GETTING A DE-FACTO "A" AND A DE-JURE "C"
An Intensive Chi Kung Course in Sabah
Question
Sifu is always encouraging and gives us an “A” even when it is more like a “C”. Please tell us, Sifu, your vision for an “A”.
Dr Damian Kissey, Malaysia
Answer
At the end of a course I often give an informal evaluation test. I often tell them the following.
Congratulations, everybody gets an “A”. This is an evaluation based on de-facto conditions. Today chi kung has been so debased that more than 80% of people who practice chi kung, or what they think is chi kung, cannot generate an energy flow even after many years of dedicated training.
Energy flow is essential in chi kung. Without energy flow, or chi flow, it is no longer chi kung; it degenerates into some sort of gentle physical exercise. It misses the wonderful benefits that chi kung can give.
In your session just now, everybody could generate an energy flow. This puts you at the top 20% of chi kung practitioners of the whole world. And you achieve this in just three days. If you can be at the top 20% category within such a short time, you certainly deserve an “A”.
On the other hand, if I compare your attainment now with your potential attainment if you continue to practice, I would only give you a “C”. This is actually a good sign. It means that even if you do not learn anything more from me, you still have a lot of good benefits to come.
The same philosophy applies in Shaolin Kungfu and Wahnam Taijiqjuan courses. All students will get an “A” based on de-facto conditions. More than 80% of those who practice Shaolin Kungfu or Taijiquan have no experience of internal force, and cannot apply their techniques in combat. Force development and combat application are the twin pillars in kungfu training.
By the end of the course all students are able to develop internal force and to use their kungfu techniques for combat. This would place them at the top 20% of kungfu practitioners in the world. Hence they deserve an “A”. But compared to their potential attainment if they continue practicing on their own, they just get a “C”.
The above is taken from Question 4 of February 2007 Part 2 of the Selection of Questions and Answers.
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