting techniques of ancient China and fuse them with the Nei Kung system of internal power development. This combination produces two seemingly unrelated results: superior competitive athletic and fighting skills and superior health. These arts are also, at high levels, complete spiritual development systems. =============Yes, that seems right. Relaxed muscles and strong tendons. I have to say we do a lot of bodyweight exercise a la western boxing and kung fu at my school, so we do gain a lot of muscular strength and endurance.I'd like to highlight your statement "Without the tendon power, Tai Chi is mostly just a health exercise.", and add that if somebody is only interested in gaining health, that they still need to train for the martial aspect of Tai Chi. To train to fight with tai chi develops your maximum energy. Later in life, this is what you'll need to stay healthy and fight off disease. Just doing inauthentic taiji for health may not give you the energy you need to benefit your health when you really need it to.================