SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
SEPTEMBER 2020 PART 3
An old picture showing Grandmaster Wong performing "Sticking-Hands" while being blink-folded
Question 1
Sifu, I had been wanting to email you for a few days regarding Wing Choon because upon reading the generous publication of Sifu's manuscript on the Wahnam website, I wanted to ask about the fascinating sensitivity developed in Wing Choon Chi Sau which enthralled me for years since my early twenties. Actually, when I read Sifu's manuscript, I remembered that this fascinating skill was a dream of mine in martial arts before I then lost my way for a few years misguidedly in Muay Thai.
— John, Ireland
Answer
Thank you for your heart-warming email.
The Wing Choon skill of fascinating sensitivity, including being blind-folded, can be developed by you if you follow my manuscript. It won't be difficult for you. Please ask me any questions if you have any.
I developed this skill while learning from Sifu Choe Hoong Choy not only while learning at Poon Yue Wooi Koon but also at his home. My skill developed tremendously when I practiced on my own, and it was greatly helped with other aspects of kungfu.
How does one develop Chi Sau, or Sticking Hands, on his own when he needs a partner? He can imagine an imaginary partner. At first he imagines him attacking him in certain ways. Later he just responds accordingly. Eventually he can imagine he is so sensitive that he can readily respond at any time.
Question 2
I also came across the lovely letter written by Handsome Bear Andrew and Wong Chun Nga Siheng's deeply touching letters. In Wong Chun Nga Siheng's letter when he mentioned that Sifu couldn't sleep because Sifu was answering emails to save lives, I thought that could easily have been me.
Answer
The lovely letter written by Handsome Bear, can be accessed here. I especially like "Penang is beautiful ... so beautiful".
The lovely letter written by Wong Chun Nga, my eldest son, can be accessed here. Your comment on saving lives is indeed touching.
Penang, picture taken from http://penangfoodie.com/things-to-know-penang-malaysia/
Question 3
Sifu, you have taught me immense amounts about not just Kungfu and Chi Kung but about inter-personal relationships, business, marketing, safety first in all things, speaking from a position of strength, enjoying life, enjoying delicious food, enjoying another beautiful day, enjoying two ice creams not just one, helping me to see the sacred and the holy even in the seemingly mundane and the everyday, enjoying reading a lovely email. When through my own limitations I sometimes lose sight of these lessons, Sifu keeps teaching me through endless patience and kindness and compassion and never tires of reinforcing these teachings and pointing the way to me, even though I may be blind at times!
Answer
You summarize very aptly my teachings.
I set up Shaolin Wahnam Institute when I was aware that the Shaolin arts might be lost to the world if nothing was done about it. The Shaolin arts have given me good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys.
While teaching kungfu and chi kung, I have noticed that I am not just teaching kungfu and chi kung, which of course include good health, vitality, but also how to attain peak performance and to be happy and peaceful.
Question 4
I read a post of a former student who left Shaolin Wahnam. In one particular sentence, Sifu said that he would not abandon his disciples which struck my heart deeply.
I shudder to think how many lives would have not been saved had Sifu not embarked on his cosmic-level feat of decades-long global teaching. The world would be a different place. It would be a worse place.
Answer
This former student would become a good instructor. But he left Shaolin Wahnam, and I wished him well. Out of 60,000 students estimated by Andrew of Switzerland, only a very few students left, and I wished them well. They have a right to choose their own lives, and they could leave any time when they felt they would not receive further benefits.
I never abandon my disciples, especially those who had contributed to Shaolin Wahnam.
John performing the San Feng Wudang Set
Question 5
Sifu not only saved my life but saved my uncle's life. Sifu sent a blessing to my uncle on his death bed. We went there, and the priest gave my uncle the last rites, anointing him with oil as death was imminent. I asked Sifu to help my uncle and the next morning my uncle had retreated from death's door and is still alive today. About a week later, my mother mentioned that my uncle said he saw a bright light on that night and she presumed my uncle was delirious but I know what happened.
Answer
I am glad that your uncle is alive. Teach him chi kung. Practicing genuine chi kung is one of the best things anyone can ever do. But if he does not want to practice, it is his life, and he is free to do what he thinks is best.
Question 6
Sifu has always wanted us to be happy. I have in fact discussed this exact point with Kevin Barry that Sifu just wants us to be happy, arriving in our respective countries and asking if we have a girlfriend and how we are, how our lives are going. I know that Sifu always acts for our benefit. That is beyond question. If we don't get the benefits, it is because we block ourselves from these blessings.
Answer
If a person is sick, it is because of blockage. We are all naturally healthy.
If a person blocks his natural blood flow, he may have an infection. If he blocks his organs, he may have an organic disorder. If he blocks his nervous system, he may have a psychiatric problem. If a person has a mental blockage, he may be unhappy at his work-place or in his family.
God always wants the best for everybody. If a person does not get benefits, it is because of blockage.
Grandmaster Wong performing the Shaolin Pukua Set
Question 7
Sifu, I look forward to a wide vista opening up very soon as my Ph.D nears completion. I am sorry for my past failures, Sifu, and I hope to make Sifu proud of me some day.
Answer
I am already very proud of you. You will without any doubt make a very good master one day, but if you choose any other profession, you are certainly free to do so and have my blessings.
If you choose teaching kungfu and chi kung, I would recommend that you teach Wudang Kungfu. You are already good at Wudang Kungfu, and it is a marvellous art, but it is being taught as kungfu gymnastic.
Teaching chi kung serves a great need today. Practicing genuine chi kung, which is very rare today, will give practitioners good health, vitality and longevity. Most people today practice gentle physical exercise.
But you must always speak from a position of strength, whether you teach kungfu and chi kung professionally, or choose any other profession. It is a special privilege to have a Ph.D and to give good health, vitality and longevity to other people.
Question 8
Thank you for the advice of slowing down and taking the week off. Now that it has been almost a week I do feel better. I must say I truly miss my training and some days it was almost difficult not to train as I enjoy it so much. I was wondering what I could practice from now on.
At night I practice sitting in stances for a few minutes and then stretching immediately after. Then I do moving in stances and afterwards I do a couple of kung fu sets but I always emphasise the Pakua set. At the end of my kung fu training I do pushing mountains and 1 or 2 forceful big windmills to keep my Cosmos Palm training alive. Although I love the 300 pushing mountains a lot, I thought it might be best to lower the number to 30 for the moment. I want to improve on my stances and kung fu before I truly apply myself to specialising in Cosmos Palm.
— Miguel, Netherlands
Answer
Your routine is just too much. If you carry on like this, you will have another over-training, and this time it would be worse than the last one.
It is difficult not to over-train, especially when you enjoy it. But you just have to if you do not want another bout of over-training. This time when you over-train, it will be far, far worse.
Remember that a typical Shaolin Wahnam student can achieve in one month what I needed one year in my student's days, and I was already a very good student. I could defeat black-belts easily. But you are not an average student; you are far better.
Even when we take an average Shaolin Wahnam student, it is more than 10 times better than a very good student in other schools. Three times is a good comparison. You should train at about 30% of your potential. An excellent way is not to go too deeply into a chi kung state of mind. It is not easy, but you have to do it.
Another good way is to cut down your training time. Train for about half an hour. You can have another session of about half an hour, but make sure that the two sessions are far apart.
Train more on set practice and combat sequences. Don't train too much on force training.
You can train whatever you like, but keep in mind the principles I have mentioned.
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
- Questions on Wing Choon Kungfu
- Force Training and Wooden Dummy
- The Training Methods and Philosophy of Eagle Claw Chin-Na
- Basic Self-Defence of Taijiquan
- The Heartland of South India