A Brief History of Qi

A very detailed, but easy read. So enlightening!

One of the best books I've ever read on the subject. Excellent reading.

First of all, I must say that this book unquestioningly accomplishes what it set out to do, which is detail the historical evolution of qi. If you are unsure of the qi's nature and would like a little context as to its historical development, a bit on its philosophy and its applications, this book delivers. However, you will not find much depth here as it is an historical overview. It is effortless to discover starting points for further study in qi through the references used. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone trying to understand qi. Now, there are several elements of this book that I did not care for. In fact, I found them downright irritating. First of all, quotations are seldom (if ever) documented. The text is named and a passage follows, but translator and page number are absent. You know where the information comes from only in a vague sense so there's no way to locate the original information. I would like to know which translation of the Dao Dejing is referenced as the Chapter 43 citation on page 155 is a terrible one. There is a bibliography on page 184, but no Dao Dejing is listed. Next, there are a lot of superfluous pictures and characters sprinkled about that don't seem to benefit the reader one bit. If you could read Chinese, perhaps you could double check the translation, but for the average audience to whom this book caters, this is lost. Next, the authors make very general assumptions that are not clarified. For example, one section explains that Leibniz and Bohr may have been influenced by the Dao Dejing (or was it the I Jing?), but no mention or evidence of how are listed. Also, they boast that qi dates back 10,000 years, but no citation is given to account for this. Lastly, the authors become dismissive at times towards western methods, especially concerning medicine. The tone seemed out of place and unnecessary. I guess what I would like to see is a second edition of this book that is chalked full of beefy endnotes that fill in the vague spaces and lead the reader directly to the pages from which the citations are lifted. If this were done, this book would become tremendously powerful and reach an even larger audience. I would like to see this book used as an undergraduate textbook someday, but as it stands, I could not see it used as such due to its academically sloppy presentation. As mentioned, this book really is wonderful at what it set out to accomplish. Regardless, all I can see when I look at it is how great it could be.

Qi/ki/chi/c'hi-- it is at the center of so many aspects of Chinese philosophy/religion/ethical/moral/cultural-- of everything. I have personally been seeking the definition of Qi from a martial arts standpoint, taken years to formulate my own definition and understanding--and this book has done a tremendous job of condensing an infinitely complex concept and given it a conceptual framework. Well and clearly written, this book explores the origins of the term 'Qi' in Chinese history, and explores this concept throughout a number of aspects of Chinese history and culture. Yu Huan Zhang, the author, concisely explains the central role of the concept of Qi in Chinese philosophy, religion, medicine, art, martial arts, qigong, literature, science, and others. After reading this work, one realizes that one's understanding of qi can never be complete, and will always be dictated by the context. Appropriately, this book both expanded my awareness of the concept of qi, enhanced my understanding, yet failed to provide a coherent, simplistic answer. Before reading this book, I had come to the conclusion that there really was no such thing as qi. I was right, and I was wrong. But I feel significantly closer to true understanding. Highly recommended! My only criticism is that for such a short book, too much time was spent on extended quotes. Yes, they added to the text as examples, but I would also like to have seen more in-depth exploration of major concepts. If space was a limitation, then I would have preferred more brief quotes, and more narrative exploration. This is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the concept of Qi, that has yet to find the answer, or is not sure of the answer. Or anyone who is interested in better understanding the root of Chinese culture and thought.

The book sets out to investigate historical references in the understanding of Qi. Obviously this is a major science and this book has the foundation of a 5-star rating, but falls short in that there is a lot of material the author did not investigate. In particular, I would have liked to see deeper research into the various practices primarily in China, India, and Japan that focus on the cultivation of Qi, along with a comparison of the different techniques used to achieve this end. In such an absence, the book assumes an academic journey into the historical record and falls short of offering any practical value. This is an essential book for any practitioner of eastern medicine, yoga, or the martial arts. All of these people can gain a solid foundation of the background of this science, and here I believe the book really delivers. Where the book fails is in the definition of Qi, which should have been one of the first entries to set up the root of understanding the future concept. Another major failure is the lack of any explanation or discussion of the many uses of Qi within the body, and what they are called and how they are differentiated according to the Chinese (ie Yuan Qi, Wei Qi, Gu Qi, Zong Qi, Zhong Qi, Zhen Qi, Lung Qi, Heart Qi, Liver Qi, etc etc.). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) defines Qi as one of the 4 vital substances: Qi; blood; Essence; and body fluids. The 2 main properties of Qi are: 1) Qi is an energy which manifests simultaneously on the physical and spiritual level; 2) Qi is in a constant state of flux and in varying states of aggregation (when Qi condenses, energy transforms and accumulates into physical shape. Accordingly, there are many different types of human Qi (ie lung Qi, food Qi, defensive Qi, etc), however they are all still Qi manifesting in different forms. For example, Nutritive Qi exists in the "interior" (of the body) and its function is to nourish. It is denser than say Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) which is on the exterior and protects the body from pathogenic invasion. Its impossible to discuss Qi without going into the relationship with the other 3 vital substances, and this was not covered anywhere in this book. Essence for example has a major influence on Qi, and this is an essential discussion that is completely absent. There are two types of Essence (plus Kidney Essence): pre-heaven & post-heaven. Pre-heaven Essence is given by parents at conception and has 7 irreplaceable levels that we burn throughout life. Post-heaven Essence is nourished by Qi, which is produced from the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat (in order of importance, which is why true yoga is so powerful: increased respiration). Our lifestyle produces the quality of Qi which in turn affects the rate of Pre-heaven Essence depletion. If our Qi production is poor via our lifestyle, our body cannot perform optimally, and eventually if bad habits are not addressed they manifest as injury & illness. The reason I listed Qi components in order of importance is because the author failed to do so and it is essential for an athlete focusing on Qi to know this. The human body can arguably go months without food, a few weeks without water, but only a few minutes without breath. In the index, there isn't even an entry for breathing. It is mentioned in passing here and there, but nowhere did the author include a detailed analysis of the fundamental importance of the breath nor how to practice it for maximum affect. He also fails to detail the relationship of water and food for the optimal production of Qi. This is very disappointing. So is the brevity of the chapter on TCM. The book is not titled "The History of Qi in China", so to discuss Qi and ignore India and the art of yoga, is to completely miss an awareness of Qi that is arguably more developed and better in tact than anything China has to offer. The closest thing offered is in his telling of Da Mo (Bodhidharma in Hindu): "....he compiled a series of exercises designed to bend the limbs and stretch the sinews...these bending and stretching exercises serve as a basis of a variety of martial arts and techniques developed in Buddhist temples throughout China....which include a series of breathing techniques aimed at harnessing and developing a mysterious internal power." Da Mo came from India to China, and likely brought Yoga with him. This was the foundation of internal Chinese martial arts. Unfortunately, it was never an improvement over the original Yoga. It is a major oversight that the author did not get into this. The only yogic reference is on p15, "The ancient Hindus wrote of prana, the invisible 'breath of life' that they cultivated through yoga." After that he goes off about Greeks and the Kabbalah. In any event those are my personal grievances and the book still has a ton to offer. Chapters include: 1) The Literary Traditions of Qi: Etymologies; Definitions; Ancient Texts; Modern Writers; Concepts in Other Cultures 2) The Qi of the Philosophers: Ancient Cosmology & Ontology; Natural Phenomena & Basis of Social Structures; Qi & Dao; Qi of Kong Zi, Meng Zi & the Confucian School; Qi in Western Philosophy; 3) Qi in the Arts: yi Qi He Cheng; Dance of Qi; Qi in the Education & Training of Artists; Charm of Qi; Understanding Qi -Perception & Appreciation of Art 4) Qi in Medicine: Concept of Qi; Differentiation in A&P; Qi in Diagnostics & Therapeutics; Nourishing & Treating Qi for Healthy & Longevity; Theoretical Tools to Identify & use Qi in TCM 5) Qi Gong: Ancient Roots & Practices; Aims of Practitioners; Search for Internal Elixir; Real & the Fake 6) Qi in Martial Arts: Qi Power; Gung Fu; External & Internal; Masters & Secrets; Tai Chi 7) Qi in Daily Life: Qi in Modern Chinese Language; Familiar Experiences & Expressions; Qi & the Chinese World View; Future of Qi The TCM section dealing with Longevity is almost entirely devoted to a discussion of herbs, and not to the hard work a person needs to do to maintain a personal practice that cultivates Qi. The "Qi Gong" section can be debated almost endlessly. My main gripe is the author's failure to recognize that "Qi Gung" was one of many "Gungs", or skills. Just as "Hei Gung" referred to "Light Skills", or being light on your feet, Qi Gung implied mastering the practical application of Qi, be it for healing or fighting (yin/yang). Internal martial artists will have a field day with various opinions on the Martial Art chapter. Regardless of my criticism, the book is still excellent for what it is, and disappointing for what it could have been. There is a great collection of b/w photos of all different nature that add to the study. A table of the Heavenly Stems (seasons) and Earthly Branches (Circadian Clock) is included in the back. Unfortunately he did not include the corresponding Zang/Fu organs. There is also a chart of the seasonal divisions, and a not-so "Concise Chronology of Chinese History. There is a 1-page bibliography, and the body of the text offers many primary sources for additional study.

A Brief History of Qi is a remarkable book that finally gave me a clear concept of what qi is. Having always thought that qi was synonymous with energy I was amazed to see that it is not just limited to a function of the body but that it permeates everything. It is a lot closer to the Force but in a real way. Each chapter of the book describes qi in relation do different aspects of Chinese culture through an examination of the meanings behind the Chinese characters. Qi is indeed a fundamental concept to the Chinese understanding of the universe and the authors exemplify this as it pertains to medicine, philosophy, martial arts, art, literature and even the day to day application of it. Not only is the book extremely insightful it is an easy read with a lot of historic images. It is a must read for anyone who has been even remotely curious as to what this whole qi thing is all about.

Good discussion about a potentially controversial topic.