SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
JANUARY 2018 PART 1
An Intensive Chi Kung Course in Sabah
Question 1
I attended your Intensive Chi Kung Course in 2013. I am frustrated about this situation of being instructed in something that needs the further instructions of a teacher I can't reach.
— Lee, USA
Answer
The above problem does not apply in my Intensive Chi Kung Course because:
- The course is self-independent, which means that students who have attended the course can practice on their own without further instructions from me.
- I answer all questions from my students, especially those who have attended my intensive courses. I specially make a point to do so. In some very rare cases, I may not answer if a student keeps asking the same question despite me having given the same answer, in different words, a few times. This has happened only twice in my more than 20 years of teaching. The two students later wrote to me to apologize.
If the problem applies to you, it is probably due to one or both of the following reasons:
- You have not practiced what I have told you, or you have not practiced correctly or regularly.
- Your e-mails, for some reasons, have not reached me.
Question 2
My understanding of this situation is this.
- This type of qi gung is unique you said.
- I am a beginner, the intensives were entry level -- there's bound to be issues requiring follow up instruction.
- You taught it to me from far away and that means that some explanations are going to have to be either online, with video or in letters since it's unrealistic to expect everyone to have enough money to fly back and forth across oceans.
- Since you are my teacher, you are the one I come to for instruction/answers and this is all the more true since no one else teaches this style.
Answer
Your understanding, except the first point, is not what we practice in our school.
The type of chi kung we teach in our school may not be unique but it is definitely very high level chi kung. More than 80% of chi kung practiced today is not even chi kung, or energy exercise, because there is no conscious energy flow which gives the basic benefits of chi kung like good health, vitality and longevity. These practitioners use chi kung techniques to perform gentle physical exercise but they do not have chi kung skills.
Your understanding of the second point is wrong. Although students do not need any chi kung experience to attend the Intensive Chi Kung Course, the course brings them to a master's level within 3 days of training! It is unbelievable but true.
I need to stress that students at the course do not become chi kung masters in 3 days, but in 3 days they learn and be able to perform chi kung skills of a master's level. Many chi kung masters cannot perform the types of chi kung abilities that students are able to. For example, many chi kung masters are unable to direct their chi to massage their internal organs, or to generate an energy flow without performing any chi kung techniques, but our students can.
Your understanding of the third point is also wrong. I did not teach the Intensive Chi Kung Course to you from far away, you do not need further explanations online or with videos or letters, and you need not attend any other course from me or from any instructors in Shaolin Wahnam, though many students actually do.
The Intensive Chi Kung Course is unbelievable. It is self-independent. At the course you were transmitted chi kung skills that enabled you to perform chi kung at a high level successfully. These skills became yours which you can use any time you like.
So many chi kung skills were taught. Beginning students are advised to focus on skills taught on the first day. These skills are more than enough to give them good health, vitality and longevity, which are the basic reasons why most people practice chi kung. Beginners apply the skills taught on the second day and on the third day once a while, like once or twice a month, to maintain the skills.
There is no need for further explanation, videos or letters. Actually you were given videos of the course for your review. If you have further questions, you can write to me and I shall answer them. Stop intellectualizing unnecessarily and get on with your practice.
Your understanding of the fourth point is also wrong. There is no need to get further instruction; the Intensive Chi Kung Course is self-contained. Stop intellectualizing unnecessarily and get on with your practice. Even if you make mistakes due to carelessness or forgetfulness, you need not worry and need not intellectualize. The subsequent chi flow will be more than enough to give you good health, vitality and longevity, and enable you to enjoy your daily life.
If you have other questions, you can write to me or obtain the answers from other instructors in our school. If you obtain answers from other teachers or from the internet, make sure the answers are correct and good for you. Honestly I do not mean to belittle others, but there is a lot of rubbish on the internet, and answers given by other genuine chi kung teachers may not apply to your particular cases.
The word "qi gung" you used is not the one we normally use. In my e-mails and on my webpages, I normally use "chi kung", and occasionally "qigong", but not "qi gung". It is a small point, and of course you are free to use whatever spelling you like, but it shows you may not be following our webpages, and, by extension, our teaching regularly.
To practice chi kung, one must be relaxed and free from intellectualization
Question 3
I initially came for a knee injury that wouldn't heal and had no traumatic cause. It's mostly resolved now and flare ups are treated with acupuncture occasionally.
Answer
Many people will be happy to pay 1200 euros, the fee I charge students attending my Intensive Chi Kung Course now, to have their knee injury resolved, especially if the injury has been troubling them for some time and other treatments do not help.
If you practice your chi kung daily, focusing on what you learned at my course on the first day, your knee injury will be overcome as a matter of course. As a matter of fact, it may not be overcome if you do not practice, practice wrongly or over-train.
Question 4
I practice kungfu daily which I am learning from monks from an official Shaolin outreach temple here. Unfortunately their English is developing so I cannot ask these deeper questions about qi gung yet.
Answer
It is obvious that you have not followed our teaching, or read our Shaolin Wahnam webpages.
The kungfu or wushu taught by modern Shaolin monks is magnificent, but it is not what we teach or what we advocate in our school. The arts we teach in our school, including the Intensive Chi Kung Course you attended, give good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys -- if the arts are practiced correctly and regularly.
Shaolin Kungfu practiced in our school is very different from modern wushu taught by Shaolin monks today
Question 5
My vision changed suddenly -- overnight in August 2015 during a stressful period when my dating a woman broke up. The ophthalmologist says I have Central Serous Retinopathy. My retina is detaching from a slow leaking of clear fluid behind the eye. No cure. Cause is stress.
I went to a Chinese medicine doctor for acupuncture and he also corrected my diet. He confirmed several blockages were present and that my kidneys were weak among other things with gall bladder and liver.
It was, only a year and a half ago that I was a highly energetic person which my friends couldn't keep up with to become someone who has to nap, and go to bed at 8:30 pm or I'm so exhausted to do much of anything physical.
Answer
"No cure" was the perspective of the ophthalmologist and most Western trained doctors. From the perspective of Chinese medicine and chi kung, there is a cure for any disease.
If hundreds of people suffering from so-called incurable diseases, like cancer and heart problems, could recover and lead happy, healthy lives, having Central Serous Retinopathy or any eye disease is a relatively minor problem.
The set of Shaolin Eight Eye Exercises is excellent. You have to check my website to find out where descriptions of the Shaolin Eight Eye Exercises are. Use the search box on my home page. You may also like to read other articles on my website.
If you practice what you learned at my Intensive Chi Kung Course, especially what you learned on the first day, you will overcome your eye problem, your fatigue and your lack of good luck. You don't have to attend any course from me or from any of our instructors, unless you want to.
Question 6
I've referred to my notes, videos and audio of the qi gung courses and my form and breathing are good. You checked me off on those in class. I get chi flow.
Answer
Your problems are that you worry unnecessarily, that you intellectualize unnecessarily, and probably you have not practiced regularly.
Follow the three golden rules of practice, which are not to worry, not to intellectualize and to enjoy your practice.
You should not worry and should not intellectualize even when you realize you have made some mistakes. Your chi flow will erase whatever harm the mistakes may have caused, and still give you a lot of benefits. If you do not realize that you have made some mistakes, there is no cause for worry or intellectualization. The chi flow will erase any harm irrespective of whether you realize. If there is no harm, you will have more benefits.
You need to practice your chi kung to enjoy the practice. Just about 10 minutes a session, once in the morning and another session in the evening or at night are sufficient. Don't practice for too long a session, or too many sessions a day. It can lead to over-training, which is bad.
Editorial Note: Lee's other questions can be found in the January 2018 Part 2 and January 2018 Part 3 issues of the Question-Answer Series.
The Small Universe is excellent for enhancing various dan tian
Question 7
I have recently been curious about the various "dan tian" . Could you please tell me more about them?
— Sifu Tim Franklin, Shaolin Wahnam UK
Answer
"Dan tian" means "elixir field" in Chinese. It refers to a small area in the body of a person where his energy is focused. This is the function of various "dan tian", i.e. the focal points of energy.
There are many "dan tian" in a person's body, but when the term is used without any qualification, it refers to the abdominal dan tian located about 2 or 3 inches below the navel and beneath the skin.
An "inch" here is not the British inch or the Chinese inch. It is a biological inch, meaning the distance between the first joint and the second joint of the index finger.
The abdominal dan tian is gathered around the "qihai" energy point. "Qihai" means sea of energy. An energy point is where chi, or vital energy, is located.
Other "dan tian" are as follows:
- At the top of the head at the "baihui" energy point. "Baihui" means meeting of hundred meridians.
- At the centre of the palms at the "laogong" energy poin. "Laogong" means labour palace.
- At the solar plexus at the "zongtan" energy point. "Zongtan" mean central platform.
- At the anus at the "huiyin" energy point. "Huiyin" means meeting of anus and sex organ.
- At the back between the kidneys at the "mingmen" energy point. "Mingmen" means, gate of life.
- At the soles of the feet at "yongquan" energy point. "Yongquan" means gushing stream.
Chi, or vital energy, naturally focuses at the various "dan tian". A person does not have to do anything special to have his vital energy focused there. Secondly, the focused chi at the dan tian is not stagnant. It is moving, though focused.
The amount of chi at the dan tian acts as a measurement of a person's health and vitality. The more chi there is, the healthier and more vital is the person.
Question 8
Could you please explain the significance of the various "dan tian" in terms of:
- Stages of development.
- Function/Purpose of each one.
- Training methods we use to develop the energy at them and why.
- Significance for cultivation of energy and spirit.
Answer
As mentioned above, chi or vital energy is naturally focused at the dan tian. In fact, they are called "dan tian" because vital energy spontaneously accumulate there.
Hence, the development of the dan tian is natural. There are, however, certain methods to enhance them.
However, if a person is tensed or distracted by various thoughts, his chi is blocked from accumulating there. Hence, the two fundamental requirements for practicing any energy arts are to be relaxed and to be free of thoughts.
The functions of the various dan tian are as follow:
The dan tian at the crown of the head enhances mental clarity. At an advanced stage of Taoist cultivation, the top dan tian opens and the spirit of the cultivator emerges as an immortal. In our chi kung, we use this dan tian to generate a cosmic shower.
The dan tian at the solar plexus controls the functions of the whole body. It is also the seat of a person's spirit, described as soul in some cultures. At a physical level, the more chi there is at this dan tian, the more generous the person becomes.
The abdominal dan tian is an excellent indicator of a person's health, vitality and longevity. The more chi there is, the better is his health, vitality and longevity. The chi at this dan tian is manifested in his voice.
The dan tian at the "huiyin" vital point at the anus is an indication of a person's sexual prowess. The more chi there is, the more sexually potent he is.
The chi at the dan tian at the palms is often used by kungfu masters in exploding force. The more chi there is at the palms, the more powerful are the master's strikes.
The dan tian at the soles is a good indication of a person's health and vitality. When it is pulsating with energy, it is a clear indication that he is healthy and full of vitality.
An excellent method to develop the various dan tian is known as "dan tian gong" or "Art of Dan Tian". I practiced this method for some time in my earlier years. I do not each it now because we have many other methods in our school, and this particular method is not of top priority. Moreover, it needs much skill to practice this method. It is easy for practitioners to practice wrongly.
"Abdominal Breathing" is an excellent method to develop the abdominal dan tian. When there is a lot of chi at the abdominal dan tian, it will flow to other dan tian. The process is enhanced by the "Small Universe".
The reason for practicing various methods to enhance the various dan tian is to enhance the functions of the dan tian as explained earlier.
The abdominal dan tian is of special sigbificance for the cultivation of energy. At the completion of all chi kung exercises, we stand still and bring our chi to this dan tian.
The dan tian at the solar plexus and the dan tian at the crown of the head are of special significance for the cultivation of spirit. When we smile from the heart, we open this dan tian and set our spirit free. We use the dan tian at the top of the head in our Cosmic Shower. It is no coincidence that after Cosmic Shower our students find the world more beautiful, because they have purified their spirit.
Editorial Note: Sifu Tim's other questions can be found in January 2018 Part 2 and January 2018 Part 3 of the Question-Answer Series.
If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Grandmaster Wong via his Secretary at stating your name, country and e-mail address.
LINKS
Selected Reading
- The Unbelievable Intensive Chi Kung Course
- Museums and Botanical Garden of Oslo
- Similarities and Differences of Tiger-Crane Sets
- 48-Pattern Taijiquan Set
- North to Chicago