dwai

One thing to remember is that neigong is not so much about technique as it is about internal feeling and awareness. Just mechanically doing techniques will NOT develop internal power. There has to be sensitivity to what's going on inside. But there is also an element of sensitivity to what's going on outside (energetically).

there are very systematic meditations we do, working on both pre-heaven and post-heaven levels. The way it was taught to me, there is deliberately no usage of "technical terminology", which I suspect is to simplify the material for the Western audiences when Master Liao came to the US (in the late 60s or early 70s iinm). I also want to disclaim that I don't represent the Dao Center (Master Liao's school) in any capacity. I believe I an being a responsible member of this forum, and sharing what I do out of compassion (based on what I've learnt from reliable sources - my teachers). IMHO, we should retire this thread as it is causing too much unrest and churning up negativity that can be avoided. If you like, I have shared the high level structure of what we learn in Temple style in another thread --

The Real Temple style does.

It has to be 100% over Chicago first

Lets just leave such poor souls alone and to their own devises...Mr. Dragon

Temple Style is not just a Taijiquan system. It is a full-fledged Daoist cultivation and spiritual tradition. It uses the body of Taijiquan to provide much of the information. I know some of other systems that do this kind of transmission as well - Dragon Gate for instance. They too teach taijiquan, etc. I've not experienced their system, but one of their lineage holders, Master Joe Lok is very highly regarded by many of my internal cultivator friends (https://www.joelok.com). Some folks here have direct experience with Master Wang Liping too.. Damo Mitchell's knowledge is definitely solid and congruent with what I've been told (albeit I'm not sure if he does transmissions this way or teaches the western way).

+1, I love those two options. Perhaps the tech team can comment here?

Okay...my experience has shown that what I've been told works. Maybe your way is more effective for you. I'm posting a little snippet of our latest video (shot yesterday) here, showing us pushing with 2 fingers More details are provided in my ppf (full video is 24 mins for those who want to put up with the ordeal :))

It just stops sending us updates. I can still view the topic I unfollowed. BTW I just realized that the "unfollow" option is at the top of the page...

I was able to from my phone. I can't seem to find the "unfollow post" option in the computer based interface.

I was able to ignore a recent topic which matches your description. Only the tools to do that are not very clearly visible (and not intuitively placed).

Bwahaha gotta commend you for your timing

That "Taiji Master" really was no master at all, imho. The way we are told is this - we convert Qi to jin. The explanation is that just like gasoline is burnt to generate power, Qi is "burnt" to generate Jin. Jin is stored in the bone marrow. The method for "burning" Qi in our system is condensing. It is condensed and vibrated and stored in the bone marrow. It really has nothing to do with "physical" strength at all. There's no physical "squeezing" involved (like how a recently notorious person whose name rhymes with Larry Flyman demonstrates in his videos), rather the squeezing and vibration is activated mentally and gently. This condensing happens on its own too, if one cultivates sung, only it takes longer to happen. Given that it is a natural process, it is considered safer to do it this way (diligent practice of 7-10 years). It manifests itself as Peng in the body/energy field of the practitioner. Internally it feels like a density falling into the core of the body (bone marrows, etc). It also generates a feeling of whole body connectedness...like there's silk under our skin (I think that's the feeling of fascia).

I read his "Opening the Energy Gates" but really liked his "Inner and outer dissolving books - The great stillness and Relaxing into your being. This was still early on in my tai chi practice, and I was very intrigued by the stories in his books. In temple style we have a completely different way of "dissolving". We dissolve into emptiness but not how BKF presents it - that is a lot of "doing". We drain stuff we don't need into the ground (there is both the "doing way" and the "not doing way"). In our way (after a certain point in practice maturation) we let go of volition to do things - we do by "not doing". By "not doing" means we hold a posture and let things happen as they happen. This doesn't work at the beginner level because there has to be a certain level of relaxation/sung that needs to develop for it to work. Also, in our system, more than verbal transmission there is energetic transmission of "knowledge". That's why a real teacher is necessary to learn from. One can do preparatory work by following videos (or very rarely, by following books). But without the transmission, the essence of the system cannot be learnt.

Just doing zhuang gong is sufficient to build fascia strength. Strong fascia will help us carry heavy loads (Like someone's entire body weight landing on our body, etc). A lot of the bouncy-bouncy stuff people do relies on a full-body integrated Fascial network.

Er...no. I am not angry with Wells. I'm just setting him straight about his delusional thinking...sometimes that is the more compassionate thing to do. To Wells: Stop beating around the bush sir! Have you ever experienced a real Fajin or not. If I had the time or the inclination I could counter each of your "arguments" about what real fajin is. But I won't because that'll only fan the flames of your tidal-wave infected mind... I don't want to really roll in muck with you, but lets just say you finally (after so many years) exhausted my hospitality. This will really be my last response to you on this subject. Over the years I have always been kind to you and tried to help you see the light (through many private messages you sent me) about Gary and why his way is not the right way. People have been badly hurt following Gary's way. My teacher has had to deal with Gary's students who were injured by Gary's training methods. But that's your prerogative that you wanted to take the "short cut" even though there isn't really one (haven't you heard about the shortcuts being the longest journey between two points?) . My Teacher is Master Jose Perez. He is one of the original badasses of the Chicago Martial Arts scene from the 70s. While others like Ron, Kimball Paul etc have passed away, my Sifu is not only healthy but even more powerful and spiritually enlightened (he's been doing more than 50 years of real Kungfu and Taijiquan training). Ask Gary him about Master Jose. If he is honest, he'll tell you about him. Master Jose once asked Gary for a match (Gary used to annoy the real temple style folks by lurking around when they used to practice outdoors near the Daocenter, and generally make an ass of himself), to see whether he can walk the walk. Gary didn't show up for the match.

We need to muscles to maintain the structure. That's the extent of it. In our system we don't train with weights. However, we do train in weapons like the broadsword, staff, spear and jian. Each of these have a different way to use the jin to run through the forms. Especially the broadswords which can be pretty heavy. I'm yet to meet someone who has more power than Master Liao or my Master, Master Jose Perez. They do refer to old masters from taiwan and china who were unknown (not popular) but had unbelievable power.

I don't doubt that. But that is not using muscular strength

That made me laugh a bit sir! You have never met a real temple style master, probably not even met Gary clyman (who doesn't qualify as a real temple style master btw) and you have the gall to do video-arm-chair analysis? Tell me, have you ever been on the receiving end of a fajin? My guess is never. if you want to learn, come to Chicago and I'll take you to my master. You can see what real temple style is and what fajin is. You don't even have to go to master Liao for that...

You don't know how to fajin and yet somehow have the ability to assess what "real fajin" looks like? well let us make a deal - the day you can fajin and post at least 3 videos of you doing fajin, I will let you use my videos for critiquing.

Why don't you post a video of you doing "real fajin" instead? 🙇🏻

If Master Feng zhiqiang used his muscular strength to catch the 599 kg motor, he would not be famous for being a taiji master. He did not use li. Dont mistake jin for external force. The Jin is developed by "soft" training not by lifting weights

They were not using li.

I have to disagree with you @flowing hands. My Master was a Green Dragon Society (hardcore external kung fu, with hard qigong type stuff in there - these guys really knew how to brawl back in the 70s...from what i hear) senior master when he first encountered Tai chi (Master Waysun Liao). Master Liao asked him to strike him anywhere, as a demo. As he struck Master Liao with a liver kite, ML just turned on golden bell and my Master went flying 15-20 ft upon contact (i.e. his strike contacting Master Liao). He had to give up the external stuff and learnt tai chi. I'm not kidding you when I tell you that he has power. I've not encountered power like his from anyone else (and I've been fa-jin'ed by a few people since I met him). Daoist martial arts are not like external martial arts. Especially with an art like taijiquan, without giving up external strength, one cannot develop real internal power (empty force). If we are practicing taijiquan and then going and pumping weights and doing push ups etc, we can't develop the power and sensitivity that taijiquan is famous for...