WU LIFE 309
DA CHI WAN CHEN - BIG TREASURES MATURE IN TIME
i was once told by master yuan, 'don't tell anyone you do tai chi
until you've practiced it for at least ten years.. some things can be
measured in weeks or months, but the practice of tai chi must be
measured in years. you can earn a degree in four years, become a
doctor in eight.. but after ten years of tai chi, you are still just a
beginner.'
well, i've been practicing tai chi for nearly a decade now.. first, i
learned the sun style short set, a simple 12 movement set.. it's
nothing special, but great for beginners. then, i learned the
traditional yang style which is much longer with 108 movements.. this
yang family system is probably the most common style of tai chi in the
world today. a little later on, i learned a super mysterious set
called the water dragon.. this set looks nothing like your typical
tai chi system, and is cram packed with martial moves and energetic
applications. around the same time i learned the water dragon, i also
picked up bits of the chen style from my brother barry, in addition to
some tai chi push hand techniques. then, i learned a special yin yang
tai chi walking system from shifu au seng in hawaii. later still, in
massage school, i learned some new animal tai chi movements such as
the monkey, snake, crane, dragon, and bear.. along with their various
massage applications. then, more recently, while here in wudang, i
learned the zhang san feng tai chi set which i've been doing now for
just over two years. even though i've practiced a variety of styles
for a third of my life.. i'm still but a novice. tai chi is deep.
though still just a beginner, along the course of my training i've
come to figure a few things out. from my experience, i have found
that tai chi practice has three distinct levels, or treasures. allow
me to elaborate..
my first level of tai chi practice was for my foundation.. i call this
the 'earth' treasure. it is here that i learned the basics of
external body mechanics. in watching my masters, i would do my best
to emulate their soft movements and graceful fluidity. with diligent
practice, i came to realize many benefits through this level of
training,.. my posture improved, my stance stabilized, and i became
more aware of my physical body and the physical space it occupied.
tai chi also had the dynamic benefit of calming my nerves when i was
restless, and energizing me when i was tired. unlike western sports
that just wore me out and left me sore, tai chi built me up and left
me revived and refreshed. most people that are patient enough to
practice for a few months will find these benefits as well.. but there
is still much, much more.
my next level of practice was for my internal development.. i call
this the treasure of 'man.' now with a better grasp on my external
mechanics.. i began to develop a deeper awareness for my internal
mechanics. my skeletal structure became firm and fortified, my
stabilizer muscles became balanced and proportionate, and my tendons
and connective tissues became strong and elastic. my body began to
transform inside and out. of all this goodness, the biggest benefit,
however, was that ALL my movements, not only tai chi motions, were now
backed with the effortless power of a natural structural alignment as
opposed to the limited strength of mere muscle force. these new
physical benefits translated in my spiritual world too.. my turbulent
emotions became soft and calm, i was stable and strong in my sense of
self, and i became fluid and flexible in the face of opposition. the
flowing current of a continued tai chi practice had smoothed the rough
edges of my being, physically and spiritually,.. but there was still
more to come.
my third level of practice is the level of power.. i call this the
treasure of 'heaven.' with a better grasp on the relationship between
my internal and external mechanics, the world of breath and intention
began to surface.. and with it, came a mysterious new power. now..
the elegant external movements are so slight and subtle, but the
internal whirlpool is tumultuous and stirring. i can feel the
individual powers of lifting, sinking, turning, and spiraling come
alive with each and every movement. as if in a dance with the tai chi
form itself, my breath and intention flow in waves which spill forth
in all directions from the core of my being. the raw, explosive
potential behind each motion is full and charged. the distinct and
dynamic polar powers of yin and yang are constantly churning within me
and their melodic harmonies are fully expressed with each slow and
graceful step of my tai chi practice. as poetic as it all seems, my
words still fall short of the real experience.. i can feel it even as
i write this. my tai chi has come alive.
ahhh.. nearly ten years of practice summed up in a few short
paragraphs.. all this may sound great, but in reality, my tai chi is
still so amateur. sure i've unlocked some 'treasures,' ..but i think
for some, the concept of unlocking a 'treasure' may be a bit
misleading,.. there are no such 'treasures' in the sense of an
obtainable material or substance, and there is no huge treasure chest
at the end of the tai chi rainbow.. rather, these 'treasures' are more
like huge, empty pots with an 'endless capacity,' ..with each day of
practice, a golden coin of effort and experience is added to the pot.
in time, continued effort and experience mature, which then grows into
a TRUE treasure,.. for the REAL wealth of tai chi lies within a
regular practice.. a wealth that must be earned and accumulated over
time. so start training, and maybe in ten years you can say you
practice tai chi too.
WANDERING TAOIST
i will be taking a few weeks off from my wu life blog to tao out for a bit.
this sunday was my master's birthday so i spent it with him,.. but
today, i am going off on an adventure. first, i shoot over to beijing
to visit the white cloud taoist monastery to mingle with the masters
of long men pai - the dragon gate sect. there, i am set to learn a
traditional taoist, seated dynamic-tension exercise.. the bone marrow
and tendon exchange. typically, this set is credited to bodhidarma of
shaolin, but i never knew that there was a taoist version too.. and i
get to learn it!
after spending a few days there.. i'm off to a taoist retreat hidden
deep in hua shan mountain to observe the spring equinox (and my 28th
birthday). i'll be staying in the dark, damp caves to meditate and
fast for ten days.. the same caves taoist master kwan saihung spoke of
in the story 'wandering taoist,' ..well, maybe not the EXACT caves..
but at least they're on the same mountain. who knows.. maybe i'll
meet the toad immortal.
i should change my name to aesop or goose.. my life is so fairy tale.
as if all that wasn't crazy enough, after the trip i get to return
home to wudang mountain to continue my baji training in the temple
academy. damn, i'm lucky.
ALOHA ALL
spring has sprung and the sun has become social once more. i have
tucked away my winter clothes and busted out the t-shirts and tank
tops. flowers are blooming and the farmers are hard at work spilling
poop juice on the fields. our school has returned to the temple to
train and new students are slowly starting to filter in. this year is
going to be very, very busy.. thank you for sticking around for the
first two months of this wu trip.. there is much, much more to come.
i love and miss you all. while i'm gone.. please serve your smiles
and follow your bliss with love, integrity, and virtue.. train hard
and be tall. may you all realize your full potential.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
Friday, June 27, 2008
WU LIFE 308
WU LIFE 308
EIGHT EXTREMES
i've been done with bagua for a few weeks now,.. so recently i've been
meticulously dissecting the set, diligently drilling each and every
step so as to embed the spiraling mechanics into the fine fibers of my
muscle memory. i absolutely love bagua.. even still, master yuan
suggested that i should set bagua aside for a moment and pick up
another set to add to my practice and broaden my martial perspective..
so, as previously advised by master Y.C. Chiang back in california, i
have chosen to take up baji quan - eight extremes boxing.
simply stated,.. baji is absolutely disgusting. for the last ten
months or so, i thought bagua was brutal,.. but now that i'm learning
baji, bagua is like playing slap tag. sure, in bagua you're ripping
faces, striking groins, and breaking ribs.. but in baji, every
movement is set with the intention to kill your opponent.. not subdue,
not contain, not overpower,.. but KILL. it is absolutely devastating.
baji was the method of choice for tang dynasty imperial guards, and
it's been said that even the gods tremble in the presence of a baji
master.. baji is disgusting.
the very first movement of this form is a combination shin kick and
groin strike that mechanically puts the opponent in perfect position
for an uppercut elbow blast aimed to the chest that can either shatter
the rib cage and puncture the lungs or bust the solar plexus to break
the sternum and stop the heart. ..ouch. so far, that's all i've
learned.. and in reality.. that's enough.. but there is so much more.
i think, by the time i finish this set, i'll be well equipped to
shatter my inherent ignorance and overcome my selfish ego - either
that, or take people's lunch money.
I'VE BEEN HACKED
i cut my hair. my hair had never been so long, it was down to my
lower back.. probably less than 8 inches away from my butt. it was so
long that i didn't even bother to wash it myself.. it was just way too
burdensome,.. instead i would just go to the shop a few times a week
and get it washed there. the only thing i would do is brush it two or
three times a day and keep it bunned up and neat, but that's all.
well.. after nearly four years of letting it grow wild, i figured it
was time to tame it a bit and get a handle on the split ends and
fly-aways.. so i went to a nice shop, paid my ten kuai ($1.25 US) and
got chopped. bad idea.
while there, i went through painstaking efforts to explain to them
that i only wanted the tips trimmed.. my brother derrek was even there
to translate.. but they still botched my mop. first off, they took
off close to a foot of hair,. beyond that, the little that they did
leave is all fancy and layered. now i feel all prissy. i hate it. i
have really grown to love my hair, and i was so sad to see it go, but
i suppose it will grow back.. and at least it's way easier to manage
now. woe is me.
WELCOME TO HOLLY-'WU'
it hurts my heart.. but wudang is selling out.
i suppose it was only a matter of time, but i think the reality is
that things have been heading in this direction for a while now.. the
signs were evident, i just didn't want to believe it. people are
dressing all fancy, new buildings are going up everywhere, huge
auditoriums are in the works, temples are being refurbished,.. it's
nuts. tons and tons of money is getting pumped into this little
mountain town and things are changing FAST.. it's as if they are
preparing for something really, really big. ..please, say it ain't
so.
see, these days, nearly everyone knows about shaolin.. if you think
about chinese fighting monks, you probably think shaolin with their
shiny bald heads and flowing orange robes.. well, now it's about to be
wudang with their long, white beards and traditional taoist top knots.
some of you may have seen the popular shaolin shows,.. a bunch of
touring 'monks' act out a play telling a story of shaolin's past,
accented by a bunch of jumping, flying 'monks' doing flashy movements
with a bunch of flashy weapons.. well, i happened to catch a wudang
show the other day here in town that was similar - just way more
cheesy. there were all these kung fu folk in fancy silk robes doing
fake tai chi and fancy wushu dance routines.. it was really bad. to
make it worse, all the performers were my martial uncles.. people that
i have personally trained under and learned from. i was devastated.
the next day i trekked the mountain in an attempt to enjoy some of its
natural purity before it all gets a fresh coat of plaster with neon
lighting accents like the rest of the town. i hiked deep into an area
known as monkey valley.. a rich creek bed full of wild monkeys, hence
the name.. but much to my dismay, even that spot was touched up too.
hundreds of trees were ripped out and replaced by stoned flooring for
easy walking. statues of monks in various kung fu postures were
erected all throughout the renovated space (cause real monks don't
practice there anymore). litter and rubbish was scattered everywhere,
as if hansle and grettle were leaving a trail of trash and cigarette
butts to find their way out of the valley. tall, symmetrical stepping
stones and synthetic wooden bridges with jute-woven hand rails allowed
for passage over deeper areas of the green, polluted creek bed.
monkeys, that were once free and wild, were now chained up and
costumed for regular shows.. and the ones that were free, were all
savage and super aggressive - and it's easy to see why with their
natural habitat all decimated,.. i was devastated.
eventually.. in the deepest point of the valley, i came upon some
temple ruins.. likely hundreds of years old. i made my way in, only
to be further distraught by the sight of silly graffiti and more
litter.. it seems nothing is sacred anymore. i was happy, however, to
find a meditation pillow there.. i pulled it up, and sat. so there i
was, in the heart of an old run down temple.. the sun caressing my
crown and the breeze blowing against my brow,.. there, i realized
that even amongst all this change, one thing still remained -
practice. wudang's original purity is gone and the ancient sages have
passed, but their immortal methods remain.. and despite the rapid
change, there is still a small population of humble custodians that
carefully sweep away the fancy plaster and glowing neon so as to
maintain the bitter work of traditional taoist practice. though still
a lowly novice.. i am happy to be among those on the janitorial
staff.. keeping a clean path of practice for future followers. ..care
for some bitter?
ALOHA ALL
even though wudang is selling out.. it's still pretty third world.
last week i wanted to treat my kung fu brother max and his friend cass
to a nice breakfast before seeing them off to the train station.. we
were mulling over where we should eat.. hand pulled noodles, hand cut
noodles, noodle soup, fried noodles, xing jiang noodles.. so many
choices. while weighing our options, cass, a fellow vegan, made the
choice really simple with one statement.. 'can we eat someplace with a
door?'
i just had to share that.
ok, that's all for this week. i love you and miss you all. till next round.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
EIGHT EXTREMES
i've been done with bagua for a few weeks now,.. so recently i've been
meticulously dissecting the set, diligently drilling each and every
step so as to embed the spiraling mechanics into the fine fibers of my
muscle memory. i absolutely love bagua.. even still, master yuan
suggested that i should set bagua aside for a moment and pick up
another set to add to my practice and broaden my martial perspective..
so, as previously advised by master Y.C. Chiang back in california, i
have chosen to take up baji quan - eight extremes boxing.
simply stated,.. baji is absolutely disgusting. for the last ten
months or so, i thought bagua was brutal,.. but now that i'm learning
baji, bagua is like playing slap tag. sure, in bagua you're ripping
faces, striking groins, and breaking ribs.. but in baji, every
movement is set with the intention to kill your opponent.. not subdue,
not contain, not overpower,.. but KILL. it is absolutely devastating.
baji was the method of choice for tang dynasty imperial guards, and
it's been said that even the gods tremble in the presence of a baji
master.. baji is disgusting.
the very first movement of this form is a combination shin kick and
groin strike that mechanically puts the opponent in perfect position
for an uppercut elbow blast aimed to the chest that can either shatter
the rib cage and puncture the lungs or bust the solar plexus to break
the sternum and stop the heart. ..ouch. so far, that's all i've
learned.. and in reality.. that's enough.. but there is so much more.
i think, by the time i finish this set, i'll be well equipped to
shatter my inherent ignorance and overcome my selfish ego - either
that, or take people's lunch money.
I'VE BEEN HACKED
i cut my hair. my hair had never been so long, it was down to my
lower back.. probably less than 8 inches away from my butt. it was so
long that i didn't even bother to wash it myself.. it was just way too
burdensome,.. instead i would just go to the shop a few times a week
and get it washed there. the only thing i would do is brush it two or
three times a day and keep it bunned up and neat, but that's all.
well.. after nearly four years of letting it grow wild, i figured it
was time to tame it a bit and get a handle on the split ends and
fly-aways.. so i went to a nice shop, paid my ten kuai ($1.25 US) and
got chopped. bad idea.
while there, i went through painstaking efforts to explain to them
that i only wanted the tips trimmed.. my brother derrek was even there
to translate.. but they still botched my mop. first off, they took
off close to a foot of hair,. beyond that, the little that they did
leave is all fancy and layered. now i feel all prissy. i hate it. i
have really grown to love my hair, and i was so sad to see it go, but
i suppose it will grow back.. and at least it's way easier to manage
now. woe is me.
WELCOME TO HOLLY-'WU'
it hurts my heart.. but wudang is selling out.
i suppose it was only a matter of time, but i think the reality is
that things have been heading in this direction for a while now.. the
signs were evident, i just didn't want to believe it. people are
dressing all fancy, new buildings are going up everywhere, huge
auditoriums are in the works, temples are being refurbished,.. it's
nuts. tons and tons of money is getting pumped into this little
mountain town and things are changing FAST.. it's as if they are
preparing for something really, really big. ..please, say it ain't
so.
see, these days, nearly everyone knows about shaolin.. if you think
about chinese fighting monks, you probably think shaolin with their
shiny bald heads and flowing orange robes.. well, now it's about to be
wudang with their long, white beards and traditional taoist top knots.
some of you may have seen the popular shaolin shows,.. a bunch of
touring 'monks' act out a play telling a story of shaolin's past,
accented by a bunch of jumping, flying 'monks' doing flashy movements
with a bunch of flashy weapons.. well, i happened to catch a wudang
show the other day here in town that was similar - just way more
cheesy. there were all these kung fu folk in fancy silk robes doing
fake tai chi and fancy wushu dance routines.. it was really bad. to
make it worse, all the performers were my martial uncles.. people that
i have personally trained under and learned from. i was devastated.
the next day i trekked the mountain in an attempt to enjoy some of its
natural purity before it all gets a fresh coat of plaster with neon
lighting accents like the rest of the town. i hiked deep into an area
known as monkey valley.. a rich creek bed full of wild monkeys, hence
the name.. but much to my dismay, even that spot was touched up too.
hundreds of trees were ripped out and replaced by stoned flooring for
easy walking. statues of monks in various kung fu postures were
erected all throughout the renovated space (cause real monks don't
practice there anymore). litter and rubbish was scattered everywhere,
as if hansle and grettle were leaving a trail of trash and cigarette
butts to find their way out of the valley. tall, symmetrical stepping
stones and synthetic wooden bridges with jute-woven hand rails allowed
for passage over deeper areas of the green, polluted creek bed.
monkeys, that were once free and wild, were now chained up and
costumed for regular shows.. and the ones that were free, were all
savage and super aggressive - and it's easy to see why with their
natural habitat all decimated,.. i was devastated.
eventually.. in the deepest point of the valley, i came upon some
temple ruins.. likely hundreds of years old. i made my way in, only
to be further distraught by the sight of silly graffiti and more
litter.. it seems nothing is sacred anymore. i was happy, however, to
find a meditation pillow there.. i pulled it up, and sat. so there i
was, in the heart of an old run down temple.. the sun caressing my
crown and the breeze blowing against my brow,.. there, i realized
that even amongst all this change, one thing still remained -
practice. wudang's original purity is gone and the ancient sages have
passed, but their immortal methods remain.. and despite the rapid
change, there is still a small population of humble custodians that
carefully sweep away the fancy plaster and glowing neon so as to
maintain the bitter work of traditional taoist practice. though still
a lowly novice.. i am happy to be among those on the janitorial
staff.. keeping a clean path of practice for future followers. ..care
for some bitter?
ALOHA ALL
even though wudang is selling out.. it's still pretty third world.
last week i wanted to treat my kung fu brother max and his friend cass
to a nice breakfast before seeing them off to the train station.. we
were mulling over where we should eat.. hand pulled noodles, hand cut
noodles, noodle soup, fried noodles, xing jiang noodles.. so many
choices. while weighing our options, cass, a fellow vegan, made the
choice really simple with one statement.. 'can we eat someplace with a
door?'
i just had to share that.
ok, that's all for this week. i love you and miss you all. till next round.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
WU LIFE 307
WU LIFE 307
THE JOURNEY WEST
i can still remember rushing home after primary school with my best friend mark to watch my favorite series on chinese television, 'the journey west,' starring the ever popular 'sun wu kong,' or, 'the monkey king.' mark, the smart and clever one, would always be the monkey king.. and i, the chubby, clumsy one, would always be 'zhu ba jie,' the pig. we had such fun. later, in college, when i was interested in rediscovering my cultural roots, 'the journey west' was the very first book i picked up. i read it front to back countless times, highlighting every fight scene and clever jewel of wisdom. my favorite part of the book, however, would be at the end of each chapter, where it would have a kind of batman ending.. 'and if you don't know what happens to our heros next, then you should read on to the next chapter..'
now, so that we can all on the same page, 'the journey west' is the story of a peaceful monk, a hungry pig, a hairy monster, and of course, the monkey king. the tale depicts their mission to retrieve buddhist scriptures from india so that they can return them to china for the people to study and practice. along their journey, they faced 81 obstacles, but they eventually made it to their destination. much to their dismay, once they arrived, the text they intended to retrieve was blank.. and when they went to get another copy, the sacred sutra was accidentally dropped into a river, which consequently washed the ink clean off the paper. wa waaaaa.
so that's the gist of the story.. my apologies if i ruined the ending for any of you. i'm bringing this up because a few weeks ago i had the pleasure of sharing dinner with master yuan and my kung fu brother derek.. and along the course of this dinner, shifu shared some really cool insight into the classic story.. please allow me to paraphrase..
'the story of the monkey king and the journey west is a metaphor for the transformational path of a spiritual seeker. in taoism, there is a principle of three treasures,.. and within man, those three treasures are jing, qi, and shen (vitality, energy, spirit). jing, which is the raw, foundational force of internal cultivation is represented by the monster.. a strong, but unrefined character. on the other end of the spectrum is shen, or spirit/mind.. this is represented by the monkey king. the monkey king, or spirit/mind, is incredibly strong, mischievous, and very hard to control,.. but once tamed, he proves to be a powerful ally. in between is the pig, or qi. in practice, the qi simply follows the strongest force or intention.. and this is illustrated in the story when the pig constantly runs back and forth for the comradery of either the monster or the monkey depending on their situation. these three characters, or treasures, all serve the monk.. and the monk represents the body. this dynamic illustrates the interdependent relationship of the body and its treasures.. true, the three characters serve the monk,. but the monk, or body, would be helpless without the security and strength of his three protectors, or treasures.
'the next part of the story is the journey itself.. just as the sun travels from east to west along the course of the day, a journey west is symbolic of growth, change, and evolution.. moreover, to have 81 obstacles is just simple numerology.. 9, the highest single digit, is multiplied by itself, resulting in 81.. this represents the countless hardships a seeker must face along the road to realization. when our heros finally get the sacred text and find it to be blank.. this represents the success of their journey and the realization of ultimate consciousness - for once one has reached that state, the experience is beyond words. then, when they go back for another set of scriptures only to have them ruined in the water, this is just a clever way to illustrate that the spiritual path must be tread, not read.. for true realization is in the journey.' ..word.
KUNG FU COCOON
as a dedicated martial artist, i have witnessed so many breath taking transformations.. not only my own, but i have been blessed to witness the growth and evolution of so many others that have committed their time to developing the entirety of their beings - mind, body, and soul. thing is.. though we have all evolved and transformed, we all started relatively young and healthy.. we all had good bodies and strong constitution, and none of us really had any life threatening, terminal illness, or anything like that.. so of course a little exercise will benefit our health.. so how can we really say that it was the kung fu that helped us? well.. since i started this journey, i've had the opportunity to meet some really remarkable people that have some really amazing stories of personal growth and transformation.
now, of course you have the people that want to train for little stuff like,.. 'i wanna stand up to that bully,' or 'i wanna lose weight,' or 'i wanna develop strength and coordination,' ..and, for some, these are legitimate goals.. with just a little time and effort, these goals can be easily accomplished through martial training,.. then when realized, often times such a person can gain much more than just the surface level satisfaction of a few battle scars and a stronger, fitter physique.. they also build confidence, they are empowered, they feel better able to tackle bigger projects, and so on,.. so what starts off as a little goal can actually turn into something much greater. but, again.. there really isn't anything too remarkable about a little weight loss and more self confidence.. the transformative powers of martial training are much, much stronger.
about five or six years ago, i met my first remarkable being, we'll call him rod. rod was a younger gentleman, around the same age as me, but he was once diagnosed with OCD and had severe social disfunction. granted, i never knew him when he was in the thick of his condition,.. in fact, he was one of my kung fu instructors, so as far as i could tell, he was just a regular dude with good kung fu.. but when i got a job at a special education school, i came to find out that rod was a student there once. in utter disbelief, i checked out the yearbooks, and sure enough, there he was. i began to hear stories of his old behaviors from long term teachers, and then i would hear more and more stories from older students at my kung fu school. i couldn't believe it. but, with all the crazy stories, came all the amazing accounts of how meditation and kung fu turned his life around. even to this day, my eyes well up when i think of my dear friend rod,.. he played such an important role in my personal transformation.. but he was just the first of my many miracle meetings.
two years ago, here in wudang, i had a chance to meet a weird french dude, we'll call him le' peu. he was kind of funky and dirty, but his kung fu was really good. i came to find out that he lived in the mountains with a hermit monk and he would just do chores and cook for the monk to earn his keep.. pretty cool. well, it turns out that le' peu once had a severe case of epilepsy, and he would go into these violent seizures quite frequently. now, again with my special education experience, i've had a chance to see a few kids have epileptic seizures, and it is a scary thing - but these kids were all treated with chemical medications that only sedated them and made them all groggy and drowsy,.. and beyond that, those drugs probably had all kinds of negative effects on their young and developing bodies.. thing is, the medication didn't CURE the symptoms, it only kept them in check. right? well.. the funky french dude CURED himself of epilepsy. meditation, kung fu, diet, and fasting - the regiment i live by - proved to be just the remedy he needed. now, no more seizures.. he is completely cured.
more recently, i met another gentleman, also from somewhere in europe, we'll call him check. check also had severe epilepsy. now, check is a little more comfortable in the financial field, so he was better able to try all the newest treatments, but nothing worked. then, by some random chance, he met a crazy, radical doctor from canada with a revoked license and an illegal, underground practice that suggested he try a new regiment.. meditation, kung fu, diet, and fasting. eager to try anything, check gave the treatment a shot, and after three months on an extreme program, he found himself cured of his condition! that was 20 years ago,.. now check is well into his fifties, jumping, kicking, and punching harder than any of us young bucks here at the academy. truly unbelievable!
the most amazing case, however, has to be of my martial brother, we'll call him lee. lee had practiced martial arts his entire life and had developed remarkable skill under the instruction of legendary modern masters. then, one day while crossing the street in japan, he was struck by a speeding car. the accident left him paralyzed from the chest down with a broken back and a shattered right leg. in just a single instant, his body was totaled. i can only imagine the trauma he had to go through,.. but again, with kung fu and meditation, over time, lee made a complete miracle recovery. the doctors said he'd never walk again.. let alone train.. but now, five years later, you would have no idea that he went through such an accident.. he has full function of his once shattered right leg, and aside from a little stiffness, he can bend and twist his back in every which way. amazing!
you know, you always read about these miracle stories of growth and transformation, but to meet these people, and train with them in person is really something else.. but the fact is, everyone i know that practices has had some sort of transformation. just the dedication and commitment it takes to take on such a difficult practice like kung fu is transforming in itself. even if you don't dig kung fu.. say you prefer yoga, pillates, dance,.. whatever.. personal transformation is within your grasp. dive into the kung fu cocoon and realize your full potential as a living, growing being.. and through your own growth and evolution, may you inspire others to do the same.
may all beings realize their full potential.
ALOHA ALL
whooo.. this week was tough. i was hit with a nasty case of the runny buns mid week and had to miss about four days of class. but.. despite my slush butt, i was able to get a lot of writing done. i also gave a lot of massage this week too. i touched five fellow students, two coaches, and the cook,.. then on top of that, i taught seven brothers the basics of tui na massage therapy. busy body. what else.. oh, i also got a cell phone this week! i feel so tech now that i can send text messages and receive calls. if any of you feel like sending me a text message or making a long-long distance phone call.. hit me up. (86) 1-587-273-1717.. i think skype (skype.com) would be the best way to make that happen, just keep the 16 hour time difference in mind.
well.. that concludes this edition of wu life.. 'and if you want to know what happens to our hero next, then you should stay tuned for the next chapter..'
i love and miss you all.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
THE JOURNEY WEST
i can still remember rushing home after primary school with my best friend mark to watch my favorite series on chinese television, 'the journey west,' starring the ever popular 'sun wu kong,' or, 'the monkey king.' mark, the smart and clever one, would always be the monkey king.. and i, the chubby, clumsy one, would always be 'zhu ba jie,' the pig. we had such fun. later, in college, when i was interested in rediscovering my cultural roots, 'the journey west' was the very first book i picked up. i read it front to back countless times, highlighting every fight scene and clever jewel of wisdom. my favorite part of the book, however, would be at the end of each chapter, where it would have a kind of batman ending.. 'and if you don't know what happens to our heros next, then you should read on to the next chapter..'
now, so that we can all on the same page, 'the journey west' is the story of a peaceful monk, a hungry pig, a hairy monster, and of course, the monkey king. the tale depicts their mission to retrieve buddhist scriptures from india so that they can return them to china for the people to study and practice. along their journey, they faced 81 obstacles, but they eventually made it to their destination. much to their dismay, once they arrived, the text they intended to retrieve was blank.. and when they went to get another copy, the sacred sutra was accidentally dropped into a river, which consequently washed the ink clean off the paper. wa waaaaa.
so that's the gist of the story.. my apologies if i ruined the ending for any of you. i'm bringing this up because a few weeks ago i had the pleasure of sharing dinner with master yuan and my kung fu brother derek.. and along the course of this dinner, shifu shared some really cool insight into the classic story.. please allow me to paraphrase..
'the story of the monkey king and the journey west is a metaphor for the transformational path of a spiritual seeker. in taoism, there is a principle of three treasures,.. and within man, those three treasures are jing, qi, and shen (vitality, energy, spirit). jing, which is the raw, foundational force of internal cultivation is represented by the monster.. a strong, but unrefined character. on the other end of the spectrum is shen, or spirit/mind.. this is represented by the monkey king. the monkey king, or spirit/mind, is incredibly strong, mischievous, and very hard to control,.. but once tamed, he proves to be a powerful ally. in between is the pig, or qi. in practice, the qi simply follows the strongest force or intention.. and this is illustrated in the story when the pig constantly runs back and forth for the comradery of either the monster or the monkey depending on their situation. these three characters, or treasures, all serve the monk.. and the monk represents the body. this dynamic illustrates the interdependent relationship of the body and its treasures.. true, the three characters serve the monk,. but the monk, or body, would be helpless without the security and strength of his three protectors, or treasures.
'the next part of the story is the journey itself.. just as the sun travels from east to west along the course of the day, a journey west is symbolic of growth, change, and evolution.. moreover, to have 81 obstacles is just simple numerology.. 9, the highest single digit, is multiplied by itself, resulting in 81.. this represents the countless hardships a seeker must face along the road to realization. when our heros finally get the sacred text and find it to be blank.. this represents the success of their journey and the realization of ultimate consciousness - for once one has reached that state, the experience is beyond words. then, when they go back for another set of scriptures only to have them ruined in the water, this is just a clever way to illustrate that the spiritual path must be tread, not read.. for true realization is in the journey.' ..word.
KUNG FU COCOON
as a dedicated martial artist, i have witnessed so many breath taking transformations.. not only my own, but i have been blessed to witness the growth and evolution of so many others that have committed their time to developing the entirety of their beings - mind, body, and soul. thing is.. though we have all evolved and transformed, we all started relatively young and healthy.. we all had good bodies and strong constitution, and none of us really had any life threatening, terminal illness, or anything like that.. so of course a little exercise will benefit our health.. so how can we really say that it was the kung fu that helped us? well.. since i started this journey, i've had the opportunity to meet some really remarkable people that have some really amazing stories of personal growth and transformation.
now, of course you have the people that want to train for little stuff like,.. 'i wanna stand up to that bully,' or 'i wanna lose weight,' or 'i wanna develop strength and coordination,' ..and, for some, these are legitimate goals.. with just a little time and effort, these goals can be easily accomplished through martial training,.. then when realized, often times such a person can gain much more than just the surface level satisfaction of a few battle scars and a stronger, fitter physique.. they also build confidence, they are empowered, they feel better able to tackle bigger projects, and so on,.. so what starts off as a little goal can actually turn into something much greater. but, again.. there really isn't anything too remarkable about a little weight loss and more self confidence.. the transformative powers of martial training are much, much stronger.
about five or six years ago, i met my first remarkable being, we'll call him rod. rod was a younger gentleman, around the same age as me, but he was once diagnosed with OCD and had severe social disfunction. granted, i never knew him when he was in the thick of his condition,.. in fact, he was one of my kung fu instructors, so as far as i could tell, he was just a regular dude with good kung fu.. but when i got a job at a special education school, i came to find out that rod was a student there once. in utter disbelief, i checked out the yearbooks, and sure enough, there he was. i began to hear stories of his old behaviors from long term teachers, and then i would hear more and more stories from older students at my kung fu school. i couldn't believe it. but, with all the crazy stories, came all the amazing accounts of how meditation and kung fu turned his life around. even to this day, my eyes well up when i think of my dear friend rod,.. he played such an important role in my personal transformation.. but he was just the first of my many miracle meetings.
two years ago, here in wudang, i had a chance to meet a weird french dude, we'll call him le' peu. he was kind of funky and dirty, but his kung fu was really good. i came to find out that he lived in the mountains with a hermit monk and he would just do chores and cook for the monk to earn his keep.. pretty cool. well, it turns out that le' peu once had a severe case of epilepsy, and he would go into these violent seizures quite frequently. now, again with my special education experience, i've had a chance to see a few kids have epileptic seizures, and it is a scary thing - but these kids were all treated with chemical medications that only sedated them and made them all groggy and drowsy,.. and beyond that, those drugs probably had all kinds of negative effects on their young and developing bodies.. thing is, the medication didn't CURE the symptoms, it only kept them in check. right? well.. the funky french dude CURED himself of epilepsy. meditation, kung fu, diet, and fasting - the regiment i live by - proved to be just the remedy he needed. now, no more seizures.. he is completely cured.
more recently, i met another gentleman, also from somewhere in europe, we'll call him check. check also had severe epilepsy. now, check is a little more comfortable in the financial field, so he was better able to try all the newest treatments, but nothing worked. then, by some random chance, he met a crazy, radical doctor from canada with a revoked license and an illegal, underground practice that suggested he try a new regiment.. meditation, kung fu, diet, and fasting. eager to try anything, check gave the treatment a shot, and after three months on an extreme program, he found himself cured of his condition! that was 20 years ago,.. now check is well into his fifties, jumping, kicking, and punching harder than any of us young bucks here at the academy. truly unbelievable!
the most amazing case, however, has to be of my martial brother, we'll call him lee. lee had practiced martial arts his entire life and had developed remarkable skill under the instruction of legendary modern masters. then, one day while crossing the street in japan, he was struck by a speeding car. the accident left him paralyzed from the chest down with a broken back and a shattered right leg. in just a single instant, his body was totaled. i can only imagine the trauma he had to go through,.. but again, with kung fu and meditation, over time, lee made a complete miracle recovery. the doctors said he'd never walk again.. let alone train.. but now, five years later, you would have no idea that he went through such an accident.. he has full function of his once shattered right leg, and aside from a little stiffness, he can bend and twist his back in every which way. amazing!
you know, you always read about these miracle stories of growth and transformation, but to meet these people, and train with them in person is really something else.. but the fact is, everyone i know that practices has had some sort of transformation. just the dedication and commitment it takes to take on such a difficult practice like kung fu is transforming in itself. even if you don't dig kung fu.. say you prefer yoga, pillates, dance,.. whatever.. personal transformation is within your grasp. dive into the kung fu cocoon and realize your full potential as a living, growing being.. and through your own growth and evolution, may you inspire others to do the same.
may all beings realize their full potential.
ALOHA ALL
whooo.. this week was tough. i was hit with a nasty case of the runny buns mid week and had to miss about four days of class. but.. despite my slush butt, i was able to get a lot of writing done. i also gave a lot of massage this week too. i touched five fellow students, two coaches, and the cook,.. then on top of that, i taught seven brothers the basics of tui na massage therapy. busy body. what else.. oh, i also got a cell phone this week! i feel so tech now that i can send text messages and receive calls. if any of you feel like sending me a text message or making a long-long distance phone call.. hit me up. (86) 1-587-273-1717.. i think skype (skype.com) would be the best way to make that happen, just keep the 16 hour time difference in mind.
well.. that concludes this edition of wu life.. 'and if you want to know what happens to our hero next, then you should stay tuned for the next chapter..'
i love and miss you all.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
WU LIFE 306
WU LIFE 306
PLEASE EXCUSE MY BAD KUNG FU
i finally finished learning bagua! it took me 10 whole months, but i finally finished the set!
our school's bagua system has eight palm changes. if you saw the video i sent out, i only recorded six of the eight. for those that have no idea what i'm talking about, i'll try and explain it using the video as a reference.. ok.. you probably noticed that i was just walking around in a circle while doing some kung fu stuff here and there,.. well.. that's bagua - or at least my sorry rendition of it. now, each time i would do those kung fu moves, i would continue to walk the circle, just in the other direction.. those transitional movements between circle steps are called 'palm changes.' again.. our system only has eight palm changes, but some systems can have as many as sixty-four.. because you really need sixty-four different ways to rip out someone's throat and elbow their floating ribs while walking in circles around their broken body. it's that serious.
now, in regards to the video.. at first glance, my form may LOOK ok.. especially if you consider the fact that i am a HUGE dude doing all these bending, flexing, coiling motions that were meant for small chinese folk.. but upon critical observation, it is plain to see that i still need much more practice. my head moves too much, my butt sticks out, my circle walking is bad, i lack fluidity, my mechanics are rigid, and i have no real power.. beyond that, i lack stamina, root, and internal harmony.. this all translates to bad kung fu, which means i have lots more work to do. the good thing is, now that i am done learning the set.. i can focus on tailoring the system to my body and really practice it good. like my old master bruce chu said.. 'learning bagua lets you see just how bad your kung fu really is,' ..and now i know just how much my kung fu sucks.
THE FOUR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO HEALTH AND HUMANITY
you've probably noticed that i've been writing a lot about health and spirituality lately, and that's because those are the topics that are most present for me these days. well.. my kung fu brother jesse took a moment, and a chalk board, to outline some really nifty principles to me the other night that fit this topic nicely, and i am anxious to share them.. so, the conversation continues.
please allow me to paraphrase..
there are four factors that influence human health: heaven, earth, form, and substance.
heaven, the first factor, can be looked at several ways. on the physical level, we can consider things that are far beyond us.. solar flares, lunar pulls, weather cycles, the earth's magnetic field.. these are all heavenly influences that are tangible and easy to grasp.. but we also have cosmic influences as well.. such as destiny, astrology, karma, and things of that nature. each of these things can have a subtle impact on a person's health and well being.
earth, the second factor, is a bit more stable and grounded.. on a physical level, this reflects one's environment and living conditions. beyond that, it also reflects a persons diet. how is your living situation? what is your neighborhood like? how about your work space? what is your diet like? outside of the physical, you also have the social-emotional influences as well.. this includes friends, family, associates, lovers, benefactors, and so forth. these are all earthy factors that can impact a persons health and well being.
next up is form.. or xing. perhaps the easiest way to classify this area would be a persons body, but not just the body, the body's mechanics, constitution, demeanor, skeletal and muscular structure, internal organs,.. etc.. another thing to consider is that form is never fixed.. it can be built up or it can break down. so, a person's body and their ability to function within that body over time fill the form, or xing, category - and all these factors can effect one's health as well.
finally, we have substance.. or qi (chi). this is perhaps the most dynamic and hard to define category because the word qi can encompass so many things. you have your qi as breath, qi as life force, your protective qi, your post-heaven qi, your pre-heaven qi, your pre-pre-heaven qi, your organ and meridian qi,.. ..you have excess qi, deficient qi, stagnant qi.. ..qi, qi, qi,.. there's so much qi. beyond that, qi can be influenced by so many things like food, emotions, climate, atmosphere,.. and all of these qi's can have an impact on your health and well being. got it?
so there.. those are the four contributing factors to health.. heaven, earth, form, and substance. the cool thing about this formula is that all these factors are inter-related, and each factor effects the whole. for example, i may work with form through giving a massage, but through touch, i am also influencing substance, or qi. another example.. say you want to work your earth by adjusting your diet, but you also in turn effect your form with better digestion and assimilation, which then effects your qi, which then better allows you to capitalize on your heavenly nature and live a longer, fuller life. maybe?
now for the disclaimer. with humility and respect, i admit that i'm no doctor, nor have i studied much medicine.. so in the matter of health, i'm sure my examples fall far short of the mark,.. and i bet some of my TCM buddies are shaking their fingers at me.. but my point in sharing all this is to hopefully trigger some interest in the topic and get some of you to go out and look further into this stuff for your own health and wellness.. so go get some qi and realize your divine nature!
ok,.. so that's the health part.. but i also wanted to include theory and spirituality in this little segment as well.. now, like all other taoist formulas, each principal is universal and can be applied to anything.. right? so we just analyzed the relationship of the four factors in regards to health.. but we could also apply this same formula to my wu life blog. let's try..
for heaven, we have the tao, which led me along this path of practice and cultivation. for earth, there is the actual temple academy where i live and train, along with the relationships that i have developed with my master, martial family, and loved ones that support my journey. for form, we have the methods and movements that i am learning and practicing, and the way that my body is transforming as a result of the training. then for substance.. we have the material that i have to write and share with all of you, my loved ones - and the effect it has on you as you read it. these are all factors that effect the success of my wu life journals. right? see.. isn't taoism cool?
so just as we have applied this principle to health and my blog.. we can also use it to look at school, work, relationships, money, goals, business, meal planning, practice, which candidate to vote for.. anything. principles are universal! now try applying the deceleration of independence to your health.. i doubt you'd have the same results. see.. isn't taoism cool?
TOUCH TIME
so, word got out that i do massage. first to get a session was master yuan. that session was shortly followed by one of our older students here who has a lower back project he's been working on. while giving that session, the cook happened to walk by and take notice, and she kind of joked about getting one too; but then the next day, she struck a deal with me for weekly sessions in exchange for weekly veggie dumplings. then, during the next class, the older student went on and on about how much better his back feels, so he arranged for weekly sessions too. then, another student, overhearing the conversation, wanted a session for his shoulder pain. after touching him, he wanted to learn the techniques for himself, so he got his roommate to learn with him. then for their first class, three more brothers jumped in the mix too,.. and then part way through the session, another two brothers showed interest also. it's spreading like wild fire.
all this massage translates to very little free time for me.. but, it's not all bad. the older brother pays me very well for my time.. still less than $10 US, but in chinese RMB, it's quite a bit. the other brothers and massage 'students' are kind enough to give me huge fruit baskets and chocolate for my services, which is really nice as well. then of course, there's the cook, that takes the time to make me vegetable dumplings once a week in exchange for her sessions.. and that is awesome. so, even though it digs into my free time here, everyone takes good care of me.. and beyond that, there is also a sweet satisfaction in knowing that i can share a bit of relief from my family's chronic aches and pain. ahhh.. to be of service.
ALOHA ALL
man. i'm so busy these days.. and it's supposed to be the holiday break. between training, writing, massaging, room duties, meetings, communications, and being my master's secretary,.. i'm really pressed for time.. but, confucius says.. 'do what you love, and never work a day in your life,' ..and as busy as i am.. this stuff certainly isn't work. i'm blessed.
oh, if you guys get a chance, maybe you can check out kungfumagazine.com
i wrote an article about the chinese new year and how it's different here in china. it is my first e-zine article, but some flaws have already been brought to my attention.. one, is that celebrations in northern china and southern china aren't the same,.. which i failed to mention. and beyond that.. i was also reprimanded for having a sort of condescending tone towards the people of the middle kingdom.. but in all, i hope that you folks can find the humor in the article and enjoy it as a good read. check it out.
ok,.. so, that's it for this week. there's some really big stuff on the horizon for me, and i'm eager to share the good word.. but i'll save the goodness for next week. until then, take care and be well. i love, and miss you all.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
PLEASE EXCUSE MY BAD KUNG FU
i finally finished learning bagua! it took me 10 whole months, but i finally finished the set!
our school's bagua system has eight palm changes. if you saw the video i sent out, i only recorded six of the eight. for those that have no idea what i'm talking about, i'll try and explain it using the video as a reference.. ok.. you probably noticed that i was just walking around in a circle while doing some kung fu stuff here and there,.. well.. that's bagua - or at least my sorry rendition of it. now, each time i would do those kung fu moves, i would continue to walk the circle, just in the other direction.. those transitional movements between circle steps are called 'palm changes.' again.. our system only has eight palm changes, but some systems can have as many as sixty-four.. because you really need sixty-four different ways to rip out someone's throat and elbow their floating ribs while walking in circles around their broken body. it's that serious.
now, in regards to the video.. at first glance, my form may LOOK ok.. especially if you consider the fact that i am a HUGE dude doing all these bending, flexing, coiling motions that were meant for small chinese folk.. but upon critical observation, it is plain to see that i still need much more practice. my head moves too much, my butt sticks out, my circle walking is bad, i lack fluidity, my mechanics are rigid, and i have no real power.. beyond that, i lack stamina, root, and internal harmony.. this all translates to bad kung fu, which means i have lots more work to do. the good thing is, now that i am done learning the set.. i can focus on tailoring the system to my body and really practice it good. like my old master bruce chu said.. 'learning bagua lets you see just how bad your kung fu really is,' ..and now i know just how much my kung fu sucks.
THE FOUR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO HEALTH AND HUMANITY
you've probably noticed that i've been writing a lot about health and spirituality lately, and that's because those are the topics that are most present for me these days. well.. my kung fu brother jesse took a moment, and a chalk board, to outline some really nifty principles to me the other night that fit this topic nicely, and i am anxious to share them.. so, the conversation continues.
please allow me to paraphrase..
there are four factors that influence human health: heaven, earth, form, and substance.
heaven, the first factor, can be looked at several ways. on the physical level, we can consider things that are far beyond us.. solar flares, lunar pulls, weather cycles, the earth's magnetic field.. these are all heavenly influences that are tangible and easy to grasp.. but we also have cosmic influences as well.. such as destiny, astrology, karma, and things of that nature. each of these things can have a subtle impact on a person's health and well being.
earth, the second factor, is a bit more stable and grounded.. on a physical level, this reflects one's environment and living conditions. beyond that, it also reflects a persons diet. how is your living situation? what is your neighborhood like? how about your work space? what is your diet like? outside of the physical, you also have the social-emotional influences as well.. this includes friends, family, associates, lovers, benefactors, and so forth. these are all earthy factors that can impact a persons health and well being.
next up is form.. or xing. perhaps the easiest way to classify this area would be a persons body, but not just the body, the body's mechanics, constitution, demeanor, skeletal and muscular structure, internal organs,.. etc.. another thing to consider is that form is never fixed.. it can be built up or it can break down. so, a person's body and their ability to function within that body over time fill the form, or xing, category - and all these factors can effect one's health as well.
finally, we have substance.. or qi (chi). this is perhaps the most dynamic and hard to define category because the word qi can encompass so many things. you have your qi as breath, qi as life force, your protective qi, your post-heaven qi, your pre-heaven qi, your pre-pre-heaven qi, your organ and meridian qi,.. ..you have excess qi, deficient qi, stagnant qi.. ..qi, qi, qi,.. there's so much qi. beyond that, qi can be influenced by so many things like food, emotions, climate, atmosphere,.. and all of these qi's can have an impact on your health and well being. got it?
so there.. those are the four contributing factors to health.. heaven, earth, form, and substance. the cool thing about this formula is that all these factors are inter-related, and each factor effects the whole. for example, i may work with form through giving a massage, but through touch, i am also influencing substance, or qi. another example.. say you want to work your earth by adjusting your diet, but you also in turn effect your form with better digestion and assimilation, which then effects your qi, which then better allows you to capitalize on your heavenly nature and live a longer, fuller life. maybe?
now for the disclaimer. with humility and respect, i admit that i'm no doctor, nor have i studied much medicine.. so in the matter of health, i'm sure my examples fall far short of the mark,.. and i bet some of my TCM buddies are shaking their fingers at me.. but my point in sharing all this is to hopefully trigger some interest in the topic and get some of you to go out and look further into this stuff for your own health and wellness.. so go get some qi and realize your divine nature!
ok,.. so that's the health part.. but i also wanted to include theory and spirituality in this little segment as well.. now, like all other taoist formulas, each principal is universal and can be applied to anything.. right? so we just analyzed the relationship of the four factors in regards to health.. but we could also apply this same formula to my wu life blog. let's try..
for heaven, we have the tao, which led me along this path of practice and cultivation. for earth, there is the actual temple academy where i live and train, along with the relationships that i have developed with my master, martial family, and loved ones that support my journey. for form, we have the methods and movements that i am learning and practicing, and the way that my body is transforming as a result of the training. then for substance.. we have the material that i have to write and share with all of you, my loved ones - and the effect it has on you as you read it. these are all factors that effect the success of my wu life journals. right? see.. isn't taoism cool?
so just as we have applied this principle to health and my blog.. we can also use it to look at school, work, relationships, money, goals, business, meal planning, practice, which candidate to vote for.. anything. principles are universal! now try applying the deceleration of independence to your health.. i doubt you'd have the same results. see.. isn't taoism cool?
TOUCH TIME
so, word got out that i do massage. first to get a session was master yuan. that session was shortly followed by one of our older students here who has a lower back project he's been working on. while giving that session, the cook happened to walk by and take notice, and she kind of joked about getting one too; but then the next day, she struck a deal with me for weekly sessions in exchange for weekly veggie dumplings. then, during the next class, the older student went on and on about how much better his back feels, so he arranged for weekly sessions too. then, another student, overhearing the conversation, wanted a session for his shoulder pain. after touching him, he wanted to learn the techniques for himself, so he got his roommate to learn with him. then for their first class, three more brothers jumped in the mix too,.. and then part way through the session, another two brothers showed interest also. it's spreading like wild fire.
all this massage translates to very little free time for me.. but, it's not all bad. the older brother pays me very well for my time.. still less than $10 US, but in chinese RMB, it's quite a bit. the other brothers and massage 'students' are kind enough to give me huge fruit baskets and chocolate for my services, which is really nice as well. then of course, there's the cook, that takes the time to make me vegetable dumplings once a week in exchange for her sessions.. and that is awesome. so, even though it digs into my free time here, everyone takes good care of me.. and beyond that, there is also a sweet satisfaction in knowing that i can share a bit of relief from my family's chronic aches and pain. ahhh.. to be of service.
ALOHA ALL
man. i'm so busy these days.. and it's supposed to be the holiday break. between training, writing, massaging, room duties, meetings, communications, and being my master's secretary,.. i'm really pressed for time.. but, confucius says.. 'do what you love, and never work a day in your life,' ..and as busy as i am.. this stuff certainly isn't work. i'm blessed.
oh, if you guys get a chance, maybe you can check out kungfumagazine.com
i wrote an article about the chinese new year and how it's different here in china. it is my first e-zine article, but some flaws have already been brought to my attention.. one, is that celebrations in northern china and southern china aren't the same,.. which i failed to mention. and beyond that.. i was also reprimanded for having a sort of condescending tone towards the people of the middle kingdom.. but in all, i hope that you folks can find the humor in the article and enjoy it as a good read. check it out.
ok,.. so, that's it for this week. there's some really big stuff on the horizon for me, and i'm eager to share the good word.. but i'll save the goodness for next week. until then, take care and be well. i love, and miss you all.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
WU LIFE 305
WU LIFE 305
GONG XI FA CAI, HONG BAO NA LAI
last thursday marked the start of the chinese lunar new year.. the year of the rat. it was nuts.
around the eve, the local tailor was kind enough to invite a few of the brothers and i over for a traditional family dinner at her house. her home was sweet and modest, but the food was way over the top; granted it was mostly meat, but she was nice enough to prepare a few veggie dishes on the side just for me. along with all the crazy food, they also had jugs upon jugs of their very own yellow wine home brew.. and it didn't take long before we got into a macho-man 'gan bei' drink-off showdown with the tailor's husband. everything was cool until one of my brothers got super drunk and emotional.. which was no fun at all. we got him home ok, but once home, he exploded into this demonic rage.. he went nuts.. punching, hissing, biting.. full on exorcist style. all of my crisis intervention training from teaching crazy kids back in california certainly came in handy there. it took three of us just to pin the brother down and keep his aggression in check.. it was insane. after two hours of raging out, finally he calmed down and went to sleep. crazy.
the next day was our special school feast. needless to say the agro brother from the night before didn't make it to the meal.. probably from being too hung over, or from being too embarrassed (but most likely a healthy dose of both),.. either way, it was a shame because the feast was massive. tons of goodies and sweets, tons of veggie dumplings, and a sea of smiles. i love my martial family.
the night of the new year was especially crazy.. i ended up sharing the evening with an older brother here by the name of jesse. we spent hours talking about our lives, our passions, and our experiences - which surprisingly mirrored quite well.. good times. around the midnight hour, jesse dropped a ridiculous amount of money on the craziest fireworks available and we had a HUGE explosion party right in the middle of the street. all the local kids gathered around to see the two lao wai pop off the biggest firecrackers in town.. we went at it for well over an hour, with jesse going back to the shop to reload on ammo at least five or six times. the next morning i reeked of gun smoke, my ears were ringing, and i had a nose full of black boogars. good times.
TAI YANG LAI LE
i felt like such a hippy dancing in the street with my arms flapping and my head rocking,.. but when the sun finally came out, i could hardly contain myself. after bearing a month of the coldest weather i had ever experienced, the warm touch of the sun was gladly welcomed. it was so nice. for starters, our water pipes finally thawed out providing us with the luxury of flushing down poops again,.. plus, i no longer had to wear so many layers of clothes to class.. very nice.
practice time certainly picked up too. our training coach, tien, an angry, gangster, pock-faced teenager that has absolutely no passion for teaching, saw the warmer weather as an opportunity to go outside and really drill the lao wai students. to start, we run about a mile while doing all these random foot work stepping drills. from there, he would lead us in kicks,.. doing upwards of a thousand rapid fire kicks on each leg. after that, we would do a numbing amount of conditioning, followed by a long series of stepping line drills for coordination. on average, the first two hours or so of each morning class was spent in that fashion, then we would break up and work on our individual forms. in all, despite our young coach's bad attitude, it's a really great workout. i love to 'chew bitter.'
the afternoon class is no where near as rough. there, we typically spend an hour or so doing our taiji set over and over and over.. then, for the second hour of class, we continue to work on our individual forms. for myself, i've been working on my bagua set again, and yuan shifu has been rushing me through it rather quickly. last year, when i would barely get a step a week,.. this year, he has breezed me through three palm changes in just under a month. these new movements are especially elegant, elusive, and explosive.. some super angry, mathematical shaman, ballet dancer must have created this form,.. it's that ridiculous. maybe after i work on it for a few more months i'll post a video for you all to laugh at.
HAO HAO LIEN
it's the lunar new year.. and beyond that, the start of a brand new zodiac cycle. for such an occasion, it's a common tradition to make a resolution.. a goal for self improvement.. but for myself, i really don't feel any resolutions are necessary. i see each and everyday as an opportunity for growth and evolution,.. so instead of making some cheesy, once a year, one-time only goal, i think it would be much more beneficial to recap my journey, reassess my reasons for a persistent personal practice, and reaffirm my commitment to continued cultivation.
i practice kung fu.
my journey started when my grandfather passed. initially, kung fu was just a small fraction of my complete cultural emersion.. i took up anything and everything chinese in an attempt to rediscover my roots - and ultimately, to find myself. literature, language, history, religion, philosophy, medicine, food, culture, traditions, etiquette,.. everything.. if it was chinese, i eagerly dove in.. but something about kung fu and tai chi excited me. ..that was the beginning.
as i progressed, i cared less about ideas and theories and became more involved in actual practice. research and reading was left aside in exchange for more tai chi, qigong, and kung fu.. i had fallen in love. the excitement of fighting applications gave me an indescribable thrill.. i was no longer learning.. rather, i was 'remembering,' ..these movements were natural and second nature. training became top priority in my life.. but in time, i realized that even though i could break an arm twenty different ways, i didn't know a single way to fix an arm once it was broken.. i came to realize my practice was out of balance. that was when i discovered the healing arts.
i took up therapeutic sport massage, chinese acupressure, zen shiatsu, thai yoga massage, and hawaiian lomi lomi. the study of body work complimented my martial practice beautifully,.. and the simultaneous practice of both, helped further my understanding and deepen my training. in time, i was turned on to energetic healing methods like reiki, jin shin, and medical qigong,.. with that, my touch became more therapeutic for my clients.. but before long, i realized that if i was to truly help others heal, i would need to heal myself first.
it was at this time that i moved to wudang, china. in the states, practice could only be a hobby at best.. it was impossible to dedicate all my time to training and still earn a 'living'.. so a temple academy in the mountains was the perfect place for me. once there, i committed endless hours to rigorous foundation training and critical internal reflection.. and in time, my body became soft, supple, and more life-like. in all my years, i had never felt so alive,.. wudang was now my new home. i became a taoist disciple and took on a new name - zi rong.. 'endless capacity.' however, as my training continued, and my health gradually improved, i realized that i was still at the whim of my turbulent emotions and reactionary habit patterns.. sure i lived and trained in a temple academy, but the temple of my being was still murky and cloudy. it was time to take my practice further.
i then found an interest in cleansing and purification. i wanted to clear my body and mind of all the rubbish that had accumulated from my years of self neglect and destructive behaviors. fasting and herbal cleanses became routine and my practice progressed. the regiment was strenuous,.. but the courage, persistence, and determination acquired through years of martial arts proved helpful whenever obstacles and roadblocks arose. fasting from food gave my physical body a chance to heal and mend itself, and mental fasting through meditation and contemplation gave my emotional body a chance to find a healthy equanimity. slowly, i began to let go of past emotional traumas and the physical tensions that were tied to them. my practice progressed further still. i was finally working my way back to neutrality.
now, as i continue to cultivate and slowly return to a natural, harmonic state of being.. i am beginning to realize that a physical practice and a spiritual practice are really one in the same - they are simply two sides of the same coin. there is no distinction between internal and external training - they are both one.. and through the realization of the total unity of being, i am beginning to understand the total unity of all that Is. i now see that through elevating my own personal consciousness, i am, in actuality, making a positive contribution to the collective consciousness of all in creation. the external universe, in all its magnificence, is merely a reflection of the internal universe that churns within,.. every spiritual breakthrough i make for myself is really a spiritual breakthrough for all.. for the myriad manifestations of all that is, is in reality, just One. we are all One.
i practice kung fu.
for many, learning kung fu means learning how to fight,.. and even though that may very well be true to an extent, the only fight i am interested in is the fight against my inherent ignorance. kung fu, for me, is a foundation for spiritual growth.. providing me with the strength, determination, and will to tred the treacherous trail of spiritual evolution. kung fu is my stepping stone along the path to Self awakening.. the realization of ultimate consciousness.
so, it seems to me that my practice has come full circle. what started as a journey towards self realization, has transformed into a journey of Self realization.. ain't it beautiful. everyday is my first day. each moment is my first moment. i've worked so hard to get here.. back to zero.
no matter how far my training takes me, i will always be right here.. right now.. 'chewing bitter.'
i practice kung fu.. now, and forever.
ALOHA ALL
new year's is still going off here in china.. and it will continue to do so until the fifteenth day of the new lunar calendar - which i believe marks the red lantern festival. so, the party ain't over yet.
traditionally, the chinese new year is celebrated with family,.. and in that light, i would like to acknowledge all my family and friends that have shown me love and support.. even from across the pacific puddle. mom, dad, sam, jeff, and derek start the list.. but there's also betty, paul, mike, john, drew, and aunt rose too. big up to y.c., hui liu, erlene, loc, phil, dante, eliza, ben, mark, bobart, cassie, tiff, and the rest of the wen wu gang. alex feng, charlene, liu ming, sat hon, santee, bruce chu, brother barry, medina, ray, sowski, jerry, red bean, gene, kisu, e-guru, boo, kimubai, orion pie, cinzia, le, rani mom, money, the copps, skewsis, ernesto, evans, mala, tasi, tyler, gach, and the potato princess get props too.. and that ain't even the half. i feel so popular. why you guys gotta love me so much?
to everyone.. i wish you all well. happy new year.
may everyone realize their full potential.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
GONG XI FA CAI, HONG BAO NA LAI
last thursday marked the start of the chinese lunar new year.. the year of the rat. it was nuts.
around the eve, the local tailor was kind enough to invite a few of the brothers and i over for a traditional family dinner at her house. her home was sweet and modest, but the food was way over the top; granted it was mostly meat, but she was nice enough to prepare a few veggie dishes on the side just for me. along with all the crazy food, they also had jugs upon jugs of their very own yellow wine home brew.. and it didn't take long before we got into a macho-man 'gan bei' drink-off showdown with the tailor's husband. everything was cool until one of my brothers got super drunk and emotional.. which was no fun at all. we got him home ok, but once home, he exploded into this demonic rage.. he went nuts.. punching, hissing, biting.. full on exorcist style. all of my crisis intervention training from teaching crazy kids back in california certainly came in handy there. it took three of us just to pin the brother down and keep his aggression in check.. it was insane. after two hours of raging out, finally he calmed down and went to sleep. crazy.
the next day was our special school feast. needless to say the agro brother from the night before didn't make it to the meal.. probably from being too hung over, or from being too embarrassed (but most likely a healthy dose of both),.. either way, it was a shame because the feast was massive. tons of goodies and sweets, tons of veggie dumplings, and a sea of smiles. i love my martial family.
the night of the new year was especially crazy.. i ended up sharing the evening with an older brother here by the name of jesse. we spent hours talking about our lives, our passions, and our experiences - which surprisingly mirrored quite well.. good times. around the midnight hour, jesse dropped a ridiculous amount of money on the craziest fireworks available and we had a HUGE explosion party right in the middle of the street. all the local kids gathered around to see the two lao wai pop off the biggest firecrackers in town.. we went at it for well over an hour, with jesse going back to the shop to reload on ammo at least five or six times. the next morning i reeked of gun smoke, my ears were ringing, and i had a nose full of black boogars. good times.
TAI YANG LAI LE
i felt like such a hippy dancing in the street with my arms flapping and my head rocking,.. but when the sun finally came out, i could hardly contain myself. after bearing a month of the coldest weather i had ever experienced, the warm touch of the sun was gladly welcomed. it was so nice. for starters, our water pipes finally thawed out providing us with the luxury of flushing down poops again,.. plus, i no longer had to wear so many layers of clothes to class.. very nice.
practice time certainly picked up too. our training coach, tien, an angry, gangster, pock-faced teenager that has absolutely no passion for teaching, saw the warmer weather as an opportunity to go outside and really drill the lao wai students. to start, we run about a mile while doing all these random foot work stepping drills. from there, he would lead us in kicks,.. doing upwards of a thousand rapid fire kicks on each leg. after that, we would do a numbing amount of conditioning, followed by a long series of stepping line drills for coordination. on average, the first two hours or so of each morning class was spent in that fashion, then we would break up and work on our individual forms. in all, despite our young coach's bad attitude, it's a really great workout. i love to 'chew bitter.'
the afternoon class is no where near as rough. there, we typically spend an hour or so doing our taiji set over and over and over.. then, for the second hour of class, we continue to work on our individual forms. for myself, i've been working on my bagua set again, and yuan shifu has been rushing me through it rather quickly. last year, when i would barely get a step a week,.. this year, he has breezed me through three palm changes in just under a month. these new movements are especially elegant, elusive, and explosive.. some super angry, mathematical shaman, ballet dancer must have created this form,.. it's that ridiculous. maybe after i work on it for a few more months i'll post a video for you all to laugh at.
HAO HAO LIEN
it's the lunar new year.. and beyond that, the start of a brand new zodiac cycle. for such an occasion, it's a common tradition to make a resolution.. a goal for self improvement.. but for myself, i really don't feel any resolutions are necessary. i see each and everyday as an opportunity for growth and evolution,.. so instead of making some cheesy, once a year, one-time only goal, i think it would be much more beneficial to recap my journey, reassess my reasons for a persistent personal practice, and reaffirm my commitment to continued cultivation.
i practice kung fu.
my journey started when my grandfather passed. initially, kung fu was just a small fraction of my complete cultural emersion.. i took up anything and everything chinese in an attempt to rediscover my roots - and ultimately, to find myself. literature, language, history, religion, philosophy, medicine, food, culture, traditions, etiquette,.. everything.. if it was chinese, i eagerly dove in.. but something about kung fu and tai chi excited me. ..that was the beginning.
as i progressed, i cared less about ideas and theories and became more involved in actual practice. research and reading was left aside in exchange for more tai chi, qigong, and kung fu.. i had fallen in love. the excitement of fighting applications gave me an indescribable thrill.. i was no longer learning.. rather, i was 'remembering,' ..these movements were natural and second nature. training became top priority in my life.. but in time, i realized that even though i could break an arm twenty different ways, i didn't know a single way to fix an arm once it was broken.. i came to realize my practice was out of balance. that was when i discovered the healing arts.
i took up therapeutic sport massage, chinese acupressure, zen shiatsu, thai yoga massage, and hawaiian lomi lomi. the study of body work complimented my martial practice beautifully,.. and the simultaneous practice of both, helped further my understanding and deepen my training. in time, i was turned on to energetic healing methods like reiki, jin shin, and medical qigong,.. with that, my touch became more therapeutic for my clients.. but before long, i realized that if i was to truly help others heal, i would need to heal myself first.
it was at this time that i moved to wudang, china. in the states, practice could only be a hobby at best.. it was impossible to dedicate all my time to training and still earn a 'living'.. so a temple academy in the mountains was the perfect place for me. once there, i committed endless hours to rigorous foundation training and critical internal reflection.. and in time, my body became soft, supple, and more life-like. in all my years, i had never felt so alive,.. wudang was now my new home. i became a taoist disciple and took on a new name - zi rong.. 'endless capacity.' however, as my training continued, and my health gradually improved, i realized that i was still at the whim of my turbulent emotions and reactionary habit patterns.. sure i lived and trained in a temple academy, but the temple of my being was still murky and cloudy. it was time to take my practice further.
i then found an interest in cleansing and purification. i wanted to clear my body and mind of all the rubbish that had accumulated from my years of self neglect and destructive behaviors. fasting and herbal cleanses became routine and my practice progressed. the regiment was strenuous,.. but the courage, persistence, and determination acquired through years of martial arts proved helpful whenever obstacles and roadblocks arose. fasting from food gave my physical body a chance to heal and mend itself, and mental fasting through meditation and contemplation gave my emotional body a chance to find a healthy equanimity. slowly, i began to let go of past emotional traumas and the physical tensions that were tied to them. my practice progressed further still. i was finally working my way back to neutrality.
now, as i continue to cultivate and slowly return to a natural, harmonic state of being.. i am beginning to realize that a physical practice and a spiritual practice are really one in the same - they are simply two sides of the same coin. there is no distinction between internal and external training - they are both one.. and through the realization of the total unity of being, i am beginning to understand the total unity of all that Is. i now see that through elevating my own personal consciousness, i am, in actuality, making a positive contribution to the collective consciousness of all in creation. the external universe, in all its magnificence, is merely a reflection of the internal universe that churns within,.. every spiritual breakthrough i make for myself is really a spiritual breakthrough for all.. for the myriad manifestations of all that is, is in reality, just One. we are all One.
i practice kung fu.
for many, learning kung fu means learning how to fight,.. and even though that may very well be true to an extent, the only fight i am interested in is the fight against my inherent ignorance. kung fu, for me, is a foundation for spiritual growth.. providing me with the strength, determination, and will to tred the treacherous trail of spiritual evolution. kung fu is my stepping stone along the path to Self awakening.. the realization of ultimate consciousness.
so, it seems to me that my practice has come full circle. what started as a journey towards self realization, has transformed into a journey of Self realization.. ain't it beautiful. everyday is my first day. each moment is my first moment. i've worked so hard to get here.. back to zero.
no matter how far my training takes me, i will always be right here.. right now.. 'chewing bitter.'
i practice kung fu.. now, and forever.
ALOHA ALL
new year's is still going off here in china.. and it will continue to do so until the fifteenth day of the new lunar calendar - which i believe marks the red lantern festival. so, the party ain't over yet.
traditionally, the chinese new year is celebrated with family,.. and in that light, i would like to acknowledge all my family and friends that have shown me love and support.. even from across the pacific puddle. mom, dad, sam, jeff, and derek start the list.. but there's also betty, paul, mike, john, drew, and aunt rose too. big up to y.c., hui liu, erlene, loc, phil, dante, eliza, ben, mark, bobart, cassie, tiff, and the rest of the wen wu gang. alex feng, charlene, liu ming, sat hon, santee, bruce chu, brother barry, medina, ray, sowski, jerry, red bean, gene, kisu, e-guru, boo, kimubai, orion pie, cinzia, le, rani mom, money, the copps, skewsis, ernesto, evans, mala, tasi, tyler, gach, and the potato princess get props too.. and that ain't even the half. i feel so popular. why you guys gotta love me so much?
to everyone.. i wish you all well. happy new year.
may everyone realize their full potential.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
Monday, June 23, 2008
WU LIFE 304
WU LIFE 304
HAVE YOU EATEN YET?
china has a lot of mouths to feed, and countless people go hungry every day.. so just as we ask, 'how are you?' in america, it is a cultural courtesy here in china to ask, 'have you eaten yet?'
now that we are in the dead of winter, and fresh vegetables aren't as readily available for consumption, meat is practically the staple of every meal,.. particularly beef, and (hate to say it) dog, both of which are known for their medicinal warming properties. with that being said, i get the funniest looks when i turn down meat at meal time. see, the chinese will eat anything with a shadow.. but for myself, as a strict veg head, i won't eat anything that has even touched flesh,.. no foods cooked with lard, no soups with meat or bone bases, no snacks with meat flavor.. nothing. but the pressure persists,.. for here in china, where for many, eating is a luxury, turning down food is simply absurd.
i swear, it can be so hard to be vegan in china,.. and even though i try to maintain emotional equanimity in the face of irritation, it's pretty frustrating when i go out to eat and 'specifically' order vegetarian food only to have the dish still come out with meat in it. to make matters worse, my dissent is simply laughed off by the servers.. and by that time, a whole crowd has gathered to heckle (cause chinese love to get in the lao wai mix).. 'but it won't taste good,' 'you need meat!' 'how do you survive?' 'how did you get so big?'
after countless foul experiences in town, these days, i tend to stay in school for meal time.. but even here, where the cook has been nice enough to accommodate my palate, i still get hassled by my martial family. my kung fu uncles are the worst.. 'if it weren't for you, there'd be egg in this fried rice,' or, 'ey, you know that sauce has beef in it right?' or, my personal favorite, 'you know you want it.. (while dangling a piece of pork fat over my bowl).' even my own master pokes fun sometimes.. 'meat is good.. whhhhhhhhyy you don't eat..?'
see, about five years past, i was the biggest meat mouth. no meal was complete without some sort of dead animal in my bowl.. then, as soon as i turned veg breath, i would preach to no end.. dropping facts and stats on flesh feeders any chance i could.. but now, i'm over the whole condemning thing. some people really need meat in their diets, others just really like meat in their diets.. then there are others still that have no choice in the matter. all of us just want to be happy, and no one likes to be hungry,.. so chow down. have you eaten yet?
SICK WITH IT
during my last trip back to california, i had an amazing opportunity to share lunch with my old teachers from wen wu school, master y.c. chiang, and his wife, master hui liu. every moment shared with those living legends is golden, and the conversations are epic. along this particular meal, however, the conversation touched on the topic of personal health, and master hui liu had some harsh insight to share.. 'some people are sick from birth (genetic disposition), others grow sick from a bad environment (work, living,..), but most get sick because they are lazy.' ..ouch.
in a recent conversation with master yuan, he added another reason for illness.. 'people are sick because they don't know how to read early signs of chi deficiency - take a look at the breath,.. is it shallow, irregular, or stressed? look at the skin,.. is it blotchy, dry, or pale? look at the lips,.. are they always chapped, or discolored? look at the hair,.. is it thin, frizzy, or falling out? look at the nails,.. are they brittle, or discolored? look at the eyes,.. are they dull, cloudy, or hazy? these things may very well be genetic, but they are usually signs of bad chi. thing is, most don't even pay attention to these early signs,.. and even if they went to a doctor for a check up, the common doctor would not know to look for these things either.. as far as they could tell, the patient would be perfectly healthy. (you hear that rob money?)
'the funny thing is, people DO notice these things.. but only for the vain sake of appearance. if the skin is bad, they just use lotion or makeup. if the lips are bad, they just use lipstick. if the hair is bad, they get it styled or dyed. if the nails are bad, they paint them or get fake ones. if the eyes are bad, they just use eye drops or colored contacts. they think that by simply covering these things up they look better,.. but they don't realize that on the inside they are slowly dying. if they had internal awareness.. they would know they need to fix themselves before they have much bigger problems.. even without internal sensitivity, if they went to a chinese doctor, the doctor would know right away how to bring balance back to the body. if people recognized these early signs of sickness and made the effort to fix themselves from the inside, the outside would be beautiful naturally and they would not need all those cover ups.' ..word.
INTERNAL TRAINING
during another conversation with master yuan, we talked about traditional nei gong (internal skill) and how one develops it.
'traditionally, internal work is done by yourself. maybe the master would show you some basics, like how to sit, how to stand, or how to do a few simple movements,.. but ultimately, internal work must be done alone. with kung fu, the master can teach you.. 'lower stance,' 'more power,' 'kick higher,' etc... but with internal work, this is impossible. how can you teach this? 'feel your energy,' 'move your chi,' this is not practical,.. i cannot hit you or force you to develop your internal awareness, this must be done on your own.
'first, the student must want it for themselves. then, they need to have the dedication to develop this skill and set aside time for regular practice. in time, when the student begins to cultivate internal awareness and find feeling, they can share their experience with the master who can then better guide the student. this is real nei gong. these days, people learn a few movements and some breathing and they think they know qigong.. they are just dancing. a traditional master never teaches meditation or qigong, it is up to the student to develop it within themselves,.. this is the only way to have real internal skill.' ..word.
COLD IS BETTER THAN HOT
i have a sweet memory of my grandfather who once told me, 'cold is better than hot.. you can get away from the cold, but you can never get away from the heat. you can always put on more clothes, but you can never take off your skin. this is why cold is better than hot.' at that time, never having the experience of REAL cold, i just took his word for it.. finding it funny when i pictured myself taking off my skin to go swimming. but now.. in the coldest weather i've ever been in, i don't know if i agree. cold sucks.
in my last report, it was the coldest hubei province has been in 16 years.. well, the cold has persisted, and now it's the coldest hubei has been in over 60 years! nearly all transportation is grounded from frozen roads, and tens of thousands of chinese folk are stuck with no way to get home for the new year celebration. beyond that, with all transport down, there is hardly any produce available,.. and the little that is available is poor quality and ultra expensive. but that's for the province.. locally, we have gone several mornings without any running water because the pipes are frozen.. and with no water, none of the toilets can flush.. that means HUGE, frozen piles of poop are mounding over every single squatter in the school. yuck. what's worse.. there was even a death here! our school's gate manager, trying to beat the cold, lit a little wood stove before going to bed.. but he left the windows closed and died in his sleep from smoke inhalation. crazy! yet, despite the cold.. hubei province just opened it's first drive through mcdonalds in the capitol city of wuhan. priorities first, right? the people are stranded and freezing, but at least they'll have big macs. nice one, china. go team!
yet.. the saying remains.. 'cold is better than hot' ..and this time it's from my master. according to yuan shifu, the cold is the best weather to live in. 'in the cold, all the rodents and bugs die. there are less germs and bacteria in the cold. when it snows, there is less dust and dirt on the roads so you don't have to breath it all in when a truck drives by. plus, the more snow you have in the winter, the more fruits and vegetables you can grow in the spring. but really, the cold is best for health.. when it is cold, you HAVE to practice, or you will freeze,.. and people that stay in the cold live longer lives, this has even been proven.. it's like putting left overs in the fridge to keep them longer.. the cold preserves your body. see, cold is better than hot.'
i don't know. his logic is sound and all.. but i could use some sun right about now. it's COLD!
ALOHA ALL
alright, that wraps up another fun week in wudang. we didn't have a superbowl here, but i like it better that way. instead, we have chinese new year this coming thursday,.. and if it's going to be anything like last year.. i'm not excited. nothing but meat, loud music, and firecrackers.. not conducive to practice one bit. i have, however, been asked to write a short article for kung fu magazine describing the festivities.. i think that will be posted online so get ready for that one.
ok. i love and miss you all. be well. be happy. be brilliant. be blessed. aloha.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
HAVE YOU EATEN YET?
china has a lot of mouths to feed, and countless people go hungry every day.. so just as we ask, 'how are you?' in america, it is a cultural courtesy here in china to ask, 'have you eaten yet?'
now that we are in the dead of winter, and fresh vegetables aren't as readily available for consumption, meat is practically the staple of every meal,.. particularly beef, and (hate to say it) dog, both of which are known for their medicinal warming properties. with that being said, i get the funniest looks when i turn down meat at meal time. see, the chinese will eat anything with a shadow.. but for myself, as a strict veg head, i won't eat anything that has even touched flesh,.. no foods cooked with lard, no soups with meat or bone bases, no snacks with meat flavor.. nothing. but the pressure persists,.. for here in china, where for many, eating is a luxury, turning down food is simply absurd.
i swear, it can be so hard to be vegan in china,.. and even though i try to maintain emotional equanimity in the face of irritation, it's pretty frustrating when i go out to eat and 'specifically' order vegetarian food only to have the dish still come out with meat in it. to make matters worse, my dissent is simply laughed off by the servers.. and by that time, a whole crowd has gathered to heckle (cause chinese love to get in the lao wai mix).. 'but it won't taste good,' 'you need meat!' 'how do you survive?' 'how did you get so big?'
after countless foul experiences in town, these days, i tend to stay in school for meal time.. but even here, where the cook has been nice enough to accommodate my palate, i still get hassled by my martial family. my kung fu uncles are the worst.. 'if it weren't for you, there'd be egg in this fried rice,' or, 'ey, you know that sauce has beef in it right?' or, my personal favorite, 'you know you want it.. (while dangling a piece of pork fat over my bowl).' even my own master pokes fun sometimes.. 'meat is good.. whhhhhhhhyy you don't eat..?'
see, about five years past, i was the biggest meat mouth. no meal was complete without some sort of dead animal in my bowl.. then, as soon as i turned veg breath, i would preach to no end.. dropping facts and stats on flesh feeders any chance i could.. but now, i'm over the whole condemning thing. some people really need meat in their diets, others just really like meat in their diets.. then there are others still that have no choice in the matter. all of us just want to be happy, and no one likes to be hungry,.. so chow down. have you eaten yet?
SICK WITH IT
during my last trip back to california, i had an amazing opportunity to share lunch with my old teachers from wen wu school, master y.c. chiang, and his wife, master hui liu. every moment shared with those living legends is golden, and the conversations are epic. along this particular meal, however, the conversation touched on the topic of personal health, and master hui liu had some harsh insight to share.. 'some people are sick from birth (genetic disposition), others grow sick from a bad environment (work, living,..), but most get sick because they are lazy.' ..ouch.
in a recent conversation with master yuan, he added another reason for illness.. 'people are sick because they don't know how to read early signs of chi deficiency - take a look at the breath,.. is it shallow, irregular, or stressed? look at the skin,.. is it blotchy, dry, or pale? look at the lips,.. are they always chapped, or discolored? look at the hair,.. is it thin, frizzy, or falling out? look at the nails,.. are they brittle, or discolored? look at the eyes,.. are they dull, cloudy, or hazy? these things may very well be genetic, but they are usually signs of bad chi. thing is, most don't even pay attention to these early signs,.. and even if they went to a doctor for a check up, the common doctor would not know to look for these things either.. as far as they could tell, the patient would be perfectly healthy. (you hear that rob money?)
'the funny thing is, people DO notice these things.. but only for the vain sake of appearance. if the skin is bad, they just use lotion or makeup. if the lips are bad, they just use lipstick. if the hair is bad, they get it styled or dyed. if the nails are bad, they paint them or get fake ones. if the eyes are bad, they just use eye drops or colored contacts. they think that by simply covering these things up they look better,.. but they don't realize that on the inside they are slowly dying. if they had internal awareness.. they would know they need to fix themselves before they have much bigger problems.. even without internal sensitivity, if they went to a chinese doctor, the doctor would know right away how to bring balance back to the body. if people recognized these early signs of sickness and made the effort to fix themselves from the inside, the outside would be beautiful naturally and they would not need all those cover ups.' ..word.
INTERNAL TRAINING
during another conversation with master yuan, we talked about traditional nei gong (internal skill) and how one develops it.
'traditionally, internal work is done by yourself. maybe the master would show you some basics, like how to sit, how to stand, or how to do a few simple movements,.. but ultimately, internal work must be done alone. with kung fu, the master can teach you.. 'lower stance,' 'more power,' 'kick higher,' etc... but with internal work, this is impossible. how can you teach this? 'feel your energy,' 'move your chi,' this is not practical,.. i cannot hit you or force you to develop your internal awareness, this must be done on your own.
'first, the student must want it for themselves. then, they need to have the dedication to develop this skill and set aside time for regular practice. in time, when the student begins to cultivate internal awareness and find feeling, they can share their experience with the master who can then better guide the student. this is real nei gong. these days, people learn a few movements and some breathing and they think they know qigong.. they are just dancing. a traditional master never teaches meditation or qigong, it is up to the student to develop it within themselves,.. this is the only way to have real internal skill.' ..word.
COLD IS BETTER THAN HOT
i have a sweet memory of my grandfather who once told me, 'cold is better than hot.. you can get away from the cold, but you can never get away from the heat. you can always put on more clothes, but you can never take off your skin. this is why cold is better than hot.' at that time, never having the experience of REAL cold, i just took his word for it.. finding it funny when i pictured myself taking off my skin to go swimming. but now.. in the coldest weather i've ever been in, i don't know if i agree. cold sucks.
in my last report, it was the coldest hubei province has been in 16 years.. well, the cold has persisted, and now it's the coldest hubei has been in over 60 years! nearly all transportation is grounded from frozen roads, and tens of thousands of chinese folk are stuck with no way to get home for the new year celebration. beyond that, with all transport down, there is hardly any produce available,.. and the little that is available is poor quality and ultra expensive. but that's for the province.. locally, we have gone several mornings without any running water because the pipes are frozen.. and with no water, none of the toilets can flush.. that means HUGE, frozen piles of poop are mounding over every single squatter in the school. yuck. what's worse.. there was even a death here! our school's gate manager, trying to beat the cold, lit a little wood stove before going to bed.. but he left the windows closed and died in his sleep from smoke inhalation. crazy! yet, despite the cold.. hubei province just opened it's first drive through mcdonalds in the capitol city of wuhan. priorities first, right? the people are stranded and freezing, but at least they'll have big macs. nice one, china. go team!
yet.. the saying remains.. 'cold is better than hot' ..and this time it's from my master. according to yuan shifu, the cold is the best weather to live in. 'in the cold, all the rodents and bugs die. there are less germs and bacteria in the cold. when it snows, there is less dust and dirt on the roads so you don't have to breath it all in when a truck drives by. plus, the more snow you have in the winter, the more fruits and vegetables you can grow in the spring. but really, the cold is best for health.. when it is cold, you HAVE to practice, or you will freeze,.. and people that stay in the cold live longer lives, this has even been proven.. it's like putting left overs in the fridge to keep them longer.. the cold preserves your body. see, cold is better than hot.'
i don't know. his logic is sound and all.. but i could use some sun right about now. it's COLD!
ALOHA ALL
alright, that wraps up another fun week in wudang. we didn't have a superbowl here, but i like it better that way. instead, we have chinese new year this coming thursday,.. and if it's going to be anything like last year.. i'm not excited. nothing but meat, loud music, and firecrackers.. not conducive to practice one bit. i have, however, been asked to write a short article for kung fu magazine describing the festivities.. i think that will be posted online so get ready for that one.
ok. i love and miss you all. be well. be happy. be brilliant. be blessed. aloha.
see you on the other shore,
-zi rong
Sunday, January 27, 2008
WU LIFE 303
WU LIFE 303
IT'S SO COLD
brrrrrr.. it's negative 7 degrees celsius here in wudang. i've never been this cold in my life.
i'm a california boy.. i'm not used to the cold. the only other place i have lived except for california is hawaii.. so this is definitely the coldest i've ever been in my life. seriously.. i have never even seen snow until just last winter here in wudang, but it was NOTHING like this. it has snowed nearly every single day since i've been back, and according to the news, this is the most snow hubei province has seen in 16 years! it's crazy. people are dying, crops are freezing, roofs are collapsing,.. it's nuts.
each night i tuck under five blankets, with a sixth blanket especially for my head. beyond that, i have three layers of sweats and thermals on.. and i'm still cold! luckily i train internal martial arts and i have learned to generate some light weight body heat.. but it ain't enough.. this cold is brutal. i constantly have piping hot green tea on tap, and i'm always layered up. it's nuts.
the winter isn't all bad though. i had my first snowball fight the other day with the other students, and we made a life size taoist snow man in standing meditation posture,.. it even had a taoist top knot. good fun. the other good thing about this time of year is that it is so quiet (in our school at least); all of the chinese students are away for the holiday, and only a small number of the super-dedicated foreigners like to train in the cold,.. so that means smaller classes.. and smaller classes mean more personal instruction. i can dig it.
SITTINGS OF STRONG DETERMINATION
25 centuries ago, siddhartha gautama sat beneath the bodhi tree with a strong determination not to move until full enlightenment was attained. several centuries later, the patriarch of shaolin kung fu, bodhidharma, sat in a cave with the strong determination not to move until his ego-self was transcended and ultimate reality was realized. countless masters have done the same, committed to understanding the depths of their consciousness through endless hours of internal reflection.. for the only lasting truth is personal truth - a truth which can only be experienced within oneself. all other beliefs, ideas, notions, or theories are based on the intellect and experiences of other individuals, which may be true for them, but cannot possibly hold true for everyone. the only truth that is absolute, is the truth realized from within oneself,.. and the best way to awaken to that truth, is through deep internal reflection,.. or - meditation.
for myself, each day starts and ends with an hour of seated stillness. i rise around six or so and stretch a bit before i plop down on to my meditation pillow for some solo sit time. then, each night around eight, i gather with a few students in the meditation hall to sit for another hour. though i've been practicing meditation for the last few years, i am really just now breaking the surface of a consistent practice. the benefits are amazing. my mind is sharper, my emotions are calmer, my awareness is fuller, and i have a new found feeling for my body.. i can feel the blood in my veins, i can feel the marrow in my bones, i can even feel the fillings in my teeth! it's insane. moreover, sitting helps me recover faster from hard training sessions, and an hour of sitting is far more refreshing than taking a power nap. i highly recommend it! if you can sit for an hour to fight traffic or to watch your favorite show on television, you can certainly sit for a bit to watch your mind run around - it's far more entertaining, and you'll learn a lot more too. even if personal enlightenment isn't a goal.. you can still benefit tremendously from meditation.. try it.
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE
the body is an amazing piece of machinery. every second, billions of cells are regenerating; nearly every day, we have a completely new layer of skin; each month, we practically have a brand new liver; and every year, more than seventy percent of our body has been completely replaced. we are constantly changing, growing, and evolving every moment of every day.
for generations there has been an ongoing debate - was life created by god (intelligent design)? or has life evolved from smaller sub species over the course of countless eons? for me, the answer is simple - creation and evolution are two perspectives of the exact same thing. each moment we are evolving, each moment we are creating,.. there is no difference. but then why do we get old? why do we get sick? if every moment we are new and rejuvenated, if each and every breath fills us with life.. then why do we die? i think i have an answer now.. and this time, it's not just about mucoid plaque.
just as a loud explosion shoots a shock wave of surprise through the body, the same holds true when we express a negative feeling or emotion - it projects a shock wave of nastiness throughout our entire being. if those harsh feelings linger, and that vibrational shock is allowed to continue, gain momentum, and become an involuntary habit pattern that persists over time,.. slowly but surely, that vibrational shock will begin to chip away and compromise the anatomical mortar that binds our body together.. resulting in sickness, pain, and ultimately, death. think about it,.. we've all seen 30 year olds that look 60, and 60 year olds that look 30.. but pay closer attention to their lifestyles and demeanor,.. those that age early typically lead destructive lifestyles - they are always stressed, they are always upset,.. on the contrary, when you observe older individuals still full of life and vigor, they are always happy, glowing, and radiant.
to use myself as an example,.. for several years i held onto a great number of destructive habits and emotions, and as a result, my body deteriorated.. i was sickly, stiff, overweight, and for the most part, unhappy. however, i awoke one day and chose to take responsibility for the reality i was creating for myself.. i changed the negative habit patterns of my diet, attitude, and lifestyle,.. and in time (certainly not overnight), my body transformed. now, i resonate with health, vitality, power, and vigor - just as nature intended. each year that i return to america, that truth is only further illustrated when i see childhood friends crumble and crack from the habits and stress that they themselves cling to,.. all the while i grow softer and more life like.
so, thinking happy thoughts and eating more vegetables.. is this how one becomes a physical immortal? ..probably not. however, i do know how one can discover immortal joy. first and foremost, one must realize that their woes are the result of their very own destructive habit patterns,.. but just as one creates their own sorrows, they can also create their own happiness as well. cultivate compassion. cultivate peace. forgive foes. let go of old grudges, and release the heavy burden of anguish and blame that drags you down. take full responsibility for your personal pain. develop a deep, unconditional love for yourself and for all in creation. cleanse yourself - mind and body.. and in time (certainly not overnight), your outer being will begin to reflect the purity that brews within. this process takes courage, persistence, and above all, patience, but the fruits are real - for eternal joy is the divine birth right for each and every individual committed to developing that light within themselves. ..word.
ALOHA ALL
i've been ending my weekly journals with an aloha for quite some time now. the word aloha holds a vast variety of meanings.. it can mean hello or goodbye; it can describe hospitality, attitude, spirit, or personality; but above all, it defines love - not a romantic, lustful, or passionate love.. but rather a deep, infinite, unconditional love. a love that penetrates and pervades. an omnipresent, omnipotent love available to all of creation. a love that uplifts and nourishes everyone - especially those willing to receive, revere, and rejoice in its bounty. this is the love i extend to you all - family, friends, and foes alike,.. i love you all. i only wish for the best in all of you. may all beings realize their personal potential.
damn, dave wei be preaching. whooo. this was a heavy blog week. i still got jokes though.. did you guys hear about the circus fire? it was in-tents.. get it? intense? in-tents? it's a pun.. you know, a play on words.. whooo. no good? how about the joke about the vacuum? did i tell you that one? eh,.. it sucks... HA! get it? the vacuum? it sucks. right? whoooo. thank you, thank you,.. i'll be here all week. (smile) maybe i should blog more about mucoid plaque. (wink)
see you on the other shore,
-wei zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
IT'S SO COLD
brrrrrr.. it's negative 7 degrees celsius here in wudang. i've never been this cold in my life.
i'm a california boy.. i'm not used to the cold. the only other place i have lived except for california is hawaii.. so this is definitely the coldest i've ever been in my life. seriously.. i have never even seen snow until just last winter here in wudang, but it was NOTHING like this. it has snowed nearly every single day since i've been back, and according to the news, this is the most snow hubei province has seen in 16 years! it's crazy. people are dying, crops are freezing, roofs are collapsing,.. it's nuts.
each night i tuck under five blankets, with a sixth blanket especially for my head. beyond that, i have three layers of sweats and thermals on.. and i'm still cold! luckily i train internal martial arts and i have learned to generate some light weight body heat.. but it ain't enough.. this cold is brutal. i constantly have piping hot green tea on tap, and i'm always layered up. it's nuts.
the winter isn't all bad though. i had my first snowball fight the other day with the other students, and we made a life size taoist snow man in standing meditation posture,.. it even had a taoist top knot. good fun. the other good thing about this time of year is that it is so quiet (in our school at least); all of the chinese students are away for the holiday, and only a small number of the super-dedicated foreigners like to train in the cold,.. so that means smaller classes.. and smaller classes mean more personal instruction. i can dig it.
SITTINGS OF STRONG DETERMINATION
25 centuries ago, siddhartha gautama sat beneath the bodhi tree with a strong determination not to move until full enlightenment was attained. several centuries later, the patriarch of shaolin kung fu, bodhidharma, sat in a cave with the strong determination not to move until his ego-self was transcended and ultimate reality was realized. countless masters have done the same, committed to understanding the depths of their consciousness through endless hours of internal reflection.. for the only lasting truth is personal truth - a truth which can only be experienced within oneself. all other beliefs, ideas, notions, or theories are based on the intellect and experiences of other individuals, which may be true for them, but cannot possibly hold true for everyone. the only truth that is absolute, is the truth realized from within oneself,.. and the best way to awaken to that truth, is through deep internal reflection,.. or - meditation.
for myself, each day starts and ends with an hour of seated stillness. i rise around six or so and stretch a bit before i plop down on to my meditation pillow for some solo sit time. then, each night around eight, i gather with a few students in the meditation hall to sit for another hour. though i've been practicing meditation for the last few years, i am really just now breaking the surface of a consistent practice. the benefits are amazing. my mind is sharper, my emotions are calmer, my awareness is fuller, and i have a new found feeling for my body.. i can feel the blood in my veins, i can feel the marrow in my bones, i can even feel the fillings in my teeth! it's insane. moreover, sitting helps me recover faster from hard training sessions, and an hour of sitting is far more refreshing than taking a power nap. i highly recommend it! if you can sit for an hour to fight traffic or to watch your favorite show on television, you can certainly sit for a bit to watch your mind run around - it's far more entertaining, and you'll learn a lot more too. even if personal enlightenment isn't a goal.. you can still benefit tremendously from meditation.. try it.
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE
the body is an amazing piece of machinery. every second, billions of cells are regenerating; nearly every day, we have a completely new layer of skin; each month, we practically have a brand new liver; and every year, more than seventy percent of our body has been completely replaced. we are constantly changing, growing, and evolving every moment of every day.
for generations there has been an ongoing debate - was life created by god (intelligent design)? or has life evolved from smaller sub species over the course of countless eons? for me, the answer is simple - creation and evolution are two perspectives of the exact same thing. each moment we are evolving, each moment we are creating,.. there is no difference. but then why do we get old? why do we get sick? if every moment we are new and rejuvenated, if each and every breath fills us with life.. then why do we die? i think i have an answer now.. and this time, it's not just about mucoid plaque.
just as a loud explosion shoots a shock wave of surprise through the body, the same holds true when we express a negative feeling or emotion - it projects a shock wave of nastiness throughout our entire being. if those harsh feelings linger, and that vibrational shock is allowed to continue, gain momentum, and become an involuntary habit pattern that persists over time,.. slowly but surely, that vibrational shock will begin to chip away and compromise the anatomical mortar that binds our body together.. resulting in sickness, pain, and ultimately, death. think about it,.. we've all seen 30 year olds that look 60, and 60 year olds that look 30.. but pay closer attention to their lifestyles and demeanor,.. those that age early typically lead destructive lifestyles - they are always stressed, they are always upset,.. on the contrary, when you observe older individuals still full of life and vigor, they are always happy, glowing, and radiant.
to use myself as an example,.. for several years i held onto a great number of destructive habits and emotions, and as a result, my body deteriorated.. i was sickly, stiff, overweight, and for the most part, unhappy. however, i awoke one day and chose to take responsibility for the reality i was creating for myself.. i changed the negative habit patterns of my diet, attitude, and lifestyle,.. and in time (certainly not overnight), my body transformed. now, i resonate with health, vitality, power, and vigor - just as nature intended. each year that i return to america, that truth is only further illustrated when i see childhood friends crumble and crack from the habits and stress that they themselves cling to,.. all the while i grow softer and more life like.
so, thinking happy thoughts and eating more vegetables.. is this how one becomes a physical immortal? ..probably not. however, i do know how one can discover immortal joy. first and foremost, one must realize that their woes are the result of their very own destructive habit patterns,.. but just as one creates their own sorrows, they can also create their own happiness as well. cultivate compassion. cultivate peace. forgive foes. let go of old grudges, and release the heavy burden of anguish and blame that drags you down. take full responsibility for your personal pain. develop a deep, unconditional love for yourself and for all in creation. cleanse yourself - mind and body.. and in time (certainly not overnight), your outer being will begin to reflect the purity that brews within. this process takes courage, persistence, and above all, patience, but the fruits are real - for eternal joy is the divine birth right for each and every individual committed to developing that light within themselves. ..word.
ALOHA ALL
i've been ending my weekly journals with an aloha for quite some time now. the word aloha holds a vast variety of meanings.. it can mean hello or goodbye; it can describe hospitality, attitude, spirit, or personality; but above all, it defines love - not a romantic, lustful, or passionate love.. but rather a deep, infinite, unconditional love. a love that penetrates and pervades. an omnipresent, omnipotent love available to all of creation. a love that uplifts and nourishes everyone - especially those willing to receive, revere, and rejoice in its bounty. this is the love i extend to you all - family, friends, and foes alike,.. i love you all. i only wish for the best in all of you. may all beings realize their personal potential.
damn, dave wei be preaching. whooo. this was a heavy blog week. i still got jokes though.. did you guys hear about the circus fire? it was in-tents.. get it? intense? in-tents? it's a pun.. you know, a play on words.. whooo. no good? how about the joke about the vacuum? did i tell you that one? eh,.. it sucks... HA! get it? the vacuum? it sucks. right? whoooo. thank you, thank you,.. i'll be here all week. (smile) maybe i should blog more about mucoid plaque. (wink)
see you on the other shore,
-wei zi rong
--
May all beings be happy.
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