Flying Phoenix Chi Kung

[zen-bear]

To the FPCK Community:

 

My sincere and deep apologies to everyone on the FPCK thread for being so very slow in replying to your comments.  That includes BenBeastMode and others who stated that they took offense to my posting of my letter to Daobums.com founder, Sean Omlor dated Dec. 9, 2019, that states--if you read it carefully--that I supported his action of asking "all right wingers" to leave the daobums.com blogsite--only if he limited his expulsion in the following way:

 

"As long as you limit your expulsions to those hopeless simpletons who are diehard supporters of 45  (who by definition must love and worship the evil that grips all of Russia and him and pose the greatest existential threat to this country and the liberal democracies throughout the world), you can call it "going rogue"--or anything else you want..."

 

I apologize for not providing additional context for this statement that was/is in limited agreement with Sean Omlor's drastic unilateral act of asking all right-wingers to leave the blog.  I stand by my above statement and the ensuing statements in the email saying that arguing  with a fact-denying Trump-supporter aping Vladimir Putin's talking points and the alt. right's Russian-fueled propaganda is a waste of time--and something that is contra-indicated by Musashi Myamoto's ninth precept--expounded in his classic book on strategy and martial Zen, "A Book of Five Rings":

 

                                                    "Do nothing that is of no use."

 

In addition, I hope what follows will be more than enough context to explain my partial endorsement of Sean's action:

 

For starters, here are links to a 2-part law enforcement training film that I produced, directed, shot, and edited--that is based on weekend A.O.T. (Advanced Officer Training) seminars in Los Angeles given by  American Kenpo master Ron Chapel, a super-cop and one of the senior-most students of founder Ed Parker called "Universal System of Arrest & Control for Law Enforcement."   (The officers attending these seminars were from California's State Police, Highway Patrol, L.A. County Sheriffs, and every So. California agency except LAPD and San Diego PD.)  The methods developed by Ron Chapel and organized in this training program are still state-of-the-art and used in police academies and departments across the country and by several foreign military services today as well (--except for the predominant use of Tasers in many dept.'s over the PR-24 or baton/nightstick in non-lethal situations).  (btw, in the 1990's, I was acknowledged by Ron Chapel as the 2nd best-versed instructor in his Universal system of Arrest & Control, second only to himself.)

 

Volume One:

https://vimeo.com/187522358

 

Volume Two:

https://vimeo.com/186365982

 

You will see under the long scroll of credits titled "Consultants"  (not the 7 Technical Consultants):  the second name is that of Chief Errol Southers.  (See 51:53 on the time code of Vol.2 link abov.) Errol Southers was one of many police chiefs and fellow training officers that Ron Chapel and I worked with (Ron for years more than I) in identifying the most problematic tasks and dangerous  arrest & control situations--in order for Ron to devise new methods and procedures  to improving hands-on arrest & control tactics to better protect both cops and suspects--in the wake of the LA riots set off of by the Rodney King fiasco and ensuing acquittal of LAPD officers who were videotaped beating him with PR 24's.  (Much of Ron Chapel's "Universal System" are revolutionary advances such as the "single officer felony arrest" procedure at the start of Vol.2.)  In 1993, Southers was just stepping down as chief of the L.A. Safety Police to join the FBI in counter-terrorism, which led to a distinguished 25-year career in that specialty.  Today he is Professor of the Practice of National and Homeland Security, Director of Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies, and Director of the Safe Communities Institute at the Sol Price Graduate School of Public Policy at the Univ. of Southern California (go USC Trojans!) in my home town and the recognized national authority on home-grown terrorism.  And in this video, which I consider to be an absolute MUST WATCH by anyone even remotely concerned about the dire threat that 45  poses to the American republic and to the democracies of the world,  Errol Southers introduces his colleague and old friend, Malcolm Nance, one of the foremost counter-terrorism and national security experts in our top military intelligence echelon. 

 

 

 

I am posting this lecture that Malcolm Nance gave in the summer of 2018--just before America's mid-term elections--as the first tranche of CONTEXT to explain why I publicly posted my private email to Sean Omlor supporting his action only to the extent that I prescribed.  

 

I especially want to point out the invaluable informative service that Nance provided by connecting of the dots between trump's campaign/ present entourage to the European alt right movement that first manifested in 2011 with the massacre of 77 children and 8 adults at a summer camp in Norway by a neo-Nazi named Anders Behring Breivik, who, armed with an M-14 and a handgun, went there posing as a policeman with the intent of killing the entire new generation of liberal leadership in Norway (that's what those 77  children represented to Breivik).  Nance was first to warn the world about the threats of Russian "active measures" and cyberwarfare, and its funding and all-out support of the European alt. right and the American alt. right in his  best-selling books, "The Plot to Hack America" (2016) and "The Plot To Destroy Democracy" (2018), which are clear presentations of his de-classified intelligence work.  He explains that the current alt.right/neo-Nazi movements in Europe are funded across the board by Russian oligarch money directed by Putin and how one of them has already taken over the  Austrian government, two others now represent the second largest political parties in France and Germany, and two other factions are poised to take control of Greece and Italy.  Before writing the "Plot to Hack America", as the top expert on islamic terrorism, Nance wrote the best-seller, "Defeating ISIS."

 

Just start at 24:50 on this clip and to get a grip on the history of the worldwide alt right movement, to understand what U.S. intelligence agencies have already known about America's Lord Commander Marmalade since 2013 (I wish I had coined it, but that nickname was  coined by Trey Crowder, aka the Redneck Liberal), and how Russia since 2013 has conducted active measures against the American electoral system, every member of the NATO alliance and the European Union that it sees as the only obstacle to Russia's fatuous return to greatness and world dominance... and has through its brilliant and unrelenting massive use of social media to disseminate disinformation/propaganda, influenced several generations of "simple-minds" (as termed and classified by Cambridge Analytica for its Russian clients, Russia's FSB and Internet Research Agency) to vote against their own self-interest and put a neo-fascist who is compromised and 100% owned by a Russian oligarch-dictator into the most powerful office in the world in order to dismantle all the guardrails against Russian totalitarianism--that the U.S. and its NATO allies built and maintained since the end of WW2. 

 

My personal & family background as context:  My father was a major cog in military intelligence for the U.S. and Allies in the China and the Pacific in WW2 and was a spymaster throughout the Korean War --when he headed an operation of 2,500 American-trained Chinese insurgents out of Okinawa and Saipan, whom he recruited.  (I was born on Okinawa in 1954.)  My father was a soldier for 1/3 of his life and on the right side.  As he was my role model,  I was actually considered the U.S. military as a career when i was graduating from high school in 1972.  But upon seeing the military being held in high disregard (to put it lightly) by society in general as the Vietnam War was winding down, I turned down my Congressional nomination in California to attend West Point (one of two given each year), and instead went to Yale College.  By then, I had realized that the Vietnam War that I was very, very hawkish about jr. high school was actually horribly mismanaged, fought with the wrong tactics and metrics--and was started and escalated based on what we all know now was a false flag operation in the Gulf of Tonkin.  So, because i didn't have a  "good war" to go to, I channeled  my militant enthusiasm and sense of duty and service into, well, Chinese martial arts and then later the Chinese healing arts, all the while sublimating my vehement anti-communism.   

 

I grew up awash in military intelligence and tell tale signs of spycraft in the person of my father and 3 of his best friends from his youth in China who fought the Japanese in WW2 alongside British and Americans and then went on to work for CIA after they also fled the communist revolution in 1950 and came to the United States.  That greatest generation, btw, never talked about their war exploits except amongst fellow veterans, and I had to slowly piece together what my father did during 2 wars by going to his annual SACO reunions.  (I'll leave anyone interest to research what SACO is). All that is to say that I learned what communist Chinese and what Russian propaganda looks like, sounds like, and feels like.  That is why nowadays, I have no qualms whatsoever-- if I'm cornered--to inform anyone who loves that destroyer of American exceptionalism and democracy in the white house,  that his or her aping of that red had slogan is an ignorant and preposterous lie-- and that red cap is actually originally drenched and colored by--the blood of those 77 Norwegian children and 8 adults on that Norwegian island in 2011.  Just read Breivek's manifesto and read the transcripts of Steve Bannon's talks. They are identical extremist-fascist political agendas.

 

That said, I want suggest to anyone who wants to further discuss or take issue with this statement of my context for my Dec. 9 email to Sean Omlor that we start a separate blog discussion on a separate social media platform.  I think it's safe to assume that Sean Omlor probably won't want to host any political forums on Daobums given that it's supposed to be about the practice of Taoism related ancient wisdom traditions, and especially given  that he took a rather extreme--what he called "rogue" measure-- to shut down what he called "right wing" debate on the blogsite.  But I was recently informed by Earl Grey that  Sean Omlor was intent primarily on shutting down alt. right subscribers to  Daobums who were running rampant posting high volumes of extremely twisted, batshit conspiracy theories (of the "Pravda" type as defined by Malcolm Nance, I assume).

 

BenBeastMode, you might be surprised to learn that I'm probably more right-wing than you are.  After my liberal-leaning college years and then going to business school, I became politically what my father was all his life in America:  a Goldwater Republican, strong on national defense and adamant that govt. stays out of the bedroom and off of women's bodies and reproductive rights, which today, unfortunately means that I'm a Centrist Democrat(!).  And because of my bent and predilection in applying my skill in Chinese marital arts, I was very active in police training in the 1990's and am concerned about--and may get active again in--police governance and law enforcement policy-making.  BTW, when my police training video came out in 1993, the U.S. Marine Corps purchased 600 copies and thus I became a govt. contractor.  And yet I teach Tai Chi Chuan, two monastic systems of Qigong, teach the healing arts of both Tao Tan Pai and Bok Fu Pai monastic traditions, and quote Hui-neng the 6th Patriarch of Chan Buddhism whenever the occasion warrants it.  And one occasion was my Dec. 9 email to Sean Omlor.  Because fact-deniers--of any persuasion--are hopeless people and a waste of time to deal with.  Same waste of time as  trying to talk to someone who still believes that there were WMD's in Iraq in 2003.

 

My third tranche of context that explains my intolerance for the cult of trump is Malcolm Nance's latest book is titled "The Plot to Betray America," which was published last fall.  Most of it focusses on what 45 has been doing to this country and its strategic alliances--all according to Putin's playbook--ever since he took office, and the most troubling behavior of his Republican enablers in Congress who are carrying out a Russian political agenda for the U.S. and have set the stage for Russia to interfere again in the next election again-- through a massive disinformation operation similar to the one in 2016, at the very least.  

 

The problem of the digital disinformation age and the only remedy (one that's not instant or fast-acting) against Russia using cyberwarfare against the American electorate every second of every hour of every day to hack the American mindset is discussed in this interview.  Finland has been the first country to apply this difficult but necessary remedy.

 

• European history professor Timothy Snyder at Yale published a long prophetic article in Dec. 2016 just before 45's inauguration warning of everything that we in America now see before us:

 

                                                 POST TRUTH IS PRE-FASCISM.

https://www.vox.com/conversations/2017/3/9/14838088/donald-trump-fascism-europe-history-totalitarianism-post-truth

And this article and Snyder's book, "On Tyranny"  is my fourth and final tranche of CONTEXT --that i would be glad to discuss with anyone--in a civil manner--on another online platform (when I have the time, of course).

 

Again, my sincere apologies for not providing this context much sooner to all those who felt or still feel that it would have avoided personal insult, upset, resentment, and this thread going off-topic.  But I recall BenBeastMode's initial complaint was also couched in his admission that  he "didn't follow politics much."   Even though he said that, I still felt compelled to answer his complaint about my not providing any context for that Dec. 9 letter to Mr. Omlor.  Hence this posting.

 

To bring this post bring back to FP Qigong:   I take no personal offense to anything anyone has said politically on this thread, including those who were angered by or abreacted to my  Dec. 9 letter posted without context.  (And I am not erasing anyone's postings in response to my Dec. 9 posting up to this point in time.)  Maintaining this attitude of tolerance is made very easy by simple  the sublime and deeply healing and transformative nature of the  Flying Phoenix Qigong:  As long as you are practicing Flying Phoenix Qigong and are enjoying its healing and growth benefits, and wish to continue its practice to explore its basic, intermediate, and advanced health and spiritual potentials, I will be glad to teach it and provide you whatever guidance and assistance that I have to offer--either on this thread or via backchannel Daobums email.  (Also recall the observation made GM Doo Wai, me, and other advanced practitioners that evil people will not practice FP Qigong the second that they scratch its surface and feel how it works.  They will not scoff at it because they can't deny that it works.  But evil people will just run in the opposite direction from FP Qigong because they fear or even hate its manner of healing and transformation.  I've occasionally witnessed this over the years of teaching FP since 1992.  So if you're liking FP Qigong, you ain't evil---and you're OK by me--and I accept you, respect you, and will be able to stand you, no matter what your political beliefs are--except if you vote for 45, of course!   

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Terry Dunn

 

P.S.  Repeat:   now that I've provided context with my apologies, all further political discussion should be convened elsewhere--on a non-Daobums thread!   

Edited February 25, 2020 by zen-bear

[Earl Grey]

While Sifu Terry is making his announcements, I would like to take a moment to clarify and remind people that I am not an instructor of Flying Phoenix (yet), nor am I representing Sifu Terry. I was appointed with his approval to oversee this thread in light of many disruptions in the past that have ranged from trolls to disinformation and scams. A few people have misunderstood my role as overseer of the thread to be more than what I am actually assigned, and in no way am I authorized or qualified to teach or represent him or the systems he teaches.

 

I only am able to relay information to him and get approval for whatever is appropriate to respond on his behalf in his absence due to his schedule. 
 

We are currently finishing up a draft FAQ for people so that the thread does not have the same questions repeated by people who have not gone through every page or used the search function. 
 

In the meanwhile, enjoy your practice!

Edited February 22, 2020 by zen-bear

[miwizi]

Excellent. Looks like a good time and place to enter my latest questions regarding performance of FPCK. 

 

1) Are the 5 exercises presented in Vol. 1 best done as a unit? 

2) Are they best performed in the sequence presented in vol. 1?

3) Are there guidelines for the timing in between the exercises?

4) Regarding the "upright" stances, whether single shoulder width or double shoulder width, how much should one sit back? These upright postures are new to me. Should I discern stretching in my sacrum and qua in these upright positions?

5) Also need some advice concerning "relaxation" in a stance. My question concerns relaxing the buttocks during "sitting back" in any stance whether deep or upright. I can relax the large muscles until I attempt to lift the end of the tailbone up, then it feels like a deeper set of muscles engage which I have been unable to relax. Advice?

6) I have chi experiences from other exercises (e.g. bak fu pai <old vol. 6>, chen style reeling silk, taiji, etc.) but the FPCK results in a fullness quite unique. It fills Top to bottom, front to back, and side to side, and seems quite long lasting. However I do experience a slight "all dressed up and no where to go" edge as well. Again, advice?

7) Finally, in answers to my earlier questions, reference was made to "upper" and "middle" dan tien. Have to confess my ignorance here. Is this going to inhibit my understanding and performance of FPCK?

 

Thanks for any and all help. 

 

Off topic-to riding the ox: hoa binh o tren te gioi. 

 

 

 

[Earl Grey]

19 minutes ago, miwizi said:

1) Are the 5 exercises presented in Vol. 1 best done as a unit? 

 

 

It is good to diversify your practice, but even just doing one is enough. One hour of Monk Holding Peach is great, and doing all five meditations in Vol. 1 for 10-15 minutes each is also good, so long as you do it as Sifu Terry says.

 

20 minutes ago, miwizi said:

2) Are they best performed in the sequence presented in vol. 1?

 

 

Order does not matter as has been repeated many times in this thread.

 

20 minutes ago, miwizi said:

3) Are there guidelines for the timing in between the exercises?

 

 

The guidelines for timing are detailed in each package you receive with your DVD orders, referring to eating before and after the practice. If you're referring to doing the practice and jumping one form to the next, it has not been specified, but I personally jump right into the next meditation immediately consecutively after finishing the previous one.

 

22 minutes ago, miwizi said:

4) Regarding the "upright" stances, whether single shoulder width or double shoulder width, how much should one sit back? These upright postures are new to me. Should I discern stretching in my sacrum and qua in these upright positions?

 

Follow the alignment Sifu Terry shows in the DVD as precisely as you can and don't overthink it. 

 

23 minutes ago, miwizi said:

6) I have chi experiences from other exercises (e.g. bak fu pai <old vol. 6>, chen style reeling silk, taiji, etc.) but the FPCK results in a fullness quite unique. It fills Top to bottom, front to back, and side to side, and seems quite long lasting. However I do experience a slight "all dressed up and no where to go" edge as well. Again, advice?

 

Please clarify bolded text. As has been shared before, this is purely a health and healing practice, whereas Bok Fu Pai is a martial practice.

 

23 minutes ago, miwizi said:

7) Finally, in answers to my earlier questions, reference was made to "upper" and "middle" dan tien. Have to confess my ignorance here. Is this going to inhibit my understanding and performance of FPCK?

 

You don't need to know this, generally speaking. FP works uniquely and is not following TCM models of qi flow. If you do want to know, you'll find out in personal sessions with Sifu Terry, which are highly recommended, even just to perfect your forms that you learn on the DVDs.

 

Sifu Terry will fill in for anything not clear here, and he will be checking this board shortly to answer wherever my short quick responses on his behalf are incomplete. 

[zen-bear]

On 2/22/2020 at 8:55 AM, miwizi said:

Excellent. Looks like a good time and place to enter my latest questions regarding performance of FPCK. 

 

1) Are the 5 exercises presented in Vol. 1 best done as a unit? 

2) Are they best performed in the sequence presented in vol. 1?

3) Are there guidelines for the timing in between the exercises?

4) Regarding the "upright" stances, whether single shoulder width or double shoulder width, how much should one sit back? These upright postures are new to me. Should I discern stretching in my sacrum and qua in these upright positions?

5) Also need some advice concerning "relaxation" in a stance. My question concerns relaxing the buttocks during "sitting back" in any stance whether deep or upright. I can relax the large muscles until I attempt to lift the end of the tailbone up, then it feels like a deeper set of muscles engage which I have been unable to relax. Advice?

6) I have chi experiences from other exercises (e.g. bak fu pai <old vol. 6>, chen style reeling silk, taiji, etc.) but the FPCK results in a fullness quite unique. It fills Top to bottom, front to back, and side to side, and seems quite long lasting. However I do experience a slight "all dressed up and no where to go" edge as well. Again, advice?

7) Finally, in answers to my earlier questions, reference was made to "upper" and "middle" dan tien. Have to confess my ignorance here. Is this going to inhibit my understanding and performance of FPCK?

 

Thanks for any and all help. 

 

Off topic-to riding the ox: hoa binh o tren te gioi. 

 

 

 

Hi miwizi,

 

I will answer your questions by supplementing and elaborating upon Earl Grey's very good answers just a tad in a couple of places.  See next post.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

[zen-bear]

  On 2/22/2020 at 8:55 AM, miwizi said:

2) Are they best performed in the sequence presented in vol. 1?

 

 

Quote

Order does not matter as has been repeated many times in this thread.

 

The guidelines for timing are detailed in each package you receive with your DVD orders, referring to eating before and after the practice. If you're referring to doing the practice and jumping one form to the next, it has not been specified, but I personally jump right into the next meditation immediately consecutively after finishing the previous one.

 

 

Follow the alignment Sifu Terry shows in the DVD as precisely as you can and don't overthink it. 

 

 

Please clarify bolded text. As has been shared before, this is purely a health and healing practice, whereas Bok Fu Pai is a martial practice.

 

 

You don't need to know this, generally speaking. FP works uniquely and is not following TCM models of qi flow. If you do want to know, you'll find out in personal sessions with Sifu Terry, which are highly recommended, even just to perfect your forms that you learn on the DVDs.

 

Sifu Terry will fill in for anything not clear here, and he will be checking this board shortly to answer wherever my short quick responses on his behalf are incomplete. 

 

Earl Grey and miwizi:

 

Thank you to Earl Grey for providing miwizi with accurate answers to all his questions.  I am following on with my supplemental comments (in italic bold):

 

1)  Are the 5 exercises presented in Vol. 1 best done as a unit? 

It is good to diversify your practice, but even just doing one is enough. One hour of Monk Holding Peach is great, and doing all five meditations in Vol. 1 for 10-15 minutes each is also good, so long as you do it as Sifu Terry says.

• For beginners, I recommend doing all five of the Vol.1 basic standing meditations as much as one can, each one for a minimum of 10 minutes--with more time devoted to "Bending the Bows" because the traditional training method is one set of 18 repetitions done very slowly.

 

2) Are they best performed in the sequence presented in vol. 1?

 

Order does not matter as has been repeated many times in this thread.

• I programmed the DVD series to present the FP Qigong meditations in the same exact order as how GM Doo Wai taught me and our cadre of students in L.A. from 1991 to 1997.  while it doesn't matter in term sof overall effect what order one practices the 5 exercises on Vol.1, one might say that the order presented might be optimal.

n 2/22/2020 at 8:55 AM, miwizi said:

3) Are there guidelines for the timing in between the exercises?

 

 

The guidelines for timing are detailed in each package you receive with your DVD orders, referring to eating before and after the practice. If you're referring to doing the practice and jumping one form to the next, it has not been specified, but I personally jump right into the next meditation immediately consecutively after finishing the previous one.

• Correct.  One can take a few or any number of resting breathes in between each FP meditation, or jump right into the next meditation.  You can end one meditation with 3 deep breathes, and then immediately take the initializing 3 full breaths for the next exercise.  Once you feel the cumulative effects of one FP meditation to the next, you can experiment with how long a break you can take between each one in order to "stay in the zone" of being continually bathed or enveloped by tangible the FP Healing Energy.

  On 2/22/2020 at 8:55 AM, miwizi said:

4) Regarding the "upright" stances, whether single shoulder width or double shoulder width, how much should one sit back? These upright postures are new to me. Should I discern stretching in my sacrum and qua in these upright positions?

 

Follow the alignment Sifu Terry shows in the DVD as precisely as you can and don't overthink it. 

• Keep back straight by imagining a string attached to the crown of your head suspending you spine from above.

  On 2/22/2020 at 8:55 AM, miwizi said:

6) I have chi experiences from other exercises (e.g. bak fu pai <old vol. 6>, chen style reeling silk, taiji, etc.) but the FPCK results in a fullness quite unique. It fills Top to bottom, front to back, and side to side, and seems quite long lasting. However I do experience a slight "all dressed up and no where to go" edge as well. Again, advice?

 

Please clarify bolded text. As has been shared before, this is purely a health and healing practice, whereas Bok Fu Pai is a martial practice.

• Advice about the "edge" you feel afterwards:   go somewhere, anywhere.

 

  On 2/22/2020 at 8:55 AM, miwizi said:

7) Finally, in answers to my earlier questions, reference was made to "upper" and "middle" dan tien. Have to confess my ignorance here. Is this going to inhibit my understanding and performance of FPCK?

You don't need to know this, generally speaking. FP works uniquely and is not following TCM models of qi flow. If you do want to know, you'll find out in personal sessions with Sifu Terry, which are highly recommended, even just to perfect your forms that you learn on the DVDs.

•Upper tan tien can refer to teh brow chakra or "third eye": middle tan tien can correlate to teh heart chakra;  lower tan tien is the center 3 inches below the navel.  I use these terms when I teach because a lot of students have experience in Indian yogas where the term chakras is used.  Earl Grey is correct in saying that in FP Qigong, you DON'T NEED TO VISUALIZE ANYTHING having to do with the 3 tan tien's (or anything else).   But the "3 tan tiens" are useful when I teach to gell students where to place their hands when doing Monk Gazing At Moon (upper TT), Monk Holding peach (middle TT), and Monk Holding Pearl (lower TT), etc.  --Here is the detailed definitions, correctly posted by Wikipedia:

 

Different schools of thought categorize dantian in various manners. Three main dantian are typically emphasized:^[1][2]

• Lower dantian (下丹田, Xià Dāntián): below the navel (about three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel), which is also called "the golden stove" (金炉 pinyin: Jīn lú) or the namesake "elixir-of-life field" proper, where the process of developing the elixir by refining and purifying essence (jing) into vitality (qi) begins.^[6]
• Middle dantian (中丹田, Zhōng Dāntián): at the level of the heart, which is also called "the crimson palace", associated with storing spirit (shen) and with respiration and health of the internal organs, in particular the thymus gland. This cauldron is where vitality or qi is refined into shen or spirit.^[7]
• Upper dantian (上丹田, Shàng Dāntián): at the forehead between the eyebrows or third eye, which is also called "the muddy pellet", associated with the pineal gland. This cauldron is where shen or spirit is refined into wu wei or emptiness.^[5][8]

Enjoy your practice.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by zen-bear

[miwizi]

I really wanted to thank both Earl Grey and Sifu Dunn for taking the time to answer my questions. I did not realize that it was expected that I would research the questions w/i the blog before posing the questions. I absolutely will do that in the future. The answers certainly have expanded my understanding of the performance of meditations. "Holding the Peach for an hour" tells me a whole lot about this work. This answer did not directly address the question, but rather came from personal experience from a practitioner. As a "new guy," both to FPCK and "blogs" I had no restraint on my questioning and certainly no understanding that it would in any way create burdens for others. My apologies. Thanks again. miwizi

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Earl Grey]

33 minutes ago, miwizi said:

I really wanted to thank both Earl Grey and Sifu Dunn for taking the time to answer my questions. I did not realize that it was expected that I would research the questions w/i the blog before posing the questions. I absolutely will do that in the future. The answers certainly have expanded my understanding of the performance of meditations. "Holding the Peach for an hour" tells me a whole lot about this work. This answer did not directly address the question, but rather came from personal experience from a practitioner. As a "new guy," both to FPCK and "blogs" I had no restraint on my questioning and certainly no understanding that it would in any way create burdens for others. My apologies. Thanks again. miwizi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No burden whatsoever! We're here to support you and each other! Ask away, but do take time to read the thread too! 

[zen-bear]

On 2/12/2020 at 8:34 PM, orange said:

 

I have a question on Sifu Terry's advice on using a chair.  Is it okay to lean against a straight back chair, or should one sit more towards the front of the chair without leaning and without any back support?  Thanks

Hi Orange:

 

Answer:  it doesn't matter if you sit on the forward part of the chair or sit against the straight back of the chair.

Just as it doesn't matter for those who can sit in half-lotus whether they do the seated Monk Serves Wine meditations seated upright  away from a wall or a prop or seated upright with back flush against a wall or a piece of furniture.  The MSW seated meditations are very accommodating.  As long is one's back is upright and kept still, it doesn't matter if the back is supported by a prop or not.

 

Good practicing.

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

[zen-bear]

To the Flying Phoenix Qigong Community and Friends:

 

HERE IS MOST USEFUL AND VALUABLE ADVICE FROM DR. JAMES ROBB, A SEASONED EXPERT IN MOLECUAR VIROLOGY ON HOW TO BEST AVOID INFECTION THROUGHOUT THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC (courtesy of my friend Mike McDermott).  GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US, INDEED.

 

Date: February 26, 2020 at 2:35:50 PM EST

Subject: What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic

Dear Colleagues,

As some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.

The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.

Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can't immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!

What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:

1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.
Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average - everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon.
This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.

2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.

3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.

4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it.
Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.
I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share.

 

Good luck to all of us!
James Robb, MD FCAP

 

 

 

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

Edited March 14, 2020 by zen-bear

[tao stillness]

I have deleted my original post because the medical clairvoyant, Eric Isen, tonight sent me new information about the Coronavirus. I will post it verbatim as I consider it as quite a gift:

 

"Bupleurum Chinenese herb is the most effective PREVENTION AND CURE for the Coronavirus.

Dragon Herbs in Santa Monica, California is owned by a renowned master herbalist who states that Bupleurum should be combined with certain other herbs in order to get rid of the toxins that this herb will release."

 

I have used Bupleurum from Dragon Herbs several years ago but I cannot recall the reason why. I am guessing because I think it had something to do with improving meditation or producing Qi. 

I offer this recommendation as a public service to our qigong community and people will use their own discernment to decide whether they want to follow up on this, believe it or dismiss it. That is as it should be. But I could not keep this potential life saving information to myself. 

The correct standard formula is called Minor Bupleurum. Xiao Chai Hu Tang. It contains the rest of the herbs to get rid of the toxins. The supply of these herbs is obviously from China so that means this formula will run out in the USA and will not be resupplied. Dragon Herbs company is already sold out. 

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by tao stillness
to add more information

[senseless virtue]

@tao stillness What a great post!

 

You should definitely post it to the public section where non-registered readers can see it.

[EFreethought]

Is Flying Phoenix only available on DVD? A lot of PCs these days do not have DVD players.

 

[Earl Grey]

58 minutes ago, EFreethought said:

Is Flying Phoenix only available on DVD? A lot of PCs these days do not have DVD players.

 

Yes, but if you have a VCR, they were on VHS before too. 😂

 

You can buy a cheap DVD player for your TV for around $50 USD. It’s worth it for now, as they are not officially available digitally.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Earl Grey

[zen-bear]

On 3/10/2020 at 11:38 PM, EFreethought said:

Is Flying Phoenix only available on DVD? A lot of PCs these days do not have DVD players.

 

Hi EFreethought,

You can get a very reliable DVD player for anywhere from $23 to $30 online on amazon or eBay.  I have two, one for each newish Mac laptop in 2 different locations.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=DVD+player+usb&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

Enjoy the DVD programs whenever you get them.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

Edited March 14, 2020 by zen-bear

[zen-bear]

On 3/11/2020 at 12:30 AM, Earl Grey said:

Yes, but if you have a VCR, they were on VHS before too. 😂

 

You can buy a cheap DVD player for your TV for around $50 USD. It’s worth it for now, as they are not officially available digitally.

Maybe in the Philippines, John.  But in the States you can get a good quality DVD player with USB connectors for  $23 to $30 online.

[Earl Grey]

1 minute ago, zen-bear said:

Maybe in the Philippines, John.  But in the States you can get a good quality DVD player with USB connectors for  $23 to $30 online.

 

That's great! Even lower than I remember a player costing before last time I was in the states a few years ago. The price range of a single DVD volume from the Taichimania catalogue is roughly the price of a good quality DVD player with USB connectors then, so it isn't a problem for people who want to join in on the fun! 

[tao stillness]

Walmart sells dvds for as low as $24.95, less than the price of a qigong dvd. 

[Earl Grey]

Hey everyone,

 

So with many people either voluntarily staying in or being ordered to stay inside in their respective countries dealing with the current crisis, I think it's a good time to see where we are and share our daily practices. 

 

I personally have just made it a point to get in 45 minutes or so a day, an average of 3 minimum and a maximum of about 8-ish forms daily.

[nyerstudent]

On 3/20/2020 at 8:09 AM, Earl Grey said:

Hey everyone,

 

So with many people either voluntarily staying in or being ordered to stay inside in their respective countries dealing with the current crisis, I think it's a good time to see where we are and share our daily practices. 

 

I personally have just made it a point to get in 45 minutes or so a day, an average of 3 minimum and a maximum of about 8-ish forms daily.

 

Great idea!

 

I've been lurking on this thread - I purchased the FPCK DVDs some time back but only started practicing this style in earnest several months ago. I have several years of experience in another qigong style.

Lately I've been aiming for 45min - 1hr of practice a day, which has lately been:

• Bending bows 
• Wind through Treetops (currently my favorite standing form)
• Moonbeam 
• 1 seated warmup + 1 Monk Serves Wine meditation 
• I usually end with supine Monk Holding Pearl 

I've been telling myself that a silver lining of the social distancing being done in my area is that it may be an excellent opportunity to learn the long form, when ready. 

 

Best wishes and health to all!

[BluePhoenix133]

Hi, just wanted to suggest wim hoffs breathing technique as something that if the claims are true might help strengthen the immune system.

I tried it last night and i had some really good vivid dreams... i am an avid dreamer anyway but this was different and i think it was thanks to the breathing technique which i did not expect.

[Earl Grey]

9 minutes ago, BluePhoenix133 said:

Hi, just wanted to suggest wim hoffs breathing technique as something that if the claims are true might help strengthen the immune system.

I tried it last night and i had some really good vivid dreams... i am an avid dreamer anyway but this was different and i think it was thanks to the breathing technique which i did not expect.

 

Thanks, BluePhoenix133!

 

But it is important to not do Wim Hof method within the same time frame you do Flying Phoenix, as Sifu Terry mentioned not doing Pranayama practices simultaneously. At least space them out and use your discernment. 

[BluePhoenix133]

Ok, i was going to do the wim method first thing in the morning then a cold shower if i dont wuss out... what if i did the wim hoff method then not too long after started flying phoenix? As long as i dont do the method inbetween flying phoenix thats ok right?

I sometimes do a sunn yee gong meditation then shortly after a flying phoenix med.

Also someone has probably asked this but what if i sneex during fp, i just did a med and almost as soon i finished the breath sequence i sneezed but the energy was still there but perhaps not as strong?

Another thing why are the second to last meditation on the dvd two and the first meditation on dvd 7 called the sleeper meditations?... when i do them they seem to keep me awake.

[Earl Grey]

7 minutes ago, BluePhoenix133 said:

Ok, i was going to do the wim method first thing in the morning then a cold shower if i dont wuss out... what if i did the wim hoff method then not too long after started flying phoenix? As long as i dont do the method inbetween flying phoenix thats ok right?

 

I'd space out Wim Hof or any Pranayama at least a half hour from Flying Phoenix to let the qi in FP settle in, but Sifu Terry can chime in later and add to this. Keep them separate. 

 

8 minutes ago, BluePhoenix133 said:

I sometimes do a sunn yee gong meditation then shortly after a flying phoenix med.

 

As SYG is also a Doo family art, this isn't a problem just like doing Bok Fu Pai after Flying Phoenix is not a problem, but again, wait for Sifu Terry.

 

8 minutes ago, BluePhoenix133 said:

Also someone has probably asked this but what if i sneex during fp, i just did a med and almost as soon i finished the breath sequence i sneezed but the energy was still there but perhaps not as strong?

 

Sneezing during a breath control sequence isn't good--best to reset and start over from the beginning.

 

9 minutes ago, BluePhoenix133 said:

Another thing why are the second to last meditation on the dvd two and the first meditation on dvd 7 called the sleeper meditations?... when i do them they seem to keep me awake.

 

Volume 2's 5th meditation is not the Sleeper, but it's been written on this thread that it relaxes you and goes well with the Sleeper meditation, the 1st one, on Volume 7. 

 

The last meditation on Volume 2 is the Sleep Preventer more accurately, but is commonly referred to as the Waker-Upper. 

 

There could be other reasons as to why V.2 #5 and V.7 #1 are keeping you up, but Eric Isen might be the best to consult before Sifu Terry jumps in and answers for us. 

[zen-bear]

On 2/12/2020 at 8:34 PM, orange said:

 

I have a question on Sifu Terry's advice on using a chair.  Is it okay to lean against a straight back chair, or should one sit more towards the front of the chair without leaning and without any back support?  Thanks

Hi Orange:

 

Answer:  it doesn't matter if you sit on the forward part of the chair or sit against the straight back of the chair.

Just as it doesn't matter for those who can sit in half-lotus whether they do the seated Monk Serves Wine meditations seated upright  away from a wall or a prop or seated upright with back flush against a wall or a piece of furniture.  The MSW seated meditations are very accommodating.  As long is one's back is upright and kept still, it doesn't matter if the back is supported by a prop or not.

 

Good practicing.

Sifu Terry Dunn

 

www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html