Why practice?

GiCheon is practiced by Buddhists (including Buddhist monks), Christians, believers of other religions and persons who claim no religious affiliation alike. Some Christian adepts believe that GiCheon discipline turned them into “better Christians”: after starting the practice they pray more often, listen more carefully to the priest, regularly visit the church. Some Christians also pray to God while holding GiCheon positions, ask for forgiveness and express gratitude.

As to Buddhist adherents, when comparing the system of self-cultivation in Buddhism and GiCheon, they define these processes as mutually complementary[1]. Some practitioners state that GiCheon improved the concentration ability they utilize in Buddhist meditation.

Many trainees define GiCheon as “non-religious”. They call it sports that help build a healthy body, or therapeutic gymnastics that help curing maladies. There are those whose illnesses were not cured efficiently by western medicine so Korean Traditional Doctors advise them to turn to GiCheon practice. The instructors, who view GiCheon as a life-long transformative process, at times complain that these patients drop GiCheon after their afflictions are cured. The doctors of Korean Traditional Medicine themselves find that GiCheon exercises help them sense the flow of Ki in their bodies, of which they were previously aware only theoretically.

Some young people are attracted to GiCheon as a martial art. Some dancers and musicians are drawn to this practice because they consider GiCheon movements to follow Sambakcha (삼박자) – the rhythm of three beats - in a way similar to Korean traditional music and dance.

Among GiCheon adepts there are yet those who aspire to Kaedarŭm (깨달음). The word Kaedarŭm which may be roughly translated as “realization”, is close in meaning to Buddhist enlightenment. Some people define it as a goal or the contents of a self-cultivation process. When asked, these people did not identify themselves as Buddhists.