zen-bear

Hello Cihan, I'm glad that you discovered the central importance of "Bending the Bows" to this Qigong system. It doesn't matter that you jumped straight into doing the Flying Phoenix Long Form Standing Meditation in Volume 4 (for lots of people can do that if they have a number of years of experience in Tai Chi or other internal energy arts...I recall that RidingtheOx reported that that is what he did: start with Volume 4's Long Standing Meditation). The important fact is that you were constant and persevering in your practice, you worked around your difficulties in not being able to do Bending the Bows initially and worked with the other parts of the FP Qigong system that you could do comfortably, and that perservering practice developed you to the point where you were ready to instinctively go back and pick up the practice of BTB. That you practiced the Standing Long Form Meditation for one year is a very good milestone...and you proved to yoursel--and the TTB readership--that the long 15-minute "Flying Phoenix Heavenly Healing Chi Meditation" in Volume 4 conditioned and cultivated you to the point where you could perform "Bending the Bows" correctly, more comfortably, and to good effect. Your order of practicing the FP Meditations and the results you attained again gives creedence to my Nike cheer about Flying Phoenix Qigong: JUST DO IT. btw, Thanks for sharing your experience of virility-enhancement upon waking every morning due to BTB practice. Now, if only you can tell me how to bottle this specific effect in an FDA-approvable potion, I'll take you on as a business partner(!) :0) But seriously: what you are experiencing each morning now is a typical effect of "Bending the Bows" and of several of GM Doo Wai's other standing qigong exercises with symmetrical movements through wuchi-like positions. Question: Have you gotten under your belt the 2 moving meditations in Volume 3--"Wind Through Treetops" and "Moonbeam Splashes on Water"? Since you've done the Long Standing Med. for one year to good effect, you should--if you haven't already--be able to learn and do Volume 3's two meditations rather quickly and easily. So after you firmly establish several months of practicing Bending the Bows on a regular basis (at least every other day would be excellent), I suggest that you: A) Continue to do each of the other basic stationary standing meditations in Vol. 1 in sequence (of your choice), but do each one long enough to feel the cultivation of the FP energy "ignite" within. B ) then if you haven't already, pick up the 2 intermediate moving meditations in Volume 3. "Wind through Treetops" and "Moonbeam" ANSWER TO YOU QUESTION ABOUT TIMING OF BENDING THE BOWS: I. My Recommendation (and I do understand that time limitations to practice are always a factor): do BTB as often as you can until you feel that you know its effects inside and out. As for the timing of each repetition that will enable you to do 18 reps in a somewhat reasonable amount of time, here are some general guidelines that to follow: a) I have always taught students to count from 10 to 12 or more breathes for each of the 4 arm movements in each repetition of BTB--that's a total of 40 to 48 full breathes with every repetition of BTW. For beginners doing 8-10 breathes for each one of the 4 arms movements is fine. (that's 36 to 40 breathes per repetition.) But I teach 40-48 full breathes per repetition as the standard, preferred, near-optimum way to do this meditation: (A) raise the arms and pull to in front of throat in 10-to-12 deep breathes; (B ) lower the palms facing down from throat to pelvis in 10-12 breathes; (C ) raise arms to "Monk Gazing At Moon" position in 10-12 breathes; (D) then finally lower palms from throat to tan tien in 10-12 deep breathes. You'll find that practicing BTB at this rate,can easily take 45 min. to an hour. II. You can move even more slowly for deeper cultivation: a) take 15 to 20 breathes for the raising and lowering of the arms. (that's 60 to 80 full breathes per repetition). Naturally, you don't have to do every single rep of the 18 at this speed, or do you have to do 18 at this speed. If you 9 or 10 rounds at this rate of breathing, you will be "cooking" with gas (--FP energy, that is). b ) also remember that as you practice BTB and feel its' concentrative energizing effects,you can always let the energy sink in and smooth out by taking resting breaths between each rep. with the palms held at the tan tien. c) finally--and Sifu Garry can perhaps chime in here as well because he knows so many of GMDW's other similar meditative arts--as long as you have good form and are able to maintain constant relaxation, you can do 18 rounds of Bending the Bows by doing half that number (say, 9 or 10) at the 40-48 breathes/repetition rate, and do the other 9 or 10 at a faster rate, say 32-42 breathes/repetition. It's important to practice towards a goal of 18 repetitions of BTB per session because you will be able to feel and gauge over time how much FP energy is cultivated by 18 rounds and at what level a reserve or superabundance of the FP energy has been cultivated. Once you have a true and natural feeling of the "output" and efficiency of this exercise and ultimately, the entire FP energy cultivation process, which has several parameters, you'll be able to naturally regulate the duration of your practice to obtain the exact energizing/rejuvenating results that you want. FP Qigong is a tool, and once you learn it correctly, you can practice to gain very, very precise control as to how you use it. And you'll rely less and less on the general parameters that I've expressed based on my experience and from following my teacher's guidelines. Thanks for sharing your progress, Cihan. Go get 'em! Best, Sifu Terry Dunn

Hi Anamatva, Thanks for your compliment about the quality of this discussion thread. A lot of thoughtful people have contributed to it besides Sifu Garry Hearfield and myself. I posted in my reply to Josama some of the general readings that would give one the foundations for understanding Chinese martial, yogic, healing and spiritual arts. Also on my website, www.taichimania.com, I have a reading list that includes everything that I recommend to my students who learn from me face-to-face. Here's the link to the page: http://www.taichimania.com/readinglist.html (scroll down to section "B" for books on Qigong and Meditation) Answer to your Q: are the standing meditations like nei kung? It all depends what your experience of nei kung is and how you define the term "nei kung". I practice and teach a nei kung system from a totally separate tradition (Tao Tan Pai) and I would in general say although FP Qigong might be categorized as nei kung (for it is inner work), it differs so drastically in its method and the its result of cultivation compared to this other nei kung system that I would say, "No,the FP standing are not nei kung". But we're really splitting semantic hairs here and I would love to hear Sifu Garry's take on your question, or anyone else's out there who has good experience in nei kung. Best, Sifu Terry

Sifu Garry, Here, here! Thank you Si-hing for putting into one simple sentence what I took nearly an hour to elaborate upon: How it's totally unnecessary and indeed contra-indicated (to use medical jargon) to mix into Flying Phoenix Qigong training any elements from other internal systems. As you put so well, if practitioners have mastered another Qigong system, or at least established its healthy practice within their lives, then they would be totally secure and comfortable with it, and indeed wizened by it so that they would know not to cherry-pick from it and toss those "cherries" into the process of learning a totally new and complete Qigong system. Just another way to stuff up a completely perfect internal cultivation system!!! Thanks so much for your clarity and generosity in telling it like it is. Si-Hing Terry Dunn

Hello Anamatva, Quick answer to your question: 1) Yes, it's fine to learn practice Flying Phoenix Qigong if you are already practicing another Qigong system. 2) What I've written in the past is that you should NOT combine or mix your learning of FP Qiging as a new system with the learning of a different Qigong system. 3) Practice FP Qigong at a certain time of day; practice other internal arts during different hours: In the beginning, practice the FP Qigong in a dedicated time slot or session that's not devoted to any other practices. After you practice FP Qigong for 6-9 months then you can tell for yourself whether you should "mix" the time and location of your FP Qigong practicr with other practices. Reading about how to properly practice a formerly secret 600 year old Taoist alchemic art should not be an obstacle to any serious student. Good luck, Sifu Terence Dunn

As you said Q, some Qigong systems "rock" without percentage breathing formulas. Percentage breathing as in Flying Phoenix Qigong is only one Chi-cultivation method. Other complete and authentic Qigong traditions don't use percentage breathing and don't need to...they are complete in and of themselves, and are based on totally different cosmologies--views of how the Universe works in transforming energy. A good example of this is Tai Chi Qigong. Sifu Garry is absolutely right in alluding to the fact that the ancient Taoists observed all sorts of energy processes occuring in nature in animals and elemental forces, and they came out with a myriad--and I mean a myriad--of different forms of internal alchemy. To understand this, read a couple of early volumes of Joseph Needham's epic tome, "Science and Civilization in China." and also any of Henri Maspero's books. But I would strongly recommend his "Taoism". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Maspero I hope that intelligent readers out there will assume responsibility and start reading classic works and anthologies on Taoist and Buddhist arts by Needham, Maspero, Thomas Cleary, Steven Mitchell, W.Y. Evans-Wentz (for Tibetan Buddhist Yogas) and their similars in the academic world--just to understand the basic history and the cultural contexts of these arts down first so that you can go further and learn more from whatever authentic master (that I hope you find and) choose to follow. *and for a very good contemporary writer on Taoist practices, read the works of Deng Ming Dao, a student of Taoist master Kuan Sai Hung. His first book, "The Wandering Taoist" is a novelized biography of Master Kuan and wonderful overview of Taoist arts starting with Master Kuan's Huashan martial and spiritual arts that reads like a Castaneda book. Just excellent foundation for Taoist practices. The information is already published--it's all out there--to study and understand the foundations of many, many forms of martial arts and a few qigong systems in practice today...start reading the right stuff and as Sifu Garry Hearfield says, practice, practice and practice and practice and practice your butt off until you can start questioning with intelligence and your experienced truth so many of these voices in the dark promising instant Chi-power, martial invincibility, and omnisicence--and saying that oh this video clip of Grandmaster so-and-so I have will teach you everything you need to know about everything... Sifu Terry Dunn

Hello Josama, What you've said you've noticed about the effects of Flying Phoenix Qigong (its "emphasis" on tan tien and effect YOUR shoulders, neck, and chest) is very fragmented and incomplete--because you have so far experienced the FP Healing energy's effect on your particular symptoms of tension (what you call "blockage"). For another beginner would say that the FP Qigong emphasized cleansing of the kidneys, and leg channels, and the third eye chakra. And another would say that the practice initially completely and thoroughly cleared his block in the lumbar spine, and then "washed" his brain and opened up his crown chakra", etc., etc. and recently one practitioner gave very clear and detailed account of how FP Qigong practice repaired his life-long skin condition, sensitivity and reduced its tendency to develop keratosis. It's good to note the effects, but don't jump to the conclusion that you know everything that the FP Qigong system does until you've practiced it for a full year, please. If you start believing that you know all that FP Qigong does at the very outset of practice, you will to a certain extent, limit the effects of the practice, and miss the positive effects when they manifest. So try to keep an open mind... ...and believe me and Sifu Garry Hearfield when we say that no other visualization from other Qigong or meditative systems is necessary to attain the maximum benefits from Flying Phoenix Qigong practice. To get confirmation of FP Qigong's wide range of health effects from dozens upon dozens of practitioners now,just read or skim this discussion thread from start to finish, to find the accounts of Flying Phoenix Qigong's healing, energizing and rejuvenating effects from practitioners--pretty much all of whom I have never met, but who learned the FP Qigong system from my DVD series). Early on, I recall posts by Baguakid,rsalazar, Dainin, and Nic Chi. More recently, you can ask contributors such as Fu_Dog in Florida, or ridingtheox in Arizona, or Somamech (New Zealand?), Sunshine in Germany, and Audiohealing (your location?). As I've stated several times earlier in this thread--ad I have no problem repeating it again in different words: Flying Phoenix healing energy subsumes every part of the human process. Everything because this Qigong works through the autonomic nervous system and brings all organ functions under the regulation of the subconscious mind. As for your question about "opening up the MCO so that the higher energies can be handled": that is a belief about a certain mechanism that applies only to whatever system of Qigong you learned involving the MCO. That belief is absolutely inapplicable to the practice of FP Qigong and will only hinder you. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GENERIC SYSTEM OF QIGONG--DESPITE THE WATERED DOWN FRAGMENTS OF BROKEN TRADITIONS AND DOWNSTREAM HOKUM ASSEMBLED INTO A SERIES OF 40+ DVD'S BY CERTAIN MEDIA ENTREPENEURS. THERE ARE DOZENS OF AUTHENTIC AND COMPLETE QIGONG ARTS AND EACH ONE HAS A DIFFERENT SECRET ALCHEMIC FORMULA FOR CULTIVATING TANGIBLE,REPEATABLE AND VERIFIABLE QI. FP Qigong is just one such system and it's alchemic formula for generating the FP Healing Energy is unlike any other Qigong system outside of the Whit Tiger Kung-fu tradition. To get the most of Flying Phoenix Qigong in the quickest fashion (and this system is already one of the fastest-acting Qigong methods every published), you DO NOT want to super-impose on it any yogic doctrine or roadmap or system of visualization that you might be practicing or have practiced before. Just keep the other internal arts in your hip pocket while you practice the FP qigong. Because this system is simple, elegant, self-contained, and COMPLETE. All the information that a student needs to practice this system correctly to attain beneficial health results are contained in my instructions on the DVD's. I have taught Flying Phoenix meditations on the DVD's exactly as GM Doo Wai taught them to me. Nothing needs to be added to enhance the effects of FP Qigong practice. Many contributors to this discussion have commented on how FP Qigong practice nicely complements other Qigong and internal martial art systems that they already were practicing when they discovered and started FPQ practice. As both Sifu Garry Hearfield and I have responded within the past 2-3 weeks to several questions about mixing FP Qigong breathing method with the "external" forms of other martial arts: NOT ADVISABLE...SO DON'T DO IT. IT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE--AND CAN BE NOT ONLY A WASTE OF TIME, BUT MIGHT (JUST MIGHT) SET YOUR QIGONG DEVELOPMENT BACK. I would hope that anyone reading this thread and wanting to make optimum use of the information here, really does themselves the favor of taking to heart the guidelines that Sifu Garry and I have tried to explain here in many contexts over these many months. Those of you who have years of experience in Chinese martial arts, understand how important it is to have foundation of good kung-fu form in order for this Qigong--ANY Qigong system to work better and best--and also to understand the Chinese oral tradition based on teacher-disciple relationship and respect for the ancestral lineage of each system. With regards to respecting the lineage of a system, adding your own beliefs, philosophy, macroscosmic orbit, microcosmic orbit, 4 rows of 48-counter rotating petals of the heart chakra, "inner smile", or what have you from your favorite outside practices before you have completely and correctly learned the system at hand is not only stupid and counter-productive, but it's disrespectful...and that brings karma on a scale commensurate to how much you disrespect the lineage. I really, really hope I don't have to read anyone posting a message on this thread that they have acquired inexplicable energy sickness from doing the FP Qigong "their way" that no western doctor or Traditional Chinese physician so far has been unable to diagnosis and heal. In the same spirit as Grandmaster Doo Wai said to me and two of my classmates sternly, matter-of-factly and with a serious laugh one night around 1994 when we tried to go one step beyond what he taught us in terms of a martial training: "If you guys dim muk yourselves, I'm not going to fix you." , I'm going to say here and now, if you mix the FP Qigong breathing sequences with something that's contraindicated (i.e., all other martial and qigong forms), I'm not going to respond...and neither will Sifu Hearfield (and I'm confident that I can speak for him). For absolutely the best results with FP Qigong, follow the Nike ad slogan: JUST DO IT. But even if one has no respect for the Chinese lineages and are an impatient, uncouth and grubby "I want it all and I want it now" type of person.. even common sense should tell one not to mess with a hithertoo secret art that's been working perfectly for 600+ years--that people have through the ages have died in their efforts to preserve the truth of the art. I'll cut this short now and just advise you, Josama, and the Taobums audience at large, empty your cup for just a however number of months it takes you to finish the FP Qigong contained in Volumes 1 through 4. You don't even have to go beyond Vol.4's capstone Long Form Standing Meditation. Just get that Form under your belt--as RidingtheOx did right out the gate (because he already had 20 yrs of Tai chi experience)--and then you can knock yourself out with adding any type visualization you please. Then the Qigong should be established, and you can experiment to your heart's desire. But you will probably find, as most practitioners have discovered, that they don't have anything to add to the very basic and simple, bread-and-butter instructions of FP Qigong practice. My friend, Master Jonathan Wang (the son of Tai Chi master Daniel Wang) is an excellent teacher and the winningest tournament competitor in American history with more than 550 gold and silver medals in less than 5 yrs of competition [btw, it would take anyone else more than 2 lifetimes to amass that many top medals...no exaggeration]), http://www.beijingkungfu.com/ --and about 2 years ago, Sifu Jonathan reviewed and tried out my Chi Kung for Health DVD series teaching the FP Qigtong and made this comment: "The Flying Phoenix meditations are simple to do, yet they are very, very sophisticated." Other practitioners, do very often practice other martial and qigong systems as well, but do so not in the same session and not close enough in time so that one mixes the energies from the two practices. Common sense reason is that you want your system clear in order to see if the Flying Phoenix Qigong works for you! Besides, if you have mastered another authentic and complete Qigong system, then you are confident and comfortable and At-One with that art so as to not have to merge any part of it with the Flying Phoenix training as you explore and learn it as a new system. If I sound a little testy, I apologize by saying that I'm presently under a lot of pressure in business demands and per my own agenda to teach a whole lot more thru new media programs. Time is short and I don't like to repeat myself on this discussion thread about common-sense minor guidelines like not mixing FP Qigong breathing methods with outside external forms (the reasons why not to do so as clearly explained by Sifu Garry and myself), and using irrelevant visualizations like MCO before or while doing the FP Qigong's breath control sequences. As I explained earlier in the thread, the cosmological system underpinning the FP Qigong and the rest of GM Doo Wai's internal arts has nothing to do with meridians and nothing to do with MCO. Because the method of visualization is catalyzed by the breathing and the FP movements and postures. No other visualizations--of orbits or of meridians or of chakras--are necessary. And as i said in earlier post, quoting Taoist priest and grandmaster Kuan Sai Hung: "There are no meridians". There is no tan tien. IT IS ALL MIND." ***And the creator of Flying Phoenix Qigong, Taoist sage Feng Tao Teh, got to the state of ALL MIND by creating the alchemic yoga that GM Doo Wai's lineage preserved for six generations and that I published with his permission on the DVD series.*** Good luck and enjoy the training. Sifu Terry Dunn

Thanks for your accurate answer, Si-hing Garry. Yes, the percentage breathing method did exist for a long time within the Bok Fu Pai tradition, but GM Doo Wai greatly expanded the number of meditations that he taught in the West using the "percentage exhalations-with-a-full-breath-in-between" method. Otherwise, one would have to carefully watch and listen to how the masters of the art breathed...and the only means of learning Flying Phoenix Qigong would be to become not just a student--but an "indoor" student. Would you agree, Sifu Garry? Thanks for your good input as always! Si-hing Terry

Hi Shen, I'm glad that you gained a lot from your practice of Five Tibetan Rites. I'm not familiar with that system. But I will say that Flying Phoenix Qigong is very compatible with some schools of Tibetan Yoga and Spiritualism because the creator, Feng Tao Teh (Feng Do Duk in Cantonese) travelled throughout China's western frontier and into Tibet in cultivating, learning, creating the Flying Phoenix Qigong system--along with all the internal art in the Bok Fu Pai tradition. This cross-cultural journeying and exploration was something that GM Doo Wai explained to me about FP Qigong's founder. To further develop basic calm, quiescence and "groundedness", I recommend the 3 warm-up seated meditations in Volume Two and doing Monk Holdling Pearl (form Volume One) in seated or supine (lying down position). Good luck with your return to FP Qigong. Best, Sifu Terry

You're welcome, Shen. I just happened to log on this morning before my class and caught you question. Hope your practice is going well. Best, Sifu Terry

Hello Axe, Please rest assured: 1. There is absolutely no way that anyone can accidentally "stir" or ignite up the Flying Phoenix energy cultivation process by inadvertantly breathing a few of the percentage exhalations for the following reasons: A. No FP Qigong exercise or any Bok Fu Pai meditation can begin without the consciously performing the three full priming breathes at the very beginning. That is why the three intentional full breathes at the start of every FP Qigong exercise were put there--TO PREVENT ANY INADVERTANT CULTIVATION USING THE PERCENTAGE BREATH CONTROL SEQUENCES—as well as to normalize your breathing over time at the maximum tidal volume. B. Secondly, the length and complexity of each of the FP qigong breathing sequences are such that they cannot be done unconsciously—i.e., the breath-control sequences cannot only be accurately done without one’s volition (intentionality) and focused attention. In my personal experience of practicing and teaching Flying Phoenix Qigong since 1991, I have observed in my own practice of the FP Qigong and in observing the training of students over the years, that it is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to inadvertantly or unintentionally perform a Flying Phoenix breath-control sequence because doing any one of them requires clear volition and intentionality to perform the 3 Full Breaths in the beginning COMBINED WITH performing a series of at least three (3) precise percentage exhalations that alternate with full breathes (100% exhalation followed by a 100% inhalation). Btw, the shortest energy-cultivating meditation I know of in the entire Bok Fu Pai tradition has a certain bodily posture and a breath control sequence consisting of two (2) percentage exhalations. Even this breath control sequence, which is shorter than every one of the Flying Phoenix breath control sequences, CANNOT be inadvertantly done and thus cause any type of “stray” or unwanted energy cultivation. So relax! And don't oppress yourself by creating a cocoon of groundless fears. As I've said several times in this discussion, the FP Qigong is one of the safest, most foolproof and self-contained authentic Qigong systems that has been published for consumers. Inadvertantly or randomly doing one, two or even three of the Flying Phoenix percentage exhalations with no focused conscious intent to do the FP Qigong is not going to "stir up" anything. C. Even if supposing that you somehow performed the 3 full priming breathes at the start of a FP Qigong breathing sequence, AND THEN somehow unconsciously performed a [/i] sequence or a fragment of a sequence of FP Qigong exhalation percentages alternating with full breathes[/i], a person still cannot possibly unconsciously assume the one matching FP Qigong posture that goes with the breathing--be it standing or seated--to make the Meditation complete. Thus no inadvertent energy cultivation can taken place because, as I stated at the very start of this thread, there are 3 elements essential to performing any authentic system of Qigong: (1) Hsing (xing) -- the shape form of the body, which in our practice means a FP qigong posture such as "Monk Gazing At Moon". (2) Chi (breathing method) – in this case, a consciously performed FP Qigong breath control sequence. (3) Yi -- Mind (mental focus, intentionality, can extend to visualizations) Without these three components all functioning as one, there is no chi cultivation. D. Finally, even if you were able to correctly perform a complete Flying Phoenix Qigong breath control sequence that goes with one of the FP Meditations(which I believe to be impossible), but didn't combine it with the proper Flying Phoenix posture and movements, whatever energy that might have been cultivated by the breathing sequence is only salient energy--healthy for you. Axe, if after digesting this information,your practice of Flying Phoenix Qigong continues to cause you to mentally obsess on whether you are inadvertantly breathing some or all of the percentage exhalations found in the Flying Phoenix Qigong formulas,and you are disturbing your sleep as a result, and not getting enough rest due to interrupted sleep, then you should NOT practice the Flying Phoenix Qigong. I would then suggest that you talk to a sleep specialist--normally a psychologist who has expertise in sleep disorders. You might also want to consult with a psychotherapist or psychologist because continuing fears of inadvertantly “stirring up” energy with this particular Qigong system would indeed reflect an obsessive-compulsive disorder that you admit to. And there might be a little more going on with you than OCD, as you’ve picked one of the safest and most fool-proof Qigong systems ever created by humankind and made its practice a feared source of inadvertently “stirring up” energy—that you assume would perhaps lead to an “imbalance” of internal energy? Not possible. The Flying Phoenix healing energy as it is being cultivated by the Qigong does not get “stirred up”. What gets “stirred up” by the FP Meditations in beginners is the time-bound pain in the body and that is called tension. And that is what causes the vibratory state and involuntary movements that beginning FP practitioners know and love so well. Indeed, the nature of the Flying Phoenix energy is that is suffuses everything—every bodily tissue. The tangible FP energy and all its healing effects are the by-product of the allostasis that is conditioned by this Qigong. If you want to mentally focus on anything at all while you are practicing Flying Phoenix Qigong, you may want to recite to these words to yourself repeatedly: “Fay Fung San Gung develops only allostasis---and the tangible light-blue healing energy visible to some is a sublime by-product of allostasis.” Good Luck, Sifu Terry Dunn

Shen, Complementary. As I posted sometime ago, the GM Doo Wai and told me that Flying Phoenix Qigong was practiced within the Doo Family system as the "safety net" for health, healing and longevity prior to training in the martial systems. Both arts are part of the Bok Fu Pai system, so naturally there is no conflict if they are both practiced correctly. Sifu Terry

Hi Sifu Garry, Northern Black Snake is a very, very obscure system that one of my Shaolin teachers in the 70's discussed and demonstrated a few techniques from. One technique utilizes a hand posture that looks like the head of a cobra and creates a vacuum when it strikes, thus delivering the internal energy in a very unique way. btw, that and every other snake hand posture that I know to be effective in combat are variations of "snake hand" seen in classical Shaolin Animal Forms"--further evidence that kung fu forms are very seldom--if ever--literal and direct in their martial applications. Snake styles of Kung Fu train the delivery of the internal energy to a chosen point in space. I think i gave an account earlier in this thread of how I witnessed Grandmaster Ark Yue Wong of the Southern Sil Lum Five Animals system in the early 80's [when he and Sifu Douglas Wong's Sil Lum 5 Animals demo team (including myself) were at a Las Vegas resort to give a demonstration] demonstrated his snake hand in our hotel room to my classmate Juan Ferlini: Juan asked the GM something about the snake style and GM Wong quickly but softly touched Juan on the forehead about half-inch away from the third eye with his index and middle finger held together. Juan instantly collapsed to the floor in a very dizzied state...but didn't quite pass out. We pulled him back up to a seated position and it took a couple of minutes to get his equilibrium back. That was one of my earliest observations of martial qi delivered softly. More later through IM, Si-Hing. Terry

Audiohealing, No,not at all. It's absolutely fine to learn Tai Chi once a week or every day for that matter, while practicing FPCK daily. Tai Chi's principles of movement and body mechanics both based on complete relaxation is similar to and are not in conflict with those of the Flying Phoenix exercises. You just don't apply the martial focus of Tai Chi when doing the FP meditations. In fact, I often teach FP Chi Kung at the end of a Tai Chi class for 30 to 40 minutes (my classes are 2 to 2.5 hours long). I just remind my students to adjust themselves mentally so they say to themselves, "OK, now we are doing Yang Tai Chi Chuan." And then later, I tell them to say to themselves, "Okay, now we do Flying Phoenix Qigong, which is done three times slower than typical Tai Chi Form speed. If you are learning Tai Chi and don't want to mix the two disciplines methods or their energies, you can do them both in the same day...just separate their practice by 30 to 60 minutes. These are just my suggestions. You can "feel it out" (intuit it) for yourself and figure out the best way to separate the effects of the two practices. And for those out there who practice both Tai Chi Chuan and a different Kung Fu style, and seriously want to master both, I'll repeat what Master John Fey (a Chen Style Tai Chi /Pa Kua/ Northern Kung Fu teacher I trained with in the 80's) advised: On one day you practice all Tai Chi. On another day, you practice all Kung Fu. The point I was trying to make with the suggested "experiment" is that Flying Phoenix Healing Energy is cultivated through the system's slow and distinctive moving meditations and that some Kung fu forms are not conducive to circulating that healing energy. Sifu Hearfield made the point that unless one is advanced enough to "rewire" or adapt/adjust the internal cultivation method of one kung fu system while playing the martial forms of a different kung fu system, one can short-circuit the effects of both components and wind up with nothing. No damage to health or anything detrimental necessarily results--but the result is that there's no synergy between the two practices and neither part has its intended effect. That null effect is what Grandmaster Ark Yue Wong once called a beginner's incorrect Kung fu form performance: (pointing) "That an empty house." :0) So the bottomline is what Sifu Garry emphasized: Don't mix the internal cultivation of one martial art with the martial forms of another art. I hope this is more clear now. Sifu Terry Dunn

Sifu Garry, Thanks so much for your thoughtful input based on your many years of experience. I appreciate your good advice for everyone to follow the general rule-of-thumb: Never mix training meditations of one internal system with the martial forms of another. I did exactly that last Saturday at the end of the class to point the "clash of energies" that is most likely to happen when one does mix internal cultivation exercises the wrong way with external martial forms of an unrelated system. The common sense reason is that each Kung Fu system evolved as an "organic whole"--i.e., as a complete "organism"-- out of the intuitive genius of a great master or lineage of masters. Each complete Kung Fu system has its own fully integrated core cultivation method (Qigong or Nei gung) --be it Bok Mei, Bok Fu Pai, Praying Mantis, Sil Lum Five Animals, Choy Lay Fut,White Crane, Northern Black Snake, or My Jhong Law Horn (although this latter styles' amazing internal system cultivating the "Light Energy" has largely been lost). And one cannot take the secret engine/power plant out of one Kung Fu art and put it into the chassis of another vehicle with a totally different drive train, electrical system and suspension--without doing some major rewiring and gear-fitting. "Certain energy systems only wired for that system, you mix it you have to rewire or you short circuit the body and gain nothing." Very, very well put...and much more succinct than my admonition! Thanks again, Si-Hing Garry. Terry Dunn

Hello Flying Phoenix Qigong practitioners and researchers: For those of you who practice Kung-Fu or any other martial art, especially external styles, here is an experiment that can demonstrate the healing nature of the Flying Phoenix Meditations--inspired by an experience my students had this past weekend's class: A) Practice any of the Flying Phoenix Meditations for a 45 to 60 minutes (or longer) session. B ) Then immediately practice one of your Kung Fu forms or katas that you are best trained in and can do automatically. C) "Go inward" and determine whether it was easier or harder than usual to perform the martial form. D ) For those of you who try this, please share your results with us here on this discussion. •• Here is the reason for my suggestion to do this experiment: during my Saturday morning Tai Chi class, we practiced (a) 90 minutes of Long Form, flowing one round and then doing separation and holding every posture of the 1/3 section (emptying the yin foot and holding it one inch off the ground for at least 30 seconds for each posture). (b ) Then practiced 3 rounds of the Yang straight sword form, going over the second half of the form repeatedly as that's what the students are learning. This Tai Chi practice totalled 2 hrs. 15 minutes. (c ) Then I led the class in a quick 5 minutes of Wu-chi standing (9 arm positions). (d) Then we practiced one Bok Fu Pa Meditation (90 60 40 30), 3 of the FP Meditations: MGM for 5 min., MHP for 5 min., and Moonbeam Splashes on Water two times. (e) Then after I officially ended the class, because some of my Tai Chi students are also learning Tao Tan Pai Kung Fu from me, I led them in practicing the basic TTP Monkey Form (50 movements done in quick, staccato, short-distance transitions,). After my students finished the Monkey Form, they commented that throughout the Kung Fu Form practice they felt like they had to "fight through" or "set aside" the Flying Phoenix Energy in order to do the Monkey Kung Fu movements. They commented: "the Flying Phoenix Healing Energy doesn't like to move that way," and "the Qigong energy didn't want to go there." The focussed movements of Tao Tan Pai's 5 Animal Forms and those of other Kung Fu styles such as Southern Sil Lum Five Animals Kung Fu are drastically different than the body mechanics and internal cultivation of Flying Phoenix Qigong's healing energy. For those of you who practice Kung Fu and FP Qigong, try this experiment, and I believe that you will discover the same thing about the Flying Phoenix Celestial Healing Chi that my students discovered. (btw, this experiment will not work as well if you are doing Tai Chi Chuan rather than Kung Fu). --Inductive proof that Flying Phoenix Qigong cultivates a purely healing energy that has unique tangible properties and is clearly distinguishable for other generic experiences of "chi." Enjoy, Sifu Terry Dunn

Hi Chris, This is a belated "thanks" for your report from behind the Great Chinese fire-Wall. While it doesn't surprise, me...I am still kind of disappointed that my URL www.taichimania.com isn't accessible by Chinese on the mainland. And it's really too, too bad that this discussion thread on Flying Phoenix Qigong and the TTB blogsite as a whole isn't accessible, either...because we are discussing and proliferating some of the indigenous yogic treasures of China that no one in China even knows exist--except perhaps a few descendants of students taught by GM Doo Wai's ancestors and perhaps a small handful of old, old masters still alive in the Ehrmeishan region. Because the different Bok Fu Pai arts that Sifu Garry Hearfield and I are teaching were passed on privately within GM Doo Wai's family lineage for six generations and were unknown to the public outside of the GM's ancestral village. Imagine the contributions that might be flowing into this and other discussion threads on TTB's if the site were accessable by the folks within China... Hope your business trip was successful. Best, Terry Dunn

Hi Somamech, Thanks for your helpful comments and and thanks very much for the gift of that cloudy Phoenix in the sky--you've got a good eye there and a generous spirit! You are absolutely right: amongst the moving Standing Flying Phoenix Meditations, "Bending the Bows" is KEY for the beginner. Let me know how your practice progresses, Best, Sifu Terry

Yes! Indeed, what is being "spun" by the exercise is one's auric, martial energy field. But the energy "web" can only be created and used for practical self-defense if one's one's Tai Chi or Kung Fu form is correct and advanced enough such as yours--where one's circling is rooted, done with perfect linkage from root to hand, and one's "spinning" or circling is automatic and correct--i.e. the circling does itself effortlessly AND the circling generates energy. Or in other words, one can do the web-spinning for hours without tiring. At this level of practice, one's inner-awareness (of one's energy state) is clear and reliable--and in turn, by extending one's energy-awareness beyond one's skin and into the space through this kung-fu exercise, then outer-awareness( or sensitivity to external energies) is developed.

Sifu Garry, Thanks for your explanation of how the BP Spider Spinning Web training is done. While doing the patterns, I could feel how the potential for developing silk-reeling energy was simply a matter of doing the movements with complete relaxation and slow speed. What you are generously revealing in the footage that's of great value is the application of the proper practical angles of the "web-spinning" for combat...something that is developed in Tai Chi Chuan through years and years of Push-hands and San-shou. Thanks again, Si-hing! Terry Dunn

Si-Hing Garry, Thanks so much for checking in and gracing me and the DVD series with your generous compliments! Congratulations on the new website videos and Youtube postings. I especially enjoyed the Sensitivity Training for GMDW's Burning Palm System called "Spinning Webs", which I have been practicing ever since you posted it. I do the patterns at the same speed and with the same martial focus/application that you show--but with Tai Chi relaxation. Your sequence of drills made reaffirming connections for me. Question: would you say that the "web" that's "spun" in this exercise pulls together the whole Burning Palm system quite a bit? I will be posting more Bot Din Gum (8 Sections Combined) Exercises and the actual "Sections" in the coming months. All the Best Always, Si-Hing Terry P.S. To all TTB readers and FP Qigong practitioners who do Tai Chi: take a look at this excellent and very revealing demo by Sifu Hearfield: Not only is Sensitivity Method for GM Doo Wai's Burning Palm System, but this series of total-body drills utilizing inward and outward circling patterns are identical to those seen in Tai Chi. The only differences between Sifu Garry's "Spinning Webs" and Tai Chi training patterns (perhaps) are in (a) the size of the "frame"(depending what style of Tai chi you do and who your teacher is, (b ) the degree of bodily relaxation, and (c ) the type of mental focus (for the issuance of energy by BFP's Burning Palm strikes is NOT the same method as "fast" fa-jing in Tai Chi Chuan and certainly not the "slow" fa-jing (as taught by Grandmaster William C.C. Chen).

Hello Greanforest, Thanks for your positive feedback upon reading this FP Chi Kung discussion thread--but I'm not the one responsible for it: had it not been for an enthusiastic and very dedicated practitioner, Fu_Dog (a Florida resident who I still have not met in person) starting the discussion thread with a question and then Sifu Garry Hearfield endorsing the DVD series I had produced, I would never have known about the thetaobums blogsite nor been encouraged to contribute to the discussion. So I have to thank them both for creating the opportunity in 2009 for me to contribute what I know about the Flying Phoenix Qigong. Answers to your questions: (1) Any of the Flying Phoenix meditations can be practiced outdoors at night. Recall that Sifu Garry Hearfield and I both talked about doing "Monk Gazing at Moon" while actually gazing at the moon--during times of the month when it's low enough in the sky. (2) the "Bending the Bows" exercise in the FP Qigong system has nothing to do with any other system such as the Shaolin-based system that Dr. Yang writes about. They are 100% unrelated historically and yogically. The basic instruction for the "Bending the Bows" is to do 18 repetitions after the inital breath control sequence. If you want to continue with another set of 18 repetitions, then you initiate the new set by doing another round of the controlled breathing. As long as you follow the instructions as given on the DVD, you can practice the FP system or any portion of it as long as you want. You can also practice them at any time of day or night. As stated in earlier posts, the FP meditations are very safe and self-regulating--i.e., you cannot really over-do them. After a while, the energizing and vibratory effects normally will level off and a calm stillness will be effected throughout the body as well as the mind. When the body has had enough of Flying Phoenix energy circulation, it naturally shuts it down softly. Good Diagnostic Benchmark Question for all Practitioners: Has this been your experience when you have practiced (any of) the FP Meditations for long extended periods? --that the tangible energy effects (increased uniform body heat, involuntary movements, shaking, vibrating, and the warm "washing" sensation inside and outside the skull, etc.) automatically shuts down? --and in a gentle manner? **I want to add here that because I cannot visually supervise FP Qigong practitioners using the DVD series, I hope that all practitioners will be sensible enough to listen to the wisdom of their bodies after the body has shut down the Flying Phoenix energy's vibratory effects--and just "let it be." As a teacher, I've seen every type of not obsessive-compulsive behavior in Kung-Fu, Tai Chi and Qigong, where an over-zealous student will force results from a particular practice. It doesn't matter what Qigong system one is practicing: over-zealousness, fanaticism, over-ideation about becoming the bullet-proof monk or a Taoist immortal, etc. is a mental imbalance that will derail correct Qigong practice and lead to unwholesome results. Read Hexagram 52, Keeping Still, third changing line in the I Ching (Book of Changes).** (3) When you next do the seated Monk Serves Wine meditations, sit much further away from the electrical outlet. (I've never experienced that myself as I've just never practiced that close to a wall socket). But I will learn from your experience and pass your safeguard onward. Thanks for your questions and thanks for your good wishes, Greanforest. Enjoy the practice. Terry Dunn P.S. the name of the site has no periods in it: www.kungfupandalawsuit.com