Qi Magazine Issue 59

8/10/2019 Qi Magazine Issue 59

1/41Horoscopes

ChineseNew Year

Health & Internal Trainin

PracticSelf Defen

Taoist Whi

Cloud TempM aster W

Baol

M aster Chan Pui

Preying M anti sKung F u

HealthyLivingGong

Snake &Turtle Qigon


2/41

Qi Magazine 1

Cover: Master Chan Pui

Qi Magazine is published by the Tse QigongCentre. Its aim is to bring you information notreadily available in the West.

Editor: Michael Tse

D epu ty Edi tor : D ar ryl MoyDesign Assistant David DrennanAssist ants : Sarah Bloomf ield

John HayesMartin Gale

L eg al A dv is er : Ton y Wa ls h

Pro of Rea di ng: Yvo nne DixonMike Stenson

Marketing/Distribution: Jessica BlackwellSweden: Barbro Olsson

Consultants (Listed in alphabetical order):

Grandmaster Chan Chi HoGrandmaster Chen Xiao Wang

Grandmaster Ip Chun

Grandmaster Wu ChunyuenGrandmaster Yang Meijun

Colum nists: Glen GosslingJ. Reynolds Nelson

Dr. Shulan TangSihn KeiAdam Wall ace

Readers may contact any of our contributors c/o

Qi Magazine.We encourageall our readersto contribute articles, lettersor questions for possible inclusion in future issues ofQi Magazine.

Articles appearing in Qi Magazine do not necessarily reflect

the opinion of the editor. Adverts appearing in the

magazine are not necessarily endorsed by it or the editor.Exercisesappearing in Qi Magazine are forreferencepurposes only. Thus anyone wishing to study should seek

qualifiedtuition.

Michael Tse 2002.All rights reserved. No part of this publicati on may be

reproduced, stored or transmitted in any way without thewritten permission of Michael Tse.

Advertising:Qi Magazine hasprovedto be an effectivewayof reaching a wide variety of people. All enquirieswelcome.For call: 0161 929 4485

For outside UK +1619294485

Subscription:Costs per year:

UK 20 inc p&p.

USA $35 inc p&pEurope 25(airmail) incp&p.Worldwide 35(airmail) incp&p.

For UK/Europe/WorldwidePlease send payment in Pounds Sterling. Payment can beby Credit Card or Cheque, drawn on UK bank, payable to

Qi Magazine.

Qi Magazine

PO Box 59 Altrincham,WA15 8FS, UK

Tel:0161 929 4485

Fax: 0161 9294489

email: [email protected]

Website: www.qimagazine.com

ISSN 1358-3778Continued on page 7

Throughout my life I have admireda hero called Kiu Fung. He was

a very high level martial artist and

the leader of a band of beggars. In theo ld t im e s t h e be ggar s w o u ld jo intogether to protect each other, societyor even the government. This was duringthe Song Dynasty (1127-1279AD).

During this time the Mongolians and XiDan from the North tried to invade andconquer the South of China. Wheneverthey tried, Kiu Fung always brought hisgang of beggars to fight against theenemy. So he became a hero for all the

Song people. However, he was not justa good martial artist and the leader ofbeggar gang, he was also a very

truthful and honest person. He said,There is nothing that I need to hidean d n o t h in g t h at I c an n o t t e l l

others. This sentence has affectedme a lot, and it is something that I

would also like to be, Nothing In e e d t o h ide an d c an n o t t e l lothers.

Unfortunately, Kiu Fung

eventually lost his position as leaderof the beggar gang, because hediscovered that he was not one ofthe Song people, but actually a Xi

Dan, who were the enemies of theSong. At the time the Xi Dan people

were in the North of what is todayChina and the Song people were inthe South. There was much hatredbetween the two and a lot of fighting.

When he was a small baby, the Songpeople mistakenly killed his parents.

When they found the little baby, theyfelt guilty for what had happened and

want ed to try and make amends fortheir terrible mistake. So they lookedafter the baby and treated him very well.They educated him, brought him up and

helped him to become a good martialartist. Eventually he went on to becomethe leader of the beggar gang andalways thought his parents were Songpeople and that they were farmers.

Sadly, when Kiu Fung found out

his real background, that he was not aSong, and had been helping the Songsto kill his own people, his lost his positionand his friends. When his friends foundout that he was the enemy of theirpeople, some turned their backs on him,

some had no choice but to go against

him and others just left him. In the endhe was alone and lost and did not know

what to do. But , there was one gir l

named Chu, who respected him verymuch, she stayed and took care of himand eventually, they fell in love. So KiuFung had one understanding friend, who

was good company and stayed with him

at the worst time of his life.Kiu Fung wanted to find the man

who was responsible for all the thingst h at h ad

happened and had caused all thistragedy in his life. He eventually foundthe man he thought was responsible, buthe did not know that it was Chus father.

Chu did not want Kiu Fung to

kill her father so she disguised herself


3/41

Cover Feature...Cover Feature...Cover Feature...

Cover Feature...Cover Feature...Cover Feature...

22 Master Chan Puis - Wah Lum Preying Mantis

Wa h Lu m Pr eyi ng Ma nt is is afamous style of Chinese Kung Fu.It is a highly effective fighting skill

a n d a l s o a m ea n s o f k eep i n gyourself fit and healthy. Mast Chanhas been pass on his skill for manyyears and has recently realised one

of the dreams that has kept himgoing over the years.by Jesscia Blackwell

Editorialwith Michael Tse.

PO Box

Chen Taiji Spear

Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang gave the first UK seminarin November 2001 teaching the Chen Style Taijiquan Spear.by Glenn Gossling

0 Wing Chun Power KickingKicking in Wing Chun, like any martial art is very important.Here we outline some ways of training your kicks to becomevery powerful.by Darryl Moy

Phlegm and Chinese Medicine

Everyone has suffered from a phlegm. It can be veryirritating and annoying. There are many reasons why thisoccurs and also a number of ways that TCM can treatthem.by Dr Shulan Tang

3 Healthy Living Gong

The Tse Qigong Centre has many different types of Qigong.

Here we look at one of the forms that Michael Tse hascreated to help beginners with their studies.by Michael Tse

One More AlohaHaving moved to Hawaii to set up an branch of the Tse

Qigong Centre but outside events have had a profoundaffect.by Sihn Kei

8 Qigong in the Wilderness

Sometimes it is necessary to take a break from everythingand get away from it all. The author explains one way of

combining a break with Qigong practise and getting backto nature.by Andy Mishkin

6 Turtle and Snake Qigong

This is a rare Qigong method based on the characteristics

of these two animals.by Zhou Renfeng

8 Kung Fu Breakfast

Good teachers embody their arts and their very character

and attitudes can give a clue how achieve a better level ofskill.by J.Reynolds Nelson

0 Instructor InsightA look at 2 Instructors of the Tse Qigong Centre

5 A Well Diggers Adventure

A tale that is ente rtain ing and imag inative but as youmight expect, also has a lesson within it.translated by Zhang Guangqian

36 The Water Horse

Chinese New Year is an exciting time. The energy changes the new animal moves in. Find out what this year has in sto

for you with these Horoscopes.by Michael Tse

38 Testing Times

A test doe s not have to be a pro ble m to solve, they capresent themselves in many ways. The only problem then,

recognising them.by Darryl Moy

39 Basic Self Defence TrainingMore techniques that can be practised with a partner.by XiaBai Hwa

41 Master Wu Baolin

The Second part of the fascinating story of Master Wu. In thissue he continues to tell us about his training in the famoWhite Cloud Temple, and recounts many things that happene

there.by Michael Tse

44 Central Principles of Daoism

Daoism plays a very big part in traditional Chinese cultur

and is even growing in the West. What then is Daoism anwhat are the core principles of Daoist thought?by Adam Wallace

45 Feng Shui and your DeskThe Feng Shui of where you work is very important. It effecyour work and your livelihood, as well as your health. So it important to make the best of it.by Michael Tse


4/41

Qi Magazine 3

POBox POBox POBox..

Declaration of the

Relationship BetweenGrandmaster Ip Chun

and Samuel Kwok

Hawaii Office to Close

We hereby give notice that with effect from the 3rd of

November 20 01, Mr Samuel Kw ok ( ) of the United

Kingdom of Great Britain will have no further association withWing Chun Grandmas ter Ip Chun. Any unauthorised use

thereafter of the name of Grandmaster Ip Chun,commercial or otherwise, by Mr Samuel Kwok

( ) or his fellow students, will be treated asan act of deceit. Grandmaster Ip Chun reserves

the right of legal action to be taken against theoffending parties.

As of the 1st of January 2002 we regret to announce that the Tse QigongCentre office in Hawaii will close for the time being. However, although theoffice may be closing the Centre is not ceasing its activities in the USA. Classes

with authorised instructors will continue as normal and we have a full seminarschedule planned. Details can be found in the Whats On pages towards theback of this issue.

Those of you who wish to place orders please use our Websites on-lineshop at www.qimagazine.com. Payments by check in US Dollars can still besent to our UK office, however, they should now be sent to our UK office.Please note that cheques should be made payable to Michael Tse. No othercheques will be accepted.

For information about classes and courses please contact the followingpeople:

East CoastAdam Wallace on (212) 330 8327

West CoastAdah Masaoka on (206) 367 7256

Tse Qigong

Membership

Announcement

From the 1st of February singlemembership to the Tse QigongCentre will increase slightly.

UK price will be 45

Europe price will be 55

USA price will be $70*

* Please note that cheques shouldbe made payable to Michael Tseand sent to our UK address. Noother cheques will be accepted.

Membership t o t he Cent reincludes a years subscription toQi Magazine (six issues), a CentrePolo shirt and discounts on TseQigong Centre seminars andcertain merchandise purchasedfrom the Centre.

Family memberships will remainthe sa me p ric e. F am ily membership is available toimmediate family members livingat the same address and includesa subscription to Qi Magazine

and two Centre polo shirts, aswell as the other discounts.

For more information, pleasecontact the Centre or your localinstructor.

Hard Qigong

Level II

New Test Date

The Tse Qigong Centre will beholding a test for Hard QigongLevel II on Saturday the 4th ofMay 2002. This will give thosepeople who were unable toattend the test in December achance to take the test beforeLevel III begins in June. For moreinformation please contact theCentre on 0161 929 4485. Startpractising...

Ip Chun


5/41

Qi Magazine 4

Leaning to

Wing Chun

Dear Sifu Tse,About three years ago, I started

doing Karate at a localclub. I thought it wasgreat, but the moreinterested I became inMartial Arts, the moreI realized that I wouldnot get very far withthisclub. For nearly twoy ea rs I h av e b ee nl o ok i ng c los el y a tdifferent styles with thein te n t o f c han gin gstyles. For the past yearI have trained very littlebecause I do not find itfulfilling. My Shihan

insists on teaching thephysical techniquesonly, he does not talka bou t, o r h el p t odevelop the mental andspiritual strength of hiss t ud en ts , t ho ug h Ibelieve you cannot havethe physical, without them e nt al, w it ho u t t h espiritual, because thats

what makes a Mart ialArt different from self-defence and boxing.

I h av e a gr e atadmiration for Chineseculture, so have lookedto starting a ChineseMartial Art. I have aspecial fondness for Canton and have aburning desire to learn Cantonese, as itis such a beautiful language. WingChun is a style I have been leaningtowards for a while now, but I did notknow it originated from Canton. Last

week I saw the book you co-wrote withGrandmaster Ip Chun, entitled Wing

Chun - Traditional Chinese Kung Fu forSelf-Defence and Health, for sale in ashop. I recognised your name from theCombat magazine, as I read yourarticles, Talking Qi and Qigong, everyissue with great intent, so I bought thebook.

Once I started reading the book,I c o u ld n o t pu t i t do w n . I t w as s ointeresting, and the importance of Qi

wa s emphasi sed reg ula rly, wh ich issomething I have been severely lackingin my training up until now. When I readthat the style originated from Canton,

it was like a perfect coincidence. I havelearnt Sui Lim Tao, as best I can withouta teacher to guide me, from the book. Ifind it really peaceful and enjoyable toperform. I feel totally in control duringand after practising the form, a state of

mind I have felt veryrarely in the past.

At the backo f t h e b o o k w a syour email address,to contact you fori n fo rm at i on o nt raining, so Idecided to take theopportunity. Every-thing I have learntabout Wing Chunso far urges me onto learn more. I ameager to find out ify o u k n o w o f an y

reliable Wing Chunteachers in South

Wales , or if yo ucould pleaserecommend me tocontact someone

who might know. I

am also interested to know of any otherWing Chun or Qigong books you havewritten, as I would also like to purchasethem.

I would be extremely grateful ifyou could help me in my search forknowledge and to eventually achieve ahigh level of competence in Wing Chun.

Thank you for the help you have alreadydone for me, and for any other helpyou are able to give me in the future. Iam grateful for your time and patience,thank you,

Yours Sincerely,JL, Wales

Dear JL,Thank you for your letter. At this

moment, I do not know of anyoneteaching Wing Chun in South Walesalthough we may have an instructor who

will be beginning in a class in Bristol in

the New Year. If you would be interestedin intensive training, the Centre holds a

yearly Wing Chun residential course in thesummer which covers basic and moreadvanced training over a period of fivedays. It is a good opportunity for bothbeginners and seniors to train intensivelytogether. If you would l ike further

information on books and seminars,ple as e visi t ou r we bsi te at :www.qimagazine.comWith kind regards,

Michael Tse

Strong

or Relaxed

Dear Mr Tse,Ive had a lot of debate on the

Fook Sau positioning and energy in WingChun and would be very interested to

know your thoughts. After the Wu Sau,when you drop into Fook Sau, do youpress inwards towards the centreline

wi th th e elbow as we ll as pr ess in gforwards or do you just drop the elbow,

wi th hand relaxed and go fo rw ard ,without pressing towards the centreline?How do you relax the shoulders fully?

There seem to be some peoplethat also pull the wrist back quite

strongly in the fook sau, whatare your thoughts on this?Thank you for any information you can provideon this movement, and thankyou for your time. Keep upthe good work with the siteand the excellent magazine.R, email

Dear R,Thank you for your letter. In regard

toFook Sau,we donot use energy topressthe wrist/arm into the centreline. Your

should drop into the correct position afterWu Sau and then use a forward energy,however, this is not with force. Anything

whic h uses for ce in Win g Chun will

damage the sensitivity. Siu Lim Tao is forbuilding up sensitivity not for creating

strength.Best wishes

Michael Tse

Hard Qigong

Level II Passed

Dear Darryl,Just a quick note to say thank

you for all the help and support youvegiven which has helped me to pass level

The importance

of Qi was emphasisedregularly


6/41

Qi Magazine 5

II hard Qigong exam. Youve always beenavailable to answer my questions andhave always been very encouraging -Thank You.

I was very nervous on the examday, in fact I had butterflies in mystomach. Once the last test was done, it

was such a joyous moment. We were all

so happy at the end of the day when allof us passed.Once again - thank you. Looking

forward to level III.Kind RegardsNick Dusanj

Dear Nick,Thank you for your kind letter. I was

very pleased for all of you who passed thatday. I know how much hard work you putin. I am also glad that you found thetraining not only physically rewarding, but

it has also helped to make you muchhealthier and I believe has changed youall deep down in some way.

As Sifu also says, the training givesyou the energy to live your life to the full.I am sure you all have more energy andconfidence to do this.

See you soon,Darryl Moy

Dummy

Dim Mak

Dear Master Tse,I am interested in the Qigong

aspect of Wing Chun. I have heard the

Wi ng Chun Woo de n Dummy Se t isintimately associated with Qigong skilldevelopment and understanding andthat the essence of the dummy set isfound only in understanding it from theperspective of Qi. Is it true that thedummy is not about hardening ortoughening up your body, but for increased sensitivity and learning howto hit with energy or Qi rather than justyour body?

I would greatly appreciate anyWing Chun based Qi Kung knowledgeyou can give me. Or explanations about

At Qi Magazine we receive a lot of emails and letters. We thought youmight like to see this email we received and mull it over. We are sure you

will have some opinion.

Sent: 11 August 2001 20:47

To: Undisclosed Recipients

Subject: ADV: Kung Ku Black Belts...

Become a certified Kung Fu Blackbelt in five easy moves for just $499.00 !!

Do you want the prestige of becoming a Certified Kung Fu Blackbelt?? Call(number supplied ed).

Can you handle the respect that comes with the rank of Blackbelt??

IF YOU ANSWERED, YES TO BOTH OF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU AREONLYONE PHONE CALL AWAY FROM ACHIEVING THE RANK OF KUNG FUBLACKBELT. CALL (numbersupplied ed)!!

Hi, my name is Sifu (name supplied -ed), and I am a 3rd degree Blackbelt

Sifu Instructor. I have been a martial arts instructor my entire adult life. Iam a decorated combat Vietnam Veteran and I received a purple

heart for wounds received in combat. I currently own andoperate a professional bodyguard agency for wealthyclients outside Orlando, Florida.

After years of study, I have developed a unique, easy tolearn home study program. All you need to perform arethe following stances:

1. Crane

2. Leopard

3. Praying Mantis

4. Dragon

5. SerpentAfter performing the five animal stances and your fees processed, you willbe awarded:

1. A FIRST DEGREE BLACKBELT in Kung Fu.

2. An official BLACKBELT CERTIFICATE with authentic seal with my originalsignature and the original signatures of two other Blackbelts.

3. A notarized certificate of authenticity.

4. A copy of my 3rd Degree BLACKBELT SIFU INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE,signed by a World Champion Grand Master, authorizing me, to certify you.

Simply purchase my course, learn five moves, and verify you can performthese stances by emailing me (ON YOUR HONOR) that you have completedthe course and I WILL CERTIFY YOU AS FIRST DEGREE BLACKBELT...

For more information call (number supplied ed) . We will answer anyquestions you have personally; we also offer Kung Fu uniforms, Blackbeltsashes, dragon patches and other martial arts supplies. Our web page willbe up soon. Hopefully when you call, we will have the site available for youto view.

You are only one call away from being a Kung Fu Blackbelt...

If you have any comments or have come across anythingsimilar why not write in to the usual address and let us know

Blackbelt for Sale

lackbelt for Sale

You are only

one call away from

a Blackbelt


7/41

Qi Magazine 6

how it is integrated into the Wing Chunsystem. I have also read that the fifthphase of the dummy set is to unlock andunderstand the abstract applications oft h e s equ en ce s as t h ey pe rt ain t omeridian point attacks relative to DimMak. It is said the dummy is the perfecttool to teach Dim Mak theory and

techniques. It is said the truth is no onewill really appreciate or understand theWing Chun Dummy set until the DimMak knowledge within it is opened up. I

was also told by someone thatMaster Ip Chun has stoppedt e ac h in g t h e Dim M ak aspect, is this true? Thanksfor your help.JR, England

Dear JR,In regard to

your questions about

the Qigong aspectso f W i ng C hu n ,a ct ua ll y th e

wo od en du m-my has noth-ing to dowithQ i g o n g .Everythingi n W in gC h u n

relates to Qi, but practice of the woodendummy is not about strengthening the

skin, bones and marr ow. It is abo utpractice of correct angles and footwork.For energy practice, this is done during Chi

Sau not the wooden dummy.Regarding Dim Mak skill, my Sifu,

Grandmaster Ip Chun, has never taughtDim Mak and hence, has never stopped.In the early times, he discussed the Dim

Mak skill with me and he believes that thenormal attacking skills of Wing Chun, likechopping the neck and punching will

have the same damaging effect as DimMak and is faster and more direct thansearching for a particular acupuncturepoint to attack.

Dim Mak is a skill outside the WingChun system and has its own separate

principles different than Wing Chun butthey are nothing to do with the Wooden

Dummy skill. I hope this has clarifiedthings for you.Best wishes,

Michael Tse

Question

About

Horse

Stance

In the stand-

ing position calledChild Worships

Buddha ahorse stance

position, weare requiredto squatdown withour backss t r a i g h ta nd ou r p a l m s

t oge th er ( as i f praying) in front ofthe Middle Dantian.

My Sifu toldme that you shouldk ee p y ou r b ac k straight and yourfeet parallel. Theonly problem I amhaving (apart fromthe physical effortof doing theposture) is that if Ikeep my feetparallel and sink

d ow n, I c ann otkeep my back straight, and if I keep myback straight I found my toes start topoint outwards.

Is it better then to have the backstraight or have the feet parallel.

An y ad vi ce wou ld be mu chappreciated.Question asked in seminar

This is a very common questionpeople have when they first start to dohorse stance postures. It all depends onhow flexible your joints are and also how

Interesting

Weblinks

www.about.comThis site is a general grab bag of various topicson things Chinese, including travel, study,

Feng Shui, Qigong, martial arts, etc. Has linksto other sites which can be irritating as they

are trying to sell something but if can bearthis in mind, it is a fun site for dabbling butnot for in-depth resources.

www.orcat.com

Ever wonder how to write Chinesecharacters? Each character has its own orderin which the stroke is made and each stroke

will have a special way in which it is created,either downwards, to the side, etc. This

animated site will show you how to writeselected Chinese characters, stroke by stroke.

strong you are. We do these exercises tocreate heat in the body as they make theQi s tr o ng er a nd a l so d evel o p thecirculation. They are also one of the best

ways of driving negative Qi out of thebody.

You should always make sure thatyou build up very gradually at first. Do

not go down too low to allow your bodyto get used to the exercise and let yourjoints become more flexible and stronger.It is best to keep your back as straight as

you can, but if you find you lean forwardsa little bit, then this is OK. If you bendforwards a lot, then you have gone toolow and should keep up until you can

straighten your back. As for the feet, keepthem as parallel as you can. Again if youfind they point out a little, then this is OK,but do not let them go too far. Again you

should come up if they do.The most important thing is to

build up step by step. Go down as far asyou can while keeping a good postureand come up when you are tired. Keep

your eyes open, but make sure you do notfocus on anything. When you finishalways remember to Shou Gong to settle

your energy.Michael Tse

I f y o u ha ve a ny let ter s, questi o ns o rcomments you would like to share, send them to

us at:

Qi MagazinePO Box 59AltrinchamWA15 [email protected]

Interesting

WeblinksThey are also

one of the best

ways of driving

out negative Qi


8/41

Qi Magazine 7

to look like him and went to meet KiuFung.

At the meeting, Chus father (Kiudid not know it was Chu) admittedmistakenly killing Kius parents. Kiu Fungonly thought of revenge and used all

his energy to strike him, but at themoment he struck he realised the mandid not know any martial arts. His body

was too weak and light, so somethingwas wrong. However, it was toolate. His opponent had takenall his power and Kiu Fung

was on e of th e be stmartial artists in China.

After he hit, hewe nt ov er to Ch usfather, as he knewsomething was not

r igh t. W hen helooked closer herealised it was Chu.He was so sad. Chutold him that thep er son he w aslooking for was herfather and she didnot want Kiu to killhim. So she took hisplace and tried toc le ar u p al l t hemistakes that hadhappened. Then she

died.Kiu Fung

c ri e d a nd c ri ed .Although he was oneof the strongest menin China and his levelof skill was so high, hestill had a soft heart.He would do absolutelyanything to bring herback, but it was toolate. She did notrespond to anything he

did or said. Chu just laystill in his arms. Kiu picked upher body and began to run. He ran formiles and miles, and did not feel anypain or any tiredness. He just wanted torun as if it might use his energy to stopall the sadness and pain in his heart.

He did not know were he wasgoing and screamed up to the sky,hoping that this was all a terrible dreamand that there would be some miraclethat would change everything and bringChu back to life. Then they would hideaway where no one would know them

and lead a quiet life and have a family.But he could not change what hadhappened.

Eventually Kiu found out that theman he was looking for was not Chusfather at all and so Chus death wasanother terrible mistake. The story goeson and Kiu actually finds his father alive

and that the person who had made allthe original claims had done so out ofjealousy

Kiu knew that all the things thathad happened had no meaning and

that revenge and killing had no ending.He found he was not a Song or a Xidan.He was educated under the Songs, but

although he was born a Xidan he wasrunning in their blood.

K iu did n ot w ant any t hin ganymore, so he killed himself so hecould go and look for Chu.

This is a sad story, but you shouldknow that it was a story written by myfavourite Chinese novelist, Kam Yung.Kiu Fung was not a real person, he isjust a character out of a novel, but histruthfulness and honesty impressed mea lot.

His words, There is nothing I

need to hide and nothing I cannot tell

others have always been favourites ofmine, and that is why, about ten yearsago I wrote my own poem, Simple andnatural is my method, true and sincereis my principle. I have still not reachedthat level yet, 100% honest, but I am

working on it. I am not trying to hideeverything, but of course everyone has

his or her privacy and there is no needto tell everyone everything as particularlytoday, it is not safe to do so. I will alsonot make up stories about other people.

Being completely honest is verydifficult to do, for example, if you meet

someone and they look tired and ill,if you tell them the truth they mightbe offended. So I will prefer to saythey look OK.

Also, if someone tells you asecret then you should not tell anyone.That is honest and shows your loyalty.If you gossip about people then your

are not being honest and so you donot understand how to be a trueperson.

Having studied Qigong for somany years I have seen many differents cho ol s: - D ao is t, B ud dh is t,Confucian, martial art and medical.

Actually, they are all the same, onlywe look at where they originally camefrom. If you look at the higher levels,they are all teaching how to getbalance and to do things properly.

If your posture is straight, you

walk in a balanced way with left andright co- ordinating together, eatproperly, s it correctly, and thinkcorrectly, you will be healthy and willnot suffer from illness until your energyruns out, or you decide when you wantto go.

Behaving properly, not beingselfish, being honest and not lying is a

very high level of Qigong because yourmind and body are correct. When welie and our thinking is deformed, then itis like your posture being crooked withone shoulder higher than the other. This

is like having one tyre on your cardeformed and so it will not run properly.

When you are selfish, then you start toclose up and eventually you will becomedepressed and ill.

So after practising so many yearsof Qigong and martial arts I haverealised that high level skill is not onlyabout movement, but also it is ourattitude.


9/41

Qi Magazine 8

During November 2001 Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang came to Britain toteach the Chen family Taiji spear. This was the first time that he had taught the spearin Britain and everyone present felt privileged to have the opportunity to learn suchan astounding form from such an exceptional teacher.

Chen Taiji Spear

The spear (Qiang) is one of the

weapo ns tradi tiona l to Chinesemartial arts and it falls into the

category of long weapons, along withthe staff, halberd, tiger fork and Dadao.The correct length of a spear is equal tothe distance between the ground andyour finger tips (when you are standing

wit h your feet flat and together andreaching up). For experienced martialartists this will already suggest a lotabout the biomechanics of the weapons

use and its potential reach.The Chinese spear consists of ashaft and a head (usually with somesort of tassel or horsehair attached).

A spear without a head is long staff.The addition of the spearhead allowst h e s pe ar t o bec o me a de adly thrusting weapon. A well madehead may be able to hold areasonable edge with somepotential for cutting but thethrust is the essentialtechnique with thespear. The fact

t h at Qian g,the Chinesen am e f or the spear, isa lso thet erm theChinese usefor guns saysa lot about thec ha ra ct e r o f t hespear as a weapon.

The spear is a full militaryweapon. It is designed for killing and

maiming. Historically, it has been oneof the most important weapons onbattlefields the world over. This isb ec au se i t i s r el at i ve ly e as y t omanufacture (as compared to weaponslike the sword) and it has a wide rangeof uses. It can be thrown. It can be usedto take riders off horses. Its most commonuse was in infantry ranks but it can alsobe held near to the spearhead for closehand to hand combat.

Many elements of the Chen spearform relate to its role as an infantry

weapon. The majority of the movements

Chen Taiji spear is especiallyinteresting from a martial standpoint. Itc om bi ne s bo th s pe ar a nd s ta ff techniques, which really demonstratesits full versatility as a weapon. Themovements originate from two separateforms: jasmine spear and white monkey

family spearb ut h as b ee n

a dap te d t o t heu niqu e s pir al lin g

energy of Chen Taiji.Wh en te aching

Grandmaster Chen paidparticular attention to

posture, just as he doeswhe n te ac hi ng un arm ed

forms. Correct posture is alwaysimportant. It is one of the things

that distinguishes the soft arts fromthe hard arts. The posture must beupright and relaxed so that all the Qican flow and so that you can movesmoothly and quickly. It is also necessaryso that the Dantian can turn.

One of the characteristic aspectsof the Chen spear is the clear anddetailed footwork. Almost all of the

Chen Taiji Spearwork along one line - front to back. Thecircling of the spear usually holds tightlyto this line rotating in a vertical planeand remaining close to the body. Inmilitary formations this would be anessential skill so that the ranks could bekept tight. A soldier who could not holdthis most basic of lines would not bemuch use in a regiment as he would bea liability to those alongside him.

staff. Thus as well as the usual thrustmoves you also find large horizontalsweeps and downward blows with thebutt end of the spear - designed todisarm an opponent.

In most Chinese spear forms youfind a fundamental triad of moves: Lan,La, Jia. These are specialist martial termsthat have been used in relation to thespear for over a thousand years but

which have no regular usage in everydayChinese. Lan is a clockwise block. La is

a counter-clockwise block and Jia isa thrust. This short combination is

the essence of Chinese spearwork. Not surprisingly

it isin the Chen

Qi Magazine 8


10/41

Qi Magazine 9

stepping begins by retracting and thenreplacing the lead foot. This is anessential defensive move - you are takingyour foot out of the way of a strikebefore moving in. The fact that this isemphasised on nearly every step pointsto Chens quality as a battlefield art.The logic is that you cannot ride a

weapons blow, no foot: no fight. Thef or wa rd st ep s a re of ten a ls oaccompanied by a drawing back of thes pe ar, w h ic h give s t h e de ce pt iv eimpression of retreat, and may wellmislead an opponent into thinking thatthey are safe at the precise moment

when they are least safe. Thest ep s t hems el ve s, a refrequentlycovered by sweepso f t h e s pe ar pas t t h ea nk le m ak in g t he

whole move very tight,defensively.

S i m i l a r subtleties are alsoobservable inthe movementsof t he ba ck foot, which iss o m e t i m e sstepped backa few inchesb ef or e r e-treating intoit. This kind ofsmall adjust-ment can

often be thedifference be-tween being inand out of ano p p o n e n t srange, or en-couraging ano pp on en t t oo v e r e x t e n d .

Again, following yinyang strategy, a retreat is usually followed by an advance. The reach ofthe strikes is frequently extended by

drawing in the back foot. This kind ofs t eppin g also al low s m an y s u bt le

variations and adjustments of range tobe m ade an d t h e m an ipu lat io n o f distance is further reinforced in the waythe grip continuously shifts along theshaft of the spear. It is the footwork ofthe Chen spear form that reveals its true

martial nature.Al l of th is so un ds am azi ng lycomplex to perform, andin some respectsit is until you grasp the overall simplicityof the way the spear follows the body.Everything rotates around the Dantian.

A lot of the time the body is positioned

sideways on (to the line), whichallows the spear to be kept tight to thebody and makes for a narrower target.The turning of the Dantian, from side to

side, gives the spear its power and pacewh ile leaving th e ar ms an d ha ndsrelaxed. Again this simplicity comes fromthe attention to detail of the posture.

Keeping the arms and handsrelaxed is essential to the control of thespear itself. The hands have to berelaxed so that they can shift along the

length of the spear, changing the reachand range, sometimes allowing forfluency of movement and sometimesproviding the basis for powerful strikes.

When combined with the footwork thehand adjustments can provide suddenthrusts at an a wide variety of rangesfrom little six inch jabs to moves whichcover almost twelve feet in one step.

At the end of the four day seminarSigong Chen gave a demonstration ofthe full form which revealed the highlevel of his skill. While learning the formmost people had been able to use the

spiralling movements to generate thepower that Taiji refers to as fajing.

However, Sigong Chens energy wasvery different from other peoples.

With everyone else you could seea physical wind up before the

release of power, but withSigong the fajing just suddenly

appeared at the end of thespear, like the cracking of

a whip. This is similar tohis pushing hands.

W h e n

m o s tpeopleu s e

p o w e r you can feel

it coming asthey set them-

selves up, you mightnot always be able to

do something about itb ut y ou c an f ee l i tcoming. However, withSigong Chen the poweris effortless and instant,

there is no warning. Thefirs t t h ing y ou k no w about it is when you areflying through the air.The softness of the spearreally showed this highlevel skill. Sigong Chen

transmitted energy fromhis body to the point of the

spear in sharp explosive concussions likefiring of a gun. It was an awesomedisplay of skill

by Glenn Gossling. [email protected]

Fajing just suddenly

like the crackingof a whip.

Fajing just suddenly

like the crackingof a whip.

Qi Magazine 9


11/41


12/41

Qi Magazine 11Qi Magazine 11

Tse Qigong Centre UK

PO Box 59

Altrincham WA15 8FS0845 838 2285

+44 161 929 [email protected]

can, kick immediately. If you are out of range move your selfso you are in range and take notice of how you got there.Move back into your original position and then practise quickly

moving into range and kicking. As you become more familiarwith the range of your kicks you should be able to move intorange and kick more quickly. Eventually you should be ableto do it without thinking and instinctivelyknow when you are in range and when youare not.

When you can do this smoothly, putthe arms and leg back into the dummy andtry again. It will feel quite different withthese obstacles in your way and you willhave to get used to it all over again.However with practice it will become smoothand natural. Dont forget that you can alsokick the leg.

This exercise will get you used tokicking from any position and also thedistances required. There are in fact three

ways to train with the Wooden Dummy. Theform is only the very basic way and is calledPlaying with the Dummy. The other twomethods are less well known; they arecalled Polishing the Dummy and Hitting the Dummy. Thistraining exercise is closer to the last method Hitting theDummy.

Another exercise to help develop your power can againbe done on the Wooden Dummy and does not require you tohave studied the whole form. Stand in front of the dummy

and place your heel on it as if you had just kicked it. Keepyour leg relaxed. Suddenly jerk your leg pressing your heelinto the dummy and then relax as quickly as you can and

hold your foot just off the dummys surface. Make sure youkeep your balance. Keep repeating this as long as you can.

When you are tired change to the other leg and repeat. Thisis a very demanding exercise. Very quicklyyou will find yourself getting tired and itbecomes increasingly difficult to keep your

balance. However with more practice youwill find that you will be able to releasemore power into the dummy and you willalso feel how it relates to your standingleg.

Then you can combine the two

exercises together. Begin by doing the first

exercise and when you find yourself at anunusual position where you do not feel yourkick is strong, stay there and begin to pressthe dummy (as in the second exercise) untilyou are accustomed to it. Then try stepping

in and out of that position and kick. Youshould find that you are better balancedand more powerful.

Wi ng Chun is a ve ry cl ev er sy st em. Al thoug hGrandmaster Ip Man cut it down to its bare essentials, theessence of all the skill is there to see. All you need to do is

examine it and work at it and with help from a good teacher,piece it together

by Darryl Moy

Kicking the knee


13/41

Qi Magazine 12

Phlegm & TCM

Phlegm is also called catarrh and isa symptom of many diseases. TCMdifferentiates phlegm into concrete

and formless phlegm. Concrete phlegmrefers to the visible, palpable andaudible parenchymatous phlegm,

whereas formless retention of phlegmrefers to the various conditions causedby the retention of phlegm, suchas dizziness, chest tightness,depression and epilepsy,c ha ra ct er is ed b y agreasy coating on the

tongue and a slipperypu ls e . I t is c al le dformless phlegmbecause this kind ofphlegm shows itssymptoms but hasno concrete visibleform, and can becured by methods ofeliminating phlegm.

F o r m l e s sphlegm can only bediagnosed by a TCMp r a c t i t i o n e r.

Generally, a lot ofpeople complain ofc atar rh w h ic h is

vis ibl e. Vi si bl ep hl eg m ca n b efurther divided intoHeat phlegm, Coldp hl eg m, D ampph le gm an d Dr y phlegm.

Heat phlegm:Symptoms: Greeno r y ell ow c ol ou r phlegm, accompaniedby cough, chestinfection, sore throat, redtongue with yellow greasycoating and slippery rapidpulse.Treatment:Clear away the heat and eliminatephlegmPrescription:Qin Qi Hua Tan Wan, She Dan ChuanBei Ye

Cold Phlegm:Symptoms:White in colour, profuse andfrothy, accompanied by cough, flu orasthma. Generally feeling cold, withpale tongue with white greasy coatingand slippery and slow pulse.

Treatment:Warm the Lung, resolve the

phlegmPrescription:Xiao Qing Long Tang

Damp Phlegm:Symptoms: Thick whitephlegm, poor appetite,tightness in chest, whitecoating, soft, slipperypulse.Treatment:Strengthen the Spleen,dry the dampness toresolve the phlegm.Prescription:Er Chen Wan, Jian Pi

Wan

Dry PhlegmSymptoms: Sticky dryphlegm, difficulty ingetting it out, shortnessof breath, red tongue, nocoating, thirst, threadya nd s li pp e ry p ul se ,usually seen in cases ofchronic asthma.Treatment:Tonify the Yin, nourish theLung

Prescription:Bai He Gu Jin Wan, ChuanBei Pi Pa Lu

Phlegm ischaracterised by an

accumulation of dampness as apathological product resulting fromdisturbances in water metabolism. TCMrefers to phlegm as due to deficiency ofSpleen Qi which fails to transport thebody fluids to the normal channels, thusresulting in retention of phlegm. Phlegmusually affects the Lungs, causing a

cough, asthma or difficulty breathing.It is said that the spleen is the sourceof phlegm, the Lung is the container ofphlegm. So when we treat phlegm, theemphasis is usually on the Spleen andLung.

Improper diet is also a majorcause of phlegm. Those suffering from

catarrh should avoid eating foods whichare fatty and greasy, such as cheese,cream, chocolate. Radishes and celeryare excellent for resolving phlegm.

Case Study:In October 2000, Mr Zhang, 40

years old, went to China on business.He consumed a lot of rich, greasy food,and drank much alcohol while he wasthere. In addition, he was suffering witha chest infection.

On returning to England, henoticed that he had green sticky phlegm

stuck in his throat all the time. Heneeded to go to the bathroom to spit itout every few minutes. The phlegmblocked his nose, causing him to snoreso loudly at night that his wife had togo to another bedroom to sleep. Amonth later, Mr Zhang came to my clinicfor treatment. I prescribed She DanChuan Bei Ye to resolve heat phlegmand Yin Huang Kou Fu Ye to clear awaythe Lung heat. He took 1 tube of eachand used them twice a day. 2 days later,he felt a lot better. As he wanted to get

better quicker, he tripled his intake to 2tubes 3 times a day. The phlegm clearedup completely and the snoring ceased,however, because he had overdosedhimself, the cooling herbs caused himsevere stomach ache and diarrhoea. Helost his appetite and felt very tired.Whenhe came back to the clinic again a few

weeks later, I told him to stop the firstprescription and change to Xiang She

Yang Wei Wan to warm the stomach andto stop the diarrhoea. He recovered welljust in time for Christmas

by Dr. Shulan Tang. [email protected]

Phlegm & TCM

At some point everyone suffers with phlegm. May be you have a coldwhich gets on your chest and then gives you a bad cough. However, youget it, it is very irritating. So how does TCM treat it?

Qi Magazine 12


14/41

Qi Magazine 13H ealthy L iving Gong

H

ealthy Living Gong is a family of

exercises that I created in 1996.

The reason I created the HealthyLiving Gong was to help beginners sothat they are better prepared for themore advanced levels of Qigong and areable to do them better. Often I talked

with some of my students and askedthem whether they thought the standardof the more junior students was goodenough. Many of them said they did notthink so. They found that while peoplelearnt the First 64 of the Wild Goose as

their first form, although they couldperform the movements, they would

never be really good. This was becausethe body was not flexible enough andthey did not know how to use theDantian and allow the Qi to flow.

I also remember, back in 1988when I came to the UK and startedteaching Qigong, the very first thing Itaught was the 18 Movement TaijiQigong. Today you can find many booksand videos on these exercises. The sad

thing is that many of these peopleactually learnt these exercises from meand they made these books and videos

without asking me or allowing me to

check t heir movement s a ndunderstanding, to make sure their

standard was good enough and whatthey were doing was not wrong. InChinese culture, you do not write a bookabout (or make a video) without askingyour teachers permission first andletting your teacher help you. What is

even sadder is that some of these peoplehave now passed away whilst relativelystill young. I feel sorry that they werenot humble enough to get it right andthought so soon that they were sifus now.

Taiji Qigong was created byMaster Lin Hou Sheng. I learnt theseexercises from his student, Lin Qing inHong Kong back in 1982. That was evenbefore I had met my t ea cher Grandmaster Yang Meijun, who is the27th Generation Heir to Dayan (Wild

Goose) Qigong. Today she is 105 and Iam her only student in the whole orEurope.

Ha vi ng p ra ct is ed t he 1 8Movements from 1982 to 1994 I foundthat the exercises were not challenging

enough. They all had the same rhythm

e.g. Taiji Start and Opening theChest is the same. When youdo Pushing Waves there is

very little difference to FlyingPig eo n . Al l of t he semovements also have a kindof dancing attitude. They are

very good for beginners, butonce you have done them youneed more.

I have been practisingQigong and Martial Arts foralmost 30 years with some ofthe worlds top masters, forinstance my Dayan Qigong,

Grandmaster Yang Meijun (whois 105), for Chen Taijiquan thehead of the 19 Generation,Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang( wh o is 5 6) , f or S ha ol in ,

Grandmaster Wu Chunyuen (who is 75)and for Wing Chun Kuen, GrandmasterIp Chun (who is 77). They all haveamazing skill, but more importantly theyare all very healthy and strong.

This has made me think how webecome healthy and strong even when

we are older. I disagree with the Westernconcept of health and exercise, going

to the gym, just looking fit with strongmuscles, a skinny body with no wrinkles,a strict diet and taking vitamin pills.

I agree with the Chinese way, eathealthily, whatever you like as long as itis organic, natural and in moderation,exercise daily, have plenty of fresh air,enough sleep and no stress. Also be niceto people, but not weak. When you thinksomething is right stick with it and whenyou are not right, apologise. When yout hi nk a bo ut o t he rs , d o no t t ak eadvantage of them. Listen to your body,your body will tell you what is good for

you and listen to your heart as this willmake you a good person.

This means that both your bodyand thinking must be healthy. If you justexercise and your thinking is not right,even if your movements are good, you

will still be ill. This is a fact of nature. Ifyou do not apply the principles of Qigongto your thinking and life, it means youseparate your body and mind so ofcourse you will eventually be ill, whetherit is now or later on.

I have found that when you wantto be healthy, you need to keep yourbody supple and in good condition, yourjoints should be in good condition, yourbones should be strong and your muscless h ou ld h ave a c er t ain amo u nt o f strength.

This is why I feel that the TaijiQigong is not enough to make you reallyhealthy as people can hide variousimbalances in the movements of Taiji

H ealthy L iving GongWith this issue I would like to introduce a series of

Qigong exercises from the Tse Qigong Centre called,Healthy Living Gong.

Qi Magazine 13

How do we become

healthy and strong even

when we are older?

How do we become

healthy and strong even

when we are older?


15/41

Qi Magazine 14

Collecting Qi to th

Qi Magazine 14

Qigong. Taiji Qigong is good for the beginners, but afterthat you need something which challenges you. For example,if you only use your right hand, you should use your left handas well, otherwise it will be weak. Then you will becomeunbalanced and this will affect your health. If you cannotkeep your legs straight and bend down to touch your toesthen you need to work on it so that you can.

Our bodies are like machines. It should work when

you press all the buttons, but if some of the buttons do notwork, then it might start out as a small problem, but eventuallyit will become a big problem, so we need to fix it.

However, today doctors will tell you to just rest if youhave a problem or injury. Actually, you need to work on itand make your body become normal again. So you can doexercise to heal your body and change your attitude.

So, Healthy Living Gong is based on all my experiencefrom Dayan Qigong, Taijiquan, Shaolin Quan and Wing Chun,also movements from everyday life, Chinese stories, animalsand imagination, all to develop the body so that it is healthy.

There are three parts. Part 1 of Healthy Living Gong ismainly for relaxation and to balance the body. Part 2 is forco-ordination and fitness. Part 3 is for strength and power.

Many people who do Qigong are actually only at thefirst level, they are only relaxing themselves, but they are notfit (not meaning muscular), because they do not have strength

when it is required. For example, if you need to move yourfurniture, if you want to take the lid of a jar which you boughtfrom the supermarket. If something falls, are you able tocatch it and hold on to it. This is fitness and this is part ofbeing healthy.

If you think your Qi is strong, but you have no strength,then it means your bones are weak. It also means your Qi is

weak. This is because at the end, when your body is full ofQi, it is stored in the marrow in the bones and stays there.Like a tree trunk become thicker as the tree gets stronger.

You cannot have beautiful shiny leaves and a weak trunk.The trunk is like our bones and the leaves are our skin andhair, and the roots are our legs. Everything is connected andnothing is individual and separate.

So you should not forget that to be healthy yourexercises have to include relaxation, good co-ordination andalso fitness. This will make your body healthy, but also yourthinking needs to be healthy and this is very important.

Here are the exercises of Healthy Living Gong Part 1.

1. Coll ecting Qi to the Dantiana. Stand still with your feet shoulder width apart, your knees

slightly bent and your back straight.b. Raise your left hand and shift your weight slightly to the

left.c. Bring your left hand over to your head.d. Let the Laogong point pass the Sky-eye and then pass

along the Ren Channel down to your Dantian.e. As you lower your left hand down, shift your weight slowly

to the right and start to raise up the right hand. Repeatfor the right side.

f. Keep rotating your arms, as one hand comes in the otheris going down, if one hand is at the Sky-eye the othermust be at the Dantian, so your hands are always oppositeand balanced. If you find that you cannot keep the balance

between the hands, then it means that one side of yourbrain is stronger than the other.

BreathingAs one hand rises breathe in and the other hand rises, breathe

out.Breathe naturally through your nose, you do not need to think

about your breathing too hard.

ConcentrationYour eyes should followthe rising hand.

Background/history

If you have done Swimming Dragon Gong, you will recognisethatthis movement comes from Fostering Qi in a Circle, however

unlike Fostering Qi in a Circle, we do not walk. However, at theend of Part 1 there is a walking exercise that is similar to this.

Sky-eye

Laogong Point

Ren ChannelAcupoints


16/41

Qi Magazine 15

Collecting Qi to the Dantian

Health BenefitsThis is very good for co-ordination. In the West, externally looking

good is the main emphasis for health. It does not consider the co-

ordination, which actually playsa major role in health. If some one

has clumsy movements, it means they will be prone to strokes and

high blood pressure in the future.

Thebrain playsa great part inour health. We cannot have good

health without the brain being able to think clearly and control themovements of the body. For example, if you want to move your left

arm, butonlyevermoveyour rightarm,then your left side will beweak. When you want to move your weak side, it will not work

properly and so the right side of the brain will have a problem.

When we are affected by active movements and strong

emotions, the weak side of the brain will be affected. Then thebrain will not be able to cope with this and this might lead to a

stroke. So, good co-ordination is very important as it avoids

imbalances in the brain and keeps us healthyand younger.

a b c

d e f


17/41

Qi Magazine 16

Separatingth

eFogto

Lo

okforthe

Clouds.

a b c

2. Separating the Fog to Look for the Clouds.

Wuyin point. This means itis good for the Lower Warmer ( Lower

Jiao) i.e. stomach, liver, intestine, small intestine, urinary bladder

and reproductive organs.

It can help with illnesses such as constipation, illnesses with the

reproductive organs especially for women,but willhelp menas well.It is also good for the breathing and asthma, insomnia and stress.

to be continued... by Michael Tse

a. Once again, stand naturally with the legs slightly bent.Cross your hands in front of your Dantian, palms facingupwards. Men should place their left hand over the rightand ladies the right over the left. The Neiguan and

Waiguan points should be close together.b. Separate both hands out to the sides and turn the palms

to face down.c. The Hegu points face each other. Keep your elbows bent

when you separate the hands, so the arms form a semi-circle. As you separate your hands, straighten the legs.

d. Bring your hands back together, as before, and bend your

knees.

BreathingAs your hands open, breathe in and as they close, breathe out.

Again, breathe naturally through the nose.

ConcentrationLook forward and do not drop the head.Your mindshould slightly

think about the Dantian, butdo not concentrate on it hard.

Background/HistoryThis movement is a little like Balancing Gongs Opening and

Closing the Dantian, but the meaning is completely different. In

theBalancing Gong, thehands form a full circle and theHegu points

face the Daimai points.In this movement the Hegu points face each

other and the arms makea semi-circle. Opening and Closing theDantian is good for opening and closing the Dantian. Separating

the Clouds to Look for the Fog is good for the stomach and

intestines, urinary bladder, sexual organs and womens menstrual

problems.

BenefitsAs well as those mentioned above, this movement is good for

the lower part of the body, from the Middle Dantian down to the

Hegu

Point

NeiguanPoint

WaiguanPoint

Acupoints


18/41

Qi Magazine 17

Things have changed drastically sinceSeptember 11th and it has bothclarified and refined many peoples

thinking and direction. For me, I sawthat where I wanted to be was my home,and that is England. As things havebecome more quiet here in the Hawaiiclasses due to the resulting recession,the Centre in England is bubbling andso it seemed that the right thing is tostand as one rather than have resourcesdivided.

My feelings for leaving Hawaiiand returning to England are very Yin/

Yang. There are many things that pullat my heart to return to England, thelargest being my husband and the TseQigong Centre family that fortunatelyhas never been too far away in this dayof modern technology. However, I willmiss the students who have come toappreciate the skill that I have beenfortunate enough to teach them. GreggDunn, in addition to being a goodstudent, has been like my guardianangel and helped to open doors andsmooth a path for me here in Hawaii.Steve Casano bravely took over classesin my absences from the island anddid very well and earned the respectof his classmates and won my trust.

Although he knew his skill level wasnot ready, he did it out of loyalty tome as I had asked. Outside of theC e n t r e , I am als o gr at e fu l t o t h e

sweetness of Austin Yonihiro who has abig heart and lots of potential. Thanksalso to all the others at the Atherton

YMCA who embrace the same ethos offamily of the Tse Qigong Centre and whohave made me welcome here in Hawaii.

And I am appreciative of KahiWight. She has not only embraced theskill of my heart, Qigong, but has alsobenefited by it tremendously. She hasnever missed a class unless she was awayfrom the island and has proven herloyalty and sincerity through these last

weeks, offering to help in anyway shecan. Thanks also to Kaii Krymm who has

won der ful pa tie nc e, co nt inu in g topractise her Balancing Gong forthe three weeks I was

last away, despiteknowing sheshould havebeen tested. Iam happyto seeher

health and skill improving. There arealso others, like my Buddhism Sifu whohas just recently begun to study Qigong

with me and who learns exceptionallywell and practis es even bet ter. I amgrateful to her for letting me be a part

of her family when I was alone andneeded it most, and to all those friendsI have made in the temple as a result.

It has often been a frighteningburden to try and create something herealone but I am grateful to everyone whohas helped, especially those there inEngland who have helped to boostmorale, wipe tears and even shout and

give me a kick when needed.I am sure you can guess

some of those people:- Tse Sifu-

both as my teacher and my bestfr ie n d; Darr y l M o y- w ho s e

patience has I am sure earnedhim Immortality by now; Michael

Baker- for the weekly emails ofhumour which were sorely needed

at times; John Hayes for alwaystaking time to listen; Barbro for being

a friend of the heart and for Stefan,for just being a good man, and to allthose others in the family, like Julian

Wilde who sent me a timely email thissummer before the Instructors Courseto say I would be missed. It helped alot! And thanks to Sylvia Royle for thecards and sweet thoughts, Martin Gale

who is more than one persons hero,Simon Bedford, Caroline Garvey, SarahBloomfield, Mollie Heron, Helen Philpott,Helen Massey, Shahriar Sepangi andKate Britton. There are many more, andI thank all of them in my heart.

Life is constantly changing but tom e t h e c o ns t an t piv ot s ho u ld becompassion and kindness for thosearound us. These relationships, likestrands of a web, are what connect us

and help to support the whole. I amgrateful for the small time I have hadhere in Hawaii to share my Sifus skilland hope that the seeds planted willcontinue to grow. It is now time for meto start another garden back in Englandand share some of the Aloha that I havelearned here in Hawaii. Aloha meansmany things. It means hello, it meansgoodbye, it means to be and act withlove and awareness of others needs. Itmeans family

by Sihn Kei. [email protected]

As most of you will have read in the PO Box, it has been decided to closethe Hawaii office. That does not mean to say America will be forgotten, ratherthe seeds that have been planted will continue to be nurtured in the hope that theywill grow into strong trees and bear fruit.

One M or e AlohaOne M or e Aloha

Qi Magazine 17

Aloha means many things,

hello, goodbye, act withlove and awareness , it

means family

Aloha means many things,

hello, goodbye, act withlove and awareness , it

means family


19/41


There is a long history of seclusion and retreat inthe Daoist tradition. The tales and legends of

masters and disciples leaving the disharmony andillusions of society behind and returning to nature

are too numerous to recount. Whether they livedas hermits for their entire lives, or returned to society aftera temporary sojourn, nature was clearly the source ofinspiration for the Daoist spiritual tradition. The veryimagery and language of Daoist spiritual texts is derivedfrom and continually reinvigorated by direct natural

experience.The Dao De Jing states that Dao is the way of nature,

and compares Dao to the flow of a river. The Yijingilluminating wisdom derives entirely from the interaction ofnatural forces like wind, water, wood, earth. The postures

and movements of Taijiquan and Qigong are also reflectionsof nature. One waves hands like clouds, or moves liketwin dragons embracing the moon. Qigong posturesemulate the Big Dipper, crouching tigers, bamboo stalks,and eagles soaring on the breeze. Nature is the source ofDaoist cultivation. As Master Shi Ming states in his book

Mind Over Matter, Higher Martial Arts, Humankind is none

other than a microcosm, a hologram of the total system ofthe universe, in complete communion with the macrocosm.(p. 24)

Unfortunately, these natural truths do not have muchto do with how people actually live their lives today, evenpeople fortunate enough to have the time and energy to

devote to internal cultivation. Post-modern citizens in the

21 st Century are more detached from nature than human beingshave ever been. Philosophy, education and psychological attitudetoward the natural world separate us mentally and spiritually;the simple mechanics of how we live erect enormous barriersbetween ourselves and the earth we emerged from and dependon.

The majority of the citizens of the industrialized nations,eastern or western, live in cities where nature has been nearlycompletely destroyed or subordinated. City dwellers can anddo live their lives completely removed from natural cycles orprocesses, whether they want to or not. Even residents of suburbanor rural areas are still contending with the lights, traffic and

noise of sprawl, and an increasing reliance on technology thatseparates daily living from natural processes. Furthermore, theincreasingly frenetic pace of our lives is stressful and serves toadrenalize our system, making us unhealthy, nervous andunbalanced; a far cry from the balanced serenity that spiritualcultivation is based upon.

Our increasingly technological society is not a purelynegative one. Passing judgement on society, or advocating sometype of environmental fundamentalism as the redress for allof our current difficulties is neither mature nor realistic. Thepoint that needs to be made is that our current lifestyle and themajority of the influences on our lives, be they psychological or

technological, create obstacles to internal cultivation, and theseobstacles block our receptivity to Qi within ourselves or the

Between H eaven and Earth

Qigong in theWildernessQigong in theWilderness

People follow the earth.Earth follows heaven.

Heaven follows the Dao.The Dao follows what is natural.(Dao De Jing, Verse 25)

People follow the earth.Earth follows heaven.

Heaven follows the Dao.The Dao follows what is natural.(Dao De Jing, Verse 25)


20/41

Qi Magazine 19

natural world we come from. The results of these obstaclesare profound.

Fortunately, when one removes the weeds, the gardengrows of its own accord. As teachers at a martial artseducational centre in Maine, we are fortunate to have accessto pristine wilderness areas, and have learned first hand ofthe numerous benefits of extended spiritual cultivation in

wilderness sett ings. We believe so strongly in providing

wilderness trainingas part of our education that wehave developed ac omp le te f ou r-season program inorder to give ourst ud ent s t he secrucial experiences.S tud en ts c li mbm ou nt ai ns a ndc ano e lake s an drivers in order tocleanse their spirits

and find tranquiland unsp oil edsettingsto engage int h e a nci en t a ndbeautiful practicesof Taiji, Qigong andother martial artstraining practices.Travelling to a pristine natural settingand living in a more basic state, as theancient masters did, is still one of thesimplest ways to improve ones practice.There are many benefits to taking a day

trip to a park or beach, and we knowof many practitioners ( includingourselves) who engage in these kindsof activities. However, taking anextended retreat of several days hasmore profoundly positive effects on ourpractice.

First of all, extended trips makeit possible to get to a more remote site,

whi ch me ans the en er gy w il l beu nc o nt aminat e d. Sec o ndly, anextended trip will make it possible totruly empty ones cup. For example, when we take ourstudents on a three-day wilderness trip, the entire first day is

required to truly detach from the stresses and concerns ofwork and family. The second day is taken up with actuallyharmonizing with nature. It isnt until the third day that thestudent is fully attuned to nature and can really transformtheir practice. By then, one experience builds upon another,to create an impact that goes beyond what each individualexperience can provide. Lastly, remote areas are often quitebeautiful and awe-inspiring. Simply being out there nourishesthe spirit and refreshes and strengthens the mind and body.

Another benefit of wilderness training derives from themore basic way that you live while outdoors. Sleeping on theground, in tents or in shelters, cooking outside and beingcompletely subordinate to the elements is spiritually purifying.

Quite simply, its an ancient way to live, so it puts you in

direct contact with the same forces that moulded the ancientspiritual masters. Since we come from the earth, even people

who have little or no experience in nature will find their instinctsand awareness heightened. When you are focused on thesimple demands of living, such as hauling wood or drawing

water, the ego is put in check as a matter of course.The exact details of our practice vary with the seasons,

the time of day we happen to be practising and the natural

setting we aret raining in.However, the basicformat is to first clearthe mind throughe it h er s ea te d o r standing meditation,in which one beginsC osmi c O rb it alBreathing togenerate Qi circul-a tion from t hepe rin eu m u p t h es pin e, ov er t he

crown, into the limbsand back down tothe perineum. Fromt her e, w e dr aw energy from heavenand earth, and makea connectionb et w ee n t h e t w o

within us.O nce tha t

connection has beenestablished, we willconduct a series of

pur ifyin g w as he ss uc h a s s in ew o r bone marrow pu rif icat ion . De -p end in g on t hee n v i r o n m e n t ,season, or time ofday we may drawenergy directly fromt h e s u n o r m o o n ,either to warm us upor cool us down, or

engage in a series of energy pulls. Terrain permitting, wemay also engage in Taijiquan exercise.

Although any number of days of wilderness training isgood, three days seems to be the necessary minimum forreally emptying the cup and taking ones practice to a newlevel. We conduct excursions of three, five or seven days inlength. We find these particular lengths to be meaningfulsimply because they remind us of mind-body-spirit; the fourcardinal directions and the centre point or the five elements;and the seven stars of the Big Dipper (the Jade Ladle). Thelength is not of central importance. What is most importantis the long-lasting effects of wilderness Qigong on our practiceafter we return from an excursion. We find that our practiceis invigorated for up to a month after our return. The benefitsoccur at several levels. By purifying ourselves, negative

thoughts and worries are dispelled, giving us more relaxation

Most important

is the long-lasting effects on

our practise after

we return.


21/41


and confidence in our training and other aspects of our lives.The deeper level of intuitive connection continues to functionafter we return, making our practise more natural, creativeand spontaneous; less mechanical and contrived. It gives usback our connection to the natural rhythm of the earth, andthis helps us make the discipline of our practise moreharmonious with these cycles. Also, we return to our day-to-day lives with a more refined capacity for effortless action.

This helps us to deal with stress better, which in turn helps usconserve our energy and stay healthier mentally, physically,and spiritually. And, of course, we have the memory of a

wonderful experience.In addition to whatever guidelines you use to structure

your practise, there are a few points to consider if you gointo nature:

Remember that nature is the teacher. Weather andconditions determine your practise. You cannot be rigid about

what you do, or when. After all, flexibility and spontaneityare the whole reason you are out there in the first place.Qigong in a sunny meadow on a windless day is differentthan Qigong on a starry night by the edge of a lake. You willbe drawing in different energy, and your practise may

spontaneously change in accordance with what you areharmonizing with.

Do not practise on mountain peaks. This is toomuch of a focus point for heavenly Yang energy, and is toointense for our system. It is also somewhat arrogant. It isfine to be high up on the side of a mountain, just avoid the

very top. Find an area some distance below the peak that isat least somewhat sheltered and has more of a Yin element.

Do not practise in low-lying, stagnant or swampyareas. Aside from mundane concerns like insects, stagnantareas have stagnant energy, which should not be tapped into.

Do not practise in the wind. Wind will strip you ofyour Qi. Find a sheltered location. If you cant, then you

should cultivate your patience and wait, or engage in seatedmeditation.Do not practise at sundown. Sunset is a transition

time in nature, and the Qi becomes mixed. This is to beavoided. Practising at daybreak is excellent, as is practisingat night.

Do not draw in lunar energy on cold nights. Lunarenergy is very Yin, and cools the body. Cooling the body ona cold night can lead to hypothermia. On the other hand,drawing lunar energy if you are overheated can cool you.

Conversely, do not draw in excessive solar energyon hot days. Too much Yang can lead to heat exhaustion.Solar draws are useful if you are outdoors in coldertemperatures.

Do not practise where other people can see you.The whole idea is to detach from society, if only for a little

while, so that you can completely open your meridians.Bystanders will cause you to naturally closedown. In addition, you need to beconcerned about your safety.Practising in front of strangersm ay b ri ng y ou t h e

w ro ng kin d ofattention.

Do not overextend yourself. The wilderness ispurifying and healing, but not if you proceed recklessly orignorantly. There are many challenges and hazards including

weather, terrain, animals and, sadly, sometimes other people.In your enthusiasm for training, take care that your excursiondoes not exceed your ability to complete the trip safely.Develop your wilderness skills the way you develop you Qigong,consistently and patiently. There are numerous books on the

wilderness you can access for information about camping,hiking, canoeing, etc. There are also many schools that youcan go to for instruction on the basics of woodcraft andoutdoor skills. Be careful as you look for a school to teachyou wilderness skills, some are disreputable and abusive, othersare genuine and careful. Make sure you choose your

wilderness teachers wisely.I would like to end with a short training poem about

wilderness training written by our schools Sifu. As an ancientteacher once said, judge not, only ponder.

Let the Wind Blow,

Conserve Your Qi.

Let the Sun Shine,

Accumulate Your Qi.Let the Rain Fall,

Allow Your Qi to Flow.

Let the Snow Blizzard,

Open Your Inner Qi.

Let the Wind Blow,

Let the Sun Shine,

Let the Rain Fall,

Let the Snow Blizzard.

Let Us All Be One With the Way,

Forever flowing.

May your practise bring you joy. Thank Youby Andy Mishkin

(About the Author: Andy Mishkin is a lifestyle martial artist and wilderness

guide teaching at the Riverview Foundation, a martial arts educational center in

Southern Maine specializing in non-competitive martial arts and wildernesstraining.)

Editors note:Every Qigong system has its own principles and practise guidelines. This article is

written based on the authors ownpersonal Qigong studies of hisschool andis not

necessarily the guidelines of other Qigong schools.


22/41



23/41

Qi Magazine 23

Pr eying M antis

Master Chan Puis

Preying Mantis Kung Fu is one of themost well known of the animal styles of KungFu. There are in fact a numberof styles of

Preying Mantis. Master Chan Pui teaches WahLum Preying Mantis.

Qi Magazine 23

Master Chan Pui was born in 1936 in Guangxou, Shangxi province. It was the

beginning of hard times in China, with the communists beginning to exerttheir power and influence. Rather than stay and be persecuted for the skillthat was his life, he escaped to Hong Kong in 1956 by swimming throughshark infested waters separating the two bodies of land. In Hong Kong, he started

teaching there but soon began to travel abroad to spread his skill. He first shared the Wah Lumskill in a martial art school in Bostons Chinatown and eventually emigrated to the United Statesin 1968. In 1971, he founded his own school in Boston, calling it the New England ChinaMartial Arts Association. By 1974, he had six schools in the New England area.

WAH

LUM


24/41


25/41


26/41

Qi Magazine 26

Fig 1 Fig 2

Fig 3

Qi Magazine 26

T

o the Chinese Culture, the turtle and snake are two veryspiritual creatures. They have their own way of followingnature and taking natures energy. They also live long.

Chinese people respect these animals a lot and some believethey are like human beings and can think. In the past, somepeople even believed they could change into human beingsbecause they took the natural energy.

1 Combini ng Qi with the Turtl e and Snake

i. Stand still for a few minutes, with your eyes closed. Letyour mind clam down and relax all your muscles and

joints. Fig 1ii. Sit on a stool with your legs spread wide. Keep your back

straight and look forwards, but do not focus on anything.Rest both of your hands on your Dantian and keep your

elbows open, so there is space at the armpits. Fig 2

This exercise allows the Qi to settle at the Dantian. The snake

is Yang and the turtle is Yin, so to begin with, we let both energiessettle at the Dantian before we begin to move.

2 Two Dragons Play with a Pearl

i. Rest both your hands on your Dantian. Men should placetheir left on the stomach with the right hand covering it.

Women should have the right hand inside and the leftoutside. Start to rotate the hands in a circle around thearea of the Dantian, men should make a clockwise circleand ladies should make an anticlockwise circle. Rotatethe hands 36 times. Fig 3

This movementallows the Qi to start flowing from the Dantianand from still it becomes active. This follows the principle of the

Yijing. From Wuji (nothing) comes Taiji (something). The hands

represent the two dragons rotating the pearl.

Tur tle and

SnakeQigong

Tur tle and

SnakeQigong

When practising Qigong, we usually needa lot of space, but there are some that we can dosat on a stool. The stool will fix your positionand your legs can also relax.

The turtle represents slowness and longevity and the

snake represents quick and short, this is Yin and Yang. So thisset of exercises is a good balance and combination ofmovement.


27/41

Qi Magazine 27

Fig 4

Fig 5Fig 6

Fig 7 Fig 8

Fig 9

Fig 10

Qi Magazine 27

3 Waving

4 Swin g Your H ead and M ove Your Tail .

i. Sit still and rest both hands on your thighs. Keep yourback straight and look forwards. Fig 7

ii. Bend forwards with your head down. Fig 8iii. Start to rotate your upper body in a clockwise direction

three times. Then repeat in an anticlockwise direction,again three times. While you circle your body make sureyour hands and legs do not move. Fig 9 - Fig 10

This movement is also good for the lower back as well asheadaches,your neck, shoulders, and all problems with the spine. It

will help to keep your mind clear. As you rotateyour body, you should

imagine that you have no bones and every joint is flexible.

to be continued... by Zhou Renfeng

i. Sit still and rest both hands on your back on your kidneys.Fig 4

ii. At the same time, rub the right palm upwards, the leftpalm downwards and lean to the left side. Fig 5

iii. Change to the other side, rub the left hand upwards andthe right palm down and lean to the right side. Fig 6

You move the upper body like it is a wave. Rubbing the lowerback is goodfor your kidneys and makes the back more flexible.


28/41


29/41

Qi Magazine 30

I nstructor I nsight

Caroline is qualified to teachDayan Qigong. She can be

contacted on 01379 650186

Karen is qualifiedto teach Balancing Gong and

HealthyLiving Gong. She can be contacted

[email protected]

In 1993 a friend of mine talked me into going to my first Qigong class in Norwich.I was quite sceptical about all the new age movements and fashions that were doing therounds, but friendship is very important to me so I trailed behind her to meet Sifu Julian

Wilde and began studying Wild Goose Qigong.It was a revelation to me. Not only did my body begin to feel better and healthier,

but my confidence grew as did my ability to deal with lifes ups and downs. Whatever mynatural scepticism said, I knew it was because of my Qigong. My friends began to noticethe difference and wanted to join a local class. So when Sifu suggested I could start

working in my local area under his supervision it moved my own journey in a new andexciting direction. I love teaching, both because I want other people to benefit from

what Qigong has to offer and it has helped me focus on my own practice and understanding.

My class is small and focused on the needs of women, many aiming at maintaining health and vitality as theyprogress through middle age. We meet in the gym of the local primary school surrounded by the drawings and modelsmade by the children which creates a really cheerful atmosphere.

Attending the Instructors Course at Wye with Tse Sigong has been very important for me and helped me understandthe underlying principles of Qigong, the culture from which it comes and the spirit in which it should be taught. I know Ihave a lot to learn, but Qigong has become an integral part of my life.

It seems amazing to me that I am writing this as a qualified instructor of the Tse Qigong Centre and really want tothank my Sifu, Julian Wilde and my Sigong and all the senior instructors for their input. But, I also want to thank my fellowstudents and now my own class students, whose humour, support and good energy has really helped carry me through.

I have had an interest in Chinese culture and philosophy for many yearsand I became interested in Qigong practice in the early 1990s. In my work as aphysiotherapist I had been looking for ways to integrate western medicine witheastern health practices. Qigong seemed to be a very good method for relaxationand health improvement. I had the opportunity to attend one of Sifus courses inGoteborg some seven years ago. His method of teaching was refreshingly naturaland skilful at the same time and I understood at once that this was something for

me. The first time that I saw Sifu demonstrating Wild Goose Qigong it broughttears to my eyes. At that time it seemed impossible to imagine myself goingthrough those beautiful flowing movements but I was deeply inspired to try. Thatinspiration has continued and I hope to continue learning, practising andpolishing for many years to come.

During these years I have also been working with war and torture survivors and I know for sure that without Qigongpractice, I would never be able to manage this. There is a most extraordinary feeling whenever I feel overwhelmed by my

work and take the time to do some Qigong practice. I can literally feel the stress melting away and after a few minutes I comeinto contact with a relaxed and natural state of being.

I have often asked Sifu for advice in treatment for my patients and his suggestions have always proved useful. As Ihave gradually been able to integrate Dayan Qigong theory and practice into my daily work the benefits for my patients hasbecome increasingly clear. Quite often I find myself telling one of Sifus stories to emphasise different principles (especiallythe importance of practice). Being an instructor I hope to be able to relay the qualities of heart and skill and to inspireothers to realise their own healing ability, leading to natural balance and better health.

Karen AndersonGoteborg, Sweden

Car ol ine F or bes

Diss, Norfolk, UK.


30/41


In the first year of the Shenlong reign of theTang Dynasty, a rich country gentleman inZhushan County named, Yinke, hired

workers to dig a water well behind the village.Two years had passed and the shaft had beenalready sunk to the depth of over 1,000 feet, butstrange to say, no water was found. Yinke wasresolved and would not give up.

One month into the third year of digging,

the digger at the bottom of the shaft suddenly heardthe muffled noises of roosters crowing and dogsbarking coming through the ground! A few more feetdown and a tunnel appeared in the side of the shaft.

With some hesitation, the digger ventured in carefully.He fumbled ahead for dozens of steps and then thedarkness seemed to be dispelled by some natural light andhe continued his descent.

The tunnel suddenly opened onto a high mountain peak.

There he stood facing another world. Mountain ranges of glassyrocks unfurled before his eyes and in each valley there were palacesof gold and silver. There were gigantic trees, too, whose trunks hadjoints like those of bamboo yet whose leaves were no smaller thanthoseof a palm tree. Colourful birds, cranes perhaps, swooped amidst

the tree tops. Multicoloured butterflies the size of fans were dancing

up and down among the purple flowers which were larger thancushions. Among the rocks were twin springs, one in which the water

was limpid and clear and the other milky white.He climbed down to the palaces, hoping to see someone

who could satisfy his curiosity. Above the gate arch hung a boardinscribed in silver with the characters, Celestial Osmanthus Palace.

Out from the caretakerss room hurried two men about fivefeet tall, their faces bean-curd soft, their lips naturally red, their hairsilkily black and their clothes light and filmy like smoke. On their

heads they wore a coronet of gold, but they walked bare-footed.They asked the digger who he was and how he had managed tocome to this place. The digger did not have time to finish explaining

when a throng gathered at the gate demanding to know why therewas a such a smell of filthy mortal. Blamed for not reporting sooner,

the caretakers meekly replied that a worker form the outside world,who had trespassed by accident was just asking his way.Presently a messenger in red arrived with a decree, ordering

the caretakers to send the intruder away with due courtesy. The diggerbowed his thanks.

Since you are alreadyhere, why dont you ask for permissionto have a look around before you leave? one caretaker suggested.

I was afraid of being ill-mannered. If sightseeing is possible,do you mind putting in a good word for me?

The caretaker then threw a jade slat into the skyand it returned

as quickly as a boomerang. With the slat in hand, he led the diggerfirst the clear spring to wash himself and next to the milky spring torinse his mouth. It tasted like cows milk, sweet and natural. The

worker drank several mouthfuls and it seemed to quench his hungerand at the same time brought on a slight feeling of tipsiness.

The caretaker guided him from palace to palace withoutentering any. In about half a day, they reached a walled

Date post:	02-Jun-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	rrochette
View:	313 times
Download:	15 times

Qi Magazine Issue 59

Documents