UK Summer Camp 2014 - Community thread

[barrys]

We are setting up this thread ahead of this year's Summer Camp to allow the community to begin to come together.

We are encouraging everyone attending this year's Summer Camp (over 70 booked so far on the various courses) to check in with this thread.

If you want or have a room to share - you can let people know here.

If you want or can offer a lift-share to and from the venue - you can let people know here.

If you want to introduce yourself - that's allowed too .

We have a wide range of people attending - from the very experienced to people who have never taken a course with Sifu before. So if you are new to all of this and want to ask a question or find out what to expect you can ask here. If you are one of the experienced ones you might want to share anything you think might be useful. This could be about the courses, the Guildford area or anything else that will help people's experience flow more easily.

Looking forward to seeing you all sharing here and then meeting in person at the Summer Camp in June.

With metta,

Barry

[David Langford]

Hi...I'm David and I am a Kung-Fuaholic.

Looking forward to meeting everyone! Lots of random sparring will be had I am sure! Woohooo!!!

I have a spare bed for the kung fu days close to the venue if anyone needs a last minute place to stay.

[Jacek Kaleta]

Greetings everyone!

This is going to be my first course with Sigung I'm 'only' going to come for 2 days (Bone Marrow Cleansing and Cosmic Breathing) my wife Monika is also going to join us on Sunday.

Looking forward to meeting you all!
Jacek

[barrys]

Dear David and Jacek,

Thanks for introducing yourselves here and looking forward to seeing you on the courses.

David - thanks for making the offer of the spare bed - that could come in handy for someone as hotels and B&Bs are getting very booked up.

Hopefully, we will get lots more people introducing themselves here. A good way to build a community before the Summer Camp.

One of the things I have always loved about Shaolin Wahnam is the worldwide family aspect. I have trained in and experienced many things. I have always appreciated places I could go and share openly about them and ask questions. Long may that continue here .

With metta,

Barry

[Hubert]

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you Barry (as well as Tim Siheng and Mark siheng) for all your work with the UK summer camp, and for setting up this community thread.

I have had the great pleasure and privilege to attend the UK summer camp twice ("back in the days" in 2005 and 2006), and each time I have had a wonderful time and experienced many amazing things with Sifu and our Shaolin family. It is indeed very special to have Sifu teach so many courses back to back.

Even though I will not be able to be there this year I look forward to reading about the preparations, and then later about everyone's experience

I would certainly encourage anyone who is hesitating to attend to do so without any second thoughts - it is an unforgettable experience!

With much love and respect,

Hubert.

[barrys]

Hi Hubert,

Thanks for the support and encouragement.

Look forward to seeing you again soon - in December?

With metta,

Barry

[EdwardH]

Hi all,
I will be attending the course on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, really looking forward to the opportunity and apologies in advance for the loudness of my chi flows :-D I'll be driving in from Tadley, Hants (via Basingstoke, M3) so if anyone is also coming from that way I'd be happy to share some of the driving.
Best wishes,
Ed Hawker

[barrys]

Hi Ed,

Thanks for offering lift share. Look forward to seeing you in June along with your noisy chi flows .

With metta,

Barry

[foxinsocks74]

Greetings

I'm really looking forward to Summer Camp - its been one of the highlights of the year for me ever since my first one in 2009, which was my first ever encounter with Sifu and our school. I remember that I went from zero knowledge of chi kung to experiencing chi flows that I know would take years if not a lifetime of practise in other schools to attain, all in the space of one day. I only did one day of training that year, just the Generating Energy Flow course, but it felt like a whole week!

It was a very big experience for me, in retrospect one of the single most significant days of my life. In some ways it was disequilibriating (in a positive way) - there is nothing in my previous life experiences that had prepared me for this, and I felt both exhilaration and also a little fear of letting go so much in such a short time. It's a bit like being a child taking that first ride on a bicycle all over again! In another way it was deeply reassuring - I knew in my heart that even though I didn't fully understand everything yet, I was certain that I had found something precious and authentic which had the power to help me overcome my long term fatigue issues if I diligently followed the method so generously shared by Sifu. This had proven to be true with my subsequent practice.

I left filled with deep joy and a sense of starting a new chapter in life. It did, however take me months to process the experience and of course even now I'm still unlocking deeper and deeper dimensions of what Sifu transmitted to me in that first course and on all the subsequent courses.

I provide these reflections on case there are any complete newcomers who read this, to help them know what to expect. My advice would be to follow Sifu's instructions and above all to relax, trust Sifu and yourself and have fun. Post the course, take things easy, give yourself time to find your bearings, so to speak, and take full advantage of senior students and instructors who can help you assimilate the teaching and answer the many inevitable questions you will have. This is a living tradition of Chinese wisdom, not just a series of physical movements as we are so used to in the West. It's almost certain that you will not have encountered anything like this before and you will need to "relearn" how to learn.

If you treat Sifu and the Arts with respect and trust, and give yourself to the practice, you will certainly recieve much much more in return!

Shaolin salute!

Omar

[Sjoerd]

Hi All,

I will be attending the summercamp on saturday and sunday. I am looking forward to it. Sifu Roeland is teaching me the first little steps, and within a couple of weeks I can say I already had some chi-flows. It still kind of scares me to attend two whole days, it might be just a little bit to much.

I will by staying in the Mandolay Hotel in the centre of Guildford. I guess I will be walking from there.

I am traveling from the Netherlands and it will be the first time in the UK. For those whom are interested: it might be nice to get some dinner Saturday evening.

Kind regards,
Sjoerd

[Matthew]

It's going to be awesome...

Summer Camp has been a highlight of the year since I started in 2009. I haven't missed one, though may not have taken all chi kung courses available (much to my dismay). I've since had the privilege of learning Cosmic Shower, Cosmic Breathing, Bone Marrow Cleansing, some Sinew Metamorphosis and Small Universe. I've currently started learning Tajiquan and building some internal force, and am super-excited about the Internal Force course.

A couple of things I'd say to myself in hindsight if I were about to do Summer Camp for the first time, or to do a course I hadn't taken before are as follows:

• "Empty your cup" and go without expectations
• Follow Sigung's instructions to the best of your ability
• Don't worry, don't intellectualise, and enjoy your practice

On earlier courses I tried my best to do these things and I now know from experience that I was full of expectations, comparisons and thinking thinking thinking all the time, which led to me worrying. Needless to say this did not help me get the best from the courses!

Oh, and it might help to take a notebook of questions, or jot them down at the course as they come up to ensure you remember them. That way you can make the most of Sigung's incredible wisdom. Many a time I have had a question that has just gone "poof" out of my mind in the presence of Sigung.

Really looking forward to meeting you all again, or for the first time.

I'm travelling in daily for all 4 chi kung courses from Basingstoke so Edward I will PM you to share the journey!

Thank you sisooks Barry, Tim and Mark for organising the event, and for this new innovation of a community thread.

[David Langford]

I was thinking it would be nice to rent a bicycle for the commute between the hotel and the venue, and for just getting around. Does anyone know a good rental place in guildford?

[barrys]

Dear Omar,

Thanks for sharing your direct experiences. I also think the post you made on this thread will be useful as well:

I don't want to be repetitive, but for me, learning to discern between cleansing, building and nourishing has been one of the single most important breakthroughs I have made so far. In particular, nourishing has been so important to my own development over the past year. It is perhaps the most subtle of the three and I realise in retrospect that often in my practise I would feel as if nothing was happening but in fact I was nourishing. Having become aware of nourishing means that first of all I can facilitate it by "getting out of the way " and also I am now content even if my practise is quite static on some days because I know that so much is going on on the nourishing level, which has little outward manifestation. Over time I have observed the tremendous benefits that nourishing has on the mind and also the mind / body harmony. I recently was taking to a fellow wahnam student who didn't know what the difference was between the three "modes ". If you are in the same situation, I can only urge you to read the posts carefully and try to discern the modes in your practice. You will find they all happen spontaneously at various times, but by becoming aware of them you can greatly accelerate your progress

In fact the whole thread is useful .

Dear Sjoerd,

Looking forward to having you on the courses. I am sure there will be other people staying at the Mandolay so you may be able to share a lift.

Dear Matt,

Thanks also for sharing your direct experiences. Hopefully those less experienced will have a chance to benefit from your words.

Dear David,

I don't know any bike hire facilities but I am sure there must be some in Guildford. Hopefully someone else will know or you can find them on the internet.

With metta,

Barry

[Sjoerd]

Dear Barry,

I am coming by car, so If people would like a lift that is possible. Although driving on the wrong side of the road might need some adjusting on my part.... From the Mandolay tot the sport park is only a little over 2 miles, that is walking distance, although a bike would be better!

See you in a couple of weeks.

[Tim]

Mat has highlighted something very important that could easily be missed, that is the opportunity to ask Sifu questions. This is an incredible opportunity for everyone coming. So do come armed with some good questions