Rating: 
Summary: Great Knowledge
Review: A must, clear explanations, easy to follow , i have bought the others after reading this one , this the best you can read on practical steps toward spirituality
congratulation to the author
Rating:
Summary: PERFECT INTRODUCTION!!!
Review: i have been practising for about 4 months, the first part of the book which consists of learning to feel(kinesthetically) energy(chi) moving thru my body. if u practise about 15 min a day for a few months u will definetly become more sensitve to your body. i have had a lot of stress in my life and as a result i used to get mouth ulcers all the time(like 3 or 4 at once) these would last 2-3 weeks before the would disapear and this is using every conventional medicine under the sun. with my nei gung practise they disappear overnight or even the same day. + i can get rid of headaches real quick. i have also noticed parts of my body opening up and then close up again. i now believe as bkf says that eventually my whole body will open up and stay open and that i will b able to feel different organs in my body and the state they r in, and direct energy to them if need b and hence solve problems b4 they become more problematic. this is so simple to practise)(read the instuctions carefully) no guru is needed if u do this. incredibly simple, amazingly effective!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The best intro to energetics and body structure available
Review: I learned more about qi from this book than from a decade of taijiquan lessons. It is the best introduction to energetics and body structure available, and is a must read for all taijiquan (tai chi chuan) and qigong (chi kung) students.There are a number of "gems" in this book ... principles that most people miss in their study of taijiquan and qigong. These principles apply not only to the exercises given in the book, but to all styles of taiji or qigong. This is the book, combined with Wong Kiew Kit's _The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan_ will give you the best introduction to Taijiquan available.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I practice Aikido and over the years I heard an awful lot of meaningless bla-bla about KI. In my opinion the author is able to formalize concepts and convey his knowlwdge to the reader. Moreover, I began practicing the core exercises that he precisely explains in the book. As far as I can tell, all what he says in this book is true, and I feel the benefits. This apply not only to my back (that was injured a couple of years ago), but also to my Aikido training. I have the clear feeling of currents of energy flowing through my body. I am still a beginner in this field, but I know where I want to go, now.
On the wake of my new enthusiasm, I bought other books about Chi Gung. None of them has been very useful to me. They are too technical or they are watered down to mere philosophical mambo jambo. If you want to begin to work on your inner energy, BK Frantzis books are the place you want to start from.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, especially the Chapter 2: Chi Gung Theory
Review: If you can't find satisfy answer about the difference between Chi Gung and Nei Gung, you would find it here.
The comparisons between Yoga/Pranayama and Chi Gung could be found also in this book. The Chi Gung's fundamental principle (Heaven, Earth and Man), and The Components of Standing are clearly explained. The Lesson Plan for Opening the Gates, although it is clearly explained, it may not be practical for the beginner, who may not have a patient, to execute it.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time
Review: In this book, Frantzis Kumar describes techniques which are essential for all energy work as well as a precondition for practicing internal martial arts; that is, he gives detailed instructions on opening the channels that control the flow of chi ("the energy gates"). By following the instructions step-by-step the practitioner learns to generate an uninterrupted flow of chi through the major meridians and dan-tiens. Any dedicated practitioner of aikido, tai-chi, chi-kung, capoeira and other martial arts knows that this is not an easy thing to do - learning to manipulate chi takes years of practice and one has to be lucky to have instructors who are willing to impart this knowledge. Internal energy techniques used to be (and still are) rather secret in China and it is rare to encounter a Chinese master who is willing to teach these to non-Chinese disciples. That's why we're lucky to have this book written by a Westerner for a Western audience. Kumar starts from the beginning, with techniques designed to dissolve energy "knots". He then describes all the major points on the meridians where stale energy is wont to accumulate and introduces a simple Cloud Hands practice, which is an optimal way to open the shoulder blades and the pelvic girdle (stretch them darn psoas muscles!). He ends with teaching a simple spinal stretch method (which reminds me of Feldenkreis). The book is filled with helpful hints and admonitions. It is also well written, unlike many other similar manuals which tend to suffer from mistranslations and bad grammer. Written text of course is no substitute for a live teacher, whose help is crucial so that we learn to correct the warped micro-postures and subconscious mis-alignements that tend to plague our steps into the wonderful world of energy work. As a supplement, however, i think Kumar's book is very useful and i recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: highly recommended
Review: In this book, Frantzis Kumar describes techniques which are essential for all energy work as well as a precondition for practicing internal martial arts; that is, he gives detailed instructions on opening the channels that control the flow of chi ("the energy gates"). By following the instructions step-by-step the practitioner learns to generate an uninterrupted flow of chi through the major meridians and dan-tiens. Any dedicated practitioner of aikido, tai-chi, chi-kung, capoeira and other martial arts knows that this is not an easy thing to do - learning to manipulate chi takes years of practice and one has to be lucky to have instructors who are willing to impart this knowledge. Internal energy techniques used to be (and still are) rather secret in China and it is rare to encounter a Chinese master who is willing to teach these to non-Chinese disciples. That's why we're lucky to have this book written by a Westerner for a Western audience. Kumar starts from the beginning, with techniques designed to dissolve energy "knots". He then describes all the major points on the meridians where stale energy is wont to accumulate and introduces a simple Cloud Hands practice, which is an optimal way to open the shoulder blades and the pelvic girdle (stretch them darn psoas muscles!). He ends with teaching a simple spinal stretch method (which reminds me of Feldenkreis). The book is filled with helpful hints and admonitions. It is also well written, unlike many other similar manuals which tend to suffer from mistranslations and bad grammer. Written text of course is no substitute for a live teacher, whose help is crucial so that we learn to correct the warped micro-postures and subconscious mis-alignements that tend to plague our steps into the wonderful world of energy work. As a supplement, however, i think Kumar's book is very useful and i recommend it highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting overview
Review: Kumar Frantzis is a very good writer, but this is not my favorite book by him. Readers are better off buying the first volume of his water meditation series. This book covers basic dissolving ideas, some interesting stretches/exercises, and a zillion points throughout our qi body to direct our dissolving efforts. It's a nice, simple introduction. But only experts are going to memorize every point, and Mantak Chia does a better job at going through the points and explaining WHY. The stretches and exercises are interesting, good for the beginner, but more directed at physical relaxation in a way than energy development. That's not exactly accurate, but it's the best way I can think of to describe what I feel when trying them. Perhaps I'm just not advanced enough to understand. But for pure energy/biomechanics, which is what I'm into, this book didn't really strike me as useful. OTOH, with respect to my own meditation practices, I usually begin with Chia's Inner Smile, then Frantzis' dissolving techniques as outlines in this book. Breathing, as in Frantzis' Water Mediation book (Vol. 1) is part of what I do throughout-- and most useful for understanding the breathing process for any activity-- meditation, Tai Chi, whatever. Finally, I do Chia's Microcosmic Orbit, and beginning to use his Fusion of Five Elements. It's been interesting so far.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent Qigong starter...
Review: Kumar has done an excellent job putting enough information into this book in an understandable way to make the book useful to those just looking into the internal arts as well as for those who have been long-time practitioners. Not that a book could ever replace actual lessons from a master in Qigong, but Kumar has some very valid observations and ideas that can help even those who have been doing Qigong for a while. I find the illustrations to be very good; they seem to capture the essence of the movements when many other books, particularly some full of photos, for some reason just can't convey. Kumar's history is interesting and inspirational as one would expect of someone who has mastered the many arts he has studied.
Rating: 
Summary: I am not jumping for joy
Review: Seems like you need a qualified master to show you how to do almost everything mentioned in this book. As for the core exercises, they are simple and nothing better than what would be found in other chi gung books. I am not a practicing martial artist or anything like that. If you don't have or plan on having a master to supervise your performance and progress, then you'll be interested in other chi gung books that don't constantly taunt you with this.
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