By Chang Kyo Oh

Natural medicine and herbal remedies have existed as long as humankind. They include the use of leaves, bark, berries, roots, gums, stems and flowers. One of the earliest herbal texts was written at the time of Nero by Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician serving the Roman army. In it, he listed many plants to treat each symptom, probably in hopes that readers might find at least one medicinal plant in their own locality. As humankind progressed through the centuries, many other texts of “herbals” would follow. Yet as an industrialized society developed, along with pharmacy and medicines, the use of herbs declined - until now.

Herbal Remedies Today:

During the past 20 years, interest in medicinal plants and herbal remedies has increased dramatically throughout society. Today we find herbal products used in a variety of ways. The general public uses herbs for self-medication and as natural cosmetics. The scientific community carefully studies the biological & pharmacological effects of herbal preparations. Today, over half of the top 250 pharmaceutical companies have researched programs involving herbal plants, something that was unheard of as little as 15 years ago. In fact, most perscription medications are derived from natural products.

Herbal Remedies and Their Benefits.

Doctors have found herbs to be useful allies in treating their patients. Natural products have become useful alternatives to established therapies, mainly because they act at different stages in the disease and can be useful in combination therapy. Lets discuss some of the more popular herbs and other natural products and their uses. Most can found over the counter at any drug store or health food store.

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By Grand Master Gary Pointer

This is often asked by black belts who are trying to advance to senior black belt ranks. The use of Ki for healing in martial therapy or Oriental medicine is very powerful. Ki is equally powerful when manipulated to cause pain or injury in martial arts.

Ki Centers are basically subtle energy channels that run through the body, located in different areas of the body. There are many Ki Centers throughout the body but the ones I will mention here are known as the “classical Ki Center system” and I’ve heard it also referred to as “the essential Ki Center system”.

The Essential Ki Center System:

There are 7 main Ki Centers that are located vertically up the spine starting at the base of the spine and all the way up to the crown area (actually believed to be about 4 finger widths above the head) of the head. They are located in the center of the body and open on both the front and the back side of the body. Starting at the base of the spine they are known as:

The Base or Root and it is Red, The second above this is known as the Sacral and it is Orange, the next above this is the Solar Plexus and it is Yellow, the next above this is the Heart and it is Green, the next above this is the Throat and it is light Blue, the next above that is the Brow (sometimes known as the 3rd eye) and it is Indigo, and the last is the Crown and it is Bright White, although colors of Purple and Gold are also seen in this area.

The Basic Function/Malfunction signs of each Ki Center:

The Base/Root Ki Center Function:

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