Tse Qigong Centre UKPO Box 59

Altrincham WA15 8FS0845 838 2285

+44 161 929 4485tse@qimagazine.com

Qi Magazine 4

It’s Official!Wild Goose in Top Ten

Chinese National Athletics ChairmanWu Shao Zin announced the issuing ofcertificates for healthy types of QigongExercise. On the 5 th of October 1998, at theWushu Management Centre, the Chairman ofthe Chinese National Athletic AssociationWu Shao Zin issued certificates for thefollowing Qigong exercises (listedalphabetically);

Chinese Intelligence GongDayan QigongEmpty Spirit GongEnlighteningGongGuo Lin New QigongHappy and Lucky GongHeart GongMa Li Tang Six Words MethodPan Mountain Yin Yang GongYan Xin QigongYuan Ji GongThese were issued in accordance with

findings of the Chinese National PublicityDept and the Chinese National AthleticsDept for “Controlling and managing Qigonginformation and spirit in society”.

The National Athletics Committeefor “The Management of Healthy QigongExercises” held a meeting to discuss the rulesof selection. They also conducted research in

Beijing, Tinjin and Hebei. After a number ofmonths of very careful research andexamination they found that the above stylesof Qigong were both safe and promotedhealth. The selection was based on thefollowing rules1. The history of the style is clear.2. The exercises are safe andcomplete.3. The exercises are scientific.4. The exercises have been practisedby a great many people over a long periodand so there is a great deal of experience.5. The exercises have also beenexamined and researched by different citydepartments and have been proved to be ofbenefit to society.

The exercises chosen will continuedto be examined every year to manage and

maintain these styles.After the issuing ceremony, Chairman

Wu gave a speech to all the committee andexplained the promotion of healthy Qigong.

Everyone agreed that healthy Qigongcontained the culture of China and was goodfor people’s health and heart. The skills,however, should follow the rules andprinciples set down by the leading expertsappointed by the Chinese Government topromote the exercise and serve the people.

Also taking part in the ceremonywere some group leaders and NationalCommittee members, including Feng Li Da,Deputy Committee Manager Tao Zin Lai,Qiu Yu Cai and committee member Song TienBin. The whole ceremony was given by theWushu Athletics Management, DeputyChairman Wang Gou Qi.The Certificate presented to Dayan Qigong and

Grandmaster Yang Meijun

The official letter from China

If there is anything you want to discuss, if there is anything you want to share withothers, any news or any announcements you would like to make, send them to us:Qi Magazine, PO Box 116, Manchester M20 3YN.

Qi Magazine 5

GrandmasterIp Chun

Visting in JuneIn June 1999 Grandmaster Ip Chun

will be visiting the UK to teach a series ofseminars on Wing Chun Kung Fu. At the ageof 74, he is a living testament to the benefitsof Wing Chun for both health and martial artsskill. He still travels the world and can ChiSau with people fifty years younger thanhim. His level of skill is quite amazing andalso his technical knowledge is very deep andprofound. He can take various aspects ofWing Chun and explain them in great depth,but in very simple terms so that evenbeginners can benefit.

An opportunity to study with theeldest son of the Great Grandmaster Ip Man- don’t miss it! This year, he will be teachingin London on the 26th and 27th June. Formore information contact the Tse QigongCentre: PO Box 116, Manchester, M203YN. Tel.0161 929 4485, Fax 0161 9294489, email tse@qimagazine.com

Searchingfor Sam?

Following ourcover story in last issue,many of you may want tocontact Master Sam Chin.You can do so via emailon iliqchuan.aol.com andat his websitehttp://www.iliqchuan.org.

More Powerto your ElbowDear Michael

I have recently read your Ip ChunWing Chun book. I found it very interestingand informative. I always enjoy finding outmore about the history and philosophy ofWing Chun.

I trained with Grandmaster VictorKan for five years but had to stop recentlydue to family commitments. However, I stillpractise Siu Lim Tao regularly.

Sifu Kan emphasised focusing powerinto the elbow and forearm during the firstsection of the form (five minutes each arm). Iconsider this to be an isometric exercise whileconcentrating on the correct forearmpositioning. This was not detailed in your

judgement and then expect the “master” todirect their lives for them and when things gowrong, it is the master who is to blame. Thisis indeed sorrowful! Only when we face upto our own mindful self and its poison willwe then be able to find our path.

Your magazine is a welcome breath offresh air to behold. Keep up the good work.

Please do a short excerpt on the 10best Qigong methods as explained by theBeijing Ministry of Health last year. I heardabout it through various sources but have notbeen able to get the whole story. It seemsthat some felt slighted because their methodwas not mentioned and hence they did not letthe public at large know.

I do not know in what context thiswas disclosed but could you disclose whatcriteria were looked at and why and perhapswhat Qigong method was best for what typeof disease.Thank you very much.S. (Chicago)

Dear S.Thank you for your letter. The list you

mentioned is detailed on these very pages. Inthe near future, we are planning to do aseries featuring all the methods that havebeen chosen. Hopefully, with moreinformation we will all be in a better positionto make informed and educated judgements.M.T.

Fighting WomenDear Michael,

I was interested to see the debatecontinuing in issue 40 as to whether historicalwomen in China practised martial arts. Iwonder whether J of North Yorkshire orDarryl Moy had read Deng Ming Dao’s book“Chronicles of Tao”. This is presented as afactual account of Kwan Sai Hung’s Daoisttraining in pre-revolution China. It includes adescription of a class for presumably quiteadvanced female students run by his mother.And there are many incidents involvingwomen fighters in the book. The authorpoints out that it was quite usual, forexample, for communities of nuns in remoteareas to study self-defence. It seems thiswas also true for a large proportion of thearistocratic class. When Sai Hung eventuallycomes to the West he reflects on the attitudeshe finds so different from a China where menand women participated in the martial art onequal terms.

To my way of thinking this wouldaccord perfectly with the Daoist view thatthe correct way for humanity is to be foundin the study of nature. Where, although maleand female creatures have different roles,their ability to defend themselves and use

book. I would be interested in your views onthis aspect of the form.

Also, I was hoping that the Qigongchapter would cover “energy flow”visualisations. Do you have any furtherinformation that might help me in this area? Ihave William Cheung’s book “How toDevelop Chi Power”. Do you believe this tobe a good way of preparing and practising SiuLim Tao?Many thanksS.(Essex)

Dear S.Thank you for your letter and your

kind words.Focusing power into the elbow comes

about naturally while you are doing the form.If you move extremely slowly, (it has beenknown for people to take twenty minutes toperform just one Tan Sau), you will find that itis very difficult to move your arm so slowlyinto the correct position. As such, you have toconcentrate on what you are doing to achievethe result you are aiming for.

As for the book you mentioned, I amafraid, I am not familiar with Sifu Cheung’sbook or teachings on this subject. Differentteachers have their own ways of teachingbased on their own knowledge and experienceand it would not be fair for me to comment.M.T.

The Whole PictureDear Editor

The letter from C. Japan wasinteresting but the said person relied toomuch on secondary information (his friend,so he was told, etc.) when he should havegone straight to the source. C. also needs todo some individual research from all availablesources instead of just one source.

The article was very good, but thereare many of those who know much of the“whole” story about Falun Gong but neverfeel they should tell others. Much of what iswritten on Falun Gong has some truth but tomix Falun Gong and Buddhism is indeedawkward.

In the light of disclosure, about a yearor so much of the biography of the founderhas been found to be “incorrect”.Supposedly in Beijing, Falun Gong materialwas banned due to the “cult-like” devotion ofits members to its founder, said to be an oil-production worker, and how he came topractise with so many teachers when he wasworking at his vocation. Again, suchdisclosure was never reported in any Qigongmagazine/article about the “problems”associated with Falun Gong.

Much of the confusion about Qigongcomes about when people suspend

Qi Magazine 6

strategy in hunting and survival arecomparable and perfectly natural.

Clearly there would have beenrepressive families where this freedom wasforbidden, but undoubtedly for many thiswas not the case.Your sincerely,H. (Isle of Wight)

Another Headache!Dear Editor,

In last issue Dr Shulan Tang’s articlereferes to four types of migraine yet onlytwo were referenced and the last onementioned, i.e. number 3 – Damp phlegmtype also refers to blood stasis. I think youhave confused this article at the printers. Asa practitioner of TCM my understanding isthat the four types are: Liver Yang rising,Blood Deficiency, Blood Stasis and DampPhlegm. Please could you verify the article.G. (Email)

Dear G,You are quite right, an error has

occurred somewhere along the line and acrucial paragraph was omitted. We thankyou for being kind enough to point this out tous and our readers.

The paragraphs should have read asfollows:(cont’d...)

3. Damp - Phlegm TypeDamp Phlegm clogs the head. Symptoms:Migraine, heavy head, blurring of vision,tight chest, nausea and vomiting. Alsothere may be a white greasy coating onthe tongue and a slippery pulse.Often seen in ME patients.Prescription: Ban Xia Tian Ma Bai ZhuTangBan Xia, Tian Ma, Fu Ling, Chen Pi, BaiZhu, Gao Cao

4. Blood StasisBlood stasis restricting blood flow in thebody and headSymptoms: migraine pain in a fixed placeor needle like prickling pain.This may occur if the patient has a historyof external injury. Alsoassociated with a purple tongue, threadand hesitant pulse, often seen inhead injury victims and may include astubborn headache.Treatment: Disperse blood stasis anddredge collateral.Prescription: Xue Fu Zhu Yu TangDang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Chi Shao,Tao Ren, Hong Hua, Niu Xi, Chai Hu,Jie Geng, Zhi Ke, Sheng Di Huang,Gan Cao.Acupuncture is also an effective treatment

for migraine, most cases are relievedduring or immediately after acupuncture.The selection of acupuncture points willdepend on the different type of migraine.For mild migraine or severe migrainestabilised, there are herbal patentmedicines which help to prevent theattack with the additional bonus ofimproving general health. Essential balm(Feng You Jing) a special Chinese herbaloil with cool properties can be usedexternally to relieve the attack.

Many apologies to Dr. Shulan Tangand all our readers for any confusion caused.

Whenever we discover a mistake wewill glady print a correction and weappreciate all our readers advice andcomments.

We will publish the entire correctedarticle on our Website, which can be found athttp:\\www.qimgazine.com.Darryl Moy - Deputy Editor Qi Magazine

ResponseDear Michael,

I was interested to read the lettersresponding to my initial letter concerningFalun Gong published in issue 40. M. fromNottingham mentions a controversysurrounding this sect, and rejection by theChinese Qigong Institute for not being acorrect Qigong method “amidst concernabout the exercises and the founder.” Iwonder if we, your readership, could prevailupon you, Michael, to investigate this matterfurther. No one wishes Qi magazine tobecome a forum for internecine bickering, ofcourse, but as editor of our magazine and“guardian” of correct Qi practice, I feel it isappropriate for you to delineate theparameters of what constitutes qigongproper, and what constitutes practices thatfall outside this definition; in short, to keepus on the right track and point out - as indeedyou have done in the past - any paths wewould do better to avoid.Best wishes as ever,C. (Japan via email)

Dear C,Thanks for your second email and for

your support for the magazine and me. Ibelieve many people would like to hear yourreply to all the different letters.

I understand what you mean, but Iam sorry that I cannot judge Falun Qigongby myself. It is not fair to them. It is not fairbecause I do not know this kind of Qigong.Although I know a few kinds of Qigong, Iconcentrate on Dayan Qigong particularly.This is what I practise and I will spend therest of my life to do that because it has good

results. I see my teacher Yang Meijun who isalso proof of this. It is working for health andhuman potential. Today she is over 100 yearsold and is still healthy and strong. That iswhat students and I are looking for.

Recently there has been a governmentreport issued in China about Qigong. Theychose eleven styles which are considered safeand healthy for the majority of people topractise. (See earlier item in PO Box). DayanQigong was one of these eleven chosen.

We must all ask ourselves why wepractise Qigong. What are we looking for?Then we will have our answer. Whether aQigong style is good or bad is judged by thepeople, not judged by me.M.T.

New Wing Chun BookWhy Wing Chun Works is a new book byAlan Gibson. Alan is the head of the WingChun Federation and a student ofGrandmaster Ip Chun. His book goes intodetails of the principles that make WingChun a practical method of self defence.Alan can be contacted at The Wing ChunFederation, 19 Devonshire Road, Polygon,Southamptonshire, SO15 2GH. Tel. 01703572084.

Correct ContactIn last issue the contact number forauthorisedTaijiQigongand BalancingGongNadia Smith de Neckludoff appearedincorrectly. She can be contacted on 01600890 737.

Qi Magazine On-lineThe Qi Magazine website will have someexciting new features in the very nearfuture. Those of you on-line,keep youreyes on http://www.qimagazine.com.

Qi Magazine 7

Zhan Zhuang and Chan Si Gong (SilkReeling Exercises) are the foundationsof good Taiji practice. For the beginner

they are usually the first place where themovements of Qi are experienced and forthe more senior students they continue tobe an important resource for theclarification of principle. Both arealso powerful exercises in theirown right.

Zhan Zhuang is thestanding meditation ofTaijiquan. It is commonto most styles of Taijiand in the west it isoften referred to as“holding the tree”.Zhan Zhuang isusually performedstanding up-right,with the feetshoulder widthapart, kneesslightly bent andthe arms held infront of the body,at about shoulderheight, forming acircle. Thevariations on thisstance mostlydepend on howhigh you holdyour arms andhow deep yourstance is. The loweryour arms and thehigher your stance the easier it is.

The lowest your arms should be isforming a circle with the hands just in frontof the Dantien. The highest is at shoulderheight. The highest stance is with the legsonly slightly bent and the lowest is with thelegs bent to almost 90 degrees. This deepstance is like a horse stance but with the feetcloser together – either shoulder width orone and a half times shoulder width.

Beginners should workprogressively from the easy to the more

difficult. It can take a number of years todevelop a good deep stance, but it is better tohave a correct posture than a deep stance.Beginners should also gradually build up thelength of time that they hold the Zhan

Zhuang posture. To start withmostpeople havedifficultyholding the stance formore than a fewminutes, but after a few

years of diligentpractice it is possible

to meditate for anhour or more. Toattain a goodstandard of Taiji-quan takes yearsof practice andconditioning.Trying to make

yourself develop more quickly than yourbody is ready for is likely to be counter-productive.

One of the things that you learn fromZhan Zhuang posture is what your body iscapable of, but another equally importantlesson can be learnt from the shape that yourarms form in front of your body. This circleis one of the fundamental shapes of Taijiquan.For example, if you simply rotate your palmsso that they face out you should recognise

the ‘peng’ or ‘ward off ’ posture. Because ofthe length of time that you hold this postureduring meditation it is one of the physicalshapes that becomes most refined. The moreyou do the meditation the more you learnhow minute variations of posture andposition can affect Qi flow.

The basic arm shape of Zhan Zhuang(the angles that are formed at wrist and elbowin particular) should also inform your ChanSi Gong practice. Chan Si Gong exercisesisolate many of the movements of the formby reducing them down, oftento single circlesor spirals, reveals the base structures andprinciples of movement in Taijiquan. Thecorrect and regular practice of Chan Si Gongexercise is one of the most efficient methodsof improving the more complex movementsof the Taiji forms.

Chan Si Gong exercises help us tosee the underlyingsimplicity of themovements ofTaijiquan. ThroughChanSi Gong we canlearn effective co-ordination, betweenthe movements ofthe arms, body,Dantien and breath.Most importantlythough Chan SiGong teaches thecircle. It is throughthe circle, themovement of Qi andthe interplay of Yinand Yang (initially in

the form of opening and closing) thatTaijiquan attains its philosophical depth.

The circle can be seen as representingthe undifferentiated whole – the state referredto as Wuji. From Wuji, Taiji is born, andeverythingelse flowsfromTaiji. Intellectuallyit is easy to see how the principles of Taijiquancan lead us to the heart of the Tao, but it is thecorrect practice of the movements thatperhaps may allow us direct experience

byGlennGossling

The Circle and Taijiquan

In Chen Style Taijiquan there are circles and spirals everywhere. Thecircle and the spiral are almost like a principle of movement. Within theforms your body constantly traces numerous circles and spiralssimultaneously. They are so numerous that sometimes it can be difficultto see them and if you don’t know where they are it is quite easy to missthe principle of the moves.

Chen

Taijiq

ua

n

“Chan SiGong exerciseshelp us to seesimplicity ofTaijiquan”

Qi Magazine 9

In the first part of this article (published in the previous issue of thismagazine), interpretation of cancer in Chinese medicine wasdiscussed. In part two, we shall discuss some treatment plans.

CANCER & TCM part 2

Trad

itiona

lChin

ese

Me

dicin

e

The very principle of Chinese medicinein the treatment of cancers is to supportthe normal, healthy energy (Qi) of the

body and strengthen the resistance againstdisease. In practice, it is realised by preventingthe formation and the development oftumours, strengthening the body’s immunityto subdue the tumour, tonifying the spleenand kidney to enhance the normal functionsof endocrine and humour, to protect the bonemarrow and to promote hemopoieticfunction, and thus maximise the effects of allconventional therapeuticmeasures in western medicine.

At an early stage of thecancer, it is possible to have itcontrolled to a great extent fora long period of time withproper treatment in Chinesemedicine. It is also notimpossible to have it treatedsuccessfully in some cases. At alater stage of the cancer, theherbs can help to relieve thepain and to maintain andimprove general health.Abundant experiences have been gained inthe treatment of many common types ofcancers, in particular liver cancer, stomachcancer, breast cancer, etc, in the Chinesemedicine community. I shall mainly presenthere some ideas about the treatment of breastcancer in Chinese medicine.

Breast cancer can be differentiated asthe following types:

Liver Qi stagnation: tumour inbreast, sometimes accompanied with lumpswhich come and go, breast pain andtenderness, emotional depression, pre-menstruation tension, red tongue with thin-white coating, taut pulse. The treatmentprinciple is to soothe the liver Qi and topromote the inherent function of anti-cancer.General prescription can have the followingform: Chai Hu, Bai Shao, Dang Gui, DanShen, Yi Yi Ren, Fu Ling, Yan Hu Suo, LingZhi, Tian Hua Fen, Bai Hua She She Cao, JuHe, Chuan Lian Zi.

Blood Stasis: Breast tumour, hardlumps, breast pain, dismenorrhea, dark redtongue with purple patches or spots on it,hesitating pulse. The treatment principle isto promote blood circulation to remove theblood stasis and to promote inherent anti-

cancer function of the body. Generalprescription can be: Sang Leng, Er Zhu, DanShen, Ling Zhi, Yan Hu Suo, Tian Hua Fen,Dang Gui Wei, Yi Yi Ren, Mu Dan Pi, BaiShao Yao, Ju He, Bai Hua, She She Cao.

Damp-heat: tumour in breast, sorewith hot feeling, swollen, redness on thesurface of the breast, fullness of stomach,poor appetite, thrush, red tongue with thick-yellow coating, rolling and rapid pulse. Thetreatment principle is to eliminate dampness,to clear away toxin heat and to promote

inherent anti-cancer function of the body.General prescriptions can be: Che Qian Zi,Jin Qian Cao, Chuan Lian Zi, Ju He, Xia KuCao, Bai Hua She She Cao, Ban Zhi Lian, FuLing, Shan Zha, Mu Tong, Ling Zhi, GuaLuo Pi.

Kidney and Liver Yin deficiency:breast tumour, pain with burning sensation,or accompanied with menopause hot flushes,night sweat, dizziness, blurred vision,backache, tiredness, fissured red tongue withlittle or no fur. The treatment principle is totonify the kidney and liver Yinand to promotethe inherent function of anti-cancer. Thegeneral prescription can be: Tian Hua Fen,Sheng Di Huang, Xuan Shen, Chi Shao Yao,Xia Ku Cao, Bai Hua She She Cao, Ban ZhiLian, Lian Zi, Yi Yi Ren, Chuan Lian Zi, MuLi, Li Zhi He.

Qi and Blood deficiency: breasttumour, general tiredness, pale complexion,headache, cold limbs, pale tongue with whitecoating, thready and weak pulse. Thetreatment principle is to enrich the Qi andblood and to promote the inherent anti-cancer function. The general prescription canbe: Ren Shen, Huang Qi, Ling Zhi, Dan

Shen, Dang Gui, Zhi Gan Cao, Fu Ling, Yi YiRen, Ju He, Bai Zhu, Xiang Fu, Chen Pi.

The herbs used in the aboveprescriptions, can be categorised as:Anti-Cancer herbs: Bai Hua, She She Cao,Ban Zhi Lian, Tian Hua Fen.Immune support herbs: Ling Zhi, Ren Shen,Huang Qi.Removing blood stasis herbs: Dan Shen,Dang Gui, San Leng, Er Zhu.Soothing liver Qi herbs: Chuan Lian Zi,Chai Hu, Ju He, Li Zhi He.Eliminating dampness herbs: Yi Yi Ren, FuLing.

Herbal prescriptions, as discussedabove, can be used during and afterconventional radiotherapy andchemotherapy treatments. Detailed clinicalstudy in China shows clearly that theefficiency of the radio- and chemotherapy canbe greatly improved with supplemental herbaltreatment.

Due to the better understanding oftumour, a great number of herbal patentformulae are now available from China andother countries for the treatment of cancer.Dong Ling Cao Pian and Chuan Huan Ye areamong them.

Dong Ling Cao Pian, a formulacontaining mainly Dong Ling Cao, is usedto clear away toxin heat and to reduce lumps.Favourable cases have been observed in myclinic. Four patients ina family suffering frombreast cancer took it for over three months,5 tablets, 3 times daily. They all showedpositive results as their doctor put it, “theyhave a good advantage compared with otherpatients with similar conditions”.

Chuan Huang Ye, containing mainlyDan Shen, Dang Shen, He Shou Wu, GouQi Zi, Tu Zhong, Chuan Xiong, Huang Qi,Dang Gui, is to tonify the Qi and blood,nourish the liver and kidney, promote bloodcirculation and to remove blood stasis forQi and blood deficiency, weakness of liverand kidney, unlocking the blockage of thechannels of energy. It helps with poorimmune system, insufficient white-bloodcellsdue to radio- and chemotherapy.

by Dr. Shulan TangFor further information,pleasecontact Shulan

Clinic, 50 Sandy Lane, Chorlton, Manchester,M21 8TN, Tel 0161 881 8576,

Fax 0161 881 0888.

“Herbalprescriptions canbe used during &after treatments.”

Qi Magazine 11

Quite simply, I couldn’t begin tounderstand what was happening tomy body. On a good day I was

energetic and healthy attending to thehousework, perhaps gardening for acouple of hours or following a hobby. Mynewly retired husband and myselfenjoyed swimming, walking and exploringnew places.

Then a bad day would come whenI felt aches and pains all over my body. Itwas difficult to tell whether these pains

were in my bones or aching muscles. Isimply hurt all over and with this paincame an overwhelming tiredness. Evenpreparing a simple meal seemed likedesperately hard work. On days like thisthe only answer was to rest, sometimes inthe garden listening to the radio orreading, which was very pleasant, butwhen this began to happen much morefrequently, what a waste of time itseemed.

So a pattern of living formed. Ona good day I got as much done as possibleand on a bad day tried to rest and relax.This was not the answer, however. Thingsgot worse. I could walk to the shops on agood day, only to find that I was draggingmyself home after only half an hour. Thegood day had turned into a bad day withno warning.

This was when I consulted mydoctor, but as I looked so well, ate welland slept well he could find nothing wrong

with me physically. One exceptionally badday I rang the osteopath I know quite wellfor a consultation. I was in so much painhe found it difficult to manipulate myaching limbs, as I could not tell him exactlywhere the pain was. It seemed everywhere,bones, joints, limbs and muscles. Wearranged a second appointment, whichagain was unsuccessful. That was when hetold me he suspected I had M.E and advisedme to see a homeopathic doctor.

This doctor explained somethingabout M.E (short for MyalgicEncephalomyelitis) which is the name forPost Viral Fatigue. M.E. often follows abad viral infection. I recalled that manymonths previously I had what seemed likea bad attack of the Flu and whatever Ihad taken to clear it hadn’t worked. Inthe end it ran its course and lasted morethan a month. I was given homeopathictablets and advised about painkillers whichwould not have adverse effects on thetablets. Then my life slowly started toimprove.

Several months later, feelingsomewhat better, I saw an advert forQigong classes taught locally. I did notknow anything at all about Qigong. It wasexplained to me how gentle Qigongexercises were. This greatly appealed tome for I could still ache and feel tired attimes and, as yet, did not have a greatdeal of energy.

There were fifteen people in theclass and gradually, I began to get the hangof the slow, controlled movements andthe breathing control of Qigong. The TaijiQigong exercises had movements whichrequired placing the hands in certainpositions. Remembering the manyacupuncture points and where the handsneeded to be was tricky at first.

About three months afterbeginning the class I no longer needed painkillers. At last I had some energy and thebad days had gone altogether.

That was over a year ago and nowQigong is still in my daily routine, I wouldhate to miss it and try to do my eighteenexercises in the garden whenever possible,followed by a period of meditation. It hasworked wonders, done regularly, believeme. Try it and see!

byPatriciaLowe

M.E can be a crippling condition, there are ways toovercome it and Qigong is a very effective one.

One person’s account ofQigong practice and M.E.

Qi Magazine 13

In China everyone can study some form of Qigong and everyoneknows the names of the top masters. Here in the West there arenow many teachers also teaching openly and so more and morepeople know about Qigong. In the last few years the ShaolinMonks from the Songshan Mountain, Henan Province China

have been venturing out, travelling the world giving breath-takingdemonstrations of their legendary skills. Their martial arts skill dazzledeveryone, but there was another thing they demonstrated that amazedtheir audiences, something that many people had never seen beforeand that was Hard Qigong.

Monks broke spears with their throats, iron bars with theirheads and bricks balanced on top of their heads were smashed topieces with sledge hammers as well as many other displays of superhuman strength.

So what is Hard Qigong and is it only for martial artists? Thegentle, relaxed movements of Soft Qigong seem miles apart from thesudden explosive displays of Hard Qigong. It is often thought thatSoft Qigong is for health and Hard Qigong is for martial arts andfighting.

Traditionally, Qigong whether it was Soft or Hard, wenthand in hand with martial arts, like brother and sister. Today SoftQigong has developed and is now quite separate from martial arts,but if youlook very closely youcanstill seethe shadowof its traditionalbackground. Many of the popular standing Qigong exercises (ZhanZhuang) have come from Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Bagua etc. It wasonce asked, “Does everything have to come down to Martial Arts?”No, it doesn’t, but it helps to understand the cultural background andthe context in which these exercises are involved.

You could say traditionally Martial Arts and Qigong were theparents, one was the father and the other was the mother. Soft Qigongis the daughter and Hard Qigong is the brother. Soft Qigong hasdeveloped purely for health and for personal development, to trainthe Jing, Qi and Shen, (Jing is the body’s sexual energy, when youdevelop it becomes Qi, and thenwhen you develop your Qi it becomes

The Softer Side of

Hard QigongUntil recently Qigong was virtually unknown in the Westand it was very hard to find a teacher. Traditionally, inChina, Qigong was just as hard to find. There were veryhigh level masters, but they kept themselves quiet andpractised in secret. Now things have changed a great deal.

Qi Magazine 14

Shen or spirit). This is more like the mother. The brother, HardQigong is more like the father.

However, whether you are talking about Soft Qigong orHard Qigong, Qigong is Qigong and the most important thing isyour health. To develop either skill you first have to be healthy. Thereare some people who come to Soft Qigong because they want to healpeople, and there are others who want to learn Hard Qigong becausethey want to emulate Shaolin monks.Whatever you want, the first thingyouneedto do ismake yourself healthyfirst.

How does Hard Qigongmake you healthy? Hard Qigongtraining is quite different to SoftQigong. The first stage is to developthe Jing and the Qi. This is donethrough very specialbreathing exercises.Qi is taken directlyinto the body throughthe mouth andswallowed down tothe Dantien, where you literally eatthe air. This we call ‘Tun Qi’ and thisis the most important part of HardQigong. The reason for eating theair is to allow us to take in a lot of Qi.Other exercises will use this Qi todevelop the bones, muscles and skin.

In order to develop the bones,muscles and skin, the body needs to be healthy. All the acupuncturepoint and channels must be clear and free of any blockages and thebasic level of Qi must be strong. This is the first stage of practice.Then the Qi can be directed to different areas of your body. So yousee, the internal body develops the external body.

Hard Qigong, like Soft Qigong, has many exercises to developyour body and there are various levels you must go through beforeyou can break bricks and spears. It is a gradual training process that

first makes you very healthy and then makes you strong and fit. Itleaves you feeling healthy, strong and invigorated with a lot of energy.Many people who have trained are amazed at how it lifts up theirspirits and makes them feel so good. Almost as a “side effect” you canat the end perform the same amazing displays as the Shaolin monks.This, however, should not be your main purpose for training, thesame as a demonstration of Qi transmission by a Soft Qigong masteris not the reason he spends his time training.

You may be surprised to learn that another very importantpart of Hard Qigong training is relaxation and meditation. After youhave gone through your exercises you must relax the body andmeditate. This allows the body to “cool down” and recover and alsolets your Qi settle.

The more you train Hard Qigong the more your bodychanges, from healthy you become strong and from strong youbecome light. In the end, the training comes full circle and hard

becomes soft. Internal andexternal are balanced and youcan develop your innerpotential.

Soft Qigong and HardQigong are two sides to thesame coin. If you understandboth, then you will reallyappreciate what Qigong is andsee the whole picture.

Displays are just that,displays, they are not thereason you train and in factthey use the energy you have

spent your time developing. You train to be healthy and then whenyou are healthy, you can develop yourself in whatever wayyou wish

byDarrylMoy

If you are interested in experiencing some of the benefits of Hard Qigong,therewill beanintroductoryseminar teaching theHeavenly RiverMonastary

Hard Qigong Level I exercises on March 6/7. For details see What’s Onpage in this issue of Qi Magazine.

“Another veryimportant part of

Hard Qigongtraining is relaxation

and meditation.”

Qi Magazine 15

part 7Dayan Gong 2nd 64

Fig 90 Fig 91 Fig 92

Fig 93 Fig 94 Fig 95

26 Crossing Armsi. Raise your hands up to your sides.

Fig 90.ii. Cross your arms over in front of you.

The left arm over the right arm, andtouch the Qihu points with yourLaogong points. Fig 91.This is the start of a new movement which

opens the Qihu points and prepares you for thenext movement.

27 Sink Downi. Open your hands out to your sides.

Fig 92.ii. Bring your hands down, in front of you.

Fig 93. This time sink the Qi to theDantien, rather than the Yongquanpoints, and let the Qi settle down. Fig94.

28 Slap the Back of the Legsi. Bring your hands back so that your

Laogong points face the Huantiaopoints. Fig 95.This makes the Qi go to your legs and opens

the Gall Bladder Channels.

Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan

Qi Magazine 16

Fig 96 Fig 97 Fig 98 Fig 99

Fig 100 Fig 101 Fig 102

Fig 103 Fig 104ii. Lift your right arm, swinging it in a

circle forwards and behind you.Fig 96.

iii. As your arm nears your right hip, liftup your right leg. Fig 97.

iv. Slap the back of your right knee withyour right palm, let the knee bend andallow the lower leg to hang down in arelaxed manner. This closes your handbehind your knee. This movement

stimulates the Weizhong, Weiyang andHeyang points. Fig 98.

v. Kick out your right leg. Then placeyour foot back on the ground by yourleft foot and return your right palmto its starting position facing theHuantiao point. Fig100.

vi. Repeat the same movement for yourleft leg. Fig 102- 104.

This movement helps us to clear thechannels in the legs, the Kidney and GallBladder Channels and you may find youhave some sensations of Qi flowing downyour legs. This movement also helps toprevent Sleeping Leg and arthritis.

Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan Gong 2nd 64 Dayan

Qi Magazine 17

Weizhong

Weiyang

Heyang

Fig 105 Fig 106 Fig 107

Fig 108 Fig 109 Fig 110

Fig 111

Fig 112

Three Swingsi. Turn to your left and step forwards.

Fig 105.ii. Turn your waist to the left and bend

your right leg, keeping the left legstraight. Make sure you keep bothfeet on the ground and look at theground on the left. Fig 106.

iii. Then, turn your waist to the right,allowing your left leg to bend andstraighten your right leg. Let the toesof your right foot point up. Fig 107

iv. Repeat the above movements afurther three times on each side.These movements will strengthen your

stance, legs and hips. They will also open theStomach, Kidneys and Gall BladderChannels as well as opening the Yongquanpoints on the soles of your feet.

Pull Back the Body andCover the Face

i. Step back with your right foot.Fig 108.

ii. Bend down and lower your hands tothe ground. Fig 109

iii. Move your hands forwards, collectingthe Qi from the ground.

iv. Lean back and bring both hands up toyour face, palms facing you. Fig 110.

v. Slowly run your hands down fromyour face to the Jiexi point on yourleft ankle, as if you are washing fromyour face down, over your body toyour ankle. Fig 111 – 112.This movement helps to collect Qi from

the Earth, bringing it to the face and thenwashing down through the body to releasethe negative Qi.

Qi Magazine 18

n Chinese diet, for example, it is considered bad forsomeone with constipation to drink tea. It is good forsomeone with a cough to eat apple with honey. When Ihave a headache, I want to know which foods I should eatto cure my headache and which I should avoid to prevent

my headache from becoming worse. When I have diarrhoea oram suffering from diabetes, I want to know which foods I shouldeat to treat my symptoms and which to avoid to prevent myproblems from becoming worse. When I am overweight, I wantto know which foods I should eat toreduce my weight and which not to eatto avoid gaining more weight.

To lose weight, no doubt, is partof Chinese diet, but there are many otherconsiderations as important as weightloss in the minds of Chinese dieticians.Recently, I read a diet book written by awell-known Western physician, and tomy great amazement, I found noinformation on dietary treatment ofsuch symptoms as sore throat,haemorrhoids, hiccuping, vomiting,fever, toothache, psoriasis, stomach-ache and other ailments – all importanttreatments when using the Chinese diet.

The second difference between Chinese and Westerndiets: In Western diet, foods are considered for their protein,calorie, carbohydrate, vitamin, and other nutrient content, butin Chinese diet, foods are considered for their flavours, energies,

movements, and common and organic actions. It works likethis: If I feel cold in my body and limbs, naturally I like to eatsomething that will warm me; if I feel hot, something to coolme. If I have a weak stomach, naturally I like to eat somethingthat will make my stomach stronger: if I feel my kidneys areweakening, something that will make my kidneys stronger.Ginger will warm me because it has a warm energy. Mung beanswill cool me because they have a cool energy. Sugar can makemy stomach-ache stronger because it tastes sweet and acts on

the stomach. Yam will make mykidneys stronger because it acts onthe kidneys in a special way.

To be sure, we can findnutritional information on foods inWestern diet. For example, weknow that red pepper containsvitamins A and C but it does nottell us that it can warm us. We knowthat Mung beans contain someprotein and carbohydrates but notthat Mung beans can cool us. Weknow that black pepper containssome protein but not that it canmake our stomachs stronger. Thus,it is easy to see how Chinese diet

differs from Western diet. The essential aspects of Chinese dietin regard to foods are:- the five flavours of foods, the five energiesof foods, the movements of foods and the common and organicactions of foods.

Energies &Flavours of Foods

There are two basic differences between Chinese and Western diets. First ofall, Western diet focuses almost exclusively on diet for weight loss. Chinesediet is designed not only to help you lose weight but also to treat many other

ailments, including hypertension, diabetes, common cold, gastritis, diarrhoea,constipation, cough, hepatitis, psoriasis, common acne, eczema, and so on.

Qi Magazine 19

The Five Flavours of FoodsThe five flavours of foods include pungent (acrid), sweet, sourbitter and salty.Pungent foods include: green onion, chive, clove, parsley andcorianderSweet foods include: sugar, cherry, chestnut and bananaSour foods include: lemon, pear, plum and mangoBitter foods include: hops, lettuce, radish leaf and vinegar.(I list vinegar as bitter because the Chinese call vinegar “bitterwine.”)Salty foods include: salt, kelp and seaweed.

The flavours of foods are important in Chinese dietbecause different flavours have their respective important effectsupon the internal organs. Foods that have a pungent flavour canact on the lungs and large intestine; foods with a sweet flavouron the stomach and spleen; with a sour flavour on the liver andgall bladder; with a bitter flavour on the heart and small intestine;foods that have a salty flavour can act on the kidneys and bladder.

Let’s take the sweet flavour as an example, that acts onthe stomach and spleen. It is common knowledge amongChinese and Western dieticians, that eating sweet foods will puton weight, but Chinese and Western dieticians give differentexplanations. According to Western dieticians, eating sweetfoods puts on weight because sweet foods contain a largenumber of calories; according to Chinese dieticians, eatingsweet foods will put on weight because sweet foods can acton the stomach and spleen, which are in charge of digestivefunctions. In other words, in Chinese diet, sweet foodsare considered capable of improving the digestivefunctions, which is why they are good for peoplewith a weak digestive system. In talking to aWestern audience about Chinese diet, onequestion frequently comes up: How do wedetermine the flavours of such foods as beef,pork and celery that have no distinct tastes?In Chinese diet, beef has a sweet flavour, porkhas a sweet and salty flavour and celery asweet flavour. Some foods have one flavourbut others may have two or three.Undoubtedly, the flavours of manyfoods are very difficult to determineprecisely, but the Chinese have doneit through many centuries ofexperience.

The process may look likethis: At the beginning some foodswith obvious flavours are found toact on some internal organs andperform specific actions in thehuman body. The basic relationshipsbetween flavours and internalorgans and the actions are studiedand analysed by a process in sciencecalled the inductive method. As timegoes on, other foods whose flavoursare more difficult to determine maybe found capable of acting uponsome internal organs and performing

some specific actions. The flavours of such foods are determinedon the basis of their organic effects and specific actions. Thisprocess in science is called the deductive method.

In general, the common actions of foods in regard totheir flavours are as follows:-

Pungent foods (ginger, green onion and peppermint) caninduce perspiration and promote energy circulation.

Sweet foods (honey, sugar and watermelon) can slowdown the acute symptoms and neutralise the toxic effects ofother foods.

Sour foods (lemon and plum) can obstruct the movementsand are useful, therefore, in checking diarrhoea and excessiveperspiration.

Bitter foods, such as animal’s gall bladder and hops, canreduce body heat, dry bodyfluids and inducediarrhoea

“Even though you may eatcold red pepper from the

refrigerator, you stillconsume a hot food. After

it enters your body itbegins to feel hot.”

Qi Magazine 20

(which is why many Chinese herbs recommended to reducefever and induce diarrhoea have a bitter taste).

Salty foods (kelp and seaweed) can soften hardness, whichexplains their usefulness in treating tuberculosis of the lymphnodes and other symptoms involving the hardening of themuscles or glands.

In addition, some foods have a light flavour or little taste.These foods normally have two flavour classifications.Cucumber, for example, has sweet and light flavours. Foodswith a light flavour promote urination and may be used asdiuretics. Job’s tears is one of the outstanding examples.

The Five Energies of FoodsThe energies of foods refer to their capacity to generate

sensations – either hot or cold – in the human body. As anexample, eating foods with a hot energy will make us experiencehot sensations and foods with a cold energy, cold sensations. Indaily life, each of us knows that eating ice makes us feel cold anddrinking hot water makes us feel warm. This is because ice has acold energy and hot water, a hot energy. But ice or water produceonly temporary effects. To produce long-lasting effects, herbsare used as substitutes for foods that provide only temporary

relief. In other words, to produce cold or hot sensations, herbsare more effective than foods and foods are more effectivethan ice or hot water.

The five energies of foods are cold, hot, warm, cool andneutral. But the adjectives “cold, hot, warm, cool, neutral” donot refer to the present state of foods. For an example, tea hasa cold energy so even though you may drink hot tea, you areactually drinking a cold beverage. Shortly after the tea entersyour body, its heat (a temporary phenomenon) will be lost andas it begins to generate cold energy, your body begins to cooloff. Another example, red pepper has a hot energy. Even thoughyou may eat cold red pepper from the refrigerator, you stillconsume a hot food. Shortly after it enters your body, itstemporary coldness is lost and your body begins to feel hot.

When I discuss the energies of foods, therefore, I referto what the foods do in our bodies –whether they generate hotor cold, warm or cool or neutral sensations. Hot is opposed tocold, warm is opposed to cool, neutral is somewhere betweenwarm and cold. Cold and cool foods differ from each other asdo warm and hot foods. Bamboo shoots have a cold energy,black pepper a hot energy. Cucumber has a cool energy, chickena warm and corn a neutral energy.

The Movements Of FoodsFoods have a tendency to move in different directions in

the body. Some foods move outward, some inward. Some foodshave a tendency to move upwards, some downwards. To seehow this works, think of the human body as divided into fourregions: inside (internalregion); outside (skin andbody surface); upper (abovethe waist); lower (below thewaist).

To move outwardsmeans to move from insidetowards outside, so foods

with outward movementscan induce perspirationand reduce fever. To moveinwards means to movefrom outside towardsinside, so foods withinward movements canease bowel movements andabdominal swelling.

To move upwardsmeans to move from thelower region toward the upper region, so foods with upwardmovements can relieve diarrhoea, prolapse of anus, prolapseof uterus and failing of stomach. To move downwards meansto move from the upper region towards the lower region, sofoods with downward movements can relieve vomiting,hiccuping and asthma.

In general, leaves and flowers have a tendency to moveupwards. Roots and seeds and fruits have a tendency to movedownwards. But this is just a general principle. There are manyexceptions. Movements of foods change after they are preparedin a certain way. Foods prepared with wine develop a tendencyto move upwards. That is the reason in treating falling

symptoms like prolapse of uterus and anus, herbs are very oftenprocessed along with the wine. Foods prepared with ginger juicedevelop a tendency to move outward. When foods are preparedwith vinegar, they have a tendency to become obstructive. Foodsprocessed with salt (as in frying) develop a tendency to movedownwards

by Dr Henry C LuArticle taken from the book ‘ChineseSystem ofFoodCures’ and reprintedby

kindpermission of theauthorand publishers, Sterling.Dr Henry Lu haswritten several books about the use of foodand herbal cures

for helping to heal thebodynaturally andaid longevity, several ofwhich areavailable fromQi Magazine.He teachesand has a school in Vancouverandoffers correspondencecourses for those unable to attendhis classes. He canbe

contacted at: 1508 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC Canada V6J 1W8.

Qi Magazine 21

Does this sound familiar? You can’t face breakfast when you getup in the morning. You are in such a rush to get to work that you drink yourcup of tea or coffee on the move: while you bathe, while you are gettingdressed and while you are gathering your things together. Breakfast iseaten in the office. Not a cosy bacon sandwich in the peace of the staffcanteen but while you work. Perhaps you take your toast with you in themorning and eat it while your computer is going through the post? I haveeven seen a driver eating a bowl of cornflakes as he drove to work!

My job takes me to a number of offices, and the story is always thesame. Invariably people eat lunch at their desk while they continueworking, and “working lunches”, which are so common these days, meanhurriedly gobbled sandwiches and sausage rolls while business discussionscontinue. The aftermath is indigestion, and any time gained by notbreaking for lunch is lost in lower productivity in the afternoon. Eventhose who take a break from work often eat while reading a book orplaying card games on their computer. Then it’s back home to eatconvenience food gulped down before you race out for the evening or atake-away eaten while you drive home or late at night just beforegoing to bed. If you stay in, the evening meal is usuallyeaten in front of the television, especially if you live alone.

Have you ever thought that maybe the reasonyou feel so well after a holiday is partly because youhave taken your time over meals, sat at a table,maybe for several hours in a restaurant, chattingto family or friends? In other words, having eatenwhile you were relaxing. It is a strangephenomenon that you can always eat a heartycooked breakfast when you are away, so whathas happened to the “I can’t face it in themornings’?” The answer is that you allow yourselftime to eat.

Eating while watching TV is not good for thedigestion. You don’t believe me? How often has yourhand stopped on its way to your mouth when watchingsomething exciting on TV? Digestion starts in the mouthand you cannot digest your food and concentrate on something else atthe same time. Supermarkets use fast music to move people through thestore more quickly, and fast music or a fast moving plot on TV makes youeat more quickly. Test yourself and try it and see! In TCM terms, readingor watching TV while eating leads to a deficiency of the Stomach Qi.Afterwards you feel tired and weak, and you slump even further into thesofa, thinking it is your job that is tiring you out.

Eating on the run, or grabbing a quick bite causes stagnation ofQi in the stomach, and nausea and belching are often the result. Irregulareating habits, eating late at night and thinking of work while eating alsolead to Stomach Yin deficiency. This might be why you never feel hungry,get hot in the afternoons, suffer from constipation, feel bloated aftermeals, or feel thirsty but do not really want to drink anything. Ultimately,bad eating habits can lead to more serious conditions such as stomachulcers. Since the Stomach along with the Spleen is the source of ourpostnatal Qi, a person with stomach problems will feel tired and weak.

So the way forward is to set time aside during the day to eat.Getting up earlier to eat a leisurely breakfast may not be easy at first. Butonce your body begins to respond to better treatment it won’t feel so slowand lethargic in the mornings and you will find it easier to get out of bed.Eat your lunch in the staff rest room, or better still, outside when practical.If you have a break from your desk and get some fresh air, even if it is onlyto take a walk around the car park, you will be much more relaxed for theafternoon ahead. Finally, try eating your evening meal before you switchon the TV, and resist the temptation to open the paper or a book. Sit inquiet contemplation of the food you are eating. Eating is, after all, a formof enjoyment, not a mere refuelling exercise! The Chinese have a sayingfor every occasion, and one of my favourites is: drink your food and eatyour drinks. Think about it as it is sound advice.

Kate Britton

IS THE WAY YOU EAT RUINING YOUR HEALTH?

A Quick Bite!Vitamin C &Your Blood

You may be walking around with it for years and not realise youhave it. You will not have any major symptoms and you will not realise thedamage that is being caused in your body. So what is this unseen problemthat many people are afflicted with that can cause such major healthproblems as atherosclerosis, renal disease, heart attacks and strokes?

The problem is high blood pressure –hypertension – and it is notas innocuous as many are led to believe. It is often referred to as the“silent killer” because of its links with cardiovascular disease.

So what exactly is Blood Pressure?Blood pressure is the force created by the heart as it pushes blood

into the arteries and through the circulatory system. Muscular controlalters the amount of blood flow. Expansion of the blood vessels increasesblood flow and decreases blood pressure. Constriction has the oppositeeffect. If the arteries remain constricted, this may create high bloodpressure.

When the heart has to work harder to push blood around thebody due to a narrowing or hardening of the arteries, this can cause highblood pressure. If you suspect or suffer from hypertension you shouldcontact a qualified practitioner or your GP.

Vitamin C’s Role in Reducing HypertensionSeveral clinical trials are now finding a reduction in blood

pressure with supplementation of vitamin C. At least 1000mg of vitaminC must be used and many authors suggest up to 6000mg per day, taken individed doses.

The diet of many people today consists of fast, processed foods,along with a limited amount of fresh fruit and vegetables. They probablydon’t get the recommended amount of vitamin C required to preventdegenerative diseases, such as hypertension.

Some research has shown low vitamin C intake to be associatedwith hypertension. In one study, blood pressure and serum of healthyJapanese men were examined for vitamin C levels. Men with high vitaminC intakes had a lower blood pressure than men with lower intakes ofvitamin C.

Vitamin C is thought to help with lowering blood pressure byacting as a powerful antioxidant, helping to prevent free radicals fromdamaging blood vessel walls.

Another way in which vitamin C may help maintain normal bloodpressure is by promoting the excretion of lead, and some other heavymetals. Chronic exposure to lead from environmental toxins may increaseblood pressure.

Excessive levels of cadmium may also be related to high bloodpressure. In one study, untreated hypertentives were found to have threeto four times the level of blood cadmium of people with normal bloodpressure. High cadmium is associated with low zinc. Hair mineral analysistests from Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory can test for heavy metaltoxicity. Research from the lab indicates the higher the intake of vitaminC, the lower the levels of heavy metal accumulation.

There are many forms of vitamin C supplement available. It isimperative that you purchase them from a reputable supplier and in aform that is best suited to your needs.

Although vitamin C does indeed play a major role in helpingcontrol high blood pressure, it should perhaps not be considered in isolation.Many other essential nutrients, such as magnesium, calcium, vitamin E,omega-3 essential fatty acids and amino acid taurine, all play a majorrole in cardiovascular health.

byHelenKimberForinformationand advice,Helencan

be contacted at ‘Nutri’ on 01663 746559.

Qi Magazine 22

Qi Magazine 23

Qi Magazine: Could you tell us something about your early training.

Prof Li: Ah, I was forced to learn! In my family, starting from myGrandfather, we were in the business of teaching martial arts for aliving. My Grandfather, who was one of Sun Lutang’s most famousstudents, started training martial arts because his mother was widowedwhen he was very young, and she was afraid that her son would notbe able to look after himself. Initially he was in it for health and selfdefence, but eventually he got into teaching as well.

When I was young, my Grandfather was very strict with himself,and he was very strict with us. He said “It doesn’t matter what youwant to do when you grow up, but you have to be two things: Youhave to be scholarly, andyou have to be martial (Wu).” His philosophywas, “You go to school in the morning, and in the evening you trainmartial arts”. Then I was only seven or eight, so it was very hard. Thetraining was very hard, and my Grandfather was very strict.I started training Shaolin, because my Grandfather believed thattraining flexibility was best when you are young. My Grandfatherbelieved Shaolin Quan was the best basic training because it trainedstrength and flexibility that would help in the future study of othermartial arts.When I got to high school, my Grandfather trained me in Xingyi.Xingyi is more about bringing up the strength and power. When youare in your teens, it is best to concentrate on building up muscles.Taiji training was towards the end of my high school studies, andwhen I was going to University. This was because Taiji requires a lot

Professor Li Deyin is thehead of the Beijing Physical

Education University. He isone of the leading figures in

the evolution of Taiji andWushu as a modern sport,

suitable for all people topractise.

Qi Magazine 24

Qi Magazine 25

of self control, and children don’t have the patience to learn Taiji.Even if they try, they still end up looking around for something elseto do.When I became a professional teacher, I could not just restrict myteaching to what I had learnt. I had to adopt a more modern style ofWushu, like staff and spear. As well as having to teach averageUniversity students, I also have to teach martial artists from all overChina. If I had taught the way I learnt when I was young, it would bedifficult to make martial arts more popular, therefore I use modernmethods. This way I can travel all over the country to teach. Individualteaching is difficult in this situation, therefore I use different methodsto teach a lot of people at the same time.

Did you study with a lot of teachers?

Yes. My family style in Taiji was Yang style and Sun style. To learn Wustyle and Chen style, I had to find a teacher that specialised in thatstyle.

What is your personal favourite, what do you personally enjoy doingthe most?

As far as Taiji is concerned I prefer Yang style, because it can bepractised by everyone in all different walks of life, and it embodies allthe ideas of health andrejuvenation that are soimportant in modernliving. For teachingyoungpeople, I preferChangquan (long fist) orShaolin. This is why inuniversities I normallyonly teach two things:Changquanand Taijiquan.Changquan is a modernversion of Shaolin. It isregulated andstandardised.

What is the meaning ofLiu He, the six harmonies,and how do they relate tothe skills you practise?

In Chinese martial art theSix Harmonies mean co-ordination internally and externally. Chinesemartial arts emphasise co-ordination a lot, and the balance betweenthese six. In normal circumstances, “He” means balance. For example“He” might mean the balance between Yin and Yang. But when we aretalking about body movement, “He” means co-ordination externallyand internally.The Six Co-ordinations are made up of three external co-ordinationsand the three internal co-ordinations. The three external co-ordinations are: hand with the feet, elbow with the knee, and shoulderwith the hip. In other words, the upper body should be co-ordinatedwith the lower body. Taiji doesn’t make use of the three external co-ordinations. They just say, “Upper and lower follow each other”,which means the same thing. Xingyiquan and Shaolinquan both usethe three external harmonies.The three internal co-ordinations start with: Xin (heart) with the Yi(intent). In ancient China they believed that the heart is the General,that is why they say the Xin (heart) rules the Yi (intent). Yi is like anewspaper, giving out signals. Therefore the Yi (intent) has to send

out the right signals that arecommanded by the Xin (heart).However Taiji talks about Yi asconcentration.The second internal harmony is “Yiwith Qi co-ordinates”. This means thatthe signals given by the Yi will causethe Qi to change in the body.Externally the Yi will manifest itself inmartial applications. Internally it willbe expressed by leading the Qi in theinternal organs. Qi includes thebreathing and the air that we breathe,and the internal energy inside the body.Therefore the changes inside yourbody caused by the Yi should makesignificant changes in the external body.The third internal harmony is “Qileads Li (strength)”. Therefore we callYi, Qi, Li the three internal co-ordinations.Taijiquan does not use the threeinternal harmonies. Instead they talk

about “Mind leads the body”, and “Usethe mind to motivate the Qi, and usethe Qi to motivate the body”. Of theinternal martial arts, it is Xingyi thatemphasises the Six Harmonies. Thereare a lot of external martial arts thatalso emphasise the Six Harmonies, forexample there is a style called SixHarmonies Fist.In the past people categorised martialarts from Wudang mountain asinternal, and martial arts from ShaolinTemple as external. Now we knowhowever that Xingyiquan came fromShaolin. As for Taiji and Bagua comingfrom Wudang, these are only legends.

What do you consider to be yourmission?

“The heart is theGeneral, that iswhy the Xin(heart) rules the Yi(intent).”

Qi Magazine 27

In this age the main function of martial arts has shifted. I believe that80% of the people who study martial arts today do it not because theywant to fight, but because they want to be healthy. For example thepeople who attended my Taiji class today, the majority are middle agedor elderly, so they are doing it for health. I feel we should find a wayto help them benefit from the class, rather than teach them somethingthat they don’t want to learn or has no use for them.I have been teaching in the Beijing Physical Education University for38 years. The main sports at the University are those that you mightfind in the Olympics. Now we are changing this trend by bringing inthe art of our own people to the University. Also the University hastaken in the idea of longevity and rejuvenation, these are Taoist ideas.

They have found that a lot of the conventional athletes in theUniversity were very strong and powerful, but normally they don’tlive very long. If you are the fastest, highest, strongest, does notmean you will live longer. You still have to bring in the still side ofnature into your strength.If you take Cancer, for example, why does it happen? According toChinese Medicine it is because of confusion or interference goinginto your body. Human beings should have the immune system tofight against Cancer, but because of the interference they have lost it.If you always live in a harmonious world, where you don’t have

pressures and worries, then your immune system will be strongenough to fight against Cancer. But if a person is living in a world ofworries and pressure, then it is easier to get Cancer.Nowevery University student must practice some Taijiquanor Wushu,at least one routine. It is compulsory. In our class there is a time limit,so students only have four weeks in which to learn some Taiji orWushu. For example Beijing University uses the four/five weeks toteach the 24 step Taiji form, whereas the Peoples University teachesthe 24 Shaolin form. This 24 step Shaolin was compiled by me basedon the traditional Shaolin fist. Other universities have their ownsyllabus. But it is only a basic introduction, about 10 hours.Afterwards, they probably go back to their basketball! Ten hours isoften not even enough to learn the 24 step, but since they are assessedon it, they really have to concentrate to learn it!All of this is during the first year at University. But in the secondyear, if they are really interested, they can take it on as a special subject.Everyone is split up. If you are interested in basketball, then that is allyou do. If you are interested in Wushu, then that is all you do. InXinghua University, one of the most famous universities, 50 yearsago they already had a compulsory Xingyiquan course that all theirstudents had to learn.Now, because I am involved in Education, my main duty is to promoteTaiji as a sport for everyone rather than a minority sport. I feel thatyour magazine has a lot of potential in this area because it is not aimedat a minority of people who are just interested in the martial arts.

Tobe continued ... ...Interview by Daniel Poonand Sheila Waddington

Translation:Tary Yip

“If you alwayslive in aharmoniousworld, where youdon’t havepressures andworries, then yourimmune systemwill be strong.”

Qi Magazine 28

Wang Li Ping

One day, after studying, the weather was very bad and itwas raining very hard. Wang Li Ping’s teacher, Yin LingZi, said, “Li Ping, I can stop the rain.” Wang Li Pinglooked at his teacher and did not know what to say.Common sense told him it was impossible, but he knew

his teacher had some amazing skills. With that, his teacher wentoutside into the rain and looked around as if surveying the situation.Then, holding two fingers together on one hand and holding ontohis wrist with the other, he said something and pointed at the sky.After a while the rain seemed to get weaker and then finally stopped.Wang Li Ping was very surprised and this made him study harderand listen to everything his teachers said. He thought they mustalmost be immortal.

The more he studied the morehe learnt about the Dragon GateSystem. The system had a very longhistory, dating back to the HanDynasty, more than one thousandyears ago. There is a saying, “All kindsof Qigong come from Daoism”.

In the Han Dynasty there liveda man named ‘Zhong Li Han’, becauseit was the Han Dynasty people alsocalled him, “Han Zhong Li”. He wasalso a Daoist and his Daoist name was“Positive Yang Daoist”. He createdDaoist Immortal Skill and he passed iton to another Daoist called “Pure YangDaoist” who was also called “Lu DongBin”.

There are eight very famousimmortals in China. Everybodyknows of them. These are two of themand they are very popular in China,even children know about them. Theycreated Golden Dan Big Method andalso the Three Immortal Gong. Thesewere passed to Wong Zhong Yang whocreated another system called the, “AllTrue System”. He passed his skill ontohis student, Qiu Chu Ji, also namedSpring True Man. Qiu studied veryhard and then developed all these skillsto form the Dragon Gate System. Thiswas then passed down from generation to generation.

Qiu Chu Ji was a very famous, popular Daoist in the YuanDynasty, when Genghis Khan conquered the Song Dynasty.

Genghis Khan invited Qiu to see him, and even wrote a letter sayinghow much he respected his Daoist skill. You can still see this letter ina temple in Beijing. You can also see statues of Zhong Li Han and LuDong Bin in the White Cloud Daoist Temple in Beijing, wherepeople go to pay their respects and worship.

The Daoist Dragon Gate Systemhasone skill called “SpiritualTreasure Intelligence Internal Training Method”. Its principle is,save your life first and second live long. It develops healing skill. Itmakes you healthy and live long, like an immortal. The methodconcentrates more on meditation and to open up the hidden part ofthe brain. It develops the human potential that we do not usuallyuse, our sixth sense and intuition.

The Dragon Gate System also has Three Gong and NineMethods. The Three Gong (Gongmeans work or exercise) are,Meditation Gong, Balancing Gongand Sleeping Gong. The ninemethods are the Intelligencemethod, Illness Diagnosis method,HealingMethod, Spiritual Method,Holding Heat Method, HoldingLife and Death Method, ImmortalMethod, Cutting Spirit Methodand the Image Method.

All these Gong andmethods require a lot of Qi to bedeveloped. Then you can open thehidden parts of your brain and usemore of your human potential.When training you even have tobring your body close to death tolet the best parts survive, then yourpotential can be opened. It alsorelates to nature, particularly toheaven and earth as these give uslife and Qi. This follows the Daoistsaying, “Heaven and man becomeone”. This means man must relateto nature, to heaven and earth.

All these skills are based onDaoist principles like Yinand Yang,the Five Elements and the Bagua.Thus Wang Li Ping started his hardjourney of Daoism like the ancient

people, to find out the key to nature. Wang Li Ping spent ten yearsstudying Daoism and Qigong. It was a very difficult thing even foran adult and especially for a child.

Daoist Master part II

Qi Magazine 29

People used to say “training as a Buddhist monk is suffering!”,however, the training to become a Daoist monk is very bitter as well.You can say that nowadays people will not do it. Also they do nothave the opportunity to study with someone who has this traditionalskill.

Wang Li Ping was only twelve years old when he was acceptedas the eighteenth generation heir by his teachers. From that day hewas treated differently, more seriously and more directly. His teacherswanted him to reach a good level in their Daoist skill and wished thatthe quality of their skill was passed down correctly.

The first step was meditation to train the heart. Children area litttle wild, they do not easily listen or calm down. So his teacherwanted him to meditate for four hours! How can a child meditate forfour hours? It is very difficult, even for someone who has practisedmeditation for a very long time. However, Wang Li Ping had to takeit and overcome it. This was a testto see if he could inherit the skill.They watched as they saw Wang LiPing’s heart change as he becamecalmer and more settled.

You have to train the heartto calm down, then you can followthe traditional way and reach agood level of skill. If you fail attraining your heart, future teachingis useless, you will only waste theteacher’s time.

Wang’s teachers put him ina very dark room which was aboutten meters square, with no light atall. First he had to sit in a half lotusposition and then go on to a full lotus position (the lotus position isa cross legged sitting position for meditation. A half lotus positionyou sit with one leg on the other, which leg on top depends on whichis more comfortable for you. In a full lotus youhave both legs crossingover with both feet on your thighs. When you use this sitting positionyou can sit and meditate for a long time, if you can stand it. When yousit like this your legs will go numb and at first it can be quite painful.A lot of people find it very hard and too uncomfortable. But the moreyou do the easier it becomes until you can do the full lotus quite easily.In the beginning, Wang Li Ping found it very hard, even the halflotus. At first he thought it would not be too difficult because he wasyoung and children’s bodies are usually more supple. So doing thehalf lotus or full lotus was not difficult at all, the hard part was sittingstill for four hours.

The majority of children can sit for a while, but sitting for tenor even fifteen minutes is hard for them and so they will find someexcuse to stop. If you let them do this how can you pass your skill onto them? Chinese say, “The bitter goes and the sweet comes” .

Of course as Wang Li Ping was only twelve he could notstand it. From time to time his teachers had to check on him becausethey knew if he could not stand it he would move his legs. They knewhow he felt as they had been in the same situation many years ago. Sohis teachers used a rope to tie his legs and arms so that he could notmove out of position. Thus they made him stay still and train hisheart.

Surprisingly, after two months he grew quite used to it andalthough it was painful in the beginning, it became easier and easier.Finally he did not feel any discomfort at all, it felt quite normal. WangLi Ping knew that the training was good for him and he found thatafter meditation he had more energy, felt more awake, calmer andhealthier. He felt as if his whole body had changed.

When Wang Li Ping’s teachers saw he could handle the fulllotus sitting position comfortably, they started him on the next stage.This was sleeping meditation. They put him in a box which was justbig enough for him to lie down in. He could not sit and he could notturn over. There were no holes for the air to come in, so he had tosurvive on the Qi he had developed over the past two months.

When they saw he could do this they put him in a big pot ofwater! The pot was just big enough for him to sit in, and his teacherseven locked him inside so he could not get out. In the pot there wasno air and not light. He had to learn how to survive and his bodystarted to change so that he could survive in those circumstances.

However, Wang Li Ping seemed to learn this very well andovercame all these difficult circumstances. His body changed and hebecame healthier and healthier. After six hard months of this trainingWang Li Ping’ s teachers dug a hole and buried him in it. Then they

covered it with woodenlogs. He had no air, nolight and it was damp andcold. Wang Li Ping learnthow to survive.

After this Wang LiPing’s teachers placedburning joss sticks allaround him which burntoff all the oxygen andreplaced them three timesbefore he could stop.

This was very hardand a couple of times WangLi Ping fainted because hedid not have enough air, but

of course his teachers were around to help.What a poor boy! But for everything he did he received the

benefits and he developed an amazing body which could survive manythings. He could survive when there was no air, no light and anyweather, cold or hot.

With the third stage he started to learn how to survive withno food. Without food most people will die, however, when youpractise Qigong you learn to survive with the air. Even without anyfood your body will adjust to create its own Qi. This ability is usuallyhidden and comes from your parents when you are born.

Fasting is a method in which you learn how to survive withoutfood and live with natural air, which is Qi. During practice you gatherQi from the air and do not need food to give you energy. But peopleare used to relying on food to live and the whole body becomes veryweak when they go without it. We do not realise how powerful ourbodies are, and that we can survive many days without food.

When you stop eating, all the sick, weak cells will die and onlythe good ones survive. These cells actually become stronger thanbefore. It is like a big company. If it is not making money the boss hasto get rid of some of the staff. Of course he usually gets rid of the lazyones and keeps on those who work hard and are more talented.Nature is like this. The good and strong survive while the weak andvulnerable will go. This is why the human race has survived for somany generations.

Wang Li Ping learnt how to survive without food for threedays, five days, ten days, fifteen days, twenty days up to twenty-eightdays. This was also very hard for him and so he had to practise moreto balance his internal body. Then his internal body became strongerand stronger as his Qi became stronger and his mind became verypowerful.

Translatedby MichaelTse

“You have to trainthe heart, then youcan reach a goodlevel of skill.”

Qi Magazine 30

Feng Shui is getting more and morepopular. Many people really want theplace where they live to be better and

have more energy. They might even wantit to help their finances, relationships aswell as their health. But, did you knowthe shape of your house is very importantfor its energy?

Chinese Culture is concerned withbalance and long term development, notjust instant results. Long termdevelopment can grow much stronger andwill be more balanced. Then if some thingbad happens it will not easily be broken.

A house with the left side longerthan the right will be very good for a man.

He will make more money and have morechildren. Ahouse with the right side longerthan the left will be good for a woman.She will make more money and have a

good career, but she might find havingchildren more difficult.

A house that is higher than theother houses around it will help the person

have a good career and business and theycan also become famous.

A house that has a lot of spacearound it, more than the other housesaround it, will help you make money andalso let you be in charge of other people.

A house that is wide at the frontand narrow at the rear will help you make

a lot of money and you will be lucky atfirst, but at the end you will lose it all.

A house that has a small entrance,but is very big inside will make thingsdifficult at first, but things will be good inthe end.

A house that is missing the Westand East sides will cause health problems,especially for the lungs, the liver,circulation and sleeping.

A house that is square will be verygood for family and finances and longterm development.

Thus, when we live in a house, itsshape and position will affect the peoplethat live in it, but, of course, there aremany other conditions that we shouldconsider, such as the period of calculation,which stars are in what positions, theenvironment outside the house, even theperson’s horoscope and whether they arein luck or in bad luck must also beconsidered.

The shape of the house is veryimportant as well. If you find that yourhouse is not quite right, then you need todo something about it to make it morebalanced

byMichaelTse

HouseHouse Shapes & Directions

Feng

Shui

When people talk about Feng Shui they often only think aboutthe inside of the house and the furniture. Feng Shui coversmore than this and even the shape of your house and itsposition is very important.

Qi Magazine 36

Fuk Sau is a covering and controllingtechnique within Wing Chun. If youhave ever seen a cat playing with a

toy, the way it uses its paws to cover andcontrol the toy is where this techniquetakes its name. Fuk Sau means ‘restingon’ hand.

Of all Wing Chun’sbasic techniques, Fuk Sau isthe least obvious and thehardest to perform correctly.Although it is not as technicalas Bong Sau or as practical andobvious as Tan Sau is,physically, it is the mostdifficult to perform correctly.This is further emphasised ifyou cannot perform itcorrectly, as you will be moreopen to your opponent

There are two basictypes of Fuk Sau and likemost things in Wing Chun,these are introduced to us inthe first form, Siu Lim Tao.

The first Fuk Sau isintroduced in the first sectionof the form. Here the arm isslowly pushed forward withthe wrist bent and the elbowmoving into the centre. Thesecond Fuk Sau is found in thesecond section. Here thewrists and hands are relaxedand the elbows slightly open.The first Fuk Sau is thehardest one to perform. Inthe form, the elbow andforearm must lie on thecentre line and the elbowmust be at least one fist’sdistance from your chest. The reason forthis is to cover your centre, control it andnot allow your opponent to get into yourcentre. To do this we say, ‘Your elbow mustbe strong’ and this strength, also referred

to as Gong Lik, is built up by repeatedpractice of this movement (for moreinformation about Gong Lik see the bookWing Chun Traditional Kung Fu for Self-Defence and Health).

Fuk Sau is used to sense what youropponent is doing, and it is used a great

deal in Chi Sau. The important thing toremember when using Fuk Sau is tomaintain a light contact and not to pushyour arm “off centre”. If you do so, youwill open yourself to attack.

In general the “elbow in” Fuk Sauis used when you are close to your

opponent, facing him or herand have contact with bothhands. The “elbow out” FukSau is used when there is morespace between you and youropponent, or you have turnedor you have contact with onlyone hand. Of course, there aremany different situationswhere either Fuk Sau can beused depending on what youropponent is trying to do, butalso just as importantly, whatyou are trying to do or makehappen.

Here are someexamples of using Fuk Sau foryou to try and maybe they willgive you some ideas and openup different ways of using thistechnique.

The first is a use for theelbow in Fuk Sau, it can beapplied from a basic Chi Sauposition, or any time you findyourself facing your opponentwith contact on the outside ofhis arm. As he punchestowards, turn 45 degrees,keeping your Fuk Sau incontact with his arm (Fig 1).There is no need to push hisarm, as you have turned out ofharm’s way. Be careful to keep

you elbow in. As you have turned, he nowtries to force his way in by using a PakSau (Slapping hand) against your Fuk Sau.As he does so lift your Fuk Sau so he isslapping your elbow (Fig 2). Notice how

Wing Chun’s Fuk Sau

Last time we looked at Bong Sau and how we could use it to attackas well as defend. This issue we look at the Fuk Sau. Although it is acovering technique, it is very useful for setting up decisive strikes.

Qi Magazine 37

he is slapping along theline of your arm into your body.Since your body is behind the FukSau it is naturally very strong and there isno need for you to push back (the sametheory as the ‘strong’ Bong Sau, see lastissue). If your angle is not right he will beable to slap your arm out of the way.

Since you do not need to use anyenergy, you can remain relaxed. If youlike, you can let him try to slap your armout of the way a couple of times, eachtime he tries he will use a little moreenergy. Then when he has committed

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 6

Win

gCh

un

himself, circle your hand round to sweephis arms out of the way. At the same timeyou can counter-attack (Fig 3).

The next example uses the “elbowout” Fuk Sau. There is more space

between you and your opponentand you are at a

slight

angle. In thissituation, it is safe to usethis Fuk Sau (Fig 4).

As your opponent punchestowards you, turn and cover his punchwith an “elbow in” Fuk Sau. Make sureyou turn enough so you are not in linewith his fist (Fig 5). When your opponentrealises you have turned he will try and

push his fist back towards your face.Maintain the position of each Fuk Sau sohe cannot strike you directly. Thus, theonly way for him to strike you is to pushyour arms. As he pushes circle your handsinside his arms and strike his ribs, steppingforwards as you do so to increase theeffectiveness of the strike (Fig 6).

byDarrylMoy

Qi Magazine 39

S eptember 21st finally arrived and those going fromManchester met early at the airport for our connectingflight to London. Soon we had met up with our fellowclassmates and were en route to Beijing. For most of us,it was the first time to visit China, a place that had become

a symbol of our ownMecca. Our trip there couldcertainly be describedas a spiritual journey home. All of us had been practising Wild GooseQigong for a number of years and felt overwhelmed that we weregoing to meet the 27th generation inheritor of the Dayan Qigongskill.

Although tired and jet lagged, we met up for our first Chinesemeal “in China” at a local restaurant that we had scouted out early onour arrival. It wasa good opportunity to be able to taste many differentdishes. Over the next days, Dou Miu (a type of bean sprout shoot)and creamy Dou Fu (bean curd)quickly became daily favouritesalong with the Beijing Duck andfish so fresh that it was stillswimming when ordered. Eatingat local restaurants also meantthat the price was lower than thehotel restaurants and we couldeat and drink our fill veryreasonably as well as feel part ofthe community. That firstevening after dinner we visitedTiananmen Square to see thenight lights. We went back to thehotel and eventually slept despiteour excitement.

On the third day of ourtrip, it was arranged that we would meet Yang Sigong that evening.We had all been briefed as to how we should behave so as not toembarrass ourselves or teacher, so we knew not to stand up but kneeldown when in her presence. Being so tiny, it was disrespectful tomake her look upwards at all of us. To say that we were nervous is an

understatement. We had to take several taxis and the journey wasquite long so everyone was tense and scared the closer we got to herhome. When we finally arrived, we were ushered in to her livingroom and there she was sitting at the table watching as we came in.No one had expected to see her just like that and almost like a wave,everyone dropped to their knees at the side of the room as we waitedfor Michael to come in.

Introductions were made and tea was offered to us by herstudents. Then she decided to give us a demonstration of how flexible

she was and sitting where she wasshe lifted her leg almost straight upin the air beside her ear. Someonewas asked to push down on herelbow as she resisted but they wereunable to do so. Her palms werered and skin soft and shiny. Youcould see that her spirit was strongand she even joked with us as shesaid in English, “Okay?”. And then,before we even knew what washappening, she had stood up andwalked to the centre of the roomand began to show us some of herskill. It ishard to describe the feelingof meeting her. The usual adjectiveslike amazing and incredible seem

inadequate.It touches feelings deep down inside of you, the ones that you

never put into words and rarely even acknowledge to yourself. Youfeel awed and frightened simultaneously. You wonder if she is able tosee what kind of person you are and what she thinks of you. She

Visiting GrandmasterYang Meijun

It was something that most of us had only dreamed about sowhen our teacher, Michael Tse, invited us to join him on trip toBeijing, China, to meet his Sifu, Master Yang Meijun, we keptpinching ourselves to make sure we really were awake. Althoughthe main purpose of the trip was to meet our Sigong, we also hadthe opportunity to take in some of the more famous tourist sightsand shopping expeditions and even visit a Wushu school to seethem training.

Qi Magazine 40

allowed us to take photoswith her and we all felthighly honoured by this,but just being in herpresence was somethingwe would carry with us forthe rest of our lives.

That evening wewere doubly lucky as wewere also able to meet hereldest son and his wife. DaiSouk(meaningelderuncle)looked much like hismother and had a friendlyopen face that was alsoshiny and healthy. He wasquick to make us feelwelcome with his smilesand handshakes. We didnot know how it could getany better than this, beingin the same room as ourown Sifu, Michael Tse, andour Sigong, Master Yang,and her son. However, itseemed heaven was smiling onall of us this trip because beforewe left, Sigong invited all of usto attend her birthday partywhich was a few days away andwhich was to be held at one ofthe famous Peking DuckRestaurants in Central Beijing.

Those fewdays passed alltoo quickly with a visit to theGreat Wall in which all of usmanaged to make it up thedifficult path. Looking out overthe mountains with the Wallmarking their contours like a snake, was like having all the paintingsof Chinese mountains you had ever seen come alive. You felt a deepsense of history and timelessness looking out over a landscape thathad changed little over the decades. Someday I would like to go back

at dawn and see the sun rising over the mountain topsand feel the souls of those who had been there before mein another time. During the day it is often difficult toshake off those peddling silk scarves and t-shirts as theylay in wait for tourists at strategic points.

During the days before the birthday party, wevisited a Chinese acrobatic show and other sights.Shopping was also one of the highlights as everyonebegan to hone their bargaining skills with patience andgood humour. Purchasing as a group helped and we allcame home with some very nice examples of Chinesepaintings.

Soon it was Yang Sigong’s birthday party. Michaelhad arranged with our hotel to make a special cake whichwas decorated with three geese flying. It said “Live aLong Life” from Michael Tse and students. It was quite afeat to get the cake all the way from the hotel to therestaurant without damaging it. In the end Michael andone of the students hopped into a pedi-cab with the cakein order to not have it crushed by all the crowds andwere whisked away toward’s Tiananmen Square with therest of us in hot pursuit on foot.

We were all ushered upstairs and into the reservedroom for the party. There were several guests already

there, including both of her sons andmany students and also severalgovernment officials. In total therewere over 200 guests and we were

the only foreigners there. Wewere shown our seats and leftto chat amongst ourselves. Aswe sipped tea, we were thesubject of many curious staresfrom others and Michael madeintroductions as people came tosay hello. After half an hour orso, there was a noticeableincrease in the level ofexcitement. We all stood asMaster Yang was escorted into the room by two Chinese armyofficials. She waved to all of her guests before she sat down. Itseemed within seconds that everyone was surrounding her table.Michael herded us all together and we went forward to pay ourrespects and drink a toast with Yang Sigong. It seemedunbelievable to be here at her birthday party. We were all herejoined together with the common interest of Qigong. Eventhough not one person there could speak English somehowwe communicated just fine.

“It seemed unbelievable to behere at her birthday party. We were

all here joined together with thecommon interest of Qigong.”

Qi Magazine 41

The flight to Beijing was flourished – filled.We landed at last, safe and sound.Although, on reflection, the fact is,Our feet rarely kept on the ground.

The hotel was grand – in an Old World way.A platformed Grand tinkled each eve’The contrasts outside were so strong

A paradox hard to conceive.

The park in the morning – opened at six,Bombarding the emotions and feelings.

The people: the dust: the sharingExercise using the railings.

A back – walking man, water painting the path.Long handled brush strokes of symbols.

A woman, with basket, singing her scalesQigong, taiji; some tree rolls.

Then back to breakfast – stimulus filledNegotiate traffic – new skill!

Keep walking slowly – moving along.It all seems to work: with a will.

Along-side the road they are dancingThe Tango’s the one they prefer.

Western dress [50’s] – practising steps;With joy; dedication; verve!

Visits to palaces; places.Whistle - stop touring they call it.

Walking the wall – the difficult way!A sense of achievement: completed.

A sprint for taxis – go, go ,go;No matter; deep conversation!

Can’t keep them waiting – when you’re in a team.Makes for a smooth operation.

A hunt on for swords [though some hiccups]Successful! The purchases made.

A bartering skill – new discovered.Some experts amongst us – good trade!

Such people we met at a party.Such power; such peace and such love.

To communicate; went beyond language.That one meeting - would be enough.

Fixed memories; heightened emotions.Relationships firmly cemented.A once in-a-lifetime whirl-wind

Explosion of the senses.BySylvia Royle

Qi Magazine 42

Dai Souk and one of our Qigong “uncles” demonstatedenergytransmission specially for us. Dai Souk gathered his energy and then“tossed” it into to our upraised hands. It felt like something touchingthe centre of our palms and then spreading out to our fingers like aflower opening. Some felt tingling and warmth as well.

Soon after, it was speech time. Yang Sigong spoke and to ourgreat pride, she asked Michael to give a speech as well. Everyonewishedher long life before we began what wasa several course banquet.Before leaving, we presented her with our cake and it was obviousthat she was pleased with the geese on it as she smiled and ate a largepiece with her chopsticks straightaway. The evening ended all toosoon. As we waved good-bye to Yang Sigong in Tiananmen Square,we all felt how deeply lucky we had been. I also felt that each of us that

was there had an obligation topass on the skill that had sobenefitted us in our own lives.

This time alsostrengthened the bond betweenus and our own teacher as well.None of uswould trade the timespent in China, not even whenwe had to rise at sunrise in orderto be able to have a few hours ofpractice inthe parkwithMichael.He taught us in a different waythan he did in the classroom. Itwas more relaxed and close knit,more like family. And that is theword that sums up thetrip…family. We all learned toenjoy the time together as a family, often meeting in someone’s hotelroom for a late night chat and sampling of Beijing’s unusual fruit andtea we had bought at the market. Some even had a fashion show,using the hotel hallway as a catwalk to show off their wushu uniformsand silk jackets purchased at the famous silk market.

I know that I speak not only for myself, but all of us whowent, that wearedeeplygrateful andindebtedtoMichael for introducingus to his teacher and for sharing China with us. It was hard to comeback to England. For me it felt like I was leaving home, rather thanreturning home and I do not think that I am the only one who lefttheir heart in China. byJessica Blackwell

Qi Magazine 43

Chinese Yoga

AmazingMasterChenWei De

AmazingMasterChenWei De

Qi Magazine 44Chinese Yoga

Chinese Yoga

Buddha’s Face Looking Back to theother Coast

Long Life Turtle Right Leg Goes Overthe Neck

Turning Qian Kun A Thousand StoneOn the Back

Lifting Up Lotus

Monkey Gives Fruit Three LeggedCauldron

Climbing theMountain & Crossing

the Sea

Blossoming Lotus

Qi Magazine 45

When we initially begin our practice,our focus is primarily concernedwith learning forms, building

strength and endurance in the body, andtrying to internalise the various theoriespresented by our teachers. As time goes by,and we gain some measure of ability andunderstanding, it becomes apparent to us thatthe principles weare learningoperate onmanydifferent levels. Unusual challenges face us,which we did not expect from the lessons,often times resulting in emotional responsesfrom within us. Many students, having noparadigm with which to handle thesechallenges, may stop coming to classaltogether, others may display inappropriateresponses like rude, arrogant, or aggressivebehaviour. Fortunately by reaching back intothe mists of time we may refer to an ancientcode of etiquette and protocol to guide us.

The Wu Teh code has been the basisfor interaction in martial circles from earliesttimes and remains today a canon, which willguide our development as a whole person inour studies.

When we train in either an externalor internal system a common key to ourtraining is the development of the ThreeTreasures: Qi (energy, breath), Jing (power,endurance), and Shen (spiritual intention,concentration). For the purposesof characterdevelopment, our training would focus onthe Shen or spiritual aspect of the three. Intraining the spiritual there are many areas tocover, fundamentally however the applicationof intention, the ability to concentrate, andreaching the higher planes of perception andenlightenment are dependent upon thediscipline of character in order to progress.

Ina traditional setting it wasprimarilythe duty of the parents and later the extendedfamily, which was responsible for the trainingof character in a child. In martial families ateacher or set of masters further guided thechild’s development, as they grew older. Inmodern society the development of thecharacter is increasingly being left to theindividual to develop. Many modernpractitioners did not have the benefit ofgrowing up in a martial family and did not

begin their careers until into their teens, orlater. For those who did not have the benefitof this background training, the Wu Teh codeis our guideline to deportment, etiquette, andfealty.

As students today who are interestedin becoming fully developed martial artists,healthcare practitioners or scholars of theWay, character is one element of our training,which must not be neglected.

Those of us lacking the balanceddevelopment of character must firstacknowledge, and then examine with an eyeto modifying, both their positive qualities andthose base aspects of their character.Evaluation of these qualities is necessary inorder to begin to practise balancing them.

By working hard to reach a balancedview we then are able to reflect this in ourcharacter. On a basic level this training ismerely focused on identifying the Yin andYang elements of character. Later on ourfocus would be fine tuning these individualelements or qualities to balance. On a higherlevel one then begins working to balance theoverall character. The spiritual aspect ofmartial training follows the same rules as for

The practice of the Chinese martial arts or Quan fa (Fist Arts) is made upof both internal and external systems. Both of these systems require years ofdevotion, practice, and thought in order to reach mastery. One feature,which is fundamental to both systems, is the development of character.

Developing Characterphysical or energy training. First it isnecessary to recognise your limitations, andthen train at the edge of your limitation topush back its boundaries. Steady gains inconcentration time, emotion dispersal, andintention intensity for example, shouldresult.

It is important to constantly monitoryour growth. Like physical injury, or Qigongaccidents, training the spiritual may also goastray. It is important to have a teacher, orfamily of teachers, who know you as onedoes a family member in order to regularlyguide your development. Traditionally oneremained within the haven of one’s lineagewhere the opportunity to train with one’steacher, even one’s teacher’s teacher waspossible. This extended family workedbeneficially on many different levels to guidethe adept throughout their lifetime whileproviding a constant example for them tofollow.

Spiritual imbalance can result in over-emotional states, either of a higher or lowernature, personality disorders, and evenoutright delusions. Our safety and later thesafety of our students must be consideredand for this reason, among others, it isimperative to maintain close links with yourteachers throughout your career.

In training the internal we seek todevelop sensitivity to others’ physical power,balance, and energy circulation. On anotherlevel it is also important to develop sensitivityto the power of their character. Evaluatingother people’s character, whether they be ouropponents, patients, or students, gives usinsight to their possible actions. While it isdifficult to know others it is even morechallenging to know the self. The internalwork of fine tuning our characters in orderto balance our qualities, understand ourstrengths and weakness, and modify ourmore base elements is just as important totrain as developing Fajing skills for example.This work helps us to quiet the mind, takecomfort in our centre, and flow in harmonywith our circumstances. Naturally there aretimes when we are tested. Even times whenthe physical must predominate in order to

Inte

rna

lM

atte

rs

Qi Magazine 46

follow the precepts of the code. Overall however, our goal is to findthe tranquillity and consistency to maintain our practice.

The Wu Teh code is a time tested traditional path lined withmilestones as challenging as any physical test. We often see examplestoday of modern behaviour which lies in conflict with it. Indeedmany question the place of concepts like fealty, compassion, andhonour in a modern world. And while the code is applied in strictlymartial circles this is perhaps understandable. It is when the principlesare practised in our every day life that the challenge in following themreveals our characters to us. Many do not want to recognise theseelements in themselves because of their inability to overcome their

The Wu Teh CodeHonour your Teacher.Treat your fellow students as brother/sister.Students should show respect for one another.Always maintain humility, be considerate and kind tothose less fortunate.Approach learning with an empty cup.Lead by example.Trust your teacher’s judgement as long as theyremain your teacher.Remember that teachers are human and will makemistakes.Always be courteous.View criticism as opportunity to grow.Never openly criticise your teacher.Take pride in your school, your fellows, your self.Two person training is an opportunity to disciplineyour ego.Intimidation of others in training is low level.Perseverance and tenacity is a sign of strength, nevergive up.Cleanliness shows you honour yourself by example.Do not be greedy for information.Always give a gift to your teacher on specialoccasions no matter how small.If you travel to see your teacher bring them a gifteach time.If you have a falling out with your teacher bring thema gift the next time you see them and apologise in ahumble way.Do not expect your teacher to open the gift in front ofyou.If your teacher or guest comes to your home alwaysensure there is food and drink available inabundance.Always address and introduce your teacher with theirtitle as a sign of respect.Bowing or saluting to your teacher and fellows is asign of respect and gratitude.Never debate the cost of instruction. Always pay ontime.

Try not to be late to class or leave early withoutexplanation.The saying “Teacher has no hands, no pockets”means that when with your teacher they should notcarry or move things, when out in public they shouldnot pay for incidentals or meals.Senior students are responsible for their junior’sunderstanding of these ethics.Senior students accept challenges on behalf of theteacher, only if they are defeated would the teachertake up a challenge.If it is within your power to save those less fortunatethan yourself from abuse of any kind do so.When going to study with other teachers first askpermission.Ensure you pay other teachers honourably or givethem some tribute, a red envelope is a traditionalmethod of conveyance.Never wear any symbol of rank to another school.Always bow when entering someone else’s school.If studying with a guest teacher always open doorsfor them, address them with respect, pay for theirmeals etc.When eating with your seniors always allow them tostart first, ensure their tea cup is always full, andallow them the seat of honour.If in doubt defer to your teacher, let them guide youClean up after your teacher or seniors as a sign ofrespect.Don’t be afraid to let your teacher see your innercharacter, if you follow this code you will earn theirrespect.Understand that other traditions may have additionalpoints of etiquette for you to follow, as long as theygenerally agree with the above it will honour you toobserve them.Practise that which your teacher shows you.Be honest and loyal to your teacher, your fellows,and your school.

baser instincts. However we do have the opportunity to change, bytraining, by following our teacher’s example, researching alternativemethods of reason, and investing in loss.

In the end one practises the Chinese internal arts to live. Ona Jing level one practises to protect and defend. On a Qi level onepractises to tune the body to its prime health condition, and on aShen level to enjoy the peace and tranquillity life’s abundance grants.The balanced training of all three of these treasures depends uponmoderating and disciplining our character in order to achieve theconsistent harmony to do so.

by J. ReynoldsNelson

Qi Magazine 47

Istill remember my first Qigong lesson.It had taken me several months towork up enough courage to finally go

along to a class and once there I was soshy and scared of making a fool of myselfthat I did not think that the hour wouldever end. Fear is not very conducive tolearning and so it made remembering themovements even more difficult, but Istuck with it and although I began to feelbetter and more relaxed within just a fewweeks, it has takenmany years to begin tofeel that what I amdoing is more than justa series of connectedlessons.

I am greatlyappreciative of thepatience of my teacherand also of the seniorstudents who spent somuch time answeringquestions and repeatingthe movements, “justone more time” when Igot stuck. Now I findmyself being askedmany of the samequestions, one of themost common of whichis, “when is the besttime to do Qigongtraining”. The answerreally depends on theindividual. Are they just beginning or arethey more advanced? Beginners may feelquite tired with just a few movements, sothe best is to take things slowly and fityour Qigong practice in with yourlifestyle.

Some movement is better than nomovement and so even if you are shorton time, it is good to repeat some exercisesor even just do some stretching or taking

a walk. Movement will help stimulateyour body’s circulation and make you feelwarmer and your mind clearer. The nextthing to consider is where is the best placeto practise. My teacher has always saidthat it is better to practise outsideproviding the air is clean, however, theweather is not always so cooperative. Inaddition, when just beginning, you mayknow only a few movements and so youmay feel cold quite quickly. In this case,

you could practise inside but it is best toopen the window and let in the fresh air.Qigong is about getting rid of negative orsick energy and gathering fresh or goodenergy. Fresh air equals good Qi, so if youalways have the windows closed whiletrying to practise, there is no exchange ofnegative energy with positive energy. It islike trying to take a bath in dirty water.

Just More TimeOnce you have become more

familiar with Qigong, you can choose atime to practise in which the function ofa particular channel in your body will beenhanced. The Chinese break each dayinto sections of twelve hours, spanningtwo hours each. A new day begins at11:00 pm and so the hours run onaccordingly. These same twelve hourshave a corresponding animal relating toChinese horoscopes and also relate to a

particular channel ofour body. I have onlylisted a few of thehours.

The followinghours relate to thecorresponding organ-see diagram.

You can alsochoose to practisefacing in a particulardirection, ie., north,south, east or west.The north directionconnects with thekidneys and so facingin this direction canmake the kidneyenergy stronger.South connects withthe heart, eastdirection connectswith the liver andwest direction

connects with the lungs. However, the bestis to listen to your body and try to makethings balanced. Some find early morningpractise the best while others likepractising at night. The more Qigong youpractise the more sensitive you willbecome to your body’s needs and you willthen know what is best for you.

byTse Sihn Kei

LifeTra

inin

g

How you should practise and where you should practiseyour Qigong is very important. The times you practisewill also affect you body and so this is also important.

The Hours and the Internal Organs

SMAL

LIN

TEST

INE

KIDNEYLARGEINTESTINE

PERICARDIUM

TRIPPLE

WARM

ER

GALLBLADDER

LIVE

R

LUNGS

STOMACH

SPLEEN

URINARY

BLADDER

5 - 7

7 - 9

9- 1

1

13-

15

15 - 17

17 - 19

19 - 21

21-

23

1-

3

3 - 5

23

-1

11-

13