Flying Phoenix Chi Kung

[zen-bear]

sifu Garry,

 

good one! No, this is not me or any of my students. and I had nothing to do with making this clip, although they use Tai Chi Mania as a name, which is name of my URL. The youtube post states it's from somewhere in Mountain View, CA, which is up north near Palo Alto, just south of San Francisco.

 

I think it's pretty damn funny, though! It looks like a little Wu style at the bottom of it all.

 

 

Terry

 

 

 

Hi,

 

Is this you and your students Sifu Terry?

 

Garry

[zen-bear]

Sifu Garry,

 

I'm replying to this older posting on the Forum because its subject matter is what I'm finally getting around to commenting on.

 

I finally had some time after the hectic Christmas holiday and went surfing thru Youtube looking for clips of your performances: I came across a youtube clip of one of your students, Sifu Travis doing a YKM "ground killer" form in a school that i presume is yours? Congratulations. Very nice performance by a good student--most indicative of your level and evidence that you are a good teacher. Just from seeing your student's performance, I understand why GM Doo Wai told you that "you're gung-fu is good".

It is very good.

 

I also just enjoyed viewing your YKM weapons clip. Then I also just came across a short 2007 clip of your outdoor performance, titled Omie Bak Mei. Also very nice.

 

Thank you for the clip of you doing the morning burning palm meditation by the seashore. Your form is very good and I see how that meditation works. We also practiced Monk Gazing At Moon actually gazing at the moon. Another of GMDW's internal systems--very powerful--had to do with the position of the sun in the sky.

 

The Iron Palm system that I saw GMDW teach to a couple of my classmates was different. it consisted of a deep set of standing meditations plus extensive hand conditioning training using his Iron Palm jiao. Throughout the student's training, GMDW would have them (and me on a couple of occasions) strike his lower leg hundreds of times to condition our hands (and to teach us that he could send the energy back into our bodies with devastating results) at will at any instant. I have a very clear video tape of one classmate (Rashan, the pro body guard with 25 - 0 record by Knockout) hammering GMDW's lower leg 450 times with his fists, and finally giving up when he couldn't take the pain anymore of his own energy going through GMDW's leg and into his own thighs (student is seated with GMDW's leg extended across student's lap). A shot of GMDW's leg after 450 punches showed no discoloration--a tiny bit of pink. Then Rashan gave another classmate, Jeff Roth, a single sample shot to his lower leg, collapsing him instantly. GMDW demonstrated his high mastery of bodily energy every time he trained us.

 

In one of your emails you asked if I had posted any footage of my performance of Flying Phoenix qigong. So far, I have decided not to post anything yet, as the complete first level is available on my DVD's, available on my website. I may put up some samples sometime later in 2010.

 

I just wanted to write and complement you on your kung-fu.

 

Best Regards and Happy New Year.

 

 

Terry

 

 

Sifu Terry,

 

Yes, got you PM did you get my return PM?

 

The Ying Jow Sup Jee Kol Da Kuen is awesome, it has a 2 man set there is another Eagle claw Sup jee Lo Waan Kuen that is fantastic also. Its great you have come out and giving GMDW respect he has been coping a beating on the forums the last few years I have been in many discussions regarding GMDW. He is a man of great knowledge and internal power, many say he is faked his demo's of chi projection, materializing it, healing, striking and breaking coconuts like butter.

 

Does the Bot Deem Gum has any tension sets?

 

I specialize in Burning Palm, Iron Body, Omie Bak Mei (of Bak Fu Pai) very rare, and some othere work that GMDW has asked me to master and teach out under the BFP. His system is very large as you said he collected and swapped for other arts using his system.

 

kind regards

Garry

[zen-bear]

Sifu Terry -

 

Thanks for the tip on Seated Meditation #6 - yes, now that I remember *that's* the one I did just before bedtime that was like a double shot of expresso! The energy from that meditation is very powerful indeed..... I'll shift that one to a morning qigong.

 

I've recently ordered your Flying Phoenix Advanced Seated Meditations DVD, and am looking forward to learning the entire Flying Phoenix series over time. This qigong is special, and it's a qigong for life.

 

Again, thanks for posting on this forum.

 

Lloyd

 

 

Dear Lloyd,

You're very welcome. I advise all students to beware of that Monk Serves Wine meditation (with breathing sequence 90 80 50 20 and five movements repeated) at the end of Volume Two--if they want to sleep. In 1995, right after I put 6 of the MSW meditations on videocassette, I gave a good friend of mine (an expatriate in Paris and a very busy executive type) a copy. After he did that 90 80 50 20 meditation at night, he couldn't sleep a single wink, kept his wife up all night as well in his misery, and felt like you-know-what-warmed over all day the next day.

 

Yes, smart move: do that med. in the a.m. to power you thru the day.

 

And if you want to ensure deep restful sleep, do th 50-20-10 mediation near the start of Volume 7.

 

Regards,

 

Sifu Terry

[j.fachao]

Hello Sifu Terry,

 

Sorry to jump in this thread without warning ( is there a way to do it with warning anyway? )

 

I have a practical question about the breathing sequences. How do we know for sure that we inhale or exhale in the proportions given in the instructional videos? I mean: how can I know for sure that I exhaled 50% of my lungs capacity and not 40% or 60%? Is there any practical tips for that?

 

Thank you for your answer and I hope you will have some happy celebrations for the Gregorian New Year's Day and I wish you a Happy New Year!

 

Respectfully,

Fachao

 

Dear Lloyd,

You're very welcome. I advise all students to beware of that Monk Serves Wine meditation (with breathing sequence 90 80 50 20 and five movements repeated) at the end of Volume Two--if they want to sleep. In 1995, right after I put 6 of the MSW meditations on videocassette, I gave a good friend of mine (an expatriate in Paris and a very busy executive type) a copy. After he did that 90 80 50 20 meditation at night, he couldn't sleep a single wink, kept his wife up all night as well in his misery, and felt like you-know-what-warmed over all day the next day.

 

Yes, smart move: do that med. in the a.m. to power you thru the day.

 

And if you want to ensure deep restful sleep, do th 50-20-10 mediation near the start of Volume 7.

 

Regards,

 

Sifu Terry

[Spirit Ape]

Hello,

 

Maybe I can help you as I am a teacher of Doo Family arts also. Usually there is 3 full breaths before and after the meditations, those 3 full breaths is for you to understand your full 100% capacity of your lungs. So when you do those breaths you are fully aware of your breathing and percentage of the lung capacity.

 

Hope that was of some help?

 

Ape

[Trunk]

.. those 3 full breaths is for you to understand your full 100% capacity of your lungs.

Ha!

Another thing right under our noses that we wouldn't have guessed!

 

If Taoism is a crossword puzzle,

we're slow to work out the connecting words.

 

Maybe I can help you as I am a teacher of Doo Family arts also.

...

Hope that was of some help?

Very much!

Thank you for your kind help.

[Spirit Ape]

Your welcome buddy, you practicing Flying Phoenix?

 

Ape

[j.fachao]

 

Hope that was of some help?

 

Ape

 

Yes, thank you very much Spirit Ape.

 

I ordered Sifu Terry's DVDs a while back but did not practice the system so far. This thread encourages me to do so.

 

Best qi,

 

Fachao

[Spirit Ape]

No Problem, your welcome and good luck with your practice!

[Trunk]

Your welcome buddy, you practicing Flying Phoenix?

No, I'm out in the woods somewhere exploring.

This thread is my first exposure to the existence of Flying Phoenix.

[Spirit Ape]

If you in nature that is where the Flying Phoenix is take hold and go on a journey with it!!! hahaha

 

cool....

[zen-bear]

Yes, hand positions some of these will have mudras if they are the ones im thinking if so its not part of Flying phoenix but to another white tiger Nei Gung system which is powerful. That also depends what was taught and what was put on the tapes that your friend has.

 

Take care

Ape

 

 

 

Hi Sifu Garry and Bill,

 

I knew there was one of your postings I wanted respond to but had forgotten about over the holidays...but I finally back-tracked and found it.

 

Yes, regarding mudras: There are a couple of what you might call Taoist "mudras" used in the basic standing exercises of the Flying Phoenix Celestial Healing Chi Meditations--e.g. the exercise called "Monk Holding Peach" (with breath sequence -- 90 50 40 20 10). And if you want to be really technical about it in the yogic sense, what I call the "tile roof hand" posture (same hand-shape as in Chen Tai Chi) used in "Monk Gazing At Moon" can be considered a very important and fundamental "mudra" to the FP system and the other internal arts of Bok Fu Pai. There are several classical, Indian-type mudras used in the seated Flying PHoenix meditations called "Monk Serves Wine." (e.g., Each hand's thumb touching index finger with the other 3 fingers extended, and placed over the knees when in half-lotus or full-lotus position. This mudra is also held in many different positions. This same mudra also done in moving fashion as seen in the 4th Meditation on Volume 5 of Chi Kung For Health (with breathing sequence 70 40 30 20), which teach some unusually short, 90-second Flying Phoenix Mediations but which have powerful effects just the same.

 

http://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

GM Doo Wai had told us the oral history about Taoist monk Feng Do Duk (pronounced Feng Tao Teh in Mandarin), the creator of Flying Phoenix and most of the Bok Fu Pai internal arts, who had traveled all across China--from Wudangshan to Ehrmeishan (Omeishan)--and throughout the frontier of western China and into Tibet and India (there are archival records mentioning Feng and steles and plaques commemorating him at both sacred mountains, Wudangshan and Ehrmeishan. Having spent years exchanging Taoist sacred knowledge with high Indian and Tibetan yogins, it is no surprise that Taoist Monk Feng Tao Teh's various qigong systems employ many Buddhist mudras seen in Indian and Tibetan yoga. Ehrmeishan was originally sacred to the Taoists for centuries. Much later, during Feng Tao Teh's time, Ehrmei also became one of Buddhism's holiest and most sacred sites--not just in China, but throughout the world.

 

In another powerful Bok Fu Pai internal system that is unrelated to Flying Phoenix that has fifty-four (54) very powerful meditative exercises, there are numerous exercises employing mudras. In fact, the system contains every sort of mudra that I have ever seen in Indian, Tibetan and Near Eastern yogas, plus many combinations that I believe are unique to Feng Tao Teh. One example is the left mudra held at the tan tien and the right mudra is turned with palm facing upward just above 6th chakra (brow chakra). Another is a wuchi-like position "holding the ball" and both hands are in mudra. Then there are many exercises involving two mudras held symmetrically facing upward, downward, inward, outward, and upward. There is also one where two mudras are facing each other at heart-level, with only the two middle fingers touch each other. Finally, there is another mudra combination where the thumbs touch the little finger on each hand, and the 3 straight fingers in between them on the left hand are placed under the three fingers of the right hand, forming an "X" pattern, and both hands are held at the lower tan tien. Further testament to the fact that GM Doo Wai's internal art is sublime and powerful in effect and a gift from Heaven to mortal man in its sophistication and supramundane genius.

 

http://www.taichimania.com/flyingphoenix.html

 

HAVE A HAPPY AND MUDRA-FULL NEW YEAR!

Edited April 29, 2013 by zen-bear

[Spirit Ape]

Hi Sifu Terry,

 

Thankyou for the breakdowns, Bak Fu Pai internal is very rich in many esoteric type knowledge and that makes it very different to some systems cause it is combining Fung Dao Duks knowledge as he was on his travels.

 

What was Sifu's Power like back in those days, I mean appart from breaking nuts and what not, did he ever freak you out with fighting techniques did he demonstrate much of the fighting, did he ever spar?

 

Thanks,

Garry

[zen-bear]

Hello Sifu Terry,

 

Sorry to jump in this thread without warning ( is there a way to do it with warning anyway? )

 

I have a practical question about the breathing sequences. How do we know for sure that we inhale or exhale in the proportions given in the instructional videos? I mean: how can I know for sure that I exhaled 50% of my lungs capacity and not 40% or 60%? Is there any practical tips for that?

 

Thank you for your answer and I hope you will have some happy celebrations for the Gregorian New Year's Day and I wish you a Happy New Year!

 

Respectfully,

Fachao

 

 

Dear Fachao,

 

No problem with jumping in with a question about Flying Phoenix practice. That's one of the purposes of this particular thread. Your question is a good one that's often asked by practitioners starting the Flying Phoenix system.

 

Answers (these are from a draft of a forthcoming book I on the Flying Phoenix Qigong System; I figured I might as well use it now since addresses your question:

A. Simply with a lot of practice, you'll gain greater confidence and mental comfort that you are exhaling the correct percentages of your breath capacity per each exercise's breath control sequence. You just have to do them a lot and on a regular basis. In the beginning, you just estimate the percentage exhalations and just "go with best approximations."

B. This is how I get my beginning students qigong comfortable with the FP breathing sequences:

"Calibrate" each inhalation and exhalation of the deepest breath you can take into ten equal parts:

First concentrate on taking very deep breaths, quietly and smoothly, (through the nose and with tongue touching the roof of the mouth, of course). Once you do this for a few minutes, and feel that you are breathing your deepest, fullest breathes, you then count "fit" ten even counts into each exhalation cycle--e.g., by mentally counting to yourself "one potato, two potato, three potato...ten potatoes" through each exhalation (and also inhalation).

 

Once you're able to mentally calibrate each exhalation into ten equal parts (by counting "1 thru 10 potatoes") you'll find it's very easy to exhale a discreet 40%, or a 70%, or a 90%, or 5%--and not have any doubts about the "accuracy" of your % exhalations. Example: Let' say you want to exhale 60% of your lung capacity and then 40% of your long capacity:

you take a deep inhalation, exhale through a count of "six potatoes" and hold your breath. Then inhale to the "top", exhale 100%, and inhale 100%. Then exhale as you count "1 through 4 potatotes" and stop, etc.

 

Note: Everyone's breathing process is different; no one has the exact same tidal volume (lung capacity) as another. But because the % exhalations are are relative to one another and to one's breath capacity, they always effective.

 

Good luck with your practice.

 

Sifu Terry Dunn

[Spirit Ape]

Exactly how I do it, nice way to use the potatoes!!!

[zen-bear]

Exactly how I do it, nice way to use the potatoes!!!

 

 

Right on with the potatoes!

 

Also, to keep each breath cycle nicely balanced, after I exhale, let's say 60%, I hold the breath and finish counting the other "4 potatotes" to get to 10 potatoes before I inhale back to the top. Over the years, I've found that this bit of "retention" adds to effect of each breath control sequence.

[Spirit Ape]

Yep, the compression as I call it really blast open the channels to recieve the heaven and earth energies. I love potatoes!!!

[zen-bear]

[Spirit Ape]

Thankyou Sifu Terry, those are such treasure stories do you mind if i cut and paste them and save them?

 

Off to train will PM you later....

 

regards

Garry

[Spirit Ape]

I started training with him from 2000 way after you but my YKM was easier for me to learn BFP cause of the Bak Mei element and that impressed Sifu. So I sent him some stuff of myself and he knew my Sifu of YKM passed away and decided to take me as a student.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7aO8WGF8kY Some years back I think my kung fu has improved also due to the knowledge and corrections on my bak mei and BFP.

 

Regards

Garry

[j.fachao]

Dear Sifu Terry,

 

Thank you very much for your crystal clear answer.

It is very helpful to rely on potatoes for my Chi Kung practice!

 

Thank you also for all the posts where you give a lot about GM Doo Wai and his system. It is very informative and generous.

 

Warm regards,

Fachao

[zen-bear]

Thankyou Sifu Terry, those are such treasure stories do you mind if i cut and paste them and save them?

 

Off to train will PM you later....

 

regards

Garry

[/quote

 

Sifu Garry,

 

You are very welcome. Being an advanced student with your level, I know you can appreciate them.

Feel free to cut and paste and save, etc.

 

Whenever our paths cross in the future, I'll be glad to show you the videos I took during those training years in the early 90's. Everything coconuts being cracked by one palm while being held in the other to GMDW doing all 8 Forms of Eight Sections of Energy Combined magnificently, to all kinds of punching demonstrations...

 

Oh, this just reminded me of the following:

On one of the sessions that I videotaped: GMDW had us all doing the "3 strikes" blocking-striking drill.

Then he took his Iron Palm student (call him "RK") (who was the biggest, thickest, strongest bruiser of the L.A. circle--but nowhere as advanced as GMDW's San Diego students) and swung his forearm totally relaxed into RK's once and RK said that he felt his arm totally paralyzed--not in pain, but that he couldn't feel it at all. RK asked to feel it again, and GMDW obliged, and with one strike paralyzed his arm again so that he couldn't even lift it. Then RK, who's an Afro-American street-fighter with a great sense of humor (and at that time a 25-0 knockout record) asked GMDW's S.D. student Kevin to do 3 Strikes with him. One hit and RK quickly dismissed him saying, "Doesn't feel the same--get outta here." We all cracked up. (all this is on video and is damn funny). RK then asked to feel a different type of punch from the GM (from what he had seen thus far). GMDW obliged with a circling punch to the chest, which we could visibly see bounce around inside RK's torso. Rk said that it went into his chest, upt to the right to the shoulder, down into his right but area, and then out his lower back, and that is back was then sweating profusely in just that area.

 

On another occasion, GM had the following students line up chest against the back of the guy in front:

RK,JR,KU,RK's cousin, and TB--with RK in front holding a thick phone book against his chest. GMDW did several punches through the phone book on RK's chest. On one punch, TB at the end of the line flew off the stack. On another only the 4th guy in the stack felt the maximum power of the punch and only his head jerked back violently from the punch at chest-level. (He said "that was me!") The freakiest one was when the GM said "OK, this one the energy will go out and come back." And sure enough, when he punched, the whole stack of five dudes swayed back like kelp in ocean, and then all of them swayed back forward. RK at the very front flashed a huge smile and started laughing when he felt the energy come back in the opposite direction (from back to front). All this is on videotape.

 

During that videotaped session, we practiced striking each other with palm and punches through one and two telephone books (about 7 inches of paper). By the end of the session, I recall everyone could leave at least a faint pink patch through one phone book on the belly of a classmate. GMDW's palm strike left a deep red and clear handprint through one phone book. And only the GM could leave his burning palm through 2 phone books.

 

That's about all I can recall because it was about 15 years ago. But I'm sure other memories will surface if we keep this thread going.

 

Off to train as well.

 

Regards,

 

Terry

[Spirit Ape]

My God!!! Sifu Terry you gotta write a book on GMDW PLEASSSSEEE!!! On his life and your life training with him, the demos etc without giving away the methods. These are amazing!!! Keep them coming my friends....

 

I am far fom advance but thankyou for your kinds words Sihing, you kung fu is very good you have some of the best systems LHBF, 8 sections, taiji ruler, and many more. My YKM/Bak Mei helped me learn BFP hand sets and Doo Family Bak Mei, but the Wun Yuen Gong made me understand internal of BFP but the hardest was learning the breath combinations the hand movements are simple enough but very effective and since they are simple brings results. Simple and realistic!!!

 

Your 8 sections sounds amazing, I might be headed over to New York this year to teach one of my students and stay with him for 1-2 weeks how far are your from N.Y? It would be an honour to visit you and talk of GMDW and your training. Ill bring over my footage of GMDW which will bring back memories for you some more!!

 

BFP Salute

Garry

[Baguakid]

Sifu Garry,

 

May I ask, being down under as you are, how were you able to learn from GMDW? Does he provide remote instruction or did you have to make a trip to Cali to pick it up?

 

tks,

 

 

Also, yes, those stories sound great!! Reminds me of my old kung fu days but not at that level. Question: Is the world still producing Masters such as Share K. Lew and GMDW or are we witnessing an end to an era?

 

tks.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Baguakid

[Spirit Ape]

sent u PM!