Intensive Tai Chi Chuan Course April 2012

[Peter Clayton]

Dear Wahnam Family,

I had heard numerous stories from Sifu Joan and my senior brothers whom had had the opportunity to do a course in Malaysia and it was wonderful to finally make it there myself and see such a beautiful country.

The course was both demanding and very rewarding. As Jeffrey Sisook pointed out on day one, the basics are so important and it was incredibly valuable to be going over them under the guidance on Sigung.

After the "basics" the course progressed into the combat sequences but this was not quite as I had expected to be. I can understand now in retrospect the value of doing my homework and having the sequences learned beforehand (to my Sifu I am extremely grateful for this). The focus was more on the active usage of the sequences in sparring conditions and a fresh opportunity to learn and deepen my skill came with each rotation to a new partner. I really enjoyed this

The Wudang introduction was incredible and was the first time I had felt a large amount of chi sinking to my dantien like that.

The sparring towards the end was challenging and a rare and wonderful opportunity to push outside of my comfort zone. I emerged from this with a greater amount of confidence in my own ability and a greater focus on areas that I should improve in myself and my training.

Thank you Sigung for imparting your knowledge, wisdom and guidance with us so freely and generously. I am already looking forward to my second Taijiquan Intensive

Thank you to Wei Foong Siguma and to Chun Yian Sipak for making my first visit to Malaysia so memorable.

Thank you Sifu Joan for preparing me and my brothers for this course. We are blessed to have discovered the Shaolin Arts and are yet further blessed to have you as our Sifu.

To Robin Sisook and Jeffrey Sisook, thank you for your guidance and example both in and out of the training hall.

And to everyone who was on the course who each gave me the opportunity to learn and improve.

WSS,

[Dominic Roche]

Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family and Virtual Kwoon Readers,

What an incredible journey and memorable experience my first visit to Malaysia has been. Three and a half years ago before I started with my Sifu, Sifu Joan, I could never have imagined travelling half way across the world to such a beautiful place like Malaysia and attend a course on such an incredible art. Back then I suffered from extreme anxiety, chronic blushing, high blood pressure, no confidence and no self belief. I found it difficult to step outside my door because of an extreme fear I had of life and all that was around me.

It has been an amazing journey the last few years with lots of ups and downs and a fare share of clearing and now I can say at last I am free. This course has certainly but the icing on top of the cake. I am free from all my worries, my health problems and I love life. I feel confident, happy, and content, and at last know how wonderful it is to be alive.

The course was absolutely incredible. Sigungs display of Tai Chi Chuan conjured up much joy, awe and excitement.

Grasping Sparrows Tail and moving in Stances with Grasping Sparrows tail was one of my favourite parts of the course. I loved the flow moving from pattern to pattern and stance to stance and this is certainly something I will enjoy practicing for the future.

The highlight of the course for me was the introduction of some Wudang Tai Chi Chuan. It was beautiful and wonderful to experience the flow directed by Sigung.

The sparring was really enjoyable and moving from partner to partner made me aware of things I need to work on. The sparring towards the end using one combat sequence was very rewarding and I look forward to developing this skill so I can apply it in combat and life. This has giving me the realisation that I need to stick to one work venture, practice it, be confident and apply it until I have success.

The addition of the element of treat and really hitting your opponent has certainly improved my confidence. Starting this part of the course brought up a lot of fear for me but as we progressed it melted away and I really enjoyed the experience. I was hit a number of times and to my surprise I actually didn’t mind. Usually I would not be happy with my lack of defence but now it didn’t matter, I knew I could improve and just enjoyed the experience.

Thank you Sigung for your incredible generosity, guidance and for passing on the wonders of Tai Chi Chuan to us.

Thank you Wei Foong Siguma for your organisation, for the wonderful tours and all your help.

Thank you Chun Yian Sipak for the beautiful meals and for driving us around.

Thank you Sifu for preparing me for this course and for your guidance and teaching over the last few years.

Thanks to Jeffrey Sisook and Robin Sisook for your help and inspiration.

Thanks to all the Shaolin Wahnam Family on the course, it was extremely enjoyable to meet and experience this course with you all.

Can’t wait for the next one.

Shaolin Salute,

Dominic.

[sancrica]

"Experience is the Teacher of All Things" - Julious Caesar

Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

As I do in every course that I assist, I would like to share my experience with all of you. As you all know, every single course with Sifu is a treasure that will keep inside of us an unforgettable experience.

- About No Beginning, No End

We were practicing Grasping Sparrow and Sifu mentioned this impressive quote. This sentence really impacted on me. I also felt that there was no beginning and no end in real life. I felt that everything is a continuation of everything and when we block that continuation we are blocking life too.

This quote is really profound and made me understand the origin of many problems in my life. I once listened from a Zen master a nice story that perfectly explains what Sifu meant:

“ When you look at a cloud, you think of the cloud as being. And later on when the cloud become the rain, you don’t see the cloud anymore and you say the cloud is not there. And you describe the cloud as non-being. But if you look deeply, you can see the cloud in the rain and that is why it’s impossible for a cloud to die. A cloud can become rain, snow or ice, but a cloud cannot become nothing. And that is why the notion of death cannot be applied to reality. There is a transformation, there is a continuation, but you cannot say that there is death because in your mind to die means from something, you suddenly become nothing. From someone, you suddenly become no one, and so the notion of death cannot apply to reality, whether to a cloud or to a human being.“ - Thich Nhat Hanh

- About Pushing Hands

As Sifu says, we should deviate attack by using no physical tension. In my life, every time that I felt attacked I was tensing myself. That was translated in anxiety, lack of energy, fear, lack of mental clarity and a large list of negative consequences.

Thanks to Taijiquan, I learned that it is more effective to deviate the attack with no tension. The amazing thing is that, no matter how many attacks I did encounter, I did not get tired. This might seem simple and it is simple. But, as Sifu always says, “It is simple but that doesn’t mean it is easy.”

Practicing pushing hands when I was tense made me feel a lot of pain in my shoulders. I could feel how energy was blocked and could not flow. Because of that pain, I decided to relax so I was able to complete the exercise. Then, it was like magic. Pain in shoulders was gone and the more I was practicing the more energized I felt.

No matter how much do I think I know about being relaxed or about letting myself go. Everytime that I assist to a Sifu’s course I go deeper and made me feel humble. I am proved that I can relax more and that I can let myself go more.

- About Sharing Open Secrets

Sifu has been, since the first moment that I met him, really generous on his teachings. He only shares with us what it works. That makes us saving a lot of time. His wide experience in martial arts comes to the simplicity of showing us the techniques that best work for all kinds of different encounters and martial styles.

In fact, I had the chance of trying this “open secrets” within the course and it is amazing how effective it is. In this case, we were trying sequences against boxers. When I was the one using Taijiquan sequences for attacking I could experience how the boxer could not do much about it. When I was the boxer I could not do much to protect myself from the attacks. I felt really frustrated and blocked.

- About “Always Be Improving”

Jeffrey Siheng mentioned on his graduation dinner speech another pearl. Since the “Element of Threat” was introduced on the courses (I believe it was in Oslo), Sifu has already improved his methodology and transmission in an amazing way.

I have to agree with Jeffrey Siheng. I had the chance to experience the “Element of Threat” methodology this year at the Amazing Iron Wire Course in Ireland. Only two months have passed between both courses and I could see how Sifu has already introduced changes in this new methodology.

As an example, every time that I have the chance, I go to the course “Generating Energy Flow.” I have done this course many many times in my life but I still love doing it. One of the reasons why I keep going is because Sifu always improves all the courses he does and that amazes me. It allows me to go deeper and deeper in the basics. Improving in the basics allows me to improve in everything else.

- About Combat Application

Most of the Taijiquan practitioners learn the form but they never learn the combat application for that form. Then, despite they might practice for many years, they never put what they have learned into action. I tried to learn Taijiquan when I was living in Spain but I was so disappointed that I only assisted to classes for a couple of months. My wonder was always, when are we learning how to use it for combat? Isn’t Taijiquan a martial art? Some of the teachers even told me that the Taijiquan they were practicing was for health not for combat. Inside of me I just knew that they didn’t even know how to use it for combat. That reminds me to another Zen story that I shall share with you:

After winning several archery contests, a young and boastful champion challenged the old Zen master who was renowned for his skills as an archer.

The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try then split that arrow with a second shot.

"There," he said to the old monk, "see if you can match that!" Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain.

Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high up the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a single shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto this perilous and unsteady bridge, the old master picked a far off tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean and direct hit.

"Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped off the log and back onto firm ground.

Staring with terror into the bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log nor in any way focus on trying to hit a target.

"You have much skill with your bow," the master finally said, sensing his young challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot." - Zen Story

- About Following The Momentum

Sifu has the amazing capability of turning every single situation around. That is one of the things that I love of his methodology. It doesn’t matter how much I practice or how much I think I know. When I assist to a course I just feel that I know nothing at all and that all what I have learned it is just a small piece of what is waiting for me. That makes me stay really humble.

In our lives, we tend to solve problems using always the same techniques so, if those techniques fail, we are unable to find a proper solution. “Following the Momentum” has been proved incredibly useful for my life. Sifu forces us not to get attached to the technique so we can flow with the opponent. Then, if our opponent make changes in the attack, we are able to adapt ourselves to those changes.

After the second day training, I was in my terrace observing how birds were flying around. I saw how they were also following the momentum. They did not get tired while flying. They could fly for hours. They didn’t fly against the wind, they just followed drafts and flowed with them. They seem to be totally relaxed while doing it. I was happy to see in the nature a glimpse of the Taijiquan principles.

- About Applying Taijiquan to Daily Life

Robin Siheng shared with us also a wonderful speech. He mentioned that he applies Taijiquan in all aspects of his life and, thanks to that, his life is going really smooth. I believe him because it is already changing my life for better so this is not only an inspiration but also a confirmation of what this wonderful art can offer us in order to enrich our lives.

- About Following Instructions

Jeffrey Siheng shared with us another pearl in his final speech. This one got really deep in my mind:
* Do what the master says
* Don’t do what the master don’t says
* Show gratitude and respect to the master

Sifu explained it in a different way:
* If you follow instructions you will get the best benefits.
* If it is mentioned it is because it is important, otherwise it would not be mentioned at all.


- About Techniques, Tactics, Defeat and Victory

* Don’t give your defeat to your opponent. Then, when the opportunity arises, search for victory.
* If your opponent is offering you his own defeat, just take it, don’t go back and miss it.
* Try always to practice First Class Techniques. If you can make one move to find victory, don’t make three.
* Visualize Tactic in mind and the apply one time after another. Sifu demonstrated how useful can this be for winning. Peter had to verbally defend why Chi Kung is good and Sifu had to go against him. When Peter was trying to defend Chi Kung, even when he had all the necessary information to win, he couldn’t do so because Sifu was applying the tactic of “Attack, Attack & Attack.” It was really inspiring to watch how effective this technique was even when the opponent had everything on his favor.

This is just a small glimpse of what I have experienced in this course. Most of the things cannot even be explained with words. I feel really lucky of belonging to this amazing family that is Shaolin Wahnam. In every course, I get so many confirmations of why I love this school that a big smile appears in my mouth and in my heart. It is like feeling at home in all senses. I feel that I have arrived to the right place in order to complete myself in all the ways a man can be completed. In Sifu’s words: “Onceyou know the map all routes become clear.” Sifu is my map and he guides me like a GPS. I do not have to worry because I know that my GPS always will guide me through the best possible routes.

Thanks Sifu from the bottom of my heart. You keep changing my life for good and made me stay humble in the process.

Thanks Wei Foong Sije for the amazing organization that you have made and for your time and dedication.

Thanks Chun Yian Siheng. I really really enjoyed your company. I am really happy that you have been part of the courses and that you have spent time with us.

Thanks Joan Sije. I wouldn't be writing this post if it weren’t for you. Thanks for all your support and for trusting in me.

And finally, thanks to all the people that belongs to this loving family. Jeffrey and Robin Siheng, thanks for your patience and kindness when sparring with me. You know that you are an inspiration for me.

I will see you all very soon. :-)

Shaolin Salute,

Santiago

[Andy]

Wonderful post, Santiago.

Very illuminating for those of us who were not able to attend

[brendan]

Dear Family,

Wonderful post's a real joy to read. Dear Dominic Si Jat congratulations for over coming your fears and phobias.

Shaolin Salute,
Brendan

[Wouter]

Dear wahnam family,

From my part I would like to express my great gratitude to Sifu for conducting the wonderful intensive taijiquan course two weeks ago.

It was great and truly intensive. Sifu lead us through the broad taiji curriculum. The beautiful posts before already mentioned a lot.

The stances and moving in stances, grasping sparrow's tail, the sequences and their application, practicing threat through a continuous attack, and a taste of the wonderful Wudang. Looking back from the video's, it's clear we got all the tools needed to practice for a long time. There are so many concise lessons involved.

And besides all the training and instruction, Sifu showered on us as always a lot of wisdom and insight.

Thank you to Wei Foong for the wonderful organization, to the instructors and Siheng Jeffrey and Robin who are inspiring examples of what practice can bring. And to all the participants. It was great and helpful sparring with you all, and enjoyable to meet outside class.

Best regards, Wouter.

[Kevin_B]

Dear Family,

Two months have passed since five beautiful days of Taijiquan in the ballroom of the Copthorne Hotel in Penang. It was one of the most enjoyable and amazing experiences of my life. I have found myself somewhat mesmerised about Taijiquan since the course and a little bit choked-for-words in gratitude to the generosity of our Grandmaster for sharing such a wonderful art in such an inspiring and charismatic fashion.

I am so very grateful I was able to take my place at it: grateful to Sigung for accepting me, grateful to my Sifu for the many wonderful weekends of training beforehand, grateful for my job that provided the financial means to get me there and so gleefully and wonderfully grateful to all the lovely people I had the opportunity to train and spend time with and who helped make the course what it was: a big smiley happy leprechaun’s hug to you all!

To say that my training has improved since returning from Malaysia would be an understatement like saying that the Sun is hot: my training has been transformed beyond all recognition! Everything is different now: my stances are more rooted, my footwork is more agile, my waist movement is more precise and pronounced and at last beginning to dictate my body movement , my focus is stronger and I seem to be able to strike with more ummph. Quite simply, my flow is more flowing. It is a long list of many tremendous benefits.

I have been training lightly since the course, mainly in the Yang spirit. Lovely soft and slow flowing movements, I have been enjoying every pattern and savoring every session. It truly is a wonderful and beautiful art.

It is in my daily life I can sense the most change however…I am flowing so much more! Flowing with the people around me, flowing with the situations around me and somehow flowing with the very fabric of life itself. I’m not worrying! I’m not intellectualising! I’m enjoying my life!!! This all sounds very simple but the change to my daily life is quite extraordinary.

Highlights from the course?...I have hundreds. Here are a few that most readily spring to mind:

• Sigung moving in stances with Wild Horse Parts Mane on the first evening was quite breathtaking. Words from my lost Catholic faith came to mind a number of times as I watched: “The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory”. I don’t know why, they just did. Truly mesmerising to watch. And exciting too…”I can’t believe I’m actually being taught this!....Woooohoooooo!!!!!!!”

• Witnessing the evolution of the combat sequences from striking hands was stunning. Somehow by the time we started the combat sequences the essence of combat had already been transmitted;

• Practicing Wudang on the fourth morning – outstanding and, again, truly inspiring. The inspiration arose from how poorly I practiced it: Somehow I gained a little perspective on the depth of Taijiquan by experiencing first hand how much of a road of learning there is ahead of me;

• The systematic and direct teaching of how to apply combat sequences when sparring as highlighted in Sigung’s recent “Grandmaster’s Frustrations” article. Everything I knew about sparring and combat was utterly transformed over those few hours. I learned so much!

• The speeches at the graduation dinner. Everyone spoke brilliantly and beautifully. Sisook Robin’s words on his deep and profound love of Taijiquan were quite moving. Sisook Jeffery’s clarity was hugely inspiring. Sisook Michael’s deep joy was joyous to behold…and so on!

And so again I find myself on this forum thanking Sigung for a truly AMAZING course. From the heart, Sigung, thank you. Thank you many times over. It is a deep and profound privilege to learn from you.

And again I find myself on this forum thanking my Sifu for everything she has so kindly given me over the years. Thank you Sifu so very much. I am really looking forward to the next weekend of training!

I would also like to thank everyone who I had the privilege to train with and have great fun with in Penang. The dinners, the chats, the craic agus ceol ()…I hope to see you all again really soon!

Best wishes to all the Shaolin Family,

Kevin