IMA people seem to think that if they train ima they will magically be healthy and live 100 years and they don't care about combat. They don't realize that they could train in other styles and still be just as healthy? Tai chi people are especially notorious for this. ANd what's with all these hippies?

It looks to me like your question would be easier to answer if it was worded...

'why are health obsessed people more prone to take up IMA rather than external styles like TaiKwonDo, KavMagra etc?'.

Because the old school IMA guys lived longer and practiced their arts in the very old age. And to the hippies- it looks cooler in slo-mo.

Not everyone who practices martial arts are interested in the martial aspects. For some it's just a better way to get one's exercise than running on a treadmill.

If you look at the studies, both eastern and western, practicioners of IMA are subject to significant health benefits ranging from increased longevity to decreased risk of altzheimer's disease. The common belief is that IMA are designed to massage and manipulate the internal organs in ways that external styles don't. This translates to internal body conditioning which is apparently healthy.

Don't be fooled though, many IMA players are very concerned with the combat aspects of their arts. And those martial applications can be devestatingly effectice.

As for the hippies, there aren't any my Ba Gua class, so I don't know what you're talking about.

What studies? I was unaware that anyone had done research on IMAs specifically.

what's the difference between tree huggers and chi huggers. Awnser: Tree huggers contribute to mankind by saving the envoierment.

"envoierment"??! Must be an aussie word.

Tree-hugging is a venerable and legitimate aspect of many different qigong practices. And, I must admit that I was reluctant to try it years ago when first told about it. However, it can certainly feel great to do your standing qigong with your arms "embracing" a tree. Of course, pine sap is awfully sticky in the Spring-time .... and ants can become a problem in the Summer... and the leaves dropping on your head can be distracting in the Fall ... and it can be bloody cold in the Winter... and bystanders tend to think you are crazy if you're practising anywhere except in a park full of elderly Chinese.

There's a lot to be said for trees... in fact, any of us with Scandinavian, Germanic and/or Anglo-Saxon blood were worshipping the oak trees in Europe until less than a thousand years ago -- which is a blink in the eye for Father Time.

So hug a tree today for a variety of reasons; it's better than chopping them down or beating on each other with the exuberance of macho youth!

Not to mention Ash, Yew, Birch, Hazel, Rowan...

I love oak furniture

Health, like money, is not a concern to many people unless they don't have it.

Some old Chinese fellow once said that if you stay in IMA long enough you go through four stages. Developing the ability to fight, developing the ability to defend yourself, developing your health, developing the health of others.

also why are most ima people old?

I'm 36.

because we were born a long time ago, and have managed to stay alive all that time. I think that's something to be proud and happy about. So I'm off for a beer to celebrate. Thanks for the reminder young Blakeism ( my memory's not what it used to be).

I read a quote from an old taiji guy from china (app can not remember name) when asked if taiji was the reason for his longevity he said 'not directly taiji helps calm the mind and spirit having a calm mind and spirit is the reason for my longevity'. Taking energy from trees is part of Eating six energies qigong otherwise its just zuan zhung (standing post) feeling the trees aura, to people who do this did you ask tree first LOL. There should be a law.

I heard an easier way to get energy from tree's was to eat them.

The serfs from the Middle Ages did that when they did not have proper food to eat and now the North Koreans have adopted this cuisine to sustain themselves when going without proper food. Tree bark could be the breakfast of champions.

I thought the best to get energy from a tree is when you burned it.

Sun Tzu advocated rolling it down a hill towards your enemies. Long life for me and a short for whomever is down the hill.

There is a whole chapter in Sun Tze on fire attacks, maybe Sun Tze was a secret pyromaniac.

I was under the impression that external artists lose their proficiency as they age. Basically all the hard external hitting and crazy practice they do to beef up damages their body more than it keeps them healthy in old age. Arthritis ect ect is supposed to be common in older practicioners of external ma. Probably not so much so as some Shoalin monks that practice iron techniques day after day.

I would assume that an external MAs could get similar benefits if they began internal power training and stuck with it applying it to their art. But I think these are few and far between.

just my 2 cents

They interesting part is... the external arts are actually internal arts at the higher levels(7th, 8th degree black belt) but few reach it and therefore much has been lost and much more misunderstood.

Choy Li Futs highest level forms are more like Tai Chi and focus on calming the mind and body.