wu life 233

WU LIFE 233


GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS ... AND GREAT NEWS


i suppose i should share the bad first. well, it turns out that the 700+ year old temple we train at every day is currently undergoing refurbishment. this means, they are taking a beautifully preserved national treasure that has lasted for nearly a millennium and making it fancy with cheap plaster and neon lights (obviously, i'm not excited). the other downside to this 'beautification' is that our school has been kicked off the temple grounds and forced to train elsewhere - which is really boo boo. now, we will have to carry on our practice in the school facilities, which is cool, but it kind of takes away from the magic and mystical awe of being here in wudang,.. "yeah, i came to wudang mountain to train on a basketball court" - not very majestic.

as for the good news.. my master went to a meeting held by the local government the other day and came back in a really good mood. apparently, the government is about to start pumping a lot of money into the development and promotion of wudang gong fu,.. there is going to be an international campaign to promote wudang wushu to the world - and at the same time, the government is going to distribute funds among the schools to help them grow and expand their programs. on one hand, i am not too excited about wudang getting all commercial.. but on the other hand, i know that there are several steps being taken to assure that the system remains traditional and authentic. in all.. i think this is a good thing for wudang wushu, and i think it's a great time to be a disciple.

speaking of being a disciple.. now i'll share the great news.. my new kung fu brother jeff has just been accepted as a fellow disciple and has been given his official taoist name - zi he. jeff, an american from rhode island, is one smooth dude,.. he has an amazing sense of humor, his martial foundation is very well developed, and his training ethic is inspiring. he has a beautiful character and he gets along with everyone in the school.. really a great guy. rarely does our school get students of this caliber, and i am honored to have him join the ranks of the discipleship. to celebrate, the two of us went to eat with our master and martial uncles and had a grand old time. good, good fun. now the discipleship includes - in order of seniority: sam tripp - zi hao (infinite horizon), me - zi rong (endless capacity), kris olsvik - zi hong (bottomless ocean), and now jeff reid - zi he (harmonious balance),.. together, we represent the 16th generation of the zheng san feng lineage. tao about it.

(on a side note.. there are four other foreign disciples that came before us.. but i don't know them or their taoist names, which is why i chose to omit them from the list.)


FLUSH THAT GUT

i got a lot of interest stirred from my blog about impacted fecal matter last week, so i figured i'd drop a little more this round. now, i hate to sound like a new-age hippie, which i am, but i will now explain the energetic effects of having this toxic layer of mucosal plaque in our bodies.

imagine if you will, a lonely friday night.. sad about not having a social life and digging into that bucket of ice cream while watching tv. or how about another scenario, taking your significant other to a romantic dinner and getting into an argument that results in a breakup halfway through the meal. what do these two events have in common? intense emotional overtones while either eating or digesting a meal. when strong, harsh emotions are present, the body is more concerned with digesting those feelings than that food.. so what happens to the food? it sits in your stomach - a dark, damp, and warm place - where it rots and turns, just like it would in any other dark, damp, warm place. that rotting food is toxic to your system so the body immediately coats the intestinal lining with a layer of mucus to protect itself and to help lubricate the path for that crap to get pushed out. sadly, some of that grub gets trapped in the process.. but the toxic food isn't the only thing that gets trapped.. those toxic emotions are trapped too. now this may sound far fetched, but if emo outbursts are common place for you, they may be associated with the emotional patterns that have been trapped and programmed into your body via this villainous mucosal plaque. crazy, right?

anyway, back to physical reality for a moment,.. even if you don't buy that emo stuff, it is clearly of tremendous benefit to get that crap out of your gut. once that stuff is out, you can enjoy better nutrient assimilation and more regularity in your movements - as a result, you'll need to eat less, and you'll have fewer cravings for sugars and other quick energy foods. on the vanity side, your skin will be softer and smoother, and your eyes will be big and bright - you will literally glow form the inside out. oh, and did i mention that people typically drop anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds after dumping that stuff! all of which being mucous and impacted fecal matter! yum! and finally, if you really do buy that emotional stuff, getting rid of all those negative emotional patterns that have been trapped in that crap is probably the best way to take steps towards a brighter outlook on love and life - far better than zanex or zoloft that only add to the toxicity of your body.

as i stated in my last blog.. it is believed that over 90% of americans have this plaque in their guts.. but just to be sure you fit in that 90 percentile, here are a few ways to know cleansing is right for you:


-if you are irregular.. more than 3-5 poops a day, or less than 3-5 poops a week are signs of severe irregularity.. flush your gut.

-if you are overweight.. it's not due to genetics or stress, well.. maybe a little, but the rest is probably compacted fecal matter.. flush your gut.

-if you spend more than five minutes grunting and pumping only to push out poop pebbles.. pooping should be swift, sweet, and substantial.. flush your gut

-if you eat meat and/or dairy daily or lived off the atkins diet for any length of time.. the average meat eater has 5-10 pounds of undigested meat in their colons.. flush your gut.

-if you have chronic arthritis or joint pain.. you ain't old, that's toxicity buildup.. flush your gut.

-if you are tired or have low energy.. well, you're probably carrying 5-10 pounds of poop in your belly.. flush your gut.

-if you get sick regularly.. that plaque is the perfect home for bacteria and germs.. flush your gut.

-if have acne, eczema, or other skin irritations.. that's the body kicking out toxins trapped in your belly.. flush your gut.

-if you have bad breath or offensive body odor.. that's probably because you're packed with poop.. flush your gut.

-if you are good buddies with general mills, hamburger helper, big mac, extra-crispy chicken, taco supreme, nestle, mars, coca-cola, pizza hut, frito lay, or the likes.. flush your gut.

-if you, or someone you know, has a severe medical condition.. it will probably be of great benefit to flush that gut.

now granted, i'm no doctor, and i've only read a few books.. beyond that, i have yet to go through with this gut flush myself.. none the less, i still urge you to look further into this matter, find more information, and decide for yourself. as for those of you that are either extremely ill, or on a cocktail of medications,.. please consult a health care professional before taking on such a cleanse - preferably an integrative naturopathic or a traditional chinese medicine doctor.

with that said.. i will be flushing my gut for the entire month of october while i frolic in the mountains of northern california. for anyone that would like to maintain communication in regards to this (fecal) matter, or exchange poo poo pictures.. hit me up. thus concludes my rancid rectum rant.


AN UPDATE OF SORTS

the first three day workshop in cali is set for the weekend of the fall equinox, late september. it is likely to be held in tilden park, berkeley. i will have the finalized information up by the next wu life for those of you interested in participating.

beyond that, i will also be speaking at the fourth annual taoist convention this year in oakland. this event is hosted by the zhi dao guan taoist center and will be held around the end of october.. you can find more information here: http://www.thetaoistcenter.com/conference2006/index2006.html

oooh, and then i have another workshop scheduled for thanksgiving weekend in san louis obispo, i will send out more information on that as things solidify.

then there is the hawaii trip.. the workshop there is still in the works, but the reiki training is a go. i have already confirmed it with my master there and he is anxious to give me the attunement. the cool thing is that my kung fu brother, sam the saint, will be joining me for his reiki training as well. party. as for the fund-raising, that is going well too,.. i am just 175 shy of my plane ticket, and then the rest of the funds will go to my tuition and living expenses. for those of you that would like to help contribute, there is a chip in site here: donationbox.blogspot.com

well.. that is all for this week. next week should be juicy,.. i plan on going up to the mountain to observe 'the day of the devil.' this will be my chance to see some cool taoist ceremony and perhaps run into a few demon spirits.. only joking of course.. but i'll let you all know how it goes.

all my love,
be tall.

wu life 232

WU LIFE 232


FASTING

it's been a minute since i took a break from eating, so i settled into a short three day cleanse this week. i started off with an afternoon of apples and asian pears to help ease in, and then it was right into the master cleanser solution (maple syrup, cayenne, lemon, water) for three whole days. i was prepared to go seven to ten, but yuan shifu always gets mad when i try to go longer than three days - and it goes without saying that i don't like it when my master is mad at me.

my fast this round was so easy. i don't know if i'm just used to it now or if i'm getting cleaner on the inside.. but i had no problems what so ever - no hunger pains, no dizzy spells, nothing. i did, however, take this herbal supplement that shifu gave me for more energy - but other than that, i was surprised to see how good i felt. it was so nice, i spent most of my time resting, reading, writing, and meditating on love and light.. i'm such a hippie. on the last day, i broke my fast with a couple apples in the afternoon and then i had some soup that evening. yum.


GET IT OUT

while fasting, i was motivated to read a book - 'cleanse and purify thyself' by dr. richard anderson.

man.. this book let me know a few things. i've been hip to internal cleanses for a little while now, and i thought that i knew enough, but this book absolutely blew my mind. dr. anderson goes into great depth about a substance found in the intestines which he calls mucosal plaque. for those that aren't hip to this stuff.. please put down your sandwiches for a moment and read on.

mucosal plaque is a mixture of mucous, undigested food, and compacted fecal matter that has accumulated over time along the intestinal wall. it is primarily found in the colon, but can coat the entire intestinal track from the tip of the tongue to the anus. yum. this plaque not only clogs your gut and inhibits nutritional assimilation, but it is also the perfect home for bacteria, yeast, and parasites. yum. 90% of americans have this plaque in there bodies to various degrees, and this internal toxicity is responsible for a plethora of ailments and diseases. yum. both elvis presly and john wayne died with nearly 40 pounds of this crap in their guts. yum.

what is the cause? acid. poorly planned meals, processed foods, meats, sugars, table salt, white flour, dairy, even negative emotions, all contribute to internal acidity. as a defense mechanism, the internal organs coat themselves with a thin layer of mucous until the acid subsides.. this is completely natural and normal,.. but when bad habits persist, the body does not have time to shed this layer of mucous, and eventually, layer upon layer upon layer is added until it solidifies and hardens into mucosal plaque. yum.

to get it out, there are several methods. just eating a salad or two is not good enough,.. even fasting can't get that crap out. one can either have a series of colonic irrigation treatments, or.. if having a tube put up your butt doesn't sound appealing, you can also take any number of the herbal remedies on the market.. colonix, for example ( drnatura.com ) is a very popular product. but,.. once that stuff is out, a fresh layer can grow back in just a matter of minutes if one does not take actions to change their dietary habits and lifestyle.

if you are interested in undergoing such a cleanse.. there are a few things to look for. first, make sure your program includes a parasite treatment. often times when the plaque is shed, the parasites no longer have a home, so they will burrow into the intestinal wall.. not good - so be sure there is some sort of de-wormer included in your treatment. you also want to make sure you get plenty of pro-biotics to replace your friendly flora that may be lost, and you also want to be sure you are getting all your essential minerals and electrolytes as well. super green foods for some of that good chlorophyll is a plus too. above all, it is of vital importance to take efforts to change your lifestyle and dietary habits to keep the mucous down.. but if that is not an option.. regular cleansing every 6 to 12 months is cool too.

for those of you that don't know too much about this stuff... i highly encourage you to do your research and look further into this topic. for those of you that are hip.. let me know - am i forgetting anything? for those of you that want to be grossed out with pictures of plaque that has been successfully removed.. follow this link: http://drnatura.com/picture_gallery.html

yum.


ALMOST DONE

i am officially down to my last month here in china and it is so hard to believe. in four short weeks.. that's four wu life's.. i'll be on a plane back to babylon. my time will be extremely pressed between teaching workshops, traveling, and making money, but i look forward to the opportunity to see all of you at least once before i shoot back over the international date line to further my learning next january. speaking of learning, i already have two workshops confirmed in california and one in the works in hawaii.. if any of you would like to participate and learn some taoist healing arts - drop me a line. oh.. another update.. my chip in account has successfully raised $50!!! yippee. it is still open for contribution, and if any of you would like to donate to my learning you can follow this link: donationbox.blogspot.com

all my aloha. i love and miss you all.


be tall,
-zi rong

wu life 231

WU LIFE 231


FAREWELL SAM

sadly.. sam the saint will be heading back to shanghai tomorrow afternoon. the last month-plus that i have spent with him has been really fun,.. lots of bad jokes, veggie dumplings, foot massages, good music, crazy training, and epic conversations. it will be hard to see my disciple brother off to the train station tomorrow, but in about one month's time, i'll be going through shanghai before returning to the states - that means more amazing indian food and more good times with brother sam. we still have one more night in wudang though.. so that means a really big vegetarian meal with our master and a super fabulous foot massage. such a hard life.


PALM CHANGE FOUR

in conversation with master yuan, we have both decided that it is probably best that i only learn half of the bagua this year, and learn the other half next year when i return to the mountain. on one hand i am sad that i am leaving without finishing,.. but on the other hand, i'd rather know half really well, then force feed myself the rest of the set just for the sake of finishing.

at any rate, i've started palm change four the other day and it is absolutely disgusting. the motion starts with a swift swivel of the hip that rolls into a double throat stab. after that, you step back and quickly drop into a crouching dragon posture to strike the groin. from there you spin up on a pivot to strike the sides of the neck with both forearms all before taking a really cool stance on one leg as if to avoid a sweep. from there, you take a short step forward to get in range for an explosive palm strike to the rib cage. after all that, you close with a few more circular throat stabs and a torquing stab to the liver. as nasty as all that sounds.. it's really beautiful and elegant. i can't wait to share it with you guys when i return.


REIKI ROCKS

this fall i intend on visiting my first martial master, bruce chu, in hawaii to receive my second level reiki attunement. for those of you that are unfamiliar with reiki, it is a method of channeling universal energy for the purpose of healing. i was attuned for reiki level one several years back and i have noticed that this skill has been a tremendous compliment to my massage practice. i never really told people that i had this skill, and i never really went around using it - i simply went about my massage practice as usual, all while being present to the healing capacity that i had been attuned to. consequently,.. i would get amazing results.. i would uncover unknown pains almost intuitively, i would be drawn to old injuries and sore spots almost instinctively, i could emit an amazing amount of soothing heat from my palms along the course of my sessions, and i could give instant relief to chronic pains and traumas after only a few moments of touch. of course these things didn't happen each and every time with each and every client,.. but it happened enough for me to take note of it and recognize the healing energy that has been transmitted through my being.

so, that is all reiki level one, hands on healing - reiki level two is pretty much the same thing except an individual is then able to transmit this healing from a distance.. which is particularly useful for me since i will be traveling the world for the next few years. i know it may seem far-fetched to some, but experiencing this energy first hand has made me a believer - so much so, that i have dedicated myself to mastering this method of healing. beyond that, having a strong foundation in healing is the perfect compliment to all my bagua groin strikes and throat stabs. (smile)

i'm sharing all this because i have set up a fund-raising tool through chipin.com. for those of you that would like to help me get to hawaii this fall to continue my healing work,.. you can easily contribute to my practice by pitching in a few bucks via credit card or pay pal. i have the chip in page set up on blogspot - simply follow the link bellow if you would like to help out.

www.DonationBox.blogspot.com


ALOHA

that's all for this week. i may not be able to give an update next week because i plan on spending a week on the mountain to fast and cleanse. however, your letters and love are still welcome and they will be received and reflected back in all their brilliance. till next round.

wu life 230

WU LIFE 230


MORE VISA ISSUES

so, it turns out that i was the first of many students to have visa troubles here in wudang. now.. three other students are faced with the same dilemma that i had last month - the worst of which has to be for my disciple brother kris. kris has been here training for nearly a year now, and when he attempted to extend his visa one last time before moving on with his training in nepal, the local government only gave him ten days instead of the two months that he paid for. beyond that.. they also held on to his passport for four days extra.. leaving him with only six days to make arrangements to leave the country. such drama. luckily,.. kris is ridiculously blessed.. everything just happened to work out in his favor and he will be able to make it out with one day to spare.. the other two students, however, may not be that lucky. with as much we foreigners contribute to the local economy, one would think that the government would be more supportive of us being here,.. but sadly, that's just not the case. no worries though.. for those of you intending to visit at some point, a three month tourist visa should be good enough to cover you for short stays - and for those of you interested in longer stays.. my kung fu brother sam's friend can set up business class visas in shanghai for up to a year. can't knock the hustle.


I LOVE BAGUA

as you all probably know by now.. i have been practicing bagua zhang, 'eight trigram palm,' for the last several months. i am absolutely in love with this set, but training it is a tremendous challenge. what makes it even more challenging is that i am learning it in the 'traditional' way.. this means i get very limited instruction, and LOTS of time to practice - so, while other students may get 15 to 20 minutes of personal instruction per class, i'm lucky if i get 5 minutes per week. obviously, this can be very frustrating. the other day, however, was my chance to get my five minutes of schooling, and shifu dropped a gem on me.

'now you are learning bagua.. bagua zhang is not like tai chi. in tai chi, the movements are slow, soft, and expressive.. bagua, on the other hand, is big, fast, explosive, and destructive. the movements flow like a swimming dragon ripping and coiling through the clouds in huge circles and spirals. bagua is one of the best forms to develop both internal and external coordination, timing, balance, and power. everyone can learn bagua, but bagua is not for everyone.. it is a very high level form..

'there are several points to be aware of in practice.. particularly in the hips, waist, and shoulders. the forward momentum comes from the hips. the hips must remain level and strong yet fluid and free,.. the practitioner must be able to sit back comfortably in his stance and glide gracefully throughout the movements. next is the waist,.. all the power comes from the waist. the waist torques and twists like a swivel on a pivot. the waist is the core of the body, all movement originates from this point and returns to it. the shoulders are also important. with the shoulders rounded and relaxed, the power generated from the core can be released and expressed through the arms like whips. when these external elements are in harmony, then you are beginning to understand bagua..'


THE GEAR

a few brothers and i have been frequenting the local tailor for some custom threads lately. man,.. i can never wear normal clothes again - i just wish i could afford to have all my clothes custom from now on. anyway,.. the latest round of threads came just in time for kris's departure, so all of us got together for one last epic photo shoot. now, we've been doing these shoots about once every-other month or so, and they are lots of fun.. but it's really cool to see how each of us are improving - kung fu can really transform a person's body, mind and soul,.. my brothers and i are living testimonies to the miraculous benefits of continued practice.. plus, we look really sharp in our kung fu clothes.

if you would like to peruse the pics,.. a small selection has been posted on picassa.. peep em.
http://picasaweb.google.com/chinagiant


FIN

that's all for this week. i love you and miss you all.. especially YOU MOM.

kris is leaving today,.. sam is leaving in another week or so, and then i'll be gone just a few short weeks after that. the countdown continues - i will see you all very soon.

all my aloha,
-zi rong

wu life 229

WU LIFE 229


SEVEN WEEKS LEFT


i was looking at a calendar just now and i realized that i am down to my last seven weeks here in wudang! my, how the last eight months have flown by. it seems like just last week i was frolicking in the snow covered mountains and busting my butt on the slippery ice. now, i am down to my last leg here and it's bitter sweet. on one end, i have really gotten into the habit of daily training, and i have established quite a role here in the school as a disciple and senior student.. but on the other end, i am anxious to catch up with friends and family back in the states and share the wealth of knowledge that i have gathered.

so here's the deal.. i get home in time for my mother's birthday at the end of september. after that, i go backpacking in the mountains for one month so as to help adjust back to 'normal' life and allow myself a chance to decompress. from there, i am scheduled to speak at the taoist convention again, then right after that, i'm on a plane to honolulu, hawaii. once there, i get to spend some time with my tao daughter for her second birthday,.. plus, i get my level two reiki attunement from bruce chu and i also get to run a qigong workshop as well.. good fun. after hawaii, i'll be all over california running workshops every weekend.. san louis obispo, berkeley, oakland,.. just to name a few. then in december, i hope to take on a ten day silence retreat at the vipassana camp before wrapping up my year. after all that.. i'm looking at a short stay in taiwan come january to catch up with some friends there, then about a month in thailand to pick up some advanced thai massage in changmai. once all that is done, i should be back in wudang for another eight months or so to continue my practice - only to come back to the states the following fall to do it all over again. dave wei has a hard life.

but, i'm not one to project too far ahead.. i really like to be present. in the mean time, things have really picked up for me here in wudang.. it is non-stop. from about 5:30am to about 10 or 11pm it's go-time. on top of our five to six hours of class time per day, i also get about an hour or two of meditation in, along with some supplementary exercises that i do on my own time - so training is pretty much a full time job for me here. if that weren't enough, i also juggle about 7 massage students and 6 english students during my down time. beyond that, i also have to find time to translate documents and write articles for my master, as well as respond to emails from prospective students,.. and there's more.. i still have to keep up with my own articles for kung fu magazine, and i also like to write my blog once a week too.. which gets tough. plus.. i've also become some what of an ambassador here, so every time we have a new student, i get to show them around town and make sure they don't get ripped off by the local vendors. then when time permits, i still have to do laundry and all that other domestic stuff as well. whew.. who would have ever thought living a life of passion would be so demanding... but as confucius says.. 'do what you love, and never work a day of your life.'


AFTER PAIN, COMES PLEASURE

so,.. i'm hurt. nothing serious, but this bagua form is kicking my butt. i'm so sore, i can hardly move in the mornings. it's a good pain though.. the pain of progress. one afternoon, shifu gave me a massage.. such a blessing really.. our master doesn't just go around handing out massages.. so i'm quite fortunate actually. he started by digging his dragon claws into my shoulders, then he proceeded to roll his finger tips over the dense muscle fibers and tendons. the pain was crippling.. the kind of pain that makes your eyes roll back while you scream in silence. the next ten minutes had to be the most disturbingly painful massage experience i had ever received, as he ripped and clawed all along my neck, shoulder, and back. by the end of it though.. i was loose as a noodle, and all the pain and tension that i had before had been magically alleviated. i had been healed.

extremely happy with the results from shifu's painful poking,.. i decided to treat myself to a massage from the blind master, whom i haven't seen in quite some time now. once there, i let him tackle the pain in my lower back, hips, and thighs. he started by plunging his elbows deep into the hollow areas of my thighs and rolled them around fiercely till i sprawled about like a hooked fish. as i bit the pillow in pain, he simply chuckled and said.. 'no problem.' two hours later, i slid of the table like a jelly fish and melted into ground below me. pain works,.. so much so, i went back the next morning for an equally painful follow-up session. good times.

funny thing is, after all the painful massages that i have received here in china, i feel these methods have somewhat carried over into my own practice. now i find my self digging into people in much the same way.. i even get the same little chuckle as the person crumbles under my grip. though somewhat disturbing, it is super effective,.. i can only hope that it carries over well with my clients back in the states,.. if not, i may have to re-learn 'gentle' massage again.


LOVE BOMBS

i love dumplings. what sucks, is that here in china, EVERY DUMPLING SPOT packs their dumplings with pork - super nasty. however, over time, i have managed to find a few friends that will make the vegetable goody mouth bombs for me, and i've been loving it. now,.. we get dumplings twice a week from a local wonton shop, plus dumplings every so often from our school's cook. if that weren't enough, i found yet another sweet lady that makes the massive tofu, mushroom, celery dumplings.. whoooo... add a little garlic and vinegar.. mouth party. me and my disciple brothers, sam, kris, and jeff, throw down on the dumplings each and every chance we get.. yum. with only seven weeks left, i'll be getting as many as i can before my time is up.


FIN

thank you all for the well wishes and love letters. when time permits i will surely reply to each and every letter personally. i love you and miss you all, and i look forward to hugs and such upon my return. aloha all.

-zi rong