The meaning of CHI APEX

• Definition of Apex

• Definition of Chi

• So what is Chi-Apex Training Technique Principle?

Definition of Apex

• The highest point: cap, crest, crown, height, peak, roof, summit, top, vertex.
• The highest point or state: acme, apogee, climax, crest, crown, culmination, height, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, top, zenith.

Definition of Chi

In many cultures (e.g. Chinese) that believe for the body to survive it has to contain an essence called ‘Chi’ and that this is the vital life force necessary to keep our bodies alive ‘Chi’ is the word the Chinese use for energy, the natural life force energy, needed to sustain all life. In a less abstract term, Chi is the air we breathe in space to provide oxygen to our body cells to generate energy by the Cellular Respiration chemical process. Chi Kung is a method that involves breathing exercise with or without muscle movements. Chi Kung without muscle movements is for the peace of the mind; and with muscle movements is for the health of the body.

In T'ai chi, a Chinese exercise system that uses slow, smooth body movements to achieve a state of relaxation of both body and mind. While strict attention to body position is critical, proper breathing is considered to be equally important. Just as movements are slow and continuous and without strain, breathing should be effortless yet deep. Finally, both mental and physical balance is considered essential to t'ai chi. The experienced practitioner of t'ai chi maintains perfect body balance throughout the exercise series. Altogether, the five essential qualities of t'ai chi are:

• Slowness. To develop awareness.
• Lightness. To make movements flow.
• Balance. To prevent body strain.
• Calmness. To maintain continuity.
• Clarity. To focus the mind.

So how does one begin to develop their chi?.

There is not a simple one or two line answer.

In a nutshell, there are many forms of what one might call chi strength and many ways to develop it. Most traditional ways take years and years to master and many of those ways also leave questions to whether its benefits really improve physical strength all that much. Some will say there is just one kind of chi but I believe there are many kinds. There is calm chi, there is fierce chi, there is flowing chi, etc. etc.

In essence chi is energy - life-giving energy that is said to unite body, mind and spirit. Logically speaking, if that’s so, wouldn’t you think there’d be more than one way that could possibly create this unity?

My question is, what is the precise chi or energy you’re looking for to achieve all these things? Is there just one kind? It seems like a good question would be - what is the state of mind you would need to unite mind, body, and spirit to achieve the optimal physical action at hand?

When you apply the right kind of energy to the action at hand, then you’ve adapted your chi to work for you rather than against you. It’s all about relationships to your energy and what you’re applying it to. There should be a connection.

Thinking of chi as a journey rather than a destination automatically engages your mind to finding more possibilities in how to move and think with stillness or electricity. It puts you in the exact place you need to be - blending energy into what is needed rather than forcing energy into actions and situations that aren’t appropriate but that adhere to tradition or blind acceptance that one kind will work for all situations.

Traditionally meditation means practicing calmness or oneness. Some will say that chi is about aligning Chakras (Energy centers throughout the body responsible for the condition of your mind, body and spirit) to generate powerful energy. But, stillness and/or powerful flowing of energy are ALL forms of energy in the end. One is not better than the other. The right one at the right time is most important.

If you concentrate on developing your powers of being in charge of your energy whether it be waves, rivers or stillness, then you’re learning to become master of ALL kinds of energy that contain the elements of both chi and meditation. Learning all the facets of both and applying the right one at the right moment are the very elements that make life exciting, supercharged, and filled with serenity and joy.

In conclusion: Chi, Qi, Ki: In essence chi is energy, life-giving energy that is said to unite body, mind and spirit. Chi would be better described as the mechanics and workings of the body, mind and spirit as a whole. If one punches with only the force of his arm, it’s just a jab at best, not matter how much he trains that arm it will only be a jab. It is not until he ads the legs, torso and shoulder does the punch become a hook, uppercut or corkscrew. Finally, only until he brings his brains into total focus, concentration and determination, his punch will possibly become a knockout blow. In order to obtain the best result from physical strength training, one must exert the peak of his Chi at any point of the exercise.

So what is Chi-Apex Training Technique & Principle

In order to obtain the best result from physical strength training, one must exert the peak of his Chi at any point of the exercise, which include:

Right Tools for the Right Jobs

It is vital for any training technique to have equipments for assisting the practitioners to achieve the results. For examples:

• Since the beginning, the Chinese Kungfu student used wooden Dummies for sparring.
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• Joseph Pilates who devisied the system of original exercises known today as Pilates ( or"matwork", or exercises done on the floor) designed equipment to rehabilitate the physical injury. In a way, Pilates equipment today is not much different than that of yesteryear. Spring tension, straps to hold feet or hands, supports for back, neck and shoulder are as important now as they were then. Because of the remarkable nature of the equipment to both challenge and support the body as it learns to move more efficiently, the inimitably designed pieces truly act as a complement to the challenging "matwork" exercises.
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Mind and Body in Harmony

The central aim of training technique is to create a fusion of mind and body, so that without thinking about it the body will move with economy, grace, and balance. The end goal is to produce an attention-free union of mind and body. Practitioner focuses in using one's body to the greatest advantage, making the most of its strengths, counteracting its weaknesses, and correcting its imbalances. The method requires that one constantly pay attention to one's body while doing the movements. Paying attention to movement is seen as so vital that it is considered more important than any other single aspect of the movements.

Breathing

Proper breathing is essential in circulating the blood so that it could awaken all the cells in the body and carry away the wastes related to fatigue. For the blood to do its work properly, it has to be charged with oxygen and purged of waste gases through proper breathing. By this standard, if you stop breathing during exercise, there is an error in your practice. Full and thorough inhalation and exhalation are purportedly a part of every exercise. Forced exhalation is the key to full inhalation. Breathing should be done with concentration, control, and precision. Proper and effective breathing does not only oxygenates the muscles, but also reduces tension in the upper neck and shoulders. Deep breathing is a posterior lateral breathing, meaning that the practitioner is instructed to breathe deep into the back and sides of his or her rib cage. When exhaling, you must engage the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and maintain this engagement as they inhale.

Centering

The very large group of muscles in the center of the body, encompassing the abdomen, lower back, hips, and buttocks is the “powerhouse.” All exercise energy begins from the powerhouse and flows outward to the limbs. In other words, the physical energy exerted from the center should coordinate movements of the extremities. It is important to build a strong powerhouse in order to rely on it in daily living.

Concentration

Effective exercise demands intense focus. Practitioner must pay careful attention to their bodies, building on very small, delicate fundamental movements and controlled breathing.

Control

Practitioners must perform every exercise with the utmost control, that meant no sloppy, uncontrolled movements including all body parts, to avoid injury and produce positive results. For safe and effective safe, the practitioner must pay attention to proper form ahead of intensity or multiple repetitions of a movement.

Precision

Every movement in this method has a purpose. Every instruction is considered vitally important to the success of the whole. To leave out any detail is believed to forsake the intrinsic value of the exercise. The focus is on doing one precise and perfect movement, rather than many halfhearted ones. The goal is for this precision to eventually become second nature, and carry over into everyday life as grace and economy of movement.