Qi Gong Tips #4
By drandrewcolyer | July 25, 2007
Our teaching lineage comes through Hawks, through his teacher, B.P. Chan, through the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian, China.
We are fortunate to have these original teachings available to us here in the United States.
Commencement / starting = no double turn anymore.
Just sink and turn.
You don’t have to put the leg out = the sinking and turning will put the leg out automatically.
Once you have stepped out and come to center = sink straight down= arms come up.
Qi Gong Principle:
Shoulders sink, elbows drop.
“This is like hydraulics. Circles and triangles. It’s straight line geometry working with a circle.” –Hawks
This is triangles and circles at the same time.
“In the universe, there are only probabilities. You have to create the circle.” –Hawks
The circles may be oblong, or ovals, or ellipticals, but they aren’t supposed to be irregular.
The ancient symbol of the snake on a loop biting it’s own tail = that’s the same as the Tai Chi Tu.
They are trying to indicate the energy pattern.
Qi Gong Principle:
You have to go down to go up; you have to go down to go down.
Focus on your hips and shoulders = and the arms will float up on their own.
Why are some things repeated so much in the form?
Anything that repeats itself is one of the original practices.
Our teaching and learning system is “Family Style”.
In the Chinese martial arts society, the title or ranking system follows the traditional family system.
Your teacher (male or female) is your father within the system. You should greet him/her as “Si-Fu” (meaning teaching father) to show respect. Further definitions and translations for the family system can be found be clicking on this link for Ging Wu Translations.
We practice “Lo-Shu” footing.
Here’s a couple of links: the Wikipedia definition of the Lo Shu Magic Square, and here’s a great page for the Chinese background with further explanations of the Book of Lo (Lo Shu).
New thing Hawks is teaching us this week = a practice exercise = “Step Up Raising Hands”.
From the standing posture = turn the front foot (either one) out 45 degrees >> hands come down in front of knees = in the rounded “hugging tree” position = but lower.
“The movement is generated by the usage. The usage is what denotes how the hands get there. If you don’t know what the usage is for, how do you know where your arms and hands go?” –Hawks
Step up with your other foot = ball to arch.
You are still facing 45 degrees.
Now step out and forward (on a 45, facing straight ahead) >> foot and body and pelvis facing straight ahead = with arms in front. Weight approximately 50/50 now.
“The right posture causes the energy to move in a certain way.” –Hawks
Then turn and shift weight to get to a 45 on the other side = with the hands again coming over the knee in the “hugging tree” posture. You are now in the same position as before, only on the opposite side.
Qi Gong Principle: Moving and shifting the weight at the same time.
“This is about your mind being really strong.” –Hawks
The old-time Shaolin monks used to have 9 dots on their forehead; usually burned into place. The burns are called jie ban and made with an incense stick.
This is experiential!
“Whatever you do, this will teach you how to do it better. If you play an instrument, if you are an actor, whatever. It doesn’t matter. It will help you.” –Hawks
Thank you.
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