Pearls of Wisdom

Training For Life

Inside Kung Fu January 2001

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

So you’ve reached black belt level and wonder, “Where do I go from here?” Is it the end or beginning of my formal training?

In most martial arts, black belt or advanced-level students are now ready for the serious training that makes them true martial artists. Advanced students in any martial art have responsibilities far exceeding those of students who have not yet reached the advanced level. And, while they have reached black belt level or its equivalent, they have much more to learn themselves.

Advanced or black belt students have completed basic training for the foundation of their art and are now ready to learn the depth of their martial art. However, they are not yet masters of their arts. Rather, advanced students are the serious students of martial arts.

You can think of beginning and intermediate levels in martial arts as the equivalent of prep school. Advanced training is where you go to college and if you stay long enough, receive your Ph.D. in the martial arts.

Advanced martial art training is going back to the basics and learning how to make those basic techniques effective by understanding every facet. That understanding includes having good power and control. It means each form practiced is done with flowing accuracy and precision. The advanced or black belt student learns how to efficiently and effectively use the art of self-defense.

Advanced students are the ones who should set examples for beginning students in both techniques and how to respect the teacher and the art. They have a positive attitude, gained from study and accomplishment. They demonstrate sportsmanship in competition and respect for other martial arts, teachers and students.

Advanced students learn to teach their martial art correctly and are willing to master the art so they can hand it down to the next generation of students. They easily show their own confidence in their art by doing public exhibitions.

Every time you teach someone else you solidify that knowledge in you own mind. As you explain principles and techniques to lower-belt students you understand those techniques better yourself.

Of course, besides the responsibilities, there are the benefits of reaching black belt or advanced level in your martial art. Advanced students gain more knowledge by learning higher-level hand and weapon forms. There are often special advanced or black belt classes that cater to those who have put the hard work and training necessary to reach advanced levels. Advanced-level students are encouraged to use their minds creatively when understanding self-defense techniques.

Part of the excitement of reaching black belt is the knowledge that now the real training begins. It’s far more than merely being a senior student to the many beginners in your school. It is the time in your training where the principles and philosophies of martial arts become an important part of your everyday life.

Doc-Fai Wong writes a bi-monthly column for Inside Kung-Fu.

To learn more about martial arts training in San Diego log onto:  whitedragonmartialarts.com

Training For Life

Inside Kung Fu January 2004

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

Horse stance training is vital to mastering many Southern Chinese martial arts systems. This practice also is emphasized in northern kung-fu systems. Horse stance training strengthens the muscles of the legs. When the legs are stronger, forms practice will be better balanced and more stable. Forms also become more graceful and beautiful. Plus, the stances give a fighter more power and quicker movements in self-defense or street situations.

There are three main reasons for practicing the horse stance:

To train students to have patience and perseverance. A successful martial artist must have patience when training. Back in ancient times, old masters used to put the students through horse stance training for years to test a student’s patience. This testing also gave the master a chance to observe his student’s loyalty, sincerity and true intention. If students could demonstrate their willingness to endure the rigors of prolonged horse stance training, the master felt better about handing down the secret family fighting system to them. Loyalty, sincerity, patience and good personal character continue to be valued traits.

To master footwork and to strengthen leg muscles - In stance training, you must work on different stances besides the regular horse stance (a.k.a. the square horse). The bow stance, cat stance, kneeling stances and different twist stances are important factors in kung-fu training. The Chinese term ma has several different meanings: it means the word horse or in the southern kung-fu systems it also means stances. Therefore, you don’t just stand in one position for long time doing only doing “the horseback riding stance.” You should practice all the different martial art stances. The choy li fut kung-fu system has a horse stance training form called the “five wheel stance.” In ancient times, students of the system were required to practice this form for three-to-six months before they were taught any hand forms. Each time they worked on the five wheel stance form, students were required to hold the position for three-to-five minutes. While an entire form could take two hours or longer to perform, students developed fast movements with strong, powerful stances.

To develop internal energy - When a student practices the stances for over 15 minutes at a time, his legs will grow weary. It is important to learn how to relax the muscles to hold the stances for longer and longer periods. Thus, he must focus on his breath or breathing. Once he begins to focus on his breathing, he sinks into deeper levels of concentration, his mind gets calmer, and his chi, begins to drop lower into the navel. By practicing the stances for a lengthy time, the student’s chi gets stronger and his mind becomes sharper. One Chinese saying states, “Develop the internal by training the external.” One key is to massage the leg muscles right after stance training to loosen stiff muscles and help improve blood circulation.

Horse stance training can be practiced anytime, anywhere. However, you must train on smooth ground or a level floor. For your health’s sake, it is not good to practice outdoors when a strong wind is blowing on you or under direct sunlight. The best environment for training is practicing indoors. If you are training outdoors, try to remain in the shade. You can practice stances at work or at play. For example when standing to do any kind of work, just bend your legs and do your stances at the same time. You can keep changing the stances according to the different working situations. According to an old Chinese saying, “The more you practice, the better the results of your training.”

Doc-Fai Wong writes a bi-monthly column for Inside Kung-Fu.

To learn more about Kung Fu training in San Diego Visit White Dragon Martial Arts

Training for Life

Inside Kung Fu July 2005

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

Many martial arts instructors these days adopt professional titles, such as master or grandmaster, to improve their credibility or solely to impress their students. Some even invent titles to make themselves appear more accomplished than their competition, or even their own teachers.

However, legitimate martial arts titles have nothing to do with self-promotion. Instead, such titles should be the result of a lifetime spent promoting your system and students.

In China, all martial art instructiors are called sifu or shifu in Mandarin. Some Northern Chinese call their teacher by the term laoshi or losi in Cantonese. Many third-generation students call their teacher’s teacher si-gung or tai-laoshi. The fourth-generation students often refer to the first-generation teacher as tai-sigung or si tai gung.

However, there are not many traditional kung-fu teachers in China with more than four generations of students below them, because a teacher’s students usually have to help teach until the teacher dies. Then the students can begin to teach on their own. In some cases, when highly skilled students move far from their teacher, they are permitted to teach on their own before their teacher’s death. In this case, it is easy to see how a third generation of students can come about. However, a third-generation instructor could only happen if this person’s student were also to move far away and begin teaching on his own.

For a rare fourth-generation instructor to be produced, this process would have to happen yet again. So ay you can see, to arrive at four generations of instructors all living and teaching the same art, at the same time, is quite rare.

All the titles for addressing students and teachers are based on Chinese family titles. For example, sifu means teaching father. The wife of the teacher is called si-mo, even though she usually has no knowledge of her husband’s martial art. If the teacher is a woman, she is still referred to by the masculine term sifu. The lady sifu’s husband is called si-jeong or teaching uncle, even though he may not practice martial arts.

The term for a male senior classmate is si-hing or shi-xiong in Mandarin. A female senior classmate is called si-jie, or in Mandarin shi-jie. A male junior classmate is called si-daih or shi-di, whereas a female junior classmate is called si-moi or shi-mei. Your teacher’s male or female senior classmate is called si-bak or shi-buo. And similarly, your teacher’s male or female junior classmate is called si-suk or shi-shu.

These titles have little to do with formal ranking or learning levels; they are used in China mostly as a way of politely addressing peple you would normally see in and around your teacher’s school. So, how did we arrive at the complicated ranking systems and titles used in today’s martial arts schools?

When American GIs imported Japanese and Korean martial arts into North America after World War II, many of the early teachers began to devise more-extensive ranking systems. The karatedo and tae kwon do organizations in the U.S. and Europe were some of the first schools that used colored belts, degrees and professional titles for ranking purposes. In those organizations, a fifth-degree black belt who taught was qualified to be a master. The ninth- or tenth-degree black belt who headed the organization was usually considered to be a grandmaster.

Yet, despite all these precedents and traditions, there is no shortage of indivduals willing to bestow all manner of exotic titles on themselves. I can understand the kung-fu instructor who uses the “grandmaster” title after developing a sizeable organization, which includes several qualified master and sifu-level instructors.

There are some instructors that have never produced a single master or sifu-level student, but see nothing wrong with using the title of grandmaster. Some of these so-called grandmasters don’t even have many students, let alone a full-time school. Some assume this title just because they have produced a student who is an instructor. Perhaps they confuse the title of grandmaster with grandfather. Yet, as I explained earlier, these titles are not the same.

In my case, my teachers certified me grandmaster so I could pass on their particular systems of martial arts. Today, my Plum Blossom Internation Federation has over 100 schools worldwide and I have produced more than one master-level instructor and dozens of sifu-level instructors encompassing five generations of teachers.

In my Federation, we only award professional titles such as sifu or master to instructors actively involved with teaching in their own school or organization. A certified staff instructor in one of our schools must be at least an advanced-level or black sash-level student. To earn the title of sifu, one must complete the senior-advanced level and must be the head instructor of a full-time school. The master level is reserved for someone who has not only completed the senior-advanced level, but also has produced a couple of sifu-level instructors that run schools.

A grandmaster is promoted by the soon-to-be-retired senior grandmaster, after this individual has produced a couple of master-level instructors. These master-level instructors and sifu are the foundation of a martial arts organization of significant size that promotes a particular system on a full-time basis.

As you can see, the true master or grandmaster is not self-appointed. Holding the title of master or grandmaster carries a significant level of responsibility and represents a lifetime of effort spent building a great martial arts organization. The true grandmaster achieves his title by producing many successful masters and sifus that are hard at work teaching their art to the next generation.

Doc-Fai Wong writes a bi-monthly column for Inside Kung-Fu.

To learn more about Kung Fu or Tai Chi, Visit White Dragon Schools Website.

What the Science Says (cont. from Part 1)

Several studies have shown that regular tai chi practice has benefits: It can reduce falls in the elderly or those with balance disorders — sometimes dramatically. In one 1996 Atlanta study, elderly people who practiced tai chi for 15 weeks reduced their risk of multiple falls by 47.5 percent. Falls are a particular danger for elders and others with brittle bones, or osteoporosis. For such people, falls frequently result in broken bones.

Research has shown tai chi has other benefits, too. Participants in the Atlanta study also had lower blood pressure at the end of the study; and a 1999 study that looked at people with multiple sclerosis who practiced tai chi found that it contributed to an overall improvement in quality of life for people with chronic, disabling conditions.

While there are no good, controlled studies that prove tai chi specifically benefits people with arthritis by reducing pain or inflammation, there is a study from 1991 that evaluates its safety for rheumatoid arthritis patients. It concluded that 10 weeks of tai chi classes did not make joint problems worse, and says the weight-bearing aspects of this exercise has the potential to stimulate bone growth and strengthen connective tissue.

And a recent University of Arizona opinion paper on mind-body alternatives, such as tai chi and meditation, for rheumatic diseases concluded that stress and pain are closely related, and therapies that focus on psychological as well as physical function could be beneficial, when used along with conventional medications.

But doctors don’t need proof to approve an exercise as safe and soothing as tai chi — even for themselves. Dr. Lam, who is 52, developed osteoarthritis in his neck, back and hands when he was in his 20s, and began practicing and then teaching tai chi to keep his own arthritis under control.

“Given its low impact and evidence that it tends to increase muscle strength and balance and give general pain relief, we think it’s a worthwhile option for arthritis patients,” says William L. Haskell, PhD, deputy director of the Stanford [University] Center for Research in Disease Prevention in California.

Stanford has offered tai chi classes for years, and is launching a major National Institute on Aging study to assess benefits of various types of exercise on healthy aging. A year-long study of tai chi for those 60 and older is part of the project. While this study won’t look at arthritis specifically, the data is expected to provide evidence of tai chi’s general benefits.

Suitable Styles
Tai chi classes are usually small, with fewer than 20 people of diverse ages. It’s common to see people in their 80s alongside students in their 20s and every age in between.

There are five distinct styles of tai chi and many variations within each style. Most gentle and, therefore, suitable for people with arthritis, says Dr. Lam, are the Yang, Sun, Wu and Hao styles. Dr. Lam’s program for arthritis is based on the Sun style, which is performed without deep knee bending. He says beginners should avoid the Chen style, a more brisk and active style not recommended for most people with arthritis.

You may encounter a tai chi class that teaches a variation on a style or one that combines several styles. The “right” version for you is one that you can do easily, without making hard or forceful movements and without stressing your joints or muscles.

Tai chi classes usually last about one hour, and may be held once or twice a week. They begin with a gentle warm-up and breathing exercises or a meditation to quiet the mind.

The teacher demonstrates individual poses and then leads the class through the sequences, step by step, gradually linking the movements together in longer sequences. The sequences can be done slowly, or with more speed and energy. But movements are always soft and graceful, with careful attention to breathing and posture.

Classes end with cooling down exercises and, sometimes, a short meditation. At the end of class, you should feel relaxed. If you have pain that lasts more than a few hours after class, talk to the instructor about how to change the movements to work within your limits.

Good Advice
Before you begin any exercise program, be sure to ask your doctor’s advice about specific movements to avoid.

• Don’t try to learn tai chi from a video or book: It’s best to learn from a teacher who can make sure you are doing the movements correctly. As you learn the basics, you can practice on your own or with a video.
• Choose your teacher carefully. Make sure the instructor has experience teaching people with arthritis and can guide you to the safest movements.
• Warm up before class and cool down afterward. Tai chi may not seem strenuous, but it does work joints and muscles.
• Modify the movements if necessary. For example, many tai chi postures are done with bent knees. If you have knee involvement, you may need to adapt those movements to be safe and comfortable.
• Be cautious when you have a flare or sore joint. Many experts say you can still exercise, but carefully. Check with your doctor if you aren’t sure, and stop if it makes you hurt more or if you feel pain two hours after the class.
• Never push or exert yourself. Most teachers believe the meditative effects of Qi are as important as the physical exercise.
• Practice daily. The practice can take as few as five minutes or can last as long as an hour per session.
• Remember that while tai chi is a good adjunct exercise, it doesn’t provide much in aerobic or weight-bearing benefits.

Judith Horstman is a contributing editor to Arthritis Today and author of The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide to Alternative Therapies.

For more information about Tai Chi at White Dragon Schools log onto whitedragonmartialarts.com

By Judith Horstman

With slow movements as fluid as silk, the gentle Chinese practice of Tai Chi seems tailor-made for easing sore joints and muscles.

Every day, in community centers, parks, gyms and living rooms across America, people are practicing tai chi. As they move together through a series of slow and synchronized postures, it may look as though they are performing some kind of dance.

What they are actually doing is an ancient Chinese practice designed to exercise body, mind and spirit. As they move through tai chi postures, they are gently working muscles, focusing concentration, and, according to Chinese philosophy, improving the flow of “Qi ,” the vital life energy that sustains health and calms the mind. (Qi is pronounced “chee,” and is often spelled “chi.”)

In China, where tai chi has been practiced for some 600 years, tai chi isn’t just a feel-good workout: it’s therapy, a preventive measure and a remedy for almost every ailment, including arthritis.

Along with other Chinese imports, such as acupuncture and herbs, tai chi is becoming popular in the West. It appeals to people of all ages because it’s not intimidating. Seniors particularly like tai chi because the slow, synchronized movements are easy to learn and to perform.

Once scarce, classes can now be found through YMCAs, some churches, community centers, karate schools and even through some health maintenance organizations. Tai chi is taught at some summer camps for children with juvenile arthritis. In Australia, a tai chi program designed especially for people with arthritis is supported and taught by the Arthritis Foundation of Australia.

Doctors recommend tai chi for people with a variety of musculoskeletal conditions because it improves flexibility and builds muscle strength gradually.

“There’s no doubt that tai chi, done properly, can be a beneficial exercise for people with arthritis,” says Paul Lam, MD, a Sydney-based family practitioner and tai chi master who designed the Australian arthritis program.

Martin Lee, a tai chi authority and author of many books who has directed classes for years, says he has seen many people’s overall health improve as they do tai chi. “Tai chi relieves stress,” he says. “It can be very healing.”

Tai chi is an exercise almost anyone who can walk can do safely, says Dr. Lam, who began doing tai chi nearly 30 years ago for his own osteoarthritis. Tai chi takes the joints gently through their range of motion, he says, while the emphasis on breathing and inner stillness relieves stress and anxiety. Classes are inexpensive, and it can be practiced almost anywhere at any time, with no special equipment or clothing.

Peter Stein, MD, a Greenbrae, Calif., rheumatologist, says he finds tai chi especially good for people with fibromyalgia and those with a high level of muscle pain. “People in pain often can’t even do yoga,” he says. “They need something milder and more soothing, and tai chi is very good for relieving pain.”

Philip Mease, MD, a Seattle rheumatologist, says people who say they don’t like exercise enjoy and stick to tai chi. “When people enjoy it, they are more likely to continue to exercise alone, or in a group, which I think is more fun,” he says.

Meditation in Motion
Tai chi, with its focus on breathing and flowing gestures, is often described as “meditation in motion. “It emerged sometime between the 1300s and 1600s in China. Some say it was developed by monks, others by a retired general. They agree its ancient roots are in the martial arts, but tai chi movements are never aggressive. They are based on shifting body weight through a series of light, controlled movements that flow rhythmically together into one long, graceful gesture. The sequences have poetic names, such as “waving hand in the cloud” or “pushing the mountain”, and can be quite beautiful to an observer.

Tai chi movements are intended to balance the flow of Qi in mind as well as body. They use the whole body and are performed slowly, with concentration on breathing and inner stillness.

The concept of Qi is at the heart of tai chi. In Chinese medicine, it’s believed that disease is due to blocks or imbalances in the flow of Qi . Chinese use acupuncture, herbs and tai chi in the belief they can help balance the flow of Qi to cure illness and maintain health.

Most Western doctors question the concept of Qi , since it hasn’t been scientifically proven to exist or to aid health and healing. Nevertheless, some physicians who treat the elderly or those with musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis have been impressed by how tai chi improves pain, range of motion and physical balance.

See Part 2 for the rest of the article

LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Each year, up to 14,000 people over age 60 develop shingles, a painful nerve disease that comes from the chicken pox virus.. Shingles often results in extreme pain that can last for months. Now a simple exercise can protect against the virus.

Roberta Taggart knows she gives more than relaxation to the seniors in her tai chi classes. “Just by becoming quiet and doing the form, they could inwardly get in touch with their body and feel very connected,” she tells Ivanhoe.

But that’s not the only benefit. A new study shows tai chi — slow exercise and intense meditation — protects seniors against the shingles virus.

Psychiatrist Michael Irwin, M.D., of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute in Los Angeles, says, “As we age, or as we experience declines in our immune function, this virus can express itself and produce a very painful rash.” The rash clears, but Dr. Irwin says patients are often left with extreme sensitivity to pain. “They can ultimately become depressed and withdraw from their normal activities because of that pain.”

Dr. Irwin’s study shows three classes of tai chi a week for 15 weeks boosts shingles immunity by about 50 percent. “There’s nothing currently available to boost shingles immunity to match what we did,” he says. And that’s not all. “We found significant improvements in the older adults who practiced tai chi and their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.” He says tai chi could also offer protection against other viruses.

Gaunnie Dixon feels the benefits. “It keeps me pretty much grounded,” she says. “I’m more relaxed.”

Taggart says she was surprised at the study results. “The benefits are great. A boost in the immunity by 50 percent? What older adult wouldn’t want that?”

Each tai chi class is about 45 minutes long. Tai chi has also been shown to help illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis. Many senior centers offer these types of classes. The Patience Tai Chi Association also offers a list of tai chi instructors by state as does a Web site devoted to tai chi chuan.

This article was originally published on March 17, 2004.

For more information about Tai Chi Visit White Dragon Martial Arts