bone marrow cleansing & 18 lohan arts: 10 questions to Grandmaster Wong

[Frederick_Chu]

This is such an inspiring and informative thread. Thank you, Sigung, for answering so many questions in such a clear manner!

[Daniel]

I´m really thankful to Sifu for these wonderful and enjoyable Q&A series.

The next one follows:


Chi Kung Question-Answer 8

Question 8

Until 2012, Sifu has not taught Bone Marrow Cleansing. Why has Sifu now decided to do so?

Sifu Andrew Barnett
Answer 8

While the Winter Camp in Norway organized by Markus and Omar in January 2012 was the first time my teaching of Bone Marrow Cleansing was widely made known to our Shaolin Wahnam Family, followed by many Bone Marrow Cleansing courses in many other countries, it was taught in the Spanish Summer Camp in Tarragona organized by Adalia in 2011. Even long before this, Bone Marrow Cleansing was taught not as a complete course by itself but as part of Massaging Internal Organs.

Like other courses as well as our general development of our school, the reason for introducing Bone Marrow Cleansing into our curriculum is to meet expedient needs. Apart from giving a straight-forward answer, using Andrew’s question as an opportunity to give aA brief survey of how the various courses came into our school would be more interesting and illuminating.

When I first taught at the Shaolin Wahnam Association in the middle 1980s, which is now defunct, I taught Lifting the Sky to all beginners like a “warm-up” exercise, and Separating Water and Big Wind Mill to advanced students to enhance their internal force. When I first taught chi kung to the public in the late 1980s under the name of Shaolin Wahnam Institute, I taught the Eighteen Lohan Hands in 6 months. Some masters were angry that I taught chi kung to the public, especially to non-Chinese (though it was my chi kung and not theirs), and many people thought I was crazy to teach it in six months, as practicing chi kung would take years.

Nevertheless, I had wonderful results, with students reporting that they overcame so-called incurable diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, rheumatism, arthritis, and cancer. Interestingly, depression was unknown in Asian society then. I even had difficulty finding a term for depression in Chinese. I learned about depression as a clinical disease only when I went to the West!

Later due to demand for more advanced courses, I add Small Universe for 6 months, and then Big Universe for 6 months. At that time, the theme of Shaolin Wahnam Institute was Breaking through the Small Universe enables you to overcome all diseases, Breaking through the Big Universe enables you to live healthily beyond a hundred years.” Now, with improvement in our attainment, we can update the saying to “Breaking through the Small Universe enables you to live healthily beyond a hundred years, Breaking through the Big Universe enables you to realize you never die.” Later, because of improvement in my teaching methodology, I shortened the Eighteen Lohan Hands, Small Universe and Big Universe courses to 3 months each.

Like in the Shaolin Wahnam Association before, some students in Shaolin Wahnam Institute whom I actually saved betrayed me. So L left to teach in Australia in the early 1990s, invited by a university professor there who earlier learned from me in Malaysia. I taught 10 exercises from the Eighteen Lohan Hands in 10 days, then shortened the course to 3 days. The results, as expected, were wonderful. History repeated itself. The university professor betrayed me, so I stopped going to Australia, until Neil and then Jeffrey invited me there to re-open an new chapter.


Chinese belief says that one must passed three hurdles before he can accomplish great things. I did that. I survived three betrayals by my own students whom I had saved from suffering and dying, and whom I trusted. In mid 1990s, Douglas invited me to Spain. It was an instant success, and from Spain we have now spread to over 50 countries.

When I first taught in Spain as well as in Portugal, Germany and Austria, I taught 6 exercises from the Eighteen Lohan Hands in 8 hours. There was no special name for the course, it was just called Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung, and the practice consisted mainly of dynamic patterns and self-manifested chi movement. Suggested by Jean from Toronto, I later shortened the instructional material to 3 exercises, our wondrous Lifting the sky, Pushing Mountain and Carrying the Moon, and the time to 6 hours. It was the first clear indication that “less is more”.

Later, in response to demand for more advanced courses, I added another course, calling the original course “Generating Energy Flow” and the new course “Massaging Internal Organs”.

I taught three patterns from the Eighteen Lohan Hands in the “Massaging Internal Organs” course – Turning Head for cleansing the nerves (called Bone Narrow in classical Chinese terms), Merry-Go-Round for massing the stomach, and Nourishing Kidneys for massaging the kidneys. I found nerve cleansing too delicate and to avoid possible deviation by students, I soon substituted it with Separating Water to massage the lungs.

As more senior students return to learn and the demand for more courses increased, more courses like Cosmic Shower, Internal Force, Selection from Sinew Metamorphosis, Abdominal Breathing, Dan Tian Breathing, Cosmic Breathing, and Merging with the Cosmos were gradually added. On some rare occasions I also taught Shaolin Wahnam Eighteen Chi Kung Techniques and Self-Manifested Chi Movement. And sometimes I taught the complete set of the Eighteen Lohan Hands (in 3 Parts).

When Roland invited me to teach Praying Mantis Kungfu in 2010 in Switzerland, I included the Eighteen-Lohan Art, which I believe was the main internal force training method at the northern Shaolin Temple at the time. Since then Eighteen-Lohan Art has become very popular as a chi kung course (in 3 Parts) in many countries.

In 2011 Adalia suggested Bone Marrow Cleansing from the Spanish Summer Camp. There was no record on how Bodhidharma taught Bone Marrow Cleansing to the Shaolin monks. But from indirect references, I believe that by employing appropriate techniques from the Eighteen Lohan Hands or Sinew Metamorphosis, the Shaolin monks could channel energy flow along their bone marrow, which in modern language refers also to the nerves.

There is a famous story that when assessing the progress of his students, Bodhidharma remarked that they attained the level of the skin, flesh, bone and bone marrow. It is also an established chi kung concept that energy flows at five different levels, namely the skin, the flesh, the meridians, the internal organs and the none marrow.

Linking the story and the concept together, I decided to make the Cleansing Bone Marrow course comprehensive to cover energy flow at all the five levels. In line with the Shaolin tradition, I chose appropriate patterns from the Eighteen Lohan Hands or Sinew Metamorphosis. This might not be what or how Bodhidharma taught Bone Marrow Cleansing, but in the spirit of Zen, this does not matter, because the external form is not important but the essence of Bodhidharma’s teaching must be there.

[Andrew]

Another true gem from Sifu

[Frederick_Chu]

Wow, I had no idea that Sigung's early teaching history was so turbulent. I'm glad he persevered and teaches to this day!

[sancrica]

Thank you

Thank you so much Sifu for being so generous with us.

Before, I used to think that, because of all the turbulences in my life, I was very unlucky. At that point, those turbulences took me to Chi Kung. Now, thanks to those turbulences I practice Chi Kung. Then, thanks to Chi Kung, I started Taiji. Finally, thanks to Taiji & Chi Kung I enjoy my life and I use it for good and not waste it. In conclusion, those turbulences have been a gift.

Thanks for sharing your life and teachings with us Sifu. You are such an inspiration for me. Thanks to Daniel Sifu too for bringing us these wonderful Questions & Answers Series. :-)

Shaolin Salute,

Santiago

[Daniel]

Last answer from Grandmaster Wong in this wondeful questions 6 Answer series:

Chi Kung Question-Answer 10

Question 10


If your main concern is combat efficiency, what would be the advantages and disadvantages of Bone Marrow Cleansing over One finger Shooting Zen or Golden Bridge?

Sifu Roeland Dijkerma


Answer 10

All the three internal force training methods – Bone Marrow Cleansing, One-Finger Shooting Zen, and Golden Bridge – are excellent for combat efficiency as well as good health, vitality, longevity, mental freshness and spiritual joys. It is important to bear this in mind when we single out combat efficiency as the criterion of comparison among the three arts.

It is also importance to bear in mind that the advantages and disadvantages mentioned are relative. To say that Bone Marrow Cleansing is advantageous or disadvantageous in a certain aspect of combat over One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge, it does not mean that this aspect, whether advantageous or disadvantageous, is not found in the latter two arts.

The third point to bear in mind, of course, is the presumption that all other factors were equal. If we say that Bone Marrow Cleansing is more advantageous than One-Finger Shooting Zen or Golden Bridge in one particular aspect, it is presumed that all other factors were equal, which is seldom true in real life. If a One-Finger Shooting Zen practitioner is more skilful, he would have more benefit in the aspect in question than a Bone-Marrow Cleansing practitioner.

Bone Marrow Cleansing at the skin level makes a practitioner very sensitive in his arms. Hence, he will be more effective in sensing his opponent’s movements as well as emotions when their arms are in contact. As mentioned above, this would be true when all other factors were equal. If a One-finger Zen practitioner or Golden Bridge practitioner has trained Wing Choon Sticking Hands or Taijiquan Pushing Hands, he would be able to sense his opponents more effectively despite having less sensitive arms.

Bone Marrow Cleansing at the flesh level make practitioners arms and body very powerful. The other two arts are also very powerful – even more powerful than practitioners who train specific external methods. In other words, the arms of practitioners of any of these three internal arts are more powerful than the arms of practitioners who train the external art of Iron Arm by striking poles. Practitioners of any of these three internal arts are able to take punches and kicks on their body without sustaining injury more effectively than those who train Iron Shirt by conditioning their body by repeated hitting. The reason is that the force and protection of the internal martial artists are from chi and radiate from inside, whereas the force and protection of the external martial artists are from conditioning and effected from outside.


But amongst these three internal arts, Bone Marrow Cleansing is relatively the most powerful in this aspect, followed by Golden Bridge, then by One-Finger Shooting Zen. This does not necessarily mean that Bone Marrow Cleansing is better than the other two. If an opponent is stronger, Bone Marrow Cleansing practitioners would be hurt the most, Golden Bridge practitioners less, and One-Finger Shooting Zen practitioners the least.

Bone Marrow Cleansing at the meridian level is very effective in overcoming internal injuries sustain in combat. One-Finger Shooting Zen is also effective, but not as much as Bone Marrow Cleansing at the meridian level. Golden Bridge by itself may aggravate internal injuries. But chi flow induced by Golden Bridge can clear internal injuries. In this case, one performs Golden Bridge for a short while to produce enough internal force which he then uses for a vigorous chi flow. If he prolongs in his Golden Bridge training, the accumulated internal force would be detrimental to internal injuries.

Bone Marrow Cleansing at the internal organ level, when directed to the kidneys and gall bladder, make practitioners courageous. Being courageous certainly enhances combat efficiency. One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge also bring such benefit, but are not as cost-effective. On the other hand, if it deviates into sheer bravado, it becomes disadvantageous.

Bone Marrow Cleansing at the bone marrow level cleanses nerves as well as strengthens bones, resulting in quick reflexes and righteousness. These qualities greatly enhance combat efficiency.

It is worthy of note that we are comparing five levels of skills in Bone Marrow Cleansing with the two techniques of One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge where only one skill, i.e. developing internal force, is implied. In theory any technique can be used to generate the five levels of chi flow in Bone Marrow Cleansing, but in practice I choose the best techniques, which are Lifting the Sky to generate chi flow at the skin level, Separating Water to generate chi flow at the flesh level, Pushing Mountain to generate chi flow at the meridian level, Carrying the Moon to generate chi flow at the internal organ level, and Turning Head to generate chi flow at the bone marrow level. Hence, it is no surprise if you find there are more advantages in Bone Marrow Cleansing than in One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge because we are comparing five techniques and five skills with two techniques and one skill.

Though it is not the best choice of techniques, but if a practitioner is skilful he can employ One-Finger Shooting Zen or Golden Bridge to generate chi flow at the five different levels. In other words, he uses the technique of One-Finger Shooting Zen or of Golden Bridge to operate the five skills of Bone Marrow Cleansing. In such a case, One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge will have all the advantages mentioned above.

[Andrew]

Indeed, a truly wonderful series.

[wooden shoes]

Dear Sifu,

Thank you for your wonderful answers! It is amazing that you share so much with us.

[Michael S]

Wow, I had no idea that Sigung's early teaching history was so turbulent. I'm glad he persevered and teaches to this day!

Indeed. Imagine what we could have lost without ever knowing it.

[Andrew]

.... and imagine what could have happened, had this turbulence not occured

[Matthew]

Thank you Sigung for sharing so generously in this tremendous Q&A series. Thank you brothers and sisters for the questions and thank you for the thread.

Shaolin salute
Matt

[Guest]

Sifu thank you so much for your deep insight and for generously sharing it with us.

What struck a chord in me in particular was the two points regarding overcoming three hurdles and betrayal.
I have sometimes wondered about the latter point when you briefly mentioned these events in your questions and answers.

Thank you again for so kindly sharing these wonderful arts with us.

Respectfully,

Sham.

[Claudien S]

Thank you Sifu for the enlightening answers to the great questions.

I was profoundly touched by your story of the betrayals and about how blessed we are that you chose to keep going. It also made me reflect on my past and I felt really grateful for the challenges I went through because they have made me the happy, healthy and fulfilled person that I am now.

Thank you all dear Shaolin Family for the great questions.

Best regards,
Claude

[adrian]

Thank you Sigung,

simply awesome, these questions and answers !!!

[Andrea]

Thank you Sigung for these inspiring answers and Daniel Sipak for starting the thread.
Just like the other Q&A series they are such a fantastic opportunity to gain a deeper insight and benefit from it in our practice.

Andrea