Question 1

Answer

First of all it is helpful to understand some difference between conventional Western and traditional Chinese terminology. In the West we classify a person's dimensions into four aspects, namely physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Conventionally, Western doctors look after the physical ills of a person, psychologists the emotional, psychiatrists the mental, and religious teachers the spiritual.

Although we often refer to pedophilia, or an abnormal fondness for children, as a mental disorder, it actually falls under the dimension of the emotions. For example, a pedophilia patient may not have any neurological problems, and his intellect may be high, yet he has an abnormal fondness for children.

In traditional Chinese philosophy, we classify a person into only two dimensions, namely the "shen" and the "xin", which may be roughtly translated as the body and the heart. Understandably, many people may think that classifying a person's dimenions into two is not as comprehensive or effective as classifying into four as in Western thought. But from my own experience, I have often found that the Chinese classification into two is not only more comprehensive to explain problems many people have that caanot be satisfactorily explained using the Western classification into four, but also more effective in providing a cure for problems that in Western societies are often regarded as incurable.

There are two points to note in this "shen-xin" or "body-heart" classification. One, the Romanized spelling "shen", but pronounced in a different tone and written in a different Chinese character, also refers to "spirit". So, please take note that "shen" in this "shen-xin" classification refers to "body", and not to "spirit". Two, "heart" here is not the organ heart but the spiritual heart, variously called soul, spirit, mind or consciousness in different cultures.

The "body" of a person is the physcial part, that has form, and can be seen, though sometimes it may be too small to be seen by our naked eye. The "heart" is the part that includes the emotional, the mental and the spiritual, that has no form, and cannot be seen, though its manifestations like happiness and intelligence can be seen. In other words, we can see that a person is happy, or whether he is more intelligent than another person.

Pedophilia is an disorder of the "heart", not of the "body". There is too much "fire" in the "heart system". Please take note that this "heart" in the "heart system" does not refer to the spiritual heart in the "body-heart" classification. It refers to the five physiological systems named after the five major organs, namely lungs, kidneys, liver, heart and spleen.

It is not even necessary to know what caused the excessive "fire" in the "heart-system". The important task is to quench the "fire". There are many ways to quench the "fire". One way is to use herbs that facilitate "water". Another way is to use acupuncture. A third way is to use massage therapy.

An excellent way is to make use of the inter-destructivity of the five elementary processes. Fire is related to joy, which in this case is manifested as an abnormal fondness for children. Water is related to fear. If the patient can be made to feel severe fear, he can produce sufficient "water" to quench his excessive "fire", thus curing him of his abnormal behaviour. There are many records of such successful manipulation of the five elementary processes in traditional Chinese medical history.

This is an interesting contrast to Western thinking. Western societies are sympathetic to pedophilia patients, almost condoning their abnormal behaviour by consoling them and implying that they could not do otherwise even when they knew their behaviour was wrong.

What a great traditional Chinese physician does to help pedophilia patients recover may shock Western societies, and may land him in jail in the West. He may threaten them to frighten the wit out of them. He may even employ some people to beat them up. He has to be harsh to be kind. He helps pedophilia patients return to normal, healthy life, whereas in the West the problem becomes more and more pervasive.

Question 2

Answer

I am glad that you had some good experiences of chi with your sifu. Your chi kung training will enable you to develop internal force and will enhance your Aikido as well as Tai Chi Chuan practice.

Your sifu is a very good teacher, and I am sure you will benefit very much from him.

Question 3

Answer

It is quite amazing that you have put up with so many health problems for such a long time. You and many other people may find it too good to believe, but it is true that by practicing high-level chi kung regularly, all your health problems will be solved.

You have practiced our chi kung for just three months. It is too early to see lasting results yet.

Question 4

Answer

Of course I shall help you and all other students at the Intensive Chi Kung Course to open up your energy channels and clear blockages. In fact, this is one of the main objectives of the course.

In the past, I did this by physically opening their energy points with my fingers. But over the years I have improved my teaching methodology tremendously. Now I help students develop internal force on the very first day of the course, which increases the power of their energy flow dramatically, thus clearing their energy blockage themselves.

Their doing it energetically themselves is much better than my doing it physically for them. Instead of giving them a fish, I teach my students how to fish.

Question 5

Answer

"Carrying the Moon" is excellent for overcome back problems, including back strain. But of course you have to perform it as chi kung and not just as physical exercise.

Question 6

Answer

This is quite true. Hence, many people are very surprised at our generosity in sharing secrets.

And one of the great secrets we often emphasize is that often it is not the technique that is most important but how the technique is being practiced. In other words, it is the "how" rather than the "what" that is more important.

For example, many people may have the correct technique to train Iron Palm, but if they do not perform the technique skillfully, they would still not have Iron Palm even when the technique is correct.

An analogy may make this clear. Suppose you have read the technique of how a world-class footballer kicks a ball. Unless you have his skills, even when you apply the same technique, the way you kick a ball is vastly different from how he does it.

Question 7

Answer

Both masters are correct in their own ways. Different masters and different schools have different ways to train their Iron Palm, and their result is also different.

Yes, the method described by the second master is external.

Question 8

Answer

If you keep on practicing daily, you will be able to break a brick. Later you may fill your sandbag with sand and then with pebbles instead of rice.

Attempt an easy brick first to give yourself confidence. Having confidence is very important. Gradually you can try harder bricks.

The method you are using is external. Iron Palm is basically an external art. Please note that saying it is external instead of internal does not mean it is less powerful. In fact some external arts are more powerful than some internal arts.

Most Iron Palm masters, including great ones, trained their arts using external methods, mainly hitting bags filled with pebbles or iron-fillings. But through long years of training, their external art became internal.

It is not advisable to attempt internal art training without a master's supervision. It is easy to make mistakes which can have serious side-effects. But training with a master is very safe. Internal training basically involves intrinsic energy and mind.

There are many genuine Iron Palm masters in the United States. You can find them if you search the internet.

Question 9

Answer

Piercing Palm is a technique, whereas Cotton Palm and Immortal Palm (which I believe is a better translation than Angel Pam) are specialized skills or force.

As its name shows, in Piercing Palm you pierce your palm, usually vertically or horizontally, into an opponent. If you succeed in doing so, you may maim or kill him, which I believe you or most people would have neither the need nor interest to do.

The Piercing Palm technique can be found in many styles of kungfu, like Shaolin, Taijiquan, Bagua, Hsing Yi, Wing Choon, Choy-Li-Fatt and White Crane. It is not difficult to find books or webpages showing this technique.

Cotton Palm and Immortal Palm are advanced skills taught only to selected disciples. I have not come across any books or webpages specially describing how these advanced arts are trained.

This is expected, as masters who know these arts not only do not want the arts to fall into wrong hands, they also do not want unsuspecting students develop serious side-effects training on their own without proper supervision.

LINKS

Selected Reading

• The Blessing and Responsibility of being a Husband and Father
• Energy Different from that of Other Masters
• Why you can eat your Cake and Chocolate and yet Not Worry about Cardiovascular Diseases or Diabetes?
• Formidable Attacks that may Appear Flowery
• Counters against Pin-Downs are Full of Surprises

Courses and Classes

• Intensive Chi Kung Course
• Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course
• Intensive Taijiquan Course

• List of Certified Shaolin Wahnam Instructors