Ireland's Valentine Iron Wire Set 2012

[Anton S.]

If you wish to develop tremendous Internal Force, this is THE course!

The Iron Wire Set is truly amazing!

Enjoy you lucky ones!

[Mark CH]

A course which is for sure one of those not to be missed

The course is especially suitable for those preparing for sparring or going for touraments.

Why one of the the key points to be able to spar efficiently is the Internal force aspect.

The Iron Wire Set is an excellent way to build up tremendous Internal force.

Well said Siheng.

Tremendous Internal Force is right, the main reason I am doing this course is to develop this tremendous internal force in preparation for sparring. The one thing I have observed since I began training Shaolin Kung Fu is the importance of internal force. When I began I found it difficult to spar with my seniors as their forearms were so hard in both attack and defense. With daily practice of stance training my arms began to harden, the bruising disappeared and the more confidence I built in sparring.

Internal force has not only helped me in sparring, but has allowed me to return to studies and complete them in much less time than expected. Having a course like this will enable you us to succeed in whatever we want and also to do what we want better.

Anton will I be seeing you in February? It has been ages since we had to walk up the mountain at the Mountain retreat

[Eric5]

Fantastic Iron Wire / Western Boxing Vs Kung Fu

Hi All,

Absolutely fantastic news that Sifu has decided to teach the amazing Iron Wire Set in Ireland. I have read much about it and seen some video clips and i know it will be amazing.

Firstly Thank you Sifu for being so generous as to teach this set in Ireland.

secondly I would like to share an experience i had only last week when i sparred with a very experienced martial arts instructor.

I would like to mention some of the benefits that i felt i have gained from internal force training and that i hope i can further enhance my training from doing the Iron Wire course with Sifu.

I have been practicing chi kung and golden bridge/stance training for the last five years as a means to develop internal force and i never thought much of the benefits of it until i had a training session with a very experienced martial artist this week at work.

I will set the scene for my story, (my apologies if it's long winded!)

I recently started a new job working with about 120 people and as one does i discussed with a few colleagues that i do some Kung Fu training for health reasons and that i enjoy the training. The word spread and i discovered that a few colleagues like to practice on their lunch break. A colleague approached me last week his name was Darragh, he invited me to spar with him some lunchtime if i wanted so i accepted. He had a reputation in my workplace as being an excellent martial artist and that he could shoot energy at you whilst fighting and blow you up against walls etc so naturally i was intrigued.

Darragh explained that he has been practicing Kempo for 11 years and also practiced reiki for 10 years also. He said that between himself and another colleague they have devised their own style of martial art called "Ken Krav Do" which has basically taken parts of Kempo, Krav Maga and invented his own martial art.

I presented down to him on a lunchtime the next day to train for about 40 mins partly because of curiosity and also to test my own kung fu against him with some "friendly sparring" and also to see a different martial art.

Darragh started off by explained a few techniques he has been working on for a while and that he tries to bring energy to his hands before striking. He asked me to hold a pad while he struck it with a lot of force. The two strikes he used were a knife hand strike and a hammer fist strike. Both strikes were with the outside of the hand on the pad. To explain the strikes both were similar to the "false leg handsweep in motion we preform.

I noticed he gave me a very small pad and struck it with a lot of physical strength and he methodology was to try and strike throw the target and let the hand fly into the pad. He hit the pad about five times and invited me to do the same with i did. Physically he would be a very big strong guy about 6ft 1" inches tall and about 16 stone in weight. I must admit the strikes left me with a bit of a sting afterward and perhaps he was psychologically trying to psyche me out. Afterward we moved onto some sparring.

He gave me some headgear and boxing gloves and asked me to put them on for the sparring. I explained that in our school we spar barehanded but with control and we don't go out to hurt anyone physically but he insisted in a friendly way " sure just throw on the gloves and we will only do a small bit". I agreed simply as i thought what harm could it do.

We agreed to use hand sparring for the first two bouts. I used bow arrow stance and tried to use my double dragon hand forms and he came at me with a barrage of punches straight punches, hooks , uppercuts and was going full contact. I had been hoodwinked into a western boxing contest full contact with a heavyweight opponent who seemed hell bent on trying to inflict as much on me as possible. So much for the Kempo! I held my own trying to use sequence 8 for attack and any defences i could muster. I held my own but he was very fast and i must admit he was beating me well in the first two rounds of hand sparring. But he was not landing many direct shots and my stances were serving me well for attack and defence.

I was quite annoyed with myself for firstly for agreeing to wear boxing gloves severely hindering my ability to do some kung and also being so naive that this was about some friendly sparring. The first two bouts of sparring were about three minutes each so i asked for the third round did he mind if i used some kicks he said no problem.

I thought this was my opportunity to turn the tables and as there were no boxing gloves hindering my feet it gave me a chance to fight more efficiently. I started the third round with a double naughty monkey to his knee and head and as he came in i hit him full force with a white horse kick into the chest anytime he came near me. Three more white horse kicks followed left and right. We sparred the last round for about 10 minutes and during that time i had successfully used felling tree with roots and took my opponent the ground and had blown him back several times with kicking the sky and side kicks followed up by fierce tiger punches. I felt it was a point scoring contest i would have definitely won the last round and had landed many kicks on my opponent to the head, chest, shins, etc.

Afterwards we shook hands with no animosity and i noticed a few which i thought very relevant points with i will outline what i learned from the fight, i will call it a fight as friendly contest had gone out the window.

1. Darragh was panting for breath and sweating profusely after our sparring which lasted about 20 mins in total. He also had to bend down to rest. I can honestly say i was not tired after the sparring.

2. Darragh told me after he lifts a lot of weights, runs and has been practicing martial arts for 11 years ( eventhough i did not see much in the way of Kempo that day). I have been practicing kung fu for five years and physically would not be as big, muscular or fit as Darragh so surely i should have been panting?
I attribute this to the fact that i must have some internal force from my training which enabled me to not be tired.

3. There was also not a mark on me from the sparring, no bruises on my arms, legs, no soreness in my legs. I did have some stiffness in my neck and shoulders but that went today from chi kung this morning and feel 100 percent. I attribute this to internal force. The fight took place yesterday.

4. How do i know that internal force has helped me? Simply because i previously had practiced Tae Kwon Do prior to this for about 10 years. I did it from the age of 10 to 20 years of age, i'm 30 now. I used to fight twice weekly with my tae kwon do training at that time and used to practice full contact sparring, kick bags etc and used to be physically drained for a few days after. Whereas today i did a full hour a Kung Fu Training and felt brilliant
afterward.

5. Darragh also explained to me that his training methodology is to fight using hard on hard and if someone tries to strike him to try and meet it with more force. Trying to hit the opponents hand, in my own head i was thinking, will this not invite more physical injury? and would it not be simpler just to sink back in a stance and counter strike?

Anyway that is the end of my sparring session story, and hopefully i have explained clearly what happened and that i can be useful to others.

I suppose if i can finish with a few questions about the Iron Wire Set to Sifu.

Sifu,

Would someone still continue to practice golden bridge after learning the Iron Wire set?

Is the Iron Wire one of the most efficient ways of continuing to develop internal force?

Are there any additional benefits to internal force training possibly different to anything i outlined correctly or incorrectly above?

If i could get any answers to these questions i would be grateful.

Thank you

Kind Regards

Eric Shannon

Shaolin Wahnam Ireland

[Mark CH]

Hi Eric

Thank you for sharing this wonderful post. I think the most important thing here is the observations you have made. Especially in that despite your opponent being a much bigger and stronger person, your internal force stood to you in many ways.

The first, that you were still fresh and alert after this sparring session, while Darragh had to stop to catch his breath despite having more experience. I guess this sparring session was not life threatening but still aggression and intent was very much present. You previous internal force training was vital for you here. It must be very confusing for you sparring partner to see you fresh after this session.

Secondly, while you got annoyed which I think was mainly due to being out of your comfort zone with wearing gloves etc, you still learned so much from this training, while playing by his rules. Then the tables were reversed, this is where you excelled. Using many patterns from our sequences, you were skilled enough to land kicks on him and more importantly, when you got the opportunity to take him to the ground, you succeeded. This is great for your morale and maybe not so much for him.

And lastly, the importance of stances in removing the threat rather than standing taking blow for blow and using our wonderful high level chi kung to clear any blockages you did or may have received from your sparring session.

Well done Eric and great to hear it was a hard session but still friendly. It is hard to find sparring partners like this. Continue to enjoy. I am sure that doing the Iron Wire would allow you to reach a higher level of internal force and hence a more powerful and efficient fighter. With regards to your questions I will get back to you later on these. I better get to work now.

Best wishes
Mark

[Eric5]

Hello Shaolin Wahnam Family,

I have received a reply from Sigung directly concerning my questions about the Iron Wire Set and internal force. He asked me to re-post these here.

Thank you again Sigung for your excellent reply.


Fantastic Iron Wire / Western Boxing vs Kung Fu -- Part 1
________________________________________
Dear Eric,

Thanks for your detailed and inspiring post. I am proud of your progress. Your post will help to clear the doubt of many of our students as well as some instructors who still feel trepidation about taking part in free sparring competitions.

If you or most of our students and some of our instructors were to enter free sparring competitions now, you would have about 30% chance of winning. But if you follow the programme I have devised for our school, implemented by our Free Sparring Competition Committee, you and the others will have 95% chance of winning and, more importantly, come out unhurt.

I do not make public judgments lightly, and so far, for which I am grateful, all my public judgments have been proven correct.

There are, of course, many reasons for my judgment that our students and instructors will have 95% chances of winning free sparring competitions, but the most important is that as scholar-warriors we will not engage in combat unless we are sure of winning. But we allow 5% for unforeseen circumstances.

More important than winning is that our competitors come out of the competitions unhurt. Otherwise it would be irresponsible of me to send them into competitions.

We have a systematic and excellent methodology to achieve this aim. Ther 3 requirements for winning free sparring competitions and emerging unhurt are as follows, in order of importance:

1. Confidence and experience
2. A lot of internal force
3. Appropriate skills and techniques

The just-concluded Kungfu against Other Styles and Choy-Li-Fatt courses at the Winter Camp 2012 provide excellent skills and techniques for winning free sparring competitions. But even if they did not take these courses, it doesn't matter. Our students still have sufficient skills and techniques. What they need is a lot of internal force and confidence and experience.

We have a lot of methods in our school to train internal force. The most powerful metbod is the Iron-Wire Set. Its tremendous internal force is tangible immediately after training! Then why don't I make Iron-Wire a core force-training metbod in our school?

The reason is that it is easy to train Iron-Wire wrongly -- even amongst advanced practitioners. You can find much evidence on the internet -- if you know how to find it. Look at pictures or videos of those who have trained Iron-Wire. Many of them have big muscles. Look at their eyes. They lack sparkle. These are two tell-tale signs of wrong Iron-Wire training.

Yet, the most important factor for winning free sparrin competitions is confidence and experience in uncontrolled, full-contact free sparring. This can be attained with our 30-Opponen programme.

A crucial difference between how most people train for competitions and our 30-Opponent programme is that the former is haphazard whereas ours is systematic. Also the other types of training are time-consuming and result in many injuri4s, whereas ours is cost-effective and injury-free. At he start of the programme your most formidable opponent may have 90% chance of beating you, yet at the end of the programme you have 90% chance of beating him. Like many things in our school, such as overcoming so-called incurable diseases or sparring for a few hours and not being tired, it sounds incredible but is true.

With this background information, let us now answer your questions.

1. Would someone still continue to practice golden bridge after learning the Iron Wire set?

Yes, he would.

If he prefers to practice either one only, he can too, and derive good result. But as Golden Bridge and Iron-Wire complements each other, and especially in ou case where we benefit from breadth and depth, practicing the two in a same unit of time will give us more benefit -- as much as two times the benefit.

2. Is the Iron Wire one of the most efficient ways of continuing to develop internal force?

Yes, if it is learnt from a real master. It is also one of the easiet ways to practice it wrongly, yet still give a false impression of force. It is easy to practice Iron-Wire as isometric exercise instead of as chi kung.

How do we tell a master who practices Iron-Wire correctly from one who practices it wrongly? An excellent way is to see the benefits or the adverse effects practicing Iron Wire correctly or wrongly have manifested in them.


(Part 2 follows)

Fantastic Iron Wire / Western Boxing vs Kung Fu -- Part 2
________________________________________
(Continued from Part 1)

Look at pictures of Grandmaster Lam Sai Weng. a famous master of the Iron-Wire Set. He was a picture of tremendous internal force. His limbs were smooth, not muscular. His eyes sparkled and he had a beautiful ball of energy at his dan tian.

One who practices Iron-Wire as isometrc exercise has big muscles and is also powerful. But he lacks vitality and become tired easily. Despite his strength, he may be sick physically or emotionally.

You can efficiently continue to develop internal force with Iron-Wire training. There is no limit to the amount of internal force developed, an its training is also not limited by age, size and gender.

This is not so with practicing Iron-Wire as isometric exercise, or with other physical training. There is a limt muscles developed (which give strength), and its training is limited by age, size and gender.

3. Are there any additional benefits to internal force training possibly different to anything i outlined correctly or incorrectly above?

Internal force enables you to do better in whatever you do! Take a minute to reflect on this statement of truth, and you will realize what great benefit we can get from the relatively little effort we put in in internal force training.

With internal force, when you eat a meal, you will enjoy it more. You will be able to digest the food better, resulting in better life maintaining processes. When you work, you will be more efficient, resulting in better economic and social life.

Internal force will also strengthen you spirit. You will be peaceful and happy, wherever and whenever you are.

In the sparring with your colleagues, there are many other benefits which you have experienced though you have not mentioned or even noticed them.

Fighting with a martial artist known to your colleagues to blow opponents up against walls can be a stressful task, yet you remained calm and relaxed. Despite being hoodwinked into a rough fight though it was meant to be a friendly sparring, you were not angry at him. Perhaps you even pitied him while he was bending over out of breaths.

Again, despite being hoodwinked to play his game according to his rules, you still had the mental clarity to turn the tables round.

Many kungfu practitioners, including advanced ones, make this mistake, without realizing it or realizing the disadvantages involved. When they perform Pushing Hands, they follow the rules their opponents dictate. When their opponents bounce about, they throw away their stances and bounce like their opponents. Jet Li sometimes did this in his modern kungfu firms.

There are two big disadvantages. One, you fight according to the rules of your opponents. Two, you fight in a way you are unfamiliar with. It is very easy to overcome this situation. Just tell your opponents that as it is friendly free sparring, both can fight the way they and you find is best, but both sides keep the sparring friendly, i.e. avoid hurting each other.

Back to the unsaid benefits of internal force at your sparring session. You could go back to work, take a girlfriend for a date, or do whatever wholesome things without distraction. Others would have to lie in bed to nurse their injuries, or at least sit on a sofa for half an hour to regain his breath.

You can look back fondly and thank Darragh for an opportunity for improvement. Buy him a beer when you next see him. Others might curse Darragh for the event, despite shaking hands after the fight.


I also want to clarify that Mark Ch is my Sifu here in Ireland and apologize over any confusion i may have caused as i didn't outline this clearly from my original post. Although my original questions were directed to him i am delighted that Sigung replied to my questions.

Thank you again Sigung and also to Mark for you reply also

Smile from the Heart

Eric Shannon

Shaolin Wahnam Ireland

[chris-ireland]

Wonderful Thread

Congratulations Eric , your post proves the tremendous benefits one can gain from having internal force , last night i had only a couple of hours sleep but i trained Sinew Metamorphosis this morning and Lifting the Sky at the evening , and all day i feel fresh , happy and full of energy its truly amazing. I think we should all thank Darragh for making this wonderful Q and A from Sigung happen, After reading Eric's question and Sigung's answer my understanding of Internal force has deepened ,
Thank you Sigung and thank you Eric

[brendan]

Dear Eric Si Jat,

Thank You for sharing your experience it was a great joy to read.
You showed allot of courage by sparring some one like Darragh Congrats.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Iron Wire Course.

Thanks also to Sifu for his reply to you. Just when I thought I couldn't get any more excited about the Iron Wire Course, Oooh Well

Shaolin Salute,
Brendan

[brendan]

Dear Family,

While in Malaysia in October Attending the Healing course I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to learn the Iron Wire set from my Siheng Markus. Since I have been back home practicing on a few occasions I have noticed that I slightly tense in certain parts of the set. Not intentionally of course and as soon as I would realize this I would relax and smile from the heart. My question is how come during Iron Wire practice a practitioner is more likely to tense or make mistakes then in other sets of Kung Fu.

I've also noticed that if I practice the Iron Wire set I feel great afterwards but the next day or days afterwards I feel quite emotional. Has others experienced this?

Thank You Markus Siheng for teaching me this set. It was one of the most memorable experiences I ever had.

Shaolin Salute,
Brendan

[Joan]

My Dear Family,

What a fantastic thread!

Dear Eric, I am so glad that you posted your experience! Well done!

Dear Sifu, Thank you for being so kind in sharing your depth of wisdom with us. We are very grateful.

22 days to the Iron Wire set in Ireland!!

Smile from the Heart,
Joan

[Chiahua]

Thank you Sihing Eric and Sigung!

[Mark CH]

Wonderful Eric thank you for sharing Sifu's questions. It is always so nice to hear such answers from Sifu.

Well the clock is ticking, hope to see many of you there for what is going to be another jaw dropping course.

Best wishes
Mark

[Peter Clayton]

Dear Eric and Wahnam Family,

Thank you and congratulations! That was a truly inspiring story, I suspect Darragh had no idea how many people he would be benefiting that day, albeit indirectly

Thank you to Sigung for sharing with us more of your knowledge on Iron Wire. My excitement at the approach of your visit for the Valentines Festival, which was already high, has now reached new heights!

Mark Sisook, when I read you so eagerly anticipating the Iron Wire course, I know I am going to find it incredibly rewarding.

I was fortunate to discover Sigung's book in a bookshop in Sheffield. I was even more fortunate to actually learn the Shaolin Arts and I am still even more fortunate to live in Ireland and have the Valentines Festival on my doorstep.

Thank you Sifu Joan for making this possible and bringing so much benefit to students from near and far.

WSS,

[Andrea]

Congratulations Eric Sihing. It was very inspiring to read your post and Sigung's generous answers.
I am sure everybody who attends the Iron Wire course or any of the other courses during the Irish Valentine's week will greatly benefit.
I hope many can attend and learn this fantastic set.

Andrea

[Mark CH]

My question is how come during Iron Wire practice a practitioner is more likely to tense or make mistakes then in other sets of Kung Fu.

Brendan that was a question I was waiting to ask Sifu myself during the course, but it seems you have stole it

I learned the set from Anthony S Siheng two years ago in Malaysia and while I practiced it for a few months after, I did stop as I thought I may have been tensing in certain place. One place was the beginning of the set when both hands are crossed with clinched fists. So I choose safety first and stopped training it. I guess the answer to the question has something to do with, Iron Wire is very much consolidating ones chi to develop internal force, while other kung fu sets have more emphasis on flow to develop internal force.

It will be fun to find out all the answers very soon.

Best wishes
Mark

[Frederick_Chu]

Ah, it's with a heavy heart and sad face to say that I won't be able to make the Iron Wire course this time! The problem isn't getting there, it's returning to the U.S. in a reasonable amount of time (too many class conflicts with missing that Monday, plus me teaching a freshman biology laboratory class that I can't miss). I wish the participants of the Ireland Valentine Festival the best!

Maybe I can make the Intensive Shaolin Kung Fu course this year instead! *fingers crossed*