Yesterday we had the first introduction to clinical skills and to the qigong-part of the course. The information level is still very strangely spread across the board. During this class we were informed that 1) this was a very difficult module, and you really needed to pass it or you would fail the module, and 2) it should be quite easy to do if you attended classes and we will help you as much as we can, so don´t worry too much.
We were also introduced to the ”qigong”-part of the course, which as an introduction consisted of the very basic, most physical qigong with little detail and depth. I am a qigong-specialist, so of course a bit biased, but the information was very basic and lacked a lot of safety features I would have included. The exercises also repeatedly moved your lower back out of alignment, and broke other alignments in your body, moving into the world of stretching rather than qigong. Maybe they will teach it with more precision over time. I hope, for the students´ sake.
Qigong is a very, very big subject, and finding a teacher who knows the real qigong work in depth is difficult, so the quality wasn´t different from what is available on the market if you look up most classes.
Qigong is a crucial facet of classical chinese medicine, and for someone to be really good at CCM, would also include as a matter of course that they have a long-time and solid practice of various qigongs at different levels and with different techniques used, sometimes including deep work in sitting meditation.
The pass grades in most of the modules of course seem to lie at 40%, which feels rather low. What is important to understand, for readers not acquainted with the field, is that training in Chinese medicine in general in the West is extremly short term in the majority of places that train in it. Long trainings, especially full-time ones, are the exception, not the rule. There is also no standardized course schedule, for good and for bad, and no standardizing bodies. Some unions in different countries try to create a more mainstreamed schedule, but since they have no ability to enforce the decision, this ends up more like guidelines rather than have actual effect.
