SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
JANUARY 2022 PART 1
Lifting the Sky
Question 1
I hope this finds you and your family safe, healthy, and happy. It has been long since I've written, but I have been diligently practicing Circulating Head (all 3 parts) as part of my sessions. You have been very generous in sharing the Shaolin arts.
I am experiencing continued reduction in the severity of my back deformities from my practice, but also very noticeable vitality in my daily life, and has brought me unprecendented clarity and joy most importantly in my relationships with others.
I have many months' unsuccessful attempts to 'burn' them off with standard Western means, but I am willing to utilize qi gong time for the cure.
Is there anything I can do for this issue from a thematic qi perspective? If holistic practice is the answer, should I discontinue western salicylic acid burning off treatment, since eventually it will take care of itself
— Artem, USA
Answer
Chi kung (spelt as "qigong" in Romanized Chinese) has given me and many other people who share our philosophy much health, vitality and longevity.At present you need not focus on "Circulating Head", but focus on "Lifting the Sky", "Carrying the Moon" and "Pushing Mountain". Have a chi flow after your training session.
Western medicine is effective in many ways, but it is not so effective in situations where energy and mind are important. There is at present no need for you to carry on salicylic and burning off treatment. Your chi kung practice will take care of you very well although it may take some time.
Question 2
I am to organize a trip to Penang for groups of people who do not speak English and that they can take the Intensive Chi Kung Course from you. Is it okay to use material from your shaolin.org website? Of course I always refer to the original source.
In Spain, legally the words healing, or cure, or treatment cannot be used if we are not health personnel.
I did some Feng Shui courses. We are very fortunate because we can improve at different levels of training. This is luck. When some Wahnam students have a very advanced level, they can change their karma, as well as the energy of their environment and of course the human effort since the Shaolin arts make us healthy, effective, vital, long lives, calm and wise.
I wanted to tell you about an experience that I had a few weeks ago. I felt as if a very dark "live" energy was coming out of me from the mouth like cleansing. I had the window open and I could almost see it go through the window towards the balcony of some young neighbors who are always having parties. Then I thought that the bad energy was going somewhere else where it could become good and do no more harm.
— Paz, Spain
Answer
It is great that you are creating a website. Of course you can use any articles on my website.
According to Spanish laws, it is wise if you do not use such terms like "healing", "cure" or "treatment". The world lockdown is still on.
"Feng Shui" is the art of environmental energy. But within sudden limits we can change our fate or destiny. It is good to apply "feng shui" in our life, but practice your chi kung and kungfu everyday.
I am happy about your experience. While you were practicing chi kung at night, the bad energy from you was expelled and cleansed out. It is always helpful to have good thoughts -- for you, Angel and other people.
Cosmic Breathing
Question 3
I remember Sifu demonstrated many different arts during the course, such as Reverse Breathing, Cosmic Breathing, and Gentle Small Universe at Cosmos Stance. Sifu's demonstrations were so clear that I felt as though a transmission had occurred.
I've noticed many spontaneous evolutions of my Abdominal Breathing transforming into Dan Tian Breathing and Cosmic Breathing, and even a few times I would sink down into the Cosmos Stance and I felt the Small Universe circulating. Is it all right if I formally practice these arts, such as Gentle Small Universe in Cosmos Stance, which have occurred spontaneously throughout my practice?
— Dr Frederick Chu, USA
Answer
Abdominal Breathing, Reverse Breathing, Small Universe Breathing, Big Universe Breathing and Cosmic Breathing are the main breathing methods in our school. Please note that Abdominal Breathing and Reverse Breathing are different from diaphragmatic breathing and chest breathing.
Chi, or energy, has been discovered before air. In Abdominal Breathing and Reverse Breathing, chi goes to the dan tian, but air, as you know very well, goes to the lungs as the lungs are air-tight.
When Abdominal Breathing becomes Small and Big Universe Breathing or Cosmic Breathing, it is a development. Congratulations. I took many years for this development, but you took a shorter time. I am proud of you. Of course, you can practice the Gentle Small Universe in Cosmos Stance.
You can perform the Small Universe, which can be used for the Big Universe as well as the Small Universe, at Cosmos Stance, or you can straight away perform your Cosmos Palm practice. When I say that I took one year to attain in my student's days what a Shaolin Wahnam student could attain in one month, many people may not believe it, but it is true.
Question 4
Are there other arts in particular that complement Cosmos Palm? I was lucky enough to be taught Sinew Metamorphosis by my sihengs (or kungfu elder brothers from the same kungfu master) in Finland recently, and that really seemed to enhance all of my other internal force training. Are there some Sinew Metamorphosis patterns in particular that enhance Cosmos Palm?
Answer
There are no specific arts to enhance Cosmos Palm.
Sinew Metamorphosis is a wonderful art, and the way we perform it we save a lot of time. Use your Cosmos Palm carefully on your sparring partner, and remember to take out the injury after you have used your Cosmos Palm.
You can use "Flicking Fingers" (or "Golden Dragon Tap on Ground") or "Stretching Up" (or "Lohan Reaching the Sky") of Sinew Metamorphosis. These are my favourites. You need to perform only one exercise about 10 times, and the whole session takes about 10 minutes. You can try other exercises.
Question 5
I also have a question regarding the application of Cosmos Palm for healing injuries and illnesses.
Answer
When you have Cosmos Palm, you can naturally use it in your healing. In other words, Cosmos Palm will naturally enhance your healing.
You could use chi kung exercises on your healing if you have undergone a healing course. If you have not undergone a healing course, you can place your palm over the injured or sick part, irrespective of whether you are healing yourself or others.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a difference between treating an injury and treating an illness. If a doctor treats an injury as an illness, it may not produce favorable result. An injury occurs when a person's systems are working properly but an illness occurs when his system are not working properly.
When an internal organ is injured, if a doctor treats the injury as an illness, like stimuating the working of the internal organ, it may aggravate the organ causing the person be more sick or aggravating yin-yang disharmony. Treating an injury is often the work of a kungfu master, not a Chinese doctor.
Question 6
How I might be able to enhance my training of Double Worshiping of Buddha, as both you and so many of my Shaolin Wahnam family members have remarked on how excellent of an exercise it can be?
Answer
"Double Worshipping of Buddha" was the specialty of Ng Mui. She must have spent a lot of time over it.
Sit comfortably at the Two-Character Stance, and channel internal force, but not muscular strength, at your arms as you perform "Double Worshipping of Buddha". Have a gentle chi flow at the completion of the session. You should feel fresh and energized.
"Upper Elbow Strike" of 72-Pattern "Tiger-Crane" Set
Question 7
One skill that I found much benefit in training all the sets was the emphasis on correct form, then increasing flow, and finally consolidating and exploding force.
Answer
One of my best inventions is routine-form-force-flow if you use the force method, or routine-form-flow-force if you use the flow method. You can apply this force method or flow method on any patterns, sequences or sets.
Generally, the flow method is better than the force method. It contributes to good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys. The force method also contributes to good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys, if done correctly; but the flow method is more.
The routine-form-flow-force is excellent for "Double Worshipping of Buddha", or any patterns, sequences or sets. It saves a lot of time and ensures that every important part is carried out.
Question 8
When we trained "Double Dragons Emerge From Sea", occasionaly we thought of internal force flowing to the fingers, or having a thought of carrying a big ball of energy in "Carrying Sun and Moon", and other thoughts throughout kung fu application and sets, such as focusing our internal force at our arm while training "Bar the Big Boss" in the Dragon Form.
Answer
In training "Double Dragons Emerge from Sea", it is good to have a gentle thought of internal force flowing to your fingers, but you must relax your arms and your whole body. When training "Carrying Sun and Moon", it is good to have a gentle thought of carrying two balls of energy in your palms. In training "Bar the Big Boss", it is good to have a gentle thought of your blocking arm as a pillar of iron.
You can use energy at every part if you use Sissors Hands. Your opponent may not feel your flow of energy if it is not powerful, but it is there all the same. In your training, you may not use much energy until you explode it. I recalled many years ago when I first went to Australia, a Shorinji Tempo exponent complained that I used much internal force when I actually did not use any force.
First, get the routine-form-flow-force correct. Then have a gentle thought. Your energy will be there.
Question 9
Would you recommend that Double Worshiping of Buddha be trained primarily on its own many times, or would you recommend training it as a part of a series of exercises?
Is there a big difference between practicing Double Worshiping of Buddha in the Flower Set compared to the 72 pattern Tiger Crane set.
Is it appropriate to gradually replace the Standing Meditation at the end of a chi kung or kung fu session with Sitting Meditation in a Chair, or should I continue with Standing Meditation to complete a chi kung or kung fu session, and formally practice Sitting Meditation on its own?
Answer
When training, you can train in whatever way you like -- whether on its own many times or as part of a series of exercises. You are already powerful. (Fred is an advanced practitioner. Unless you are supervised by a master while training interal force, do not attempt "Double Worshiping of Buddha" on your own.)
It doesn't matter whether you train the Flower Set or 72-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set first. The difference is marginal. We are indeed lucky in our school; we have a wide range of sets, ranging from 108-Pattern Yang Style Taijiquan to Iron Wire. Most schools do not have our wide range as well as philosophy and skills.
It is advisable to end a training session with chi flow and standing meditation, as they erase whatever harm we may unwittingly cause ourselves and enhance our results by a big margin. Many Chinese families are worried about chi kung because they are afraid of "monsters entering and fire escaping" or severe deviation. We are indeed very lucky; our students must have done a lot of good in their karma. Our standing meditation is better than other people practicing sitting meditation.
If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Grandmaster Wong via his Secretary at stating your name, country and e-mail address.