October/November 1994*"Tsgite 16 £2.25 (UK) The First 64 Wild Gog Health and sidan I TrainingN Hine Cover Northern Sbaolin Master Wu Chun Yuen Subscriptions i Mogan srs bring you ‘oman not toy alee the Ween Sebscripion costs per year £15 ine. pp. UK Pease moke cheque payable to MichouT, Abroad 2 emai inc pp. Pose sod pot Pn Sh Grown on Engh ban,o Qi Mogazine Tue Qigong Centre PO Box 116 ‘Manchester M20 3YN Tol 061 434 5289 ‘Advan ni Noposie ba proved to Ee emelti ay ren oe ‘angen eome hoe Fomy on Osi au 5265 oan di niger ‘Michael Tao - Edie Dorr Tom lemgord Niemann Per Romiden Daniel Poon phe Serene We encourage al ou readers contribu articles, leters or question for possible inusion in tre isues of Gi Mogezine ‘Atles oppecrng in Qi Mogesine do rot necesioly elle! he opinion of the edie Frees ppesig ni Maan ce purpors ony. Thos onyone ‘wishing Wo shady Should seek qualified hin. © Michod Tse 1994. ‘All ights reserved. No por of his publication may be reproduced, sored or Aronamitedin any way without the writen permision of Michael Tee, @chiTORIAL uw A programme on Sky TV's Chinese channel recently reported about Hong Kong Chinese living in South Aftica. It said life was quite hard, but some managed to live quite well. These were mainly rich people, and as the crime rate was quite high, they had to employ their ‘own security guards, not just one or two, but a whole team, who were armed with guns like a small army. They did this because the local po- lice could not respond fast enough. In an interview, a white South Aftican claimed many poor black people broke into houses and stole because they were too lazy to work. Personally, I don't know what it is like in South Afriea. Ido know that black people, like the Chinese have a very long history, perhaps longer than the Chinese. In the past, people living in different areas, had their own ways, their own culture, that was handed down to them by their ancestors. Wherever they lived, they leamt how to survive, no matter if they were in the East or West, North or South, Then, the people of the West, using Chinese gun powder, invented. guns and conquered many places 1g many people = just to satisfy their own personal ambitions. Then they set up colonies all over the world. To follow, they established their own routines in these coun- tries, bringing over their own life- styles and forced the native people to follow it. They brought over cars, acroplanes, TV, radio - even Coca- Cola. How could they refuse? But slowly, the native people began to forget their own culture and how they used to live to survive, They began to dress in western clothes, eat western food and even speak Qi Magszine 1 | Tse western languages. Eventually, they suffered from the same diseases as the ‘westerners’ - they forgot their history, as if it never existed! They lost their entire culture and there is no medicine to eure this. They had to give up their own ways to survive in their own place - which foods were good to eat, which times of the day to rest and work, and which seasons to do things. Therefore for this person to assume that the black people were lazy is wrong. They are not lazy, they know how best to survive in that environment. When itis really hot, you shouldn't work too hard oth- erwise you will become exhausted. The native people know this, oth- cenwise they would have all died owt “In the summer, a horse does not run too much”, Once a western person asked me “Why do you Chinese eat all the internal organs of animals, I've even heard you cat monkey brains! Is that true?” [ replied, “I've never seen anyone eat monkey brains but T've heard it as well. You know people in different areas eat the food of that area and drink its water. It is the same for Chinese people cating “internal organs’, not be- cause they are particularly tasty, but because we know they have prop- erties that help to balance the peo- ple who live in that area, to help them survive. Like a eat who can never understand why a fish tives in water and does not walk on the ground and a fish can never understand the ‘cat who walks on the ground and does not swim underwater, fora feewith Michael Tse PoBox116 News, views, short items and questions. ‘The frst in a series of articles that attempts to address ‘common questions and experiences that all Qigong stucents come across once they begin regular practice. by Glenn Gossling Percussion Therapy for Insomnia Although many people suffer from insomnia, itis not a difficult condition to cure. Percussion Therapy is a form of self ‘massage that may be used to balance the heart and kidney disorder that surprisingly isthe cause of insomnia. translated by Yang Wanbau Pushing Hands of Taiji Quan ‘There is a lot of misunderstanding about the role of pushing hands in Taiji Quan, some misinformed teachers have even removed it from their teaching syllabus! The author tries to place pushing hands in context and explains why if you are not doing it then you are not doing Taiji Quan! by Peter Newton Lesson 15. All the way 10 movernent 64 The Northern Shaolin Fist of Wu Chun Yuen ‘As the martial ans in the west are maturing, you will hear “when I was younger could do this kick or that jump”. Ifan exercise Gi Magaine 2ERR Issue 16 October - November 1994 is good’, itis balanced, then no matterhow demanding, ifyou can really master it then you will be able to perfor it even in your old age. This is not just true of so called ‘soft arts’, but also of Northern Shaolin Quan by Michael Tse Hope For Us All ‘An excerpt from “Confucius and the Madian* by Chung. ‘Tzu, for those of us who at sometime have felt as though we don’t have anything to offe! by Chuang Tzu Zhuang Zi’s Breath-Hearing Method for Achieving Tranquility Of all Qigong exercises, meditation is the easiest to describe but the most difficult to perform. There are a number of methods to help the beginner forget everything and get closer to the meditative state, We describe a particular method that relies on breathing techniques. translated by Cen Yuefeng Lin Shau, Guei Chin & Zhou Yi Many of us know that the Yijing is an ancient text. It may ‘come asa surprise 0 you to find out that over the centuries there have been more that one version of this classic, and many different ‘ways of arranging the Bagua. by Michael Tse Ancient Tendon Changing Gong Some interesting Qigong exercises that are easy to learn, All you need to practise isa chair and a few spare minutes. translaied by Michael Tse Live and Let Live ... Man Every teacher would like ots of students to choose from and in the effort to attract students, exaggerated claims are ‘sometimes made. Claims about the past are easy to verify providing you have the background knowledge. However, claims about the potential of the skil being taught can only be tested by the passage of time. by Darryl TamPOBOx716 If there is anything you want to discuss, if there is anything you want io share with others, any news or any announcements you would like to make, send them to us: Qi Magazine, PO Box 116, Manchester M20 3YN. A Fake Martial Arts School Chinese people usually know what ‘good gung fu’ looks like, so it is difficult 10 get stu- dents in China if you are not a master. In this case, a so called martial arts school uses a new approach to get fresh recruits. Tam a secondary school student in Liao Ning Province who decided to travel to Zhang Zhou in Henan Prov- ince (ed: many thousands of miles!) so that T might study martial arts at the Shaolin Temple. When I arrived at Zhang Zhou train station, I was met by ‘a group of people. They asked me “Do ‘you watt t0 g0 to Shaolin Temple? Do ‘you want to learn Gung Fu?", When T hnestated in my answer, they forced me into a waiting car and brought me to Zhang Zhou City, to their mantial arts school “Chong Zhan Lok Yuen Zan Shan Shaolin Temple”. I was intro- duced to their principle, Zhang Kong, ‘who gave me a talk on’ their school, When I realised that their school was not the genuine Shaolin Temple, but a Private business, I excused myself and atlempted to Teave. At this point the principle’s manner changed. He turned nasty, threatened me and forced me to register as a member. If I efused his assistants were going to beat me. 1 had to pay all my savings as a regis- tration fee, sign my name and even stamp my palm print on the registra- tion document. They then made me stay in a dark, damp room with another ......1n China! RL em spelt SLE ca FSi capive ‘student’ fiom Sich. He | RETA told me that the so called instructors a were actally members of aging, and | FER ght ‘most students were caught as they got winks — 0 abn tint Zhang iow, Nowmater | RR RII SEE how much money you had on you, they. Ata BS te took it all and they hiad people eve- eva are eRe TG weston” entaasx SS aur, wrens EF frac. SON A AREAL DASE. ST He #E WIAR, CHAAR, iAH RRA ERA, FANT. BH BORE. RTMF, TROT AWE DI A. iLRe kimic. EF. RED. RAF. fei RTOS. NT ALECIES LOR E, RSUPRGIIORER FER. MER. PLES. sitesore, ERSTE E, AOA ANA UER, 3 WUD MORADURTA. 2 ELSIE, TERRIER, SERIE A EMAMATIRRE. HA LASDE, RMOAET. Bi AER 2 KAN, FURST HET IS RO, BAwRIMOT. Mk, RAMMTRAURERME, TAME OWET NE, BETA. MRGEZORE. (EDT Li. HARMS, ACCRIE. AREIB, BIULL " KAIGILR, LAUT AMR. ABR TAMIR i, MAE. REA, MACRO ARES, BE EM. MOURRI). ACERS TORRENS ARC, “MBL ED" REBAREDAR. S3S—-EROZM, MIRE “FH” Re PALI RATIO, SATIRE FER. a (Rit, RAHA KEE. BARR BORAT SR. EAUBERE. CAM ARDY BURL) The letter to "China People's Daily News Qi Magazine 4rywhere to prevent you from escaping. ‘They organised it so any money sent by parents would be received by them. ‘The next day I described what had happened to the Zhang Zhou. Martial Arts Association, a bonefide organisa- tion who tried to help by sending a letter to Zhang Kong, expressing their disapproval. Zhang Kong tore up the letter in front of me, shouting “Zhang Zhou Martial Arts Association ~ never heard of them! You want your money From then on I saw more people arrive who had also been tricked away from the train station and robbed. I felt Thad to escape so that I could report their whereabouts to the authorities. Although my attempt failed, the school eventually let me go, but not before taking all my receipts and forcing me to sign and palm print more documents. ‘The Henan Province Relations De- partment filed my report but did not take up the case. The Zhang Zhou City Council did not want to see me and even refused my entry into thei building, A letter printed in the “China Peoples Daily News” From Mr Liao Chong Han Dear Sits, Thank you for your shipment of two copies of Qi Magazine. | would like to inform you that lam a Wing Chun and Taiji Quan pract- tioner, and Iam running a gym in Zagreb, My students and I are delighted with your magazine and according to that | propose a co-operation to you in the form of articles and reports about our work and about our attitude towards ‘martial arts It would be very beneficial for us because we are rather isolated here, and we haven't got any contacts with the martial arts word. In connection with Grandmaster Yip CChun's seminar, please can you send Back Issues issue 8 ~ A Qigong Therapist Wing Chan = Near 8 Far ptt Sacred Ats Of Tibet issue 9 - Curing Neck Pain Yip Chun Seminar Chinese Fam Troe issue 10 - Kneo Exercises lan Cameron Interview Bushs Mediation ssue 11 ~ Qigong Breathing ‘Shaotin Wing Chun Yang Mejun on Dayan Qigong issue 12 - A Visit to China I Ghing Master Tali Pushing Hands issue 13 - Pilar Ot Chinese ‘Cute - Darryl Tam on Marta Arts practice - Gigong Master Gou Lin Back issues are subject to availabilty. Issues in stock: Issue 2, 4&6 at £2.00 each. Issue 7 to 14 at £2.25 each. Please add 40p (UK), 90p (Europe) & £1.50 (World wide) per copy. To order, send a cheque payable to Michael Tse in £ Sterling to: Qi Magazine PO Box 116 Manchester M20 3YN Tel 061 434 5289 Qi Magazine 5The most important thing about practising Qigong o that it makes you healthy. On the way there are ‘many experiences and feelings to be had. However, some people begin concentrating on the different feelings and this can lead you asiray. any beginners are often concemed or confused about what to expect from Qigong, Initial experiences can vary quite gonsiderably de- pending on each individual's condi- tion, Some people are worried when they don’t feel anything and some are surprised when they do. What- ever your experiences, the more you practise, the more your body will be conditioned into a ‘natural’ and healthy condition which will even- twally ‘normalise’ the sensations that feel, If you have any doubts or concems about anything you expe- rience you should obviously discuss it with your teacher or senior stu- dents at your class. Being able to get more feedback and advice is one of the main reasons why you should always spend your time seeking out the best teachers rather than working from a book. A teacher can correct ‘your postures and movements, guide you from potential pitfalls or side effects and set your mind at ease when you are worried, a book can- “Some people are worried when ahoye be your fi and best source of information, they don't feel anything —_ sie¥svwesineasn and some are surprised ‘ineistmine.” Foner, por when they do.” sblew abies sone che more common experiences Magazine 7and concerns of beginners. First, if you don't experience any Qi sensi- tions - don't worry about it, Not feeling Qi sensations does not mean that you don't have any Qi. It just means that you need to develop sensitivity to your in- temal energies. Qi is present in every move that you make whether you feel it oF not. It has to be or you wouldn't be able to move, Be ere ted ey 2 you can talk to your teacher and also ppc penton nate etn ly experi- ence Qi as a tingling ‘pins and nee des’ sensation. This is mostly the effect of Qi dredging your channels “This sensation should be *. regarded as the knocking sounds you get in your house plumbing if there are blockages” and unblocking acu-points. This sensation can be very powerful when you first start studying Qigong because you may have spent a long time creating these blockages. Not _ sumprisi with regular practice th and needles’ sensation can dic minish and vanish. This is a ‘good sign, because it means that your channels are becoming clear. The trouble is that people identify the effect of the Qi's action with the Qi itself and become disheartened because Magazine 8 they no longer ‘feel’ it. This sensation should be regarded as the knocking sounds you get in your house plumbing if there are blockages. IF you don’t run the water there is no sound, and when you do there is. IF you run the water enough the blockages clear and you get no more knock- ing. It is the same with Qigong. You might have al- ily experienced some at feelings of ‘warmth and gentle flow like may become so used to the warmth that you forget to notice, after all everyone has warm hands in the winter don't they? You might have attributed the gentle flowing feeling to blood. This is not incorrect but in Chine terms blood and Qi integrally linked and cannot be separated. Thus when you feel the flow of blood you are also experienc ing Qi. ‘As you con- tinue your studies and. you practise you begin to notice these sensations not only strengthen in areas where they are familiar (such as the hands) butalso spread to other areas all over the body. With the «evelopment of your sensitivity you may notice dif ferent sensations at different times of the day, different times of the month and different times of the year. You will feel acu-points opening. You will feel pulses. All of this enriches, your practice and enhances your nding of Qigong because it (es in the direct experience of by Glenn GosstingPercussion Therapy for Insomnia Insomnia ts a very common condition. It would be nice to be able to overcome it without having to take sleeping tablets. As many of you will be aware Qigong exercises are very powerful and these simple slapping nsomnia, suffered mainly by people who have to use a great deal of mental energy at work and students, is commonly caused by sleeping induced functional disorder of the central nervous system because ‘of excessive mental activities and stress. According to Chinese me however, it is brought about by a who had suffered serious insomnia s soundly after practising His now sleey the exercise for three months. symptoms like palpitation and ness caused by insomnia had also disappeared. The methods of the ex- cercise are as follows 1. Pereuss on the L legs straight. Percuss: both palms, cercises could save you ‘popping the pills’. Shoulders. Sit and beat with the tips of the right fingers on the bulgy muscles from behind the left ear down to the shoulder. Repeat the process with the left fingemips on the same area of the other side, 4, Percuss on the Forearms. Sit the left arm stretching horizon- tally and left palm facing up. Percuss with right palm on the (E fig.1 Heart Channel ‘of Hand-Shaoyin fig.2 Kidney Channel i of Foot-Shaoyin fig.3 Percuss on this area le of the left forearm from the el- bow down to the small finger. Repeat the process on the right forearm with the , left palm. | Do the exercise twice a day, once in the moming and the other in the evening for about 20 minutes in one session. Notes: 1. Relax the muscles, keep the percussion. 2. Do not percuss too functional disorder of the heart and kidneys. Percussion on areas. where the "Heart Channel of Hand-Shaoyin” (fig.1) and the “Kidney Channel of Foot-Shaoyin” (fig.2) pass can give gentle stimulation to these organs and help regulate the disordered sleeping, induced function. Percussion ~ a traditional Chi- fitness exercise - is effective in curing insomnia caused by various diseases. One middle aged teacher which should be held hollow (.e. slightly cupped), altemately on the inside and outside of the front of the legs. 2. Percuss on the Waist. Sit with legs straight and hands at the sides. Percuss the bulgy muscles on both sides of the vertebral column (fig3) with the backs of both hands. Bend the waist back and forth gently and naturally during percussion. 3. Percuss on the Neck and Qi Magazine 9 vigorously. Be: rhythmically with moderate force. ‘The sensations of soreness, disten- sion, numbness and warmth in the percussed area should disappear within 15 minutes after the exercise, 3. Gently flex the waist, legs neck and head after percussion. 4, Do not percuss on areas where there are skin problems, tumours or infections Translated by Yang WanbauA sensitivity exercise? A sparring exercise? or @ wasted exercise? aiji manial at skills have a ing Hands" There still appears to be some confusion about Pushing Hands as Tam regularly asked questions such as 1. What is it used for? 2. What are its health benefits? 3. How can it be used in self defence? examine the first ques- tion: What is it used for? The first thing, (o establish is that itis not a complete systenvdiscipline that operates sepa- rately from Taiji form and sparring but isan integral training link between So let the two. There are numerous competi- tions/festivals held throughout the ‘world that include Pushing Hands as separate stand alone event which leads the viewing public to believe that this is how Taiji practitioners “What is it defend themselves. Pushing Hands demonstrations should end with a performance of semi-contact sparring by two skilled Qi Magazine 1 players showing skilful usage of the 13 postures. A link can then be formed in the public's mind between the two so they understand that Pushing Hands is foundation training only. (See figure No 1 showing Wave Hands In Clouds application). used for?” What are its benefits to health? If regularly practised you develop es- sential stamina which is vital to your success in a real fight. It stimulates thecardio vascular and respiratory sys tems in a smooth gradual build up rather than the shock to the system type spors such as squash, soccer CXC. Itdevelops the spheres known as the *5 bows" (see issue 14) which allows a free flow of energy (Qi) without blockages throughout the body. It exercises and stimulates en- ergy (Qi) in all the joints of the body keeping them healthy and flexible. Tt trains you to conserve energy (Qi) and ‘not waste it by applying the principles of Yin and Yang, harmonizing with ‘your partners energy (Qi. It develops rooting skill which is the result of a Figures 2 & 3: An applica- tion of Lu - Rall Back 2 “You don’t use Pn oe Pushing Hands in _ Self defence.” ‘calm mind, relaxed body and_good posture which have obvious health benefits. Its sensitivity waning brings Qi to the surface of the skin and be- yond which ultimately will be used in healin How can it be used in self de- fence? Well the short answer to this is you don’t use Pushing Hands in self defence, instead you actually apply the resultant skills developed by regular e ie. instinctive usage of the 13, . (figures 2 and 3 shows Lu (Roll Back) reaction to a neck grab). Pushing Hands is clearly tured in such a way that e1 skills are polished e.g. from single fixed and active step you progress to double from here to Da Lu then to free style which falls just short of sparring. Around this time Sun Sau is usually introduced which is finally followed by free sparring. You now have a roof fon your new house which has a golden foundation that we call PUSHING HANDS! by Peter Newton sures theDayan Gong eX Lesson 15. This is the last lesson. We hope you have enjoyed following ‘our lessons in Dayan Qigong. Next time we will have a new ‘exercise for you to try and follow. 60 Turn Body i Still holding the Qi ball in front of your Dantien, turn on your heels 180 degrees. ‘The seven steps of ‘Looking for Food! (see last issue) stimulate the kidneys and Dantien. You then collect the Qi to your Dantien and turn round for the next movement, 61 Looking for the Nest i Raise your hands up to the middle Dantien. Your ‘wrists and fingers should be relaxed so your hands naturally hang down. ii Step forwards with your left foot. At the same time gently press your hands down, with the Hegue points facing each other, to the left of your body until your hhands are level with the Belt Channel. Step forwards with your right foot and repeat the movement of i & ii with your hands, but ths tin front of you at the Dantien, Qi Magazine 1361 Turn the Body and Swim p — Shift your weight forwards on to your left foot. AAs you do so begin to flutter your hands and raise and straighten your arms out to the sides level with your shoulders. iii Step through with your right foot and at the same time turn 90 degrees to face the left bringing your arms round in front of your shoulders. iv Lower your hands down and touch your Dantien. ‘This movement brings the Qi back down to the anion, _ 63 Sleep Peacefully and Recover Qi i Bend forwards from the waist and squat down. your feet lat on the ground, Slightly tuck in your head so the Sky-eye faces the Dantien. ili Close your eyes and mouth, and hold the posture for five to ten seconds. 64 Closing Position (Shau Gong) i Lift up your head, stand up and open your eyes. ji Raise your hands up and to the sides, then bring them round and down so the palms pass the Sky-eye and slowly drop down to the Dantien. ili Repeat a further two times. This is the ending exercise to bring the Qi back to the Dantien, Now you have finished the form, Qi Magazine 15any years ago when I was visiting my Dayan Qigong teacher, it was summer and Beijing was very hot. However, main streets like Fu Chan Da Chai were still crowded with Chinese people and for- eigners. Apart from studying Dayan Qigong, I liked to go and visit the book. shops in Beijing and buy some books, particularly those about Qigong and ‘martial ans. For people who live abroad the books in China are very cheap. Many GE Aagazine 16 times I visited the ‘Chung Hua Book Shop’. On one occasion a sales assistant said to me: “You are interested in martial, arts, Ican recommend a place for you to see a good master. He is very skilful and practices every moming in Tian Tan Park.” Lwas very keen to see this masteris ali cio: Above - Wu Chun Yuen teachos Damo Staft ight- Michael Tee and his teacher Wu Chun Yuen and quickly told her I would like to go. Tian Tan Park is a very old park. Tewas built in the Ming Dynasty and has a history of over 500 years. ‘The park belonged to Ming and later the Qing Emperors, who used iton special days to worship heaven. With such a tradition, Fist 0 Chun Yuen Its often thought that Taiji Quan & Qigong are what you turn to when you are old. However, at 67 years of age ‘Northen Shaolin Master Wi Chun Yuen glows with health and performs with grace, ease and power what others forty years younger would struggle with! Introducing one of Beijing’s most famous teachers .. the park was very popular and attracted a lot of tourists, Chinese and foreign. In the early moming when the air was fresh, the park was already quite crowded. Many people had gathered and were doing their exercises, some were doing Taiji Quan, some Qigong, soft exercises , even dancing together to music. This was a very common sight in all the parks in the morning ‘Tian Tan Park is very big After ten. minutes searching 1 eventually came to.a square and saw a lot of people following an old man, practising with a ‘sword with a tassel attached to the handle. ‘The old man’s body and spirit looked very strong. His arms were quite muscular, he was not very tall, only about 5° 3” and did not have too much hair, but his movements were solid and very supple, there was no stifiness in any of his movements. “This,” I said to myself, “is the main man”. ‘Afier a few minutes ob- servation, I was very attracted by his movement and skill. 1 went over to introduce myself and said 1 would like to study Qi Magazine 17 with him, He smiled and said, “If you are not afraid of hard work you can try.” Twas very pleased to hear this. Now I could leam more about weapons and different styles of ‘st ter 1 discovered this was Northem Shaolin Fist anc! the master's, name was ‘Wu Chun Yuen’ - a very famous Beijing Northem Shaolin FistMaster who had a lot of students. From that day I woke up early every morning and cycled to the park to begin my studies of Shaolin Fis. Slowly I discovered my new teacher was a very nice gentleman and very patient when teaching his students, but I saw many of them leave after the first few days and only the very senior students remained. This was because there were many basic exercises which were very hard. Some of the students just wanted to study some fancy ‘movements to show off to their friends, but unfortunately, they could not get ppast the basic training - so in the end they gave up. * ‘After many years of practice 1 overcame the basic training and moved fon to bare hand forms such as ‘Xing Shaw’, Er Lan Quan’ and ‘Green Swallow Quan’. Step by step I progressed. Also began to learn more about Master Wu. Chun Yuen. Today he is 67 years of age. He was bom in Zhoudan Province where he was very poor. China was very unsettled and many people could not find a steady job and so they had to leave home and search for work else- where. When Wu Chun Yuen was 15 he left Zhoudan prov- ince for Beijing. There he became an apprentice at a leather factory. Apart from work he liked martial arts very much. He was the same as the other children and was influ- enced by Chinese Opera and the stories of the martial arts heroes. who were highly skilled and helped the op- pressed. Fortunately he met a famous Opera and Nosthem Shaolin Fist master named ‘Wang Ping. Wang Ping was a very popular Opera performer because of his martial arts background. At that time in China, the theatre was a very upper class type of entertainment, and so only rich people could enjoy it. Many people liked to study with Wang Ping to leam his operatic techniques and Northem Shaolin Fist. However, Master ‘Wang Ping particularly liked Wu Chun Yuen because he worked hard and helped with a lot of personal things and this helped save time with his busy ‘working schedule. At the same time, Wu Chun Yuen was very dedicated and quiet, only training and doing what his master told hhim, never missing any ‘opportunity to see him - even on Chinese New Year. After many years together Master Wang Ping taught Wu Chun Yuen all his skill from barehands to weapons ‘which included Damo Staff, Green Swallow Sword, White Crane Sword, Plum Blossom Spear, Five Tigers Break the Entrance Broad Sword, Nine Section [Mastor Wu pertorms Five Tigers Broad Sword “Master Wu Chun Yuen practises his martial arts in the park and teaches his students - those who can stand difficulties.” Whip and other weapons, and with ‘Wu's hard work he picked up the skill and understood all the applications. ‘When Master Wang Ping passed away Wu was very sad. Their rela- tionship had been like father and son, especially since Wu did not have any Magazine 18 relatives in Beijing. Master Wang Ping taught and educated Wu like father to son, 50 his passing upset him a lot, but by practising his Shaolin Fist he could release these emotion and this also made his skill improve quicker. Some years later he met MasterBelow - Master Wu performs Damo Stat Pictures: Above - The author oon staf form, Wu of the Jing Wu Association and studied ‘Hua Quan’ and ‘Cha Quan’ with him. This improved his martial ans and his level of skill became very high. Today he still practises his martial ats in the park and teaches his students = those who can stand the difficulties. Many people when they are do- ing Shaolin Quan ust concentrate on the forms and miss the intemal taining which is Qigong, so when they are older they can no longer perform correctly and do it very stiffly, or they just con- centrate on the fancy movements, which islikea plastic flower -itlooks good, but itis not alive. Qi atagazine 19 Traditional martial arts cover both intemal and external training, which you ccan do forever. Even though Northern Shaolin Quan has jumping, tuming, tumbling and stretching, itis all comect training and you can do it even when youre old, not only for demonstrations ‘orto look good. Shaolin Quan training concen- trates more on the extemal and physical body, stimulating the intemal organs making you strong and healthy. This ‘causes the body to look more muscular, the skin to look shiny and the face and eyes to have more spirit. Tt also makes the body warmer, so you can withstand the cold and hot weather. Today 1 still travel to Beijing t0 visit my teacher Wu Chun Yuen and cary on with my training. Tt has made me understand another world of martial ans, a different one from that: of Taiji Quan trainings by Michael TseZhuan ZiVs Breath for Achieving aring Method ranquillity Static Qigong exercises can be thought of as the Yin part of Qigong, as opposed to movement which is the Yang. There are many types of static exercise, but common to all of them is forgetting everything’. basic method of Qigong, static exercises have proved useful for keeping man’s cerebrum in centre and regulating the functions of the body and mind, thereby improving health, strengthening. resis- tance to diseases and prolonging li Many beginners however find it very difficult to quell straying thoughts in their minds during exercise. Yet ar- jing these thoughts, which the an- cients described as being *as wild as a runaway horse or gibbon,” is the first requirement of static exercise. Next ‘even more demanding task: to vanquish all thoughts and forget every- thing including one’s own self, so as to center the dreamy state of nothingness. It is said that when you reach such a sublime state, your life will return to the ‘uncarved. block’. For most leamers however, just remaining calm relaxed and unrufMed by distractions is good ‘enough. They should never aim too high and act impatiently in. pursuit of ‘quick success, for that would. bring about harmful results. Qigong experts in anc devised mu example of this is the “breath-hearing method! developed by Zhuang. Zi (399-295 BC), one of the founders of Taoism. Despite its sterling worth, Zhuang Z's breath-hearing method remained for a long time litte known to “Qigong experts in ancient times devised numerous methods to achieve mental tranquillity” the public parly because it was beyond the understanding of most people dnd partly because it was intended for a chosen few among the Taoist circles. It was not until the 1950's that Chen Yingning, the late president of the Chinese Taoist Association and celebrated Qigong ‘expert with 60 years training ex- perience behind him, presented a clear elucidation of the method and made it known to the world ‘The following descriptions of the breath-hearing method are based (Qi Magazine 22 ‘on the writings on the subject left be- hind by Chen. 1. Posture for breath-hearing exercise. ‘The exer may be done in ei- ther the siting or lying position. You may sit either on a stool with both feet ‘on the floor, oF in crossecelegged posi= tion with both feet tucked under the buttocks, or with one foot resting on the thigh of the other leg, or with both feet resting on the thighs. While sitting, you may clasp your hands or separate them with the palm side facing upwards or downward. Keep your tomo erect, preferably with no support at the back. If you assume the lying position, you may either lie on your back or on one side. If possible, use a slanted wooden bed with an elevation of five or six inches atthe head. For those suffering from cerebral anaemia however, a level bed is recommended. Lightly close your eyes when you do the exercise. Loosen your waistbelt and take off your shoes, watch, brace- Jets, earrings and whatever other at cles you may be wearing, 50 as to relax all pans of your body, 2. The methods. i. Concentration. Pay attention to rothing but your breathing, which should be natural and it does not matter whether itis fast or slow, deep or s low. At first you may find it hard toPures: Above A group of peopl practising cforent stat exersas in China, Botori- Natal lat axorasee ar as e26y as You righ ink such eo this one permed whistin a ‘Hore stance concentrate. This is only natural and you must take it easy. Keep calm and Quiet all the time. Do not allow yourself to be rufled by distracting thoughts. In this way you will come closer and closer to mental concentration. fi, Hearing, By this we mean lis- tening to your own breathing. When you first eam to do this exercise breaths are not uniform in their fineness and you can hear their passage through the nose. As you calm down and become more and mote composed, your breaths will tum increasingly deep, fine and even. At this stage, your breathing will become inaudible tothe ear, but you can ‘hear it in your mind if you have trained enough. iii, The end. Ata more advanced stage of training your mental activity will merge with your breathing and gradu- ally you will stop using your mind to hear your breaths. In time your mind will entera state of nothingness in which you will become unaware of everything including your own self. As to the ul timate goal of retuming to the ‘uncarved block; this is an unusual feat beyond the reach of most people, something that will come about by itself rather than by force of volition. Remember, forcing ‘yourself to do something beyond your ‘capabilites will do you more harm than ‘g00d. 3. Points to be remembered when ‘you do the exercise, i. Exercise in a quiet place with plenty of fresh air, preferably near the ‘woods. When exercising indoors, find a room with simple furniture and soft lighting, and with walls and window curtains of light blue or green. The room's temperature should neither be too cold or too hot. Ventilation should be good but you must keep away from deafts when you work-out. Do not ex- ercise when there is a storm, thunder or lightning. In other words, avoid any- thing which gives a strong stimulus to your senses of hearing, smell and vision, and which prevents you from entering a state of mental tranquillity. li, During the period of exercise, eat plenty of fresh, easily digestible Magazine 23 food, vegetables and fruits, and avoid heavy, high protein diets. Do not eat t00 ‘much for each meal. Cut your nibbles between meals. Keep away from ciga- retes and alcohol, spirits in particular Do not stat exercising within one hour of a meal. ii, The best time for exercise is ‘dawn, although any other time will do. A sitting session should last at least 30 minutes, but no more than one and a half hours lest you should overwork yourself. The duration of a lying session 4s optional. If you feel like sleeping during the exercise, do not force your self to keep awake. If your exercise hampered by outside intesference, stop doing it and move around for a whi Only when you have calmed clown should you resume the exercise. iv. AS a static exercise, Zhuang 2's breath-hearing method is easy to eam and produces no side effects. It can be practised by people of both sexes and different ages, and is particularly suitable for those suffering from neu- rasthenia, But it may not be liked by those who have a restless or impetuous isposition. In that case do not try to press the experience on them, for nothing will come unless they really enjoy practising it ¥) Involuntary movements dur- ing static exercise is a rare occurrence. If they do occur they usually vanish ‘automatically in a short time or can be ‘brought to an end by force of will. In individual cases: where static exercise is not suitable due to the performer's physical condition or where faulty methods are used in the exercise, vig- orous and involuntary movements may ‘occur, to the detriment of health. In such cases the exercise should be stopped. After training for a period of time, some people may feel a warm current surging through the lower ab- domen. This indicates an upsunge in the functional activities of the Qi in the body. Do not be afraid or bothered about it, nor try to stop it lest you should be forced to give up the exercise. Just go on as usual and everything will return to normal after @ short while Translated by Gen YuefangLin Shau, Guei Chin This issue we discover bow a man named Fu Chi and a captured emperor are said to be responsible for developing the Bagua. hhen studying the cannot overlook the Prenatal and Postnatal Bagua, Bagua is the main part of the Yijing All its principles and predictions are based on the Bagua. It is believed that the Bagua was the first part of the Yijing to be developed. "Ba’ means eight, ‘Gua’ means situation or state. The eight situations of the Bagua are: Chien, Tui, Li, Chen, Sun, Kan, Ken and Kun The Yijing has been developing over thousands of years and gone through three different periods. In the first, called ‘Lin Shau’ was during the Xia Dynasty Ground 21st_to 16th century flooding, Much land and many people's homes were covered in water. So the “The three Yijing systems we call “The Three Yi” but two: ‘Lin Shau” and “Guei Chan” are now lost and only “Zhou Yi remains.” BC). The Bagua was writen with the ‘Ken’ Gua first. Ken represents ‘moun- tain’ and was the most important gua. At that time China suffered from a lot of mountains were a good place to live Mountains, or high land represented safety, luck and strength, therefore the Ken gua was the most important to the Qi Magazine 24 people. From the Shang Dynasty, 16th - 11th century BC, the Yijing was known as the ‘Guei Chon’ and used the ‘Kun’ ‘gua as the first gua. Kun represents mother, softness, land and root. This means that everything went back to its source. Mothers were the kindest peor ple of society, and land and earth were security for society. {As time passed over to the Zhou Dynasty the Yijing was called the ‘Zhou YF which meant the Zhou Dynasty Yi jing, This used the ‘Chien’ gua as te first gua. Chien represents heaven, fatherwoos’ zi = % a Xv 3 48 i O° Co RASS FLA KA ke KK K te #1 EE Ga i dt Be Hoto - River Map EamAy o> Lo Shu - Book of Lo Qi Magazine 25 and strength. Opposite it was ‘Kun’ gua ~ earth, mother and sofiness. This pe- riod began to observe the principle of Yin and Yang to keep everything in order. And this is the Yijing we study today - Zhou Yi. ‘These three Yijing systems we call ‘The Three Yi’ but the other two ‘Lin ‘hau’ and ‘Guei Chan’ are now lost and ‘only ‘Zhou Yi remains. "Zhou Y? contains two parts, one is YiJing’ and the other is “YiJon’ which means ‘Changing Biography’. Ying describes sixty-four gua from Chien gua to Wei Chi (Before Completion gua) and concentrates more on prediction. "Yi Jon’ talks of philosophical principles ‘and explanations. This has more than ten different chapters, written by more than one person, which were added to the ‘Yijing’ during the Spring and ‘Autumn period 770-476 BC. At that time there were many philosophies -La0 Tzu and Confucius lived in that period. As the Chinese say *The chaotic period can make a hero’. At that time the Chinese ‘culture began to form and develop. ‘The prenatal Bagua or Fu Chi Bagua was written by a person called Fu Chi. Fu Chi lived in ancient China, the story goes: One day he was walking along the banks of the Yellow River. Suddenly he saw a strange creature in the sky surrounded by a bright light. The animal was very unusual, unlike any other - it looked like a dragon, but with a horse's body, so he called it a Dragon Horse. On the Dragon Horse ‘was a strange pattem and Fu Chi knew it hhad to be a very important ‘secret’. He followed itand copied the pattem. Later it was discovered that this pattern re- lated to. prediction and_ philosophy. People called it ‘Fu Chi’ bagua, or ‘Ho To’ (River Map) or ‘Prenatal’ bagua. At another time, Fu Chi saw a turtle emerging from the river, again surrounded by a bright light. Tt looked different to other turtles and italso had a pattern on its body. Fu Chi followed it and wrote down the pattern. Later it was known as ‘Lo Shut - the Book of Lo (Lo {san area in China). In the end ‘Ho To! and ‘Lo Shut formed the original bagu At the end of the Shang dynasty,WN pNEX, > MY 3 & RSRRKARH E SPF RRR EH EG FRR FPP RF RC RRM OR Man Wang Bagua - Postnatal Bagua Qi Magazine 26 ‘Azove Man Wang consucs his Bagua there was an emperor called Zhou Man Wang, (Zhou means Emperor). At that time, China was made up of ‘many small countries who fought and helped each other. Even the lan- guage and writing was different. (lt was not until the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BO) that China became uni- fied). When Zhou Man Wang was ‘captured, he spent his time develop- ing the Fu Chi bagua, - and con- structed another bagua - the Postnatal agua. This was very useful for un- derstanding directions, numbers and positions. Eventually a lot of predic- tion skills were based on this bagua, which used different numbers and changed the gua’s directions by Michael TseAncient Tendon Changing Gong This san old method of exercise that includes breathing and muscle taining. Daily practice will improve your health, back, kidney and strength. Inthe beginning, perform the exercise genily and with an easy atitude. After one month of daly practice you should progress to using more sirength so that your health and strength may benef more. People who have 4 problem with their weight will also benefit. These exercises are very convenient, so daily practice should not be too difficult, 1. Stton the edge of achair ‘with your legs straight Put your hands on. ‘your waist. Your body should stay at an angle of 45 degrees to the ‘ground throughout the course of the ‘exercise. Look forward, relax all {your muscles, breath naturally, 2. Place your hunds in front of your 3. Stretch your arms to the side Zighily concentrate your mind on chest, fingertips facing each other, horizontally. Keep your palms facing your dantien. palms facing downwards. downwards. 4. Slowly turn your palms Bring the back of your ihm ce Fomatyan Resp 74726, Putyurhanino sooreins sesra Ap, S straight. & 7. Turn your fists upwards, 8. Bring the fists back to your middle 9. Withdraw your fists back to the dantien. sides of your body and breath out. (Qi Magazine 2711. Slowly push the open palm across your ‘chest from the right tothe left It should finish ‘onthe top 10. Open your right palm. The thumb of your left should be extended. hand. 12, Pull your right palm into a fist. i AA 13. Slowly withdraw your right fist back 14. With your left hand, repeat 10-13. 15. Open your right fist into a palm, ‘whilst breathing out. 16. Tum your right palm so that it faces 18, Pull your palm into a fis. ‘your stomach. 19. Slowly bring your fst up to your middle dantien, 20. Withdraw your fist back to the side 21. Lift your hands so that your palms 22. Push them up above your head. of your chest. With your left hand, face upwards. Finger tips should face each other. repeat 15 -20. Qi Magazine 23im A ) 25. Tur your hards so that the bck of 24, ullthem no af The fits should 2, With hem bck. the hands face each other and the be turned in and facing you. Fingers point upwards. a 26, Rest your fists on your mide 27. Then withdraw them to the sides of 28, Return your fists to the centre of dantien and open your elbows, your ches. your chest so that they other, 29. Lift your elbows so that your fists 30. Drop your fists down so that your 31. Rest them atthe side of your body. face downwards. arms are straight Finally, sit up on the edge of the chair so that your back is vertical and Yyour legs are bent, and stu gong 32, Breath in and lift your shoulders. 33. Breathe out and relax your shoulders. translated by Michael Tse Qi Magazine 29“Live and Let Live” Man Human nature makes people sceptical. When you see something new, especially when it is something you bave some association with, or know about it is so easy to react negatively. ot so long ago a poser hanging in the local newsagents attracted my attention. It went some- thing along the lines of: “Chinese Wushu = The An- ent An of Chinese Self Defence ‘with Sifu Soandsa,” Along with the slogan was a photo of some people dressed in white suits ‘wearing black belts doing that did not look very Chinese at all, Well, you cin guess my reac- tion, and I'm sure, right now, some of you are thinking the sume things I did. “Well, you're bound to s that aren't you!” Well, dha’s my (oon-practising) “companion said when T said) what Twas thinking, T must confess to being rather put out by this, how dare myopinion be so easily die missed A. big thing has been made of ‘fake’ teachers re- cently. Some respected teachers have publicly condemned other teachers and called on others to do the same. ‘The argument is that such people are tricking the unsuspecting public teaching a mixture of techniques un= er false pretences. This is dt tothe public and damaging the image of the skills we love. Having put so much time into learning a traditional skill, i is easy to climb up onto the traditionalists soap box and preach. ‘These non-taditionalists justify what they do by saying they have come to develop their own style as they have found themselves restricted by the things they have previously studied. Personally, I have only ever ‘A big made of ‘fake’ teachers recently.” thing bas been studied tridtional manial and Qigong skills and 1 know I have been guilty of stunding on my soap box. However, having been so abruptly kicked off it hus made me consider the situation in another light. T must sy, to thase who are on the outside and who are totally impanial, we must look rither childish, The dictionary says that tradition is, “The handing down from generation to generation of opinions, beliefs, customs, ete.". So when does some- thing become ‘traditional? Is a skill ‘two generations old traditional? For example, Chen style Taiji Quan is around 400 years old and Yang only 100 years. Both are accepted as tra- ditional. styles, and practitioners of both recognise the differences and Qi Magazine 31 similarities and stand side by side, When Yang Luchan devel oped his style of T: Quan, did) the tradie tionalists back then ‘give him such a hard time? And what would happen if someone did the same today? He would probably be tarred and feathered - if he was lucky. What seems imponant here is the passage of t tests everyth and 1, and all we say and do. If something is good and handled correctly it will not only survive, but go on to develop and grow - aft ter all isn't that the natural onder of things? So what other people do is up to them, what simpontant is what you do and how you do it, There is a reason that. skill has survived through hundreds of years. And if you are ‘good, then othens will say you are ‘good, and if others are good then you should recognise that as well ‘Another very important issue is the truth. If Sifu Soandso is teaching, something of his own creation oF a mixture of different things then he should say so. If he truly believes in ‘what he is doing then he should have no problems doing that. So what have I learnt from this ‘episode? All things being honest and Up front then you do what you do and Tl do what Ido and time will test us both by Daryl Tamng Yi p C h u n Seminar London Sat 15th Oct 94 Manchester Sun 16th Oct Sticking Hands & Wing Chun Pole Wing Chun Forms & Bat Jam Dao 11am to 3pm 11am to 3pm Central Club 16-22 Gt Russell St. Y-Club (Castlefield Hotel) London WC1 Liverpool Rd. Manchester M3 ‘Two Days: £120 (£110 adv), Tse Qigong Centre Members £95 (easequ One Day: £70 (£60 adv), Tse Qigong Centre Members £55 (£45 adv) For Information & Booking contact Tse Gigong Centre PO Box 116 Manchester M20 3YN Tel: Michael Tse 061 434 5289 or John Hayes 081 942 2682