2009 Advanced Combined Shaolin-Taijiquan course

[Damian Kissey]

Group Foto

Great Course .

Thank You very much Sifu .

[Zhang Wuji]

Thank you Sifu, for the wonderful course. It was simply fantastic to spend so much time with Sifu, Wei Foong, Chun Nga and meet up with tong men.

I have just settled in at work (but with lots of back-log to clear). Still, I think many people (especially other instructors) are dying to know what we learnt at the course. Having been in that unenviable position of wanting to attend a course but not being able to, I found 10 minutes today to write about the details.

Day 1

We began the course not with some fancy kungfu moves but with the most important and often the most neglected skill – entering Zen. I cannot think of a single course in which this was not the case, even in the highly specialised Qinna course.

Sifu led us into a qigong state of mind and the resulting qi flow, followed by standing meditation. Every Shaolin Wahnam student, even those who do not practice the martial aspects of our art, does (or should) this before any training, including the ubiquitous Lifting the Sky.

In response to a query, Sifu explained that one’s qi flow can and should be maintained throughout the day. Initially, it may seem odd to be in a qigong state all the time, but it should become habitual. In this way, whether we are working at the PC or moving around, our minds are not stressed and muscles not tensed. The qi flow continues also when we are still, and not only when we are in motion – another manifestation of what the masters described as “externally still, inwardly flowing”.

We then went over the stances in Shaolinquan and Taijiquan. Even though we have practised the stances for years everyday, there was still much to improve. Sifu shared yet another secret (in addition to the now-famous open secret of “relax, relax and relax”). When settling into the stance, you will find that when you are completely relaxed, there is only one optimal position. In any other position, you will fall forward or backwards. I found feeling my way into this position allows the structure support the whole body, and lets the qi hold the body up, while letting the muscles do the least possible work. This way, the qi is allowed to flow when using the muscles at the same time.

Also, Sifu showed us an improvement in his methodology – rather than sink right into the stance, we can adjust our hands and knees position to check our physical and qi alignment first.

We then moved on to footwork, that is, moving in stances. Any participant of the intensive Shaolin or Taiji courses will know the principles. Sifu again stressed the importance of systematic progression. Of course, we do not move in the same exaggerated motions as when we first learn how to move in stances. But without working on the big movements and multiple steps in the beginning, the foundation will not be firm. It is only later that we reduce the steps and the size of the movements. If we take the effort to practice as taught, we will effortlessly manifest the essence at an advanced level or when using actually footwork in combat – be it movement from the waist, starting from the back leg, moving forward in a spiral manner, stepping with caution, or being rooted. (incidentally, Sifu told us later that Sifu distilled these principles into succinct concepts only after teaching Taijiquan).

Sifu also revised the basic aspects of footwork:

a) change of direction
b) change of leg mode
c) clockwise or anti-clockwise turn
d) the yin, yang or centre approach
e) reference points

Shaolin Wahnam students, don’t worry if you have forgotten or have not learnt these points – your instructors will cover them (again). We all go back to basics at some point.

Right, that ends my post for the day – incidentally, covering all that ground took only half the morning session. You can probably understand why it seemed like 3 days of training crammed in one day.

[Martin Do]

Thank you

Dear brothers and uncles from the course,

Thank you for sharing with us your experiences from this wonderful course. I have very much enjoyed reading your comments and am very happy for everyone.

Sifu Zhang Wuji, thank you for taking the time to share with us the details from the course. There are so much we can learn and be reminded off from your post above. I look forward to reading more whenever you get another ten minutes. I particularly look forward to reading about the weapons training from the course.

Thank you again and best wishes

Martin

[Josh]

Heartfelt greetings to all my Brothers and Sisters,

Wow, what can I say. "Amazing" doesn't do justice to this course. Thank you sooo much, Sifu, for giving me the chance to be part of this. And thank you, too, to all my brothers at the course. It was truly an honor and a joy to train with such a skilled, dedicated and all-around wonderful group.

Sifu wasn't kidding when he descibed this as "a very ambitious course." Not only were the more advanced teachings high-level, the basics were high-level! I've had the experience before of going over the basics with Sifu and gaining new insight, but this time was particularly outstanding. Just the first 2 days alone would have made the course worthwhile...the subtleties and detail and skills imparted in things I already "knew" was mind-blowing. Even the things I was focusing on in my practice before the course and felt I'd been making good progress on have been massively up-graded! And of course, there was all the "advanced" material. By the end of the course, Sifu had us doing things I wouldn't have dreamed possible, and demonstrating them to us at a level so far beyond my imagination. As Robin Sihing said, Sifu did more than "wow" us...he was absolutely stunning! Ah, the heights we have to aspire to!

I couldn't begin to give a rundown of even the highlights of the course. My head is still swimming and time doesn't make sense any more! In fact, after the final dinner a few of us were trying to list everything we covered on the last day and when Robin brought up the Cross Roads set, I couldn't believe it...I was sure that was at least a day or 2 ago! So I'll let Wuji continue his much appreciated narration and I'll try to chime in when I have a meaningful (or humorous) comment. I'm still on vacation for the next week or so, so it might be a few days. But again, thank you, Sifu. And to all my brothers who spent a week kicking, punching, gripping, felling, chasing and stabbing at me, I'd just like to remind you...."You're all fantastic."

My joyful best to all,
Josh

[Luo Lang]

Hello,
First off, a Big thank you from the Heart Wuji for highligthing the material you have covered! It's very open hearted and compassioned by you indeed! Looking forward to read more.

Of course a Big thank you to all participants! From my experience I tend to say nice people create nice courses!

All in all even those who couldn't make it, we all benefit greatly in a certain way.

So instead of beeing sad to have missed another great course, which is indeed a great waste of time. I am happy thankful for those who could and hopefully spread the spirit within the family

All the best for all,

Roland

[Nick Jones]

Thank you to all participants for sharing all your experiences here.

I have really enjoyed reading your accounts and am very happy for your growth and joy

I wish you all the best success in your practising and digesting the material you have learnt and will read with interest any more accounts that you wish to share.

Much love to you all!

Ps - Now seems like a good opportunity to register my interest for this course in the future

[Mark Blohm]

Ps - Now seems like a good opportunity to register my interest for this course in the future

Indeed, my friend. I as well.

[Jonny Say]

Dear Brother Wuji

Thank you very much for sharing and Im looking forward to reading more.

Regards

[Zhang Wuji]

OK, I took 10 minutes off my lunch hour, so here is 20 minutes worth

During our stance training (we are still talking about the morning session), Sifu reminded us why our Bow Arrow stance is in a straight line. Sifu had explained this a number of times in his webpages so this is really an open secret. Yet, it is one thing to know the secret by reading about it and quite another thing to experience it, or in our case, re-confirm the veracity after having experienced it. The secret is simply this: While the Bow Arrow may be physically less stable than one in which the feet are further apart in width, qi flow (whether in rooting downwards or used for moving) is optimised in the Shaolin Wahnam stance (which is also the same stance used by past masters and practitioners). Sifu also described the spiral movement rooting one to the ground when moving into the stance and how the dan tian is in the most ideal position when maintaining this form.

For the benefit of all those who may have wondered about the direction of waist rotation in a Fierce Tiger Through Valley punch, Sifu showed us the two different ways of turning the waist – the Precious Duck way, and the simultaneous bi-directional way (I call this the “convergence” way). Actually, I recall Sifu showing me at a Special course another way, similar to how one might do a backfist, except with a twist of the wrist at the point of impact. In fact, as I am writing this, I thought of a couple more ways to execute the punch. If nothing else, this course reinforced the immutable principle that kungfu is alive.

As this was a course for instructors, Sifu also shared with us how we can best help our students. It is a popular, if mistaken, belief among many beginner students that the master likes to hide secrets from them. It may surprise some to know that the converse is true instead. In Shaolin Wahnam, instructors often wish they can teach more to their students faster. But this is not good for the students. I have often had to slow down my teaching to make sure that my students progress at the right pace for them. Teach too much too soon, and their foundation will not be firm, or they may cause harm to themselves. I was happy to find this philosophy vindicated and confirmed by Sifu.

In Shaolin Wahnam, the phrase “systematic progression” is often heard, but it took me those years of going through the process to truly appreciate what it means. Students should practice one skill thoroughly before moving on. Any kungfu school can overwhelm a new student with techniques after techniques, but without even one basic skill to perform them, these techniques become liabilities in combat. Something like moving fluidly in stances gives the best example. If you have not spent time practising footwork, your punch will never reach the opponent and you would have set yourself up to be hit multiple times.

As I was discussing with Joshua at the hotel lobby, regular classes are in the students’ best interests. The way many instructors when Sifu first offered intensive courses was to take in a vast amount of material in a few days and spread out the training over months and years. The basic material covered in any one day of an intensive kungfu course, for example, actually takes 2 years to cover in a regular class. For those attending a regular class, there is time to slowly adjust to the increasing demands on your skill and ability and for concepts and principles to be assimilated. There are also ample opportunities for an instructor to spot mistakes very early so that the mistakes are not perpetuated and programmed into muscle and mind memory. But those who attend an intensive course had to exercise great self-discipline, first to practice at all, and next, to properly pace the training.

OK, after that digression, back to the material in this course. We reviewed the first 4 Shaolin combat sequences. Sifu emphasised the importance of fully completing each movement, such as shifting the stances between Bow Arrow and False Leg, and not cheat on them. Sifu also corrected some seemingly minor details but which would make a great difference in combat, such as the correct point to strike when executing the various counters, and how to regulate the timing (not to rush to counter-attack) or how to flow with the momentum of the attach before countering. As Joshua put it, things that we thought we already knew, we did not know as well as we should (or at least I did not).

And this takes us to the end of the morning session (though with the caveat that I do not remember exactly the sequence of events).

[Martin Do]

Thank you again

Dear Zhang Wuji Sisook,

Thank you for taking the time to share more with us. It is much appreciated.

I look forward to reading more, but only when you can spare more time to write .

Best wishes

Martin

[Andrea]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. It is very inspiring and a source of learning. And of course I would love to hear more .

Andrea

[Daniel]

Thanks to sifu and all the brothers for this fantastic course!

[Jamie Robson]

Dear Wuji Sisook,

Thank you for bringing back such happy memories from this historic course.
I'd like to congratulate you on your impressive Scholarly abilities that you demonstrated throughout our time together.
Not only are you a formidable Warrior, but your knowledge and understanding of Shaolin history is incredible; a true Scholar-Warrior!

On the course content itself, I can't emphasise enough how challenging it was to progress through weapons, multiple and multiple with weapons; a truly humbling experience!
Fighting with weapons, whether against single or multiple opponents is simply another level; my already deep respect for Sigung and our Past Masters has risen far beyond after this course, and stories of long ago where people survived countless battles using such weapons is awe inspiring.

Best Wishes,

Jamie

[ANDRESLONDONO]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences

Dear Sifu ZHANG WUJI
thanks a lot for an excellent writing and all the details you have posted about the course.
Very well appreciated and received.

Thanks to all the other brothers and sisters that have taken the time to write about the course.

[drunken boxer]

Massive post alert

Ha ha, yes indeed I agree with all descriptions of the course so far: great, fantastic and amazing.
If I have to pick one word to describe this course that will be FUN!

I had so much fun over the course of the week, both in an out of the lessons. Ever since arriving at the hotel I was in a great chi flow all week, and felt brilliant because of it, whether that was doing stance training, sequences, multiple weapons attack, or having dinner or beers with brothers, or just watching some daft film whilst sipping coke in the hotel room - it was so much fun all the way through.

And that is surprising when you consider how intensive the program was, the level of the participants (the other ones that is!) and the material we were covering - to make multiple attacks or attacks with weapons fun is a tall order. Don't get me wrong, it was very daunting, intimidating and even frightening at times. Couldn't agree more with this from Jamie Siheng:

On the course content itself, I can't emphasise enough how challenging it was to progress through weapons, multiple

and multiple with weapons; a truly humbling experience!
Fighting with weapons, whether against single or multiple opponents is simply another level; my already deep respect

for Sigung and our Past Masters has risen far beyond after this course, and stories of long ago where people

survived countless battles using such weapons is awe inspiring.

It gave me too new respect for Sifu, the past Masters, and ancient warriors of Kungfu. One thing that I thought beforehand and had confirmed on the course was was, if you are fighting multiple attackers - you must have the ability to put people down with one blow. There isn't time for anything else. Which means you need an art that develops formidable strikes. This rules out most martial arts straight away - there simply isn't time to box, wrestle, grapple etc.
The bit that I realised on the course was that genuine Kungfu with internal force is surely by far the best art for these situations.
When Sifu demonstrated and we saw his relaxed yet phenomenal strikes flow out and take out attackers in 1s and 2s, we saw how the shape of the 'battlefield' could be swiftly and dramatically changed in his favour.

Speaking of force, when Sifu demonstrated his force during Grasping Sparrow's Tail in the Taijiquan section it was just a privelege to be present.

The other thing that made the course fun was the participants. I don't think I've ever been present in such a concentration of instructors, and this made the combat aspects like dealing with multiple attacks more daunting and challenging.
But also it was really fun - before the course I had visions of being in my hotel room or eating alone while the instructors were dining together etc. But from day one we were all socialising, enjoying good food, good beer (sometimes too good ), and good craic! I was jealous of the jovial banter between those great friends at the start of the week, but not by the end!

Another standout part of the course for me came in the preparation for it, as alluded to by Wuji and Emiko earlier.
I had never ever practised weapons before, and never really wanted to, unlike 99% of kungfu practitioners. I thought why learn to use a weapon when it won't be there when you need to use it. Its not legal to carry a weapon in modern society, and I thought... here's the rub... if it was legal to carry a weapon in modern society then I wouldn't even practice martial arts because carry a weapon is exactly what I would do! Oh how wrong I was... the weapons training was fantastic in many ways. For example in terms of developing force, stances, flow. But also my brother Martin who kindly taught me the weapons sets revealed the great benefit in that they can develop agility and movements that can be transferred to enhance non-weapons fighting - some empty hand moves I couldn't do or understand before but now I can! This was further elaborated on by Sifu who told us how practising against certain weapons like the Spear, the Sabre, or the Sword can help us deal with unarmed people who are particularly tall, or strong, or quick, tricky and agile respectively.

Well I'd say thats too much talk already from me bearing in mind how much training needs to be done to go over what was learned on this course! I'll finish off with a massive thank you to all who helped me prepare for the course, to all the brothers who took part on the course, and of course to Sifu. Thank you!