SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
FEBRUARY 2018 PART 3
Praying Mantis Kungfu
Question 1
My relationship with my father is not good right now. I feel his perception of me is negative which is hurtful. My relationship with my sister has deteriorated rapidly. I had an argument with her and it escalated.
I have tried to talk to my parents, my logic being that it is better to talk about things openly but they think I am too sensitive and need to let go. I feel like writing them a letter but I fear it will not be received well or not at all. When I have tried to raise issues from the past, like behavioral patterns which we could improve, I have only made my parents defensive.
— Lucas, Sweden
Answer
Your problems with your father and your sister can be easily solved -- I repeat: easily solved -- if you just follow my advice.
Whenever you speak to your father or your sister, say some nice things that they like to hear. Don't say things that they don't like to hear, like telling them to live their lives according to your views.
Although they are your father and your sister, it is their lives. Let them live their lives. Don't tell them how to live their lives.
The nice things you say to them must be truthful. For example, tell your sister how cute her baby is, if you find the baby cute. If you don't find the baby cute, tell her that you are happy she has a baby, if you are happy she has a baby. If you are not happy she has a baby, tell her she has a baby while other people may not have babies. All the facts are true.
Tell your father that you are happy he is healthy. If he is sick, tell him that sickness, any sickness, is temporary. It is normal to be healthy.
If you are not happy that he is healthy, or not happy that he is sick, just tell him that it is normal to be healthy.
Question 2
My interest in Praying Mantis Kung Fu came about when I started to make some Mantis patterns in chi flow.
— Sifu Leonard Lackinger, Shaolin Wahnam Austria
Answer
Performing kungfu patterns in chi flow is very advanced, though it happens to us in Shaolin Wahnam relatively early. Some Taijiquan masters regard this as the highest level of kungfu.
At first, the kungfu forms may be awkward, but gradually we can attain picture-perfect form. We learned this at the Dragon Strength course. When we are accomplished in performing kungfu in chi flow, we can be very powerful, fast and yet not tired and not panting for breadth. In our present world, this skill is extremely useful.
Using chi flow to perform Taijiquan
Question 3
How would you relate the amount of flowing and consolidated force in Praying Mantis Kung Fu?
Answer
I would rate the amount of flowing force and consolidated forcce in Praying Mantis Kungfu as 40:60 -- for those who have the skills. Most practitioners, which is more than 70% today, do not have the skills. They tense their muscles to have mechanical strength.
Those who have the skills may not realize they have the skills. They have developed the skills unknowingly after many years, like more than 10 years, of practicing the forms correctly. They may or may not know the combat application of their forms.
Advanced Praying Mantis practitioners who have practiced the forms corrctly for more than 10 years, may reach a ratio of 60:40, i.e. 60% of their force is flowing, and 40% consolidated. It is incredible that those who attended my Dragon Strength course can vary the ratio in whatever way they like.
It is worthy of note that here we are talking about the ratio between flowing force and consolidated force, and not the amount of force. Irrespective of whether the force is flowing or consolidated, an advanced practitioner is more forceful than a beginner. Even when an advanced practitioner uses a portion of his flowing force, he is more forceful than all the consolidated force of a beginner.
As an analogy, an ordinary person may have 80% of his income in his pocket and 20% in a bank, whereas a rich man may have only 5% of his income in his pocket and 95% in a bank. But the amount of money in a rich man's pocket, even though it is only 5% of his income, is more than the money in the pocket of an ordinary person though it consiitutes 80% of his income. Often, even a portion of the money in the pocket of a rich man is more than all the money of an ordinary person, including the money in his bank.
Question 4
You once told me that although I thanked you for your advice, I didn't act on it. A few days later, I saw an answer on the Q&A where you said that asking for advice and not acting on it was a bad solution to a problem, although it was better than doing nothing.
Some time later, I asked you about the difference between a regional course and an intensive course. Again, I saw an article about the intensive course some days later.
— Alonso, USA
Answer
Coincidence does not simply happen. There is a reason for each event. This statement does not apply specially for your cases. It is a general statement. For example, my mention that a bad action is better than no action, and intensive courses are of a higher level than regional courses, is not because of your questions.
What people think of as coincidence is a result of karma. Karma is not religious; it just means cause and effect. Your bad luck was due to various causes. You can overcome your bad luck by practicing genuine, high-level chi kung. When you practice genuine, high-level chi kung, you generate energy flow, which is good circulation of chi. In Chinese, it is "hou yun qi".
If you ask Chinese, who speak Chinese as some Chinese do, in the United States for example, they will tell you that "hou yun chi" means good luck. Due to the long history of the term, most Chinese may not realize its morphological meaning.
Although a regional course is lower level than an intensive course, it is still very high level
Question 5
I will attend your intensive course this year. I will be looking for dates on your website.
Answer
Some people just talk about attending my intensive courses, but they give excuses not to. Honestly, whether you, or they, attend my intensive courses is your, and their, problem, not mine.
Question 6
Even today, I got a negative response from what seemed a very good option. I do recognize I have some responsibility in this, but could there be a reason I am not aware of? Fate maybe? Bad luck? It seems very surprising to me that every option ends up failing.
Answer
You failed because you didn't make sufficient attempt to succeed. This is not begging the question. It is actually the reason of your failure. You may not have made any attempt at all. You relied, usually unconsciously, on your excuse of having bad luck.
Your failing in the option was the effect, Your not making sufficient effort was the cause.
The effect then becomes the cause. In other words, your failing in the option was the effect. It then becomes the cause. It may cause you to continuously think that you have bad luck.
Practicing high-level chi kung can overcome your not making sufficient effort. When you have a lot of energy from your chi kung training, you will make effort to succeed. High-level chi kung also helps you to have mental clarity, which will contribute to your making the right effort.
It is so established that practicing genuine chi kung will make practitioners lucky that "hou yun qi", or "good circulation of energy" has become a part of the Chinese language
Question 7
Meanwhile, I follow the advice you once gave me and spend more time outside. It helps a lot, though going back home is something I always dread.
Answer
Home is the place you always look forward to return to, though sometimes you may leave it for some good reasons. If you dread to return to your present home, you must do one of these two things:
- Change your present home to a new home where you want to return to.
- Change the conditions of your present home that you want to return to.
Don't wait for other people to make the changes. You do the changes yourself. Practicing genuine, high-level chi kung will give you the mental clarity and a lot of energy to make the changes.
Question 8
I also hope things will improve soon.
Answer
Most people just hope, successful people do.
In other words, most people hope that things will improve, but they usually find that things do not improve. A minority of people makes changes so that things will improve, and they are happy, successful people.
If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Grandmaster Wong via his Secretary at stating your name, country and e-mail address.
LINKS
Selected Reading
- Joy of Teaching
- What is Your Dearest Wish?
- An Incredible Beautiful Experience
- Shaolin 36 Leg Techniques
- The Oasis of Sante Fe