SMALL UNIVERSE, DRAGON STRENGTH AND SOME REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES
Grandmaster Wong practicing the Small Universe
Question
In applying to the Dragon Strength course, Sigung mentioned that my having taken the Small Universe course would be especially useful for Dragon Strength. Could Sigung kindly elaborate?
Could Sigung share some personal stories of applying Dragon force in real life?
Stephen
Answer
For me, one who has lived his private and professional life happily and successfully, my specialized kungfu set is Dragon Strength, and the chi kung exercise that I have found to be most beneficial is the Small Universe. If we wish to benefit form others’ examples, it is logical to choose examples of people who have been happy and successful in both their personal and professional life.
It is very useful to follow successful examples. There are at least two important benefits. One, you can save a lot of time. Two, you are sure that the method is correct.
If you want to improve your health by practicing kungfu, for example, you can practice it for some time, like a year, and find out from direct experience whether your health has improved. Interestingly, or alarmingly, many kungfu practitioners do not do this. Before they started practicing kungfu, they might have some idea that practicing kungfu would make them healthy. But after practicing for some time, like more than a year, they do not even realize that they have become more unhealthy, physically as well as emotionally.
Just some common sense will tell that their method is incorrect, because practicing kungfu is meant to make practitioners healthy. It is unlike, for example, practicing cage fighting. For the professionals, practicing case fighting is to earn money. For the amateurs, practicing cage fighting is a sport, though this sport, they probably do not realize, is unlikely to make them healthy.
In the case of practicing kungfu, one can save a lot of time by following the example of those who have improved their health. He should not take just one or two examples. He should take many examples, like more than ten. He will also be sure that the method these healthy kungfu practitioners employ is correct.
The same principle applies to other aspects of life, like overcoming illness. It is alarming and shocking that many sick people seek treatment from professionals who have explicitly told them that their illness cannot be cured. More shocking, though it is not commonly known, is that the professionals themselves suffer from the very same illness, but would not undergo the same treatment. This is in contrast to doctors trained in traditional Chinese medicine. A doctor of traditional Chinese medicine would undergo the same treatment he prescribes to his patients if he himself is ill.
Besides success, you should also choose examples from people who are happy, in both their personal and public lives. If you choose to follow the example of a successful businessman who is unhappy because he is sick or has no time for his family or himself, yours is not a wise choice.
In kungfu and chi kung training, my examples are worthy to be followed as I am both happy and successful in my personal and professional life. Many people have kindly reported that my happiness is contagious, and has brought sunshine to their lives. My professional teaching has established the largest kungfu and chi kung school in kungfu and chi kung history.
We are indeed very lucky in Shaolin Wahnam that we have a great variety of choice to practice kungfu and chi kung, and all the choices, if we practice them the Shaolin Wahnam way, lead to happiness and health. They also lead to vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys. Some of us, when we look at the de facto situation of the kungfu and chi kung world today, may forget that this is an exception, not the norm! This situation is alarming. If one practices kungfu or chi kung, he should be happy and healthy, but this is not so today.
One very important factor why we in Shaolin Wahnam are happy and healthy, though many Shaolin Wahnam Family members may not realize it, is due to Dragon Strength and the Small Universe. Dragon Strength is so versatile and powerful that it will enhance any style of kungfu. The Small Universe is so versatile and powerful that it will enhance any style of chi kung.
Because both Dragon Strength and the Small Universe are my favorites, the skills derived from them have seeped into my teaching to enhance any style of kungfu or chi kung I teach. As we practice genuine kungfu and chi kung, i.e. we practice them the way they should be practiced and obtain the results they are meant to give, we become happy and healthy, amongst other benefits. As my teaching, influenced by Dragon Strength and the Small Universe, enhances all styles of kungfu and chi kung I teach, the level of happiness and good health becomes more obvious.
But what may not be so obvious it that our practice of kungfu and chi kung makes us more successful in whatever we do. Although its philosophy is not so obvious, the practical phenomenon is clearly noticeable. Many Shaolin Wahnam instructors and students have reported to me that both their personal life and public life have improved tremendously since practicing our arts.
Why is this so? This is revealed in the Chinese term for good luck, which is “hou yun qi” in Mandarin, or “ho wan hei” in Cantonese. Literally, word by word, “hou yun qi” means “good circulation energy”. Past masters discovered that when a person’s energy circulation is good, he will have good luck. When you have good luck, it is logical that you will be successful.
Both Dragon Strength and the Small Universe ensure good circulation of energy, or having good luck. The full name of the Dragon Strength Set is Dragon Strength Circulating Energy Set. It is a specialized set where practitioners circulate their energy to develop Dragon force.
This is why I mentioned that your having taken the Small Universe course would be especially useful for Dragon Strength. If all other things were equal, a person having taken a Small Universe course would have better and faster results than another person who has not taken the course.
The main aim of the Small Universe is to generate continuous energy flow along the Ren Meridian and the Du Meridian. The Ren Meridian is the source from where energy flows to the twelve primary meridians and all other meridians in the body. The Du Meridian is the reservoir where energy from the 12 primary meridians and all other meridians return to. When energy is flowing vigorously along the Ren Meridian and the Du Meridian, it ensures that energy will flow vigorously to all meridians in the body, giving practitioners good health, vitality, longevity, mental clarity, peak performance and spiritual joys.
A practitioner who already has the Small Universe will start to generate Dragon force as soon as he performs the Dragon Strength Set. A practitioner who does not have the Small Universe will have to first generate his energy flow along respective meridians, only then can he generate Dragon force. Hence a practitioner with the Small Universe has faster result.
A Small Universe practitioner has energy flowing vigorously in all his meridians. A non-small Universe practitioner has energy flowing in those meridians he has generated energy flow. A Small Universe practitioner, therefore, has a great volume of energy. He also has a smoother energy flow, as his energy is continuously flowing in all his meridians, whereas in the non-Small Universe practitioner some other meridians may be blocked.
Internal force is a function of the volume and the smoothness of energy flow. The bigger the volume the greater will be the internal force generated. Also, the smoother the energy flow, the greater will be the force generated. Hence, the Small Universe practitioner will have better result.
One special feature of Dragon force is that it can be manifested at any part of the body. As a Small Universe practitioner already has energy flowing in all his meridian all over his body, he can manifest this ability more effectively than a non-Small Universe practitioner who has energy flowing only in certain parts of his body. The Small Universe practitioner can also manifest more Dragon force as he can make use of the accumulated effect of his continuously flowing energy, like a hurricane, whereas a non-Small Universe practitioner cannot. Hence the Small Universe practitioner has faster and better result.
Most of the times my Dragon force was manifested unconsciously. Here are some random examples that come to mind.
When I visited a lion dance troupe in Sungai Petani in my early years, knowing that I practiced kungfu, the most senior member of the troupe wanted to have some friendly sparring with me. He attacked me with a low punch, like our Precious Duck Swims through Lotus. I retreated into a low sideway Horse-Riding Stance and gripped his attacking arm with my tiger-claws, using the pattern “Second Auntie Catches Crab”. That one move ended the sparring.
Much later some members of the lion dance troupe, which I later taught, reported to me that he told them my internal force penetrated into him and made his whole arm numb. I clearly remember that I did not exert any force, though through practice rather than intention, I held his vital points.
On many occasions when I sparred with other people, I did not purposely exert force, but they later complained that I was powerful. This must be an unconscious manifestation of Dragon force.
On one occasion witnessed by some of our family members, during an Intensive Taijiquan Course in Sungai Petani a former Russian karate champion who had been very rough with other participants of the course, had a sparring with me. I avoided his initial kick, and was about to apply White Snake Shoots Venom to his throat, the very pattern we were practicing then, but he bent forward after kicking and exposed his upper head.
I gently tapped on his head. My Dragon force must have penetrated his bai-hui vital point. He was dazed, and could hardly move. I had to help him with chi flow to release the chi blockage.
My conscious application of Dragon force must be quite well known in our school by now. I applied it at different times on Darryl, Michael, Mark and Robin. They held me tight in some so-called unbreakable hold. I gave a gentle shake and sent them flying many feet away. Darryl said that he felt like a locomotive hitting him. They had to perform chi flow to clear the injury.
More valuable is the application of Dragon force in everyday life. Two recent examples came readily to mind.
During the Fantasy courses in Hawaii, Emiko, Anthony, Chris and some pretty Japanese girls and I had lunch at a restaurant. The restaurant was quite full, and a waitress allotted as to separate tables. Applying my Dragon force unconsciously, I insisted on having all diners at one table, and using lighting speed which I had derived from my Dragon Strength training, I started pulling some small square tables together to make one long composite table.
The pretty Japanese girls were excellent. Although they had not learnt Dragon Strength directly yet, they had its benefits indirectly. They helped me with the table, and before others could realize what was happening, we already had a long table and we sat around it.
On another occasion some instructors had a slight mis-understanding, and harsh words were exchanged. I acted fast with Dragon force and lighting speed. I got everyone at lunch together, and even before the food arrived they became brotherly and sisterly again.
Dragon Strength is very useful not just for kungfu but for daily life. The Small Universe enhances the practice and the results tremendously.
Grandmaster Wong performing a pattern from the Dragon Strength Set
Dragon Strength in Video
Old Version of Dragon Strength
Treasure House of Kungfu Sets
Treasure House of Combat Application
The questions and answers are reproduced from the thread 10 Questions on Dragon Strength in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
LINKS