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



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May all beings be happy.