Pearls of Wisdom

Studies show that people who practice Tai Chi often experience health benefits such as: improvements in balance and strength, cardiovascular and respiratory function, flexibility, reduction of arthritis symptoms, immune system enhancement and positive psychological effects.

Now a new study from the Oregon Research Institute finds that improvements in sleep patterns may be added to that list.

As reported in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers recruited a group about 120 men and women, aged 60 to 92, who all reported having moderate sleep problems. The subjects were divided into two groups to participate in exercise sessions of either Tai Chi or low-impact exercise for six months. The exercise sessions for each group lasted 60 minutes, three times each week. Subjects were evaluated using two different sleep quality assessment techniques.

Both groups improved on cognitive thinking scores, underlining just one of the many benefits of regular exercise. But the Tai Chi subjects showed significant improvements in all of the sleep scores, compared to few such improvements in the low-impact group.

Sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and sleep disturbances were all improved on by the Tai Chi subjects. Their sleep duration averaged nearly 50 minutes more each night, while the time it took to fall asleep decreased by an average of almost 20 minutes, compared to the low-impact subjects.

Researchers concluded that a low to moderate intensity Tai Chi program may be an effective way to avoid pharmaceutical sleep aids for elderly people who have trouble getting a good night’s rest.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

To learn more about Tai Chi visit any one of White Dragon’s seven locations in San Diego or Riverside Counties by clicking here:  whitedragonmartialarts.com

Training for Life

Inside Kung Fu July 2003

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

I shall never forget the day professor Hu Yuen Chou accepted me as his disciple. When fortune smiled on me that day in the 1970s and I had been deemed worthy to have the veil lifted from the secrets of kung-fu, professor Hu took me aside. “Anybody can be an ordinary martial arts instructor,” he said. “But you have what it takes to be a great teacher, if you build your career properly.”

“What do you mean?” I asked my master.

Professor Hu paused for a moment. His eyes had a far away look, as if he was remembering his own first youthful steps on the long journey to becoming a kung fu legend. Then he spoke.

“To build high, you must have a strong base, like a pyramid. A tree can be high too, but without the wide base of a pyramid it will blow down in a storm some day. However, the pyramid will survive all the storms and last an eternity.

“Your name is the same,” he continued. “You can have lots of publicity and be temporarily known. However, a great instructor always has years of hard work, proper training and a broad knowledge of Asian history, culture and geography as his strong base. Like the pyramid.”

Then professor Hu handed me a Chinese Classic to read entitled, The Journey to the West. On that day, with those words I began to build the foundation of my own “pyramid.”

He later had me read two other great classics, The Water Margin and The Three Kingdoms. Reading these venerated works taught me a great deal about kung-fu.

Sadly, great-grandmaster Hu is no longer with us. So, it is up to me to pass along this valuable path of kung-fu knowledge. I highly recommend reading these great classics, as a way of connecting with the feel of Chinese culture and the birth of kung-fu and its techniques.

Journey to the West

Many Chinese children grow up hearing the remarkable tales of the “Monkey King” from The Journey to the West. These delightful stories not only entertain, but also explain the details of the monkey staff kung-fu techniques. There are other mystical characters, such as the Tang Priest (who is based on the historical figure who went to India - hence the title “Journey to the West” - to bring the sacred Buddhist Sutras back to China), Pig, the Sand Monks and countless other demons and devils. Each character has a different weapon and the fighting skills to go with it. Naturally, there are lots of contests where these weapons are used. The reader learns a great deal about kung-fu fighting.

The Water Margin

In The Water Margin, there are 108 heroes. From this novel we learn of the origin of “drunken” kung-fu. One of the heroes is the monk Lu Zhi Shen, who thoughtlessly went out and got drunk. When he returned to the monastery to sleep it off, the other monks wouldn’t let him in. Buddhist monks, you see, are not supposed to go out and drink too much. In his efforts to get back in and go to bed, he fought more and more monks at the monastery’s gate with his surprisingly effective drunken movements.

For the famous double axes techniques, you can read about Li Kui; for the twin spear there is the story of Shi Jun, who had nine dragons tattooed on his body. There are many heroes such as Lin Chong, the military chief instructor of a million soldiers; Wu Song, the tiger fighter hero; and many others to complete your knowledge of Chinese fighting arts.

The Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms is one of the major novels in classical Chinese literature. The story is about the three states in ancient China at the end of the Han dynasty (202 B.C. - A.D. 220). This was a very unsettled period in history. One of the characters is General Kwan, also known as Guan Gong. This action-packed story tells about the general and his blood brothers. General Kwan is well-known in Chinese culture and is often seen on altars in Chinese business establishments with his unmistakable long weapon - the Kwan do.

Today, when we practice the southern style of Kwan do, the long handle broadsword, we understand the history and background of the weapon’s form from The Three Kingdoms. The traditional Kwan do form has techniques like sharpen the knife, riding on the horse, and other movements that simulate General Kwan preparing for the war.

General Kwan’s elderly blood brother was Lord Liu Bi. He eventually became king of one of the states and had his kingdom in the area of western China, which is today Si Chuan province. Lord Liu Bi’s weapon of choice was the double sword. The second blood brother was Zhang Fei, who was famous for using the snake tongue spear. The youngest blood brother, Zhao Zi Long, was the red tassel spear expert. One of General Kwan’s enemies was Lu Bu. He wrought havoc with the gik (Chinese halberd).

I highly recommend that all serious martial artists read these works. You can get them from the library or even from the Internet. After you read these books, you will truly understand Chinese culture and how it relates to traditional Chinese martial arts.

Doc Fai Wong is a columnist for Inside Kung Fu Magazine.

To learn more about Kung Fu and Tai Chi visit:  whitedragonmartialarts.com

Training for Life

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

Inside Kung Fu Sept 2005

Tai Chi’s Tui Shou or pushing hands is well known in the martial art world. There are similar techniques in other systems as well. In the Choy Li Fut system, it is called Nor Kiu or rubbing bridge hands. In Wing Chun they have Chi Sau or sticky hands. Some other systems have Pan Shou or coiling hands. Most of the internal systems like Yi Chuan, Bagua and Hsing I call it Tui Shou or pushing hands.

There are single pushing hands and double pushing hands methods. The single pushing hands training is good for fighting because it teaches the student how to redirect the opponent’s front hand to unbalance him and then use the free hand to strike him. The double pushing hands play is useful for training the student to use both hands to control the opponent, unbalance him and then push him away without striking him. From the double pushing hands training, you will develop the neutralization sensation which allows you to avoid the opponent grabbing or wrestling you with both arms.

The main Tai Chi pushing hands principle is bu diao bu ding (no leaving and no forcing) which means: do not withdraw your hands (or leave) without the opponent pushing you away and do not use your own force against the incoming force from your opponent. The bu diao bu ding has the same meaning as Choy Li Fut’s nor kiu saying: gung kei yeok sieh kei keung (attacking the weak and neutralizing the strong). In the Chi Sau of Wing Chun, they say: lai woi hui sung lat sau jik chung , that means: following the coming and going hands, once the hands disconnect you must thrust the punch forward. All of the above sayings are the same if you are truly understand the meanings. If you don’t, then lessons from a pushing hands master will give you understanding.

Many instructors have difficulty teaching pushing hands to women. Some say that they do not want to do training with women because it is not convenient to limit the physical contact. I have no problem teaching nor practicing pushing hands with female students at all. I am sure most of the well trained pushing hands masters and sifus are also having no problems. Only some Tai Chi instructors who are not well accomplished at pushing hands use this excuse to avoid practicing with an expert female player by saying “its not convenient to push with her.”

I have been teaching kung fu since 1968 and with 37 years of experience training instructors, I have always gotten the same complaints and problems from the instructors about pushing hands with women. Now I would like to share some tips for anyone who is having problems practicing with women: Firstly, you must not have any evil thoughts. If you have bad thoughts, you will get yourself into lots of legal trouble for sexual misconduct. You must truely want to train and practice the art of pushing hands. Secondly, you must understand and be able to perform the techniques in keeping with the tai chi pushing hands principles, that is “bu diao bu ding” or “no leaving and no forcing”. During the pushing hand attack, you must not push to the female opponent’s chest. You may push her arms into her mid section to push her off balance. If she is forcing, just by pushing her arm she will be thrown off balance without her arm touching her body anyway. You can also redirect her arm by turning her body sideways and the other hand can push her shoulder or the upper part of her arm to unbalance her.

There are many ways to unbalance an opponent (man or woman) without any contact to their chest or private parts. You simply have to practice more and learn how to relax your body. Most women are naturally relaxed and more sensative to touch than men, therefore sometimes its difficult to push them off balance and easy for them to push you. How can you relax? You must practice your Tai Chi form correctly. The forms teach you to know about yourself. The form teaches you to know that your energies are connected or disconnected, tense or relaxed and your footwork is empty or full. Pushing hands teaches you to know about your opponent and to feel whether your opponent is leaving or forcing, this way you will develop a high level of skill in pushing hand and you will have no problem practicing with or teaching women students anymore.

Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong is a columnist for Inside Kung Fu Magazine.

To learn more about Tai Chi or Push Hands in San Diego Visit White Dragon Martial Arts

Newsmax.com     Monday, October 27 2008

Tai chi is effective in the treatment of pain and physical impairment in people with severe knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Osteoarthritis, or OA as it is commonly called, is the most common joint disease affecting middle-age and older people. It is characterized by progressive damage to the joint cartilage—the slippery material at the end of long bones—and causes changes in the structures around the joint. These changes can include fluid accumulation, bony overgrowth, and loosening and weakness of muscles and tendons, all of which may limit movement and cause pain and swelling.

Osteoarthritis in the knee and hip areas can generate chronic pain or discomfort during standing or walking. According to the Centers for Disease Control, knee OA affects 240 people out of every 100,000 people per year.

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese exercise that uses an integrated mind-body approach to enhance muscle function, balance, and flexibility and has been known to reduce pain, depression and anxiety in those who practice the exercise.

Researchers set out to determine if tai chi could successfully treat the physical and mental effects of severe knee OA. A total of 40 patients were randomly chosen to participate in the study. On average they were 65 years old and moderately overweight, and had knee OA for approximately 10 years; 75 percent of the patients were female and 70 percent were Caucasian.

Participants were introduced to either tai chi (10 modified forms from the classical Yang style) or to conventional stretching and wellness education. Each group received the intervention twice-weekly for 60 minutes over the course of 12 weeks. Patients were evaluated with a self assessment questionnaire (WOMAC) that evaluates pain, stiffness and physical function in hips and knees at the beginning and end of the study.

Additionally, researchers studied WOMAC function, patient and physician global assessments, timed chair stand, balance tests, knee proprioception, depression, self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life. These assessments were also done at weeks 24 and 48 to determine how lasting each intervention was for the participants.

Attendance for the 12-week interventions was 85 percent in the tai chi group and 89 percent in the stretching and wellness group. Participants who took part in tai chi exhibited significantly greater improvements in pain, physical function, depression, self-effectiveness and health status. Patients who continued participating in tai chi after the 12-week intervention also reported long-lasting benefits in WOMAC pain and function.

These results lead investigators to believe that tai chi is effective in the treatment of the pain and physical impairments in people with severe knee OA. Chenchen Wang MD, MSc; Tufts Medical Center, Division of Rheumatology, and lead investigator in the study explains, “Tai chi mind-body exercise appears to provide an important approach for self-care and self-management for knee OA; however, these results should be confirmed by future large studies.”

Patients should consult their rheumatologists before beginning this, or any, exercise program.

To learn more about the many health benefits of Tai Chi, Visit White Dragon Martial Arts

Training for Life

Inside Kung Fu July 2000

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

Just knowing how to do qigong meditations and exercises isn’t enough to make your qigong practice worthwhile and beneficial. You must also know and employ certain physical and mental practices before you can control your qi (chi) energy’s direction and flow throughout your body. No matter what qigong style you practice, you must first understand a few basic principles of correct qigong practice.

Here are five rules that apply to most qigong styles.

1. Don’t expect too much too soon. This is one of the easiest mistakes for beginners to make. When people start studying qigong they are always eager and enthusiastic. However, not everyone learns at the same rate. Sometimes students don’t learn as fast as they would like and become impatient, comparing themselves to others and trying to force things to happen that need more time.

Sometimes people set up schedules for themselves, such as, “Today I want to make my dan tien (pressure point located three fingers’ distance below the navel) warm, tomorrow I want to get my qi flowing through the tailbone cavity,” or by such and such a day I want to complete the small circulation. This is the wrong way to go about it.

Qigong is not like an ordinary exercise or task you set for yourself. You cannot make a progress schedule for qigong. Qigong benefits depend on your initial health, mental state, ability to relax and other factors. Therefore, everything happens in qigong when it is time for it to happen. If you attempt to force it, it will never happen.

2. Don’t dwell on attachments and sensations. When you practice, do not place your attention on the various phenomena or sensations that may occur. You should always be aware of what is happening, but keep your mind centered on what it is supposed to be for the exercise you are doing. If you let your mind dwell on something you feel is interesting or new, your qi follows your mind and interferes with your body’s natural tendency to rebalance itself.

Do not expect anything to happen, and don’t let your mind wander around looking for the various phenomena. Furthermore, don’t start evaluating or judging the phenomena, such as asking, “Is my dan tien warmer today than it was yesterday?”

Don’t ask yourself, “Just where is my qi now?” When your mind dwells on your qi, your yi (intention) is with your mind. This stagnant yi will not guide the qi toward its destination. My qigong teacher, professor Peng Si Yu, always emphasized, “Be aware of what is happening, but do not pay attention to it.” If you feel something during one meditation session and expect it to happen the next time, not only will it probably not happen, but also you will have blocked beneficial qi flow with your conscious attempt to make something happen.

3. Avoid conscious thoughts that distract you from your purpose. The mind is strong, with every idea still strongly connected to its origin. If you cannot cut the ideas off at their source, your mind is not calm and empty and you cannot regulate your qi.

You may also find that even though you have stopped the flow of random thoughts going through your mind, new ideas are generated during practice. For example, when you discover your dan tien is warm, your mind immediately recalls where this is mentioned in a book, or how the master described it, and you start to compare your experience with this. Or you may start wondering what the next step is. These thoughts lead you away from peace and calm, and your mind ends up in what ancient qigong practitioners referred to as the domain of the devil. Then your mind is confused, scattered and very often scared. You will tire quickly and may not want to continue with your qigong practice.

4. Shen (spirit) should not follow the external scenery. This is also a problem of regulating the mind. When your conscious mind and emotions are not controlled, any external distraction leads your thoughts away from your body (qigong practice) and toward the distraction. You must train yourself that noises, smells, conversations and other distractions do not disturb your concentration. It is alright to be aware of what is happening, but your mind must remain calm, peaceful and steady on your qi cultivation.

5. Physical considerations are also important. Don’t be too warm or too cold during your practice sessions. The temperature of the room in which you are training should not too hot or too cold. You should practice in a comfortable environment that does not disturb your mind and cultivation.

Don’t wear tight clothes or tight belt. Always wear loose clothes during practice because this helps you feel comfortable and allows your qi to flow naturally. Keep your belt loose. The abdomen is the most important area of qigong practice. You must be careful not to limit the movement and comfort of this area. Don’t practice when hungry of full. When you are hungry it is hard to concentrate, and when you are full your practice affects your digestion.

These are only five of a long list of rules passed down by generations of qigong masters. They are based on much study and experience and should be carefully observed if you want positive results from your qigong practice.

Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong is a columnist for Inside Kung Fu.

To learn more about Tai Chi or Qigong visit: whitedragonmartialarts.com

Training for Life

Inside Kung Fu May 2001

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

So often nowadays, we see Yang taiji quan stylists launching into forms that are partly slow, precise taiji movements and partly fast, powerful fighting movements. Many people want to add jing (power) to their forms without first understanding the practical applications and intentions of the Yang family when it originally designed the forms.

What we now call the Yang long form (108 movements) was originally referred to as the large frame form, named after the large, circular movements that characterize it. The Yang family masters taught the long form first to students because they noticed that most people, including other martial artists were tense and stiff with their movements. The applications of most taiji movements are pressure-point strikes and require loose, relaxed power that starts relaxed, becomes tense at impact, and then relaxes again. The tense power they observed with many other martial arts was almost a push power that hit the opponent and knocked him away. Pressure-point strikes require power that extends into the opponent and jars him internally, rather than damaging him on the outside and pushing him away.

By teaching the slow, soft, circular, large-frame taiji form first, Yang masters were able to both teach relaxed movements and instill permanent habits within their taiji students. These were habits, such as correct body posture and footwork - all things that are difficult to learn when you move too fast.

When students mastered the correct balance and movement principles and had learned to be relaxed, they were taught the use of various kinds of jing, the most popular being fa jing (explosive energy).  Obviously, no one fights at the speed the long form is practiced. Fighting is fast and sudden, making the use of fa jing essential.

It is a common misunderstanding that the small circle form or Yang fast form always follows the large frame form. While certain members of the Yang family used one or both of these forms to teach fa jing, others had a different way to instruct students. Yang, Cheng Fu (grandson of Yang, Lu Chan, the founder of Yang taiji) often taught his students fa jing on a movement-by-movement basis. For example, they might work on just one technique, such as brush knee, until they had mastered it, rather than work on it within a form.

Other Yang masters made their reputations by teaching the small circle form, which contains fast and slow movements, the fast containing fa jing, and the slow movements, the same as the large frame form. These were often masters who had little patience with the slow-moving large frame form and wanted to get into the fighting aspect sooner with their students.

I agree with teachers such as Yang, Cheng Fu, who maintained that students cannot learn to use fa jing properly without first learning and understanding the benefits of the large frame taiji form. If you start using fa jing too soon, before you are relaxed and know how to emit fa jing, your power will still be tense and inefficient.

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

To learn more about Tai Chi visit:  whitedragonmartialarts.com

Training for Life

Inside Kung Fu Sept 2000

By Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

Why do we study and practice Qigong?  The standard answers are that qigong strengthens our immune system, helps develop internal energy (qi) for martial arts and generally improves our health and stamina.

In 1981 I started studying with professor Peng Si Yu, who came to the United States from Shanghai, China. A full professor oat the University of Shanghai’s medical school, Yu was also renown throughout china as a great qigong teacher. He came to the United States as a participant in a research project at Stanford University, where students wanted to study his remarkable ability to project his qi (chi) energy over a distance, affecting other people without touching them. As I became a close student of professor Yu and his wife, Min Ou-Yang, I discovered that he was diabetic and had controlled his illness throughout his 80-plus years with proper diet and qigong practice alone. Unfortunately, in 1983 professor Yu died from complications from a blood clot within his brain, not diagnosed by our Western doctors, who thought that, with the heart and circulatory system of a 25-year-old, he had only an inner ear infection.

I continued my studies with his wife, who after 60 years of marriage to professor Yu, was almost the level of her famous husband.  Peng Si Yu’s qigong style was yiquan, sometimes known as daquan, qigong It was originally a form of xingyu (hsing-I), developed by his own teacher, Wang, Xian Zhai. Wang who was one of the most famous qigong master in China’s recent history, lived for a time with his top student in Shanghai – professor Yu.

Professor Yu combined the extensive information about yiquan, learned from Wang, with his own medical background and broadened yiquan into a healing qigong, as awell as a potent martial arts complement, He is directly responsible for teaching many of the doctors at the Shanghai Qigong Hospital.

There are two facets of yiquan qigong, One is the standing medication (zhang zhuan) and the other is the many qigong exercises that characterize yiquan. Standing meditation is the backbone of yiquan practice. It teaches you to relax your mind and muscles, allowing qi energy to flow uninhibited throughout your body. It also develops deep, even breathing patterns, letting more oxygen reach all parts of the body.

Peng Si Yu compared qi energy to being very close to the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. That’s why breathing patterns play an important role. However, that extra oxygen can go nowhere if your muscles are tense and prohibit smooth, even blood flow. Simply put, standing mediation develops more qi energy and promotes better health by removing qi blockages and poor circulation caused by stressed and tensed muscles.

Qigong exercises have a different purpose. They are designed to teach students how to move all of this qi anywhere they want in their bodies. For instance, knowing how to collect and move your qi into your hands and out through your fingertips may be very useful for healing someone else’s illness or injury. Knowing how to move it into the lumbar region of your own back can help heal low back illness, such as arthritis or disk problems. You can also facilitate quicker healing of connective tissue injuries, such as strained or sprained muscles, with qigong healing practices.

Combine the two with a balanced regimen of standing meditation and qigong exercises, and you have the recipe for a healthy life.

Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong is a columnist for Inside Kung Fu.

To discover the many benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong visit:  whitedragonmartialarts.com

Training for Life

Inside Kung Fu March 2001

by Grandmaster Doc Fai Wong

There’s more to qigong (chi kung) than what you do. Whether or not your qigong practice improves your health and well-being also depends on where you practice. Your qigong environment is critical to the success of your qigong practice.

My own qigong teacher, professor Peng Si Yu , emphasized the importance of practice in the right environment. He believed that where and how you practice is as important as your practice technique. Here are a few tips toward better qigong practice.

Do not practice either meditation or qigong exercises in a room that contains mirrors or large metal objects, such as a furnace. Your qi (chi) energy can bounce back to you from a mirror or metal object, causing a disruption in your body’s energy flow. This may cause energy blockages that can make you dizzy, disoriented or even ill. Do not stand directly in front of a mirror or metal object. Instead face something non-reflective, such as a regular wall.

Do not practice deep meditation outside or in a drafty room. When you are in a deep meditation your pores open. Open pores can absorb drafts, causing you to become ill. If you sweat when you practice standing meditation, change to a clean, dry shirt immediately after standing.

For those who like to practice outside, only do qigong moving exercises or exercises that require your eyes be open. Moving exercises absorb yang energy produced by the many plants outside. Since qigong moving exercises are designed to teach you to move your qi within or outside your body, extra yang energy helps keep qi flowing smoothly.

The best direction to face when practicing qigong is south. Other directions, except north, are acceptable, however south is best. Because north represents a strong magnetic force, it pulls body cells just enough out of their correct alignment to disturb qi flow. South, being the opposite of north, allows the body to relax and qi flow to move smoothly throughout the body.

Do not practice qigong, especially meditation, with either a full or empry stomach. If your stomach is either too full or too empty it draws blood from the skin to the abdominal area. When you practice qigong you need to have a balanced blood flow throughout your body, providing even qi flow.

When you practice standing meditation take your shoes off to let your feet spread naturally. Then stand on thick, soft carpet to prevent the feet from getting cold. If any part of your body is too cold, your muscles will contract and restrict qi flow to that part of your body.

Do not wear any restrictive or tight clothing for qigong practice. This includes a tight belt or jewelry, especially an elastic band watch. Tight clothing or jewelry restricts qi flow.

If you pay attention to these practice tips you’ll find your qigong practice noticeably improved and your qi development accelerated.

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

To learn more about the many benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong visit:  whitedragonmartialarts.com