Qi Magazine Issue 72 by 11faustia11

Cover: Bronze Buddha, Lantau Island Hard Qigong

Qi Magazine is published by the Tse Qigong Centre. Its aim is to bring you information not readily available in the West. Editor: Michael Tse Deputy Editor: Darryl Moy Assistants: Martin Gale Caroline Garvey Bernard Li Sarah Moy Claire Spruce Mike Stenson Legal Adviser: Marketing/Distribution: Sweden:

Tony Walsh Jessica Blackwell Barbro Olsson

Consultants Grandmaster Yang Meijun Grandmaster Ip Chun Grandmaster Wu Chun Yuen Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang Columnists: Peter Andersen Martin Gale John Hayes Dr. Shulan Tang Adam Wallace

Kate Britton Glenn Gossling Helen Massy Sihn Kei Julian Wilde

Readers may contact any of our contributors c/o Qi Magazine. We encourage all our readers to contribute articles, letters or questions for possible inclusion in future issues of Qi 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. Exercises appearing in Qi Magazine are for reference purposes only. Thus anyone wishing to study should seek qualified tuition.

 Michael Tse 2004. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any way without the written permission of Michael Tse. Advertising: Qi Magazine has proved to be an effective way of reaching a wide variety of people. All enquiries welcome. For UK call: 0161 929 4485 For USA call: (808) 528 8501 Subscription: Costs per year: UK £20 inc p&p. USA $35 inc p&p Europe £25 (airmail) inc p&p. Worldwide £35 (airmail) inc p&p.

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verything in the world is connected to something. Nothing is totally independent. Recently, whilst I was teaching at Venice University, I mentioned that we should look after our environment, as this is where our energy comes from. If you live in a good environment your energy will be good. If your environment is bad, then your energy will be bad. I also said that we should get along with our neighbours because if your neighbours like you, then you will have even better energy. One student said, “I don’t get along with my neighbour, but it does not mean I am not a good person.” I replied “You are right, but which would you prefer: to get along with your neighbour, or not to get along with your neighbour?” Of course the answer is, you would like to have a good neighbour rather than have a bad relationship. We can all have problems with other people, but don’t you think we should try and not have any enemies? At least to minimise them. So if we can sort out our problems and make friends, it does not mean you have to be best friends, but at least you have a mutual respect for each other. Once you have a neighbour as an enemy it means you have a blockage at that side. A blockage of energy will affect your situation and your life and this will also affect your health too. Therefore you can see that the principle of Qigong is also the same as Feng Shui. Once you have one bad neighbour, then you can easily have two bad neighbours or even three. So the problem will grow. In the end, you might not be able to live in that area. Therefore it is better to try and solve your differences with your neighbour so that you can be friends, then you can clear up the problem. During our lives we are connected with every single thing in the universe. The things that are closer will be affected the most, but even those things further away will be affected somehow. If we can take care of them, then we will have better luck because luck is about good communication. Good

communication brings us good relationships with others. The more people that like you, the more chances you will have and the more luck you have. Daoism says, “Train the body and the attitude together”. If you have a nice attitude then you health will naturally be good.

“Train the body and the attitude together” Life is communication. Good communication means a good life. If you only think about yourself then you will find that people do not like you as much. If you find yourself thinking, “Why don’t people like me?” You should ask yourself, do you like others? If you do not like other people, then how can people like you? Continued on page 9 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 1

Editorial with Michael Tse

PO Box

One Day’s Clear Moon Often we see only what we want to see and blind ourselves to everything else. Why do we do this and if we do, how can we make any real judgements? by Julian Wilde

Two very important new books on Chen Taijiquan, by Grandmaster Chen XiaoWang.

Taijiquan - More Practise There are many people who like to read, talk and discuss Taijiquan. They are captivated by its principles and the stories of the great masters and they search for the secret of the skill.

by Michael Tse

Rubbing the Abdomen to Aid the Stomach A simple set of exercises that can help to balance the stomach and help any gastro-intestinal problems.

Paint the Clown’s Nose Red (A speculation on Taijiquan’s punch) A punch may look like a simple technique, but in Taijiquan, everything must follow the correct principles. As such, the mechanics of Taiji’s punch are very different to other martial arts. by Glenn Gossling

Hard Qigong Breathing Hard Qigong is internal training, but most people only see the external movements and results of training. The secret is in the breathing, as this is how the Qi is strengthened. by Michael Tse

Instructor Insight Featuring one of the instructors of the Tse Qigong Centre

Chen Taijiquan Self Defence Chen Taijiquan is famous for being a martial art. So how do you use it? Here are some examples which might help you. by Julian Wilde page 2 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Falling In The principles of Wing Chun Kung Fu are very practical. They teach you many things not just about Kung Fu, but about life as well. Sometimes it can also work the other way round.

by Zeng Qingnan & Liu Daoqing

Plum Blossom Yijing Prediction part 2 Continuation of our story about Yijing Master Shao Kang Jie. Having been given the book by the Old Man’s family, Master Shao uses it to great effect.

by Michael Tse

Book Review

by Martin Gale

Hot and Spicy Cucumber A delicious recipe to try at home!

Cover Feature...Cover Feature...Cover Feature... 28

A Song of Advice for our Lives Advice comes in many shapes and forms. 400 years ago, a Buddhist monk wrote a poem which has become very popular with many Chinese people. They follow its advice and wisdom as it helps them in their lives. Here we translate it into English and offer some commentaries to shed light on its meaning. Translation and commentary by Michael Tse

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

Relax Your Mind to Improve Your Taijiquan

Relaxation is not as easy to achieve as you might think. Often the secret is to relax your mind, then your body can let go as well. by Kate Britton

Kindness for Breakfast

Two versions of the exercise “Tiger Pushes the Mountain”. by Michael Tse

Murder on the Orient Express

by Helen Massy

Chinese Whispers

by Adam Wallace

Undefinable Chi Sau

Shades of Grey Grey is a concept. It is not a colour and lies somewhere between black and white and is never exact. Chan and Ma discover that life is very grey.

There are many misconceptions regarding Wing Chun. How they started is uncertain. All we can do is work out what is practical and what is not. by Darryl Moy

What’s in Name? A name is a label. We use labels to recognise and define things. However, sometimes by doing so we can blinker ourselves.

China has many surprises for the unwary traveller. It can be difficult if you don’t know your way around. However, a little local advice is welcome, so long as you take it. by Sihn Kei

Empty Cup Often we have a lot of emotional and mental baggage. We carry this everywhere we go, when we really need to put it down.

Whilst living in China, the author experienced many things. Here he made a judgement which proved to be wrong, but made him appreciate another's kindness. by Peter Andersen

Healthy Living Gong III

by Darryl Moy

Chi Sau or Sticking Hands is Wing Chun’s famous training exercise which teaches you how to apply the skill that you know. Sounds simple?

Feng Shui in the Kitchen The final part of this series showing us how to create good Feng Shui in one of the most important rooms in any house. by Michael Tse

by John Hayes

Traditional Chinese Weapons Hand made in China

Longquan (Taiji) Dragon Sword Double edged straight blade, engraved & finished with brass and copper. Comes with scabbard and tassel. Length 81cm. £100

Kang Li Telescopic Practice Sword Well-balanced, steel practice sword. Comes with carrying case and tassel. Length 78cm. £41*

Longquan Dragon Knife (Broadsword) Engraved blade finished in copper. Includes engraved lacquered scabbard with brass finish. Length 77.5 cm. £105

Chinese Spear

us o i r e se r !” h t r Prices include UK p&p and are by express courier service. e *telescopic sword includes UK p&p by standard post. “ Fo ctitio n Please make cheques payable to ‘Michael Tse’. pr a Specifications may vary. Prices valid for cover dates on this issue only. Please see the latest issue for up to date prices.

Chrome plated spearhead with white wax wood shaft and red ying (hair). Requires cutting to size. Length 215cm. £57

White Wax Wood Staff Length 200cm. £45

Wing Chun Knives (Baat Jam Dao) (Out of Stock)

Length 45cm. £108.95

For orders or more information contact: Tse Qigong Centre PO Box 59 Altrincham WA15 8FS. Tel. 0161 929 4485. Fax. 0161 929 4489. Email. tse@qimagazine.com. Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 3

POBox POBox POBox...

Grandmaster

Ip Chun’s

80th Birthday S

eptember sees the 80th birthday of Wing Chun Grandmaster, Ip Chun. For readers who don’t know him, Grandmaster Ip Chun is the eldest son of the late Grandmaster Ip Man, whose teachings have made Wing Chun one of the most widely practised forms of Kung Fu in the world today. Ip Man was also the teacher of Bruce Lee, and so his teachings have literally changed the world. Grandmaster Ip Chun has continued his father’s teaching and his skill is quite remarkable. What is even more amazing is that he has reached such a high level when martial arts were not his first passion. His father began teaching him when he was very young, but his interest did not really catch until he was in his thirties. Every night he had to wait until his father had finished teaching so that he could make up his bed to go to sleep! The more he listened to his father teaching, the more interest he began to have, until he eventually decided to put all his energy into studying Wing Chun. When his father retired from teaching, Grandmaster Ip Chun and his younger brother took over. When his father passed away, it was out of duty that Grandmaster Ip Chun continued his father’s work. For many years, he travelled to different countries teaching seminars and people were amazed at his openness with his skill and knowledge. No question was ever too much and he would talk about any aspect of Wing Chun without holding back. Even more amazing is his skill in Chi Sau. He would openly invite anyone to do Chi Sau with him and was able to control everyone, employing his skill with an easy smile and laugh. Wing Chun has given him good health and a great zest for life. He is not the typical image of a Kung Fu master. On meeting him for the first time people often comment on how easy going and happy he is. He is also a very highly educated man and scholar in the true sense of the word. His knowledge of the world, history as well as current events and trends is quite amazing. During his lifetime, has been a museum currator, a school teacher, among other things and is also an acomplished muscian. He even drove a taxi for while! Now his has reached a milestone of 80! Though he has retired from teaching around the world, he still continues to teach in Hong Kong and has not lost any of his skill or his love of life. In fact on our last trip to see him, he wanted Qi Magazine to let everyone know that he had not had lost his skill. On the contrary, he seems to have got even better! We would like to wish him a “Very Happy Birthday” and thank him for sharing his skill, knowledge, wisdom and humour with us all. Like his father, he has also changed the world. page 4 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Pushing Taiji Qigong Dear Sir, I am writing to you about the movement in Taiji Qigong in which we stand in the bow stance position and we push out one palm with the other palm from the waist. Can you tell me which part of the body is being exercised? If I stand with my legs bent like in the photo, then it starts hurting. S Bandor, Malaysia Dear S, You asked about the movement Pushing Palm from the set Taiji Qigong and what it works for. This movement is good for many things. The first thing is that it helps the kidneys, back, bones and legs. This is because the movement is done while we are standing in bow stance which makes us put all the weight on one leg or the other and so it makes the legs strong and also the bones. When the kidneys are weak, the bones will be also be weak as they do not have enough energy and the marrow is affected. It is easy to have back pain, extreme tiredness, forgetfulness, etc. So to strengthen the kidneys, we first must make the legs stronger. This will create a lot of strong circulation in the body and bring up the Qi and blood and then we will be healthier. Just keep practising, following the correct principles of the movement and you will get healthier and feel good. Best wishes, Michael Tse

(Cheng Chong, who had himself studied under Lee Shing, who had studied under Lok Yiu, who had taken instruction from Ip Man, I believe). That was in the 1970s. I am now 54, and have not practised or trained for a long time, as I moved a long way from London, and could not find a teacher as expert as Joseph Cheng. I don’t think he was a perfect teacher, but he was quite remarkable in his own way. May I send my congratulations on the clarity with which the book was written. I have compared it with the books which I have read, which I have found again in my loft! - those by R Clausnitzer and Greco Wong, J Yimm Lee, and

Dear S, Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you have rediscovered Wing Chun and Siu Lim Tao. Good skills stay with us no matter how old we are, and they even keep us healthy, fit and active. They improve our quality of life and this is a precious thing. Yours sincerely, Michael Tse

Burning Questions Dear Tse Sigong, I have been learning and practising Qigong with Sifu Barry Paul Horrell (Nottingham) for the past three years or so, and wanted to extend my greetings to you for the first time, and also take the opportunity to ask a few questions relating to my own health. I would be very grateful if you are able to offer any words of advice or encouragement relating to questions on hayfever, breathing, being vegan and also on eyesight. In a sense, I wish I had contacted you much earlier as my questions have been building up over the years! As a university lecturer I do a lot of thinking and the job itself is quite stressful. However, I have found that through doing regular Balancing Gong and Healthy Living Gong practice I can move into my body more and stop thinking so much. When I started I hardly had the patience to stand still for more than a few minutes, but now I practice every morning before breakfast for about an hour or so. Although my general health has improved greatly and I benefit every time I practice, I would like to improve my health further. Over time I have come to identify the following health issues which I would like to address internally.

“I do a lot of thinking and my job itself is quite stressful.”

Remembering the Idea Dear Michael Tse I am sending this, because a colleague of mine lent me the 1998 book “Wing Chun - Traditional Chinese Kung Fu for Self-defence & Health”. My colleague had heard that when I was a young man I had studied Wing Chun in London. I was one of the first English students at a class run by Joseph Cheng

the series of flimsy paperbacks by Leung Ting. I also made a lot of notes when I was a student of Joseph Cheng in London, and I have rediscovered those too. As a result of reading the book, and rediscovering my old book collection, I have decided it would benefit my health and fitness if I also “rediscovered” Siu Lim Tao. So I have made up my mind to spare a little time each day to go through the routine as I remember it. By the way, I am glad to know, from the web-site, that Ip Chun is fit and well. Kind regards, and best wishes, P Thompson Scone, Scotland

My main health problem is hayfever, which I have suffered from for many years. It starts subtly around this time of year (May) and then gets progressively worse until around the end of the summer (Septem-ber). My nose becomes blocked, I sneeze,

my eyes water, and even breathing becomes difficult. Last year I decided not to take any medication but instead do the Qigong exercises I had learnt outdoors (for example ‘Separating the Fog’ from HLG Part I). Although my lungs were definitely strengthened and my breathing became stronger, I still suffered from the other symptoms. What would you suggest I do this year? Related to the first point is my nose and general breathing difficulties. Even when it is not spring/summer my nose often gets blocked, runny or sniffly, and I generally have to carry a tissue around to blow it. I do not have a cold or flu, I just have this regularly sniffly nose. I have never been able to breathe through my nose at night and instead breathe through my mouth and as such often wake up with a dry mouth. Although it sounds like a small and insignificant issue, I would love to be able to breathe through my nose at night and not have to rely upon tissues in the day! I am wondering whether this problem is related to my pre-natal Qi, because my grandfather suffers from catarrh in his nose. However, when I visited Vermont (USA) for two months about five years ago I was free of both the blocked nose and the hayfever. Is it because of the British climate, my own health, or a combination of the two? For health and ethical reasons, two years ago I became vegan. I would like to know if there are any specific concerns about this kind of diet from a Chinese health perspective? Finally, I have a question about sight. I think as a result of the amount of reading I do, my eye sight has suffered over the years. I can read books fine and see things close up, but it is my long distance vision which is not so good. I’m reluctant to get glasses and would rather try to correct the problem internally. Would Long Distance Vision Dan Gong help me with this?

Thank you very much for your time in looking over my questions. All the best, S. Nottingham Dear S, Thank you for your letter. About your asthma:- actually you have already page 6 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Running and Qigong Hello,

I would like to use Qigong exercises to help with my long distance running. Do you have any advise on what exercises would be most benefical? I have the book Qigong for Health and Vitality. Are there any books on the topic of Qigong that address exercises specific to sports? I’m looking forward to the new book Qigong for Healing and Relaxation. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks J Bennett, Southampton Dear J, Your question about running is very good. In Hawaii, running is very popular but most people do not know how to conserve their energy when they do this. As a result, running can make their muscles more toned and burn fat, but it will make them lose Qi. One of the reasons they lose Qi when running is because they breathe through the mouth. When you breathe through the mouth, the Qi will not sink to the Dantian and store. So if you can run and breathe through the nose the whole time, this is much better. Running can bring up the blood circulation in the body very quickly, but you also need Qi to support and maintain the internal organs in the body. Exercises like Roc Extends the Wings and Supporting the Sky can help you to open the lungs and take in more Qi. You should also make sure to keep a good posture and not drop your head or tense your shoulders when you run, as this will block Qi and make you use more energy. If you can stay relaxed when you run, then you will use less Qi. All of the Balancing Gong or Healthy Living Gong execises can help you make your body more relaxed and open the channels and make your body healthy. If you can do some Qigong and meditation after running, then this will help the Qi move through all the body and heal any stress or injuries and the meditation will let you store the Qi for developing your health and energy. Yours sincerely, Michael Tse

started on the right path and just need to continue on. When I used to travel down to London every week on the train for teaching, in the summertime I would suffer so much. I could hardly breathe through my nose and my eyes were always red and itchy. However, I did not want to take anything for it, even Chinese medicine, and so I just did more practise. Slowly, every year it has gotten better and better until now, it is only occassionally and usually when I go to a new country where the air and pollens are different that I will still have a bit of an itchy nose and itchy eyes, though this goes away very quickly. Sometimes it is our environment that causes us problems until we can adapt to it. For instance, you said you did not have problems when visiting Maine in America. It may be that the air there is fresher and not so polluted. On holiday, I am sure you also did not have the stress that you have in your job and so your body was more relaxed and so your lungs did not have to work so hard. Also, when the kidneys are weakened from stress, tiredness and overwork, they will not regulate the water in the body normally and so this will affect the functioning of the lungs and breathing. The more you practise and bring the body back to harmony, the less problems you will have. About being vegan, I have many students who are either vegetarian or vegan and they can manage their lives and training just fine. However, if someone is very weak or ill, then maybe they might find that it is useful to have more sustenance than that obtained by eating vegan and so they try to eat some eggs which will help give them more energy. They can also train more of the Yang exercises like Chun Yuen or Hard Qigong which will bring up the energy levels in the body much more quickly than the soft Qigong practise. About your eyesight, there are some special Qigong exercises that we have put in the magazine in the past and I am sure that your Sifu can share these with you. However, doing exercises like training the eyes to look far away, if that is the weakness, or look close if your problem is short sight, covering one eye and then the other can help to train the eyes to adjust to different perspectives.

Also, all the Qigong you practise and particularly, more horse stance, can help you to maintain your sight. Long Distance Vision Dan is actually more for opening the Sky Eye and not training our normal eyesight.

good, it is not often we have the circumstances where we can do this. You are actually very lucky as there are four different classes a week in London where you could begin your Qigong and Chen Taijiquan training in the evenings, giving you time to practise in the mornings. All of the instructors taking the London classes are very exper ienced and can help you a lot as they have been studying with me for many years. So if you want to train this many nights, totalling eight hours a week plus any seminars you might attend, then this would be fine. However, if you also have the opportunity to study steadily over a longer period, then it will give your skill a chance to become a part of you. Good skill should be for life. Everyone learns at different levels and speeds. If you rush too much, then it is easy for the skill to become only external skill and not develop to an internal level. Skill is not just about learning movement. If you want to be good, it is also learning about the principles, p h i l o so p h y, how to communicate with your teacher and classmates and knowing the history of the skill you are going to learn. This takes time and is all part of the journey. Even when t e a c h i n g s o m e o n e intensively, I will not teach more than two hours at a time as they need time to digest the information and movements. I wish you well in your studies. Best wishes, Michael Tse

“I did not want to take anything, even Chinese medicine .” Good luck with your training and I look forward to meeting you in the future. Michael Tse

Sheer Enthusiasm Dear Sir, I am a student, and also a practitioner of martial arts. I am considering taking a ‘year out’ from studies to extensivley train in martial arts. Please could you tell me, do you have the facilities and instructor availability to teach the healing and health arts, Qigong and Chen, preferably from Michael Tse or a highly experienced instructor. I would be aiming to train 3 to 4 hours a day, Monday to Friday, for around 3 months. I live in North London. And I also wondered if there would be benefits from this training or if the time scale is simply too short to receive any real benefit? Best wishes, R. Noth London Dear R, You sound very enthusiastic and a bit like me when I wanted to begin my martial arts training. Although this kind of concentrated training can be very

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 7

News::::: Demos Demos & & Seminars Seminars News::::: Chen Taiji Sword, Norwich This proved to be a very popular course. Sifu Tse followed his usual formula, beginning with a talk and discussion to allow the students to learn the principles and back ground knowledge to Taiji. This is very important, as studying is not just about collecting new forms and exercises, but also about leaning how to apply the principles to your life. Then you can say you are, “doing Taiji”. After the lecture the group divided into two, those were just starting and those who had already begun the form. Sifu Tse has a great ability to be able to cater for everyone with his teaching and time and so everyone benefited from his skill and teaching.

New York Demo This year is a very busy year for teaching with seminars all around the world. In New York, two Qigong seminars were offered:- Five Element Self Healing Qigong and Eight Pulling Waist Gong. The previous evening, a Qigong Demonstration was offered by Michael Tse and Adam Wallace at the

attracted a lot of attention from the local Western Medical community. Many had heard about the Chinese system, but few had experienced Qi and Qigong for themselves. During the workshop that followed the demo, a few questions arose. One question was: The Chen Taiji Sword Group “What is the difference between Taijiquan and Qigong?” Sifu Tse replied by saying, “Taijiquan is a martial art and Qigong is for health. Many people today confuse the two, as both contain relaxed, gentle and flowing movements and talk about Qi. However all the movements in Taijiquan have a martial art or self defence application, in the movements you see punches and kicks. Qigong is much older than Taijiquan, over 3000 years old. For Qigong you also need to relax, but none of the movements is for fighting, they are to make the Qi flow and exercise the body. For example Qigong will have movements were you bend down and touch your toes, you may shake the body to release the negative Qi, of connect acupuncture points together, Taijiquan does not do this.” Another interesting question that was asked was: “How do you find a good teacher?” Sifu Tse answered by saying, “There a few things you need to look at. Does the teacher have a clear background with a good teacher him or herself? If they cannot talk about their own teacher, then something is not quite right. Also you should look at his or her behaviour. Finally you need to look at the teacher and the students to see if they are

healthy. If they have all these things, then they should be OK.

Vancouver From New York, Michael Tse travelled westward across North America to one of the less travelled but beautifully scenic areas of Canada, to Duncan B.C. Here he gave a demo and workshop at the "Funky Theatre" and became part of the local culture, where the hostings were of usually of bands and theature groups rather than Qigong Masters. One of the questions asked was, “How long should we practise Qigong?” Sifu Tse on stage in Canada

His answer was, “Movement is very important. In Qigong we move to heal out Qi. That is to say, clear the body of negative Qi and gather fresh Qi. Once all the channels are clear and full the body will automatically heal itself. So you need to practise long enough to clear the blockages. If you relax enough when you practise you will be able to tell. Your body will tell you when to stop.” Sifu Tse was also invited to give a Wing Chun Kung Fu seminar for JK’s Wing Chun School. During the course, Sifu Tse covered many points on Wing Chun, from basics to more advanced topics. When someone asked why Wing Chun teaches to always go forward and

Everyday we receive many letters from people all over the world, sometimes asking for advice, sometimes just sharing their experience. Unless specifically asked otherwise, we will consider these letters for possible publication in Qi Magazine. In this way, we all come together like a family and share and help each other. That is the reason I began Qi Magazine and particularly the PO Box. - Michael Tse

Qi Transmission at NY Demo

Cabrini Medical Centre in the Gramercy Park section of Manhattan. The demonstration was very well appreciated, and due to the venue, it

page 8 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

If there is anything you wish to share with others, any news or any announcements you would like to make, send them to us. We also welcome articles (800 - 1000 words in length) on topics appropriate.

Please write to:

USA

Qi Magazine PO Box 59, Altrincham WA15 8FS. UK. email tse@qimagazine.com

Tse Qigong Centre PO Box 15807, Honolulu, HI 96830. USA. email tse@wildgooseqigong.com

never step back, Michael Tse replied quite simply by saying this was wrong. He explained that when you are defending yourself you can never tell which way your opponent will move, so how can you just move forwards. Also the best way to avoid your opponent’s strength is to step to the side or back. So if you only go forwards, then you are fighting without any understanding and are putting yourself in great danger.

Seattle The final leg of Sifu Tse tour was to Seattle. Old and new students alike joined together to learn to learn Plum Blossom Gong. This is one of the longer forms in the Dayan Qigong system, which relates to the Five Elements, five internal organs and Five Acupuncture points. The students were very taken by the beautiful and sometimes unusual movements and everyone found it challenging and very enjoyable.

Taiwan University On 15 May, Jessica Blackwell was invited by Dr. Christie Chang to give a Qigong lecture at Taiwan Da (University), which is the most prestigious university in the country. All of the students were very sincere and asked many very good questions, such as ‘Will practising different kinds of Qigong give you the same results?’. Later, they enthusiastically tried their skills at some Healthy Living Gong exercises and found that just because you are good at

Jessica Blackwell teaching at Taipei University

studying does not mean you have the same skill for balancing on one leg. A few of the students were so keen that they stayed on to have tea and a meal and ask many more questions. Afterwards, for dessert, they got to taste the bitter-sweet fruit of Horse Stance. It seems already as if they are part of the Tse Qigong Centre family.

There is always someone higher than us that we look up to. For example your parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, your boss, your teachers and your mentors. Then there are people lower than us. I do not mean they are not as good or mean this to put people down, I mean they are junior to us, and we are responsible for bringing them up and taking care of them, educating them and giving guidance to them. Of course, sometimes it is not easy and they can even not be ready for this and so you have to leave them for a while until they are willing to listen. Just like a hot cup of tea. You cannot drink it straight away but have to wait until it has cooled down, until the time is right. This is wisdom. If you try and force juniors to listen to you they will just rebel against you. Then it takes a lot longer to fix the situation and sometimes, you will even become enemies. If this happens, then that person has no wisdom to take care and teach the juniors. If someone does not know how to look after their own children, juniors or students, they should ask their seniors for help. We are always in the middle. We have people above us who can help and advise, the same as we have those below. This is a good society and if you can balance everything, then you have good communication. Never think that you are the King or Queen and that you are absolutely right. You must have an open mind and listen to all different advice and balance your own thinking. Everybody makes mistakes, that is why we need somebody above us. We need juniors below us to reflect our mistakes back to us so we can learn more. If you are not good, they will not respect you. We also have people equal to us. These are like our brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues. We should treat them how we like to be treated ourselves. They will help us see ourselves and open up our hearts. As they are equal, you can share your thoughts and ideas with them. Our friends are in the same shoes and we can talk and share more with them than even with our

parents. So, a good friend will help and tell you the truth, this might upset you as it points out your mistakes. This is a good friend. If a friend only comes when he or she can share the benefits with you, but is never there when you ask for help, then they are not good for you. The Chinese say, “Difficulties show the true friendship.” But if they are your friend, even though they are not a good friend, you should still help them. Inside we should not have any enemies and remember one enemy will create two and two will create three and three will create many.

“Difficulties show the true friendship.” Of course we should have our principles. If a friend tells you to do something bad, you should be able to say say "no", and even reason with them and bring them back to the right track. That is what friendship is all about, not just going along with everything. It is important to have wisdom to see things clearly and help everybody. Since I started teaching, I have been lucky enough to have so much happiness, friendship and a lot of good help. I try to be a better communicator. The more I try to help others, the more people come forward. When we all communicate well, we all help each other out. Also we have people above us who we respect and who help us. We also have people equal to us whom we learn from and who also help us. Then we have juniors who we need to take care of and guide. We are the Dantian, the centre of the communication. We just need to hold the balance of it. This is the meaning of our lives, it is for every one of us, not just for ourselves.

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 9

There are many things that blind us to what is really happening around us. Somtimes it is our emotions, sometimes it can be our preconceptions. The important thing is to be able to take a step back and look at things more dispassionately, then you can see things clearly.

One Day’s Clear Moon D

uring the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), there was a great Zen master called Shan Neng. One of his most famous and least understood quotes was, “Don’t let one day’s clear moon obscure the eternal emptiness of the interminable past.” This enigmatic command can be interpreted in many different ways but the one I find the most useful is, “Don’t lose the big picture in a small moment of joy.” However, Shan Neng also said the reverse, “Don’t lose a small moment of joy against the vast backdrop of eternity.”

usually happens when he’s discussing the darkest side of the human psyche. As a very senior monk Sumedho was invited to the funeral of the Cambodian dictator and mass murderer Pol Pot. He said to him it seemed like a thinly disguised case of dancing around the bonfire, chanting, “The beast is dead.” He felt it was up to him to say something reflective and Buddhistic, something compassionate about the occasion. Long pause…”It took me a long time to think of something.” He dissolved into laughter again.

For Ajahn Sumedho the big picture and the small moments seem to be the same thing. He’s in control and never loses sight of both ends of the spectrum. Not like me. Picture this scene… It’s a swelteringly hot and stuffy summer evening and it’s been that way for days. Everyone is brain-dead and exhausted and the Qigong class is flagging badly. I’m trying to help the students improve their movements and getting frustrated over what

“Don’t lose the big picture in a small moment of joy.” I remember two or three years ago at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery a small group of meditators were invited to have tea with the abbot, Ajahn Sumedho (whose name I believe means “nothing left unattended to”). A wooden reclining chair was moved into a small side room for him to use and for a few moments this sixty eight year old monk was a delighted child as he played around with all the chair’s settings, up, down, slumping, flat on his back, grinning all the time. Then he stopped, had a sip of tea and proceeded to answer all our questions about life, the universe and everything with great warmth, insight and clarity. He has the most infectious laugh, a kind of breathless chuckle, which

page 10 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

I perceive as their lack of involvement and commitment. “What’s wrong with them?” I thought, “What are they doing here?” And then, “What am I doing here?” Still, I did my best and we finished the session. At home that evening I still couldn’t let go of the frustration. Then suddenly it hit me. What a self centred, insensitive and ungrateful idiot I was! Yes, the students were tired and couldn’t take much on board. But where had they been that hot, claustrophobic evening. At home watching TV? Having a cool shower and an early night? In the pub? No, they’d come to class to see their Sifu and practise their Qigong. And I was angry with them for not concentrating enough! I suppose we can all think of someone in particular that is a constant drain on our energy. They seem unable to get themselves together in any lasting way and we’re always waiting for the

next crisis. This sort of person can really try your patience sometimes. And yet who’s to say that we weren’t like that once? Maybe we did the same to them in a previous life. Looking at the big picture, my tribulations are my way of paying for past mistakes. Karmic kickback – there’s a good catchphrase!

“Things change and we never know if this is the last day, the last chance.” So, on this particular occasion, I felt ashamed of myself and determined never to take that unreasonable attitude again. The students had done their best and I couldn’t ask for more. I’d allowed a small moment of frustration to blind me to the big picture. I’m not usually the sort of person that takes anything or anyone for granted. As I said in a previous article

–it’s like being a tiger on ice, trying to be very wary of each step. But that night I’d allowed a loss of awareness. The tiger had roared for no good reason. So, now I’m determined to appreciate things and people even more. Life is like a big river, it moves people on, things change and we never know if this is the last day, the last chance to see a certain person or have a certain experience. If you knew it was the last chance to see a loved one, to see the stars, to say something from your heart, wouldn’t you treasure it? Of course you would. It’s not until you’re busy or have an injury and can’t train that you realise how many forms you usually practice. It’s not until someone disappears that we realise how much we liked having them around. So keep the big picture in mind, keep the ultimate goal in sight, whatever your particular goal may be, know that eternity waits for all of us and that we’ll move through countless incarnations, changes, conditions. We’ll play many roles on this slow tortuous journey towards perfection – but on the journey please appreciate and enjoy the little things in your life, your friends, the weather, that one day’s clear moon too! by Julian Wilde. jules @qimagaz ine.com

Healthy Living Gong Part I Wall Chart Two Colours Large Scale

Includes movements and Acupuncture Meridian charts! Charts are a great way to be able to learn a form or set of exercises as you do not need to keep referring back to a book each time you change to a new movement. This two sided chart has both movement and descriptions on one side and full set of all the main channels in the body as well as the acupoints used in Part I of Healthy Living Gong. The size of the chart is 841 x 594 mm (just over 33 inches by 23 inches). UK £15.95 / Europe £17.45 USA $19.95 / Worldwide £18.45

To order contact: UK/Europe: Tse Qigong Centre PO Box 59, Altrincham, WA15 8FS, UK. Tel:0161 929 4485 Fax: 0161 929 4489 email: tse@qimagazine.com For USA/Canada: Tse Qigong Centre PO Box 15807, Honolulu HI 96830 USA Tel: (808) 528 8501 Fax: (928) 441 6578 email tse@wildgooseqigong.com

Taijiquan –

There is only one secret to reaching a high level of skill in Taijiquan, that is to do a lot of Taijiquan. For the movement to become natural, the principles have to sink down, deep inside you. Then you are not just doing Taijiquan, you become Taijiquan.

ractising Taijiquan should be like brushing your teeth. You do it every morning when you wake up. The more you practise the better you will get. This is very true. Studying Chinese skill is not about understanding, it is about repetition. There is a Chinese saying, “familiarity brings skill.” This means when you do something so many times you will eventually understand the principle of the skill and reach a high level. It is like driving home after work. After a few months you get to know which way is the quickest way to go, which is slower, which is better when the traffic is bad and which is better when the traffic is clear. This is because you have gone that way so many times. In the West when people learn something, they want to analyse all the small details before they do it in case they miss something, don’t understand the meaning and never reach a high level. If you really want to be good at Taijiquan, you need to repeat the movements thousands of times. Then, after you have done this, you will understand the essence of Taijiquan. After repeating the movements many times, you will come to know which movements are easy and also understand the difficult parts of the movement. Then you will think about what your teacher mentioned to you before and understand what mistakes you are making. For example, are you moving from the waist? Are you tense in any part of your body? Are you doing the movements too quickly or too slowly? However, if you have no teacher and just repeat many times, then you can have a big problem because you do not know what is right and what is wrong. A teacher is someone who points out what is right and wrong in us, so with a good teacher and a lot of practise you can easily reach a high level of skill. Practising Taijiquan is also martial arts training. If you just treat it as a health exercise, then you will only get half of the benefit. When you understand the principle of Taijiquan,

you can practise Tui Shou (Pushing Hands) with a partner, which is very important. During Tui Shou you will understand the meaning of Taijiquan, understand the principle of Yin and Yang. In Taijiquan there are no secret deadly skills. Nobody has one skill or technique that will defeat everybody. Only the changing between Yin and Yang is better than that of someone else. If your understanding is better than your opponent, then you will defeat him. It is like playing chess. When practising Tui Shou, we have to understand how to follow the opponent and not use force, until the situation is safe. If they are strong, you let go, if they are weak, you give them some strength. As long as you still have your balance, you have a chance. Therefore, the movement of the waist is very important. It is like turning the steering wheel of your car to avoid an accident and changing direction to go the way you want to go. No matter how strong a person is, there is always a weak area. For example, if some one uses the right hand, the left hand will be weak. If they use two hands to push, then it means their energy can be too far forward and so we can step back, pull them and make them lose their balance. If they attack high, then you can go low, if they go low, then you can attack high. If they use strength, stay away and relax, if they relax, then you can give them strength. So you see, we must learn how to understand the opponent. How do we do this? We need to practise more Tui Shou. The more you do the better you will get. Everyone is different, so the more hands you touch, the better your understanding of different people’s energy. Eventually, no matter what happens, you will know how to change and so survive. Taijiquan skill is a martial art, and by understanding the martial art, we understand our health. If you can understand your health, it means you understand the principle of nature and if you understand the principle of nature, then you understand the meaning of life. This is because life is practise. We practise our own lives everyday. We need to find out what we are good at, so we can enjoy and understand it

“You need to repeat the movements thousands of times.”

page 12 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

More by Michael Tse

Practise Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 13

Rubbing the Abdomen to Aid the Stomach The abdomen rubbing exercise is also called the method of curing diseases and prolonging life. It is a common technique used for health preservation among the Chinese and has been widely practised since the Qing Dynasty.

his exercise is intended to mainly accelerate the blood circulation in the abdomen and stimulate the nerve receptors on the membranes of the stomach and intestines this is done by rubbing certain acupoints and affected parts and massaging and pulling the internal organs directly. This causes the nevous system to be stimulated, thus promoting the contraction of the smooth muscles in the stomach and intestines. At the same time, it also helps promote the secretion of gastric juice, bile, pancreatic juice and small intestinal juice, improves the digestion and absorption of food by the stomach and intestines, and increases the liverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metabolism of sugar, protein and fats. It helps cure certain gastro-intestinal diseases, including gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, chronic gastritis, gastric and intestinal neurosis, inflammation if the colon and habitual constipation. Starting form: Sit or lie on your back. If sitting, keep the upper part of the body upright, feet on the ground and apart to a little wider than shoulder width. If lying, bend the knees slightly, feet slightly apart and heels on the bed. In winter, or when it is otherwise cold, lie on the bed with a quilt on or sit under the quilt with the clothes on.

Fig 1

page 14 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Fig 2

Methods:

1. Rub Zhongwan: Put the cushions of the three middle fingers of the right hand on the pit of the stomach and press the three middle fingers of the left hand on them. Exert force with both hands and press-rub gently around the Zhongwan point (the midpoint on the anterior midline of the upper abdomen between the joint of the ribs and the navel clockwise 36 times. (Fig. 1) 2. Rub the navel: Massage gently the parts around the navel 18 circles clockwise, with the cushions of the three middle fingers of the right hand and the left hand fingers on the top of the right, starting from the left side of the navel. Then change to the left hand, start from the right side of the navel and rub gently around the navel counter-clockwise 18 times. 3. Rub the Qihai and Guanyuan acupoints (Fig. 1): Turnrub around with the cushions of the three middle fingers of the right hand and the left hand fingers on top of the right hand, starting from the Qihai acupoint downward to the lowerleft, past the Guanyuan acupoint, upward to the upper-right and back to Qihai. Massage this way 18 times. Then change to the left hand and turn-rub gently in the opposite direction 18 times. 4. Push the Ren channel (Fig.2) Push gently with the cushions of the three middle fingers of one hand (the three middle fingers of the other hand on top of them) from the pit of the stomach, along the midline of the abdomen down to the joint of the pubic bones. Move the three middle fingers of the hands separately outward, and pushâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;rub along the fossa iliaca upward along the line under the nipples to the rib-bows, then toward the pit of the stomach with the three middle fingers

of one hand on top of the other three middle fingers. This counts as one circle. Repeat this 36 times. Women do this exercise by using the turn-rubbing method. 5. Rub the entire abdomen (Fig. 3) : keep the left hand akimbo with the thumb in front (left hand in position when lying), push and rub gently from the lower right of the lower abdomen (the right fossa iliaca) with the right palm, past the right hypochondrium (above the breast line), the left

hypochondrium to the left side of the lower abdomen of the left fossa iliaca, and finally back to the lower right of the lower abdomen. This counts as a circle. Do this 18 times. And then change to the left palm and go along the same route in the opposite direction 18 times. 6. Point-press and rock: use these techniques to assist the above-described techniques to achieve an even better result.

Point-Press: Use two or three middle fingers of one hand to press the Zhongwan, Guanyuan and Qihai acupoints. Push the fingers downward and lift them up slowly. This is one repetition. Press each acupoint 5-7 times.

Push-press: Use the base of the palm to push and press the loins. Before pressing, put the hands on the loins, fingertips ahead and the thumbs tightly against the lower edge of the rib-bows. When push-pressing inward and forward energetically with the palm bases, the abdomen bulges, and when loosening the palm bases, the abdomen withdraws to its original position. This is one repetition. Do this 9 times in a row. (Fig.4)

Rock: Fig 3

Place the hands to the knees and sit with the legs crossed, rock the upper body clockwise 9 times and then counter clockwise 9 times, with the rocking range increased gradually. (Fig.5)

Number of times: Press-rub the abdomen two or three times a day, in the morning and in the evening. The number of times for each movement depends on your own physical condition. When disease occurs, greatly increase the number of times. If you have abdominal pain, you can increase it to several dozen or even several hundred times until the signs of the illness are eased or gone. In short, you should feel soothed, relaxed and free from fatigue after rubbing and pressing.

Points for attention:

Fig 4

Fig 5

a. Concentrate the mind, focus the attention and breathe naturally. b. The movements should be gentle, slow and continuous. Do not exert too much force in order to avoid injuring the internal organs. c. Sometimes, during or after rubbing the abdomen, you may have intestinal gas, break wind, feel warm in the intestines or feel hungry or want to urinate or have a bowel movement. These are normal reactions, because the peristalsis of the stomach and intestines changes the physical functions. Do not worry about it. d. Contra-indications: Women should not rub their abdomen when they are pregnant. Patients suffering from malignant tumours, gastric and intestinal perforation, internal organ bleeding or peritonitis must not rub their abdomen. Also, do not rub the affected part of the abdominal wall if there is an acute infection. Women can rub their abdomen during the menstrual period, but they should be sure not to catch a cold. It is not good to rub the abdomen when you are too hungry or too full. If you want to urinate or have a bowel movement, please do so before rubbing by Zeng Qingnan & Liu Daoqing Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 15

One of the most profound aspects of Taijiquan is the way that it works as a fully integrated system. There are a few key principles and these are at the heart of every technique.

Paint the Clown’s Nose Red (A speculation on Taijiquan’s punch)

erhaps the most important thing in Taijiquan is actually applying these principles throughout every situation, and every technique. Over the years I have found that the punch is one of the things that most people have problems with. It is also one of the techniques that most people think is easiest - the technique that they know how to do. These two factors are not unconnected. Thinking that you know something is perhaps the biggest single factor that prevents development. For most martial arts the punch is one of the simplest techniques. The fist moves along a straight line from point a to point b. At point b - the point of impact - the bones of the hand and arm form a straight line from the shoulder to the knuckles of the index and middle fingers. Simple mechanics - bones are strong in compression - so the force of the punch is transferred efficiently into the target. The major problems with this simple technique is to make sure the fist is clenched at the point of impact and that the wrist is not bent. If the fist is loose, the fingers may get broken. If the wrist is bent, it may get broken or sprained. H o w e v e r, with Chen Taijiquan, the punching arm does not always have to be straight, it can actually be bent, though the alignment of the joint is still important to avoid injury. This is becasuse of Taiji’s use of Fajing (releasing power). So the

fist can be very powerful at long distance, when the arm is straight, and also at

“Understanding the limits of the circle is fundamental to all postures.” shorter distances, when the arm will be bent . Therefore the punching arm can sometimes be straight and sometimes it

can be bent, it depends on how far your target it away from you. The second principle that this illustrates is understanding the limits of the circle. In Taijiquan understanding the limits of the circle is fundamental to all posture. If the arm is too straight it is viewed as being overextended and outside the circle. This is made worse if the body is made to overreach as well so that you finish the punch out of balance. Chen Taijiquan has its own Taiji t’u (Taiji diagram) rather than using the more common Yin/Yang diagram. This diagram has an inner circle that is empty, which is connected to an outer circle by a spiral that divides the space between the two circles into light and dark, Yin and Yang. The outer circle can be viewed as the maximum that you would extend (not your maximum extension). If you go further, your balance may be compromised. The inner circle can be viewed as the limits of the Dantian’s movement. If the Dantian moves outside of its circle, you will have lost your centre of gravity and your posture will be out of balance. The inner and the outer circles are connected, so if you overreach, you will start to break your posture and compromise your centre of gravity. Again this is a very common mistake. Many students concentrate too much on the hand that is extending. The mind follows the hand and you end up out of balance - a very small pull will completely unroot you. A canny opponent will tempt you to overextend by shifting just beyond the limits of your circle. This is what is meant by the Taiji expression ‘using ten ounces to move a thousand pounds’. to be continued.. by Glenn Gossling. gle nn @q im agaz in e . co m

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 17

page 18 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Hard Qigong Breathing Hard Qigong is often kept a closely-guarded secret. As a result, it is shrouded in mystery and there is not a great deal of useful information to be found. To gain a good level of Hard Qigong, you must understand the essence of the exercises and this is quite simply all in the breathing.

oft Qigong is for healing and Hard Qigong is for power. However, they are both based on good health. Without good health, they would not be good for your future life. So whether we are studying Soft or Hard Qigong, we must be healthy. A lot of people will now know about soft Qigong exercises such as Balancing Gong, Healthy Living Gong and Wild Goose Qigong etc. but how much do you know about Hard Qigong (Yi Qigong)? Many people like to study Hard Qigong because they have seen the very powerful and impressive Hard Qigong demonstrations of people having bricks broken on the head, spears pressed against the throught slabs broken on their chest or even getting run over by large vehicles. However impressive the demonstration, the first step is to make you healthy. To do this we need to make our organs: the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and stomach healthy and strong. To make them strong we need to open up the channels and acupuncture points, because these are the paths and the doors to the body that let the Qi flow and come in and out. Of course, the main technique for taking in Qi is breathing. We all need to breathe and if you cannot breathe, you will die. This is because the air is the fundamental energy we need to live. It means that the air is equal to Qi. Good air means good Qi. Qi is the key and it is the most important element for opening the channels and acupuncture points. It goes to the organs to strengthen them and to prevent injuries in the future. To increase the Qi that comes to the body we need a stronger way of breathing. Breathing through the nose is not enough. We need more Qi to come to the body. How do we do this? We need to breathe through the mouth, but there is a special way to do this because if you just breathe through the mouth you will feel tired, dizzy and uncomfortable.

Whilst I was giving a seminar at Venice University to a group of psychology students, one of them asked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do we breathe through the nose or through the mouth.â&#x20AC;? My answer was to always breathe through the nose. So I told them to all pinch their noses and just breathe through their mouths for one minute. Afterwards almost all of them felt uncomfortable and some even felt dizzy. This is because the lungs are not made to take the air like that. They like to take the air in through the nose. Then I asked them to breathe only through the nose and not to use their mouths at all. They all followed and did this. Afterwards they all felt good and normal. However there were a few students who found breathing through the nose very difficult. This is because their lungs are weak. I told them that they need to develop their lungs and try to br eat he

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 19

through the nose as much as possible, otherwise they might develop problems in the future, such as asthma. The nose is for breathing and the mouth is for eating and talking. We should follow this natural way. For Hard Qigong, however, we breathe in through the mouth and out through the nose. Why is this? We do this so that we can can take more air into the body, however, there is a special way of inhaling, and a special way of exhaling though the nose. There is a story set in a village in Old China. The people there lived very peacefully. Unfortunately, war suddenly broke out and the fighting affected the village. Many people left to find safety. However, there was one father who had a very young boy who was only 3 or 4 years old. The father knew it would be very dangerous to carry his son and try to escape. Moreover they had no food to eat, so he had no choice but to leave the boy behind in the village. Of course, this was the very last thing he wanted to do, but he could not think of another way. To keep his son safe from the enemies who were coming into the village he looked for some-where to hide him so they would not find him, and so that, if they left quickly, he could come back to get him. So he hid his son at the bottom of a dry well and then left. Seven days passed by until the enemy left the village. The father sadly returned to collect the dead body of his son. He knew that a young boy with no food could not survive. When he got to the well he looked down and was shocked to see his son still alive! He looked at him and he could see him moving his mouth as if he was eating something, but there was no food in his mouth. The boy was eating the air. Beside him was a frog whose body was expanding and contracting as if it was also eating the air. The father realised that his son was copying the frog’s way of breathing. Usually, no one could survive like this without food or water for seven days. So the only reason he could survive was because he copied the frog’s breathing. Since then, some people copy this way of breathing to survive in certain circumstances.

Today, when we practise Hard Qigong we use a similar method, which we call “Tun Qi” (Swallow Qi). This is a special way of breathing in through the mouth as if we are eating the air and swallowing it down to the stomach. Apart from Tun Qi, we also have two other kinds of breathing called “Ding Qi” and “Pun Qi”. All these methods use the mouth to breathe in and the nose to breathe out. Using these methods, the mouth can take in more Qi and that then opens the channels and creates the power. Ding Qi sucks the air in through the mouth and then quickly exhales through the nose and the Qi is directed to the Baihui point which is on the top of the head. Pun Qi uses the same inhalation where you suck in the air through the mouth. Again you exhale quickly through the nose, but this time the Qi is directed to the Dantian. This means Ding Qi directs the Qi up to the Baihui point and Pun Qi directs it down to the Dantian. This is to open the Chong Mai (Channel). In Qigong, the Chong Mai is seen differently to the way it is seen by acupuncturists. In Qigong, we see the Chong Mai as straight and more direct. It goes from the Baihui point on the head to the Huiyin point between the legs. It passes through the Dantian, which is around the navel area. The Chong Mai is very important in Hard Qigong training as it helps the Qi to travel quickly from the head to the Dantian and this makes the Qi strong and fast. Tun Qi is gentler than the others. We still suck the Qi in through the mouth. When you suck the Qi it should be long and hard. Then you swallow it and breathe out through the nose, but this should be a natural release. If we can manage these breathing techniques, we have the foundation of hard Qigong Breathing. However, in order to do properly and not cause any injuries to yourself, you need to learn properly from a qualified teacher. Many people whom I have taught will get it wrong without continued instruction, and a lot do not even know how to do it. Hard Qigong is a very important part of Qigong training. If we only do Soft Qigong, then we will only know how to relax and be soft, we will never know about strength and power. So you miss the other side of the coin

“This is a special way of breathing as if we are eating the air.”

page 20 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

by Michael Tse

YOUR CHINESE HOROSCOPE FOR HEALTH & LIFE Your Chinese horoscope can help you learn more about your family, children, your personality and your health. It can tell you which career or studies which would suit you most, even the numbers, directions and colours which are favourable or not. Most people have similar things they want to know from their horoscope, so Michael Tse is offering an opportunity to ask five specific questions about your horoscope, for instance, when you will get married, how many children you should have. The fee for this would be £50 (GB pounds) and $75 (US dollars) and can be sent to the appropriate Tse Qigong Centre office. To Place Your Horoscope Order :- 1.

2. 3. 4.

Enclose address or email where your answers are to be sent. If it is a gift for someone, please provide their name & address clearly. List the five questions. Try to be clear and concise in your questions. Include Birth Details. Please spell month, do not use numeric. Order should be: Year, Month, Day, and if possible, the time of your birth and also the country in which you were born. Forward payment by either cheque or credit card to appropriate Tse Qigong Centre office. £50/$75 USA For UK/Europe Tse Qigong Centre PO Box 59 Altrincham WA15 8FS UK Tel:0161 929 4485 Fax: 0161 929 4489 email: tse@qimagazine.com

For USA/Canada: Tse Qigong Centre PO Box 15807, Honolulu HI 96830 USA Tel: (808) 528 8501 Fax:(928) 441 6578 email tse@wildgooseqigong.com

Instructor Insight Emma Hayes Stratford Upon Avon

find myself thinking too hard, pushing to find words to do justice to explain the depth of gratefulness I feel to the people who have given me the gift of Qigong- from Grandmaster Yang Meijun to Tai Sigong, Sigong Mike Baker, to my Sifu Kate Britton. Then I remember that I am a Qigong student and have been taught to relax;don’t force things, let it flow, just move- and already things have become clearer- I’ve even managed to start writing something. This is my constant wonder at how Qigong has changed my life. The simplicity of changing my attitude whilst doing a simple action like walking down the road- in a hurry, rather tense, a Emma is qualiifed to teach head full of things that need to be done- to just remembering the principle of Qigong and the Dayan Qigong syllabus. relaxing, feet on the pavement, eyes to the sky, move, flow. Now the world is already a better She can be contacted on place and I can smile. 01926 435 391 I began this Instructors Insight still in shock at being asked to write something. I decided to reread all the Instructor Insights from my growing pile of precious Qi Magazines since I joined the Centre in 2000. I found myself surrounded by the faces and wise words of so many inspirational people. Some I have already had the honour of meeting, some I am yet to meet, but after reading about their Qigong journeys and feeling the connection of Family that the Tse Qigong Centre has created, I feel deep gratitude for the path I have been given the chance to follow. My class is in its infancy, just like my skill and knowledge, and I would like to thank my students for their good hearts and for teaching me to learn with them. I hope we shall all grow into old trees. Thank you Sifu for all this. Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 21

Chen Taijiquan Self Defence Taijiquan is a martial art with a very long history. Each movement of the form cantains some self defence application. So how is it used in reality?

hrough Taijiquan Pushing Hands (Tui Shou)we begin to learn the basics of distance, timing and weight transference and, later on, footwork and angles. At first our attack and defence is limited to warding off, rolling back, pushing and pulling. When we’re comfortable with this we can begin to use a few techniques from the various forms. However, a successful technique relies a lot in any given situation: your own height and weight, the angle you’re attacked at, where your weight is at the time, the size of your opponent etc. Not every technique will work all the time and there will always be some techniques we’ll be able to pull off successfully on one person but not on another. By pushing hands with as many people as possible, we learn our weaknesses and also what we can make work for us most of the time.

When we watch our teacher perform some of the applications it all looks so smooth and easy and yet when we try it all feels jagged and forced. Most of the time it’s just that we need to practice and ensure we’re using the turning of the waist, transference of the weight etc. rather than muscle power. However, maybe that technique is just unsuitable for you. Some applications work better if you are tall and some if you are shorter than your opponent. A technique such as Wild Horse Parts Its Mane will work well if your footwork is good, but you have to attack a tall person slightly differently from a short person. Your lead arm will thread through their centre below the chin on a smaller person and through their centre under the arm on a taller assailant. The forms contain kicks and punches too and these are not usually

practiced in most push hands sessions. It is the locks we tend to concentrate on and this is reasonable as it is both safe and user-friendly for beginners. We should not get stuck in this stage though, we need to practice blocking and striking and eventually kicking. Eventually our push hands sessions will become freer and more wide ranging in terms of the number of form-based techniques being utilised. The examples of self defence shown below are those which the defender (Elaine Tattersall) could make work for her against the attacker (Bob Bulmer). I’m sure there are many more we could have illustrated but didn’t think of at the time and many we could have made look good but which would not have been a hundred per cent workable for Elaine. My thanks to Bob and Elaine for their time and for the enthusiasm which they brought to the project.

Bob grabs Elaine in Fig. 1. She steps back to give herself more space and raises her hand up to Bob’s face for leverage in fig.2. Using “Step back with whirling arms” she transfers her weight backwards, pulls Bob’s arm forward and simultaneously pushes his chin back in Fig.3. Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Bob gets hold of Elaine’s wrist in Fig.4. Using “Flash the Back” from the 19 Step form, she steps and transfers her weight back to straighten Bob’s arm in Fig.5. In Fig. 6 she applies a downward pressure against his elbow joint.

Fig 4 page 22 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 7

Fig 8

Fig 9

In Fig. 7 Bob grabs Elaine’s shirt. She traps his hand with hers in Fig. 8 and twines her arm outside and over his elbow in Fig. 8. Using “Three Times Changing Palm” she applies pressure to his head in Fig. 9. It is interesting that all the above techniques use opposing forces to work successfully. Elaine simultaneously pushes and pulls or traps one limb while applying a forward pressure, circling up or down with the other. She also found that if she could control Bob’s head she could dictate the movement of the rest of his body. If

their roles of assailant and attacker were reversed, Bob’s techniques would probably be similar, but his superior weight and arm length would mean he would not have to step back so far or transfer his weight as much. When they push hands together Bob’s sensitivity and strength are matched by Elaine’s speed

and evasive footwork. We all have various options to use in Tui Shou, so regular practice with various partners of all shapes and sizes will help us find our strengths and weaknesses, our habitual responses too, which may work with some partners and not with others. There is no substitute for just getting on with it! by Julian Wilde.

BOOK REVIEW Chen Shi Taijiquan 1 & 2

hen Style Taijiquan is the oldest form of Taijiquan. The current head of the Chen family is Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang and as such he is a highly sort after teacher. In the past few years Chen Taijiquan has grown rapidly in popularity and to help people’s thirst for knowledge, Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang has, over the last few years, travelled many times around the world teaching seminars and courses. To help students further, Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang has produced two new books. Although only available in Chinese, the books contain hundreds of photos detailing many of the Chen Taijiquan forms: Book 1 contains Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang performing the 19 Step Short Form and Old Frame (Laojia). Book 2 contains Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang performing the 38 Step Short Form, New Frame (Xinjia), it also feature Master Wang Xiang preforming the Chen Taiji Sword, Zhu Tiancai performing the Chen Broadsword and Master Chen Xiaoxing demonstrating Pushing Hands. These books are quite unique as they feature not only Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, but also many of the other leading 19th Generation masters. A must buy for all Chen Taijiquan enthusiasts.

Prices UK £15.95 / Europe £17.45 / USA $19.95 / Worldwide £18.45 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 23

Plum Blossom Yijing Prediction

Part 2

page 24 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Continuing our story about Yijing master, Shao Kang Jie. Having been given the old man’s Yijing book, Master Shao finds that he is able to make many very accurate predictions.

fter many years of studying, Master Shao Kang Jie reached a very deep and profound level of understanding. He understood that everything in the universe had a system that was based on one formula or one theory. Everything in the universe is changing and under this system everything in the universe separates from one to many things and then unites again to become one. So, everything starts from one, separates into many and in the end becomes one again. Hot temperatures will eventually become cold and cold will eventually become hot. Everything is going round in a cycle. Spring turns to summer, summer changes to autumn, autumn becomes winter and winter becomes spring this is another cycle; birth, old age, sickness and death is another natural cycle. Everything has its own routine, and whenever something changes, there is always a sign that it will happen before it changes. If we notice that sign, we can use it to predict the future and know what will happen next. So Master Shao began to use the Yijing book the old man left for him. He used and followed it and found some amazing results. Once he was watching two birds fighting on a branch of a plum blossom tree. Suddenly both fell to the ground. This was very unusual and so Master Shao made a Yijing Gua. Gua means “situation”. The Yijing has 64 Gua and these are based on the Bagua. Ba means eight and so Bagua means 8 situations. Sixty-four Gua comes from 8x8 (we will explain more about the Gua in future articles, or you can refer back to old issues of Qi Magazine). In Master Shao’s method of Yijing prediction, if there is nothing special happening, you do not make a Gua. You do not make predictions if there is no reason to do so. As everything has a cycle, things usually happen in the same way. If something out of the ordinary happens, then it means that something different is going to happen. So in a normal situation, there is no need to make a Gua. Also, if we have no reason, we should not make a Gua, just let things happen normally. From the Gua Master Shao made, he could tell that in the same garden, a young lady would try and break a branch

off the plum blossom tree. Someone would notice this and shout, “Thief!”. This would scare her and cause her to fall and injure her leg. The next day in the evening, this exact thing happened, just as he had predicted. This is why people called Master Shao’s method, “Plum Blossom Yijing Number Method”. There are many stories about Master Shao. Once, he saw a tree with very beautiful flowers on it. From this he knew that when the flowers fell to the ground a horse would run over and damage them. Another time, after looking at the decorations of Xi Lin Temple and he could tell that there was a very bad woman affecting the people in the temple. On another occasion, he saw an old man get a fish bone caught in his throat and he knew that in five days time the old man would pass away. There are a lot more stories of Master Shao’s predictions. This is actually a science, but unlike Western science, it has a spiritual side. Today, Western science is still a long way behind for things like Qi, acupuncture, Yin and Yang, Feng Shui, Hard Qigong and Martial Arts. The West is very good for materials and technology, but for human skill, human relationship and the balance of nature, it is still a long way behind. Eventually, all these artificial materials and modern technology will damage the whole balance of nature, and then we will all suffer from new diseases and problems, so watch out!

“If there is nothing special happening, you do not make a Gua.”

To be continued – learn how to apply the Plum Blossom Yijing Numbe r Method and unders tand the principle of nature. by Michael Tse Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 25

When things are just out of reach we try our best to get them. The problem is, we only realise they are out of reach once we have failed and suffer the consequences. We therefore need to learn to recognise when we are reaching that little bit too far.

Falling In

ne Christmas when I was about seven years old, the best present I received that year was from my grandmother: it was a clockwork motorboat. I still remember it vividly to this day. It was sky blue in colour and was constructed of two pieces of moulded metal fitted together to create a hull and an upper deck and cabin. The only features the boat really had was a little movable rudder to steer it by and a little red bung on top of the cabin where the key went in to wind it up. Although it was plain and simple in design, to a seven year old boy it was the QE II. Now, having such a brilliant vessel there was only one thing left to do: take it for a sail. So my brother, who had also received a similar boat to mine and was just as eager as me to take it for a try. I started to get to work on my dad to persuade him gently with persistent pleading and whining until eventually, under relentless harassment and bombardment on two fronts, he caved in and promised that he would take us to the local park after dinner. So that afternoon, we all set off for the park and the grand launch. When we got to the side of the pool my dad wound up the boats and set the rudders and then placed them into the water. Off they set, with loud whirring noises across the pool, and as they went, they slowly turned and started to curve back in towards the side of the pool. On seeing where my boat was due to come back in, I ran to meet it. When the boat touched the side I knelt down and picked it up, turned it around and placed it back into the water and off it set. At the same time as I let go of the boat, my dad shouted, “Don’t put it back in yet, it needs winding up!” So I reached out to retrieve my boat, but my boat was moving away from my reach, so I reached out a little bit more, but still the boat was eluding my grasp, so I stretched just a little further, unaware that the extra little stretch was already beyond me. Following the laws of gravity, there was only one place left for me to go: for a headlong freezing cold dive into the boating pool. I had ended up in the pool, because I had tried to reach out for

page 26 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

something that was eluding me. I had overreached and compromised myself because I had only one aim in mind, to get my hands on the boat. And in that single-minded act I was unaware of not only my own position and movement, but also that of the boat. Sometimes when you practice Chi Sau with a partner, you can easily find yourself heading for a big splash. This is because when you attack your opponent, you have only one thought in mind, to reach the target. This is like reaching out for the boat, you strike or reach out towards your partner, but in this singule-minded act, you are not aware of either your movement or that of your opponent’s and, therefore you can overreach or even underreach your attack and put yourself in a compromising position. If you are attacking your opponent in such a manner, your commitment to the target is being made too early. The Wing Chun way of striking is to only use power and strength when it contacts its objective, and up to this point it is relaxed and non-committal. If your strike is like a bullet being fired from a gun, this is not the Wing Chun way. When a bullet is fired from a gun, it has a set trajectory, the line of sight is made by the firer and when the trigger is pulled, the bullet can not change its commitment to the target and will travel towards, and will hit it depending on the accuracy of the marksman. Although the principle of Wing Chun’s strikes are not the same as that of a bullet being fired from a gun, a similarity that the marksman and the Wing Chun practitioner share is distance. Before a marksman pulls the trigger, he must know his range, the distance between him and his intended quarry. If he misjudges this distance, the bullet will be spent, the quarry will be alerted and, depending on what sort of target he was shooting at, give it a chance to run away or even shoot back. Either way, whether marksman or Wing Chun practitioner, you have not correctly gauged the situation and now

“There was only one place left for me to go; headlong into the boating pool.”

they are gunning for you. Any element of surprise or edge you might have had has now evaporated. In order to improve your perception of distance in Wing Chun, you practice Chi Sau. This training technique will help you to understand the space that exists between you and your partner. It will not only help you to gauge whether or not you can reach them but also whether they can touch you. If

you do not have a person to practise with, an exercise you can do to practice your perception of distance is to slowly walk towards a wall with your hands down by your side and stop when you think you can touch the wall with the tips of your fingers with an extended arm. Reach out slowly. How accurate is your judgement? Too far away or too close? Step back from the wall and repeat the exercise using your palm or fist; practice this exercise slowly at first, because if you get the distance wrong you might hurt your hand. Sticking with the theme of ballistics, the Wing Chun strike or attack would more likely be akin to that of a heat seeking missile. These types of projectiles are generally fired from fast moving jet fighter planes, usually at other fast moving objects, such as another jet. When such a missile is fired, it is not restricted to line of sight targeting, this is because its intended target is turning and weaving at a very high speed and is unlikely to have remained in the original strike zone. So instead, it locks onto the heat signature or the radar of its selected objective, enabling it to track and match the target move for move; and the only chance the pilot of the other plane has is his seat-of-the-pants flying manoeuvres, like seen on the film starring Tom Cruise, Top Gun. When you attack in Chi Sau, it is not a good idea to commit all your force into one straight blow. Although your opponent may not be able to move as fast as a fighter jet, they will more than likely detect your movement and move accordingly. If they step back, you will not reach them, and if they turn, your strike will go past them. Either way you have overreached and compromised yourself. In order to get through

to your opponent you need to make an attack which is just as changeable in direction as a heat-seeking missile. If you strike towards your opponent, and you feel them move, then do not pursue your original line of attack, otherwise you are like a speeding bullet and you will miss. Instead, follow their movement or switch your attack to your other hand. You can try probing with one hand, to see how your partner reacts, e.g. pushing forwards with one hand and testing their response. For example, if you try to Chi Sau with a partner and you both have a hand on the inside and a hand on the outside, in other words, you have a Tan to their Fook and a Fook to their Bong, and when the positions rotate and the hands are reversed, push with Bong Sau on their Fook Sau. If they push back, you stop pushing and change your challenge to your Fook and try to strike forwards from the outside. Remember that the striking in Wing Chun is relaxed and does not use its power until it reaches its destination. So when you strike forwards and don’t manage to get through because they react to your attack, maybe with a Bong Sau, you will be able to transfer your line of attack back to your inside hand and persue endless possibilities from here. Over-reaching or under-reaching could be summed up in several well-known phrases or proverbs such as: don’t put all your eggs in one basket; look before you leap; don’t go out on a limb; or act with haste and repent at leisure. These phrases tell a tale of caution, but being cautious means you can test the water and find your present limitations without getting soaked to the skin by Martin Gale. martin.gale @qimagaz ine.com

Hot & Spicy Cucumber 1 cucumber 1 red chilli 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp salt 1 ½ tsp sugar 1 tsp sesame oil 1. Rub some salt on the cucumber skin and leave for ten minutes. Then wash the cucumber and cut into sticks. Add a little bit of the salt to the cut cucumber and leave for half an hour. Pour any excess liquid away. 2. Remove seeds from chilli and cut diagonally. Chop garlic into fine pieces. 3. Add seasonings, including sesame oil and sugar, to cucumber and stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best served at room temperature with a dash more sesame oil added. Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 27

A Song of Advice for our Lives page 28 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Over 400 years ago, during the Ming Dynasty, there was a famous Buddhist monk called Han Shan who wrote this Buddhist poem. Today many people who know it by heart and they use it to help them in their everyday lives.

Red dust and white waves both are boundless, Patience and gentleness are a good prescription. Wherever we go, follow the flow or fate to spend the time, Follow the rules throughout the whole of our lives. Do not put ourselves up. Be careful when treating others and never complain, Whatever you do, be patient when doing things and communicating with others. The string on a strong bow will always break first, Every time we see the steel cleaver, we will be injured. Trouble comes because we like to gossip, Making big mistakes, most likely we have a bad heart. We do not need to fight about who is right or wrong, There is no need to compare who is better than the other. Everything in the world has a lot of mistakes, False bodies will never exist forever. Taking some disadvantage never has any problems, Let go three Fen there is no trouble.

A Song of Advice for our Lives

Spring time will see green willows, Autumn time we see the chrysanthemums turn yellow again. Luxury is only a dream in the middle of the night, Money and power are like snow in the 9th month.

Birth, old age, illness, death, who can replace us? Sour, sweet, bitter and spicy, we taste all of them.

People use all kinds of tricks. They think they are clever, Heaven is relaxed and has its own idea.

Pretending, being false, manipulating, greed and hatred, all kinds of bad behaviour will fall to hell, Fair and honest are in heaven. Musk has a strong fragrance, so it will die early, Silkworms give a lot of silk and this makes them die early.

A prescription of a calm mind and a balanced stomach, Two kinds of harmonising energy and two ways of taking soup. Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 29

In our lives we try thousands of strategies, During our lives we try so many different ways to make our relationships, work and lives successful, so we can have more money and fame. After death both hands are empty, Sadness and happiness, separation and joining together happen everyday. Longevity and short life - work hard everyday, Do not fight to be number one. A life of a hundred years is an opera, when the gong and drum stop playing, Do you not know where the home village is?

A Song of Advice for our Lives page 30 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

he first line talks about “Red dust and white waves” and this means everything in the world. Red dust also relates to the earth and white waves refer to water and this means the environment we live in. A lot of things happen and there are good and bad times in our lives. So nothing is fixed as everything always comes and goes. The poem then says that patience and gentleness are always the best way to deal with problems. When you go to see a doctor he will give you a prescription which says what medicine you need. So our problems are like an illness and the prescription is patience and gentleness. The next two lines talk about the rules we should have for our lives. We should follow the flow and fate of our lives and also follow the rules, which are moral values. We should not take advantage of others during our lives. The poem then goes on to say that we should not try to push our fame and wishes on others by telling them what we want and what we wish for. Also, whenever we deal with other people, we should always be sincere, careful and patient. We should not complain and moan about it as this is not a good way to behave.

If we like to gossip about other people, then we will only make trouble for ourselves and make enemies of other people. This is not very good. We should not make enemies of people and so we should be careful of what we say. So if we cannot say anything nice, then it is better to keep quiet. The more bad things we say about others, the more trouble will come back to us. If we make a lot of big mistakes, then it is because we have a bad heart and, at that moment, this unbalances our thinking. So if your mind is not clear you can easily do the wrong thing. When we make our hearts good, automatically our minds will be calm and clear, and then you will always do the right thing and you will not make many big mistakes. We do not need to argue and fight about whether things are right or wrong. If you spend too much time on this, it will cause more problems. Wise people will know later on. Also we do not need to compare whether something is better than something else, or whether someone is better than someone else. Once we talk about these things we will wind everything up and spend too much time on gossiping and we will lose ourselves. The fourteenth line says that basically nothing is perfect. Everything we see or hear, even those things that have happened in the past and those things that will happen in the future will have a lot of mistakes. So there is no need to fight about that. In Buddhism, our bodies are not real, they are illusions and we just imagine that they exist. So the next line is saying, our bodies do not exist forever and this means no one lives forever.

“We do not need to argue and fight whether things are right or wrong.” Be patient when working and communicating with other people. When things go wrong try to talk to each other, as there is always a solution. If we are tough with other people, in the end it will damage us. So the strong bow means something that is tough and the string will always break first on a strong bow. The ninth line of the poem says, if we see the sharp cleaver, knife or sword, we will be cut and injured very easily. So weapons will only damage us in the end. The same can be said about fighting and arguing with other people.

Whenever we do things that put us at a disadvantage, we will never have a problem. If we can let go, whatever the disadvantage is, it might end up becoming an advantage. This is the principle of “Whatever goes around comes around.” So for example, if you go out of your way to help someone, then in the future some else will help you even more. Line 17 mentions a fen, which is a Chinese measurement. A cun is a Chinese inch and there are 10 fen in one cun. So this line means, if you let go a little bit it will never cause you any trouble, so why do we need to fight over every small thing? Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 31

The next two lines mean, time passes very quickly. The spring comes and the willows are very green and then it is autumn and the Chrysanthemums turn yellow. So time passes very quickly and everything comes back again, good or bad. It is hard to tell which is which. Li ne s twenty and twenty-one advise us how we should treat money and wealth. Riches and fame are luxuries. These do not last forever and so are like a dream. When we die, they will not go with us. In certain parts of China, snow will fall in October. In the Chinese calendar October is the ninth month. So the snow falls and will not last long. So again, money and wealth comes and goes and will not stay long. The poem then goes on to tell us that everyone has to go through certain things. One is the cycle of birth, old age, illness and death. No one can take your place, so it does not matter whether you are rich or poor, famous or ordinary: everyone is equal. Likewise, life is sour, sweet, bitter and spicy. Which means we experience all kinds of times, good and bad, easy and difficult. We have to go through these by ourselves; no one can take our place and go through them instead of us. The next lines tell us that nature will solve everything. People try to be clever and trick other people to benefit themselves. They think they are smart and clever, but heaven (nature) already knows the way to take care of everything. Heaven does not need to hurry and be aggressive to punish people. It has its own way to even everything up. The next line talks about what will happen if we are not good. All kinds of bad behaviour like hatred, greed, being false and manipulative are immoral things and will lead us to hell. However, hell has many meanings. One meaning is a page 32 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

place you go after you die to suffer for your wrong-doings. Another meaning can be that you will suffer in your life. All the bad things you do to others will damage your heart and then you will suffer in your life, like being in hell. On the other hand, if you are fair to everything and everyone, if you can treat others how you like to be treated, are sincere and honest and do not play games with people, then people will like you and so your heart will be totally happy. You will have no doubts about your deeds and your mind will be happy. That is a feeling of being in heaven (happy/content). You might feel guilty for being happier than the rest of us, but that is because you are a good person and it is not your fault. A musk is a small animal a bit like a deer but it has no antlers. It releases a very strong fragrance which many people like. So many hunters kill them. The poem is saying that sometimes we have things that we think are better than others, but this causes jealousy. In the end, good luck becomes bad luck. This is also true for the silk worms that make a lot of silk so people make beautiful clothes out of it. When the worms have made enough silk, the farmer will put them into hot water to kill them so he can easily take the silk out. This is sad for the silk worms and it is all because they make the silk. Chinese people also say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beautiful women will not have a long life.â&#x20AC;? In the past, powerful men who saw a beautiful girl wanted them so much they would kidnap them, and this could even start a war between two countries. So, beauty was not always a good sign. The 30th line talks about the prescription for illness being a calm mind. A balanced stomach is the prescription for a way

of dealing with troubles. When we have troubles, we must calm the mind and not get too excited. Balancing our stomachs means to sink the Qi the to Dantian and relax, no matter what happens. When we can do this, we will find the way to handle our troubles. Another prescription for illness is taking herbs. In the Ming Dynasty there was no Western medicine. Plants were dried and these were (and still are) used in Chinese medicine. The herbs are put into a pot and boiled in water to take out their essence, which they release into the hot water, making a kind of soup. The patient would then drink this soup to help them recover. As it is a soup, the patient who could be very ill could easily digest it. These herbal soups are the way Chinese medicine is used to balance the body. The kind of energy that needs to be harmonised is when two people have a disagreement. If people can talk through the problem they will solve it. This is the other “soup” (medicine) for solving our problems. The next two lines tell us that it is pointless to try so many different ways (strategies) to make our relationships, work and lives successful, so we can have more money and fame. This is because In traditional Chinese opera, actors perform on stage and musicians play traditional instruments. The actors would often sing and perform certain martial arts and the most common instruments were the gong and drum. The opera starts with music and finishes when the music stops playing. This means our life ends – we die. So the poem is now talking about the meaning of your life. Life is one big opera, but, no matter how long you live, it will be over one day. The opera will be finished and then we need to go home. So this means when we die, we should know where we belong. Whatever we have done in our lives will determine where we belong and what is the meaning of life? I have read this poem many times and can remember it off by heart without looking at it. Fighting, failure, winning, being the best, are all desires that we have. We will all die and no matter if we live a long life or die young, the meaning of life is more important. Enjoy your life, but do something meaningful and good for society, other people or nature. Do not fight over small things or get upset with people or relatives you have known for a long time. It is not worth it. When the opera is over and we look back at our lives we should be happy with what we have done. Fame and money does not mean you will win more respect from others, particularly after we have gone and are just part of history. Whatever we have now we cannot take with us, but whatever we have done will be counted and left behind and traced back to us – this is our home village

“No matter how hard we work everyday, whether we have longevity or die young, one day things come to an end.” we are empty when we die, which means we cannot take anything with us. Everybody is the same. So no matter how hard we try to get money, fame and power, or other things we think are important, nothing is going with us. Sadness and happiness are always together, because one will come behind the other. Too much happiness will then turn to sadness. It is the same with too much sadness, which will turn to happiness. People separate and join together with others all the time. If you are with someone too much, you will eventually separate, which can be for many reasons. Basically, sadness and happiness are the same. Separation and joining together are the same as well. Then we should not be too happy or too unhappy about things. So, the poem is telling us that we should not take things to extremes. No matter how hard we work everyday, whether we have longevity or die young, one day things come to an end. For their entire lives, everyone fights to be the best. What for? We do not need to fight for this. Even if we live to be 100 years old, our life is just like a drama or play.

by Michael Tse Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 33

How many times have you put your pen or your key down in front of you and then you cannot find them? You swear blindly that you left them “Just here”. Its only when you take a moment to calm yourself that you find them usually just where you were looking!

Relax your Mind to Improve Your Taijiquan W hen we start to learn a new skill, such as Taijiquan, we look at it from a very shallow viewpoint, because, of course, we start from the basis of having no knowledge of the subject. When learning a Taijiquan ‘form’ or choreographed sequence, it is common for students to become obsessed with every last detail, wanting to get the moves just right. This is probably because, in the West,o u r education system encourages us to believe there is only one correct answer, or one correct way of doing things. However, if we apply this to learning Taijiquan, we are completely missing the point, and what is more, we are approaching the learning process back to front.

one to another and try to imitate this. Once you have the flow, you can then think about the energy. Different styles of Taijiquan have different energy, and it is important to differentiate between these, and not bring the energy of one style into another. At this stage, forms are only a mechanism for practising techniques and posture, so if we get the fine

“Relax your Mind to Improve Your Taijiquan.” When an artist starts a painting, he first puts a colour wash on the canvas. He will then put on large blocks of colour to represent different areas of the picture such as sky and landscape. Gradually, layer by layer, the picture is built up, and only at the end is the fine detail applied. After all, you cannot paint the leaves on a tree until you have painted the tree itself. We can use the same approach for learning Taijiquan. First, we should look at how the movements flow from

page 34 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

detail of the movement wrong, it does not matter. It only matters that whichever way we move, we follow the principles, and think about whether the postures are basically correct. If your hand position is corrected by your Sifu in a particular posture, it is not because there is only one correct place to put your hand, but because in holding it thus it is throwing out the stance as a whole. Holding a hand too high, for example, may make you lift your

shoulder under your ear. Someone else may be able to hold their hand there, but keep their shoulder relaxed. So, do not try to remember where your hand is positioned, but feel how relaxed your shoulder is or how good the posture as a whole feels. The precise position of your hand will change, in any case, as your skill, understanding and degree of relaxation develop. Often students go to a seminar and find the moves are slightly different from those they have learned in class. It is important to remember that no two teachers will do the movements exactly the same because their bodies are proport ioned differently, but also because each teacher will emphasise different aspects of the skill. Both will be equally valid parts of the whole, but there is far too much detail for anyone to grasp all at once. You build it up layer by layer as the years pass. You will find also, that no teacher will continue to do each movement in the same way as time passes. As the teacher develops, so will the way they move. Look for the big picture first, before you start to colour in the detail. If you concentrate on detail first, you will miss the flow, and your forms will always be stiff and awkward by Kate Britton. k at eb @q im agaz in e . co m

Often we go off our first impressions, but sometimes we can get things completely wrong. You should always give people a chance to prove you wrong.

Kindness for Breakfast

n cold mornings the street outside the university gate was full of steam billowing from vats of boiling water used to heat noodles and steam bao zi (a kind of filled bun) in the small roadside stalls. My favourite start to the day was something called ‘re gan mien’ (hot dry noodles), a unique Wuhanese breakfast dish that consisted of hot noodles, sesame paste mixed with soy, raw garlic, an assortment of pickled vegetables and, last but not least, chilli; enough to get anyone off to a flying start. Of course, when we first arrived in Wuhan, we didn’t know where to go, what to eat or even how to order it. All we did know was that there was no croissant or muesli for miles. In a new city and culture it takes a while to find something you like to eat and somewhere you feel comfortable eating it. The first time we walked down this street we stopped at the stall of a smiling couple and were given a bowl of re gan mien. As we paid and left we noticed that the stall holder next door had begun

a heated exchange with the couple. I didn’t like the look of him, he was thickset, had a badly pockmarked face

and, apparently, an anger issue. We made ourselves scarce. A couple of days later we arrived at the same couple’s stall for breakfast but they had run out of noodles. The scary man next door beckoned us to his stall. He had noodles left, so we went. We were surprised, on leaving, to find that he had charged us half the price of his neighbours. Was he trying to steal custom from next door? Well, to cut a long story short, it turned out that the first couple had been shamelessly overcharging us. Over the year, we went to this man’s small restaurant a lot. He never cheated us and, as he got to know us, would often insist on giving us small treats

arrive at 5.30 every morning, set up the restaurant which he mostly ran with help from his daughter, who had Down’s syndrome, and a cousin who did the cooking. Lunch times were always frantic, and his daughter would often be given a hard time by clients (the Wuhanese are not known for their polite restraint). On quieter afternoons he could often be seen sitting bolt upright in his chair, fast asleep. Usually he would shut up shop sometime between midnight and 1am. Sometimes other members of his family would come and help out, and we soon realised that several families depended on the income from this small restaurant. As head of the family he was

“Other store holders giving him a hard time for not charging the foreigners more.”

and discounts. In contrast to my initial judgement, he was a very kind man. He was also a very hard worker. He would

under enormous pressure. On one occasion I even heard some of the other stall holders giving him a hard time for not charging the foreigners (us) more than the other diners. This made us appreciate his decency towards us even more. One day, a couple of months before we left, we went for our usual breakfast and found the road empty of stalls. It turned out that they had all been illegal and, since this part of the city was now due for ‘beautification’, the police had come and cleared up. We never saw him again, but I’m sure he’s started up a stall somewhere new. His kindness to us was perhaps a small thing but when you are a stranger in a new place, where even buying breakfast isn’t straight forward, a small kindness goes a long way by Peter Anders en. pe te ra @qi magaz in e .c om

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 35

There are certain experiences in life whose memory will stay with you along with the lesson that it carried with it. My trip here in China has been rich with these in the last few weeks.

Murder on the Orient Express

ometimes, I still forget and use my Western thinking in China and it usually benefits me little besides frustration and impatience. If you can follow the local customs, even to eating and drinking and especially thinking, then you will manage much more smoothly. My mistake on this day was asking the advice of the locals and then doing just the opposite to what they had advised. Friday had arrived and it was time for me to move on to my next destination. It was only 60 kilometres away and I read in my trusty travel guide that it was only 30 minutes by train, but they still advised taking the bus. The locals advised taking the bus, my friend advised taking the bus, but that 30 minutes was just too much of a tempter and I did not want to get snarled up on a bus in a Friday afternoon traffic jam. Also, I will admit to you all that I have a slight fear of Chinese buses. Unless you can read Chinese, you really cannot be sure about the destination. Aside from this, there is a bewildering array of buses from which to flag down. There are the city buses that seem to adhere, Chinese style, to a fixed route and timetable of sorts. There are tour buses that are air conditioned and have room for luggage and passengers. Then there are the renegade mini-buses that seemingly can go any place and pick you up anywhere. Depending on the city, some will not even move until they have enough passengers going that way in order to maximise their petrol profits. So driver and impatient passengers will be touting for customers out the window so they can carry on with their journey. It is my nightmare that I may board one of these and end up in some strange page 36 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

province with locals who speak no English or Cantonese. This is how I found myself standing in line in a ticket hall the size of a football pitch with hundreds of others people, all Chinese, all of us wanting to get out of Guangzhou. I had already had to negotiate fierce hawkers and swarthy and suspicious looking persons wandering around with their eyes darting left, right and centre. I tried to look unapproachable and carried on without looking anywhere but forward. However, as a white-skinned foreigner, you are considered a fair and possibly lucrative pigeon and pluck.

window for non-Chinese, I asked a guard and he shook his head and pointed for me to go there. A few Chinese had decided to cadge in as well and so I stood as customer number four. I shifted my rucksack to a more comfortable position. Although small, it was packed to the seams with my camera, video recorder and tape recorder and money. Clothes could be stolen and replaced but not these, so it had to stay on my back weighing at least 10 kilos. I figured I could stand it, as it should not be long before I was on a train and not long after this that I could relax in my hotel room with a cup of tea. That was my second mistake. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dream of a brighter future in China. Accept the reality of where

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drea future in Ch reality of wh make the be

I had been standing in line for ten minutes when I saw one single other foreigner being escorted to a special window that opened just for her. Not wanting to be cheeky, but nevertheless thinking (my mistake) that this was a

you are and make the best of it. I had a long while to consider those words because I soon stood in utter dismay when the ticket agent finished her transaction and then promptly swung shut the curtain to close her window. I had lost my place in my previous line, where I saw the man who I had stood behind was now about to be served, along with a long queue of at least twenty others. My dream of a cup of tea faded slightly. I looked around for the shortest line, which in itself was a feat as all the lines were very long and seemed to be in a constant state of flux, because just

as one person would get to the window, hubby, aunty, cousins and perhaps the milkman would crowd in around to referee the transaction. Not an easy feat given that the metal barriers were designed to allow space for just one customer. Finally, I settled on a line that was the shortest and stood with what I hoped was at least external patience as I did not want to be seen as the grouchy tourist. As I got closer, I began to relax. As I got to number three in line, I felt a small smile coming and thought how I would ask for my ticket in Chinese. Then it happened. What fate, I thought to myself as I saw the agent swish his curtain close with what seemed to be a sneer of glee in my direction. I began to take more notice. There was a reason that line had been short...those little metal signs beside the agent told what time the window was open, so nothing personal, it was just his tea time. Short lines meant you were the gambling sort and were bettting that transactions would be brief and you would get your turn before curtain call. Or you were a foreigner who did not yet know the rules.

m of a brighter ina. Accept the here ere you are and st of it.” I decided to play my cards safe this time. I had already been standing in lines for over 40 minutes and my tummy was beginning to rebel at the press of infrequently-washed bodies, the noise and the utter uncertainty of when it was going to get fed and watered. I looked around for someone who could speak either English or Cantonese, so I could ask for help. I had the worst thought that maybe this was not the ticket hall for trains but for the bus station which was just adjacent. After all the big sign outside only said, ‘tickets’. I found an old man who finally mangaged to understand my pigeon

Chinese, simple English and silly gestures, but what probably influenced him the most was the near desperation that was just trying to creep out. He assured me this was the train station and pointed me to the line for my destination. I got to line 32 and found the curtain was closed.

As we stood in line together, she looked at the departures board and said sorry, but it looked as if there were no trains to my destination (what! I thought). She said if this was the case, then she and her husband would help me get on a bus. In the end, this is just what I had

Still, there was a short line of Chinese standing there and they were wise in the ways of the ticket hall game. I stood with them to wait. And wait and wait and wait. The little sign said the window would open in twenty minutes but it was more like forty. My tummy was really letting me know that it was not happy but I tried to ignore the ominous rumblings that were not just of hunger but of something more sinister and dire...maybe those street market dumplings were coming back to haunt me. Then it seemed my fate had changed. A young woman stepped up behind me and I asked her if she could speak Yingman (English). She said ‘A little’. Ah, manna from heaven. I almost wanted to kiss her feet as her ‘little’ was actually quite a lot She said that the reason this station was so busy was because it was the place for people to go back to their homes in all the other provinces and so it was a real hodge podge of humanity, mostly very poor, as they had not been successful in their venture to try and improve their fortune down south.

to do as there was not another train for four hours....there was no way I had that kind of stamina to last it out in that atmosphere, let alone with a dodgy tummy. I felt so relieved and thankful as these two kind strangers escorted me through all the pickpockets and hawkers to the bus station, her husband carrying my little clothes bag. Less than five minutes later and for only 12 yuan, I had my bus ticket in hand and only a twenty minute wait. As we said good-bye, I told them how grateful I was to them for their help and how I was so lucky they were there to help me. They both looked at each other and then at me with a smile and said, “This is the first time we have travelled on the train and have been to this ticket hall. Normally, we travel by bus.” I said that they must have been sent there to help me and she said, “I think so.” So I was glad then for my suffering, to see that there is truly much kindness left in the world. It also reminded me to help others when they are in need, not just always thinking of my own comfort and good time. To be continued... by Sihnkei. s i hn ke i@ qi ma ga z i ne .c om Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 37

Chinese Whispers You must have heard of Chinese whispers? It is a game where you whisper something into your neighbour’s ear and they pass it on. By the time it has been passed along to a few people, what they hear and pass on is very different to what you originally said. The results can be very funny.

lthough this is a game, unfortunately, this is how the martial arts are often passed down. One person can half understand something and when they teach and pass it on, it quickly becomes something else. Even worse, sometimes people do not understand even half of the story and they have not studied for long enough when they start teaching and so they have to make up the rest of the story for themselves. Grandmaster Ip Chun once said that this was very true of Wing Chun and it was his job to go around straightening everyone’s hair, i.e. correcting their skill. One of the most overlooked parts of Wing Chun is footwork. In any martial art, footwork is very important and Wing Chun is no exception. It is quite common to see people with very stiff and awkward footwork. You even come across people who abandon it all together and adopt a boxer’s way of moving. Now there is nothing wrong with a boxer’s way of moving if you are a boxer. Boxers train a certain way because this is how they fight. However, this is not the way Wing Chun is used and you should always train how you will eventually fight, otherwise there is no point. Without good footwork (including a good stance) you will not have a solid foundation to defend or attack, also you will not be able to move out of the way when defending yourself or close down an opponent when attacking. Some people may say that martial arts are for defence only and so they will just wait for the opponent to come to them, otherwise they will be the aggressor. Perhaps there is some truth in this, but what happens when you are facing more than one opponent? You

“Wing Chun never steps back, you must always go forwards”. Unfortunately, this is completely wrong

page 38 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

can’t afford to wait for all of them to jump on you, and you better not expect them to wait and attack you one at a time. Instead you have to be able to move around to protect yourself and confuse them. There is one whisper that has been passed down and that is, “Wing Chun never steps back, always go forwards”. Unfortunately, this is completely wrong. Perhaps it has come about because the form Tsum Kiu only teaches Bui Ma (thrusting

Something you can try. steps) forwards, but this is like only being able to punch a target that is directly in front of you because that is how it is in the forms! Does this make sense? Of course not! If your target is in reach and you can hit it, strike. The same as if you need to step forwards, step forwards, and if you need to step backwards, step backwards. The important question is: can you step forwards and can you step backwards? Remember that Wing Chun does not pit strength against strength. If you only go forwards, then you will definitely need to rely on strength. All the elements to train your footwork are in the form. The forms teach us – Yee Chi Kim Yuen Ma (Wing Chun stance), Juen Ma (turning stance), Jun Ma (forward step), Tui Ma (backward step), Biu Ma (thrusting steps) and Huen Ma (circling steps). However, what the forms do not teach us is how to use stepping, combine steps and make them flow together. The same is true of the hand techniques in the forms. The forms teach us shape and structure. How do we learn how to use them? The answer is Chi Sau and again the same is true for the feet. Forms are fixed, but Chi Sau is not, so different things will happen and we have to respond in different ways. When

Face your partner in the basic Wing Chun stance and hold out a Tan Sau. Let your partner hold your elbow. Your partner now starts to gently pull your Tan Sau and you need to follow him or her, trying to keep your Tan Sau elbow two fists distance from your body. They can pull, push, and turn left or right, go forwards or backwards. The only thing they cannot do it lift up and push down.

Whichever way they pull or turn you, you must follow. Try to use all the Wing Chun stepping and turning techniques so that you can move quickly and easily. Begin slowly at first and then let your partner speed up. You should feel very little resistance as you move, then you know you are going the right way and keeping up.

we Chi Sau we should not just concentrate on the hands, but also we should also pay attention to the feet. We need to lean how to close the distance between ourselves and our opponent, how to open the distance, how to change the angles, how to break you opponent’s balance, how to move around them, how to step in to finish and how to step away to avoid them. At all times your footwork must be steady and balanced, but at the same time quick and evasive. Chi Sau is the best way to train your footwork, but sometimes it is hard to concentrate on the feet when someone is trying to hit you. So you can try training the feet separately and then when you are getting the hang of it go back to Chi Sau. Chinese martial arts are full of Chinese whispers. It is sometimes hard to know what is real and what it not. There is one way to judge, just ask yourself, “Is it sensible? Does it make sense?” Always question, don’t just believe. As my Sifu once said to me, “Don’t just believe me, prove if I am right.” by Dar r yl Moy

If you can keep going to for two minutes without getting stuck, losing your balance or losing your Tan Sau, then your footwork is very good. The faster they move the faster you have to move, and so it can be very challenging. When used correctly, this exercise will make your footwork very smooth and quick. It still requires you to feel which way your opponent is leading you, so will also increase your sensitivity. Eventually, when your footwork and sensitivity are very good, your partner will find they cannot lead you very far, as you move when they move and even absorb their effort to pull or push you. Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 39

Some things are very hard to describe. Take the weather for example, you can describe it to someone who has never experienced it, but when they go to see for themselves it is different. That it is the nature of it. Chi Sau is the same.

Undefinable Chi Sau I

remember Ip Chun, my Wing Chun Sigong, saying that one of his ambitions in his later years is to write a book on Chi Sau. My initial reaction was, great! can I place my order now? but there was something in his tone that suggested that he might not achieve this as it was quite a complex subject to commit to paper. When I thought about it, I realised the challenge of trying to convey this skill two dimensionally, to describe the technicalities and ally them to the intuitive nature of Chi Sau could be likened to teaching people how to knit fog. Having said that, if anybody is qualified to do so, he is definitely the man. Thinking about this ambition I thought I would try to see what the experience is like. You, dear reader, are my experiment. Now, for those of you not practising Wing Chun, Chi Sau is translated as sticking hands or to stick hands. Like many direct translations from Chinese to English the expression suffers somewhat in interpretation. Just to call it sticking hands is to simplify it too much. Chi Sau is the essence of Wing Chun Kung Fu and has evolved as a way of interactively training close quarter martial skills in a safe and constructive way. It has been misjudged and misinterpreted as a training method by people from inside and outside the Wing Chun fraternity but remains an intriguing and absorbing way to test and improve your skill under pressure. All forms of combat must have a way of safely training their skills without page 40 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

going to extremes, examples of this can be found in Taijiquan, Kung Fu, Boxing, Judo, Karate, Wrestling, even the British Army have war games without using real bullets in order to train their skills so they can be prepared for the real thing. The objective is to create a situation where it is safe to practice but not to lose too

I don’t regard myself as very analytical, so I am not going to attempt a technical description of Chi Sau, but I offer you this more subjective effort avoiding the Chinese names of the techniques for the non Wing Chun people. Chi Sau training mostly starts at touching distance. The arms connect forearm to forearm, once connected do not signal intention, avoid tension, remain relaxed, keep the mind alert, touch lightly, press slightly, give nothing away, feel pressure, return pressure, no better to release, give ground , stop, retake ground, pat fist away, slap face, no good, step to the side, step back, step forward, turn, twist, step slap, punch, parry, step forward, grab arm, kick, don’t think, just do, stay close, move away, engage, anticipate, react, relax, do nothing, do something, hold the center, change the center, let go, step, slide. Be quick then

“It has been misjudged and misinterpreted as a training method by people from inside and outside” much of the original vitality of the skill, otherwise it becomes a game devoid of meaning and purpose and ultimately any real effect. If practiced with good heart, good skill, purpose and a smattering of animal cunning, practioners can learn something of the essence of a martial art without risking life and limb.

slow, stay relaxed, be soft, be firm, use strength, no good, keep contact, let go, move quickly, move slowly, stay still, watch, wait, wait. Easy Eh! Crikey! is that an hour gone already! by John Hayes. john@qimagaz ine.com Ne xt time Chi Sau Game s

Healthy Living Gong Part III Tiger Pushes the Mountain (Slow Version)

Fig 1

Fig 4 i ii

Fig 2

Fig 4 (Side view)

Stand still with your feet together and your hands by your side. Raise your right leg and bring your hands up in front of you from your Dantian to your chest. Fig 1-2.

page 44 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Fig 3

Fig 5

iii

Fig 3 (Side view)

Fig 5 (Side view)

Open your hands out to your sides turning your palms out and circle then out and them back to your waist so the palms are facing up. As your hands come to the waist slightly stamp down your right foot. Fig 3-4

Fig 6

Fig 6 (Side view)

Fig 7

Step forward with your left foot, heel on the ground and toes up. Keep the weight on your right foot. Fig 5 v Keeping your back straight, stretch your right foot backwards, meanwhile, push both hands forwards so the arms are straight. Keep your head up and look forwards. Fig 6-7 vi Stand up straight bringing your feet back to where they began and draw your hand back towards your Dantian. vii Repeat the movement for the other side, lifting the left leg.

Fig 7 (Side view)

Tiger Pushes the Mountain (Fast Version)

Fig 8

Fig 9

Fig 10

Fig 10 (Side view)

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 45

Fig 11

Fig 11 (Side view)

Fig 13

i ii iii iv v vi

Fig 12

Fig 12 (Side view)

Fig 13 (Side view)

Standstill with your feet together and your hands by your side. Raise your right leg and bring your hands up in front of you from your Dantian to your chest. Fig 8-9 Open your hands out to your sides turning your palms out and circle them out and then back to your waist so the palms are facing up. Fig 9-10. As your hands come to the waist quickly stamp down your right foot and immediately lift up the left foot. Fig 11- 12. Quickly open the legs, left foot forwards and right foot backwards. The left knee should be bent 90 degrees and the right leg should be completely straight. At the same time as you open the legs, quickly push the hands forwards. Fig 13. Stand up straight bringing your feet back to where they began and draw your hand back towards your Dantian. Repeat the movement for the other side, lifting the left leg.

page 46 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Breathing

When doing the slow version, we inhale when the hands open out. We then hold this until we push the hands out and then we exhale as we push out. When we do the fast version we breathe the same way. Inhale as we open the hands and exhale as we push out, as simple as that.

Concentration

When you open the hands out, it is not important whether you make a big circle or a smaller circle. This part opens the chest so you can take more air into your lungs. When you push out the arms, the back leg should be straight and the front leg bent at 90 degrees. Throughout the movement, from the beginning position to the end of the pushing, the head and body should remain over the same spot on the ground, so only your legs spread out, you do not step forwards or backwards. When doing the movement quickly the coordination of the body is important so everything should move together. The push out should be quite vigorous and at the same time you should shout out, but the sound should come from the Dantian and then it will be loud and strong. The slow way has the same principle as the fast way. They only differences are that you do not jump to open the legs, you step slowly instead and you do not shout. The position of the arms and legs is exactly the same.

In the West there are a lot of people training their strength, but they use the body separately. If they are training their legs, they only use the legs; if they are training the arms, they only use the arms, the same with the abdomen and chest. It is the same in western society, everything is separate, someone is either a doctor, an accountant, a housewife, a chemist, a teacher etc. They do not know what the others are doing. So they cannot understand who is good at what they do. In Chinese society people will recognise when someone is good at something because the principles are the same. Chinese do not separate things so they are individual and separate. A good scholar will be able to tell if someone is good in martial arts or not. A carpenter will know whether you are good at farming or not. This is because the energy and the attitude of the person will tell everything about them. Qigong training does not only have slow and gentle movements. There is another side that includes fast and vigorous movements and we need to do both sides to make us healthy. When we use strength we need to bring the strength from the Dantian and coordinate the entire body together then we will not put too much pressure on one part. Also in this exercise we shout out when we use the strength and this releases the energy from the organs and so they will not be damaged. There are people who hold their breath when they use strength and this is not good as it can cause internal injuries. If we want to be healthy we need soft and hard, gentle and strong, and then we will be balanced.

“Tiger Pushes the Mountain is Hard Qigong as it relates to strength.”

Benefit Everything in the world should have two ways or even more. If there is only one way to do something, then it becomes rigid. The rigidness causes stiffness and that stiffness can cause things to break. I always believe that soft is better than hard, but we must understand hardness as well so we can either use it properly or avoid it. For example, if you have a knife in your kitchen that you use for chopping vegetables, you should put it away until you need to use it. If you leave it out on the kitchen top or on the table, then someone will injure himself or herself on it one day. A knife can cut, so you should always keep it in a drawer when you are not using it. You should only get it out when you really need it and not play about with it or use it when you don’t really need it. Tiger Pushes the Mountain is Hard Qigong as it relates to strength. Sometimes we need to use strength, for example when we have heavy luggage to carry. Today we are lucky, most items of luggage have wheels so we can pull them, but you still need to use strength. If we need to use strength, we must understand how to use it. How many people have injured their backs, shoulders, knees and other joints when they are using strength? This means they did not understand enough about using their own strength.

Background In the Chun Yuen form Xing Shou, there is a movement towards the end of the form that it like Tiger Pushes the Mountain. This is where this exercise comes from. In many Chinese skills an animal symbolises the energy of something. If we say some one is “strong like a tiger coming down from the mountain” we can imagine someone who is really strong and fierce, who is ready to do something. If we say “moving like a loose rabbit” it means someone is very fast and active, like a rabbit jumping and trying to get away. If we say someone has, “a dignified face without being angry,” it means they have a very serious face without having to lose their temper. Usually that person can be a leader because others will see them and respect them. If someone has a baby face it means they will never grow up and become a leader. So there are many occasions where Chinese people will use animals to represent the attitude of a situation or person. So in Chinese movements, there are so many animal names. The same name can be used for many different movements in different forms. to be continued...

by Michael Tse

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 47

How empty is your cup? How receptive are you to new ideas, or thoughts that go counter to your experience? How ready are you to listen deeply to what another person has to say, before jumping in with your opinion?

Empty Cup

f you have the slightest preconception about something, it clouds your perception and interferes with seeing exactly what it is. Prejudice means judging in advance. For example, if someone has previously described a situation or person to you, that may colour your perception. It also means you don’t really see the situation or person as it/he/she is in that moment. Similarly, our most recent encounter with someone can colour our thoughts about them and subsequent interactions. Which is why we need to be clear and openminded, without judgement. In today’s society we are adepts at judging – weighing up a situation in our minds to see whether or not it will benefit us. However, our past conditioning may cloud our judgement so we don’t see clearly and therefore behave unskillfully or cause harm inadvertently. Of course berating ourselves for doing so is like adding insult to injury. All we need to do when we make a mistake is to let it go and to open our minds to the new situation. There is no point in complaining or getting upset. That only prolongs the ordeal by generating negativity. Simply forgive the error, learn the lesson and move on. Life is constantly renewing itself and we can be part of that creative flow by choosing to be present with reality as it is. I once read a card that said, “I’ve learnt so much from my mistakes, I think I’ll make a few more”. Here there is no fear of making mistakes or failing. Nor is there attachment to success. How sweet the relief in giving up the rat race! Instead we can live peacefully and appreciate each opportunity for learning as it presents itself. The process – forgive and move on. Forgiveness does not imply superiority on the part of the one who forgives – simply recognition that a mistake was made, giving an opportunity for learning and change - so that we can move on to be present in the next moment of experiencing. It is said, “one teaches what one most needs to learn”. I write to reveal what I need to learn. Most of all I need page 48 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

to learn forgiveness, especially of myself. Holding myself to ransom, I hold back the joy and appreciation of life that nourish and enliven. It is like imprisoning myself and restricting my access to abundant energy and life. This is mirrored in my breathing at times, which becomes restricted too! Interestingly, this became more common once I took an interest in health and how to be healthy. I internalised rules and then got upset when I broke them. Hence, I’m back to relax, practise listening to my body and learn forgiveness (in addition). In our ignorance we may make mistakes but are we culpable for that? Consider dictators, terrorists, criminals, murderers etc. Yet we all act from our beliefs and do what we know. A man once murdered his wife and daughter because he was trying to make them ‘good’, so they would live out his ideal of what a good person should be like. In his frustration he used his hands to force them, with dire consequences. Many of us have elements of this. I occasionally get cross when I correct a student who isn’t listening properly. Her mind is elsewhere, or cluttered with preoccupations or her own idea of what is right. She may conform for an instant to what I say, but the old habit returns again. Well, getting cross means that I too am attached to some prejudgement of how the student should be. So I need to work on myself (i.e. take myself less seriously, challenge my assumptions,

think the unfamiliar) to rediscover forgiveness and move on. Anyway my idea of right may change in the future! Now, when I correct a student, I also clarify the reason for doing so - if that seems to be wanted. Then both of us can collaborate in the process, rather than imposing a rule or inviting resistance (albeit unconsciously). We might discover something else is needed to reach understanding. The whole process needs to be conscious for all concerned. So how do we apply this understanding in our daily lives? How do we deal with the person who insists on parking his car outside the front door with the engine running whilst waiting for a neighbour, so the fumes seep into the house? How do we react to the neighbour who lights a bonfire, so that the smoke billows into the garden as we are pra ct ic ing Qigong? How do we treat a relative or close friend who is abusive? Do we forgive and forget or do we need to take action and if so, how? The dilemma of cooperation arises countless times. Sometimes compromise is necessary in the long-term to allow communication. At least when we stop struggling, we have more energy available to use as wisely as possible. When I ask you “Is your cup empty?” it may be so. Yet notice – did you agree with what I have written or did you find counter-arguments or neither of these? Surely, you reacted one way or another to this piece, if only to put it down till later or to laugh. It doesn’t really matter how you reacted, just that you noticed, “ Is your cup empty – or not?” by Helen Mas sy. he le nm@qimagaz ine.com

The promise of studying high level or ‘secret’ Qigong skills lures many unwitting people into forking out colossal sums of money. But are there really secrets and what is high-level anyway?

What is High Level ?

hat happens when a baby attempts to run before he can walk? Can someone with an O’ level (or high school diploma) in physics comprehend a manual on nuclear fission? A penthouse apartment sits atop foundations and intermediary levels, and exists solely because of what lies beneath. Higher knowledge should be taught when it can be grasped by the student who already has foundations (and with whom it can be trusted). Giving too much water to someone severely dehydrated can prove dangerous, and if a fool is handed a million pounds he will squander it completely in no time. In reality a novice student privy to advanced information or skill can easily cause problems for himself or misuse it. Passing skill to certain people is as futile as attempting to teach a pig to talk. High level attainment in any pursuit is something that is only reached with effort over time. Why then do some expect Qigong to be any different? Deep understanding comes not from textbook knowledge but through actual experience. Those who seek or

and respected more when you actually work for it. Like chasing a rainbow, there is no ‘end’ to the process; you only become better and better. If someone trains hard for many years to attain a good standard why would he then suddenly stop? The moment he becomes indolent his level will decline, and the skill will slowly unravel until parts are forgotten and he no longer even feels comfortable practising it. So skill, like money, is not difficult to acquire, just hard to maintain. High level skill has absolutely nothing to do with how many forms have been learned, or special abilities acquired, but how it is applied in daily life. As Qigong is a health and selfhealing art a high level exponent will exude good health

inquire about mastership at the very outset are the very people unlikely to ever attain it, as they are the ones generally too impatient or lazy to work for it. Some teachers promise immediate high level skill as a means of “saving you decades of wasted time”, but a wise person knows nothing of value comes so easily. The best ginseng is found within the most dangerous-to-reach places. Actually, the end result means nothing; it is the journey getting there that matters, every day, little by little. Who feels a deeper experience – the person standing on the peak of the mountain having climbed it or the one arriving by helicopter? Skill too is valued

and be free of disease. He or she will use the skill to heal infrequent minor complaints (i.e. headache, stomach ache, injuries, or flu etc.). If a practitioner has learned a hundred skills but relies on other remedies to recover, in place of Qigong, then he is not at any deep understanding, even if he can float on air, literally! Certain fledgling students proclaim the various Qi phenomena they experience through training, intimating some achievement, but to adepts there is nothing awesome in this; it is all just as natural as breathing.

“A high level exponent will exude good health.”

Wild Goose Qigong is considered a very high level skill as it covers much more than relaxation and movement. It includes special methods to develop light body, open the Sky-Eye, healing potential, Qi transmission (fragrance, colours etc.), fitness, and even martial arts as well as philosophy and deep theory. Actually high level skill only exists within; it is the principles and methods that are passed down. These must be trained and developed in order to become good skill. Genuine high level is where the body, mind (spirit), and Qi (breath) are unified, and where man (woman), earth, and heaven become one (internal body balances with external environment). High level Qigong bestows health (vitality, inner peace, no pain), wisdom (self-knowledge, intuit ion, and sound judgement), and a good heart (compassionate, true, and unafraid). Standard is evident, to some extent, through personal appearance and conduct. A true master of Qigong will be balanced, physically (neither obese nor emaciated) and emotionally (not given to fits of temper nor easily excitable/hyperactive). Also, it is found within the grace and clarity of movement in demonstration, and in discussing complex material in simple terms. In reality, you can never know your own level. Only your teacher, or seniors, can really discern how you are progressing. Some people form the opinion that anyone can become a master if he practises sincerely, even from following a book, but without a human teacher who corrects one’s form? It is through continual ‘polishing’ (corrections) that one becomes a master, and arrogant to assume otherwise. There are so many self-proclaimed masters today floundering without legitimate teachers, but with no example to follow how do they even recognise the good skill that they claim to possess and impart to students? by Adam Wallace. adam@qimagazine.com Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 49

Ma was working on a movement, but was getting more and more frustrated. Chan came over and asked him what was wrong. “Oh, I just can’t get this right!” he huffed. Chan smiled and said, “Show me what you’re doing.” So Ma went through the movement the best he could. “That’s OK,” said Chan.

Shades of Grey

a looked a bit put out. “No, its not,” replied Ma, “it’s not the way Sifu does it.” Chan nodded, “True,” he said, “ but that does not matter, it is good enough for now.” Ma was still not satisfied. “How can it be OK if it is wrong? I want to get it right,” he said. Chan sat down and Ma flopped beside him. “We all want to get things right, but you know, sometimes it is OK to do things wrong as well,” said Chan. Ma looked at him puzzled; “I don’t understand,” he said. Chan smiled, “Sifu told a story once. A long time ago there lived a man who liked to help people all the time. Every day he would walk to town and pass a beggar sitting on the ground and every day he would give him some money. This went on for quite a while and although he never really stopped to talk to the beggar, he would always exchange a pleasant greeting with him and give him some money.” “Then one day on his way to town, the kind man passed a monk who was collecting money. The kind man said hello and got talking to the monk. The monk told him how he was trying to build a temple, he was then going to take in all the homeless people and teach them how to make a living for themselves. The kind man thought this was a great idea and so reached into his pocket and gave all the money he had on him to the monk.” “The man continued walking to town. A little further along he passed the beggar sitting by the road. “Good morning,” he said to him. The beggar watched him go by and then shouted, “Hey! Where’s my money?” the kind man stopped and came over. “I’m sorry, what do you mean?” he said. “You know! page 50 Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004

Everyday you give me my money!” shouted the beggar.” Chan looked at Ma, “Do you understand what this is telling us?” Ma shook his head, “Er no, but you haven’t finished the story,” he protested. “That’s how the story ends, but there is another version,” said Chan. “There was another man and he was also good person. Everyday he would walk to town and pass a beggar sitting on the ground. Everyday he felt sorry for the beggar, but did not want to give him any money, as he thought he would use it to buy wine and get drunk, so everyday he just walked by. Then he met a monk who had just

moved to the area and was collecting money to build a temple and take in all the beggars and homeless people and teach them to look after themselves. The man thought this was a great idea and so gave the monk all the money he had in his pockets.” “The next day on his way to town he decided to tell the beggar to go and see the monk as he would look after him. However, when he reached the spot, where the beggar usually sat, he was not there. The man went over to one of the shops by the road and asked where the beggar was. “Oh, he died last night, he got drunk and fell into the river”, said the shop-keeper.” Chan finished again and looked at Ma. Ma was even more confused, “This

one has no ending either!” said Ma. Chan nodded, “Yes, you are exactly right, there is no ending because there is no right and wrong, perhaps in one version right became wrong and in the other wrong became right. You see, all you can do is try your best. You cannot say for sure what will happen at the end of the day. Sometimes you cannot say something is completely wrong or something is completely right. Sometimes you will know something is not quite right and then you have to decide whether it is better to do it a little wrongly or better to not do it at all. For example, I might get ill one day. My Qigong is not perfect, but am I better doing it when I am ill or better not doing it at all?” Ma cut in, “But doesn’t that depend on how wrong you are and what you are doing? If it is too wrong then it will do you no good,” he said. “Yes, exactly, if some thing is too wrong you can tell very quickly, and if something is so right you can also tell. Extremes are always easy to recognise; it is the grey areas in between that are the problem. As long as we do not harm other people, you just try your best and look how to improve. That’s all any of us can do. Sometime we can only learn by making mistakes.” Ma nodded, “So what you are saying is: don’t worry about doing it wrong as long as you keep trying to improve.” Chan nodded back, “Exactly! That is how Sifu teaches us. We cannot get things right straight away, so he lets us do it as best we can even though it is still not quite right. Because we are looking to get it right, we will improve, but this just takes time.” Ma got up, “OK, but the next bit’s not right either,” he said with a grin. “Yes, that’s another story, isn’t it?” replied Chan by Dar r yl Moy d ar r y l @q ia m ga z i n e . co m

Many people like to make the Feng Shui in their houses good. They want to have better energy to live and have better luck in the future. But usually one room that is forgotten is the kitchen and this is one of the most important parts of the house. This is because the kitchen represents good health, good social life and harmony of the family life.

Feng Shui in the Kitchen 21. If your kitchen is on the North side of the house, this is good for health and wealth. This is because North is the water element and the kitchen also has the water element. 22. If the kitchen is on the South side of the house, it is not good for your health and will cause arguments and fire in the house. The kitchen has more fire than water and the South is also the Fire element. So, you have two fires together and this will create even more fire. The month May and June are also the Fire element, so the kitchen can easily have a fire. People living in the house will be over-excited for everything. 23. If your kitchen is on the East side of the house, then again there can easily be a fire. This is because the East is the Wood element and wood creates fire. The kitchen is already the Fire element. 24. If your kitchen is on the West of the house, then this is good for the mind and good for luck and the future. West is the Metal element. Fire meets Metal and so the Fire will be used up to heat the Metal. So, the Fire energy in the house will be low. This will make the people living there have calm minds for making future plans. 25. If the kitchen lies between directions you can determine the percentage of good or not so good energy, depending on the percentage of the kitchen which fall on the good or bad side. The good sides are North, Northeast, Southwest, West, Northwest. The not so good sides are East, Southeast and South. 26. If the kitchen lies on a crossing line of the house, this is not so good for your health.

N Kitchen

Kitchen Fig 1: Kitchen on the North side

Fig 2: Kitchen on the South side

Kitchen

Fig3: Kitchen on the East side

Kitchen

F ig 2: Kitchen on the West side

Fig 4: If the kitchen lies on one of these crossing line, this is not good for your health.

Qi Magazine Jul/Aug/Sep 2004 page 51

Fig 5: A modern kitchen opened up with the dinning room

}

Bad

Wood

Fire

Earth

Wood

Earth

Metal

Earth

Water

Metal

Good

Bad

Conclusion

} Good

27. If the kitchen is next to the bedroom it will cause some people to have difficulties sleeping and resting. So they will make a lot of mistakes in life. 28. If the kitchen is opened up with the dining room, the people living there will have a lot of friends and people helping them. 29. If the kitchen is connected with the living room, people living there will have interesting lives and enjoy company and parties. 30. If the tap in the kitchen is always dripping, then you will lose money because water represents money. 31. If the drain is blocked so water and waste cannot go through, people will have a lot of trouble in life. They will have a lot of debts that need to be paid.

A Summary of Good and Bad Directions for the Kitchen

The kitchen is very important for your health, social life and communication. If we have good health, good social life and good communications you are half way to being successful. However, the balance of the entire house, both inside and outside, plus the individual peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horoscopes and attitude is the key to good Feng Shui and a good living environment by Michael Tse

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