CHAPTER 4: THE MARVELS OF QIGONG
A young woman practiced qigong and overcame her cancer
(This chapter is selected from the writing of Hu Han Shun. The title and date of the writing are unknown. The writing was published in Chinese.)
Irrespective of whether it is in the mind of the Chinese people or in the mind of foreigners, qigong is marvellous. It has an aura of marvel, beauty and attractiveness. In fact, it is just like this. Whether it is the effects or the functions of qigong, they are marvellous, beautiful and attractive.
Marvellous Effects of Qigong
Qigong employs cultivation of heart, cultivation of breathing and cultivation of body to generate and circulate “zhen qi” or “real energy” in a practitioner’s body. Zhen qi is also called “yuan qi”, “nei qi” and “zheng qi”, or “original energy”, “internal energy” and “vital energy”. This sub-atomic material flows along meridians.
This vital energy can be felt in the systems of a person, organs, organizations, cells and bodily liquids while the person is in a quiescent state. This vital energy is a form of sub-atomic material. Only in external manifestation of qigong can this vital energy be observed. Nevertheless, the pathways of this vital energy flow, called by the great Chinese pharmacologist, Li Shi Zhen, as “pathways of internal view”, may be observed by special persons.
Surgeons of Western medicine cannot see the existence of qi or energy during surgical operations, nor find its trace. Yet qi is objectively real, and its functions are gigantic, thus causing a sense of wonder in people.
Qigong practitioners during their training, as they enter deeply into a meditative state of mind, often have experiences that are marvellous, that are different from what normal people experience. We regard these experiences as the effects of qigong.
First, what is easily felt is “eight sensations”. After entering into a meditative state of mind during qigong training, besides feeling mentally fresh, emotionally comfortable, and spiritually relaxed and calm, the whole body or part of the body may feel warmth, or freshness, muscles vibrating, numb, loosening, comfortable and light. Or practitioners may feel their whole body or part of the body becoming very huge or very small. Their body becomes light like drifting breeze, and there is no sense of time.
The Confucian, Lu Xin Wu, said that, “In the state of quiescence, it is huge like six harmonies. Inside it is empty and drifting, there is not one thing. When asked, everything is full, all things are full.”
People in the past summarized the feelings of qigong practitioners when they had entered into a meditative state of mind as “one movement, two itchiness, three freshness, four warmth, five light, six heavy, seven slipping, eight smooth.” Some people refer to the “eight sensations” as “one loosening, two odd, three cold, four warm, five floating, six sinking, seven hard, eight soft.”
Movement is one of the eight sensations. Besides internal movement, there may be external movement. For example, in the practice of soaring crane qigong, after about 4 or 5 minutes, hands and legs start to move gently at first, then the movements become large. Some practitioners move their hands and legs widely, some stretch and contract their legs, some move their arms rhythmically in front of their abdomen, and some jump high up into the air. Some are like drunk, with their eyes close as if smiling. Some move forward a few steps, then backwards a few steps, some to the left then to the right. Some act like falling down. The movements may last 10 to 20 minutes, or may be prolonged to an hour. Seeing them outwardly they may appear tired, but actually they feel energized and fresh, comfortable and full of vitality.
The second marvellous effect of qigong is stoppage of breathing, or stoppage of meridian flow! Some advanced qigong masters can stop their heart beats, showing the symptoms of clinical death, then they resume their heart beat. Some can raise the frequency of their heart beat to more than 300 times a minute!
The Sound Department of China’s Science Collage, using modern scientific instruments, discovered that when the qigong master, Hou Shu Ying, channelled qi outwards, his meridian flow stopped, and it resumed its flow only a minute after he had stopped channelling qi. A qigong master of Malaysia, Zhen Xian Wen, could stop his meridian flow, and once it was longest at 3 minutes 11 seconds.
A third marvellous effect is the internal appearance of wonderful view. It is also called “reflection of internal scene”. Its method is to close the eyes gently and reflect on certain part or parts of the body, with the intention of stimulating internal aspects of the body. The respective part or parts of the body become excited, and in a state of total relaxation and deep meditative state of mind, wonderful internal views are produced.
Present practitioners as well as those in the past have a lot of wonderful feelings, experiences and records. Jiu Ling Lao Ren said, “Viewing internal organs, like reflecting in candle light, the whole body is like a crystal tower, golden rays surround the body, cold stream gushing out, cosy with warm air, it isn’t imagination, it is real. From real experience, fire emits from the whole body, red throughout top and bottom, through tendons and bones, everywhere it flows.”
The Venerable Zhen Yang said, “Through the practice of directing and leading energy flow to an advanced level, naturally arrive at a stage full of marvels, and without thinking of sleep, not thinking of food in a meditative state of mind. When one has advanced to this stage, there is no birth and death in the heart, eternally silent eternally shinning, there is no entrance or leaving of breath, no coming and no going, just a feeling of benevolent light, existing or non-existing. When one has advanced to this stage, there is a moon forever shining at the forehead, just gently focus at it to embrace one, this shine will penetrate to the two eyelashes, like electricity shining , hence the body and life will be naturally strong.”
Kang You Wei also said, “In meditation, see myriad things in heaven and earth and me as one unity, radiating glorious brightness. At night just sit in meditation without sleeping, this will eliminate all evils and monsters. Continue like in a dreamy state of breathing, naturally spiritual marvels will arise. Practicing the five success, I can see myself outside my own body, and also see myself entering into my body. Seeing my body like skeleton, seeing man like life.”
Tan Tong Tong, regarded as one of the Six Gentlemen in Chinese culture, said, “When in meditation I look inwardly, I see my brain energy moving, its colour is pure white, its light gloriously bright, it’s tiny like minute threads, its body is like bent tiny wire.”
The modern qigong master, Li Shao Bo, mentioned that when he trained the art of loosening and silence, and looked inwardly, he found “Wherever his hands move to, there is a ball of qi, its scenery changes constantly, the marvels of spirit and energy, sometimes five brightness and ten colours, five rays radiating everywhere.”
He Ming pointed out, “The gates of purity and silence, the gates of circulating the Small Universe, this true art enables vital energy not to be dispersed, is able to clear meridians and view internal scenery. Not only it is a method to overcome illness and promote longevity, but also a way to study deeply the secrets of qigong.” (Editorial Note: The Small Universe is an advance art of qigong where energy is directed to flow through the conceptual and the governing meridians round the practitioner’s body.)
Through viewing the internal body, practitioners can observe the transformation of qi or energy, as well as the effects of the qi transformation. These are the experience of thousands of qigong practitioners both inside and outside China, and not the false creation and imagination of untrained people. Such experiences normally do not happen to ordinary practitioners. These marvellous internal scenes only occur to advanced practitioners who have a lot of vital energy and who have cleared energy blockage, or who have succeeded in stopping their breathing.
The fourth marvellous effect is the strange sensations after qigong practitioners have entered silence. Entering silence is a stage of deep meditation. In such situations, practitioners often experience strange sensations. For example, in the early summer of 1964, the qigong master, Wang Yuan Liu, and a friend practiced qigong on a small hill in Chungking. At that time the moon was bright and a light breeze was blowing, and everything was quiet. After loosening themselves, they entered into silence. They adopted the Three-Circle Stance. (Editorial Note: The Three-Circle Stance is formed with the feet about shoulder’s width apart, knees slightly bent, body upright, and the arms like holding a big ball in front of the solar plexus.)
Wang Yuan Liu relaxed totally from head to toes. Then he focused his energy at his dan tian. (Editorial Note: Dan tian, meaning energy field, is located about two or three inches below the navel.) Wang Yuan Liu attained a state of no mind, where he forgot about himself. After about 10 minutes, he felt as if he melt into Nature. His eyes were gently close, but the surrounding was very clear to him. He did not feel that they had no body. But he felt like floating clouds, more than 10 meters above the ground drifting lightly and in a care free manner.
Then suddenly, he felt like branches swaying in the distance. It was not his ears hearing the sound, but his feeling about it. Then automatically he flew towards the swaying branches. He clearly saw a person. He found himself in a wood. One hand held onto a branch in front, and the other hand still holding a branch behind, and his feet in the air, were moving forward. At that time Wang Yuan Liu completed his qigong practice. Softly he called to his friend, who also completed his qigong practice.
Wang Yuan Liu told his friend about his experience. His friend was suspicious, thinking that it was a disillusion. It was about 12 mid-night. Although there was moonlight, they could not see anything clear around for a few hundred meters. Then they had an idea. They hid themselves for some time. Soon they saw a man walking past. It was the same person Wang Yuan Li saw during his qigong practice. Wang Yuan Liu had progressed to an advanced level. He could see beyond space.
In quiescent qigong, externally there is no movement, but the movement is internal. When one has advanced to a certain level, qi or energy is generated. This energy enables the practitioner “to feel comfortable and wonderful, like standing besides some lotus flowers, flowing stream passes along their ears, looking at the east one can see the sun rising, with mist covering the earth extending to the sea, energy and blood flourish all over the body, in silence the Cosmos makes great changes, feeling natural and comfortable with happiness without end.”
The fifth marvellous effect is that qigong practitioners have an aura of energy around them, like precious shine from pearls. Such experiences are commonly seen in qigong training as well as in daily life. According to “Records of Nine Streams” when the famous doctor of the Song Dynasty, Huang Bu Tan, was on Ermei Mountain he met Miao Tung Zhen Zen during wind and snow and while discussing the secrets of external and internal elixir, Huang Bu Tan noticed that Miao Tung Zhen Ren had a glow like precious pearl.
Under strict conditions in 1978 the Shanghai Chinese Medicine Research Centre and the Shanghai Nuclear Science Research Centre. using sensitive high level electricity discovered that the qigong master. Ce He Sui, could control his pearly shine during qigong practice.
From 24th to 28th March 1983 more than 200 qigong masters from 26 provinces, cities and autonomous areas of China met at a conference in the City of Qinan to witness a qigong master who had practiced sitting meditation for over 50 years, Bao Gui Wen, demonstrated his art, and spectators could see a glorious glow about 3 inches above his head.
Qigong masters not only have such pearly symptoms on their head during their life times, but even when they had passed away the pearly glow still existed for some time. “Records of Chen Quan of Song Dynasty History” mentioned that even when the qigong master, Chen Quan, had passed away for seven months, his body was still warm, and there were coloured rays radiating from his body.
The sixth marvellous effect is the ability to transmit energy. Those who have practiced qigong for some time not only can generate energy, but also to circulate energy to flow in their body, to clear meridian blockage, harmonize energy and blood flow, balance yin and yang, develop vital energy, enhance their immune system, direct this energy to various parts of their body, as well as channel this vital energy out of their body, known as wai qi or external energy. Within certain distance, this external energy can affect the energy points or diseased parts of patients, and overcome their illness.
The qigong therapist of Shanghai Chinese Medicine Research Centre, Liu Jin Yong, used his right hand to channel external energy through a paper tube to patients to help them overcome their illness, while his left thumb pressed gently at the centre of his left palm or held his left hand in a fist. While doing this, he could continue conversation with others.
When a qigong master of the City of Wusek, Gao Chen Kang, channelled external energy to patients, the patients could feel impulses of cold energy or warm energy flowing into them. Some could also see white rays between the master’s fingers, and external energy emitted from his palm. The white rays were sometimes concentrated and sometimes diluted, and the external energy was sometime thick and sometimes thin, but like a yellow dragon drifting in clouds.
What was extraordinary about Gao Chen Kang was that not only he could channel external energy with his hands, legs and head, but also with his eyes! When he swept his eyes across someone’s arm, the affected person felt a flow of cold energy across his arm.
A qigong master of the Miao tribe in Hunan Province, Zhou Nan Fang, demonstrated Hundred Steps Red Sand Palm, also called Hundred Steps through Willows, to spectators of Jiang Xi Province. On stage was placed a vase of flowers acting as a target. Zhou Nan Fang stood on a table about 30 metres away. He moved his palms to channel external energy above the heads of the spectators. After about two minutes, he struck out his right palm, and the vase of flowers felt in congruence with his strike.
The famous qigong master, Liang Shi Feng, personally witnessed in the City of Nanning of Guang Xi Province, another qigong master demonstrating Five-Thunder Palm striking across space. A person came to the door of the house of the qigong master. The qigong master was sitting in the hall of his house. He rotated his two palms like playing with a ball. Then he struck out his right palm at the person from a distance of about 3 metres.
The person immediately fell down. His face was pale, his two eyes closed, and his body stiffened. Liang Shi Feng ran to the victim and tried to revive him, but to no avail. He then carried him into the master’s house and place him on a long table.
The qigong master moved his left hand about a foot from the man’s head as if to pull out the energy he just used to strike the man. The qigong master said that he took back the striking energy, otherwise the victim would remain unconscious and might die. After some time, the qigong master completed his movement.
The colour of the victim gradually returned, his eyes opened, and his body became pliant again. He sat on the ground vomiting. After some time he regained his calmness, but he looked very tired.
The qigong master of the Red Cross Hospital in Hangzhou City, Jin Guan, had practiced qigong for more than 40 years, and had a lot of interesting experiences. These experiences include external energy resulting from internal energy, Big and Small Universe, increased efficiency of the immune system, warmth at dan tian, energy staying at the head and not going down, feeling of rising above the ground, symptoms of deviation, incontrollable movement of the dan tian, foetus breathing, stoppage of breathing, energy emitting from pores of the skin, controlling breathing with the nervous system, the spirit as if coming out of the body, the whole body as if floating up, drifting about in the clouds, stale energy gushing out from the yongquan energy points at the soles of the feet while performing qigong, mentally fresh, body warm and pulse rate normal, and energy flowing harmoniously through the whole body. All these are personal experiences of Jin Guan recorded in his diary.
Marvellous Results of Qigong
Qigong, irrespective of whether it is self practiced or receiving qi channelled out by a master, can produce marvellous results in preventing illness, curing illness, maintaining health or promoting longevity.
There are many cases of curing illness marvellously. When the chief qigong therapist of the Beijing Medical Research Centre, Hu Bing, was 41 years old, he had a nervous breakdown, high blood pressure, heart problems, liver infection and hardening of his arteries. He chose qigong practice and medication for a year of healing process.
In his first healing session he employed medication as the main healing process and qigong training as supplement. After about 3 months, his illness showed obvious improvement. His appearance and spirit were better.
In his second healing session for about 3 months, he used qigong practice as his main healing process, and medication as supplement. He no longer had headache and dizziness, his heart did not give him much problem, his more than 10 years of insomnia had disappeared, and his high blood pressure could be controlled without the use of any medication.
In his third healing session of about 3 months , he did not use any medication but only qigong practice as well as Taijiquan. He successfully controlled his heart problem and hardening of his arteries, overcome mental breakdown, high blood pressure and liver infection. Now Hu Bing had already reached an old age, but he was full of vitality, his face well coloured, and his mind sharp.
A woman who was about 50 years old suffered from infection of her arteries when she was in her teens. After 1982 her disease became serious. She was not cured despite long periods of medication, and had high blood pressure. In 1984 she suddenly had neurological and heart problems. After staying in a hospital for 3 months, although her illness showed some improvement, she was still very weak, often out of breath and coughing, had cold sweat, and often suffered from heart pain. Although she used medication frequently, the result was not obvious.
From March 1984 she started practicing qigong. After practicing for 3 months she had unbelievable results. Her lung infection and artery infection disappeared. She was no longer out of breath nor coughed, and she felt strong. Her neurological and heart problems improved, and her partial paralysis disappeared. Her heart problems vanished and her immune system improved. She no longer had flu and could sleep soundly.
A man suffered from rheumatism. He also bad pimples growing at the back of his head which gave him unbearable itchiness. He sought treatment at many hospitals, but to no avail. In 1983 he started to practice qigong. He laid down with head facing up and practice breathing for about an hour. His spirit and appetite improved. At the end of the year, he added stance training every night for half an hour. In August 1964, he started reversed breathing. After a few days he discovered warmth at this dan tian.
In September he discovered that during his qigong training, qi or energy flowed to his yamen energy point behind his head. The next day he started to have muscular contraction which was uncontrollable and it went on for a few days. Then when he practiced lying down breathing exercise, he found a refreshing sensation at his back, and pressure on top of his head, and he was sweating all over his body. Then as he practiced his breathing exercise, all unpleasant sensations disappeared and he felt light and comfortable. A few days later, all the pimples which had caused him unbearable itchiness for years disappeared.
In 1976 Gao Wen San of the Chinese Navy was diagnosed with lung cancer. After medical treatment, he became very weak. His appetite was bad and he slept only about 4 or 5 hours a night, waking up numerous times in his sleep. His legs were swollen, had frequent headache, and the level of his white blood cells was very low.
In May 1977 he started to practice Guo Lin Fast Walking qigong. At the beginning it was difficult for him to walk even 200 steps. But gradually he increased his steps, and eventually he could walk 10,000 steps. After a few months his sleep and appetite improved noticeably. The swelling in his legs gradually disappeared, and the functions of his lungs and blood stream became normal. Before he was diagnosed with lung cancer, he often had influenza, but after his qigong practiced, the occurrence of influenza decreased. When he went for medical check up in the first year, his doctors said, “It is not simple”. In the second year, they said, “It is really not simple.” In the third year, they said, “It is miraculous.”
In the Lung Disease Research Centre of Beijing, 7 men were diagnosed with lung cancer. Their average age was 50 years, the oldest was 65 years, and the youngest 34 years. Five of them had undergone surgical operation. Two had not because one of them had high blood pressure, and the other had liquid in his lungs. They were very weak and their disease symptoms were obvious.
After 3 months of qigong practice when they were discharged from the hospital, their appetite became normal, their body became stronger, no more influenza, be able to sleep soundly at night, and not panting for breath when going up and down the stairs.
Another patient of 56 years old had lung cancer. The tumour was so large that surgeons could only cut a small portion at his upper lungs. After 4 months his cancer condition relapsed. He was readmitted to the hospital and had his tumour removed. Because of two surgical operations within half a year, he became very weak, his appetite was very poor, he frequently had influenza, fever, insufficient blood, and was panting for breath. After 3 months of qigong training, his conditions improved obviously. He felt strength at his limbs, could easily walk 7 or 8 miles, his appetite and sleep improved, and he did not have influenza any more.
All these lung cancer patients had X-ray before and after their surgical operations. The tumours of the two who did not undergo operations were not enlarged. Those who underwent operations did not have new tumours. Energy flow in their meridians was weak before surgical operations, but strong after the operations. Two of the seven lung cancer patients had low white blood cells, but the level of their white blood cells was normal after qigong practice.
The effects of qigong practice on preventing aging was very obvious. As there is ample evidence mentioned in an earlier chapter on the history of qigong, and qigong practitioners looking young despite their age, there is no need to repeat the evidence here. In modern societies of industrialization, the environment and atmosphere are heavily polluted and the causes of cancer have increased, but there are more qigong practitioners living longer lives. This is good evidence that qigong contributed much in this respect.
In clinical experience there is also a lot of evidence to show that qigong prevents aging. The Second Internal Medicine Department of Hunan Province provided evidence of the following. A woman of 67 years in 1971 suffered from hardening of her intestines. After surgical operation, her intestines became narrow resulting in abnormal removal of her bowels. In 1975 blood and liquids issued from her breasts, her nervous system was extremely weak, and her body swollen, her hair turned white, and age spots surfaced on her face and arms.
After practicing qigong for half a year, her symptoms disappeared, much of her hair turned black, her skin regained flexibility, and her age spots gradually disappeared.
A man of 82 years old suffered from high blood pressure as well as heart and neurological problems. He was partially paralysed and his movements were severely limited. After practicing qigong for 6 years he regained his good health. Age spots that were previously found on his body gradually disappeared.
Another man of 56 years old suffered from hardening of the liver, and often had to be hospitalized but he was not cured of his illness. But after practicing qigong for 4 months, his appetite increased, and the symptoms of bloating of his stomach and hardening of his liver disappeared. The functions of his liver returned to normal. Age spots on his face and arm also vanished.
There has been much evidence recorded regarding channelling external qi to overcome illness. Outstanding examples are numerous. Channelling energy was evident in the past. During the time of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), the channelling of qi to overcome illness by Zheng Ling was regarded as miracles. Madame Huang, the mother of Lu Qi, was invalid for more than 10 years but was not cured by medication.
Zheng Ling went to her house to cure her. He sat a few feet away from her, and entered into mediation. After some time, Zheng Ling said to Lu Qi, “Help your mother to stand up.” Lu Qi was surprised and replied, “My mother has been sick for many years. How could she by just sitting there stand up?” But Zheng Ling said, “Just help her to stand up. We shall see what happens.”
So both men lifted Madame Huang by her armpits. After a short while she could walk by herself. Her being invalid for many years suddenly was cured!
Zheng Ling then channelled his external energy into water and asked Madame Huang to drink it. Zheng Ling initiated “water therapy”, which was effective in overcoming illness.
A famous medical doctor of the Song Dynasty, Huang Bo Heng, also used external energy to help patients recover from their illness. As recorded in “Records of Nine Streams” the queen mother, Ling Ren, suffered from eye problems. The imperial doctor could not cure her. The emperor, Gao Zong, requested able persons to the palace. Huang Bo Heng answered the call. He channelled external energy to the queen mother and cured her of her eye problems.
There are also many cases of channelling external energy to cure illness in modern times. In September 1983 a patient suffered from paralysis due to a stroke. His limbs were numb and he could not stand by himself.
In the City of Quilin in Guangxi Province, a qigong master, Tan Yao Heng, entered into mediation for some time. Then he used his sword-finger (formed by pointing forward the index and middle fingers together, and holding the thumb, fourth and little fingers) to channel external energy to the patient via the patient’s energy points like baihui, dachi, yingtang, huantiau, fengxi and qiyen (which are energy points at the head and legs). The patient felt that his whole body was refreshing, light and comfortable.
Ten minutes later the qigong master blew water three times into the patient’s yingtang and baihui energy points (found on the forehead between the eyes and at the crown of the head). The patient felt that the numbness on his head disappeared. After 10 minutes the patient could stand up by himself, and with the help of the qigong master, the patient could walk for about 60 steps, or about 30 metres!
A patient from Sinkiang Province had migraine for 10 years. His eyes were swollen, he could not open his eyes nor see things clearly. He went to the Old People Medical Research Centre in Guangdong for healing. The qigong master at the centre channelled external energy to him for about 3 minutes. Then the master used his qi to massage the patient and open the patient’s energy points. The patient felt light and comfortable. After the healing session the patient could open his eyes and regain his eyesight.
In June 1985 a surgeon who had served for more than 20 years had many bones broken due to a motor accident. The bones of his right arm and right leg, collar and ribs were broken. He suffered great pain. Despite medical treatment over 40 days, he could not sit up. So he went to External Medicine Department of the Chinese Medical Hospital of Qinghai Province to seek treatment from a great qigong master from Shanghai, Wang Sui Ting. The patient sat in his bed, and the qigong master talked to him like a long-lost old friend.
The qigong master was smiling and intimate, making the patient feel very comfortable and grateful. After about 5 minutes the patient felt his whole body warm, and was sweating gently. His broken right leg started to feel numb and sour, and he felt as if ants were crawling all over his body. At the same time he felt a cool, refreshing flow of energy gushing out of his sole as if attracted by an invisible magnet. Also he felt rows and rows of needles pricking into his legs.
Then he heard surprised shouts form staff of the hospital, “His leg is being lifted up!” Everyone was very surprised, including the patient himself. At that time no one was touching the patient’s right leg, but the hand of the qigong master, Wang Sui Ting, was raising up about 10 feet away. When the hand of the qigong master moved to the left, the patient’s leg would move to the left. When the hand of the qigong master moved to the right, the patient’s leg would move to the right. Wherever the master’s hand moved to, the leg would follow, just like a puppet.
Then it was as if the patient’s leg was tied to the hand of the qigong master, directed and controlled by the master. After five times of qigong treatment from the master, the patient not only could stand up, but also walk about, walking up to the fourth floor!
In December of 1980 a labourer in Shanghai started to bleed from his nose. In January 1981 he found a swelling of his lymph nod on his left forehead. Gradually it increased to 6 cm. In August 1981 a Shanghai hospital diagnosed it as cancerous tumour, originated from the patient’s nose. He received radiation treatments five times, and the tumour subsided from 6 cm to 4 cm but it did not subside further.
In December 1981 the patient received qigong treatment from external energy. After 4 times of treatment by channelling external energy, with each time consisting of about 30 minutes, the patient obviously found that his tumour subsided. After 20 times of treatment by channelling external energy, the hospital confirmed that the patient’s nose, lymph nodes, and nervous system were stabilized, and his blood pressure which was previously 170/110 was reduced to 140/86. Without taking medical drugs, the patient’s condition was stabilized, his appetite improved and his emotional balance maintained.
The results of hard qigong were widely witnessed by the public. The “External History of Scholars” not only recorded the cases of scholars but also described warriors like Iron Arm Zhang, Guo Xiao Zi, Wandering Immortal and Old Man Feng Xi. Their martial art was mainly from hard qigong. For example, Chapter 52 mentioned that “The horse was jumping about. It gave a kick at a youth who bent down with pain. Beard Man Wu Ba was angry. He went forward and with a kick, he broke the horse’s leg. Everyone was surprised. Qin Er Qi cried out, ’Good kungfu!’ Qin Er Qi said to Beard Man Wu Ba, ‘Brother Wu Ba, please come here. Your kick at the horse just now was first class. If you dare to kick at Brother Feng Xi, I would really admire you as a real man.’ Everyone laughed and said, ‘How can you do that?’
Old Man Feng Xi said, ‘Mr Wu Ba, if you really try, one will fall.’ Beard Man Wu Ba thought for awhile, and had a look at Old Man Feng Xi and found him not an iron immortal nor a gigantic big boss. So what was he afraid of? So he said, ‘Brother Feng Xi, if it is so, I beg your pardon.” Feng Xi lifted up his robe and showed his trousers. Wu Ba used all his strength and kicked at Feng Xi’s groin. But it appeared that Wu Ba’s leg did not kick at any human flesh, but at a piece of iron. All the five toes were nearly broken, and the pain went straight to Wu Bo’s heart. Wu Ba then could not even lift up his leg. The pain and swelling lasted for 7 or 8 days. This scholarly description was not mere imagination, but was based on real life experiences.
The experiences of hard qigong were plentiful in real life. The qigong master of Shanghai Qigong Research Centre, Liu Jin Yong, used an wooden plank 55 cm long, 35 cm wide and 8 cm thick to hit his own head. The wooden plank broke into two pieces but there was no injury on the head.
The class monitor of the Wushu Department of Shanghai Physical Education Institute placed the sharp blade of a sabre on his body and hit the back of the blade hard, but the blade could not injure him, yet at the same time he could channel external energy to other people to cure them of their illness.
The demonstration of qigong master of Hunan Province, Zhao Kai Su, who was regarded overseas as an international qigong master, by mounting his stomach on an iron trident, was marvellous. After generating energy for about 3 minutes, the master walked briskly to the iron trident and used a wooden plank to test the sharpness of the trident, causing the trident to pierce into the wooden plank. Then Zhao Kai Su mounted on the longest sharp fork of the trident, with his hands and legs spread wide apart, and rotate round and round on the sharp fork of the trident.
The well known old body builder of Shanghai, Zhu Lin Gen, could allow a car to go over his body. Using his teeth to bite onto a rope pulling the back a car, even when a driver stepped hard on the accelerator to move the car forward, he couldn’t. In 1952 when witnessing the performance of this qigong master, Field Marshal Zhu De while applauding Zhu Lin Gen, told his military officers and soldiers, “Who say the Chinese are the weak men of the Far East. Like comrade Zhu Lin Gen, a great qigong master could be regarded as the strong man of the East.”
The great qigong master of Hong Kong, Liang Zhen Long, demonstrated the art of eagle claw. He held a burning hot iron rod from a furnace. According to the 1984 issue of an American magazine, “Body Builders of the World”, the eagle claw of Liang Zhen Long could handle heat of 1300 degrees Celsius.
Hard Qigong masters could demonstrate using their head to break marble slabs, using their bare hands to break steel rods, wrapping their wrist round steel stripes, using their legs to kick at steel rods, pierce their throat with metal spears, lying on bed of nails and breaking marble slabs on top, breaking bricks on both ears, and holding more than two tons of heavy weight on their stomach. These demonstrations show the great power of qigong masters.
An old picture showing Sifu Cheng Chang Sou, a disciple of Grandmaster Wong, breaking a slab of marble with a gentle tap of his hand
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