SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
APRIL 2022 PART 3

Learning Experience

Teaching kungfu is a learning experience

Question 1

I struggled at that time with my own direct experience of Sifu's teaching as well as our Shaolin Wahnam philosophy and Shaolin Laws such as to love one's fellow disciples as brothers and sisters.

Kevin's whole approach is still effected by the instructor's severing of ties with him.

— Name and Country Withheld

Answer

Teaching chi kung and kungfu is a learning experience. I greatly improve a lot in teaching. Aside from natural improvement, I think I am at least 3 times better than when I was a student.

We must love our fellow disciples as brothers and sisters. I am very glad of the close comradeship in our Shaolin Wahnam family. It has become well known.

I am very proud of Kevin. I hope the instructor's resignation has not affected his perception of the instructor.

Question 2

What was most disillusioning was the instructor openly gossiped about students and shared their secrets with other students. I realize now that this damaged my Heart of Confidence.

Answer

It was not right for the instructor to gossip about other students. Personally I kept as secrets many things that students and instructors told me.

The Heart of Confidence is very important. I am glad that Zhang Wuji of Singapore asked that question. We have to be confident in whatever we do. Of course we always have good thoughts.

Punta Est

Attilio's hotel in Italy

Question 3

Mark looked after everybody admirably and very well over the courses. In Italy Atilio kindly treated me.

Answer

Mark of Taiwan is a lovely instructor. He will also be a great Shaolin master. Remember that being accomplished in the Shaolin arts is better than changing stones to gold by touch.

It is, paradoxically, a pity that he is now happy in Taiwan, which by nature the Chinese are chauvinistic. I am a rare exception.

I love Italy and Attilio always treats me very well. I remember very fondly that Rama took me to Venice, and we experienced snow in June which is summer with Riccardo and Mariangela over the pass connecting Italy and Austria.

Question 4

I hope to teach the Shaolin arts as Sifu has so kindly taught me, to find love with the girl of my dreams and to have beautiful children and a successful life.

Answer

You will meet the girl of your dream and be a good father to your children. Make your wife and your children happy.

We shall be free of the virus, or any disease, and we shall not be a carrier. Our chi kung and kungfu practice will give us good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys irrespective of religion.

Remember that I haven't been sick for more than 50 years, and this applies to all our students and instructors in Shaolin Wahnam. In other words, Shaolin Wahnam students and instructors should not be sick at all. Remember that you will become a great Shaolin master.

Look ahead with confidence. Treat everyone with kindness. If you have lived your life wrongly, live correctly and follow the Ten Shaolin Laws.

Triple Stretch

"Triple Stretch" to develop internal force and mental clarity

Question 5

In a very interesting article you stated that you practised your leg stretching exercises every night for two years in order to achieve a half-lotus-position. Which exercises did you perform besides the Art of Flexibility?

— Florian, Germany

Answer

I remember the exercises came from the "Art of Flexibility" which included "Three Levels to Ground", "Dancing Crane", "Touching Toes", "Dragonfly Playing with Water", "Taking off Shoes", and "Supporting Leg".

The last exercise, "Supporting Leg", was later left out of the "Art of Flexibility" because it was not feasible to perform the exercise. It consists of a person in a Bow-Arrow Stance supporting a leg of the exponent.

I did the exercises every night for more than 2 years. Finally I could sit in a semi-lotus position, the basic requirement for sitting meditation.

Question 6

My second question is concerned with the history of the Shaolin Temple. The highest art in the Shaolin Temple was Xin Yi Ba, and was only taught to the senior warrior monks in the temple.

Answer

I believe that "Xin Yi Ba" came later. It was at the end of the Ming Dynasty. Before that the Shaolin monks helped Li Shi Ming to set up the Tang Dynasty, which is a few hundred years earlier.

It was also recorded that the founder of Xingyiquan, which originated "Xin Yi Ba", was Yue Fei, a Song Dynasty marshal, also earlier than the Ming Dynasty. Xingyiquan is the kungfu for generals, whereas Eagle Claw Kungfu, also founded by Yue Fei, is the kungfu for soldiers.

I don't know much about "Xin Yi Ba", except that it is closely related to Xingyiquan. In kungfu set development the southern Monastery in Fujian was the climax. It had both force development and combat applications. Earlier in the northern Monastery in Henan, there were only combat applications.

wushu

Modernized wushu is differenet from traditional kungfu

Question 7

Would you say that this Xin Yi Ba are the internal principles the monks added to their otherwise external forms like Da Hong Quan?

I would be very pleased if you could elaborate on this art, how it influenced the southern Shaolin Temple and consequently our arts we practise today. Are these principles still can be found in famous southern kungfu sets?

Answer

"Xin Yi Ba", or "Heart-Art-Eight" is relatively unknown. In Shaolin Wahnam we practice triple-cultivation, i.e. "jing", "qi" and "shen", or physical cultivation, energy cultivation and spiritual cultivation. Every being is made up of "jing", "qi" and "shen" or in Western terms, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

There were actually two southern Monasteries, both in Fujian. One at the city of Quanzhou, which was an open Monastery, and the other on Nine-Lotus Mountain, which was secretive. Our two patriarchs, the Venerable Jiang Nan was from Quanzhou, and the Venerable Chee Seen from the Nine-Lotus Mountain.

There are many versions of "Da Hong Quan", or the Great Majestic Set. I learned two versions, one from Uncle Righteousness, and the other from Sifu Ho Fatt Nam. Later, I called the version from Uncle Righteousness "Triple Stretch" set.

Two famous Shaolin masters, the Veneranble Sam Tuck and Hoong Hei Koon, were reputed to specialize in the set, which was the "Triple Stretch Set" which was said to form the foundation of the famous "Hoong Ka" set, i.e. Shaolin "Iron Wire" set.

Question 8

Do you think this art is still preserved in the modern day Shaolin Temples around the world?

Answer

Today traditional Shaolin Kungfu is not taught in Shaolin Temples around the world. The hallmarks of traditional Shaolin Kungfu are combat efficiency, character development and spiritual cultivation.

What is taught in the Shaolin Temples around the world is modernized wushu, which has no combat efficiency, no character development and no spiritual cultivation. In Chinese "wushu" means "martial art", but the present Chinese government promotes it as a sport.

If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Grandmaster Wong via his Secretary at stating your name, country and e-mail address.

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