Wu Life

WU LIFE 309

2008-06-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

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.

WU LIFE 308

2008-06-27T01:08:00.000-07:00

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.

WU LIFE 307

2008-06-27T01:07:00.000-07:00

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.

WU LIFE 306

2008-06-27T01:05:00.000-07:00

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.

WU LIFE 305

2008-06-27T01:04:00.000-07:00

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.

WU LIFE 304

2008-06-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

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

WU LIFE 303

2008-01-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

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.

WU LIFE 302

2008-01-22T01:05:00.000-08:00

WU LIFE 302

BACK TO BASICS

to paraphrase my dear brother sam tripp..

'rice is the foundation of every chinese meal; similarly, basic exercises are the foundation of traditional martial arts. without a strong foundation, all you have is flavor and no substance. just as there is no real meal without rice.. there is no real kung fu without strong basics.' ..word.

i love my basics. for those that have trained with me.. they know i can easily spend hours drilling the exact same basic movements over and over and over again. i really love my basics. it has been said.. 'i don't care about the ten thousand movements you've done once.. i'm worried about the one movement you've done ten thousand times.' ..or.. 'know a hundred movements, but master one.'

it's all about the basics.. so when shifu offered to teach me the basic fist set, i jumped at the opportunity. our basic form is really simple.. it has all the five basic stances, and it is a great form for developing timing, coordination, mechanics, control, balance, power, endurance, and flow.. everything you need for good kung fu. i managed to pick up the entire set within three days - approximately 15 hours of class time - which is very fast by my standards.. since then, i've been drilling the set intensively - bit by bit, part by part.. making sure each movement is crisp and defined. i love my rice, and i love my basics. i'm so motivated.

STRUCTURE

when i first came to wudang mountain to train two years ago, there was absolutely no structure to the foreigners' class - no warm ups, no conditioning, no group or partnered work,.. nothing. if you came to class, great,.. if not, then you just waste your time and tuition. students were driven by there own personal initiative and they trained at their own pace. personally, i enjoyed it a lot because it gave me a chance to develop self discipline.. but now, things are very different.

these days, every class is kicked off with an hour of basic exercises. this includes stretching, conditioning, kicks, and coordination drills - very structured. from there, the class typically breaks off into groups depending on what each click is learning. very, very structured. to make it even better,.. now, nearly everyone knows the basic sets - and when we get together to do them as a class, the energy is indescribable. structure is nice.

in just the two, three months that i have been away, i've seen tremendous growth in the students that have stuck around.. and in all my training, i have never seen students evolve so quickly - i'm assuming it's due to the new class format.. and if it is.. i'm looking forward to a powerful year of transformation. structure is nice - i'm so motivated.

BITTER WORK

midweek, i had an opportunity to take my master and two martial uncles to hot pot for dinner.. what a treat,.. and to share the bliss, my kung fu brother derek jumped in the mix too. they say, 'every moment shared with the master is an opportunity to learn,' so i was all ears when he started to share stories of his personal training..

'when i lived in the temple, we worked very hard. here, there are two classes each day, one class in the morning, and another in the afternoon.. when i trained, we had FOUR classes each day, two in the morning, one in the afternoon, and another in the evening! here, i give you one day to rest each week.. when i trained, there was no such thing as a day off - if the master was in a good mood, MAYBE we would get one class off to rest, otherwise, we trained.. no matter what.

'if you were sick or hurt, you trained anyway. if your legs hurt, you trained fists.. if your arms hurt, you trained kicks - my master accepted no excuse for missing a class. if you could open your eyes, you had to train. kung fu is HARD WORK, of course you will have pain, of course you will be sore - that means you are working.. so keep training!

'when the day was finally over, our master never worried about us getting into trouble.. we were too tired! now, students stay up all night, playing on the computer, flirting, smoking, drinking, and having fun.. when i trained in the temple - no one had energy to do anything else - we were too exhausted from training.

'these days, students do not know what it is like to 'eat bitter.' they are too scared to train real kung fu.. one moment someone's foot will hurt too much to train, but after class they are running around and playing ping pong. they don't have real pain.. they just don't want to train. kung fu is HARD WORK.'

the whole time shifu spoke, all i could do was listen - jaw dropped in awe. how dare i consider myself a martial artist, shame on me. it's time to step it up - i'm so motivated.

THIS CAN'T BE REAL

my body is transforming. my mind is evolving. my entire being is resonating at a different frequency now - i can hardly recognize myself anymore.

one especially cold afternoon, class was held indoors due to a snow storm. after the basic exercises were finished, we all practiced the five animal qigong set together as a group. for the most part, it was just an ordinary session, but my experience was far from ordinary.

with each breath, a fire grew inside me from deep within my belly. a serene calm came over me and my movements seemed to flow without a single thought or cognition,.. it was as if i was being moved by remote control, while my awareness simply observed - like a scientist, keenly observing his subject. as cool as that may sound, my words still fall short of the real thing.. the experience was beyond description. to add to the awe.. my entire body was pumping out steam! it was as if every single one of my pores was breathing - and the cold only made it that much more observable.. you could literally see steam coming out through my clothes! my hands and head gave off the most.. even the instructor took notice and said i looked like a lit stick of incense. wow. i was immediately reminded of the tibetan monks that meditate outside in the snow with wet towels wrapped around their bodies - is this really happening to me? this can't be real - can it?

i have to train more! i'm so motivated.

ALOHA ALL

thus concludes another week in the wu - where transformation and transcendence is common occurrence, and where hard working practitioners chew bitter to taste sweet. but before wrapping this round up, i would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all my friends, family, and loved ones for their continued love and support along this journey of mine. i trust that through my evolution, you will sew that seed of personal development within yourself and come to experience the joy of your own, individual transformation - only to ignite that same passion in others.. and so on, and so on, and so on...

may all beings fulfill their personal potential.
get motivated.

see you on the other shore,
-wei zi rong

WU LIFE 301

2008-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

WU LIFE 301

TREACHEROUS TREKS AND HELLACIOUS HIKES

shanghai was slamming, but nature had a curve ball for dave wei.

the departure rocked. the train ride was awesome, and i even got to sleep the whole way through to wuhan (china's hot pot), the capitol city of hubei province - but i was lucky enough to arrive in the middle of a blizzard.. the first snow wuhan has seen in three years. to complicate the situation further, the train station was under construction for renovation.. so i had to drag my big bags through muddy-snow-sludge along ultra crowded, round-about detour routes around the station. by the time i get to the ticketing booth.. it turns out that all the tickets to wudang are sold out for the next week.. there isn't even standing space. so from there, i back track, against traffic, through the detours to a bus station only to find out all the busses are canceled due to the storm too. wa waaaa. so now, i have to get a room.. this is where it gets good.

i start dragging my bags down the muddy, sludgy streets in the middle of a blizzard to find a hotel. when i find one, they won't let me stay cause i'm laowai (foreigner).. so i drag my bags further still to another (more expensive) foreigner spot.. but now i can't get a room because i don't have a passport (it's being processed in shanghai for my visa).. wa waaaaaa. i do, however, manage to get a standing ticket for the train the very next morning from the ticketing service at the hotel (finally, some good news), but without a room, i would have to sleep in the train station.. which is no bueno.

in light distress, i call my master. he advised that i should stay in the hotel lobby to rest until they kick me out - i would need my chi if i was going to sleep in the station that night. right? his advice was sound, so i plopped my wet, muddy, exhausted self on a couch and kicked it in the lobby. some two hours later, a young man, apparently sent by my friend cathy in wudang, came to rent a room for me in his name so that i wouldn't be stranded. life saver. after we were set, i treated him to some street noodles and green onion pancakes for saving me from the stormy streets that night. such a blessing.

after our little meal, we took a nice walk back to the hotel. along the walk, he noticed i wasn't even shivering despite the cold snow storm.. i replied, 'i practice qigong, i'm not scared of cold, nor am i scared of heat.' he chuckled in response.. 'i'm the same,' he says.. 'i'm only scared of my wife.' ahh.. jokes - i love em.

from there, i got back into the room for a good rest.. cause the next day's ride was going to be juicy.

come morning time, i rose to see that the blizzard continued well through the night.. what a great start. since my train was set to depart from a station on the other side of town, i left super early to make sure i had ample time.. and it's good that i did too.. it took me an hour just to get a cab, and then it took another hour to get to the station! i literally get to the station just as the last group of passengers are boarding.. close call. once on the train, i arranged my bags in such a way so that i can sit on them comfortably in preparation for the eight hour, ultra-crammed, standing-space only train ride. yummy. along the way, i faced everything that i would have expected to face on a chinese train.. filth, spitting, baby excrement, yelling, smoking, staring.. yummy.

now, as if my travel time wasn't challenging enough, the train passed right through wudang without stopping! powerless at this point, i ride it out.. finally, the train stops in shiyan city, about one hour away from wudang. as luck would have it.. there was a blizzard there too, so all the busses were canceled and all the taxis wanted a ridiculously over priced fare to take me home to the wu. finally, after standing in the snow for what seemed like an eternity, i managed to find a cargo truck that would take me to the mountain town for 100 kuai (compared to the 5 kuai it should cost by bus), but it was my only choice. so then, after making a number of detours, i finally arrived at my school. man.
you know, despite the madness, i somehow managed to keep a smile on my face. no matter how muddy, wet, dirty, or tired i got.. no matter how cold it was, no matter how drenched my luggage got, or how desperate the situation became.. i still managed to smile. see.. if anyone has some bad karma coming for past wrongs.. it's dave wei.. and if this little travel drama is the vehicle upon which my suffering is handed back to me, then it is for me to smile and endure with peace - planting seeds of patience and compassion for the next harvest. wandering taoist with a buddha heart.. the world is on my side.

NINE BOWS

i made it! after getting my bags up to my room, i come to find out that my master had been running all over town looking for me.. ahh, to be loved. an hour later, he pulls back up to the school. the second he sees me he starts scolding me in his fatherly tone.. 'ni zheng si fan tong!' ~ 'you really are a rice bucket!' (rice bucket=only good for eating). but before i even made eye contact, i immediately dropped to my knees and proceeded to kowtow (traditional bow where the head touches the ground) nine times to show my respects and gratitude. after the third, he tried to pull me up, but i kept going.. after the sixth, his wife started to pull me up too, but i kept going.. after the ninth, i held my head to the ground and only got up after my master applied pressure to a sensitive area in my shoulder. ouch.

when i finally looked up at my master, the look in his eye was one of love. i made it home.

ALOHA ALL

and it's on.. wu life 300 is underway. thank you to all my loved ones, friends, family, and sponsors.. yes, i got sponsors! three or four good friends have been kind enough to contribute 10-20 bucks a month towards my training - it ain't much, but a monk don't need a lot to live.. wanna contribute too? ask me how.

oh.. and on a side note.. my kung fu brother sam tripp is going to be heading back to the states in the spring to run a few workshops all throughout california.. i'm sure every one will be welcome, but if you don't have any martial experience.. prepare to get rocked - sam's got skills. if you're interested in hooking up with him, extend your intent towards me and i'll reflect it his way.

and that's all for this week. stay tuned for more adventures.. this year is going to be powerful..

may all beings be happy,
-wei zi rong

WU LIFE 300

2008-01-11T18:56:00.000-08:00

WU LIFE 300

THE SUBTLE JOY OF EQUANIMITY

for the last leg of my stay in the bay, i challenged myself with a ten-day silent meditation retreat up at the california vipassana center near yosemite. i couldn't think of a better way to enjoy the holidays and ring in the new year. the experience was unbelievable,.. i highly recommend everyone try this program. now please be aware.. ten days of silence sure does sound nice, but this isn't exactly a vacation.. we're talking ten hours of meditation every day for ten days.. it is extremely challenging - but at the same time, equally rewarding. so if you wanna sharpen your awareness, you can get more information here.. dhamma.org it is offered all over the world, and it's all free! do it!

STRANDED IN CHINA

soon after the retreat, it was time for me to head back to china. i was so busy trying to pull together whatever money i could to fund my training this year, that i hardly got to spend anytime with my friends and loved ones this round. so sadly, i think a lot of people aren't too happy with me - sorry mom. but, happy or not, i still have a reality to create.. and i'd rather be busy than stagnant - so work it is.

upon my departure.. i had to face the most torrential downpour of the year. tons of water came down in buckets, and gusts of wind were clocked at nearly 80 mph. it was insane. needless to say, my flight got delayed three hours - which in turn, made me miss my connecting flight in beijing. so once in the middle kingdom, i had to camp out at the beijing airport for the night before catching the next available flight to shanghai. good fun. if anything, it gave me a chance to read - two books, some 600 pages.. i love it. so glad i came strapped with text.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT SHANGHAI

for those of you that have followed my adventures.. you would know that i have always had issues with shanghai.. for the longest time, i just couldn't get right with this city, but now that i am a vipassana meditator (wink wink) all is blissed and bright for dave wei, even shanghai.

the highlight of this round would have to be all the time i got to spend with my disciple brothers jeff and sam. we are some silly dudes. but beyond that.. what made this trip super ultra disgusting (in a good way) would have to be learning imperial dragon bagua from master ming in the park every morning.

this system is amazing.. there is no other way to describe it. ming shifu is awesome, and his sound effects are hilarious. we got along immediately and i was so happy to spend my mornings with him picking up this rare style of bagua zhang. ming shifu ran me through a barrage of training methods.. line drills, applications, footwork, push-hand techniques, conditioning exercises, standing postures, circle walking.. the works. once again, i am humbled by bagua training.. my body is sore allover,.. but i am so excited about incorporating these methods to my regular routine. party.

AND I'M OFF

tonight i head back to wudang mountain. the year of the pig is coming to a close, and the new year is upon us - making travel in china ridiculously difficult. because of that.. there are no direct trains available so i have to transfer in the capitol city of wuhan. despite the drama, however, my travel time will be cut by 6 hours and the bulk of it is spent over night.. so it's not bad at all.. i think i may have found a new way to get back to the mountains.

and that's all. the wu life 300 series is now underway. lots of good stuff is lined up this year so stay tuned.

see you on the other shore,
-wei zi rong

wu life 236

2007-09-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 236

THE shang-HAI LIFE

ahhh, the dreaded train.. 26 hours of filthy, stinky, spitting, and screaming.. great fun. this last trip wasn't so bad though.. there was a really sweet young lady that got on the train with me, and we managed to talk about mucoid plaque for a majority of the ride. granted, i'm not exactly fluent with chinese.. so i couldn't fully express myself in regards to this (fecal) matter,.. but with all my excitement and the help of a few pictures from my book, i think i got the point across. in all, the train ride went well - lots of MP3s, reading, and resting. i did, however, get my usual sinus slam from all the recycled air on the train - but aside from that, transit wasn't too bad this round.

by the time i got in.. i had a day to play before ramadhan, so i had super spicy ginger soup with every meal to try and smash my sinus slime.. for the most part, it worked, and by the next day, i was ready for ramadhan.

MY FIRST RAMADHAN

i've been hip to the month long daylight fast for many many years now.. i remember teasing friends with lunchtime cupcakes and pizza in grade school whenever this month long fast came around.. i remember it being especially difficult for my friends when day light savings would hit. i thought to myself.. 'these people are crazy! why don't they just eat something?' ..now, 15 years later, here i am embarking on my first ramadhan.

funny thing is, i've been wanting to observe ramadhan for the last four years now, but i always seemed to find out about it halfway through the season, so i would always just skip it. this year, however, i got the heads up three months in advance, so it seemed that this time would be the right time. to make it even better, i also plan to do my first colon cleanse as soon as i get back to the states.. ramadhan rocks.. what a perfect time to flush my gut and reset some internal harmonies.

it's now day three of the sunlight fasting. my brother sam, whom i'm staying with here in shanghai, is also observing the season with me. we are both regular fasters now, so that, teamed with a little martial discipline is making this thing a breeze. by the time sunset drops, the meal time becomes such a meditative practice,.. slowly enjoying each carefully calculated chew, appreciating every taste sensation, grateful for every swallow... i love fasting, it always helps me remember how much i love food, and how little gratitude i show for it. ramadhan rocks.

I'M LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

in less than 12 hours, i'll be on a jet plane to travel over 6000 miles across the pacific ocean back to my home in the bay. i have lots to look forward to. i would like to thank everyone that put up with my weekly generic journals over the course of these nine months.. just think, soon you'll get a chance to slap me for clogging your inbox all these months.

there is, however, a typhoon right now in shanghai.. i hope that it doesn't effect my travel plans. anyway.. i'm heading home.. see you soon!

wu life 235

2007-09-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 235

TEACHER'S DAY

this last monday was teachers day here in china - this is a pretty big holiday for the chinese. in traditional china, being a teacher is probably one of the most respectable positions in society.. there is even a saying here,.. 'a day your teacher, a lifetime your father.'

with teacher day in mind.. i was present to all the teachers that have helped influence my path. of course there are my teachers from my childhood education that helped set my foundation for learning, then there are the teachers that i found in high school that helped me see past the richmond city streets to a greater possibility of being. in college, i was further blessed with brilliant teachers that helped refine my skills and broaden my knowledge. then of course, there are my martial, cultural, and spiritual masters that have helped me develop my interest of the arts into a bountiful passion that drives my existence towards a higher purpose for being. i would be nothing without the skillful guidance of such masters.

off the bat, i can name several teachers that have blessed my path.. Bruce Chu, Dr. Y.C. Chiang and his wife Hui Liu, Randal Enos, Dr. Robert Santee, Christine Atkins-Brooks, Au Seng, Dr. Alex Feng, Dr. Brian O'dey, Dr. Michael Reed Gach, Joyce Thom, Jason Frye, Sam Tripp, Joe Dolan, Lance Skewis, Loc Huynh,.. the list goes on all the way down to my current master Yuan Xiu Gang, the man whom i have committed my life of practice to.

outside of that long list of realized masters, daily i am graced with other instructors as well.. each day i learn from friends, experiences, and situations.. i was once told that 'when the student is ready, the master will present himself.. and if the master is not present, then the student should learn to be humble and be present to the masters that were there all along.' i am blessed to have been presented with so many remarkable teachers along my path.. most especially my mom - my first teacher. all my love.

TIME'S UP

this is it, i leave wudang tomorrow morning. from here i make my way to shanghai for a brief layover and then i shoot back to the states to embrace my family and loved ones. to look back at my last nine months is rather overwhelming.. thankfully, i have each week documented in a Wu Life journal! (smile)

each week has just been a power packed experience of personal growth, and i would like to thank each and every one of you that have taken the time to read all my generic journals along the way. next week, i will be writing a short entry from shanghai, and then from there, i will be giving shorter sporadic entries to keep track of my colon cleansing and the workshops i host. next year i will start with the 300 series..

THE LATEST

thank you all for your generosity with my chip in account.. i now have enough to purchase my plane ticket to hawaii - i'm sure the other funds i need for food, shelter, and training will fall into place in their own time,.. as they always do. for those of you that would still like to help (dad), you can follow this link to make a contribution via paypal:

donationbox.blogspot.com

as for the the other news.. i have a whole line up of workshops lined up and ready to rock. the first off will be in berkeley late september.. then, the next few will be set one per week in november - hawaii first, santa rosa second, san louis obispo after that, and possibly LA after that. busy body. for more information on those, you can follow this link:

wudangworkshops.blogspot.com

the last bit of news is the taoist conference in oakland. i am scheduled to make two appearances this year. the first talk will be on iron body qigong, and the second will be on foundation exercises of the internal martial arts. for more information on my work, and the work of the other masters that will be presenting you can follow this link:

http://www.thetaoistcenter.com/conference2006/index2006.html

well.. that is it ya'll. this chapter is up and i'm off on a twenty-six hour train ride to embark on the next bit. stay tuned for the further adventures of david wei..

i love you all.

-zi rong

wu life 234

2007-09-06T02:10:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 234

THE GHOST FESTIVAL

It was a cold and stormy night,.. well, not quite.. but it was pretty cold and misty. i had to wear my jacket.

brother jeff and i, led by our tour guide cathy, shot up the mountain one night to observe a taoist ceremony - the ghost festival. originally, we went up thinking it was some sort of devil day, and we were excited at the possibility of seeing a taoist exorcism, or better yet, A GHOST!!! but alas, there was nothing of the sort.. what there was, however, was a beautiful ceremony held in honor of our ancestors past. money was burnt and offerings of fruit, crackers, and soft drinks were made. the event itself was held at the mystical purple heaven palace, and it was truly amazing to witness such a ceremony.. ghosts or not. to make it even better, we ran into so many of our martial uncles that night, and we even got to burn some money for our loved ones passed - i hope my grandma and grandpa enjoy the red envelopes i sent em.

that night, there was no way to get off the mountain, so we stayed in a small hotel for the night. the next morning, was so damp and misty that you couldn't even see 20 feet ahead of you - it was so awesome. after a short breakfast, cathy led jeff and i to a small temple cave that was inhabited by one old monk. seeing the monk was so surreal.. he rocked the classic taoist robes with a taoist cap that had a hole for his taoist top knot. his weathered, wrinkled face was highlighted by his deep glowing eyes,.. and further accented by his long, gray, knotty beard. his smile lines creased as he chuckled a welcome, revealing his crusty, toothless grill. his steps were light and soft,.. he gracefully glided across the rocky ground before inviting us to have a seat on two old meditation cushions. once seated, he disappeared into the temple for a moment only to come out with apples for everyone - apples that had been blessed from the previous night. we sat and chatted for a while, and he told us how numerous legendary masters such as zhang san feng and xuan wu had cultivated and trained at that very cave. jeff and i could hardly contain ourselves. as a parting gift, the monk pulled out a couple hand carved jade pieces and handed them to us with a smile. he walked us about half way down the path before fading back into the forest temple cave. i'm still in awe.

after all that goodness, jeff and i walked back to the purple heaven palace and checked out all the halls and temples,.. we stopped in each one to make small offerings and to give our respects to the deities. at the top of the temple grounds we found the parental hall, so jeff and i took a moment to go in and give an offering of honor to our parents,.. it was especially cool because there was a nun inside that rang a small gong each timed we bowed.. it was magical. from there, we chatted with a sweet old nun that was feeding the turtles and fish in one of the octagon elixir pools - there were two, one for the sun, and the other for the moon. before leaving, we took the time to take a couple kung fu pictures along the steps like good tourists. in all, the whole experience seemed like a fairytale - it was nothing short of amazing.

MONKEY VALLEY MADNESS

earlier this week, the government invited our school up the mountain to the mouth of monkey valley to enjoy a competition. that day was extremely cold and wet, and it rained nearly all morning as they set up for the show. to kill time, we all just chatted with students from the mountain schools and did our best to keep from getting soaked. the funniest part of the morning had to be this director that yelled orders at everyone.. you could even see his face get red, it was cute. once the event started, we were shocked to see that wu ben, the master of jet li, was invited as a judge - and here we are sitting just a few feet behind him! could this week get any better?

the event itself was rather boo boo. there was only a short martial arts demo, most of which was contemporary wushu - which is more like a flash dance than kung fu - there was even a guy that was trying to move like bruce lee.. really, really boo boo. after the martial arts demo, there was this silly event where the participants had to sing or dance.. now that was really cheesy. everyone that sang, blatantly lip synced, and the only cool dancers were these two dudes that did a breaking routine. all the rest were horrible. the whole show was more like a 'star search',.. it was nothing like a traditional kung fu competition. to boot, the event ended with a rigged vote to see who would win some fancy sword.. well, if anything, it was entertaining,.. but i would have rather been training.

TIME IS WINDING DOWN

i am now officially down to my last 8 days in wudang. from here, i shoot over to shanghai for a couple days, and then i'm on a jet plane across the pacific to my home by the bay - richmond, california.

once home, i'll be running a weekend workshop in berkeley - and just in time for the autumn equinox on the 23rd.. i'm really looking forward to it! it will be a three day program, saturday and sunday morning, and one monday evening to close. i plan to share a lot of goodies including taoist yoga, breathing, meditation, qigong, and more. you can find more information about this program here:

www.WudangWorkshops.blogspot.com

as for my hawaii fund raising.. i am still just 200 shy of a plane ticket. hopefully, i can get that taken care of before i leave china. if any of you would care to contribute (dad), you can do it via paypal here:

www.DonationBox.blogspot.com

alright, that's it for this round. now i gotta get back to packing up my winter gear for storage and breaking down my office here.. time is almost up. catch you all next week for my last wu life in wudang.

aloha

wu life 233

2007-08-26T17:59:00.002-07:00

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

2007-08-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

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

wu life 228

2007-07-26T08:07:00.001-07:00

WU LIFE 228

BACK ON TH BLOCK

i am back in wudang now. the week long fiasco over in shanghai has ended, and i am now peacefully back in wudang shan, ready to wrap up my last two months of training.

the 20+ hour train ride back wasn't too bad - the last five hours were especially entertaining. i was in my usual idiotic form, joking it up with the locals, singing ridiculously loud nonsense songs, breaking personal space barriers, and playing with the keikis.. the chinese folks seemed to really get a kick out of it, and sam, who made the return trip back with me, seemed to really enjoy the laugh as well. it was good fun.

once back in town, sam and i immediately treated ourselves to a bowl of hand-cut noodle soup from one of the local hole-in-the-wall grub spots in wudang. all the locals immediately recognized our return and gave us big loving welcomes.. sometimes i forget how famous we've become here. after the noodles, a big group of us went to the massage parlor to get our feet soaked in herbs and massaged with oils. when all that goodness was over, i ran down to pay the first bill i had payed all week. as generous as sam has been to me the whole while in shanghai, it was nice to finally pay a bill myself again,.. ahhh, the simple pleasures.

the next day was our first day training. sam, who was especially feeling it after a hectic last two days in shanghai was burnt out,.. and myself, who had been sick 6 of the 7 days over in shanghai, was feeling a little off too.. so both of us decided to take it easy and give our bodies time to simply appreciate the healing space we were in now. the following day, however, found the two of us feeling much better, and the intensity of our training was a reflection of that. ahh, it's good to be back.

TEACHING THAI MASSAGE

the local massage spot that we frequent displayed a little interest in learning thai massage, and i, being the pseudo thai masseuse master that i am, offered to teach them. i really love thai massage,.. apart from chinese tui na and hawaiian lomi lomi, thai is where it's at. i was lucky enough to learn a table thai set back in berkeley, and a few of the advanced students and i, worked it into a floor routine, so i have a pretty good grasp on the material. anyway, i showed a few of the girls at the massage spot and they were stoked.

so now, i'll be teaching them massage three days out of the week.. plus, i also started teaching tui na to one of the apprentice instructors here as well for another two days,.. so that makes five days of massage a week for me. this is really good, because teaching massage always means receiving massage, and i'm always happy to catch some touch. the other thing is that it is a good break from all the kung fu i've been doing, and it will give me some practice before i get back into the massage business when i head back to the states. it's all working out nicely.

BAGUA PALM CHANGE

bagua zhang, eight trigram palm, is composed of eight transitional palm strikes. i have already learned two, and i am currently learning the third. this particular movement is really ridiculous. it opens with a block that rolls into a low groin strike. from there, you step into a double wrist break, before opening the opponents defense and thrusting your toe into their throat with a stabbing spear kick. after that, you step back and block another opponent's attack and then grab their balls and throw them over your shoulder. as devastating as that sounds, it is a really beautiful expression of twisting and torquing movements that start high and round, then end low, like a coiling, crouching dragon.

sadly.. for a person my size, such movements are really difficult to execute, which is why i've been in such pain these last three months trying to learn this set. however, i am slowly getting the hang of it and it is coming a long nicely. of course i am no where near mastery, but my body is constantly changing, and i feel in time i will have a strong grasp on this set. i love it.

FIN

alright, that's it for this week. i'm glad to be back in the mix here. just think, in 8 more weeks i'll be heading back to the states - that's so fast. as much as i love it here, i am looking forward to burritos and sandwiches. till next week, aloha.

-zi rong

wu life 227

2007-07-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 227

TOO BAD SAM TRIPP HATES DAVE WEI

shanghai still sucks,.. but sam tripp has been the best host times ten thousand, million, billion, trillion.

sadly, i had a head cold for the majority of my stay here. i think between the typhoon i endured to get here, the recycled train air, all the dusty climate control, all the second hand smoke, the pollution, and the city grime,.. i put my immunity system through a rough ride. funny though,.. it seems that every time i come to shanghai i come down with a little bit of nastiness. even when sam comes to visit me in the wu, he seems to host something from here that gets me all nasty too.. shanghai and i just don't get along.

sam the saint, however, wasted no effort in making sure every thing i could possibly need or want was taken care of. each day we are eating amazing vegetarian love food, each day there was tons of fresh water and watermelon, each day we shared amazing and enlightening conversation, and each outing was a public display of tremendous idiocracy. daniel reid would certainly approve,.. such good fun. the craziest part, was that aside form my initail trip here, sam has fit the bill for every single expense. it was really hard to receive such generocity, but sam demanded that i give in to the love. such a good brother.

VISA TROUBLES VANQUISHED

sam introduced me to a gentleman by the name of magic. his name is magic because he works wonders with the visa. i simply gave him my passport, and told him to fix it.. no crazy paperwork, no physical examinations, absolutely no red tape what so ever. five days later, after an express order, my visa was complete. beyond that, i now have the connection to get year-long, multi-entry, business-class visas.. i should never have another issue with immigration again. have i mentioned that sam is a saint?

GOOD TIMES

despite the nastiness that is shanghai,.. i still managed to enjoy some amazing times here. the first big thing was checking out a beautiful temple on the 15th. we got to see monks holding a service and everything,.. it was really nice. sam and i also checked out a reiki group and got hip to some really interesting reiki juice.. that was also really cool. we also checked out a beautiful buddhist family and had an enlightening conversation the mom.. simply amazing. OH, and we also got to fire the grid and participate in a worldwide healing meditation.. that rocked too. then last night, we got to have a little fun at the reggae night downtown.. skank nasty.

today, i need to pack up and get ready to head back to the mountain. if all goes well, sam and i will be on the 26 hour train ride back to the wu this sunday. then,.. by monday we'll be back on the mountian stacking chi.

that's it for this week. thank you all for the love.. i will be sure to respond to all the lvoe letters as soon as i get settled back into wu life.

-zi rong

wu life 226

2007-07-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

wu life 226

SHANGHAI SUCKS

well.. as luck would have it, my visa could not be renewed in wudang. i was all ready to go back to california but a long conversation with saintly sam tripp kept me in china. sam demanded that he pay for ALL my expenses: travel, food, visa - all i needed to do was go to shanghai and receive the love.

so that was it. at the first moment available, i got on a cab to shiyan,.. then got on a bus to wuhan.. then got on a train to shanghai. probably the worst 30+ hour travel experience of my life. it was typhooning the whole way there and my neck and back were solid stiff from the stress and tension. upon arrival, i was a stressed wet mess.. all my luggage was soked, my body ached all over,.. it was all bad. arrrg. i hate shanghai.

sam the saint, however, was more than compassionate. he dropped the warm reiki hands on my neck.. took me to the crib to get washed up, and immediately fed me with the most delicious indian food to have ever graced my pallette. from there, amazing conversation filled the next few hours until it was time to eat again.. but this time it was buddha veggie goodness. wow.. sam really knows how to make a brother feel loved. the following day it was more buddha food, and a trip to the temple. ahhhhhh.

amidst the love, shanghai still sucks. animals being slaughtered on the sidewalks, smog as thick as yogurt, streets like sewers, crazy mouth-breathing people everywhere,.. my goodness. my body trembles just thinking of it all. to counter the nasty,.. i've upped my meditation and standing practice. my god, shanghai is so horrible. i cannot wait to get back to the mountain.

at any rate, i turn in my passport today to get my visa extension. it should take a week to process. from there, i'm heading back to wudang via 26 hour train ride,.. then it's back to practice.

thank you all for the love and support, i will do my best to keep you all updated as to the happenings. till next round, be tall.

- ZI RONG

wu life 225

2007-07-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 225

BAGUA BEAT DOWN

i have now been at this bagua thing for just over two months. the first month was strictly circle walking and static standing postures. the pain i experienced was so unbelievably unbearable.. my body felt like it was shedding its exoskeleton.. but slowly, layer by layer, i tearfully pealed away the dead layers of auric onion that funked up my being. by the end of that first month i felt as if i had a new body - all of my joints were fluid and soft, my posture was taller.. and best of all, my circle walking was rather champion (but still crap by my self set standard).

so there i was, enjoying the headway i made, and then shifu smacks me with palm change one,.. the first real movement of the bagua set. from there, i faced another round of ridiculous pain. my thighs, my hips, my knees, my spine.. everything hurt. luckily, relief came much faster after this series of motions, and after just two short weeks i had managed to acquire a satisfactory level of proficiency in this movement. ahhh, i love bagua.

so here i am, feeling relatively comfortable in my bagua circle space, mud walking around and around, palm changing to and fro, and shifu decides to share the second palm change with me. now this one is pretty cool, but of course.. very painful to execute. i've been on this motion now for the greater portion of this week, and the pain is only getting deeper. my ankles feel like they are going to explode, my knees feel like they are going to internally combust, and every torquing step i take feels as if i'm going to twist right off at the hips. i love it.

bagua has become my new passion. i drive myself mercilessly till buckets of sweat pour off my body and salt rings develop around my pants and shoes. new students that are unfamiliar with my drive stare in awe as i rip circles out of the tiled temple floor.. as the old sage confucius would tell his students.. 'practice as if in fear of losing this gift forever.' gong fu is my life - and i practice to live. quite frankly, when it comes to traditional gong fu, i really can't see it any other way.. to quote another sage.. 'the wise want practice, children want candy.'

VEXED ABOUT MY VISA

so there's some light-weight drama going on for dave wei here in wudang. i turned in my passport to the local government to get my visa extended.. a very standard procedure.. but sadly i was faced with some complications. so as opposed to getting my three month extension, i'm only getting 15 days! i plan to make my way to the government head quarters soon to plead my position, but i have a feeling that i'm going to get the 'foreign face' treatment. even if the local authorities do admit fault.. which is highly doubtful, i'm still going to have to repay for this visa that i already paid for! so ridiculous.

on the light side of things.. i'm champion no matter where i go, be it here in china or back in the states - so in that regard, i'm prepared to go home if need be,.. but i am happy to say that i have a contingency plan. BROTHER SAM TRIPP, my immaculate reflection, sensed a disturbance in the force and knew that there was trouble on the home front.. once we communicated the situation, within one hour, he had arranged a visa for me in shanghai. so in the likely event that the wudang fuzz gives me strife, my brother for life has my back. ahhh, to be loved.

SHAN SANG YI TIEN, DI XIA YI NIEN

shifu just rips my brain apart sometime.. ''a day on the mountain is a year down bellow.''

'time is relative to your perspective. think of the mosquito that barely lives a week,.. then think of the mountain that sees the four seasons as a single day. here on the mountain, we practice hard, we follow the tao, we really enjoy life - people that follow the normal path only waste away. now that you have been here for this long, go home and see how everyone else has aged,.. all while you have grown younger and softer - you can only help normal people by continuing your practice,.. hopefully, they will see you, and change their perspective on their own.'

BACK TO PRACTICE

well family, it is a little hard for me to get back in the habit of writing. shifu has really been keeping me busy here. thank you all for your continued support and love, i will make my best effort to keep you all in the loop.

oh, and if you happen to have the time, take a moment to enjoy the new michael moore film, SICKO. forget transformers, or any of the other booty movies out there,.. go see SICKO. and then after that, go exercise, cause the american health care system is more interested in saving money than saving lives.

i love you all,
-Zi Rong

wu life 224

2007-06-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 224

SUMMER OF SAM

what an amazing three weeks.. epic, excellent, majestic, glorious, superb, splendid, wonderful, grand,.. and any other adjective used to describe that which is great.

last i left you guys was back in wuhan. there i got to spend some time with brother sam while he was on tour and i also go to catch up with christine who was generous enough to help translate a very important document for me.. (more on that later). being the frugal traveler that i am, most of my time was spent either indoors or along the back streets of wuhan with the locals. wuhan is known as the hot pot of china, and for good reason,.. it was hot, humid, and rather disgusting. the highlight of my stay would definitely have to be the air conditioned room, the numerous trips to the wuhan wallmart, and all the time shared with good company. party.

after a week in the hot pot, i had a treacherous trip back to wudang via passenger train. man was that horrible. but, as soon as i arrived, i was greeted with smiles and hugs which made for a pleasant transition back to wu life. that first week back was rather packed. despite the non-stop rain that week, brother sam, brother kris, and myself trained our butts off and shared every waking moment in each other's company. such a good time. epic conversations, super good food, lots of massages, mad slap (good music), and a whole host of other wonderful exchanges. ahh, my reflections,.. my martial family is all i have here in china.. and i am blessed to have found a connection with such gifted individuals.

for the third week, the sun finally decided to show face, and it did with full force. the heat was ridiculous, which only added to the intensity of our training.. we three disciples.. me, sam, and kris, left each class drenched in sweat with salt rings around our pants and shoes. sadly, the only thing we had to beat the heat was watermelon, and we attacked it with a passion. so if we weren't training, we were eating melons. when we weren't eating watermelon, we were out eating noodles,.. if it wasn't noodles, it was dumplings,.. if it wasn't dumplings, it was an intimate meal with our master, and when we weren't eating with him, we were out doing any number of things to enjoy the moment.. extensive conversation, or a massage, or music, or jokes and laughs. we spent so much time together, it was as if we had 2000 years of catching up to do. such fun.

the other good thing about this round shared with sam was getting to know his better half, mandie. though she was not physically present, she was certainly present in heart and mind.. i have never seen sam so in love. i feel like i should call him 'colgate' or 'dr. teeth' just because he had this ever present smile on his grill. sam was super smile this whole month, and understandably so,.. mandie is super sweet. it's so cute to see sam - the hood hardened, tattooed thug / rockstar / martial guru - turn into a mush mouth teddy bear. i look forward to being a groomsman.

TAI SANG SAN FEN ZHONG, TAI SHA SHI NIEN GONG

while in wuhan, the other thing christine helped me with was translating that column that was printed about me in the paper last month. man, was i miss quoted.. i guess that's what happens when you can't speak the language very well.. homie just had to fill in the gaps i guess. anyway.. christine also shared a classic quote that i think fit my space quite accurately..

'tai sang san fen zhong, tai sha shi nien gong.'

this is an old saying for traditional chinese opera - roughly translated... 'before your three minutes on the stage, you need ten years of practice off the stage.' that came as a slap in the face for me.. basically, i should be more concerned with practice right now.. i can worry about my little three minutes of fame later. sound advice.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW

well, there is so much more to share but i will wrap it up here for now. i will continue the weekly blogs on schedule after this.. thank you for those of you that shared your well wishes while i was occupied. i love you all.

oh.. and please enjoy the new pics in my web album.. http://picasaweb.google.com/chinagiant

be tall
-zi rong

wu life 223

2007-06-06T03:49:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 223

IT'S WATERMELON SEASON

the first batch of watermelons are available for the season. right now they are still a little expensive and a bit bland.. but within the next few weeks the champions are going to start rolling through. for those that have been following my generic wu life journals since last year, you would know that i am a big fan of watermelon. i can easily take two whole melons to the face,.. sure, i'd be in the bathroom all day, but i love me some watermelon. i look forward to my fruit fasts now that the season is here.

BAGUA BEAT DOWN

"you don't learn bagua to see how good your martial skill is,..
you learn bagua to see how BAD your martial skill is.."
- Sifu Bruce Chu

i had the indescribable pleasure of sharing words with my first martial master, bruce chu, this week and he broke my brain (as he usually does) with one simple phrase. the little gem of wisdom was one that he passed down from his bagua master, but it couldn't have described my current state of training better.

bagua is ripping me apart. my ankles are sore and swollen, my knees are creaky and achy, my hips are stiff and ridged, my shoulders are strained and flaccid, even my throat is sore from holding my head upright. my spine hurts especially from all the torquing and twisting,.. i can feel each individual vertebrae, it's crazy... and all this just from circle walking! i'm not even learning the form yet! between bagua and hard qigong, i wake up in so much pain each and every morning - but it is a good pain. i am slowly reprogramming 27 years of bad posture and lazy body mechanics.. slow is the process of healing.

INTERNAL COORDINATION

yuan shifu just has an incredible way of explaining things..

''anyone can develop external coordination. with a little practice, it is easy to copy movements and make a punch or kick look beautiful,.. what is really difficult is learning internal coordination. this is difficult because you can't copy someones internal mechanics. perhaps you could mimic breath, but it is impossible to mimic their intention and spirit. this is why tai chi and qigong are such good systems for personal development.. sure, kung fu may make you strong and physically fit, but tai chi and qigong give you the space to look inside and develop the internal harmonies within yourself.''

TAKING A BREAK

there will not be any wu life's for the next couple weeks. next week i'll be going off to the city of wuhan for a while, and the following week i'll be up in the mountains to meditate and fast with my kung fu brother sam from shanghai. no worries though.. i will be sure to take several pictures for everyone to enjoy and i'm sure to have a bunch of stories to share as well.

on a side note, by the time most of you read this, master feng in oakland will have probably already undergone his surgery. please keep your healing thoughts in mind for him and his loved ones.

all my love,
-wei zi rong

wu life 222

2007-05-30T00:35:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 222

BAGUA CIRCLE WALKING

Yuan Shifu approached me last week and gave me the blessing to begin my Bagua training. Bagua Zhang, or 8 Trigram Palm, is an internal kung fu system based on the Taoist I Ching. the most recognizable characteristic of this form would have to be the circle walking, and that is all that i've been doing now for the last five days.

the circle walking is deceivingly difficult. first, the stance must be low and the posture must be full and erect. the head has to remain level, and the steps need to be long and smooth.. and of course, amongst all of this, one has to remain soft and relaxed. it is as if the body is a paint brush with the spine as the handle and the tail bone as the brush.. one has to draw a smooth circle without blotches or bleeds. walking in this manor for three hours a day brings me to a trance like meditative state,.. i feel like i'm in my own little solar system orbiting around and around. it is a beautiful thing.

in addition to the walking, yuan shifu has also challenged me with 8 standing postures specifically tailored for this system. the different postures help to develop all of the joints,.. ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists, spine, and neck. between the standing and the walking, my body aches in ways that i never knew were possible. when i stand, my feet feel as if i'm standing on hot coals and my hands feel as if the tendons are going to rip out like an overstressed rubber band. when walking, my ankles, knees, and hips feel as if they are being wrenched from the sockets with each circular step i take. i have always enjoyed facing the demands of a new challenge, but i feel that mastering bagua will be of tremendous benefit for me. it is a beautiful thing.

I'M SO CHINESE

it is hard to believe that it has been one full year since i came here last summer. though the time has really flown by, i can certainly feel the difference within my character. i am so chinese now. i am obnoxiously loud, i cough and spit, i pick my nose, i burp at the dinner table, and i'm growing cheaper and cheaper each day.. even small talk conversations and street vendor haggles sound like i'm 'breaking dishes'. ahhh, chinese..

all joking aside, probably the most significant change would be in my work ethic.. and i notice it more and more with every new foreigner that comes and trains with us. i can't believe the gall some of these people have.. they only come for less than a month, and expect to learn, and 'master', a thousand and one different things. beyond that, they expect full and complete attention from yuan shifu knowing good and well that he has other students (whom also have the same attitudes) to teach as well. what really gets me is that these people actually go out of their way to disturb shifu just to learn a new movement when they haven't even gotten their last movements down to a satisfactory level. to top it off, it is so funny to see grown people actually throw tantrums when they don't get enough attention. i've seen countless new students come and go with this 'resort vacation' approach to training, and it really gets under my skin at times.. i don't know how shifu deals with it.

on the other hand though, i can sort of understand their position. most of these people probably saved up all their money for a long time to make this trip possible; and beyond that, they are probably leaving behind many responsibilities as well, so it is understandable that they would want to get their money's worth. i guess it's just a cultural thing.. but still, i don't know how shifu deals with it. in all, i just use this opportunity to look in and see which of those annoying characteristics i harbor myself - every relationship is a mirror.

THE HIGHEST PATH OF THE TAO

i overheard yuan shifu talking to some newspaper reporters the other day.. what i heard was very startling..

''there are two paths in life.. the normal path, and the unknown. everyone leads the normal path,.. they work, eat, sleep, and play. they have relationships, they have families, and they eventually die. some are good, some are bad.. some succeed, and others fail.. this is the normal path. the unknown path is very different. in many respects it is still very much the same, people still need to eat, sleep, and work, but their perspective is very different. those that follow the unknown path follow a life of passion, they follow the tao. both paths are difficult, but to follow the tao is to follow nature.. this is the path of the immortals..'

''he did not come to learn kung fu, he has come to learn the tao. he has obviously chosen the path of the unknown. very few people chose this path, and even fewer succeed. i have had many students, but never one like this. i named him Zi Rong. this name has many meanings, but the primary meaning is 'capacity.' this student is special, he follows the highest path of the tao, and he has the capacity for success..'

hearing my master talk about me in this light nearly made me cry. the reporters came from a neighboring city to do a special report on me. apparently i have grown quite famous in the area.. you know.. the tall guy with the big beard that speaks chinese.. oh yeah, that's da wei. well.. the column should be available in print by the end of this month.. i'll try and get it translated so you guys can get the full scoop.

ALOHA

that's all for this week folks. i trust all is well for everyone back home. for those of you that are able, please send your support to Master Feng in Oakland at the Taoist Center (www.thetaoistcenter.com). Feng Shifu will be having neck surgery soon and i'm sure they would appreciate the well wishes.

till next week, be tall. oh, i just uploaded some new videos on youtube as well.. please enjoy those when you get a chance too.. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=chinagiant

-wei zi rong

wu life 221

2007-05-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 221

ANIMAL PLANET

it is getting pretty hot here now.. especially in the evenings. to cope with the heat, i sleep in nothing but a neon green sarong that my buddy sam got me from bali,.. i keep all the windows open, and i have a fan blasting on me all night. the bad part, is that i'm getting eaten alive by all the crazy insects here. so, the other day i went to get a mosquito net.. at first, a shop keep wanted 120 kuai.. not bad, i'd say that's around 20$ US.. but i knew he was overcharging. so, being the young haggle master that i am, i talked him down to 60 kuai,.. that's half off!.. party.

this net is pretty dope.. it's sort of like a tent that props up on top of the bed. the coolest thing is that it is bright pink with a white ruffled trim. i love it. i get laughed at for having such a girlie net, but i care more about application than appearance. anyway, crawling inside this thing is so fun.. it's like going into my own little playhouse.. i'm such a kid. the best part is waking up in the morning and seeing all the hungry insects plastered to the net staring at my tasty body, it's like watching animal planet - there are some pretty scary ones too. no more dave wei buffet for them. it's nice to be safe from the bugs.

I GOT THE HOOK UP

i just started teaching the local tailor how to speak english. she already has a pretty good foundation, but she just needs more vocabulary and such to help her with her business. she's really sweet, it's fun to watch her struggle with new words while her husband sits back and laughs at her. the best part is that i got the ultra hook up on custom clothes now. i'm getting taoist robes and cool kung fu gear for the price of the fabric only.. all the labor is free now. so, if any of you would like to have something made i can probably extend my connect to my wu-life family. simply tell me what you want, pick a fabric, and send your measurements.. and presto.. you'll be styling.

DRIVING IN CHINA

the other day a rich friend from beijing came to visit and she wanted to take shifu and i to dinner.. the coolest part was that she let me drive her SUV to the restaurant,.. well.. i thought it was cool until we actually got out on the road. i don't know why i thought it was a good idea. the streets of china have absolutely no order at all - it was like a video game! i swear the street lines and signs are only purely ornamental, they serve no purpose what so ever. people are driving in and out of opposite flows of traffic, making left turns from right lanes, pulling into intersections with oncoming traffic.. it's mayhem.. and those are just the other cars.. not to mention the scooters, bikes, pedestrians, vendors, animals, and miscellaneous potholes and street debris. wow. the drive was only five minutes, but i swear i had ten new gray hairs from it. needless to say i refused to drive back. i don't know how people drive here.. and talk on the phone too! it's crazy.

LEARNING HOW TO STAND

i took the time to eavesdrop on a lesson shifu was giving to some new qigong students and i got an amazing earful. allow me to paraphrase.

''the most important thing for a person to learn through internal martial arts is how to feel their body. to understand your body is to understand yourself. this understanding takes time and must be learned step by step. the first step is learning proper posture, then learning proper coordination, and finally learning how to feel energy and save it. these are the three basic principles for internal kung fu. for now, we will focus on posture..

''standing is the most important exercise for a beginner. the first thing to be aware of while standing is the hips. the hips are the foundation of the spine, so it is very important to hold the hips correctly. this is done by keeping the legs open at shoulder width with the feet parallel and the knees slightly bent; in this position, the hips should naturally fall in proper alignment. the next thing to be aware of is the spine. normally the spine is curved, but while in standing meditation, the spine must be straight and the lower back should be full and strong. when this posture is maintained, the shoulders and neck can naturally relax and energy can flow freely throughout the body. another thing to be aware of is the chest. many people stick their chests out, this is a bad habit. the chest should be soft and relaxed so that the breath can sink deep into the dan tien. finally, a person must be completely relaxed, body and mind.. this is how to stand"

ALOHA

well family, that's all for this week. be sure to pick up the july/august edition of kung fu magazine to see my first article ever published. there wont be any more for the next four months, but from there out they should be fairly regular. i'm a writer! :)

till next week,

-wei zi rong

wu life 220

2007-05-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 220

I'M IN A KUNG FU SCHOOL

as odd as it may seem.. i still get startling realizations every so often,.. realizations that i am living in wudang, china, and attending a traditional taoist kung fu academy. i suppose it hits me even harder now that we are all settled into our new school. i am living a dream.

training has really intensified here since the spring season. i still keep up with my morning yoga routines, my five animal qigong, and my wen wu basics, along with the tai chi and tai yi forms both left and right side. but now, in addition to all that, i am doing at least 300 kicks a day and heavy rounds of hard qigong (the bamboo and bean bag beat downs). not to mention a little standing meditation and some seated eight silk brocade action too. ahhh, kung fu.

probably the coolest thing now is that shifu has begun to teach a basics class for the foreign students. before, everyone just kind of did their own thing.. this worked best because so many people come and go and everyone has different goals,.. but i suppose now that we are in a new school, shifu wants to have a little more structure. any how, these sessions are amazing. shifu really takes the time to explain the fine points of practice and gives a lot of details that are otherwise left out. the best part is that i get to see him correct everyone's mistakes (including mine),.. this is good for additional insight into the movements and it gives me an idea of common mistakes - very good for when i eventually decide to teach.

GETTING IT TOGETHER

speaking of teaching.. i'm setting up a curriculum for a few workshops when i get back to civilization. i plan to share an extensive set of basic and intermediate exercises along with the wudang five animal qigong. last fall i ran a three day program in san louis obispo with my friend jerry and it worked really well.. so this year i'd like to do it again. aside from a workshop in SLO, there are already plans to have a program in montana, hawaii, santa rosa, and possibly even los angeles. looks like i'll be busy this fall.

i'm currently taking time to put together a full work book that outlines all the exercises along with an instructional DVD to compliment the text. if any of you are interested in having a workshop set up in your area, or would like to attend one that has already been organized, drop a line.

MY MASTER IS AMAZING

yuan xiu gang is not human. he has mastered a variety of skills, but probably the two most impressive (to me at least) would be the 'tai yi qigong' and another skill called 'tong zi gong'.

just one of these sets alone is amazing, but to have both is truly remarkable. attached is a link to a you tube video of the tai yi qigong set, but sadly, there is no footage of the tong zi gong available - it's just too amazing (tee hee). anyway.. by combining these two sets together, yuan shifu has attained a very high level of internal control and he demonstrated this one afternoon in class by literally moving his internal organs! i know it sounds strange, but he can move all of his five primary organs.. heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and liver. it's crazy.. he would simply torque his trunk in some odd way and then ask one of us to hit him in an area where the organ 'should' be. i tell you, the sensation of hitting an empty space is indescribable. beyond that, he can also move his rib cage in weird ways and he can practically dislocate bones from the sockets to contort his body in ways that are beyond belief. yuan xiu gang is not human. he's some sort of half fish, half feline, half tree, half thunder - nature just got ridiculous one day and made this morph of a being named yuan shifu. truly amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRxBQkNd7o

ALOHA

well, that's all for this week. kicking it with sam last week in shanghai was a blast, but now i'm back to business here in wudang. i'm currently right in the middle of a fruit fast for the new moon and i'm really starting to feel the groove.

thank you all for the tremendous support, especially my extended family over in oakland at the taoist center. oh, and i also have to thank mom for sending me some new shoes - i'm just too big for china, nothing here fits me.

i'll be back again next week to share more wu life.. until then, be tall.

-wei zi rong

wu life 219

2007-05-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 219

SHANGHAI SHENANIGANS

shanghai was good fun. sam and his lady, joy, were excellent hosts. they were generous enough to provide an entire guest apartment for brother reece and i to rest at. the other nice thing was that each morning we were able to make use of sam's rooftop terrace to train and do qigong. sam's place was the perfect getaway from the mayhem that is shanghai.

when we weren't all nestled in the crib, we ventured out to a bunch of the local eateries and even a couple late night speak easies. we probably visited punjabi palace the most - home of the most amazing indian food to ever grace my palette. we also had a bunch of pizza and sandwiches too.. since we can't get them in wudang. but, considering our budget.. we got most of our food from the street noodle lady and the bun family on the corner. yummy. as for the late nights.. sam took us to one 'booty shake' club called windows.. which was very amusing if anything - seeing all the chinese people groove to super-crass, top 40 hip hop. then, on another night, sam took us to a reggae spot.. now that was something spectacular, it was like we weren't even in china anymore. the music, the vibe, the crowd.. it was like we were back in berkeley. really nice. but aside from those two nights out.. we spent most of our time in like good little boys. ;)

while in shanghai, sam and i also got to reflect on some new realizations. sam shared some of his new, surgically-precise mantis movements, along with some empowering possibilities that await on the island of bali. in exchange.. i shared the seated eight silk brocade exercise and a new calibration system based on the work of dr. david hawkings.. the same work that was presented to me recently by brother derek on his last visit to wudang. they say.. iron shapes iron.. diamonds cut diamonds.. this is always the case when i reason with sam.

BACK TO WUDANG

on my last day in shanghai, christine took me to a nice tea house / bookstore. there really wasn't much for me to read there, except for some old school shel silverstein classics.. where the sidewalk ends, and a light in the attic. i really dig those. after that.. it was off to curry house for a last meal before embarking on another epic train ride.

this train ride was much nicer than the previous one. the train was actually clean this time, and no where near as crowded. to make it even better, we made it back to wudang four hours faster than it took us to get to shanghai.. such a blessing. riding the trains suck.

DECOMPRESSION

once back in wudang, i could immediately feel a physical release. it was as if a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders.. something about the city just makes me cringe. my body gets stiff, and everything tenses up. maybe its all the pollution.. all the tall buildings.. all the people.. all the attitudes.. all the hustle and bustle.. whatever it is, i can literally feel a physical response. i don't know how people live there. different strokes i guess... i'll be sure to fruit fast this weekend to help flush my gut of all the crud and stuff that's built up.

it's so nice to be back in the village. now it's time for practice.

thank you all for the wonderful support and well wishes. i'm officially halfway through this round in china.. and now with summer just around the corner, it's time for some serious training.

till next week.

ALOHA

wu life 218

2007-05-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 218

I LIVE IN A SPACE OF ABUNDANCE

ahhhh, the love. why is the world so good to me? one moment i'm broke and stuck in wudang, and the next moment i'm eating indian food in shanghai.

it seemed impossible,.. all the trains were sold out, and all the plane prices were tripled for the may day holiday here. i was bummed. we had been planning this trip to shanghai for months now, and it all fell apart in a matter of moments the weekend before we were supposed to go. but then, suddenly the world conformed magically to make this trip happen. two train tickets opened up last minute, funds finally came in from an article i wrote months ago, and friends and family dropped a bunch of extra funds to help as well. the world is really on my side.

with just one short evening to get ready, brother reece and i pulled everything together last minute. from there, we scrambled to get on the 25 hour train ride to babylon. the ride itself was almost unbearable. one entire day and night spent on this moving metal stink tank filled with staring and gawking chinese people.. what fun.

I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE LIVE HERE

as soon as we got off the train it was mayhem. we had no idea where we were, and taxis refused pick us up. luckily, i had several phone numbers for support, and in the end, it was my friend christine that gave us directions on how to get around through the metro system. the metro, however, was even crazier! getting tickets was the worst, it was nightmare to navigate through the orderless slurry of chinese people rushing and yelling about.. thank goodness i know kung fu.. i simply opened up my stance and bulldozed through the crowd.. all the time aware of people trying to cut in the ticket 'line' or pick my pockets. it took a couple hours, but reece and i finally made it through the jungle where we met up with christine and went on to sam's house. whooooo.

I'M SO COUNTRY

wow.. i've become such a granola, bumpkin, mountain man, hippie. walking through the city in my t-shirt, ten year old sweat pants, and busted shoes really put it in perspective for me. my beard is all massive..my hair is all big.. even my social mannerisms are out of whack. it's like a whole new type of culture shock. i don't know how people live here.

one afternoon we took a walk through the richest part of shanghai, the jing 'bling' an district. every store was some brand name, ultra trendy retail shop.. all the restaurants were high scale.. and all the people were in their 'court clothes' (a term i use for 'best clothes in the closet'). beyond that, the streets were flooded with lao wai! is this even china?!?!? i spent all my time that afternoon in mouth gaping awe, simply shocked at the state of the world. i never missed wudang so much.

STILL TRAINING

yes.. it's certainly nice to get a good break from the mountain, but the practice has been well embedded into my routine. reece and i still get up each morning to stretch and do hard qigong, i love it. this afternoon, we are even supposed to get together to work on some special material for some articles i had in mind.. roof top kung fu, seven star mantis applications, two man timing drills, folded wing falcon forms, black lotus principles.. good stuff. i love kung fu.

LIMITED COMMUNICATION

being in shanghai all week, i missed a week of wu life.. but now i'm back in wudang, so i will send this one now and get the other one up on schedule. thank you all for the love and support.

wu life 217

2007-04-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 217

SO GLAD I DIDN'T COMPETE

such a joke! so the last few portions of the competition were reserved for fighting, but not just any type of fighting.. the competitors were only allowed to use movements from the tai yi set.

the top 40 competitors, myself included, were invited back to fight. from there, the top 18 would be flown to beijing to have the ultimate showdown. the fighting was done with no gloves or head gear, just a little protection for the ribs and shins. in all, it had the capacity to be really, really cool - too bad it was boo boo.

although people were only allowed to use traditional movements, most of the competitors got up and just brawled anyway.. it was so ridiculous - no different from stand up ultimate fighting. to make matters worse.. there were about two or three really big guys, and all they did was just push people around like sumo wrestlers.. absolutely no skill whatsoever. it was really bad. i'm glad i had the foresight to drop out.

THE FAST FAST

as i mentioned last week, i took the time out to do a master cleanse. sadly, what i thought would be enough ingredients for 10-14 day program, only lasted a week, so i capped off the last little bit with apples and just eased back into food. even though i didn't do the whole run, i still enjoyed every bit of the cleanse. the juice was more than enough to keep me energized and i was able to continue on with my days as if i was still eating. aside from a few dizzy spells after getting up too fast, everything went great and i highly recommend this system to anyone considering a serious cleanse.

JUST CALL ME BOB

B. O. B. - baller on a budget

i came to the realization the other day.. 'is there really not enough food, or am i just too hungry?' meaning to say, 'am i really broke, or do i just want to do too much?'

i am very blessed to be in a position where i can make a reasonable amount of money in less than two months back in california, and have enough to carry me through ten months in china.. the downside, is that i have to live on a tight budget while i'm here. with that in mind.. i opted to not go to the meditation retreat,.. beyond that, will i not be going to shanghai, nor will i be going to beijing to visit master chiang and his wife. instead, i will pass up these wonderful experiences so that i can focus on training and writing articles for more income.

however, if any of you would feel so generous as to contribute to the wu life of david wei (wei zi rong), disciple of taoist master yuan xiu gang and 16th generation lineage holder of the zheng san feng sect,.. the stars will surely shine brightly upon you.. not that they wouldn't otherwise. :)

TRAINING TIME

since i'll be passing up my opportunities to travel, i've decided to occupy my mind with more intense training. on top of the normal regiment of stretching, standing, qigong, tai chi, and now tai yi.. i have also returned to full time hard qigong practice (pai da ying qigong) and the wudang 36 kicks system (wudang san shi liu tui fa).

speaking of training.. it is just about that time. thank you for sharing my wu life adventure with me. until next week.

ALOHA

wu life 216

2007-04-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 216

THE COMPETITION

last sunday marked the first ever (at least in china) traditional, internal martial art competition for a single form - tai yi wu shin quan. this form is unique to wudang mountain, and it beautifully displays yin softness blended it yang explosiveness. over 100 contestants were present.. most of which were either monks, apprentice monks, students from the mountain schools, or members of the official wudang demonstration team. aside from the incredibly skilled, there were also a handful of scrubs to serve as comic relief. our school, the wudang shan traditional internal kung fu academy, was the only school to have foreigners compete.

there were three levels of competition,.. passing one level allows one to progress to the next. the first two levels were held on sunday,.. then from there, the top 40 contestants were invited back the following thursday to compete again on television. from there, the top 18 go to beijing for the ultimate competition showdown extravaganza. big party.

the first level was tai yi form demonstration. for this portion i was terrified! i managed to play it cool thinking it would be easy until it was time for me to actually step out onto the carpet. once in the hot seat, my mind went completely blank, my breath fleeted me, my heart beat tripled, and my body went on autopilot. not only was this my first competition, but here i am in front of wudang's finest.. not to mention my master, my master's master, and all their martial family. i managed to get through a third of the motions without slipping up and then i finally regained my composure. from there, i caught up with my breath, and rocked the set in champion fashion without any mistakes.

the next level of the competition was for a traditional weapon. for the first level, participants had to demonstrate tai yi only,.. but for the weapons portion, contestants could demonstrate any traditional weapon they chose. for myself, i learned the spear just for the occasion - but i've only been practicing it for three weeks so i only know 1/3 of the set.. and beyond that, my ankle injury kept me from training it as much as i would have liked to. needless to say, my form is crap, especially against wudang's finest martial artists.. but this time i was not nervous at all and i managed to pull off a descent demonstration.

by the end of it all, i managed to place 31st, making the cut to advance to the next level of competition - fighting. however, much to the dismay of nearly everyone i know, i decided to forfeit. i caught the worst from every single one of my martial brothers.. 'you're scared,' 'don't be a wimp,' 'you're so big, you could win so easy!' even shifu gave me a hard time about it - but in the end he understood. i'm here in wudang to cultivate spirit - not fists.

the messed up part is that CCTV5 (china television) was counting on some lao wai (foreigners) to compete to help boost the ratings,.. and once i decided to quit, the two other foreigners from our school that qualified decided to quit also - CCTV was not very happy about that. as a result, i was further barraged with questions and insults on my manhood. they even had the grandmaster come talk to me to try and convince me to compete.. but, i respectfully ke tuo'd (traditional bow - kneeling and touching the head to the floor), and explained my position. luckily, the grandmaster understood me and took my side.. CCTV is not very happy - no lao wai for them.

THE MASTER'S CHALLENGE

since i decided not to fight in the competition, yuan shifu challenged me to a fight in class. nothing serious, but intense none the less. the whole time he kept kicking my legs with lighting speed, and with each connection he would say 'POINT,' 'POINT,' 'POINT' (the competition would have been tallied by points, not knock out). whenever i tried to get in close to cut off the range of his kicks, he'd just smack me in the throat or punch me in the solar plexus.. each time saying 'POINT,' 'POINT,' 'POINT.' after twenty minutes of ridicule, much to the entertainment of my classmates, i managed to get a few good hits in.. a few body shots, a couple kicks, and one solid fa jing blast. now the trash talking turned into questioning.. 'whhhhhhyyyyy you don't fight?' 'whhhhhhhyyyyy you scared?' finally, after over a half hour of beat down, yuan shifu's cell phone rang and we stopped... both of us drenched with sweat, and breathing heavy. shifu gave me a smile and said.. 'you're good.. it's too bad you don't fight.'

THE MASTER CLEANSE

now that the competition is all over, i can finally get back to my routine. stretching, qigong, tai chi, and regular fasting. it feels like forever since my last fast.. i even skipped my weekly fruit days in light of all the training i had to endure.. but as soon as the competition was over i started a heavy cleanse.

i decided to do the good old master cleanse.. water, lemon, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper - THANKS MOM FOR SENDING ME THE INGREDIENTS!!! i took one day of apples to ease into the fast, and now i'm on day two of the juice. so far so good,.. i'm looking to do at least seven days of the juice with a few extra days to ease in and out.. so about ten days total. the lemon juice is really good, the maple syrup is super tasty, and the cayenne gives the mix a welcomed kick. in all, i think this cleanse is very enjoyable.. i'll be sure to let you all know how it goes/went next week.

FIN

that's all for this week folks. next week we'll be going to the 1000 year old temple for a meditation retreat, and the week after that i'll be going to shanghai to get some leisure time in. then.. shortly after that, i'm heading to beijing to see my old master Y.C. Chiang (shaolin, chinese culture) and his wife, Hui Liu (dayan qigong, painting), at their art exhibit at the national museum. big things in store - stay tuned.

ALOHA

wu life 215

2007-04-12T05:07:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 215

FAMILIAR FACE

the biggest news of the week came with an old friend from wen wu.. my old kung fu brother, derek lee, stopped by to visit! we met in shaolin class a few years back in the east bay, and now he lives in hong kong as an engineer for the public transit system. now that he's here in china, he was able to come and visit wudang for easter weekend.. we had a blast.

outside of intensive training, massive meals, and fantastic foot massages, we also shared some of the most interesting conversations. derek, a man committed to the continued evolution of human consciousness.. a selfless servant to the divine, shared some of the most insightful ideas i have ever come across. it has been said, "it doesn't take a day to recognize sunshine," and i feel this to be true with what derek has shared.. the truth this man passed on to me was immediately evident, and beyond that, practical and applicable.

i will gladly share once i grow more competent in this work.. but for now, know that i am quite empowered.. refreshed if you will, to serve and work towards advancing the potential of human consciousness.

DOWN FOR THE COUNT

training for this competition has been intense,.. so intense.. that i managed to injure my ankle without even noticing! though i'm not quite sure how it happened, i'm assuming it's just an old injury from football resurfacing. in acupressure school, i learned that it's possible to relive old injuries as stagnant chi begins to move again after being blocked off for so long.. and even though one can experience pain, it is only an indication that healing is finally beginning to take place. i sure hope this is the case.

my ankle was so bad, that i could hardly walk on it. i had to take three days off from practice to allow my foot to recuperate. i didn't have to go through it alone though.. all my brothers here were extremely helpful. derek got me medicine, ali got me an ace bandage for support, urgen gave me a jin shin session, and everyone showed concern. ahhh, the martial family.

WISH ME WELL

even though i was out of practice, the competition is still going down,.. and as far as i know, it is going to be THIS SUNDAY!!! this will be my first competition ever, and i feel quite confident. i'm not confident that i'll win or place well, but i am confident in my ability to do my best and have fun - and that's what really matters to me. this will also give me a good opportunity to be in the hot seat.. i always get so self conscious when i have to demonstrate for people, and there's no better way to get over a fear than to face it. plus.. being one of the few 'lao wai' (foreigners) to be competing, i'm sure all eyes will be waiting for the slightest slip up so they can laugh at the big, silly lao wai trying to do kung fu.

after the form portion of the competition, the top 18 people to demonstrate are then supposed to go to beijing to compete further.. but this time it's not to demonstrate, it's to fight. i made it perfectly clear that my goal in wudang is to grow and heal, not to fight, and yuan shifu understands. so if i do make it to the top 18, i will forfeit the competition. sorry dad, i won't be 'kicking ass and taking names' this round.

the cool thing is that the local tailor gave me a nice taoist robe to demonstrate in for FREE! it's a super nice, ultra long, traditional taoist robe made custom for my ultra big body. so even if i don't do well, i'll at least look nice.. [smile] i will be sure to get lots of pictures and possibly even some video footage for everyone to enjoy.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS

that concludes this week's wu life.. the pictures i promised last week are finally up for you to enjoy plus a few more.. you can see them here.. http://picasaweb.google.com/chinagiant

all my aloha,
-zi rong

wu life 214

2007-04-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

WU LIFE 214

THE BIG MOVE

well.. we are officially in the new school. moving locations was a big three day ordeal, and we still have yet to settle in. the initial move was a big hassle.. yuan shifu rented big trucks to move all of our stuff, and he made every trip count.. packing all our belongings ultra high like in the beverley hillbillies. it was crazy. then, once we got to the new school, it was still under construction! floors were still being put in, pipes were still being fitted, and electrical wiring was still exposed.. it was mayhem. for three days, we had faulty electricity, no running water, and no bathroom... ahhh china.

my room was a complete mess. the floor was covered with gravel and soot and it took three whole hours just to clean it all up. to make matters worse.. i had no bed, no closet, and no desk. luckily, yuan shifu hooked it up with a nice semi-full size bed so i didn't have to sleep on my massage table - surprisingly, this is the first bed i have ever completely fit in since i've been in china, it feels great! the other cool thing is that i am the only student with a two room suite.. one room to sleep in, and the other room for an office to write and do massage in.. i got it made.

we've been here now for about five days and things are starting to come together.. i got a desk now, my internet is up and running, i had a metal rack made for my clothes, and the community showers seem to be somewhat functional now. the other cool thing is that we have squatters as opposed to the standard western style seated toilets - which i like. i will try to have pictures posted for everyone by the end of the week.

FRESH FACES

spring is finally in full gear here and along with the sunshine and flowers, we have a bunch of new faces. we have approximately 25 foreign students now and they come from every corner of the world,.. most are from germany, while the others come from belgium, austria, france, england, new zealand, canada, holland, romania, italy, israel, india, mexico, and of course america. we also have a whole bunch of new chinese students as well putting us at around 60+ all together. the youngest student here is about 9 and the oldest is just over 60,.. we also have about 8 females here now too. yuan shifu says that this is the most students he has ever had, and new prospects are showing interest every day. our school is growing very fast.

COMPETITION TRAINING

although none of us know when this competition is coming we have all upped our training in preperation. my body is sore all over, especially my knees, ankles, shoulders, and wrists.. this training is intense - it seems like every month it just gets more and more demanding here.. i love it. each day i spend about two hours working my tai yi form, and another two hours on my spear.. not to mention all my basics and solo sessions that i do on the side. it's great.

one day yuan shifu gathered all of the students that are going to compete and said we were going to have 'special' training. at first i was scared - i'm all too familiar with shifu's 'special' training,.. but instead of the military drilling i was expecting, we were taken to train at a different location with the grandmaster, zhong yun long! to think, just a few weeks ago i was graced with an introduction, and now i get to actually train under him! i was so impressed with just the way he walked, and now i get to see him move! he is definitely a traditional master. all his movements are crisp and precise, yet soft and supple.. his presence is so gentle but at the same time very authoritative.. he is by far one of the most skilled martial masters i have ever met.

once i was over the initial awe, i got to focus on the training,.. the details he showed us are so intricate and the martial applications are so devastating,.. one instance he demonstrated a technique on me, a wrist grab and shoulder throw.. with just the lightest grip his claws felt as if they could crush my forearm, and with the slightest turn of the hip, i was lifted off my feet and placed gently back into place effortlessly,.. after the elegant display of mastery, he looked at me with a childish grin and said, 'ming bai ma?' (understand now?).

FIN

sadly, with all this transitioning, my time has been short so i am unable to share all of the stories of my week, but i'll be back next week to keep you guys up to date with the juicy goods. till then, i wish you all well.

ALOHA

wu life 213

2007-03-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

wu life 213

new blog space

i have decided to move my wu life journals to this blog space. i think this will be better then sending generic emails to everyone every week. my journals can be enjoyed at..

www.wudangweekly.blogspot.com

not only will this allow you all to access 'wu life' on your own time, but you can also access back logged blogs and leave comments as well. good fun. in addition, it will have a space for pictures too. in all i hope this will consolidate my computer time so i can spend more time practicing and less time behind my lap top.

birthday shenanigans

big party.. big, big party. well, pretty big, by wudang standards at least. we all gathered for a nice meal at the local hot pot spot. we were three tables deep.. two meat-tables and one vegi-table. get it? vegi-table? ..sorry,.. bad joke.

we had enough yellow wine for the whole restaurant.. but sadly, most of it ended up in my cup. after the amazing meal, we all shot over to the local massage house for foot soaks and rub downs.. but by this time i was so wasted that i spent most of the time purging my body of the alcohol i just consumed.. i.e. throwing up.

in the end, we all made it home safely. nothing was broken and no one was hurt,.. but before the end of the night, in my drunken stupor, i expressed my sincere love to all my brothers before passing out face first and fully clothed in my bed. ahhh, i won't be partying like that again for a while.

tai yi competition

last summer, before i came back home for the fall, i spent about three weeks learning a short form called 'tai yi wu shin chuan'. as opposed to tai chi where yin and yang movements are in harmony, tai yi separates the two.. the form is a beautiful combination of soft yin movements and hard yang explosiveness.. it's really beautiful.

anyway, several students from our school, myself included, will be competing in a tai yi competition soon.. and chances are, we will be the only non-chinese competing. this will be the first traditional, internal kung fu competition china has ever hosted - and it is strictly for tai yi only. the cool thing is, tai yi is a very rare form specific to wudang and not too many people know it.. this means that we will be primarily competing against monks and apprentice monks that have been practicing this form for years! wish me luck!

spear form

a prerequisite to the tai yi competition is knowing a traditional weapon form as well. being so big, i cannot find a weapon my size here, so i had to special order an extra long spear. the spear is considered the 'king of weapons' and i definitely feel pretty regal practicing it. the coolest thing is how all the chinese people get out of my way when i walk down the street with an extra long spear in hand - very kingly. good fun.

taoist name

last night, master yuan presented me with an official taoist name.. zi rong.

the surname 'zi' means that i am a 16th generation desciple of the zhang san feng lineage of wudang mountain (google it). the name 'rong' however, has much more meaning..: ease, tolerance, forgiveness, patience, to hold, to save, to contain, to have capacity for, etc.., it's pretty heavy. a taoist name is supposed to reflect the character of the disciple, and i was flattered to be given such an honorable name. i immediately dropped to my knees and gave my master three bows.

wudang weekly

that's it for this round. hopefully this new blog space will make it easier for you all to enjoy my journals.. all my aloha..

-zi rong