Qi_71v2.pdf

Cover: Grandmaster Ip Chun

Qi Magazine is published by the Tse Qigong Centre.Its aim is to bring you information not readilyavailable in the West.

Editor: Michael TseDeputy Editor: Darryl MoyAssistants: Barbara Bigsby

Martin GaleCaroline GarveyBernard LiSarah MoyMike Stenson

Legal Adviser: Tony WalshMarketing/Distribution: Jessica BlackwellSweden: Barbro Olsson

ConsultantsGrandmaster Yang Meijun

Grandmaster Ip ChunGrandmaster Wu Chun Yuen

Grandmaster ChenXiao Wang

Columnists: Peter AndersenKate BrittonJohn HayesMartin GaleGlennGosslingHelenMassyDr. ShulanTangSihn KeiAdam WallaceJulian Wilde

Readers may contact any of our contributors c/oQi Magazine.We encourage all our readers to contribute articles, lettersor questions for possible inclusion in future issues ofQi Magazine.Articles appearing in Qi Magazine do not necessarily reflectthe opinion of the editor. Adverts appearing in themagazine are not necessarily endorsed by it or the editor.Exercises appearing in Qi Magazine are for referencepurposes only. Thus anyone wishing to study should seekqualified tuition.

Michael Tse 2004.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored or transmitted in any way without thewritten permission of Michael Tse.

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http://www.qimagazine.comISSN 1358-3778 Continuedon page 9

What do you feel when you practiseQigong? There are so manyanswers. Sometimes you will feel

warm, tingling feelings, sometimes youwill feel emotional and maybe feel likecrying. Sometimes you might even feellike laughing. Some people will say theyfeel peaceful, more aware of the Qiflowing inside the body, pulsing and somepeople will even see colours, pictures,people, scenery and even smell things.There are so many different feelings.

When you practise movement, weusually feel good, warm and thebreathing is very deep. Sometimesthough, you might feel stiff or ache. Thisis quite normal because when you move,

you open your body up and allow the Qito flow all around it and find anyproblems you might have. It is like water

washing the dirt out of your clothes. Qicleans up the internal organs and evenyour joints, muscles, skin and bones.Qigong is like giving your body a goodservice, the same you do with your car.If you always maintain your body andkeep it in good condition how can younot be healthy? This is one area thatWestern medicine misses and is goingin the wrong direction.

Practising Qigong movementsrids us of bad, old energy, opening upthe channels and acupuncture points andstimulating the internal organs. It keepsthe flexibility in our joints and maintainsour muscles and the whole body. Thenwe can be healthy. So when we do thiswe must have some sensations in the

body.This is normal because you

are releasing all your problems,which have no other way to

release or recover. Actually thefeelings are usually good, just

like having a good massage.That is why we must move

regularly. If we do not movethe body, we will become lazy

and the more we do not move,the lazier we become. Move

more and enjoy themovement and particularly

the results and feelingafterwards.The second part to Qigong is

meditation, which comes after themovement. This helps us to recharge our

“We havea term,

CollectingMedicine.”

“We havea term,

CollectingMedicine.”

Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004 page 1

1 Editorialwith Michael Tse

4 PO Box

10 A Fools ParadisePushing Hands is a very important part of Taiji training.However with a great emphasis placed on competitions.Has the point of the exercise got a little lost?By Julian Wilde

12 Chun Yuen and ChanChun Yuen Quan has its roots in the Northern Shaolin stylesbecause of this it also has strong links with Chan Buddhism.Here the author investigates this.By Glenn Gossling

17 Tonifying to Relieve PainIn TCM pain is caused by an imbalance in the body whichleads to a blockage in the Qi. If we can redress the balancewe can stop the pain.By Shulan Tang

18 Instructor InsightHighlighting an instructor of the Tse Qigong Centre

19 Hidden OpportunitiesEvery feeling you have is a reaction to something, aresponse that come from inside. If you can understandreaction, you might start to understand more about yourself.By Helen Massy

20 The Big BossIn China there seem to be many layersof red tape to cut through. Each layerhas someone in charge and the deeperyou the more important the person.By Peter Andersen

22 Liao Fan’s Four LessonsTo change your fate you must changeyour heart.

24 Plum Blossom Yijing PredictionThe Yijing has a long history. During thistime there have been some very high-level masters who can predict things toa amazing degree. One of thesemethods is the Plum Blossom Method.This is the story of one famous master,Master Shao Kang Jie.By Michael Tse

26 Who Needs to be Ill?Illness, they way it is treated and the way it is looked atis different from one culture to the next. Another wayto look at it is to instead of concentrate on illness,concentrate on good health.By Barry Horrell

27 Moving OnOne of the hardest things to do is change, whether it ismoving house, changing jobs, or trying to change yourlife. There is a reason it is so hard and though what youare changing might be different the lesson is often thesame.By Kate Britton

34 Learning to SwimHave you ever felt out of your depth? Usually it is whenyou are doing something new, but often it can be becauseyou are trying to do too much. Just remember to relaxand float.By Martin Gale

35 Dalai Lama’s WisdomSixteen pearls of wisdom.

28 Poem Of Wing Chun PrinciplesWhen Chinese Martial Arts andQigong were taught in days goneby, the teacher would often givethe student a poem to recitealong with the movements tohelp them understand the skilland also remember themovements. Wing Chun also hassome poems to go with it, butthey are tools to help youremember the skill, not the letterof the law.By Michael Tse

Cover Feature...Cover Feature...Cover Feature...

Cover Feature...Cover Feature...Cover Feature...

page 2 Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004

Hand madein ChinaHand madein China

Traditional Chinese Weapons

Prices include UK p&p and are by express courier service.*telescopic sword includes UK p&p by standard post.Please make cheques payable to ‘Michael Tse’.Specifications may vary. Prices valid for cover dates onthis issue only. Please see the latest issue for up to date prices.For orders or more information contact:Tse Qigong Centre PO Box 59 Altrincham WA15 8FS.Tel. 0161 929 4485. Fax. 0161 929 4489. Email. [email protected].

“For the serious

practitioner!”

Longquan (Taiji) Dragon SwordDouble edged straight blade, engraved & finished withbrass and copper. Comes with scabbard and tassel.

Length 81cm. £100

Kang Li Telescopic Practice SwordWell-balanced, steel practice sword. Comes with carryingcase and tassel.

Length 78cm. £41*

Longquan Dragon Knife (Broadsword)Engraved blade finished in copper. Includes engravedlacquered scabbard with brass finish.

Length 77.5 cm. £105

Chinese SpearChrome plated spearhead with white wax wood shaftand red ying (hair). Requires cutting to size.

Length 215cm. £57

White Wax Wood StaffLength 200cm. £45

Wing Chun Knives (Baat Jam Dao)(Out of Stock) Length 45cm. £108.95

36 Sugar – Just Too SweetToady it is hard to find food that has not been modified insome way. The problem is that modifications often go toofar and so we can be eating more than we realise.By Jessica Blackwell

38 Wing Chun Self DefenceWing Chun techniques do not reply on physical strength, sothey are suitable for everyone, especially ladies. Here aresome techniques that might help you should be grabbedfrom behind.By Darryl Moy

40 Coconut FrittersA delicious recipe to try at home

45 Healthy Living Gong Part IIIContinuing on from the last issue, an exercise to lift yourQi, make the body light and improve your mood.by Michael Tse

48 Heart and MindFollow your heart or follow your mind? How many timeshave you heard this and how many time have you thought

this? Why, though, must the two give us differentapproaches?By Sihn Kei

49 Self Healing – Living ItWe practise Qigong to keep us healthy, so how comeso many people stop practising when they get ill? Itis not enough to just practise, but you have to live itas well, then you will get the most benefit.By Adam Wallace

50 Good SoupSome things cannot be given, cannot be taken andcannot be explained. We just know when the timeor the situation is right. How do you know? That’sthe whole point of the story.By Darryl Moy

51 Kitchen Feng ShuiHave you ever wondered why good parties alwaysend up in the kitchen? Maybe its because of theFeng Shui.By Michael Tse


POBox POBox POBox...

It is often said that anticipation whetsthe appetite so everyone should now bevery hungry and able to feast themselveson these new books and special newexercise chart offered below.

The other new book is Qigong for Healingand Relaxation, which is Michael Tse’s newbook published by Piatkus Books. This book willbe ready in just a few weeks, as it is now beingprinted. Therefore you can place your order now.

Qigong for Healing and Relaxationintroduces in great depth the first set of HealthyLiving Gong exercises but it also covers manyother things as palm and face diagnosis forhealth, different kinds of breathing andmeditations as well as more on Chinesephilosophy and history. This is first of his book’sthat has been published in full colour.

Healthy Living Gong – Part I ChartCharts are a great way to be able to learn a form or set of exercises as you do notneed to keep referring back to a book each time you change to a new movement.This two sided chart has both movement and descriptions on one side and full set ofall the main channels in the body as well as the acupoints used in Part I of HealthyLiving Gong. The size of the chart is 841 x 594 mm (just over 33 inches by 23inches).Price is: £ (call to confirm)

Wild Goose 2nd 64 – Part I is now readyand can be purchased from the TseQigong Centre. This book has many newmovement illustrations and all thedescriptions and principles have beenrevised and are accompanied by manymore acupuncture point illustrations. Thebook also includes the history of DayanQigong’s spiritual founder – Dao An, aswell as a chapter on how cancer can behelped by Qigong and a full descriptionof all the commonly used Qigongacupoints and their romanised Chinesenames and healthy benefits. This bookis an excellent reference tool for anyonestudying Wild Goose Qigong.

New QigongBooks andCharts

New QigongBooks andCharts


Flounderingin FranceDear Mr Tse,

I discovered your teachings on theinternet and am greatly interested. I feela great need to finally learn martial arts,but am nearing 40, (Filipino) although Ihave always been on a strict spiritualpath. However, NO masters can befound here where I live. How else doyou think I can learn - are books fine, orvideos? I learned a little bit of Kung Fufrom a cousin in Manila where there weremany teachers, but now I live in a ratherisolated village in France. Please give mesome advice. My son is also eager tolearn later, (currently 5) would appreciateany help.R Angeles, France

Dear R,Thank you for your letter. Although

I always say that it is better to study withan instructor, sometimes ourcircumstances are such that we cannotdo so. If you do plan to study from abook or video, then try to find out as muchas possible about the skill and teacher asyou can. You can do this in many ways:-calling and speaking to the person orsome of his students and research the skilland learn more about it so you know thatwhat you are learning is correct. You mayalso want to find out where that personlearned his skill…is from one teacher ormany?

In Chinese traditional skill, lineageis very important. Your skill ancestors arelike the roots of a tree. Your teacher mayonly be one branch, but if you look at hisstudents, or his books and what he saysabout the skill, then these are like thefruits of the tree and you can learn moreto see if the fruit is good to eat. Thestronger and straighter the trunk of the

tree, then more branches will also bestrong. When the branches are strong,they will be healthy and leaves and fruitswill be good and then the better the skillshould be.

I hope this helps you on yourjourney.Yours sincerely,Michael Tse

Want to LearnDear Mr Tse,

I have two questions that I hopeyou can help me with:1. I have read the Wild Goose 1st 64

movements but I have not seenthem actually done. Will you bereleasing a DVD or VHS with the1st 64?

2. I currently am able to do the first21 movements, even if I haven’t

finished the 1st 64, will I gain fromstarting the 2nd 64 (I saw that yourecently published that book)?

Thank you.H Petursson, Iceland

Dear H,Thank you for your letter. At this

moment, I have no plans to release avideo on either of these forms. I understandthat it is difficult for you to learn, beingso far away from a teacher. However,hopefully we have written the books insuch a way that you can follow alongand just do the movements gently.Although the best is to be able to studywith a teacher, as it is not possible topick up many details and the energy fromlearning only from a book, sometimesthere is no other choice. However, maybesomeday you will be able to attend oneof the seminars or one of the residentialcourses, like the Wild Goose Qigong 1st

64 residential taking place this summer,so that you can then see how the energyflows through the form.

As for your second question, youare correct in thinking that you shouldfinish learning the 1st 64 Wild Goosecompletely before beginning to learn the2nd 64 movements. The first set of WildGoose movements works to help rid thebody of any illnesses or blockages thathave happened since we have been born.These are called post-natal illnesses andthese are easier to overcome than illnessesthat have been passed down to you inyour family, like a weak heart, diabetes,etc. These kinds of illnesses are called pre-natal illnesses and they take much longerto overcome. That is why the second setof Wild Goose movements, are twice aslong as the first set, even though theyboth refer to as having sixty-fourmovements.

There is still a lot of history andknowledge in the Wild Goose books thatcan help you understand Qigong, yourbody and illness and about how to healillness. I hope that you can learn more,practise more and be healthy.Yours sincerely,Michael Tse

Stuck On BasicsHi,

I am 19 years old and I live inIllinois (United States of America). I thinktaking lessons in martial arts would be agreat way for me to discover who “I” reallyam, what my purpose on this earth is,and would help me discover what thisburning fire is, inside of me. Fightingbecause you are angry is something thatI do not believe in. I have only been in afew fights in my life and they were onlybecause I was immature and I was not

“Lineage is veryimportant. Your skill ancestorsare like the roots of a tree.”

able to control my anger which I haveoutgrown for the most part. I have beeninterested in martial arts and especiallyKung Fu for a number of years and Ibought the book Wing Chun Kung Fu byGrandmaster Ip Chun and Michael Tse.

This book gives pictures andinstructions on how to perform the firstform of Wing Chun Kung Fu (Siu LimTao). The first and second sections wereeasy to understand, but the third sectionis difficult to understand from just thewords and pictures. Because of this, Iam wondering if you can provide WingChun Kung Fu training for me. Also,would the lessons cost anything and ifso, how much? I have many otherquestions, but I needed to get these outof the way. I would really appreciate it ifyou could answer these questions for me.Thank you for taking the time to readmy e-mail.Jim Markese

Dear Jim,Thank you for your letter. If you

are looking to begin studies this year, mysuggestion would be either make a timewhen you come to Manchester, Englandand stay for a few weeks and study there.We have several classes a week there and

even though a beginner, you would findthat you can at least get a very goodbasis and enough to work on at homefor a while. Then in 2005, we will have afour day residential course where peoplecan come to learn intensively. This would

give you an opportunity to do Chi Sauwith many people and also to samplesome more of the other forms, like TsumKiu, and also the Wooden Dummy andBaat Jam Dao. If you need any furtherinformation, please let us know.With kind regards,Michael Tse

Joint ProblemsHello,

I am 24 years old. Two years agomy joints started clicking and grinding(shoulders, knees, hips, elbows, ankles,wrists) and I get really bad joint pains. Ihave been to lots of different doctorssome said it’s arthritis, some said that itis stress, some said it has something todo with my blood circulation and somesaid it is hyper mobility.

I tried acupuncture that didn’thelp. Then I started doing Wu styleTaijiquan eight months ago. I feel goodafter training but the clicking and thepains are still there. I was wondering ifyou can help me with this. I also want todo Wing Chun but would I be able to doit in my condition. If you can please getback to me with details and prices thankyou for your time.Gunes

Dear Gunes,Joints click because the joints have

problems, but when you do some exercise,like the Wu Taiji, then you should findimprovement. If you carry on to train yourbody in the Qigong way, your joints willalso improve a lot and become moreflexible and smooth and so as you getolder it will not be too bad.

Also, practising Wing Chun is nota problem if trained properly. Wing Chun

is very good for training the joints andhelping the body keep young and have agood health condition.Best wishes,Michael Tse

Wing ChunAncestryDear Mr Tse,

My name is Wesley Wymer and Itake traditional Yip Man style Wing Chun.When I first started taking Wing Chun 2years ago, my Sifu recommended thisbook by Grandmaster Yip Chun andyourself. First of all, I just want to saythat it’s an excellent book and I love it!!!

I just have 2 questions. Could youtell me more about Cheung Ng? I’minterested in learning more about thischaracter in the Wing Chun creationmyths. And also, could you give me moreinformation about Qi, so that evenWesterners can understand it better. It’shard for me to grasp what Qi is. Thankyou.Wesley Wymer

Dear Wesley,Cheung Ng was an opera singer

in the history of Wing Chun Kuen from aShaolin Monk, Yat Chun. In the old days,Wing Chun had even more skills but theyare not quite the same as what we seetoday. Master Leung Jan began to get ridof some of the different kinds of styles,for instance, things like horse stance andsome wider stances or other handpositions of other skills.

However, Grandmaster Yip Maneven brought the Wing Chun to anotherlevel as he concentrated more on Chi Sau.Together, this is the essence of the WingChun skill that we have today.I hope that this helps.With kind regards,Michael Tse

“Train your bodyin the Qigong way, yourjoints will improve a lot.”


Hello,I was diagnosed as having Fibromyalgia Syndrome over 18 months ago

and have recently been reading a book on how to deal with the illness. I sufferwith muscle pain and instability (my legs give way) as well as “brainfog” - shortterm memory loss and the worse symptom, chronic fatigue.

This book recommended Qigong and I would like to know more about it- will it help me? (I am starting a course of acupuncture at the AlexanderHospital next week but have no idea whether this will help or make me feelworse.) I have tried gentle swimming - this didn’t improve my energy leveland, in fact, it made me worse. I work full time running a shop and my energylevels really suffer - I am 52 years old and feel 152. Please can you help me?How much does a course cost? I am desperate to get my life back on track. Itake Amitriptyline to help me sleep but this just leaves me feeling drowsythroughout the day. Help!!P Y, UK

Dear P,Unfortunately, in today’s society, your illness is becoming very common

and many people of many ages are sufferers. This is because the kidney energyhas become too low to be able to maintainthe body in its normal functioning. Even justgetting up in the mornings can seemoverwhelming if the kidneys are very weak.Acupuncture can help to open the channelsin the body, so Qi can move freely, but youneed to create more Qi for this to be the mosteffective and this is why Qigong will help.

When we do Qigong, the first energywe create is the kidney energy. Even after ashort time of practise, you will start to feelmore energy and will feel better. The moreyou can do, even in smaller amounts severaltimes a day, then the more Qi you will buildup and store. When you create more Qithrough your Qigong practise, this willincrease your blood circulation, helping tomake your liver stronger as well as thekidneys.

Our bodies are like cars. Our Qi is thepetrol and our internal organs are the engine.To have a car that will last us a long timeand take us where we want to go, we needto maintain it well. Because we are constantlyusing energy in our lives – eating, talking, working – then we need to add moreQi to our tanks through Qigong. Even though our car may not be the latestmodel, if we have maintained it well and serviced it regularly, then who knowshow long it can go? It is all up to us.

We have several classes in Manchester so that I am sure there would beone that is convenient for you. You can visit our website for details or call ouroffice (0161 929 4485) for an information pack. A regular class will help you tobuild up your Qigong level steadily and consistently and you will have the supportof your teacher and also of the other students to keep you going if you find thatat night you are very tired. The first movements you learn, Balancing Gong, aregentle enough that you will be able to manage them easily and because they donot take up much space, you will be able to practise them almost anywhere.With kind regards,Michael Tse

Dear Mr Tse,How can Qi help in the treatment

and rehabilitation of mentally retardedchildren?N. S.Middle East

Dear N,You asked me if Qi can help in the

treatment and rehabilitation of mentallyretarded children and the answer is, yes,it can. Movements can help them tobalance both their body and mind.Meditation can help them to become calmif they are agitated, and the more calmthey are, then the more their Qi is settledand the better they can get.

Qi is the energy flowing inside thebody to maintain everything in goodcondition. When we practise Qigong, wemake the Qi in the body stronger andalso help it to move properly through thebody. This will release any blockages thatare causing problems in the body or mind.

Simple Qigong exercises are bestso they will not feel frustrated to learn.Even repeating one or two exercises witha stronger meditation like Horse Stancecan help them improve their body strengthas well as their health and calm theirmind.With kind regards,Michael Tse

FibromyalgiaSyndrome & QigongFibromyalgiaSyndrome & Qigong


UKQi MagazinePO Box 59,

Altrincham WA15 8FS. UK.email [email protected]

USATse Qigong Centre

PO Box 15807,Honolulu, HI 96830. USA.

email [email protected]

Everyday we receive many letters from people all over the world, sometimes asking for advice,sometimes just sharing their experience. Unless specifically asked otherwise, we will considerthese letters for possible publication in Qi Magazine. In this way, we all come together like afamily and share and help each other. That is the reason I began Qi Magazine and particularlythe PO Box. - Michael Tse

If there is anything you wish to share with others, any news or any announcements you wouldlike to make, send them to us. We also welcome articles (800 - 1000 words in length) on topicsappropriate.

Please write to:

News::::: Demos & SeminarsNews::::: Demos & SeminarsNews::::: Demos & SeminarsHard QigongLevel IIIExaminationMost people’s idea of a weekend of funwouldn’t be to have a 30 pound stonedropped on their tummy from six feet inthe air or having wooden poles brokenover their backs, but for sixbrave and hard working TseQigong Centre members,these were just some of thefeats that were braved inorder to pass the HardQigong Level IIIexamination.

All of these studentshad trained for manymonths in preparation forthe exam which tested boththeir internal and externalQi. Most people have heardabout Hard Qigong fromseeing photos or televiseddemonstrations of China’sShaolin monks. Not many peopleundergo the training themselves,however.

Hard Qigong is a very interestingstyle of Qigong and gives a person atremendous amount of energy andstrength. The first level of Hard Qigongmainly concentrates on strong breathingexercises that develop three differentkinds of Qi in the body, helping the skin,muscles and bones to become strongand the internal organs to become ultrahealthy. As a result, with further, morevigorous training, the body can evenbecome conditioned enough to be ableto lie on spears and knives without beingcut, and even be driven over by a lorry.At the highest level of Hard Qigong, thebody becomes very light and able tojump very high.

VeniceOver a recent two day conference

in Venice, Michael Tse introduced Qigongto a captive audience of over 100 Italianpsychologists. There were many, manyquestions asked, even more afterlearning a few of the beginning exercisesfrom Balancing Gong and Healthy LivingGong. One of the questions asked bythe delegates was, “Why do people getill?”

Master Tse replied: “When we getill, it is because the immune system is

lower. Our body is like a country and ourimmune system is our army of soldiersprotecting our body. If someone comesto attack you and your soldiers are notgood, then you will have losses and losethe battle. Maybe you will lose a few citiesbut you should not lose your confidence.If everyone has the same heart, then eventhough you have lost some battles, youcan still win the war.”

“This is the same for when we getill. If our immune system is strong, then itis rare that anything can attack you.However, an enemy always has new tricks,like a new virus that the body is not usedto. So you may get ill and lose a few cities.But if you know your enemy’s strategy,

Hard QigongLevel IIIExamination

then everyone will find a way to beatthem. Qigong can make our immunesystem stronger and give us good soldiers.With daily practise, we can becomestronger and stronger and more and morehealthy.”

Joint OpeningGong

Today many people haveproblems with their joints either from lackof exercise, over-exercise or simply thewrong exercise which causes damage tothe joints. As a result this seminar taughtby Sifu Tse was very well attended. Therewere many new faces among familiarfaces who came from variousbackgrounds. Some had been studyingTCM, martial arts and others who wantedto learn more about Qigong.

Both days of the course startedout with a warm up session and someMa Bo (Horse Stance) exercise to get the

circulation of Qiand blood flowingaround the body.

Sifu Tsethen gave a talkon variousaspects ofQigong and howto use it toimprove one’shealth.

This wasthe first time thatSifu Tse hadtaught this

exercise and so everyone was excitedwhen they began it. It contains manyunique movements which open the bodyand use the joints in different ways.Everyone was amazed at how it openedthem up and how smooth their jointsespecially the hips and back felt.

Venice

Joint OpeningGong

Hard Qigong Level II testing

Venice, Italy


Qi and lets the Qi settle at the Dantian,the centre of the body. In Qigong wehave a term, “Collecting Medicine”. Whatis the medicine? The medicine is Qi,which we collect from nature.

When we move, we collect Qifrom nature and this penetrates the bodyand becomes part of the body andsupports the energy we need and so wefeel better. However,without meditation,the Qi is too activeand so we canbecome too excitedand use the Qi veryquickly. Meditationlets the Qi settle downat the centre of thebody so we can storeit and not use it tooquickly.

When we startto meditate, we willfeel warm and thebreathing will becomestrong and deep. Even then we will feelstiffness and aching in the body. Againthis is normal. Many people today do notknow the deeper feelings of the body.We should be able to feel the heart beat,the lungs breathing, even the liver andkidneys if we let our feelings go.

In the beginning, you will feel theright and the wrong in the body. So youwill notice things like your temperature,your breathing and the blockages in thebody.

We must let go of all thosefeelings so the body can recover. The bestmethod for clearing any problems is tolet them release and then change theproblem. After we let go the pain andstiffness will ease and then the warm,good, comfortable feelings will come.This is one of the principles of nature. Ifyou can handle the difficulty then thesituation will turn and become positive.The Qi will slowly flow through all theblockages and then you will feel muchbetter.

Also when you start to meditateyou will have a lot of thoughts goingthrough your mind. This makes mostpeople give up as they think to meditatethe mind must be completely empty.Actually a lot of people, even people who

are high level in mediation will have abusy mind when they start. Then later itclears up. I remember I was practising inthe park once, when a man asked me“Do you need an empty mind to domeditation?” my answer to him was thatmeditation is about patience. He wasvery surprised by my answer as hethought that it was about emptying the

mind. Therefore, many people with thisconcept cannot do meditation becausethey cannot empty their minds.

Actually, if someone can emptythe mind straightaway every time, thenthey do not need to do meditation. Inreality, the mind cannot be totallyempty. You can feel peaceful, relaxed,calm and enjoy the meditation, but it isvery rarely totally empty. However, sometimes it needs to be like this. Forexample, if you want to have dinner youneed to either cook or go out to arestaurant, but without any preparationor action nothing will happen. Someditation is about patience. We justneed to sit or stand, close the eyes andkeep a good straight posture and thenallow everything to happen. No matterwhat happens, it will be good for us.The first thing to happen will be theblockages will clear and so that is whywe feel things that are not good oruncomfortable, even painful. But this isgood as without letting these go, wecannot become stronger and healthier.Then we can reach a level, which isbetter and more enjoyable. After all thediscomfort has gone, we will feel morerelaxed, calmer and the Qi will flowthrough the body. So some parts of the

body will feel pulsing or twitching, orcertain muscles will vibrate. This isbecause the Qi needs to go to the tenseareas. It is normal and very common andthis is why certain areas feel as if theyhave more Qi than other areas.

Once we allow everything tohappen, then a lot more things will start.Colours are very commonly seen. Brightcolours mean the Qi is strong and weakcolours when the Qi is weak. Greencolours come from the liver, red from theheart, yellow from the spleen, white fromthe lungs and blue from the kidneys. Ifthere are different colours, then they are

usually between two ofthe organs which meansyou can see more thanone organs’ Qi. Whenyou are very healthy,you should see arainbow of colours.

The deeper yougo, the more you willsee. Sometimes youmight see yourself, yourorgans or skeleton.Sometimes you will notknow what it is you cansee. Just let it happenbecause this is the

process of meditation and it is the Qistimulating the body that causes all thesethings to happen. Qi is not just energy. Itis more than that. It can carry messagesand information. Some see pictures ofthe past or the future, but you must nottake them too seriously. So when you arepatient and allow everything to justhappen you will enjoy the “ride” ofmeditation.

I remember one of my Qigongancestors was a Daoist monk. When hesat down to meditate, he knew what washappening all around him for a aboutone mile. Why was this? It was becausehe was totally still and calm, so that hecould pick up the messages and changesall around him. Of course, to do this youmust have a very deep level ofmeditation.

If you can really let go and bepatient, then you can reach a high levelof human ability. But remembermovement is as important as mediationso you can reach a high level with ahealthy body.

“The deeper you go themore you will see. Youmight see yourself, yourorgans or skeleton.”

“The deeper you go themore you will see. Youmight see yourself, yourorgans or skeleton.”


At a recent get-together of studentsof various martial arts skills, anoutbreak of push hands occurred

and, amongst other combinations, theTaiji students had an opportunity to pushhands with each other and with the WingChun practitioners. I found the resultsquite fascinating and for weeksafterwards I was constantly reliving andreviewing my experiences. Of course Ienjoyed getting to grips with some fellowTaiji players but the best experience forme was crossing wrists with some wingChun students. The first thing I have tosay is that the various Wing Chuninstructors had done a great job. I wasimpressed with the students’ sensitivity,evasive techniques and willingness towait for anopening. The footwork waslight yet stable and their ability toread and react to energy was quitehigh. I was surprised because whenI’ve pushed hands with some WingChun students in the past I’vefound them aggressive and rigid.These guys were different.

Now, I don’t believe there’sany one superior martial art, so Idon’t think Wing Chun or Escrima isbetter than Taiji, or that Taiji issuperior to Ju-jutsu or Wing Chun,but having said that, why was theWing Chun push hands of thesestudents so good? Two thingsspring immediatelyto mind, the firstbeing that, when Iquestioned them,they told me theydid an awful lot of ChiSau (their push hands). Infact, I believe it’s practised atevery lesson. Now, every serious Taijiplayer I’ve ever spoken to, whether fromthe Chen, Yang, Wu or Wudang style,has stated that they don’t do enoughpush hands (Tui Shou). I agree, but howlong have we got to keep saying this untilwe do something about it? So step onefor me has been to initiate push handson alternate weeks in my classes, whichshould practically double the amount ofpractice time available to us in class.

The second factor is that, unlikemost schools, these guys’ instructors hademphasised sensitivity rather than powerin their Chi Sau. All too often an over-emphasis on fixed foot (i.e.- no stepping)Taiji Tui Shou creates a kind of ‘lockedhorns’ mentality, with both practitionerseither wrestling, trying to sweep eachother’s feet or attempting vainly to getan elbow or wrist lock on. I have thegreatest respect for Chin Na(joint locking)practit ioners and theirskill but locks areq u i t e difficult to apply

quickly andcleanly. If you can

twist someone’s limb

d u r i n gsparring andcontrol them within a second or twothat’s high level skill. Take any longerthan that and you risk getting a blackeye while you’re still tugging andtwisting. What’s the use of thisplayground wrestling? If I have hold of

your wrist and you have hold of mine,the sensible thing for me to do is to letgo and hit you. It’s so simple! Then youhave to react differently.

In case you’re beginning to thinkI’ve lost that famous Buddhist serenityand compassion, let me hasten toreassure you I haven’t. I just don’t wantany junior push hands students living ina fool’s paradise (or seniors for thatmatter). I recently watched a Taiji and aKarate class (and I’m not saying whereor what style) and during the session theydid their own particular hand drills. It wasquite educational and quite depressing,too. They covered the two extremes oflimp ineffectiveness and blind savagery.Neither is a good place for a humanbeing to inhabit. It has often struck metoo that it’s an unconscious conceit of most

styles of martial arts, that they assumethat an opponent will attack in the styleof that school. So Taekwondo studentsspend a lot of time blocking high kicks,

many WingChun schoolsworry abouttheir centre

line becausetheir opponents

usually try and come through themiddle, Kali students on the other handguard the sides, hoping you’re going toattack the middle, Judokas grappleimmediately. And Taiji students - if we’renot mindful, we just end up pushing eachother!

A Fool’s ParadiseA Fool’s Paradise

It is human nature to stay in our own “comfort zones”. But now andagain we need to break out. Otherwise we will become detached from the realworld and end up living in a make believe bubble. When that bubbleeventually bursts, it can be an uncomfortable experience.

One

True

Leve

l

“Fixed foot Tui Shoucreates a kind of

‘locked horns’mentality”

“Fixed foot Tui Shoucreates a kind of

‘locked horns’mentality”


Of course, any reputable schoolof any style will try and cover all possibleattacks but sometimes it’s easy to losethe big picture when we’re trying toperfect our techniques. The obviousexample is push hands in Taiji. Wedevelop our Peng (ground connection)energy to stabilise our stances, we workon turning the waist to deflect thepushes. But they’re not actually pushes.Have we forgotten this? They’re mockstrikes. If your partner lets go of yourwrist halfway through the push and

moves up to your face will you stickand follow or get a finger up yournose because you didn’t expect itor sense it coming? So mystudents have to become adeptquite quickly at the ‘nasalawareness’ drill!

I feel we need to useevasive footwork more, not justas it is in the Da Lu (great rollback sequence) but as a matter of coursein everyday push hands. Why? Becausehow you train becomes a habit. How youtrain is how you react. If someone stepsin with a fierce attack and they’re a lotbigger than you, then don’t hesitate tostep back. Your Peng may not be strongenough to resist their energy. Pleasedon’t get the impression I’m advocatingaggression. I’m not, but there are somany techniques in the Taiji forms andall we do is try and twist each other’sfingers! As my Sifu says, “All thosepunches and kicks. Where did they go?”So, for instance, let’s use light slaps asa means of deciding whether there’s anopening or not. If you can touch my face,you could have punched me. My defence

wasn’t working. It’s so obviously verifiable.There’s no argument.

Taiji Tui Shou, like Chi Sau, shouldwork efficiently for small, light, weakpeople as well as the big strong brutes.Yet most Tui Shou competitions haveweight divisions like boxing to create alevel playing field. What does that tellus? So how can the smaller, lighter,weaker person make their push handsmore effective? By footwork of course.Don’t get drawn into grappling. Try andget round to the outside. When we cross

wrists with a push hands partner, thewhole thing starts there. We should belooking to make something work fromthat moment. Of course we don’t haveto leap straight in with a left hook butneither do we have to sleepily lean intothe familiar Peng, Lui, Ji, An routine unlessthat’s where the energy leads. Most ofthe Tui Shou we do is in close range simplybecause that’s how we start the doublepush hands. And we tend to stay thereand do the techniques that work thatclose. And that favours the big, strongbrutes!

Of course if you have a high skillin Chin Na you can make it work butmaybe not often enough to rely on it.

We can’t all harness our strength intotechniques as well as Grandmaster Chendoes (can anyone?), so we need toaddress any of our limitations in a matureand thoughtful way. If the smallest andweakest of my students can make a widerange of push hands techniques work wellagainst partners of various strengths andsizes then something is coming good. Wedon’t have to try and hurt or humiliateeach other but neither do we need to beafraid to throw the occasional light punchor kick to see what happens.

We all love to perform ourTaijiquan Lu (forms/routines) but

push hands was createdspecifically for us to be

able to practicevarious techniquesin a safe way. Soif you’re one ofthose seriousstudents who

doesn’t feel

they get enough Tui Shou, thenreconsider your training habits. There area lot of good push hands players fromall schools out there and I have nothingbut respect for them. I think we could allbe even better. All I’m advocating fornow is a greater sensitivity (not the sameas limpness), more footwork and morerealistic techniques (i.e.- the ones we canmake work for us) taken from the forms.Let’s let go of our egos and fixed views,step back and see the big picture. Wecould learn a lot. It’s never easy to letgo of comfortable routines, things we’vetaken for granted, but it’s better thanliving in a fool’s paradise

by Jul ian Wilde. jules@qimagaz ine.com

“Sometimes it’seasy to lose the bigpicture when we’retrying to perfectour techniques.”

“Sometimes it’seasy to lose the bigpicture when we’retrying to perfectour techniques.”


Though it is a long time since Chun Yuen Quan leftthe Shaolin Monastery, a little knowledge of Chan isnot irrelevant. All Buddhism stems from Sakyamuni -the original Lord Buddha. Chan Buddhism is part ofthe Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, which believes

that every being possesses the perfect illumination of theoriginal Buddha. We don’t need to find, or get it fromsomewhere else. It is naturally within us. The trouble is thatour natural enlightenment is distorted by the bad habits thatwe have developed in our normal living. The Buddhists callthese the three poisons. Since the Sung dynasty the Chinesehave viewed Buddhism as falling into two main schools.

The first is the Jiao school of doctrine or textual learningand the second is the Chan school of meditative insight. Thejiao school stems from the teachings of the original Buddha ascodified into the sutras. The main schools of the jiao traditionare Tiantai (The Lotus School), Huayan (The Flower GarlandSchool) and Pure Land, all of which are based on the scripturallegacy of the Buddha.

Chan traditions also stem from Sakyamuni Buddha butis based on the ‘wordless’ transmission of the ‘flame’ ofDharma, which passed directly down a continuous line ofpatriarchs and masters from mind to mind without the use ofwritten texts. This tradition originated when Sakyamuni held alotus blossom before an assembly. Mahakasyapa, the first Chanpatriarch, smiled and the Lord Buddha noticed, recognisingthat only Mahakasyapa had understood. No words passedbetween them. Transmission of enlightenment was direct andso it passed from master to disciple until Chan was brought toChina by the 28th patriarch Bodhidharma (Da Mo) in the reignof Emperor Wu (502 - 549 AD) of the Liang dynasty.

Da Mo arrived at Shaolin and was appalled by thephysical condition of the monks. He spent 9 years in front of awall meditating before coming up with his famous Nei Jingexercises that form the core internal structure not only of ShaolinKung Fu but of a spiritual path leading to enlightenment.

This is the popular belief of the development of Chan,but a more historical accounts locate the source of Chan in theintermingling of Buddhist and Taoist thought and specifically

with theteachingsof Tao-Sheng (360- 434 AD),who empha-sised instantan-eous enlighten-ment. Seng-Chao wroteof Tao-Sheng that “The sage’smind is dark and still. Through Truthhe reaches the ultimate aim and isidentified with non-being” and “Although hislife is spend in the midst of the nameable, heis far away amid the unnameable.” In this sense‘non-being’ or ‘wu’ is without quality and to bequalityless is the real quality of things. The basicteachings of Chan are to be found in the Liu-Tsu Tan-Ching (Platform Scripture of the SixthPatriarch).

The key technique of Chan Buddhismin attaining enlightenment is meditation.Chan is sometimes referred to as the‘meditation’ school of Buddhism. Themeditation posture and the postures that weuse in Kung Fu are closely related. The Chanart of seated meditation was first expounded byChanglu Zongze in the ‘Chanyuan qinggui’ of1103. This gives some very clear and practical advice:

‘First place your right foot on your left thigh;then your left foot on your right thigh. Or youmay sit in the half lotus position: simply restyour left foot on your right foot.’

‘Next, place your right hand on your leftfoot, and your left hand on your right palm. Pressthe tips of your thumbs together. Slowly raise your torso andstretch it forward. Swing to the left and right; then straightenyour body and sit erect. Do not lean to the left or right, forwardor backward.’

Chun Yuenand Chan

Chun Yuen Quan has its roots in Shaolin Kung Fu. The ShaolinMonastery are exponents of Chan Buddhism (known as ZenBuddhism in Japan). Chan Buddhism is the most uniquely Chineseform of Buddhism and is probably the best known form of Buddhismoutside of China.

Chun Yuenand Chan


‘Keep your hips, back, neck, and head in line, makingyour posture like a stupa. But do not strain your body upwardtoo far, lest you make breathing forced and unsettled. Yourears should be in line with your shoulders and your nose inline with your navel. Press your tongue against the front ofyour palate and close your lips and teeth. The eyes shouldremain slightly open to prevent drowsiness…’ (C. Bielefeldt -‘Dogen’s Manuals of Zen Meditation’)

This is the essential art of Zuochan (seated meditation).Even those who are not seeking enlightenment can gainsomething from an understanding of the way that meditationoperates on the body, mind and spirit. For those who studyKung Fu, an understanding of the ‘core’ posture of Chanmeditation is important because of the way that it influencesall the other postures (just like Zhan Zhuang does for Taiji).When the posture is correct it is like letting the wind fan aflame. The energy of the body will be stronger and flow moreeasily. The body will seem lighter and the thoughts clearer.

Another characteristic of Chan is its predilection forparadox and unsurprisingly two contradictory schools of Chandeveloped. The first believed “Not mind, not Buddha” and thesecond believed “Being mind, being Buddha”. However, bothschools emphasise five main points that are key to ChanBuddhism:

1. The Highest Truth or First Principle is inexpressible2. Spiritual cultivation cannot be cultivated3. In the last resort nothing is gained4. There is nothing much in Buddhist teaching5. In carrying water and chopping wood: therein

lies the wonderful TaoIt is characteristic of Chan to express its highest teachings

through incredibly obscure statements (known as Gong’An in

Chinese and Koans in Japanese), like ‘what is the sound ofone hand clapping’ or ‘if a tree falls in the forest and no oneis there to hear it….’ These statements and paradoxes areused to train the mind in much the same way that Chun Yuenuses forms to train the body. You think about them and mullover them and turn them over and consider them from allangles until you gain insight. The actual paradox is oftenunimportant. It is the exercise and conditioning of the mindthat provokes the ultimate aim - enlightenment (which likemost things, is over rated).

Although enlightenment being over rated is a bit of aglib throw away line it is also part of what is expressed in thefive principles of Chan. Because of their centrality to Chan, itis perhaps appropriate to elucidate them a little more thanthe average paradox, if only because they are relevant to our

“The meditation posture andthe postures that we use inKung Fu are closely related.”

“The meditation posture andthe postures that we use inKung Fu are closely related.”


practise of Kung Fu and perhaps also because they shed alittle light on the way that Kung Fu can be part of personalcultivation that can lead to spiritual enlightenment.

1. The Highest Truth or First Principle isInexpressible

This is because what one needs to express is actuallybeyond the realm of causation and the conscious mind. This iseasy to understand if one thinks about Kung Fu practice. It isnot enough to know a Kung Fu form. To do Kung Fu one alsohas to forget it. The movements have to be repeated until youno longer think about what you are doing. When youconsciously have to think about the form you are performing(or even a simple everyday action like walking) it will neverflow. The form has to be automatic. The memory of themovements have to be part of your body. Similarly, the regularrepetition of the form removes bad habits andconditions the body removing blockages. Inthis sense Kung Fu forms can be seenas physical gon’an (koans).

There is no d i c h o t o m ybetween mind and body. Byworking on the body one is

also working onthe mind. For oneto be ready the

other has to beready. Or rather

since they areboth one

and thesame it is

only possible that they will attain a similar state simultaneously.In this our Kung Fu forms bear a direct comparison with

meditation in Buddhism. The internal structure of the postureis identical and their function bears comparison too. They arelike a mirror that you polish to remove the dust. You observeyourself, you cannot hide from yourself, and you cannot lie toyourself. You can feel your every weakness and imperfection,but with dedication you will also feel the perfection and whenyou do you will understand what you cannot be told.

Of course, it is not strictly true to say that you cannot lieto yourself. How many of us at one time or another have not,taken a weekend seminar, played a few video games and likeKeanu Reeves said, “Now I know Kung Fu.” The first steps ona road are often clumsy, and thinking that you know, thinkingthat you understand, is just one of the errors that you have tocorrect on a regular basis.

This is more fully expressed in the verse by Shen-Hsiu(600-706) and its counter verse by Hui-Neng (638-713):

‘The body is like unto the Bodhi-tree,And the mind to a mirror bright.Carefully we cleanse them hour by hourLest dust should fall upon them.’

‘Originally there was no Bodhi-tree,Nor was there any mirror.Since originally there was nothing,Whereon can the dust fall?’

2. Spiritual Cultivation Cannot be CultivatedSince conscious spiritual cultivation is a form of

deliberate activity it will have a karmic affect that further tiesus to the wheel of death and life resulting in inescapableretribution. If you cannot become devoid of mind, theattachments to forms or objects will continue to hinder youand you will not be free to live or die. The aim is to rid oneselfof one’s old karma, but not create more karma from whichfurther calamities flow. Thus one needs to practise withoutpractising. This does not mean that you do nothing but thatwhatever you do, you do it without a deliberate mind, withoutattachment.

“We train the mind andbody and in time they becomecapable of quite remarkablefeats.”

“We train the mind andbody and in time they becomecapable of quite remarkablefeats.”

page 14 Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004page 14 Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004

In relation to Kung Fu, we could understand this in anumber of ways. As above we can understand that the mindand body are one and attain a balance and a level when theyare ready. We cannot force the body to do something it is notready to do. If we push too hard too quick, we will damageourselves and delay our progress. We train the mind and bodyand in time they become capable of quite remarkable feats.People who spend years meditating may be able to stop theirbreaths. People who spend years training can do the mostphenomenal acrobatics, but eventually you will run into a wall:

Why are you doing this?If you are doing Kung Fu to defend yourself, after a

year or two you should be able to do that quite capably. If youare doing it so that you can look flash while giving someonea slap - that takes a little longer. If you want to beable to demonstrate forms and win competitions -that might take a bit more time, but eventually youwill get there and what then? If our aspirations areactually a limit. If we do not abandon them, webecome limited by them and never experience thelimitless.

In the final analysis, mind and consciousnessare a form of tension. Pride in one’s ability blocksthe path to fully lett ing go. Mind andconsciousness have to be overcome. Therecomes a point when there is no reason foryou carrying on. This is difficult. It is likeaccepting your own mortality. It is like the groundgiving way beneath you. Suddenly, you realiseyou have not found the solution to any of yourproblems, they have not gone away, but yourealise that they were not real problems.Which leads to the next tenet:

3. In the last resortnothing is gained

What is gained throughenlightenment is not a positive knowledge,because enlightenment is not ‘a thing’ at all.In Chan Buddhism there is a commonexpression ‘The mountain is the mountain, andthe river is the river.’ In an ordinary everyday

state of delusion one sees a mountain as a mountain and ariver as a river. But after enlightenment a mountain is still amountain and a river is still a river.

You begin your study of Kung Fu by practising your forms.Morning and evening you practise. It is hard work. That is whyit is called Kung Fu. Eventually you reach a good standard. Theexercise has not got any easier, but your mind/body have gotused to it. The form is still the form and the work is still thework. So you still have to practise. What have you

really gained?As Chan Buddhists say, the life of

the sage is not so different from theordinary man. They both wear clothes,eat, drink and relieve themselves. Whichis why:

4. There is nothing much inBuddhist Teaching

Once you grasp the basic themes ofthe paradox, the tenets of the Chan school

are really very simple - once you understandthe secret it is no longer a secret.

In Kung Fu there are no secrets.Once you have attained a high level of

skill, you understand that it rests on a simplemethodology and all that was required was

a certain persistence or stubbornness. Tosomeone who has not attained a high level of

skill it looks like there must be a terrific secret,but really high level skills are obtained from asimple honesty about one’s abilities and thewillingness to make the million mundanecorrections needed to polish away any coarseness.

5. In Carrying Water and ChoppingWood: Therein lies the Wonderful Tao

To pass from delusion to enlightenmentmeans leaving behind one’s mortal humanity.

However, the life of a sage is no different from anordinary life. One may work as a wood cutter or a

humble leather worker. The actions of a sage are thesame as the ordinary man but they are infused with aspiritual understanding, with a mind void of greed and,hence, free from the wheel of life and death. Actionsbecome effortless because with enlightenment, oneenters non-being.

According to Chan Buddhism, manifest realityconceals a profound emptiness. Non-being permeates

everything. The sublime and the mundane occupy the samespace and the same time but are not the same.

If all of this seems confusing it is not meant to be.The truth is not mysterious or illogical it just cannot be

conceptualised. The truth has to be unmediated. Nothingcan be allowed to obstruct the mind’s direct and

immediate intuition of truth. Not Buddhism and not theself. Therefore when a student asked Chan Master Pen-Chithe question, ‘Whenever there is any question, one’s mind isconfused. What is wrong?’ he received the simple answer,‘Kill! Kill!’

by Glenn Gossl ing. glenn@qimagaz ine.com

“We train the mind andbody and in timethey becomecapable of quite remarkable

“We train the mind andbody and in timethey becomecapable of quite remarkable

Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004 page 15Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004 page 15

In my clinical experience, the cause ofpain is most likely due to a blockagethat is excessive or deficient in nature.

Excessive pain is usually caused bythe following: Wind-Cold and Damp, ahot body constitution or long term Dampthat becomes Damp-Heat. Damp-Heatblocks Qi and Blood causing stagnation,which results in pain in the muscles andjoints.

The following treatment principleswould apply: expel Wind, clear Damp,dispel Cold, clear Heat, dry dampness,regulate Qi, promote Blood circulationand unblock the channels to relieve pain.

Deficient pain may be due to thefollowing: a deficiency of Qi and Blood,Yin and Yang, the muscles and jointslacking nourishment or a long-termdeficiency. This causes a weakness in themovement of Qi and Blood, resulting ina deficiency-type blockage.

In this situation thetreatment principle is to tonifyBlood, Yin and Yang or addsmall amounts of herbs topromote Blood circulationand unblock the channels.

Typical CaseMrs DFemale, 36LecturerFirst Visit –10/11/2000

Chief complaints:Muscle and jointaches all overBackache for sixmonthsUnable to sit forlong periodsTiredDizzinessPoor MemoryInsomniaPale ComplexionScanty MensesNormal appetiteBowels and Urine normalTongue – Purplish, tooth-marked,thin white coatingPulse – deep, thready and weak

The patient only wantedacupuncture, not herbal medicine as she

was breast-feeding her six-month-oldbaby.

PointsZu San Li (St36)Da Cang ShuBai Hui (Du 20)Ming Men (Du 4)Wei ZhongAshi Points

Treatment was undertaken oncea week, but after four weeks she showedno improvement. I suggested that shetried taking Han Shi Bi Wan together withthe acupuncture. However after twoweeks she complained that the pain wasthe same.

I reassessed the patient andrealised that the pain started after labour,when she was breast-feeding andworking hard. I concluded that the pain

was due to a deficiency of Qi andBlood causing a lack ofnourishment to the muscles.Blood is the mother of Qi andif Blood is deficient, it isinsufficient to aid themovement of Qi, causingblockage and thus pain.

I prescribed Nu Bao(main ingredients are RenShen, Dang Gui, Chuan Niu

Xi, Fu Ling, Chuan Xiong,Dan Shen, Hong Hua,Yan Hu Suo etc), twocapsules, twice a day.

This was given to tonify Qi andBlood, remove the Blood stasis andproduce fresh Blood. When new Blood issufficient the stasis clears, unblocking thechannels and nourishing the muscles andbones, thus relieving pain.

After two weeks the pain hadeased and after another four weeks oftaking Nu Bao the pain had gone. Thepatient also had more energy, improvedsleep and memory and her complexionwas clearer making her look healthier.

One day Mrs D’s mother came tomy clinic with the box of Nu Bao andsaid that she was suffering from sciatica.Her daughter told her that they werepainkillers so she wanted to buy some!

I explained that Chinese Medicinerelieves pain according to differentiationand that while this formula was suitablefor her daughter, it may not have beensuitable for her sciatica. Her mainsymptom was left side sciatica originatingfrom the lower back. The pain wascharacterised by a burning sensation.Other symptoms included hot flushes andnight sweats. The tongue was red withcracks and no coating and the pulse wasthready and rapid. The pain in this casewas due to Kidney Yin deficiency.

Ji Sheng Gui Yu Wan is my ownformula made for a Kidney Yin deficiencytype of osteo-arthrit is. The mainingredients are Lui Wei Di Huang Wanto nourish the Kidney Yin, plus Sang JiSheng, Huai Niu Xi, Gu Sui Bu and DuZhong to tonify the Kidney andstrengthen the bones. Dang Gui, Ji XueTeng, Hong Hua etc promote thecirculation of Blood and unblock thechannels to relieve pain.

This patient took Ji Shen Gui YuWan, eight pills, threetimes a day. Two weekslater her sciatica was alot better and her energyhad improved. Shecontinued to take it foranother four weeks untilall the symptoms hadgone.

The casesdiscussed above wereboth pain due todeficiency. The formerwas due to Qi and Blood

deficiency and the latter was due toKidney Yin deficiency, therefore thetreatment principal and the choice ofherbal formula was different. We shouldbe able to make this clear differentiationin clinicby Shulan Tang . shulan@qimagaz ine.com

Tonifying to Relieve PainTonifying to Relieve PainTCM has the theory that “where there is a blockage, there is pain; if it

is unblocked then pain is relieved”. But why tonify to relieve pain?

Trad

ition

alCh

ine

seM

ed

icineChinese Medicine

relieves pain accordingto differentiation

Chinese Medicinerelieves pain according

to differentiation


FOR HEALTH & LIFEYOUR CHINESE HOROSCOPE

Instructor Insight

YOUR CHINESE HOROSCOPEFOR HEALTH & LIFE

Your Chinese horoscope can help you learn more about your family, children, your personalityand your health. It can tell you which career or studies which would suit you most, even thenumbers, directions and colours which are favourable or not.

Most people have similar things they want to know from their horoscope, so Michael Tse isoffering an opportunity to ask five specific questions about your horoscope, for instance, whenyou will get married, how many children you should have. The fee for this would be £50 (GBpounds) and $75 (US dollars) and can be sent to the appropriate Tse Qigong Centre office.

To Place YourHoroscope Order :-1. Enclose address or email where your answers are to be sent.

If it is a gift for someone, please provide their name & address clearly.2. List the five questions. Try to be clear and concise in your questions.3. Include Birth Details. Please spell month, do not use numeric. Order should be: Year, Month,

Day, and if possible, the time of your birth and also the country in which you were born.4. Forward payment by either cheque or credit card to appropriate Tse Qigong Centre office.

£50/$75 USA

For UK/EuropeTse Qigong Centre

PO Box 59Altrincham WA15 8FS UK

Tel:0161 929 4485Fax: 0161 929 4489

email: [email protected]

For USA/Canada:Tse Qigong Centre

PO Box 15807,Honolulu HI 96830 USA

Tel: (808) 528 8501Fax:(928) 441 6578

email [email protected]

Khim Guan - EssexKhim Guan - Essex

Khim is qualified to teach the DayanQigong Syllabus. She can be contacted

on 07775 995184

I am very fortunate to have learned Dayan Qigong from Sifu Michael Tse . In mysearch for a Taijiquan teacher, I came across Sifu Tse’s book of Qigong for Health& Vitality and this book led me to Sifu Tse’s Qigong class in 1998. Due to my long

working hours and reporting deadline pressure, my immunity was once so low that Iconstantly needed to visit the doctor’s surgery in the winter because of chest infectionsand in the summer for hayfever as well as many other visits for various health issues.Since practising Dayan Qigong there are far fewer appointments made with mydoctor. In the summer I no longer avoid going to the park and taking walks in thecountryside for fear of a hayfever attack. The more I practise, the more I am awareof my body’s need and its ability to heal itself. I am relaxed and patient, healthier,and even more flexible than my teenage son. The practice of Dayan Qigong doesnot just keep us healthy, but it also teaches us the meaning of having a good heartand how to be kind to others.

It took me a long time to realise that I could and enjoyed teaching the DayanQigong skill. My sincere thanks to Sifu for your teaching, senior instructors for givingme encouragement and helps with the forms, and Tse Qigong Centre for beingfamily.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to Bee andher students for pointing the way.

My aim is to let more people know about Dayan Qigong and its health benefits,and to teach and pass on this profound and unique skill to people who want to takeresponsibility of their own health. Qigong is one of the many treasures from ancientChina that we can all learn, practice and benefit from in our modern era.


Hidden OpportunitiesHidden OpportunitiesThis fact fascinates me and in my work

as a movement teacher, I haveobserved that real healing occurs

when I help people to sense and feelwhat is going on in their bodies. As theystart to feel more deeply, their breathingmay change rhythm as they connect withfeelings of discomfort or distress.Thoughts arise and I encourage them toexpress the thoughts regardless ofwhether they make sense or are‘acceptable’.

Often there is a sense of relief,accompanied by a deep sigh orsometimes tears, yawning or laughter.Tense shoulders may hunch for a whileand then relax and broaden as the chestlifts and opens. Thethoughts or feelings maybe quite trivial or may beabout something‘important’ but it doesn’tmatter, they all have anaffect on the bodyregardless.

Let us consideremotional inhibit ion.When the emotions arenot respected andexpressed at least toourselves, theyeventually clamour forattention by causing pain– the energy is blockedand the cells cannot do their work. Sowe have to give our bodies time andattention. We can learn to listen to thebody so we can hear what it is trying tocommunicate. Hence we can understandwhat we really feel about things, whatour genuine reactions and responses areto life and what we actually want. Thesefeelings may not be ‘realistic’ in worldlyterms or they may seem self-centred, butthey are authentic and represent ourreality in that moment.

By learning to dialogue,expressing our responses and bringingthem to resolution, we can integratethem into a way of accepting andadapting to our situation without blockingor limiting our expressiveness. It is like a

rider guiding her horse. The power ofthe emotions (the horse) is there and canbe used for self-transformation.

We have to know how we feel inorder to resolve the emotions. Thismeans accepting our imperfections, lackof inner conformity to rules and normsand also recognising our strengths andpower in the world. We can direct theenergy in ways that are constructive andcontribute to our goal of peace andharmony.

Gradually, we understand how towork with our emotions, thoughts andactions so that we are more consistentlyhealthy. Should we get ill, we realisethat something needs attention – our

bodies may be calling for achange in attitude orcircumstances. We must notneglect our inherent ability torespond and develop ourpotential in creative ways.

Every situation offersopportunities – this is one of themiracles of life. So take an activeinterest, get involved and seewhat happens. Learn. Keep onlearning.

There is a lot said about beingof good heart. What does this mean?Well, walking the path of practice,listening to the body and resolvingemotions, is work of the heart. Ourhearts become lighter by shedding the

burdens of constraint and judgement. Itis up to us how and when we get startedon the path, so why wait until the painaccumulates. We are fortunate to havethe tools and the friends to accompanyus and all have the potential to grow inconfidence, wisdom and compassion

by Helen Massy. he len@qimagazine .com

Your body speaks your mind. Every thought and feeling is registered by thebody. If it is not brought to conscious awareness, the cells concerned continue tocommunicate the response until we pay attention to it and start to listen, so we canunderstand its meaning.

“Every situationoffers opportunities– this is one of themiracles of life.”

“Every situationoffers opportunities– this is one of themiracles of life.”


TheBig BossTheBig Boss


In the previous semester, some of the American teachershad been put in a similar position. They had come out withguns blazing and the result had been much bad feeling andloss of face all round. Perhaps perversely, at the time, Iremember thinking that this was an interesting situation. I didnot want to lie down and take it, even though the amount ofmoney, in Western terms, was small enough. Neither did I

want to end on a sour note. So whendo we accept situations? When

do we fight, and if we dofight, how far do we go? I

certainly I had nointention of spilling

blood - yet.The Big

Boss did not speakmuch English andbizarrely thish i e r a r c h i cp he n om e no nalso seemed toapply to theE n g l i s hDepar tment .The interpreter’s

English, however,was excellent andyou could beforgiven forimagining that thediscussion movedonto a moresophisticated levelthan: “Hey, youowe us”, “No I

don’t, you oweme”, “No we don’t”,

“Yes you do.” Alas, withodds of three to one, it emerged that their strategy was towear me down with merciless repetition.

After three hours I decided I had had enough. I hadmade my point. It had occurred to me that the Big Boss was ina tricky position and stood to lose face if he backed down, soI took a risk. I said that there had obviously been amisunderstanding and asked him to come up with a goodsolution. He nodded, we all shook hands and I left. Two dayslater they asked me to teach an extra two hours a week, whichI did, and I got my full pay. Interestingly, it was only when Ithought about the predicament of the Big Boss, not my own,that we found a solution. I guess there must be a lesson inthere somewhere.

Anyway, I did get treated to a fine farewell dinner -which was nice

by Peter Andersen

Bureaucracy is the bane of everyone’s lives. Without it you cannot getanything done, and with it you cannot get anything done. So what is thesolution? What do you do when you are completely tied up with red tape?

My teaching contract at the university in China wasfor “not more than twenty contact hours per week”.In practice, I was only given sixteen, which wasfine by me until, a couple of months before Iwas due to leave, my pay cheques were stopped.

I went to the Wai Ban (the university’s “foreign affairs office”),where I was informed that I had failed to fulfil my contract andwould therefore forfeit my final pay cheques.

My first thought, of course, was, “Over whose deadbody?”. I pointed out that I had been present, willing andavailable to do twenty hours per week and had not refusedany work and so had fulfilled my side of the bargain. It wastheir problem if they hadn’t given me the full quota of work.The young clerk’s face fell about 100ft. I would like to think itwas the effect of my devastating oratory, but I suspect it wasjust that I had put him in a very awkward position. Knowingthat he had no powers of negotiation, I suggested that hearrange for me to see his boss. He smiled with relief…or wasit that he knew something I didn’t?

I was summoned to see ‘the Boss’ that afternoon andwas duly told that I had to accept the situation as it was becausemy pay had already been stopped. I said I knew it had beenstopped, please start it again. After one minute and fortyseconds we were at an impasse. The Boss was quite a character;he was aloof, always wore a black suit and shades and rode

around on an imitation Harley that topped out at 25mph.After a few rounds of verbal Ping-Pong, we reached anagreement of sorts. He would arrange for me to discuss it with‘the Big Boss’.

Sure enough, a few days later I was ushered into alarge boardroom occupied by a large wooden table and threeserious men in black suits. I was seated and given a cup of teain a plastic cup that was too hot to hold. I suspected the intentionwas to give them the psychological edge. Luckily a friend ofmine, a professor at the university, had explained that thisuniversity was one of a handful of municipal universities runfrom a central office in Beijing that had already handed overthe funds for my employment. In other words, they had mymoney; they just did not want to give it to me. However, Icould always refuse to finish teaching the semester. I wasarmed.

When do we accept situations?When do we fight and if we dofight, how far do we go?

When do we accept situations?When do we fight and if we dofight, how far do we go?


Liao Fan’sFour Lessons

Liao Fan’sFour Lessons

We continue the conversation between Liao Fan andMaster Yungu. In this chapter, Master Yungu is advising LiaoFan that he can change his destiny by changing his lifestyleand doing more good deeds to bring him good fortune.

Part V

I maintain this attitude even when alone, for I know thatthere are spirits and heavenly beings everywhere whocan know my every thought and deed. I am cautious notto offend them with my thoughts. Even when I encounterpeople who dislike or slander me, I bear their insults with

a patient and peaceful mind and do not feel compelled toquarrel with them.

The year after I met Master Yungu, I took the preliminaryimperial examination in for Mr. Kong had predicted that I wouldcome in third place. Amazingly, I was first! Mr. Kong’s predictionswere beginning to lose their accuracy. He had not predictedthat I would pass the imperial examination at all, but thatautumn, I did! Although I had corrected many faults, I foundthat I could notwholeheartedly do thethings I ought to. Evenif I did do them, it wasforced and un-natural.I reflected within andfound that I still hadmany shortcomings,such as seeing anopportunity to practisekindness but not beingeager enough to do itor having doubts whenhelping others.

Sometimes I forced myself to act kindly, but my speechwas still uncontrolled and offensive. I found I could containmyself when sober, but after a few drinks, I would act withoutrestraint. Although I often practised kind deeds andaccumulated merits, my faults and offences were so numerousthat they seemed to outweigh the good that I did. A lot of mytime was spent vainly and without value.

It took me more than ten years to complete the threethousand meritorious deeds I had vowed to do. I was unableto dedicate the merits from these three thousand good deedsat a temple until I returned to my hometown in the south afew years later. At that time, I had the opportunity to ask twomonks to dedicate them for me. Then, I made my second wishand that was for a son. I vowed to complete another three

thousand good deeds. A few years later, your mother gavebirth to you and named you Tianqi.

Every time I performed a good deed, I would record itin a book. Your mother who could not read or write would usea goose feather dipped in ink. She made a red circle on thecalendar for every good deed. Sometimes she gave food tothe poor or bought living creatures in the market place andfreed them in the wild. She recorded all of these with hercircles on the calendar. At times, she could accumulate morethan ten circles in one day!

Everyday we practised like this and in four years, thethree thousand deeds were completed. Again, I invited thesame two masters to make the dedications, this time at our

home. On the 13th dayof the ninth month ofthat same year, I mademy third wish and thatwas to pass the highestlevel of the imperialexamination. I alsovowed to complete tenthousand meritoriousdeeds. After threeyears, I attained mywish and passed theexamination. I was alsomade the mayor of

Baodi County. I prepared a small book to record my meritsand faults and called it Book of Cultivating the Mind. Everymorning, when I began work in my office, my servant wouldrecord my every deed, good or bad, no matter how small. Atnight, I set up an altar in the courtyard and put on my officialuniform to emulate the way of an officer in the Song Dynasty.I burned incense and reported all my deeds to the heavens.

Once, your mother was concerned when she saw that Ihad not accumulated much merit. In the past, she was able tohelp me in our accumulation of good deeds and we were ableto complete the three thousand meritorious deeds. Now, Ihad made a vow to complete ten thousand more deeds butthere were fewer opportunities to practise them at thegovernment residence. She worried about how long it would

“It took me more than tenyears to complete the three

thousand meritoriousdeeds.”

“It took me more than tenyears to complete the three

thousand meritoriousdeeds.”


be before my vow could be fulfilled. That night, I dreamed ofa heavenly being and told of my difficulty in completing theten thousand good deeds. He heavenly being reminded meupon becoming mayor that I had reduced the taxes on thefarmlands. That one good deed was worth ten thousand merits.My vow was already fulfilled.

When I had become mayor, the farmers in the countywere highly taxed so I reduced the tax by nearly half. But, I feltbewildered and still had doubts. How could just one deed beworth ten thousand merits?

Coincidentally, the Zen Master Huanyu was travellingfrom Wutai Mountain and stopped in my town. I invited him tothe government residence, told him of my dream and askedwhether it was believable. Master Huanyu said: “If one does agood deed with such a true and sincere heart withoutexpectation of reward, then one deed can indeed be worththe merits of ten thousand. Besides, your act of reducing thetaxes in this county benefits more than ten thousand people!”

Upon hearing this, I immediately gave all mysavings for him to take back to WutaiMountain. I asked him to use themoney for a food offering for tenthousand monks and to dedicatethe merits for me. Mr. Kong hadpredicted that I would die atthe age of fifty-three.However, I survived thatyear without illnessesalthough I did not ask theheavens for a longer life.Now I am sixty-nine. Bookof History explains,“Destiny exists but iscreated and determined byourselves.”

All this is true. I cameto understand that bothgood fortune andmisfortune are the results ofour own actions. These aretruly the words of sages andvirtuous people! If someonesaid that good fortune andadversity are determined bythe heavens, I wouldconsider that person to beordinary.

Tianqi, my son, Iwonder what your life will belike? We should alwaysprepare for the worst.Therefore, even in times ofprosperity, act as if you werenot. When things are goingyour way, be mindful ofadversity. When you haveenough food and clothing,be mindful of poverty. Whenloved and respected by all,remain apprehensive andconservative. When thefamily is greatly respected,carry yourself humbly. And

when your learning is extensive and profound, always feelthat the more you learn, the less you know.

We need to find our faults daily and to correct themimmediately. If we are unable to detect our faults then we willthink that everything we do is right. When we are unable tocorrect our faults, improvement will be impossible. There aremany intelligent people in the world who cannot improve ineither their cultivation of morality and virtues or in their work.Their failures in this life are owed to a single word: laziness.

To be continued:

The above is a selection from Liao Fan’s Book ofFour Lessons, written in the Ming Dynasty for his

son on how to become a better person and changehis destiny for the better. This book is available free

through the Centre by request. Please write or callfor your copy, however, please note: There may be adelay in sending as supplies come from abroad and

is dependent upon available stock.


Plum BlossomYijing

Prediction

Plum BlossomYijing

PredictionIn China, around 1140 to 1150, during the Song Dynasty,

there lived a famous Yijing master called Shao Kang Jie.Master Shao found that he did not understand enough aboutYijing, so he decided to hide himself away in a quiet place inthe countryside so he could study more about it.

In the old times it was very common if someone wantedto be good at something, they had to stop everythingand concentrate on one thing. They would stay away

from other people, even family and friends and put alltheir energy into it. Today it is very hard to find anyonewho can do this, even to concentrate on one thing.

Master Shao Kang Jie read all the Yijing’s Guas andwrote them down in order and studied them to find moredetail and the deeper meanings of them. In the summerhe forgot it was hot and in the winter, he forget it wascold. Even when people changed their clothes because ofthe seasons, he did not notice.

But even though he studied so hard, he still foundthat he did not know enough. So he drew all the Guas,from the first to the last and then from the last to the first.Every meaning for each Gua he wrote on paper and hungon the walls, so he could see them all the time and thinkabout them hoping that he could gain a deeperunderstanding of them.

One day whilst he was studying, Master Shao gottired so he climbed on his bed and fell asleep. Suddenly amouse ran over him and disturbed his sleep. Master Shaopicked up his clay pillow and threw it at the mouse as it ranaway. He missed it and unfortunately his pillow broke.

In China, around 1140 to 1150, during the Song Dynasty,there lived a famous Yijing master called Shao Kang Jie.Master Shao found that he did not understand enough aboutYijing, so he decided to hide himself away in a quiet place inthe countryside so he could study more about it.


The young man looked at them for a while and seemedto be thinking, but once he saw the note he smiled. “Yes, myfather told me you would come. He told me in this year, in themonth, on this day and at this time a scholar will come andask for me. It is very true, you are that scholar.” Then hecontinued, “I am sorry, but my father passed away some timeago. He left a book for you.” The young man went inside andwhen he came back he handed Master Shao a book. On thebook was written the words “Yijing”

Master Shao was so happy, as he now had a book whichwould answer so many of his questions about the Yijing. Onthe other hand, he was very sad because such a high levelYijing master had gone and he never had the chance to meethim, study with him or say thank you.

Then the young man said, “My father said you wouldgive us somemoney so that wecan find a gravewith better FengShui to buryhim.” Shaolooked at theyoung man andthen looked atthe book, then heunderstood whathe meant. Thiswas a test fromthe old man tosee whether Shaowas good enoughto answer thequestion and usethe book that he

had given him.Shao made a Gua to find out what was going on. Then

he said to the young man, “Your father hid some gold in thenorth west corner of the house for you to use to buy him abetter grave. He did not tell you because he did not want youto spend the money straight away after he died. Now everyonehas a stable job and is making a stable living, so it is the righttime for you to spend this money. Once he is buried in abetter place, you will all have a better future and goodoffspring.”

Then Shao and the owner said thank you and left.Shao opened the book and found there was a lot of

detail in it and also a poem to follow and remember. Thebook also contained a lot of experience and examples the OldMan’s predictions and knowledge.

After a few years, Master Shao Kang Jie reached a veryhigh level in Plum Blossom Yijing Prediction. This skill is basedon the story of the Plum Blossom Tree.

Master Shao became one of the most famous Yijingmasters. Yijing is not prediction, it is a philosophy that containsmathematics, science and the knowledge of everything. It isover five thousand years old. It goes beyond Western sciencebecause it is the knowledge for people who live on this planetand harmonise with it and do not damage it. A lot of Westernscientists will not easily understand it, and a lot of them wouldbe amazed by it.To be continued… by Michael Tse

In the old days, Chinese pillows were blocks made outof clay that you rested your head on. These were solid, butthey were quite good for your health as they supported theskull and allowed the air to pass around the head giving goodventilation. This helped the circulation of the head. I stillremember how my Grandmother used to use a clay pillowand refused to use a soft one as she found she could notsleep.

I never had the experience of using a pillow like this,but I have used a herb pillow, which is a pillow with a lot ofChinese herbs inside. This is good for the brain and thecirculation. They are used to help children study and calm theirminds. But back to Master Shao…

After breaking his pillow, Shao went to tidy up the brokenpieces, but found a note that had been put inside it. He wasvery curious and so hepicked it up and read it.The note said, “This pillowwas sold to Mr Shao, inthis year, in this month andon this day. At this timehe will throw the pillow ata mouse and break it!”

After reading thenote, Master Shao felt asif someone had pouredice cold water down hisback. He suddenlythought, “Who could writesuch a note and predictthings so accurately?” Heknew he had to meet thisperson and ask for hishelp with his own studiesof the Yijing.

Master Shao thought back trying to remember wherehe got the pillow. Then he remembered it was from a nearbyChina Shop. He could not wait another moment, so he gotdressed properly and rushed out of his house to the shop.

When he got there he asked for the owner and showedhim his broken pillow. “Do you remember this pillow and whereyou bought it?” The owner looked at it and thought, “Yes, Iremember,” he said, “I got it a long time ago. It used to belongto an old man who came in here from time to time. He gaveit to me to sell. A little later I sold it to you.” Master Shaoquickly asked, “Do you remember this note, do you think hewrote it?” He gave the note to the owner. “Hmm, yes, I believehe might have written it as he always had a note book in hishand and it said Yijing on it.”

Master Shao was so excited. Here was something thatconnected with the Yijing with which he always knew therewas so much more to learn about. Then he asked the owner,“Do you know where he lives?” The shop owner could see thatMaster Shao was so happy, it looked like he had foundsomething which had been lost for a long time. The shop ownerwas a nice person, he liked to help his neighbours and thishelped his small business.

He knew where the old man lived, so he took MasterShao there himself even though it was quite a long way. Finallythey arrived at the old man’s home. Master Shao knocked onthe door and a young man opened it. It was not the old manwho answered but a young man.

“Shao felt as ifsomeone had pouredice cold water downhis back.”

“Shao felt as ifsomeone had pouredice cold water downhis back.”


Iwas reading a social therapy bookthe other day and the author wassuggesting that a physically healthylife was not the embodiment ofhealth as the antithesis of sickness.

Rather, health was an activity andprocess. The author went on to state thatit was possible for a person with ‘bad’knees and ‘bad’ heart or liver to still behealthy. But I look at this differently.

In the long term it would also bedetrimental to avoid the issue as well. Ifeel that if a person has a liver defect ortheir kidneys are not workingwell, then it could be morehelp to them for their healthand life if that person wastaught how to help theircondition, rather thansomeone to deny a problemwith their internal organsthrough linguistics and falsehope by saying their conditionis fine and even healthy. I canunderstand that if a person ishaving a bad time physically andmentally, then they do not need anymore bad news and it would bedetrimental to cut someone downharshly. However, if a person has a liverproblem then this will affect their bloodand circulation. TCM also tells us that thisperson could have a greenish colour totheir skin. Also the liver affects theemotions. This to me does not sound toohealthy, what do you think?

Maybe one problem is that theWestern medical approach is to ‘cure’ theillness or problem. The whole thing istaken out of the responsibility andoptions of the patient instead of workingwith the patient and letting the patientsheal themselves with internal exerciseand meditation. This way the person canbuild up their own immune system andQi and also understand a certain

responsibility that comes with helpingthemselves. To have a healthy body doestake effort and work and how manypeople can put in this time and work intotheir lifestyle? With good health though,comes a certain amount of responsibility.For example, there would be no needfor someone to look after you or care foryou as if you were ill in bed, you mayeven be in a situation where you are theone looking after others who are sick.

Now just as health can signifydifferent things so can illness. Sickness/

illness can result in and gain somecomforts for some people. For somepeople it’s a time when work and otherresponsibilities can be put on hold,maybe it’s also the first time that theperson has time to themselves. Sadly forothers it’s the only time when they arelooked after or cared for and noticed.There can be a certain amount ofcomfort when you are ill in bed with theflu or cold virus. Also, to be sick and illhas come to mean that we have the rightto be miserable which can include theright to make others miserable as well.

This type of situation I feel is verycommon on different levels of intent asthe sick patient has learnt through theirlife experiences that through their illnessthey can gain emotional space or lovethat was missing in their everyday lives.Avoiding issues can be related to

psychosomatic sickness’ maybe avoidingdeadlines, people or things. It’s not sohard to imagine a person who has learntto obtain these gains and emotionalspaces when faced with a difficultsituation to become ill or sick with acutetiming.

The illness could also be used asa kind of ‘strike.’ Illness like colds couldbe ‘signs’ of dependencies with thehousehold, not just in the home but inthe work place as well, ‘who relies on mein this house?’ These strikesdemonstrate how illness and sickness canbe a socialised sickness and not justindividualised. Illness and sickness canbecome quite complex attitudes withinsocial networks: - families, friendships,communities etc. Feelings and attitudesare often scarcely touched upon let alonechallenged or efforts made to changeones character for the better. This wouldhelp the individual in the long term butthis calls for an amount of discipline andresponsibility, the very attributessomeone who has habitually learnt tobecome ill could be sadly lacking.

These reasons could help explainwhy some people do not have the desireto become healthier. Health for them is

the last thing they thinkthey need to help thecurrent situation they findthemselves in. The quicksolution would be to playwithin their learntframework.

But there are waysa person’s responses tosickness and creating anemotional space or gaincould change. This would

be because of the time, place andpeople. These three things control allsituations and are related to prenatalconditions. The situation then couldchange without the consent of theindividual. Say if the person no longerhas anyone to look after them? Say ifthe person has more love and attentionin their lives through other people? Sayif the person has to move to anotherarea? Now their situation has changedand maybe those ‘learnt’ habitualpatterns no longer apply in their lives.

Maybe one possible solutionwould be for the person who feels theneed to retire ill in bed with loadedbaggage, rather than be ill in bed, is toface the issues that are causing thesefeelings. Find out what they really needand see that some of those gains couldreally be losses in disguise

by Barry Paul Horrel l.

Who needsto be ill?Who needsto be ill?

Health can come to mean many different things fordifferent people and cultures. For instance for some to have amuscular body toned from the gym is healthy, some prefer tobe underweight to be seen as being healthy, others developtheir internal Qi for health and cultivate their character.

“Sadly for others it’sthe only time whenthey are looked after.”

“Sadly for others it’sthe only time whenthey are looked after.”


Often, the things we want the most, take the longest, or the things wedread the most always happen. Perhaps this is the lesson life is trying to teachus, and until we learn it or loose our fear of it, it keeps coming back to try us.

Moving house is difficult at the bestof times, but if you try to do it ata time when the market is

depressed, it can be doubly frustrating.But, as with anything else in life, thereare lessons to be learned from puttingyourself through this process.

From the time the first EstateAgent steps over the threshold, yourealise very quickly that you cannotplease everyone. Each person comingto view is looking for somethingdifferent. Houses in a bad state of repairor decoration will suit those wanting todo a place up as an investment, or thosewith less cash and willing to do someDIY. Houses in perfect decorative orderwill suit those just wanting to movestraight in and get on with their lives andnot have to bother about spending timeand money on the place. If you havethe latest style ofkitchen orbathroom youmay sell yourhouse quicklytoday, but in a fewyears time theywill be consideredextremely un-fashionable. Andhow many of uscan afford to putin a new kitchenor bathroomevery timefashions change.And should we beso wasteful anyway in throwing outperfectly good fittings for the sake of atrend? So the moral of the story is, donot worry about what you have got.There will be someone somewhere whowants exactly what you have, it is just amatter of finding them.

I remember the 60’s and 70’swhen the insides were ripped out ofVictorian houses. Avocado bathroomsuites were put in, along with flush paneldoors and polystyrene tiles on the ceiling.Then in the 90’s we were busy restoringthese houses and putting back the period

features. Today it is the trend to rip outnot just the period features, but the entireinside of the house, leaving only the frontfacade intact, in order to create an ultramodern, open plan minimalist space.This time it costs serious amounts ofmoney, but if fashions change again,back to separate rooms packed withperiod features, these houses risk beingcompletely unsaleable in the future.

All the normal rules for judging aperson’s sincerity seem to go out of thewindow when they are viewing yourhome. It is impossible to tell frompeoples’ reactions whether they are likelybuyers or not. In fact, I have learnedthat their likelihood of making an offeris inversely proportional to the amountthey admire and enthuse over your place.The more they say they love it and willbe contacting the Agent the next day,

the less likelythey are infact to makean offer. SoI have learntto relax whenshowing peopleround, and watchthe games they playwith amusement andnot get stressed out.I have sold my houseseveral times thissummer, but my

potential buyers either could not sell theirown homes, or lost their jobs and so couldnot proceed. Obviously I am meant tostay here a little longer.

I have kept my cool for most ofthis lengthy process, telling myself thatif it is meant to happen, everything willfall into place. But I have had mymoments when I have become heartilysick of the whole business and have beendesperate to get it over with and get onwith my life. But my patience is beingtested, which is no bad thing. I havelearnt not to want something so muchthat I lose sight of what I already have,and I am learning, slowly, to not let itdominate my existence so much thateverything else goes on hold. It is, afterall, a small matter in the grand schemeof things

by Kate Britton. kate@qimagaz ine.com

Moving OnMoving On

“But my patience isbeing tested, which isno bad thing.”

“But my patience isbeing tested, which isno bad thing.”


Poem ofWing ChunPrinciples

Poem ofWing ChunPrinciplespage 28 Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004

Wing Chun Kuen Fist methodsMust keep the centre hand, when the forward arm is bent,

Once you lose contact, just go to the opponent’s centre.

When the head is being pressed, the tail will come up.

When the tail is being pressed, the head will come up.

If the centre arm is being controlled,

Turn the Bong Sau up.

If the enemy moves,

Your centre of gravity should be light.

Hand sticks to hand.

No one can run away.

Remember every detail.

The upper hand is stronger if two hands are used together.

You must fight for the inside hand position.

Understand active and passive.

Then understand when you should attack and when to defend.

Understand something and nothing.

Understand when to go forwards and when to go backwards.

One punch, one palm attack -

One stance, one step.

Footwork must be light -

Stance must be stable.

Moving the waist and the stance,

Hands should be still.

If the hands make an action,

The waist and stance should be still.

Michael Tse

Wing Chun Kuen Fist methodsMust keep the centre hand, when the forward arm is bent.

Once you lose contact, just go to the opponent’s centre.

When the head is being pressed, the tail will come up.

When the tail is being pressed, the head will come up.

If the centre arm is being controlled,

Turn the Bong Sau up.

If the enemy moves,

Your centre of gravity should be light.

Hand sticks to hand.

No one can run away.

Remember every detail.

The upper hand is stronger if two hands are used together.

You must fight for the inside hand position.

Understand active and passive.

Then understand when you should attack and when to defend.

Understand something and nothing.

Understand when to go forwards and when to go backwards.

One punch, one palm attack -

One stance, one step.

Footwork must be light -

Stance must be stable.

Moving the waist and the stance,

Hands should be still.

If the hands make an action,

The waist and stance should be still.

Michael Tse


When I was 14 years old, I began my martial artsjourney. I started with my uncle, Tse Chui Hung,who was a student of late Grandmaster Ip Man.At the time people called him “Drug AddictHung”. This was not because he was a drug

addict; it was because he was very skinny and in Hong Kongmost drug addicts were very skinny. My uncle was this waybecause he worked very hard day and night as a tailor, so hedid not put weight on and compared to other people he wasvery skinny. At thattime, in Hong Kong,during the 50’s and60’s, people liked togive others anickname which waseasy to remember. Ibelieve hisnickname came fromGrand-master IpMan himself. Whenyou look into thehistory of WingChun, you find thata lot of famousmasters gavenicknames to theirstudents. Forexample anotherfamous student of IpMan, Wong ShunLeung who hassadly passedaway, wasn i c k n a m e d ,“King of theKung FuC h a l l e n g e . ”Even Ip Man’steacher, myg r e a t - g r a n dteacher (TaiSigong), ChanWah Shun, wascalled, “Money Changing Wah”. Also one of the founders ofWing Chun, Cheung Ng, was nicknamed “Tan Sau” Ng becausehis Tan Sau was very good.

When I went to study with my uncle, Tse Chui Hung,he would always tell us some of the classic poems from WingChun’s history to help us understand the skill. For exampleprinciples like “Forwards and backwards keep contact with thehands. Once you lose contact go straight through the centre.”At the time I did not totally understand it. Later I appreciated

that these had been passed down from our Wing Chunancestors.

Later, when my uncle passed away, I went to study withmy Sifu, Grandmaster Ip Chun. He is a great teacher. He isvery gentle and does not hold back his knowledge of skill.During my studies, Sifu would tell poems like, “When the headis pressed, the tail will come up and when the tail is pressedthe head will come up.” They all make sense to me, however,when we study Wing Chun we must consider the meaning of

them.One of the phrases says, “Must keep the centre

hand, when the forward arm is bent.” This means whenwe are using Bong Sau, we must keep the Wu Sau toprotect and defend the centre and it is true. Peopleoften get hit because they drop the Wu Sau. Wu Sau isvery important in Chi Sau. When we have one hand incontact, the Wu Sau secures us and stops us from beinghit.

Many different styles of martial arts havesomething like Wu Sau. It is like a guard or goalkeeperfor the body and centre.

With Chinese skill, no one will do somethingthat will put them at risk, so you see that most Chinesesocieties and families need security and they like tostay together. Taking care of each other is the mostimportant thing.

In the west, we do what we want and do notworry too much about it, as long as we can enjoyourselves that is the most important thing. So the eastand the west have very different concepts.

In the short term, thewestern concept might win, but inthe long term the eastern conceptwill last longer.

Therefore, Wu Sau is veryimportant for Chi Sau. You shouldalways keep it, until you reach avery high level of footwork, andthen you will understand whichdistance is safe and which isdangerous.

Another line says,“Forwards and backwards withboth

hands in contact - once you lose contact, hit straight withoutthinking.” In Chi Sau, both hands are basically in contact withyour opponent’s arms. Both of you test the water to find outwho has the wrong energy and then one will take a chanceand hit. But sometime, one person will take a chance to hit notmatter what. If both hands are touching, then you are safer asyou can feel what is coming. But if your opponent comes to hityou when you do not have contact, then you will not be ableto feel. So the principle is that when you lose contact with your

You might be surprised to learn that Chinese Kung Fu not only has agreat tradition in physical training, but also a long tradition in morescholarly areas like poetry! Traditionally students would learn and recitepoems to help them remember forms or important principles.

“Forwards andbackwards with both

hands in contact.”

“Forwards andbackwards with both

hands in contact.”


opponent, then you hit straight to their centre without thinking.Basically, when you do not feel the contact of your opponent,you must hit without thinking, otherwise you will miss theopportunity to defend yourself. Sometimes attacking isdefending, but only in special circumstances.

“When the head is being pressed, the tail will come up.When the tail is being pressed, the head will come up.” Usuallythis situation is about Bong Sau and Tan Sau. In Tan Sau, theenergy is in the waist and in a straight line. In Bong Sau, theenergy is in the elbow. When some one presses your Tan Sau,you will feel heavy and it is difficult to lift your hand up. Youshould not try to do that. The more you try to lift the Tan Sauup, the more you will oppose the energy that is pressing downand so you will lose quicker. In this case, turn the Tan Sau intoa Bong Sau, then all the energy will be changed, so you donot need to suffer their strength. It is the same when you areusing Bong Sau and some one is controlling your elbow. Youshould change to Tan Sau, so the Bong Sau will become freeand you will not have to face their pressure, So the principleis, when the Tan Sau is controlled, change to Bong Sau andthen your Bong Sau is controlled, change to Tan Sau. Thenyou will not suffer the pressure from your opponentbecause when you are controlled, you will be hit.

One of the most important principles in WingChun is that the hands should always be free andsensitive to be able to change if we have a problem.Having said that, when you reach a high level,you will know how to use and control your energy,and you can let your opponent try and control youand you are still free to change.

Another poem says, “When your opponentmoves, you should move your centre of gravity.”This is totally right. It means that when youropponent moves, you should move as well becausethe opponent’s attacks will confuse you and so youshould move to find a better position. It can be assimple as someone punching towards you and youmove out of the way. So if they move, we should avoid thebad situations. This is the same as the common martial artssaying, “Enemy does not move, I do not move. Enemy moves,I will move first.” How do you know when your enemy willmove? This is because you can sense it. And what is the bestway to sense your opponent? It is to have contact with them.Through the contact with the hands, you know what youropponent wants to do and where they want to go, then weadjust ourselves to a better position.

“Hands stick together, you cannot run.” This is anothervery true saying. If you stick with your opponent, they you cantell what is going on, so how can they run away from you? Sokeep your hands sticking to your opponent and you will besafer and not easily attacked.

When you get to a very high level even without stickingthe hands together, you will not let your opponent go as well.It is all about sensitivity.

“Remember every detail, two hands stick together, theupper hand has the advantage.” Many people who areexperienced at Chi Sau will know the upper hand has moreadvantage than the lower hand. So do not use the lower handif it is not necessary, otherwise when the upper hand putsmore weight on the lower hand, the lower hand will feel heavyand be controlled. Then you will need to use more energy andwill feel more tired.

In another situation, the inside hand has moreadvantage than the outside hand. This is because the insidehand can hit quickly and more easily than the outside hand. Iftwo hands are together, the inside hand can hit more quicklyand is very difficult to block. But if two hands are together,then someone must be on the inside and on top. Therefore,when you come to a better level, your footwork can changethe position of disadvantage into an advantage. You need torely on your flexibility to find a better position.

The next line says, “Understand active and passive, thenyouwill know when to attack and defend.Understand somethingand nothing and you will know when to move forwards andbackwards.” We must understand, active and passive,something and nothing, otherwise we will be in the dark in afight. Wing Chun has a high level of skill in martial arts becauseit is not based on strength but it is based on sensitivity. Throughthis we know how much strength to use and how to move thebody to get the most advantage. Chi Sau is the training tomake us understand the information from the energy.

“One punch, one palm strike. One stance, one step.Footwork must be light, stance must be stable. Waist moves

the hands do not move, the hands move the waist does notmove.” Everything we do must have a consequence. We donot act without consideration. So punching and kicking, stancework and footwork are the tools for defence and attacking.When do we need our stance to be strong? When do we needto use footwork? We need to be light and fast. In the principlesof Wing Chun there is always the opposite skill. Stance is strongand stable, footwork is the opposite, it is light and fast. Apunch is opposite to a kick. Tan Sau is opposite to Bong Sau.There is always a way to balance the disadvantages andadvantages. There are no perfect and secret skills which canbeat everybody. It is true that there is always a solution inWing Chun to deal with any circumstance. Wing Chun is oneof the best martial arts in the world. The principle of WingChun is simple and direct and everything makes sense. Donot just rely on strength, sensitivity is the key for us to find outwhat we should do for the best.

Many martial arts concentrate on forms. Wing Chunconcentrates on Chi Sau. Chi Sau makes us safe to be able todefend ourselves without getting injured. Wing Chun is alsobased on using the minimum energy for the biggest effect. Soit is fit for everyone. These poems are the principles of WingChun, but when you reach a high level, the principles mightbe different to what you thought

by Michael Tse

“Understand something andnothing, you will know whento move forwards andbackwards.”

“Understand something andnothing, you will know whento move forwards andbackwards.”


Learning to SwimI learnt to swim at an early age with

my family at the local baths. One ofmy earliest memories was telling my

mum to take my armbands off becauseI thought I could swim. I remember hersaying that I could not because it wasjust the armbands keeping me afloat.But with much insistence and persuasionfrom me, and with all the experience andcertainty that a six year old could have,she gave into my superior knowledge andremoved the armbands. Of course, Icould not swim. I sank to the bottom witha great deal of thrashing, flailing and alarge percentage of the contents of theswimming pool in my lungs. After beingunder the water for what seemed to bemuch too long, I was lifted to the surfacecoughing and spluttering. Onceagain I insisted that I couldswim and the wholeexperience wasrepeated again andagain until I was sotired that I washelped out of thepool and irritablytold to rest and toput my armbandsback on. It wouldseem that all thethrashing, flailingand panicking andenergy I used wasnot going to keepme afloat.

After that firstsinking experience, I donot particularly rememberlearning to stay afloat. I musthave learnt to relax and stop thrashingabout aimlessly and became muchcalmer and at ease with myself while inthe water. By becoming more settled, Imust have slowly learnt to let go andthen I could gradually find out how tostay on top the water line rather thanbelow it. Once I had cracked this smallproblem, I was able to progress to dothe width and length of the pool, dodifferent strokes, and on to advancedsurvival swimming.

When you begin Wing Chun andstart to Chi Sau, you may find yourselfout of your depth and struggling to stay

afloat. You can probably cope, but it ishard work. Like learning to swim, if youcan learn to relax and become moresettled and keep yourself buoyantwithout any effort, then you can start toprogress. The ability to relax both thebody and the mind will come as youpractice more Chi Sau and become morefamiliar and confident within thisenvironment. If you can create a relaxedmind, then your thoughts will be lessclouded and your reactions andjudgements will be much sharper andquicker. So when you have to react toan opponents attack, you can respondcalmly and smoothly with a countermovement or movements, which givethem as little information as possible.

Also when they attack you, youwill be less fazed

by their movement.At the same time if your joints are

relaxed and open, then the physicalmovements you make will be sharper,softer and smoother. You will also bemore responsive as you do not have torelease tension before you move that

Learning to Swimwill, in turn, make your movementsquicker. If your mind and body are bothrelaxed together, then everything willmove much more accurately andefficiently. You are not only relaxing forthe benefits to your Wing Chun, but alsofor the benefits to your health, as youwill be conserving energy and your Qi isable to flow through a more relaxed andopen body thus giving you a healthierinternal system.

Besides Chi Sau one of the bestways to train body and mind to relax isby practising Siu Lim Tao. This first formfrom the syllabus enables you to developyour hand positions, your power andstability in a relaxed manner whilsttraining on your own. It gives you thetime and space to relax as you are nothaving to stay calm whilst trying to dealwith the pressure of an unknown quantity,such as an opponent trying to take awayyour personal space and attempting topenetrate through your defences.

Relaxing is probably notsomething you learn to do, but morelikely something that is achieved throughconstant practice, either on your own orwith a partner. If you just keep on tryingand persisting, slowly you will start to letgo. It is just like finding yourself on topof the water rather than below it. Youmight not actually remember how or

when you learned to keep above water,but you have achieved it. Then you canstart swimming until you hit your headon the other end of the pool, but that isanother story

by Martin Gale .mar tin@qimagaz ine . c om

When you start anything it is always strange and unfamiliar.This makes everything a bit tense and only when you can relax canyou get into the swing of things.

“When you beginWing Chun, you may

find yourself out of yourdepth.”

“When you beginWing Chun, you may

find yourself out of yourdepth.”


Dalai Lama’sWisdom

Dalai Lama’sWisdomDalai Lama’sWisdomDalai Lama’sWisdom

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involvegreat risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others and takeResponsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderfulstroke of luck.

5. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

6. When you realise you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps tocorrect it.

7. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values and yourprinciples.

8. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

9. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and thinkback, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

10. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

11. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the currentsituation. Don’t bring up the past.

12. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

13. Be gentle with the earth.

14. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love foreach other exceeds your need for each other.

15. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

16. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.


I f we look back even two or threegenerations to our ancestors, mostof us would consider ourselves to be lucky

to be living in this era. We have central heating, our own cars,we can go to the supermarket and buy strawberries andpeaches in the winter and most of us can afford to buy meatdaily. We have the opportunity to indulge ourselves more, butthat indulgence comes at a cost. There is more obesity, morechronic illness, depression and mental illness than ever beforein all the developed countries, like America and Britain.

However, if you look back at photographs of men andwomen in the forties and fifties, you can see their slendernessand see their bone structure, even though in those days theydrank full cream milk and ate real butter and real eggs. Perhapsone of the reasons is that they moved more and ate less.Their diets contained morecomplex carbohydrates whichturned into glucose more slowlythan the refined sugars soprevalent in our diets today. Therewere also less packaged and‘fake’ foods available than thereare now and certainly there wereno genetically modified foodslurking secretively in thesupermarkets. Sugar overall, wasused more sparingly in the past. Today, though, most of ushave sugar daily, even several times a day. Sugar today is thenorm whereas even less than sixty years ago it was stillconsidered a luxury treat.

Sugar is also present in our daily lives in things we donot even realise should contain sugar, like breads, spreads likemayonnaise and ketchup, tinned foods, sauces for salads, pasta,etc. Even things we think are healthy and natural, like fruitjuices, often have a ‘fructose’ boost, which is a type of sugarfound in fruits and honey. Although fructose does break downmore slowly in the body than refined sugar, it still gives productsa sweeter than normal taste and, hence, creates expectationsof sweetness which carries over to the expected taste of otherfoods.

For instance, when I first tasted a well known brand ofice cream in the 1980’s, it was still owned by the Europeanfirm that created the brand. It was far less sweet than the nowAmerican owned and marketed ice cream. Because of travelling

quite frequently between Britain and America, I am constantlysurprised by the difference in sweetness between Americanpies and British pies. It is wonderful to taste a piecrust that isnot saturated in itself with sugar and then the fruit as well. Ialways look forward to my returns to England where I can eatrhubarb, apple and cherry pies.

Even the most important meal of the day, breakfast, isnot immune to this trend. Most common breakfast cereals areloaded down with some type of sugar. Yoghurts, too, are ladenwith sugar sweetened fruit gels. Children are all too readytargets for marketers who create colourful cartoon characterson the packets to tantalise the eye and ever more clever ways

to hook thepalate onto a dietof sugar. The sideeffects of this arechildrenwho haveextreme moodswings and in-consistent energylevels. AttentionDeficit Disorder(ADD) is be-

coming more prevalent as well. All of this sugar intake iscontributing to more tooth decay and obesity in the populationand with obesity there almost always comes diabetes.

Sugar can adversely affect the health and the body inso many ways. The brain is an organ and it needs propernutrition to maintain its good function, but if it is continuallyfed a diet of processed sugars, then short-term memory willbe affected, because of the fast flame, fast burnout effect of asugar high. The brain is the control centre for the entire body,and when it does not run smoothly, it will impair the functioningof other internal body organs as well. Refined sugars do notcarry any nutrients or vitamins to the body and so the brain,which needs a steady supply of energy, must use its own storagesupply of energy. This affects peoples thinking and behaviour.

The liver is responsible for the smooth movement of Qiand blood. It also stores sugar in the form of glucose. Whenwe consume too much sugar, it can create too much over-excitement and heat in the body. This will make the liver too

Sugar - JustToo Sweet?Sugar - JustToo Sweet?

Today everything is too extreme.The principle of Taiji says when wereach the extreme, things willsuddenly change and go theopposite way. This means there is abig reaction. The same principleapplies to the food we eat.

“The liver storessugar in the form ofglucose.”

“The liver storessugar in the form ofglucose.”


Charts are a great way to be able to learn aform or set of exercises as you do not needto keep referring back to a book each timeyou change to a new movement. This twosided chart has both movement anddescriptions on one side and full set of allthe main channels in the body as well as theacupoints used in Part I of Healthy LivingGong. The size of the chart is 841 x 594 mm(just over 33 inches by 23 inches).Price: (call to confirm)

Healthy LivingGong – Part IWall Chart

Healthy LivingGong – Part IWall Chart

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Includes movements andAcupuncture Meridian charts!

Order on line at:www.qimagazine.com

Order on line at:www.qimagazine.com

hot and this can cause red, itchy eyes, irritability and emotionalups and downs. This continual up and down of sugar highs willeventually exhaust the kidneys, liver, pancreas and gall bladderand even the spleen.

Diabetes has become a common disease with over 16million Americans being affected. On average, Americansconsume 2-3 lbs of sugar a week in their diet. A can of colaalone contains over 6 teaspoons of refined sugar. However,there are foods which can help diabetes, which help to restorebalance and clean the body of toxins. Here are some recipesbelow which are simple to prepare:

Salted Fresh Ginger Soup2 slices fresh ginger4.5 grams sea salt6 grams green teaAdd all ingredients to 500ml of water and simmer for 20 minutes.Take in several doses.Can help relieve thirst from diabetes where desire excessivedrinking of water.

Rice Soup50 grams wolfberry fruit (Gei Zi) (small, bright red dried berriesreadily available in Chinatowns or through the Internet)100 grams Glutinous riceAdd 5 times more water than rice to a large pan. Rinse rice tillwater not cloudy and then drain and add to water in pan.Rinse wolfberries and add to pan as well. Bring to boil and thenturn to down to simmer until water has reduced and rice is soft

and has thickened the water into a soup. As this is glutinousrice, you should stir frequently to prevent sticking.

White Radish JuiceOne white radish (also called Daikon). Available in Asiansupermarkets. It will be white and long with a smooth skin. Themore solid the feel, the better the quality.Peel, wash and chop the radish and then squeeze out the juiceof the radish. If you have a juicier to extract the juice, this iseven more convenient. Take 100-150 ml of the juice at a time,twice a day for seven consecutive days as a course of treatment.

Celery and Rice Soup150 grams celery100 grams rice(any meat can be added later if wished, 15-20 minutes beforeserving can add in to cook with the soup).Wash and chop the celery. Rinse the rice till clear and add withcelery to a large pan and add 5 rice bowls of water. Add somesalt to taste. Bring water to a boil and then lower to a simmerand cook till rice and water has thickened. Keep stirring toprevent sticking. If you wish, you can add some uncooked meatto the soup before serving. If adding chicken with bones, chopand then rinse under boiling water quickly before adding tosoup. The same can be done with pork and beef. This is just mypersonal quirk this rinsing of the meat. It is up to you. Eat oncea day for 10 consecutive days, making more as necessary

by Jessica Blackwell


Wing Chun Self Defence

i. Attacker A approaches from behindand grabs B’s hair with his right handand pulls back. Fig 1- 2.

ii. B does not resist the pull; insteadshe starts to move back with it andplaces her right hand on that of theattacker. Fig 3.

iii. B then quickly turns to her left andstep in towards A. At the same timeshe uses her right hand to strike A’selbow (Faak Sau). Stepping inquickly allows her to regain herbalance and also takes the strengthout of A’s pull. Fig 4.

iv. B then quickly follows with a palmstrike to A’s chin. As she strikes shepulls sharply down on his upper arm(Lap Sau) to make him fall into herstrike. This forces his head to go backand up and breaks his grip. Fig 5.

Practise the technique with the attackerusing either hands and turning to yourleft or right. To make the techniqueeffective, you must turn and step in veryquickly.

Hair Grab from Behind

Wing Chun Self DefenceWing Chun is famous for its practical approach to self defence. However, it is

important not to use force against force because if your opponent is stronger then yourtechniques will not work well or even not at all. These techniques are to give you an ideaof what you could do when you are attacked from behind.

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3

Fig 4 Fig 5

A

B


i. Attacker A approaches from behindand grabs B around the neck withhis right arm and pulls her back. Fig6-7.

ii. Again B does not resist the force ofhis pull but steps back with it. Fig 8.

iii. As B steps back she uses her elbowto strike A (photo shows anexaggerated movement to make the

technique clear.) This is to loosen thegrip slightly and bring the attacker’sweight forwards. Fig 9-10.

iv. She then quickly turns to her right,pulls his elbow down and she strikesupwards. Fig 11.

v. After striking she continues to pushhis head up and back and thensweeps his leg with her right leg,

making him losing his balance andfall. Fig 12.

Again it is important not to fight theopponent’s strength but to attack theweaker areas. The most important part isthe sudden turning after the elbow strikeas this will throw the attacker off balanceand break his grip.

by Darryl Moy

Head Lock

Fig 6 Fig 7 Fig 8 Fig 9

Fig 10 Fig 11 Fig 12

A

B


Tse Qigong Centre UKPO Box 59

Altrincham WA15 8FS0845 838 2285

+44 161 929 [email protected]

Coconut MilkFrittersCoconut MilkFritters

¾ cup coconut milk¼ cup soya bean milk1 tsp sugar2 tbsp caster sugar (for sprinkling on fritters when cooked)2 cups oil

Batter:1 cup flour4 level tbsp. cornstarch¼ tsp salt¾ cup water1 tbsp oil

1. Blend coconut milk, soya bean milk and cornstarchtogether in a pan over low heat. Bring to a lightboil, adding sugar and salt. Stir constantly to asmooth paste.

2. Pour into a greased square tin and leave tocompletely cool in fridge and then cut into bitesquares.

3. Make batter and set aside.4. Heat oil in deep pan. Stir batter and then dip coconut

pieces in batter to coat. Lower gently into hot oiland deep fry until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchentowel.

5. Heat oil again and re-fry the fritters and roll in someof the caster sugar before serving.

6. Serve hot.page 40 Qi Magazine Apr/May/Jun 2004


Healthy Living Gong Part IIIHealthy Living Gong Part IIIHealthy Living Gong Part III is a great exercise and not as easy as you might think. It is more

challenging and requires more physical strength and balance. Although it is primarily for creatingpower in the body, it also develops lightness and softness.

5. Rotating the Qi Ball

it. However, you should still make sure that the mainconcentration is on the waist and the movement comes fromhere.

BreathingBreathe naturally whether you are rolling the ball

forwards or backwards.

BenefitsCoordination is very important for good health because

it creates a good balance in the brain. So if we have goodcoordination, it means our brain is in good condition, and ifour coordination gets better, then the brain is getting better.Then you will have a very clear mind and the Qi can becontrolled and directed better. This means that you will beable to handle things like stress better, particularly when youare older as we generally get slower, a little clumsier, losebalance and become forgetful. This is because there is notenough Qi going to the brain. So, to keep the function of thebrain strong and healthy, then the rest of the body can behealthy and in good condition.

Rotating the Qi Ball is good for coordination and alsogood for your waist, making it more flexible and releasing thetension in the shoulders.

i. Stand still with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold yourhands in front of you, with your elbows bent and yourLaogong points facing each other, as if you are holding aball. Fig 1.

ii. Begin to rotate the Qi ball forwards. As you roll the ballforwards to the left side, your right hand should be higherand the left lower. Make sure your palms are still facingeach other. The body turns to the left side. Fig 2.

iii. As you roll the ball to the right side, the left hand shouldbe higher than the right hand. Again keep the palms facingeach other. Now your body should turn to the right. Fig 3.

iv. After you have been rolling the ball forwards many timesthe movement in the hands and the body will coordinatetogether, so everything moves at the same time and themovement just continues.

v. Repeat the movement, but this time roll the ball backwards.vi. To finish bring both hands back towards your Dantian and

face forwards. Fig 4.

ConcentrationAll the movements must come from the waist and not

from the arms or hands. Keep the palms facing each other nomatter how you roll your hands forwards or backwards.

When you rotate the Qi ball, you need to imagine thatyou are holding a ball in your hands, so do not drop or neglect


You can find this point by touching the middle finger to

your palm. Where it touches is the area of the Laogongpoint. However, in Qigong, often the acupuncture point

is not exactly where the Qi will be gathered or released.In this case, it is the centre of the palm where you will

feel energy or heat, not only just at the Laogong point.This point is on the Pericardium Channel.

Laogong

Fig 5 Fig 6 Fig 7 Fig 8 Fig 9

Recently I spoke to a doctor who said there are manypeople with shoulder aches and he called it Frozen Shoulder.He was looking for a way to heal this problem and wasparticularly interested in acupuncture treatment. I said to him,that in today’s society, we sit too much and when we work, weonly use our arms and hands. So the tension builds up in theshoulders and it is too much. Usually, the tension should be inour legs, that is why the legs are bigger and stronger than thearms. We should use our legs more than our hands, if we sittoo much and do not walk enough, we will have too muchtension in the shoulders, also on the other hand, the legs willbecome weaker and other problems will come, for example,knees, hips and ankle problems will develop. If we use thelegs more the shoulders will be better and feel lighter.

I told the doctor that my suggestion is for people tostand while they worked rather than sit in a chair all the time.Of course, some people will find this funny. Could you imaginein an office where one stood up to do their work? But thiswould really help their shoulders and keep the condition ofthe brain healthy. This is because standing up will help to createbetter circulation inside the body than sitting. The Qi and theblood will flow much better, as they do not like to be still verymuch. If the Qi and blood does not flow, then you will feeltired and later you will feel stiff. In the end, you will have aproblem with your joints and internal organs.

When you practise Rotating the Qi Ball, you will feel astrong sensation of Qi, this is because the upper body is morerelaxed then than the lower body. Also as the palms are open,more Qi will flow out even more strongly. However, no matterhow you feel the Qi, do not become too excited by it. Just letthe Qi flow and concentrate on the movement. Then everythingwill be in order and you will develop more Qi. If we are tooeager for anything, things can often go in the opposite way.So take it easy and everything will happen at the right timeand in the right situation.

BackgroundRotating the Qi Ball is based on the movement Holding

the Beautiful Ball in Healthy Living Gong Part I. In Holding theBeautiful Ball we only roll the ball in one direction. In Rotating

the Qi Ball, we roll the ball forwards, backwards and also leftand right. So the waist need to move whereas in earlier exercisewe only go up and down. Of course, Rotating the Qi Ball ismore difficult than Holding the Beautiful Ball.

In the beginning, I created the exercise Bagua Steppingwhich we will show you later. When I teach, I teach this exercisefirst as it is based on Bagua Stepping, but in a stationary position.So before we can do the walking we must learn how to rotatethe ball. Just like the saying, “Learn how to walk before youlearn how to run.” We need to have a strong basic skill, thenwe can reach a high level in the future.

In the Dayan Qigong System, there are many rotatingQi movements in the forms Dayan Palm and Nine Colours QiBall, so we need to learn this skill. You must learn Holding theBeautiful Ball from Healthy Living Gong part 1, then Rotatingthe Qi Ball and then the Bagua Stepping and this will createmore Qi. Even in the 1st 64 of Wild Goose, we have Rotatingthe Qi Ball in level three, though this movement is quitedifferent.

6. Wild Goose Drinks Water




Side View

i. Step forward with your left leg and sink your weight downonto your right leg. Hold both palms at the chest. Fig 1 &Fig 9.

ii. Flutter your palms by quickly moving your palms up anddown. Keeping the legs in the same position, start to benddown from the waist. While still fluttering, let your handsmove down from the Qihu points, down the body, downthe left leg and to the Jiexi point at the ankle, so that thearms are stretched out. Fig 2, 3 & Fig 14,15.

iii. Lift up the body and bring the hands back towards thechest. Fig 4 & Fig 16

iv. Repeat three times and then change to the other leg.

BreathingWhen you bend down, breathe out and when you come

up, breathe in.

Concentration

When we practise this movement, we need to put theweight on the back leg.

When you bend down, you should allow the back andspine to stretch out as much as possible.

The fluttering of the hands is the same as in the WildGoose form and when you move from the waist you must notlead with the arms. When you flutter the hands it is normalthat the small finger will move more than the thumb.

Repeating three times on each side is quite normal asif we do too many on each side it is quite difficult for beginnersand they may not be able to stand there that long. But youmust do the same number on each side.

Wild Goose Drinks Water (cont’d)


QihuThese points are located just below the collarbone on each

side of the body and are located on the Stomach Channels.

In Qigong, we will feel the sensation in the area that is a bitlower than this, in the area that is most tender when wepress it.

JiexiThis point is located on the

upper foot at the crease ofthe foot and ankle, and is

on the Stomach Channel.

BenefitOne of the most beneficial movements in the Wild Goose

Qigong is fluttering the hands. It is very good for your circulationand clearing negative energy and gathering positive energy. Italso makes the mind and nervous system balanced and calm.When we are older the circulation and Qi becomes stagnantand this makes the body slow down, so we do not move toomuch and do not respond when things come to us. Then oursenses: sight, hearing, smell, also our memory, bones, jointsand muscles slow down and become stiff. That is an old personattitude. To keep the body young and healthy we must moveit. Moving the body actually creates a lot of movement insidethe body. This keeps everything functioning well. When thefunction of the body is weak, we will feel tired and the moretired we are, the less we want to move. Eventually we will beill. If illness stays in the body too long, then more illness willcome and then it is hard to recover. Eventually we will die,because we did not move.

Of course, if we over-use our bodies, we will becomeexhausted and this will also harm your health. We should alwayslisten to the body, but you should not let it be too tired or toolazy. When you find you do not feel like moving, if it is justbecause you do not want to move, then this is because oflaziness, then this is the time to get up and move. When youmove too much, then you will feel tired and this is the timeyou should slow down or have a rest.

When you look at nature, we have Summer and Winter.We need both to balance so there is a time for growing anddying so there is a cycle for everything. So we can live happilyfor every generation. We should not be too selfish and onlythink of a few generations, we need to think further into thefuture otherwise our future offspring will have nowhere to liveand survive.

Stretching the back is very important. There is amovement we all usually do when we wake up, that is westretch our arms up, but this is actually stretching the back.This is because we need the Qi to go up to the brain. It is a bitlike starting an engine. Also the vertebrae connect with the

internal organs, so we must make them work properly andkeep them in good condition. So stretching is very importantto make them sensitive so the Qi can flow in the vertebraeproperly.

Bending down is very good for headaches or migraines.Many people today will feel dizzy and weak when they benddown. This is because they do not have enough Qi in thebrain. Also if we have a lot of headaches it can be a sign thatthere is a more serious problem coming in the future, such asstroke, Parkinson’s Disease etc. Bending down allows the Qi tocome to the head, this is good for the brain, will make yourface look good and your eyes strong. When you have less Qiin your face, your eyes will have less spirit, you look pale, yourskin wrinkles and you will have bags under your eyes. Whenmore Qi goes to the head, the health is better and your facewill look good.

BackgroundIf you have studied the Wild Goose, it is obvious that

this movement comes from it and is based on the movement,“Drinking Water”. However this movement is slightly differentfrom the form. In this movement, the hands are allowed to goall the way to the feet and then come back up. This emphasisesthe back and spine more. Wild Goose Qigong is one of thebest Qigong forms in China. I like to introduce elements of itin the Healthy Living Gong before we go onto learning theform. However, Dayan (Wild Goose) Qigong has many differentforms, it is not just good for the health and developing Qi, it isalso beautiful to watch as well.

A lot of Chinese exercises are based on animalmovements and it creates a nice picture and helps us to forgetourselves. Also animals are closer to nature than humans asthey are more sensitive and never pretend to be humans. SoChinese exercises use a lot of animal movements to show thefeelings of certain situations.to be continued... by Michael Tse


The first thing we do is all cometogether in the beginning for a warmup or some of the Qigong forms.

Then we break into our groups for lessonsand then come back together at the endfor meditation.

All the students get on very welltogether and sometimes I hear themchattering away to each other likemagpies, explaining this or that principle.Sometimes maybe it is just sharingsomething about their lives with eachother. But today I was surprised when Icame up to two of the ladies and onesaid to me, “Sifu, we are talking aboutsomething very important. We are talkingabout the mind.” But when she said this,she laid her palm over her heart. Ijokingly teased her and asked if this iswhere her mind was located.

She gave a little giggle and thengave me a very good answer. She said,“Sifu, You know, for Chinese people,heart and mind are the same. We were

talking about what makes

people happy and also what make themupset. My husband is happy as long ashe can play tennis. Some people need abig house and a lot of luxury things tomake them happy. Other people are justas happy with a simple life. I asked mysister what would make her happy andshe said, “peace of mind.”

She then continued, “I was ill forfour years. I even made out a will for mychildren so everything would be takencare of when I died. I was so unhappyand worried about everything. I worriedthat my children were so far away atschool. I worried about my job and gotvery depressed. But then I began to domeditation and learned how to let go ofthings. I can see that if given the sameproblem, two people will react verydifferently. One person may get veryupset and even make themselves get ill.Another person will see the same thingand it will not affect their happiness atall. So it made me see it all is about theheart and mind.”

I agree with her one hundredpercent. It was actually

something that I have

been struggling with in my ownlife, trying to let go of some ofthe mountains I keep trying todrag around with me. Manypeople want to be free and they

will leave their teachers, theirspouses, their parents, even

their children in order totaste that freedom. In the

end, however, they stillf ind that the sameproblems have followed

them in their flight. Thisis because the problem is in

themselves not others.

We all will haveproblems come to us. It isunavoidable. The only thingthat we can control is our ownreaction to these problems. Ifwe try to see them throughinstead of running away, then perhapswe will see that the problem is not thatbad. Maybe we are meant to change oursituation instead of trying to keeppaddling in the same pond. Instead ofbeing fearful and trying to avoid our fate,we can accept it and be happy that thereis another path opening to us.

I have found this to be true thoughnot easy. My sister said to me, “I hatechange” and in my heart I probablysecretly agree with her because I find thatI get upset for too many small things.However, one thing that has helped meimmensely is to study how to be a betterperson, how to help more people andthink less about myself. Once I startedapplying these principles, I found thingsin my life got smoother. There was alsoa breakthrough point when I found thatmy Qigong also improved and that I wasable to do movements that I had neverbeen able to do in the past, like lowpostures, jumping kicks and fastmovements. This was because I hadreleased a blockage in my heart.

I am a long way from perfect oreven of achieving peace in my own heart.I struggle with myself when I should befriends with myself. I told one of thestudents who had been polishing one ofthe forms for over a month andconsistently not getting better and evengoing backwards that she needed tobecome friends with her form, not justtrying to take what she needed, but askwhat the form needed as well.

In order to like ourselves, we haveto like others. To love ourselves, we haveto love others. I do not believe that itcomes the other way around because itis only through selflessness that we canreach our true greatness as people, asfriends and as partners to our loved ones.

In Chinese traditional medicine,the heart and the mind are actually thesame. Our heart is our spiritual centreand our mind is like a mirror reflectingback its images

by Sihn Kei. s ihnkei@qimagaz ine.com

Heart and Mind

One of my favourite classes to teach is my early morning class onThursdays as usually we are outside in the park and it is such a goodatmosphere. Everyone is so happy and helping each other like family.

Heart and Mind

“Some people need a bighouse and a lot of luxury

things to make themhappy.”

“Some people need a bighouse and a lot of luxury

things to make themhappy.”


QiM

atte

rs

When we injure ourselves, weexperience pain because thechannels become blocked.

Therefore we need to open them tosmooth the Qi, and so more practise isthe solution, not less. The pain sensation,to a large degree, can even betranscended with meditation.

Over the years I have experiencedsome painful injuries but never takepainkillers (not even aspirin forheadache), or rush to a doctor,chiropractor, acupuncturist, ormassage therapist etc.because, fortunately, Iknow how to healmyself. Applying thisknowledge, followingthe example set bymy Sifu and Sigong,has never failed me todate.

During a push-hands tournament inWenxian, at thecommencement of mylast bout, I injured mythumb. I continued ondespite excruciatingpain, and only learnedmany months laterfrom my friend, adoctor, that it had been infact broken, and too late toreset. I had beenmaintaining a regimen ofmovement and self-massage (creatingheat to increase bloodflow to the area andprevent stagnation ofQi) together withmeditation (a powerfulhealing tool in itself).Though the pain had gone by thisstage my thumb was left in a severelyweakened state, and even appearedvisibly deformed. Little by little it healedcompletely. Today not only am I able topractise two-finger push-ups with it butno-one can even detect which of mythumbs was broken. I know people whohave had surgical pins inserted intobroken knees and ankles which were notset correctly, and only result in permanentdiscomfort and limited range of motion.

Another time, during push-hands,I injured my elbow causing pain, swelling,and a very worrisome audible ‘clicking’sound. Declining the offer of ingestibleChinese herbal powder, and medicalconsultation, I again opted to rely onQigong. Overnight the pain and swellingdiminished, and the clicking, which I hadslowly resigned myself to living with,completely healed after eight weeks.

One year I arrived in U.K, for aninstructor course, with a splitting

headache following a torturousflight. Upon arrival everyone wasinstructed to practise DayanGong three times in successionwithout pause. By the end ofthe hour I realised that the

pain had gone completely.

So now, on the rare occasionthat I suffer a headache, Ifind three routines of theexercise always works forme.

If I ever contract flu(or infection), I concentrateon horse-stance almostexclusively. On one occasion

what took me an afternoonof practice to recover took a

student of mine, with the same ‘bug’,choosing bedrest and medicine fourwhole days!

Most doctors and lay-peopleconsider the notion of self-healingfoolhardy and irresponsible and aprimitive superstition. But they offer nobetter alternatives and become nohealthier for this view. They are ignorantof Qi and internal training. Those whofeel that Qigong self-healing is

superstitious do not stop for a second toconsider that the faith they place indoctors, surgeons, and Western medicineis precisely the same, except that doctorsoften misdiagnose, surgeons occasionallybotch operations, and Western medicineis always toxic and damages the internalbody and Qi. Following the natural waymay take longer and involve morediscomfort initially, but the end result isalways superior.

True healing requires playing anactive role in your own recovery, to revealthe source of the problem and addressthat, instead of masking the symptomswith medications. It requires makingrelevant lifestyle changes and, especially,listening to your body, otherwise noamount of Qigong can help. When you

become dependent ondoctors you are left to themercy of theircompetence, orincompetence. Withpsychic or faith healers youare left to the mercy oftheir authenticity orcharlatanism. Even whenthe healer is successful ifthe patient does nothingto strengthen hisconstitution, then theillness can always return

when the body becomes vulnerable dueto stressful or emotional circumstances.

Arthritis, a common affliction, canbe healed with Qigong movement,massage, and horse stance, which createheat to dispel the internal dampconditions responsible, as well as slappingthe body to release toxins from the joints.Insomnia and backache, also commoncomplaints, can be healed using Qigong.

Sadly, even many Qigonginstructors take medicines when theybecome sick, and vitamins andsupplements to remain healthy. This doesnot set a good example. They do nottrust their own skill as they are neverwilling to put it to the test. The bodypossesses a powerful self-healing andrepair mechanism if only it is given thechance to work. Qigong just facilitatesthisand acceleratesthe process

by Adam Wallace. [email protected]

Many Qigong practitioners stop practising when they become ill or injured and wait torecover before resuming. This is really missing the point. Qigong is a self-healing skill. Wepractise to remain healthy but occasionally we may exhaust our Qi level in other activities andthen catch a cold so we need to restore Qi, as well as release the sick Qi.

Self-Healing: Living ItSelf-Healing: Living It

“Healing requires anactive role in your

own recovery”

“Healing requires anactive role in your

own recovery”


T hey came across some streetperformers. Some were doingacrobatics, some were dancing and

at the end of the street was some onedoing a martial arts show. Chan and Mapaused, “Stay and watch if you like, “saidtheir Sifu, “I will be at Mrs Ho’s bakery.”

Chan and Ma pushed their waythrough the crowd and got a goodposition. The performance started, butthey were both a little bit disappointedwhen they saw the performer. Hismovements were not smooth or strongand his postures were not that good. Butthey did not say anything and at the end,they applauded with the rest of theaudience and gave him some moneywhen his assistant came with thecollecting bowl.

“Lets find Sifu,” Chan said to Ma,and they both trotted off to Mrs Ho’sbakery. They found their teacher sittingoutside at a small table drinking teaand chatting with Mrs Ho.

“So how was it?” asked theirSifu. Chan and Ma looked at eachother. “Half baked?” chipped in MrsHo grinning. They nodded. “Howdid you know?” asked Chan. Mrs Horeplied, “Oh I know that man. Hestudied with another teacher in the nexttown, but he did not wait until histeacher said he was good enoughbefore he went out on his own. Infact, in his veryfirst lesson, hewas thinking ofwhen he couldstart his ownschool!” Mrs Hoshook her headsadly.

“ S i f u ,how do youknow when someone is ready to teach?”asked Ma. “That’s a good question,”replied Sifu, “there are many things thatyou need, of course. Your skill must begood, but this not the most importantthing. It is like making soup. For the soupto be good, you must take the rightingredients and cook them slowly formany hours. Then you must season thesoup before you can drink it and this isthe most important part because if yougo wrong here, no matter how good the

ingredients, you can ruin it. Too much ortoo little salt, pepper or vinegar, etc. willspoil the hours of hard work.”

“There is a story about a famouschef. One of his soups was so good thateveryone knew about it and they evensaid “I know I am a lucky man the day Itaste his soup”. Eventually he was calledto the Emperor’s palace and asked tocook the soup for the Emperor. TheEmperor was very impressed and askedthe Chef if he could give his recipe to hisimperial chefs so they could also makethe soup.”

“Of course the Chef said, “Yes”,and wrote down the ingredients and howto prepare and cook the soup. Then heleft and went back home.”

“The next day the Emperorwanted the same soup and so told

his Chefs to make it. This they did, butwhen he tasted it was not the same. TheEmperor demanded to know why it wasnot so good. The Chefs did not knowwhy. They had followed the instructionsvery closely. The Emperor ordered themto make another pot and to get it rightthis time.”

“So they tried again, however,when the Emperor tasted it, it was worsethan the first time. In the end the RoyalChefs had to ask the famous Chef to

come back to the palaceand tell them what theyhad done wrong.”

“When he arrivedhe watched them prepareand cook the soup, butwhen he tasted it, he alsosaid it was not right andto their horror told themthey would not be able tomake the soup.”

“When theEmperor was told, he wasupset and demanded to know why. TheChef went before him and said, “YourMajesty, your cooks are very good, butthey will never be able to make my soup.They use the right ingredients, but theydo not have the experience to adjust theseasoning. You have to understand thatevery carrot tastes slightly different andevery mushroom tastes slightly different.

In fact, nothing tastes exactlythe same each time. So

when you put everythingtogether, you need to

balance them up withthe seasoning.” TheEmperor listenedand then said,“Can’t you just tellthem how muchsalt to use?” TheChef smiled andsaid, “Yes I can.”The Emperor looked

at him and waitedsaying, “Well?” The

chef looked at himand simply said “Just

enough.” The Emperorsat and thought and then

burst out laughing, “This is no simplerecipe,” he said, “I will be satisfied withmy cooks’ efforts, but every so often Iwill ask you to come and cook for me!”The Chef smiled and bowed.” Chan andMa’s Sifu sat back and took a sip of histea and smiled.

Mrs Ho laughed, “You see boys!”she said, “It does not matter how muchyou want something and whether youthink you have all the right things andknow enough, nothing can replace time,experience and a little wisdom.” Theyboth nodded. “OK who wants somecakes? They are definitely not halfbaked!”by Darr yl Moy. darr yl@qimagaz ine.com

Chan and Ma were walking through the local town with their Sifu. It wasvery busy and there were a lot of people selling all kinds of different things,pots and pans, food, clothes, almost anything you wanted you could find.

Good SoupGood Soup

“No matter how good theingredients, you can spoilthe hours of hard work.”

“No matter how good theingredients, you can spoilthe hours of hard work.”


The toilet is opposite

Feng Shui in the KitchenMany people like to make the Feng Shui in their houses

good. They want to have better energy to live and have betterluck in the future. But usually one room that is forgotten is thekitchen and this is one of the most important parts of the house.This is because the kitchen represents good health, good sociallife and harmony of the family life.

In the Chinese Feng Shui, the kitchenis related with two elements, whichare fire and water. If we want ourkitchen to have good energy wemust balance the fire and the

water, because they do not like eachother. We all know that water puts outfire, and if there is too much fire it burnsout the water. So they should not be tooclose together. However, they can betogether under certain conditions if weunderstand how to balance them, it islike a good relationship. Therefore weneed to learn how to get the kitchen tohave the right conditions to avoid theproblems. Here is some kitchen FengShui advice:

Feng Shui in the Kitchen

1. The kitchen should not be at thecentre of the house. The kitchen isthe element fire and water and soit will burn and flood us. It will bringup stomach problems and badrelationship.

2. If the kitchen is at the back of thehouse, it is good for our health andwill bring a good relationship toeveryone in the house.

3. If the kitchen and toilet are too closethen it will bring the arguments tothe house.

4. If the kitchen is opposite the toilet,it will bring the fire attitude to thepeople and confrontation with otherpeople.

5. If the kitchen is the first room youwalk into, before going into otherrooms, people will have mouthdiseases and arguments.

A kitchen at the centreof the house

The kitchen is thefirst room in thehouse


A small kitchen

Too manyelectricalappliances

6. If the kitchen is separate to thehouse the people will make goodmoney.

7. If the kitchen is dark, people will getinjuries and food poisoning.

8. If the kitchen is bright, people willhave good health and happiness.

9. If the kitchen has too many electricalappliances around and not enoughspace, people will have confusedminds and difficult lives.

10. If the kitchen is too small, peoplewill argue a lot.

11. If the kitchen is big and has manypeople living there or coming into

the house very often, then thepeople living there will be famousand have a lot help.

12. If the kitchen is big but not enoughpeople around, people will getdepressed and lose relationships.

13. If the kitchen has a red colour, therewill be fire very easily.

14. If the kitchen is white in colour,people will have a healthy life.

15. If the kitchen has a lot of woodequipment, there will be fire veryeasily.

16. If the kitchen has lots patterns andflowering decoration, people willmake mistakes a lot in life.

17. If the kitchen has no windows,people will get ill and have stomachproblems.

18. If the kitchen is clear, people will behealthy and laugh a lot.

19. If the kitchen is dirty and not oftencleaned, people will be ill, lazy andnormally late for work.

20. If the kitchen has good ventilation,people will have good futures andsmart ideas.

To be continued... by Michael Tse

A big kitchen


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