Shen Men Tao

[Sifu Stier]

Yin and Yang Form Sets

Master Lee Wing-Wah (Li Rong-Hua) designed Shen Men Tao to be a practical System of Self-Realization with which practitioners can fully cultivate Body...Mind...and Spirit through a progressive series of exercises representing the major philosophical concepts of Taoism. The practices commence with the Silent Meditation and Quiet Standing methods which represent Wu-Chi...then ranging from the interplay of Yin and Yang expressed through the Great Ultimates Boxing of Tai-Chi Chuan and the 8 Trigram Boxing and 64 Hexagrams Boxing of Pa-Kua Chang to the Five Elements Boxing and Animal Style Boxing of Hsing-Yi Chuan....all of which conclude in Wu-Chi again.

The Tai-Chi Chuan segment of Shen Men Tao consist primarily of two Hand Form Sets and various Weapon Form Sets. First...the Old Yang Style Large Frame Long Imperial 108 Forms Set represents the Yin (-) half of the Tai-Chi-Tu or Yin and Yang Logo. Thus...this Set is a long series of mostly soft...slow...fluid movement patterns performed with large circles and long...deep stances. Additionally...a slow...deep abdominal Natural Breath is used throughout to enhance the awakening and circulation of the intrinsic chi energy...and the compression and storage of the chi at Tan-Tien.

The second Set is the Old Yang Style Small Frame Fast Forms Set representing the Yang (+) half of the Yin and Yang Logo. As such...this Set features a shorter series of movement patterns performed at a faster speed overall...but with equal fluidity as the Long Imperial Form Set...and with shorter stances and smaller circles. Breathing is initially a faster Reverse Breath used to enhance the frequent power issuing of fa-jing techniques which punctuate the overall fluidity of the routine with quick bursts of chi and body weight to the hands. This Set is no less beneficial to health...but merely impacts the body in a different way by exercising the breath...the intrinsic chi energy...and the internal organs in a different way than the Long Imperial Forms Set does.

I do not personally believe that a correlation exists between the longevity of past Tai-Chi Chuan Masters and the practice of Sets containing more overt fa-jing techniques per se. It is well known that epidemic disease...dietary indisgressions...even obesity with its attendant cardiovascular and renal problems...the regular and perhaps often excessive consumption of drugs and/or alcohol...and self-induced bad karma resulting from negative thoughts and actions probably neutralized the benefits of the Tai-Chi Chuan practices as more influential factors in their eventual demise.

They gave us all a wonderful lesson in lifestyle choices in these regards.....namely that many of these men were able to defeat themselves and march to an early grave through poor lifestyle choices unrelated to their Tai-Chi Chuan expertise...even though others were never able to defeat them as boxers and fighters!

[Sifu Stier]

Door Way to Consciousness!

The Union of Body and Mind...of Action and Intention...is the Key which fully opens the Door to Consciousness in Shen Men Tao. In this Way...All that is seen and unseen are eventually perceived as One...truly united as the created manifestation of One Mind...One Power...One Presence in the Universe. It is the natural energetic progression from Ching to Chi to Shen as outlined in Classical Taoist Spirituality in which the Myriad Things emanate from and return to this Primordial Cosmic Consciousness...energetically transmuted and transformed through innumerable potential manifestations of expression. In other words...often changed...but never destroyed!

Thus...by uniting that which we experience physically with that which we experience mentally...we throw open the Door of Consciousness...the Spirit Gate or Shen Men...to reach full personal potential as a reintegrated part of All That Is! Therefore...the physical practices and meditative practices are a vehicle which carries us back to our Source...never a mere end goal in and of themselves.

[Sifu Stier]

Relaxed Strength and Power!

The late Cheng Man-Ching Sifu is reported to have told students that the three key factors to success in Tai-Chi Chuan...and other Internal Arts in general...are: #1 ~ to relax...#2 ~ to relax...and of course...#3 ~ to relax! Although a seemingly simple and easy concept to understand, this is apparently a matter of subjective perception for each of us. We think we understand what it means to relax intellectually at the start, but then realize through experience in learning and practicing that our initial assumptions were incorrect. Eventually...we finally come to fully understand that true relaxation is far more all encompassing than originally believed to be.

The Chinese word Song1 or Sung1 means 'loose' or 'the opposite of tight'...and is used in reference to Internal Art practices in expressions such as Song1Ruan3 (Loose and Soft)...and Song1Shou3 (Loose Hand, i.e. to Release or Let Go). Thus...in these contexts...Shen Men Tao perceives both physical and mental-emotional implications.

The obvious meaning of Song1Ruan3 is found in striving to loosen the joints and relax or soften the muscles in order to gradually eliminate residual tightness stored in various parts of the body. This process often involves discovering areas of tightness...limited flexibility...and reduced range of motion...which we may not have been consciously aware of prior to commencing the practices. As we attempt to assume different Form Postures...and perform various movement patterns...we may find some of these to be quite challenging...if not nearly impossible to duplicate. Any difficulty is generally the result of tightness or insufficient looseness which impedes our ability to perform in some way. But at least we can clearly see and feel where the problem lies, and are able to intellectually understand that such 'trouble spots' can ultimately be eliminated with proper continued practice of the Form Sets...regulated breathwork...stretching routines...yielding more and more to gravity...and so forth.

More challenging and difficult to address are the residual pockets of mental...emotional...and spiritual tightness and tension. These represent hidden trouble spots which may not be readily detected on a conscious level as they are often buried in the 'hard drive' memory bank of the deeper mind. These are the rigid personal discriminations and hardened value judgements that perpetuate 'tight attitudes' about any number of things regarding how this or that should or should not be! They may include virtually everything that we think...say...or do consciously...whether we realizie the hidden influences or not. As such...they only appear on the 'mental monitor' of awareness when entering or accessing the more meditative or comtemplatively calm states of mind...aside from our normal, wakeful mental activity. Once recognized on a more consciously knowing level of awareness...we can choose to Song1Shou3...to Release and Let Go...of these negative mental factors in the same way as releasing areas of physical tightness and tension.

In most Traditional Tai-Chi Chuan practices...the deeper subconscious mind is accessed through lengthy exercise routines performed at a slow speed with as much softness and loosenenss as possible without compromising the shapes of the postures...and with longer, slower breath patterns...and greater concentration and focus given to the training than is usually devoted to other things in general.

This is one of the reasons why Tai-Chi Chuan and other related styles are classified as 'Soft' and 'Internal' boxing arts. And appropriately so...as the realm of the deeper mind is the 'Final Frontier' of exploration in developing knowledge and skill in these arts...and because the ultimate 'boxing' match is the one which we fight against our own self-imposed restrictions and obstructions to our personal potential in this life!

[Michael Udel]

bugs

Thank you very much, Sifu Stier, for your wonderful explanation. I am grateful.

These are the rigid personal discriminations and hardened value judgements that perpetuate 'tight attitudes' about any number of things regarding how this or that should or should not be! They may include virtually everything that we think...say...or do consciously...whether we realizie the hidden influences or not.

I wonder if this is the basis of why such treatments as Chinese Medicine will have diminished benefit on certain people, but immediately or quickly cure others. I speculate that attitudes and beliefs are like potentially buggy (flawed) computer programs in the conscious mind that are run and executed over and over daily, recreating and re-introducing the origin of a person's illness and negating the effect of any therapy such as acpuncture, herbs, qigong/Reiki treatment, etc. Is this the reason?

Thanks again,
Michael

[Ray]

Thank you for the insightful post, Sifu Stier.
One of the reasons why I love martial arts like Tai Chi so much is how it raises "self-awareness" as I find that facing oneself is often the most painful and rewarding thing we can do.
Not much can be expressed in words here, but although I find little within me to celebrate there is enough to keep me going since I can feel that I am going in the right direction.

Sincerely,

Divineshadow

[Sifu Stier]

Toxic Thought Syndrome!

Hello Michael!

Thank you for your perceptive comments!

I believe that a person's negative subconscious self-image and feelings of self-worth...combined with negative expectations and fears regarding their condition or situation...do indeed work tirelessly to perpetuate that which they consciously wish to change in their life. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy of disaster and doom....running on a continuous loop tape that keeps playing over and over again to produce the same undesireable results. This is never a very pretty picture! And it all stems from what Texans refer to as 'Stinkin' thinkin'!

It's really too bad that more people can't understand that things can't change for the better if they always stay the same. And yet...logic would suggest that the same causes will produce the same effects again and again until the causative factors are changed. But many people are resistant to making positive changes. They won't change their lifestyle choices regarding diet...recreational and pharmaceutical drug usage...exercise...etc...and most importantly...refuse to change their thinking patterns. And then they can't understand why they don't respond as well or as quickly to any treatment modality as they'd like to! Go figure!

[Sifu Stier]

Hello divineshadow:

Thank you for your heartfelt comments!

In turn....my wish for you is that you will allow some Glimmering Ray of Light to Brighten your Spirits....emanating from an Illuminating Ray of Unconditioned Love in your Heart....both for yourself and for All....along with a Liberating Ray of Hope planted in the shadowy depths of your Soul....so that you may find something of greater worth to Celebrate Daily!

[Zhang Wuji]

Post edited by Moderator at Sifu Stier's request

Dear all,

I would just like to remind everyone that Sifu Stier is our guest on this Forum and as our guest, he is entitled to request that some questions not be asked.

I am sure that no offence was meant or has been taken, but as the duties of a good host include keeping their guests happy and well fed, we do so happily and willingly .

With my warmest regards and love to you all,

[Sifu Stier]

Will The Circles Be Unbroken?

One of the major Foundation Principles of all Internal Arts is the Principle of Circularity. The employment of uninterrupted circularity...both in Form Set practicing and in martial application of their techniques...is crucial in achieving high level results. And yet...the absence of continuous circularity is regularly observed among practitioners of the Internal Arts...oftentimes even in the performances of supposed Masters of these Arts.

The practice of Form Sets intended to awaken...mobilize...and store 'Chi' in the body depends on the use of circles...'s-shaped' patterns...and 'figures of 8' patterns to generate movement of the 'Chi' and to create a 'closed circuit' recycling of the energy without leakage or dispersal while training. Additionally...when the major joints of the body are kept sufficiently relaxed and bent...the limbs maintain a rounded appearance as well. Steps and footwork also normally employ rounded and curved movement patterns in order to close and protect the vulnerable centerline targets on the body...and to 'seal the chi' in the Tan-Tien.

Similarly...the martial application of the Form Set techniques depends on circularity to produce a centrifugal movement of the external power of the body weight momentum...and the internal power of the 'Chi'...outward from the center of the body to the hands and feet where both can be released and issued forth as in 'fa-jing'...or used defensively for relaxed strength without release...and to assist in 'rooting'...thereafter 'recycling' the energy back to the 'Center'. In either application...the circular patterns allow rapid combinations of continuous flow which would never be possible if linear and angular movement patterns were used.

Therefore...whether practicing Form Sets or using their movement patterns and techniques for actual fighting...circularity is the connecting glue which helps to integrate internal and external power with synchronized unity. This holds true for the mental aspects of the arts as well. That which is given repeated cyclical thought and focused attention in mind will manifest itself outwardly in the physical and material realm of experience again and again.

Thus...both physically and mentally it can truly be said that..."what goes around comes around". So...will the circles be unbroken...or will 'circuit breakers' interrupt them? You can choose either way...so choose wisely!

[Michael Udel]

Resonation

Dear Sifu Stier,

I want to say thank you once again, and express my appreciation for your knowledge. Your recent posts: Toxic Thought Syndrome! and Will The Circles Be Unbroken? struck a chord within me.

With gratitude,
Michael

[Sifu Stier]

Dear Mr. Udel:

Thanks for the feedback. I am happy to know that someone is benefiting from my posts. As always.....it is my pleasure to share the little that I know with others.

All the best to you in your travels. I will greet Sifu Peck for you at the Taiji Legacy this coming weekend. Take care!

[beausimon]

Hi Sifustier,
Did Shen Men Tao take part in the Taiji legacy competitions this year ?

Thanks.

[Sifu Stier]

Hello Beau:

Yes, indeed! I was the first of several dozen different solo performers in the Master's Demonstration which preceded the commencement of the competitions on Saturday morning. Usually...nobody wants to go out first, but I don't suffer from performance anxiety, so I don't mind being first to perform.

I performed the Old Yang Style Small Frame Fast Forms Set. I also served as one of 5 Judges for the various 'Pa-kua', 'Hsing-Yi', and 'Other Style Tai-Chi' competition events.

My top student, Sifu J.P. Whitfield, judged the 'Other Internal Styles' competition for me, thereby giving me a break after many hours of sitting to judge the earlier events. One of my Initiate Instructor students, Reed, and my son, Jonathan, also attended the Taiji Legacy with me. We all had a great time.

Events like the Taiji Legacy are the only regular opportunities that I have to reconnect and socialize with other teachers whom I have known for many years.....some of them for more than 30 years. All of the Sifu's enjoy the wonderful comraderie of such tournaments.

Thanks for asking!

[beausimon]

Hi Sifustier,
Sounds like it was a lot of fun at the legacy competitions Would you by any chance have video clips of the masters demo ? It would be an eye opener to see the fast form set demo.

Thanks.

[Sifu Stier]

Re: The Taiji Legacy Tournament

Sorry, Beau! No can do. Video taping or filming of the Master's Demonstration...even by family members or students of the Masters...is strictly prohibited. Anyone attempting to do so has their equipment confiscated while being ejected from the tournament site.

I might add that the Security Team responsible for enforcing this rule is quite competent...as you might imagine...and not to be tampered with if a pleasant day was on your list of agenda priorities!