daobro

On 7/1/2025 at 3:57 PM, Annnon said:

 

Can someone please go more in-depth on this topic on why good quality sleep is needed or quote the original post?

https://www.taichimania.com/essentialguidelines.html

 

#20:

Quote

Some think that they can get by with less sleep. Be careful not allow the energizing effects of the meditations to compromise your normal quantity of sleep. Do more work with your new energy, but get enough rest.

 

On 6/30/2025 at 1:24 PM, Boreas said:

After a few more months of practice and not feeling a lot of benefits from it, I think I might have found the reason why:

 

After checking everything, just to be sure, my doctor send me to the sleep clinic and long story short, I have a moderate case of sleep apnea caused most likely by a low jaw being too far back that disrupts completely my quality of sleep. But from what I remember from early pages, good quality sleep is a must for FPCK to work and it looks like I didn’t have that in quite some time... 

 

So I guess I'll pause my practice for the moment and will try again once those apneas will be sorted.

 

Thanks for the help of everyone and especially @zen-bear for taking time to answer around here multiple times!

 

Just my 2 cents but I personally don't recommend this. I've had periods of sleep apnea due to acid reflux, and I still made progress in Flying Phoenix. It also alleviated some of the symptoms (e.g. I'd get more energy to compensate for the lack of sleep).

I think the benefits are on and off too. There are some long periods where I don't notice much, then I suddenly feel a lot.

Not a plug (ok maybe a little bit), but I recently did a consultation with Eric Isen, medical clairvoyant from a different (Indian) system. He's pretty highly regarded in the Flying Phoenix thread and you can find more info there. But he's said some pretty good things about Tao Tan Pai kung fu forms and their health effects --

 

Cane form: Activates and enlivens the spleen chakra. Qi radiates in the lower body and into the lymphatic system. Very good for the gut.  

 

Crane form: Activates and enlivens the 3rd (navel) chakra sending qi to the adrenals and digestive organs. improves energy and digestion

 

Monkey form: Activates and opens the first chakra causing qi to flow into the meridians and up the spine activating all the chakras. two through seven.

 

Not sure how much of this is specific to my constitution, but looks like a good sign.

On 6/11/2025 at 10:46 PM, Annnon said:

 

What is TTP considered, also a medical form of qigong?

 

What are these other 3 "martial qigong" you mention, can you explain more about them?

 

 

 

 

It's both medical and martial. Sifu Terry has mentioned that it can be used "for any purpose" (healing, combat, enhancing daily activities)

I’ve been avoiding the Sleeper on Vol 7 (50 20 10) because it knocks me out too hard — I’ll sleep 12 hours and be groggy in the morning. Does anyone else have a similar experience?

Very interesting- I’ve gotten similar hexagrams when asking the I Ching multiple times about Tao Tan Pai. 
 

The first time I got 34.5 -> 43 as posted here. 
 

The second time (a couple months later) I asked “what do I need to know about my Tao Tan Pai practice” and got 34.2,5 -> 49.

 

Very interesting that I got Hexagram 34  and Changing Line 5 both times!

 

And Line 2: 

Quote

Perseverance brings good fortune.

Explanation:

Quote

The premise here is that the gates to success are beginning to open. Resistance gives way and we forge ahead. This is the point at which, only too easily, we become the prey of exuberant self-confidence. This is why the oracle says that perseverance (i.e., perseverance in inner equilibrium, without excessive use of power) brings good fortune.

 

 

 

Holy shit- I’ve had this nagging tension in my trapezius muscles since yesterday that I couldn’t get rid of. But after just 1 round of Bending the Bows it’s almost completely gone. 

Hey everyone! I just took the Saturday class on Zoom today and got tons of corrections from Sifu Terry on Silkweaver's Exercise, Short Form Power Yoga (Tao Tan Pai), and Moonbeam Splashes on Water. Highly recommend.

 

One thing I'm wondering but forgot to ask in class -- @zen-bear you mentioned before that whenever I move my hands, I should feel corresponding energy movement in the body mass. Is that specific to Flying Phoenix? Or does it apply to other Bak Fu Pai qigong systems too? (10,000 Buddhas, Advanced Flying Phoenix, etc.)

 

Thanks,

Alex

Just got a ton of corrections from Sifu Terry in the Basic 31 for mistakes I had no idea I was making. I feel a ton of energy everywhere - the devil is definitely in the fine points.

11 hours ago, Boreas said:

@daobro, good to know, thanks!

But beside that, never had an adverse reaction from Korahais system in itself?

No. Both have been extremely safe for me. (assuming you do the form and breath control correctly for FP)

On 3/20/2025 at 5:04 PM, Boreas said:

Well, as I mentionned I think in one of my first post on this thread, I came to qigong via Anthony Korahais’ Flowing Zen Qigong (that is basically a rebranding of Wong Kiew Kit’s Shaolin Cosmos Qigong) and I got into the habit of starting my day with a short session of 15 minutes of it before getting into my FPCK morning routine.

 

Could it come from there...?

 

I also practiced Flowing Zen for about 4 years before getting into Flying Phoenix. I noticed that the qi didn't mesh that well when I practiced back to back, so now I wait at least a few hours between the two.

Just took Sifu Terry's beginner qigong class today and got a ton of useful corrections on the Basic 31. Really opened things up and I could feel a ton of energy in my whole body. We ended with Flying Phoenix and I could feel a lot of the catalyzing effect of Tao Tan Pai on Flying Phoenix.

 

Overall I'm feeling more progress and enjoying TTP more and more. I didn't feel much in the beginning compared to Flying Phoenix, but it's gotten a lot better as my skill improves. The Short Form Power Yoga is now one of my favorite things to practice.

 

On 1/1/2025 at 1:01 PM, EFreethought said:

I have a couple of questions:

1. How much physical space is needed for Tao Tan Pai Kung Fu?

2. Can Tao Tan Pai Kung Fu be done by itself, or is learning/knowing Flying Phoenix a requirement?

 

 

1. Some open floor space is needed, maybe like 8ft by 8ft? That's usually how much I need for the Cane Form. Not sure about the other ones though.

2. They're completely independent. They do complement each other really well though and there's a catalyzing effect of TTP on FP as Sifu Terry has pointed out in the other thread.

On 2/15/2025 at 2:11 PM, -ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- said:

Just had a private lesson with Sifu Terry to go over my Long Form, quite a few corrections needed! I would encourage everyone to do a private lesson with him to make corrections (and learn new things!) and undo bad habits you might have picked up, at the very least once every few months to make sure you are practicing correctly.

 

Just doing those tiny, subtle corrections made me feel more energy flow through my body during the lesson and even more when I did Long Form by myself after class!

 

Hope everyone’s practice is going well!

 

I can attest to the same thing with Moonbeam Splashes on Water. Got a few subtle corrections in a private lesson and it made a huge difference.

On 1/1/2025 at 4:14 AM, MBZ said:

I thought it took something like 90 min a day minimum? Was that an online class or did you attend a live event? 🙏🏻

 

I went to the in person workshops taught by Sifu Terry. They were Zoomable though.

 

I can't speak too much to the time requirement since I'm just a beginner, but if I'm super squeezed for time, I still get some effect from cutting my practice short (e.g. just do 1-2 rounds of Cane Form and a couple exercises from Short Form Power Yoga). Not sure if doing just that every day will lead to long term progress though.

I just realize that one potential interpretation of the I Ching reading was staring me in the face the whole time. Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching says for the changing line:

 

Quote

Loses the goat with ease.
No remorse.

 

The goat is noted for hardness outwardly and weakness within. Now the situation is such that everything is easy; there is no more resistance. One can give up a belligerent, stubborn way of acting and will not have to regret it.

 

I think this conveys the importance of softness and breaking up one's external tensions in Tao Tan Pai practice.

I learned from Sifu Terry (@zenbear on this forum), both through in-person workshops and on Zoom. 
 

Takes me at least 30 min a day I’d say (kung fu forms plus basic neigong). But that’s the bare minimum and I usually do longer. 

I am starting this discussion thread with Sifu Terry Dunn's approval -- here to discuss Tao Tan Pai Kung Fu and Neigong.

 

I've been practicing Tao Tan Pai since April of this year (8 months now). Have had many benefits already:

- more energy -- especially when I'm feeling dull or tired, TTP has been a great waker upper

- mental clarity

- relaxation

- catalyzing my practice of Flying Phoenix

 

I recently asked the I Ching about Tao Tan Pai, and the hexagram I got was 34 (Great Power) changing Line 5 to 43 (Breakthrough).

 

Judgment:

Quote

THE POWER OF THE GREAT. Perseverance furthers.

 

Image:

Quote

Thunder in heaven above:

The image of THE POWER OF THE GREAT.

Thus the superior man does not treat upon paths

That do not accord with established order.

 

Changing line 5:

Quote

Loses the goat with ease.
No remorse.

 

Curious what it could mean 🤔

 

Anyways, I'm excited to get this discussion going!

12 hours ago, -ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- said:

 

This is amazing! Did you end up taking the meds in the end?

No, but I probably should have.
 

12 hours ago, -ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ- said:

I’ve been regularly clearing cold symptoms with FP too

 

Nice - any specific meditations/breath controls that you use?

Two interesting developments with Flying Phoenix:

 

1. A few Thursdays ago during a work meeting, I accidentally ate pecan ice cream which I'm very allergic to. I was about to go grab my meds and suffer for the next 24 hours. Then I had the idea to do the FP Long Form breath control sequence, sit for 30ish seconds, then do the closing breaths. I immediately felt a wave of FP energy that engulfed the swollen areas and alleviated much of the symptoms. I was in awe at how quickly and effectively that worked.

 

2. A couple nights ago, after playing basketball in the cold, I felt a tickle in my throat. I drank a preventative formula from my Chinese Medicine doctor, chewed some ginger, and did an hour of FP (Long Form, Monk Gazing at the Moon, all of the 90s meditations, and some seated meditations). I immediately felt the cold symptoms dissipate and the urge to go to sleep. The morning after, I felt completely recovered with no trace of the cold whatsoever.

20 hours ago, tao stillness said:

I can think of another reason why some people might experience a drop-off in noticing the energy. I recently heard a FAQ by a man who creates energy devices and he answered a question about those people who cannot feel subtle energy. I am one such person. 18 years of doing Qigong 2-4 times a day, and having tried at least 100 different qigong methods in an attempt to feel Qi somewhere other than in my hands, but to no avail. The energy gadget guy tested some of the people who could not feel anything from his energy devices, and he found that 99% of those people had Epstein Barr Virus which caused a radiation field around their head which was blocking subtle energies from being sensed. That was encouraging to hear, so I am now going to be tested for EBV to see if this is the cause of my lack of sensitivity.  Fortunately, this man offers an energy device that gets rid of the radiation caused by EBV. 

Interesting - have you gotten acupuncture before? If so, do you also not feel anything during acupuncture?

This is my long overdue review of Sifu Terry’s Flying Phoenix workshop on 7/19-21.

 

First, a bit of background - I've been training in FP for the last year and Tao Tan Pai since April. Previously I'd attended 2 workshops in person - Tao Tan Pai in April and Flying Phoenix in May.

 

I can say that this workshop was absolutely amazing. Sifu Terry once again acted as a fountain of knowledge on every possible subject. He gave us each detailed form corrections on all FP exercises, which really enhanced the effects.

 

This was also the first time I truly felt the catalyzing effects of Tao Tan Pai on Flying Phoenix! Right after doing the Short Form Power Yoga, we moved onto Flying Phoenix, and I felt like I was immediately propelled into a trance-like state where my consciousness was bathed in the FP energy. I can only describe the experience as profoundly ethereal.

 

Later, we watched various footage of GM Doo Wai, some of Sifu Terry's old kung fu demonstrations, and made a foray into other arts like 10,000 Buddhas and 8 Sections of Energy, which was an awesome treat.

 

Sifu Terry also provided us with an arsenal powerful warmups from tai chi/bagua, Qing Dynasty imperial stretches, and various kung fu forms like Shaolin Five Animals, which helped further supplement our qigong practice -- in fact, each warmup exercise felt like a complete qigong exercise in its own right, with its own energizing and aligning effects. We also got a crash course on using the I Ching, which was very helpful and enlightening.

 

I can testify that I felt packed to the brim with newfound qigong knowledge, and this workshop took my practice to the next level!

 

Alex

Hi, I would like to change my name to "daobro". Could you please help me?

 

Thanks!

Hi, I would like to change my name to "daobro". Could you please help me?

 

Thanks!

Hey Sifu Terry,

 

Is it alright to practice Flying Phoenix on airplanes if I know that nobody will bump into me? I have some long flights coming up and it’d be awesome if I can practice some FP meditations there (probably seated Monk Holds Pearl). 

Thanks,

Alex

On 1/23/2024 at 7:08 PM, zen-bear said:

14-HOUR IMMERSIVE FLYING PHOENIX QIGONG 

WORKSHOP,  FEBRUARY 9–11,  to bring in the YEAR OF THE DRAGON!!    >> zoomable << 

 

 

Hi Sifu Terry, can beginners attend every single class? (I've been doing DVDs 1-2 for 7 months and I'm just starting DVD 3)