Interest in an interview / documentary called 'Searching for Dao in Manchester'

[Wanas]

Hi everyone,

 

How wonderful to find this online community!  I have been learning Daojiao Lishi Quanfa for over 18 years now and have been coaching a class in Salford, Greater Manchester, UK for around 8 of those years.  It is an ancient art and science that teaches the cultivation of Qi/Chi.

 

Lishi (It's shortened name) is made up of two main arts; the Yin Arts and the Yin Plus Arts.

The Yin Arts consist of slow, soft movements and exercises to nourish and cultivate the chi energy of the body.  The Yin Plus Arts use the overflow of Qi developed in the Yin arts in a faster, more dynamic way.  

 

During the classes students are introduced to a wide range of exercises that make up Lishi. including Li style Daoist Taijiquan (Tai Chi) forms including the Square Yard and Flying Hands.  Kai Men, a system of Daoist Yoga to open up your energy channels. Dao Yin, breathing exercises and callisthenics for good health.  Qi Gong where students will learn how to use and direct their intrinsic energy and Feng Shou (Hand of the Wind) Kung Fu, a dynamic soft system of self-defence

 

I found out about a temple in Salford known as the Tian Cheng Heavenly City temple recently and asked them if we could set up an interview.  Though not a traditional Daoist temple, there were definitely strong influences from Daoism and I was interested in whether we had common themes to our journey.

 

Daoists all over China and the World start their journey to find The Way or the Path through their own medium. I’ve heard of Taoists using music to find Dao, Calligraphy to find Dao, physical practice as we do in Lishi to find Dao and religious practice.

 

When I heard of The Tian Cheng Heavenly City Temple that had opened in Salford, Greater Manchester, I felt compelled to meet them and discover if there were similarities and common themes to our journeys in search of The Way or The Tao.  They were extremely gracious in hosting me.  The conversation we had was fascinating with two of their senior representatives. They agreed to allow us to film the interview so that we could share it widely.

 

If you’re interested in searching for Dao through a physical ancient whole body system that is accessible for anyone, old or young, big or small please visit http://www.lishi.org to find your nearest class. Or come and visit my class in Salford, Greater Manchester if you're ever about http://www.lishi.org/classes/salford.  

 

If the interview/conversation sounds like something you'd like to see, let me know and when it has been edited I can post out a link for you to all see,

 

Thanks again Wan-Ley

[Fa Xin]

Hello, wanas, and welcome.

 

Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go.

 

Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules.   This covers all you need to know when getting started.

 

For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day.

 

Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you,

 

Fa Xin and the TDB team

 

Welcome Wan-ley,

 

lishi sounds like fun. I look forward to your posts and sharing of experience and wisdom you’ve gained over your years of training. Enjoy the forum. 😊

 

You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started.

 

May you enjoy your time here.

 

Fa Xin

[Chang]

I have heard that Lishi are now going down the route of Tao-chiao and that Desmond has had himself ordained as a Taoist Priest, setting up a temple in Leeds. Looks like it could all be getting a bit cult like which is sad.

[Wanas]

Why sad?  Why cult like? Development and cultivating of the Dao can be in many forms and people find their own journeys.  I have found Lishi is a very open organisation.  The physical callisthenics are training at a certain level, but for deeper development and understanding of the Dao in my opinion needs to have a spiritual element, however that is interpreted.  The comment seems a bit divisive when I would hope alliances and helping each other is the way to inner development.

 

Also the documentary is in the final throws of edit...... x 

[Wanas]

That's very gracious of you.  I look forward to sharing and learning from this wonderful community

[moment]

On 9/3/2018 at 3:12 PM, Wanas said:

Hi everyone,

 

How wonderful to find this online community!  I have been learning Daojiao Lishi Quanfa for over 18 years now and have been coaching a class in Salford, Greater Manchester, UK for around 8 of those years.  It is an ancient art and science that teaches the cultivation of Qi/Chi.

 

Lishi (It's shortened name) is made up of two main arts; the Yin Arts and the Yin Plus Arts.

The Yin Arts consist of slow, soft movements and exercises to nourish and cultivate the chi energy of the body.  The Yin Plus Arts use the overflow of Qi developed in the Yin arts in a faster, more dynamic way.  

 

During the classes students are introduced to a wide range of exercises that make up Lishi. including Li style Daoist Taijiquan (Tai Chi) forms including the Square Yard and Flying Hands.  Kai Men, a system of Daoist Yoga to open up your energy channels. Dao Yin, breathing exercises and callisthenics for good health.  Qi Gong where students will learn how to use and direct their intrinsic energy and Feng Shou (Hand of the Wind) Kung Fu, a dynamic soft system of self-defence

 

I found out about a temple in Salford known as the Tian Cheng Heavenly City temple recently and asked them if we could set up an interview.  Though not a traditional Daoist temple, there were definitely strong influences from Daoism and I was interested in whether we had common themes to our journey.

 

Daoists all over China and the World start their journey to find The Way or the Path through their own medium. I’ve heard of Taoists using music to find Dao, Calligraphy to find Dao, physical practice as we do in Lishi to find Dao and religious practice.

 

When I heard of The Tian Cheng Heavenly City Temple that had opened in Salford, Greater Manchester, I felt compelled to meet them and discover if there were similarities and common themes to our journeys in search of The Way or The Tao.  They were extremely gracious in hosting me.  The conversation we had was fascinating with two of their senior representatives. They agreed to allow us to film the interview so that we could share it widely.

 

If you’re interested in searching for Dao through a physical ancient whole body system that is accessible for anyone, old or young, big or small please visit http://www.lishi.org to find your nearest class. Or come and visit my class in Salford, Greater Manchester if you're ever about http://www.lishi.org/classes/salford.  

 

If the interview/conversation sounds like something you'd like to see, let me know and when it has been edited I can post out a link for you to all see,

 

Thanks again Wan-Ley

It seems difficult to find a definition of what Lishi is. It seems to borrow elements from all over.  Since you are an expert, would you please give an idea about what it is,  an its' history.   Any forms or traditional training? Thank you in advance. 

[Wanas]

 Those who speak do not know. When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you

Edited March 10, 2019 by Wanas
Practice the way, you do not have to tell the world our way, that is not the way

[moment]

Wanas,

 

I have hidden your reply( answering my questions about Lishi) above, per your personal message request.

Edited July 7, 2019 by moment

[Wanas]

On 08/03/2019 at 11:12 PM, Wanas said:

Why sad?  Why cult like? Development and cultivating of the Dao can be in many forms and people find their own journeys.  I have found Lishi is a very open organisation.  The physical callisthenics are training at a certain level, but for deeper development and understanding of the Dao in my opinion needs to have a spiritual element, however that is interpreted.  The comment seems a bit divisive when I would hope alliances and helping each other is the way to inner development.

 

Also the documentary is in the final throws of edit...... x 

The documentary trailer is here - hope you enjoy it - thanks

 

 

[Wanas]

On 10/03/2019 at 11:51 PM, moment said:

Wanas,

 

I generally believe that secrecy in such matters has done more harm than good over the centuries. But, I have hidden your reply( answering my questions about Lishi) above, per your personal message request.

 

 

Thanks for your questions Moment and for your praise. I’m by no means an expert and after many years training in Lishi am just getting started on my journey. However, I can hopefully provide some answers to what you ask. Lishi is the shortened name for Wei Hei Lishi Quan Fa or Daojiao Lishi Quanfa. This is the name given to the system in 2003 by a panel of traditional wushu/martial arts experts in China who assessed my teacher after demonstrating a wide range of the traditional forms and partner exercises he was taught by his Master Chee Soo. This is written about in the book “Way Out – A Daoist Path to a Fearless Life” and the forthcoming book “Moving As Water”.

 

My teacher, Desmond, studied for decades with Chee Soo who passed the presidency of the International Taoist Society to Desmond shortly before Chee Soo’s death. I have seen Chee Soo’s sword, white jackets and the letter stating this which were all given to Desmond. Desmond has continued the work of Chee Soo and followed his dying wishes. Desmond has done so for the past 25 years and in that time has developed strong friendships with Taoists throughout the world including in China.

In 2004 he was asked to be the Overseas President of the Weihai Wushu Association a prestigious organization responsible for overseeing the quality of tens of thousands of practitioners in and around the city of Weihai, which is the birthplace of Lishi (you can read about the links with Weihai in Chee Soo’s books or elsewhere on the internet).

 

In 2017, Desmond was asked to become the Vice President of the Shandong Wushu Association. Shandong is a regional province of China and is larger than England and Wales combined. It is the second most populous province of China, with a population of 100 million. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism.

 

His position as Vice President was awarded to him as a recognition of the quality of the Taoist system of Lishi that he teaches and the authenticity of the Arts that the experts in China have said contain ancient qualities that have been lost by many systems that have modernized over the years. The experts in China are so impressed by Lishi that this year we are training local wushu experts to teach the basics of Lishi to 800 school kids as part of the curriculum. This is the first year of a 5 year programme that will see thousands of young people learning Lishi in the city where the Li family practiced for centuries before. They will learn the Lishi Tai Chi Form, Push Hands exercises, Kai Men (Taoist Yoga) and Open Hand Kung Fu forms of Lishi.

 

Lishi has always been practiced as a holistic system and the full range of arts are taught in our classes so I can understand why people who have only ever experienced or read about arts that have been practiced separately might think it “borrows elements from all over”. The truth is that most arts were always practiced this way but over the years and particularly in the West, people have specialized in narrow elements or single forms.

 

The friendships with Taoists all over China that my teacher has developed in the past few decades have led to further recognition of the quality of the Arts he teaches. The purple robe seen in Chang’s post above is one such recognition. It was a gift from the White Cloud Temple in Beijing. You can read about the history and significance of the White Cloud Temple on Wikipedia. As Chang suggests above, the White Cloud Temple in Beijing has asked Desmond to set up a sister temple in the UK. The first of its kind in Europe. A place where people can come to learn the full range of Daoist Arts that we teach and a place to host Taoist visitors from all over the world who want to share and learn from each other. You can learn more about our plans and support the project by visiting https://lishi.org/temple/

 

As an organization, we don’t talk publicly about all that I have shared above. When we have added information to Wikipedia pages, it gets removed by former students of Chee Soo who seem intent on policing and defining the public narrative of the system. We see greater value in doing our training and walking our path rather than shouting about our achievements or criticizing others for the paths they choose to walk. I hope this answers your questions and gives you a fuller more informed picture of Lishi and its heritage and quality”

[fankuang]