10 Questions on Dragon Strength :D

[Anton S.]

and part 2

(Continued from Part 1)

We can also apply Dragon force, but in a different way, when we are at a lower level. Here "lower" relates to the situation in question, and may not refer to ones financial or social position.

I sometimes use this application at immigration counters. When an immigration officer took longer than normal time to check my passport, and started to ask me questions, I answered him in a dignified but pleasant manner, while sending a thought to him to just stamp my passport. Obviously he had more questions to ask, but after my first answer, he smiled at me, stamped my passport and wished me to have a nice stay in his country.

Once I applied Dragon force on some police officers in Moscow. A group of us were enjoying ourselves in the Red Square when Julia arrived to fetch us. But we were separated by a massive crowd and more urgently by a barricade of police officers checking everyone passing through. I just sent a thought to the police officers to let us through, and we just literally walked pass them. Julia, who knew the strictness of the Russian police very well, was utterly surprised.

There are two important questions related to these examples. Did I use Dragon force? Isn’t Dragon force some sort of internal force used in sparring? As mentioned earlier, Dragon force is very versatile. The mind is the most important factor in the development of Dragon force. Having developed the internal force aspect of Dragon force, a practitioner’s mind will be very powerful. In the above examples I used the power of my mind.

The second question is more important. Didn’t I abuse my Dragon force? No, I would never do that. Knowing the law of karma, it would be very silly of me to do so.

In the above examples, I applied Dragon force in win-win situations, benefiting myself and our group, the immigration officer and the police officers, and the queue behind us. I had my proper travel documents, and we were honorable, law-abiding people. The immigration office and the police officers would eventually let us through, though it would take much more unnecessary time and effort.

Dragon force can of course be applied when we interact with people on the same or similar level. Your views will be carried through with force but without being demanding.

When I was invited to the Congress for the Unity of Sciences, where only Nobel Prize winners and top practitioners of selected disciplines were invited, I apply my Dragon force during discussion with other delegates. The relaxed and flowing manner I presented my points, forceful but without being offending, must have impressed them.

If you are in a common room and the headmaster comes in wanting to speak to the teachers but the teachers are unaware of the situation and still talking amongst themselves, and nobody (except you) seems to know what to do. You may, unobtrusively, stand up, without using a microphone but using your Dragon force, speaking in a clear and flowing manner, “Ladies and gentlemen. The headmaster wants to speak to us. Perhaps he wants to give us a pay rise.” Your obvious joke will make everyone relaxed, cheerful and attentive.

A main aim of the Dragon Strength course is to develop Dragon force, which you can apply to enrich every level of your life.

<End>

[Markus Kahila]

Sifu, thank you for all of your answers.

Anton, thank you for posting this thread.

What an honour to have the opportunity to learn this art.


Best wishes,

[Anton S.]

Yes! Markus! really look forward to meet you soon!


Here comes Question No. 10

Question 10

Some of the force training patterns in the Dragon Strength set are unique. What makes them so unique and why haven’t they been employed in other sets as well?

On the other side I was surprised and delighted to find the first section of One Finger Shooting Zen implemented in the Dragon Strength set. Was it already in Uncle Righteousness’ set? What are the connections and/or the differences between One Finger Shooting Zen and dragon force?

Sifu Leonard Lackinger


Answer

The training methods of Dragpm Strength, including its patterns, are quite different from those of other arts of internal force training. This is the main reason I ask those attending the Dragon Strength course not to employ the Dragon Strength Set, which is presented in video, to train internal force.

I even go a step further saying that if they do learn the set from the video, it is alright. This is because unlike in other courses, where I introduce the training methods and let the course participants to continue to practice on their own at home, in the Dragon Strength course , participants will actually practice the training methods and develop Dragon force as well as lighting speed during the course itself.

As the methods are different from what we normally practice in our school, I want to supervise the course participants in their training so that not only they won’t make mistakes, but also perform the methods correctly so that they can actually develop Dragon force and lighting speed at the course, not with the hope that if they continue to practice they will develop the required force or skills in future.

One of the special features of Dragon force is an ability to manifest it at any part of the body. To ensure participants have this ability, they shall try it out on one another, and I want to be present to ensure that the appropriate remedial exercise is performed to erase any injury sustained.

Another special feature is the application of Dragon force for dim mark. It would be irresponsible of me if I do not stay around when course participants try out this advanced skill on one another, and ensure that injury, which confirms that the dim mark application has been applied successfully, has been removed completely.

What are the special skills in Dragon Strength that are different from what we have been training in our school, and therefore may require different training methods and patterns? There are three special skills, namely Dragon force, lighting speed and dim mark.

In many ways Dragon force is quite similar to the various types of force we have trained in our school, like those found in One-Finger Shooting Zen, Wudang Taijiquan, and Flower Set. It is very different from those found in Iron Wire and Choy-Li-Fatt, and discernably different from that found in Triple Stretch. It is also different from those found in Wing Choon Kungfu and Yang Style Taijiquan.

It is worthy of note that the comparison above is based on the types of internal force of the various characteristic sets practiced in our school. In other schools where internal force is derived from the respective set, the nature of the force may be different. In many other schools, although the respective sets are practiced, they may not be any internal force.

A notable example is Iron Wire. Many Iron Wire practitioners, in my opinion, practice Iron Wire as isometric exercise. They are powerful, but their power is derived from muscular strength, as revealed in their big muscles, and not from flowing energy of internal force. The powerful internal force of some rare masters is also different from the Iron Wire force n our school. The former is “hard”, lacking the flowing nature of Dragon force, whereas ours is more flowing, indicating the strong influence of Dragon force.

(Part 2 follows)

[Matt F.]

One of the special features of Dragon force is an ability to manifest it at any part of the body. To ensure participants have this ability, they shall try it out on one another, and I want to be present to ensure that the appropriate remedial exercise is performed to erase any injury sustained.

Another special feature is the application of Dragon force for dim mark. It would be irresponsible of me if I do not stay around when course participants try out this advanced skill on one another, and ensure that injury, which confirms that the dim mark application has been applied successfully, has been removed completely.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anton S.]

here comes the second part:

(Continued from Part 1)


Another notable example, on the other end of the spectrum of internal force, is Yang Style Taijiquan. A great majority of Yang Style Taijiquan practitioners do not have internal force, and amongst the few who have, their force is different from the Yang Style Taijiquan force trained in our school. Ours is relatively “harder” than theirs. The difference is due to the influence of Dragon force training in our school, and its lack in theirs.

Nevertheless, amongst some rare Taijiquan masters in Yang as well as Chen styles, their internal force is similar to our Taijiquan force. I believe it is due to their long years of dedicated training which has transformed their “softer” force to “harder” one.

From my study of kungfu classics, I believe that Wudang Taijiquan force in the past was similar to the Wudang Taijiquan force practiced in our school, which was fast, powerful and relatively hard, suggesting the Dragon rather than the Snake. However, I have not seen in person or videos this type of Wudang Taijiquan force of the past.

This noticeable difference of the various types of internal force derived from their respective kungfu sets between our school and other schools, and some similarity in the various types of internal force to Dragon force in our school but not in other schools, are due to the strong influence, though often unconsciously, of Dragon force in my teaching.

Nevertheless, there are still two notable differences between Dragon force that will be trained in the coming Dragon Strength course, and the various other types of force we have in our school. The two differences are that Dragon force is versatile and can be manifested in any part of the body, and that it is lightingly fast and flowing.

The differences are of nature rather than of kind. In other words, students in our school can also be versatile and fast with the other types of force, but it is particularly emphasized and noticeable in Dragon force.

The differences are due to different methods of training, rather than different patterns that constitute the training methods. In other words, using the same patterns skillful practitioners can develop types of force, though particular patterns may be more suitable for certain types of force. In other words, assuming other things being equal, if we use patterns in the Iron Wire set to train Iron Wire force, we will get better and faster results than using patterns in a Taijiquan set, and vice versa.

But other things are not equal. Hence, in our Wuzuqaun and Wudang Taijiquan courses in Penang, for example, course participants employed Wuzuquan and Wudang Taijiquan patterns to develop Triple Stretch, Wing Choon and other types of force more effectively than other students of theses specific styles. This was because our course participants are more skillful. In the coming Dragon Strength course, after learning how to develop Dragon force, we shall also use Dragon Strength patterns to develop other types of force.

The secrets of Dragon force lies not in the patterns of the Dragon Strength Set but in the manner of performing the patterns of the set. Hence, even when the form of the set is revealed, the uninitiated would not know the secrets of Dragon force.

(Part 3 follows)

[Anton S.]

part 3

(Continued from Part 2)

Even when the secrets are revealed, the uninitiated would not have the skills to develop Dragon force even when they know the techniques. It is the same as in chi kung. The chi kung techniques practiced by practitioners are genuine and correct, but they lack to practice the techniques as chi kung, which is an energy art. They practice the techniques as external physical exercise.

The same principles apply to lighting speed and dim mark, the other special features of the Dragon Strength Set. There are secrets regarding the development of lighting speed and the application of dim mark, but even when the secrets are revealed, the uninitiated would still lack the necessary skills. These skills need to be taught or transmitted by a master at a course.

These training methods in the Dragon Strength Set are unique because they are specially meant to train Dragon force and lighting speed found in the Dragon Strength Set. They are not employed in other sets because Dragon force and lighting speed are not trained in these sets.

Although dim mark is also a special feature of the Dragon Strength Set, it is different from Dragon force and lighting speed. Dim mark is a technique, whereas Dragon force and lighting speed are skills. The skills of Dragon force and lighting speed can be used for the technique of dim mark, as well as for other techniques like chin-na and no-shadow kicks. On the other hand, other skills, like One-Finger Shooting Zen and triple stretch force can also be used for dim mark.

Please note that classifying dim mark as a technique is provisional. In other context it may be classified as a skill.

Certain patterns, however, are more suitable that others in operating the skills of Dragon force and lighting speed, and the technique of dim mark. In Dragon force, holding the hands in open palms and moving them in extended, circular movements are more suitable than holding the hands in close fists and moving them in short, linear movements

In lighting speed, moving about in simple stances is more suitable than moving about in complicated stances. In dim mark, striking with One-Finger Zen, dragon hand form and phoenix-eye fist is more suitable than striking with other hand forms.

These patterns, however, are not unique to the Dragon Strength Set. The open palm is also found in Baguazhang and Tantui, extended circular movements are also found in Taijiquan and Choy-Li-Fatt, and simple stances are found in Lohan Kungfu and Wuzuquan. One-Finger Zen, dragon hand form and phoenix-eye fist are found in many other kungfu styles and kungfu sets, like Hoong Ka, Flower Set and Wing Choon.

The first section of One-Finger Shooting Zen, which I learned from Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, was added by me to the Dragon Strength Set. It was not found in the original set I learned from Uncle Righteousness. Similarly, the phoenix-eye fist was added by me from the Wing Choon Kungfu I learned from Sifu Choe Hoong Choy, and the Triangle Stance (or Four-Six Stance) was added from Wuzuquan learnt from Sifu Chee Kim Thong. They were not in Uncle Righteousness’ original Dragon Strength Set.

(Part 4 follows)

[Tim]

This is an incredibly illuminating Q&A. We are very lucky!

[Anton S.]

I like the Q&A so much - feel very excited to post the answers everyday

final part:

(Continued from Part 3)

I added these hand-forms and the Triangle Stance because I found them very useful, especially for dim mark. The two special skills of Dragon force and lighting speed, which can be employed for any techniques, can operate One-Finger Zen, phoenix-eye fist and Triangle Stance very well. The original hand-form for dim mark in Uncle Righteousness’s Dragon Strength Set was the dragon hand-form.

There are close connections between One-Finger Shooting Zen and Dragon force. In fact, it was because of my training in One-Finger Shooting Zen that inspired me to develop Dragon force in the Dragon Strength Set. When I first learned the set from Uncle Righteousness, it was at a physical level. My training of One-Finger Shooting Zen from Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, which enabled me to generate energy flow as well as consolidate energy (though I was not aware of these terms at that time) that galvanize me to train Dragon Strength at the mind and energy levels.

Another inspiration came from my reading of Taijiquan classics about using mind to direct energy to move form. This Taijiquan concept provides the catalyst, while the training of One-Finger Shooting Zen provided the foundation.

Another close connection is that both One-Finger Shooting Zen and Dragon force are classified as dragon training. The mind is the most important factor in the training. The dragon hand-form, which was the primary hand-form to implement Dragon force in the original Dragon Strength Set I learned from Uncle Righteousness, is sometimes called Two-Finger Zen.

A third close connection is that both One-Finger Zen in One-Finger Shooting Zen, and the dragon hand-form in Dragon force are used for dim mark. Both hand-forms are excellent for focusing on an opponent’s vital points, and acting as bridges for a flow of energy from an exponent to distort the energy system of the opponent.

A fourth connection is that both One-Finger Shooting Zen and Dragon force are also excellent for healing. I have employed them to help many people overcome pain and illness.

A fifth connection is that both One-Finger Shooting Zen and Dragon force are very versatile. Not only a practitioner can develop tremendous internal force at his fingers, his punches, palm strikes, elbows, kicks and other parts of his body are also powerful. Not only he can cause serious injury to opponents, he can also heal with his internal force. Further, the internal force derived from his training will give him good health, vitality, longevity, mental clarity, peak performance and spiritual joys.

There are, nevertheless, some differences. While both arts are versatile, One-Finger Shooting Zen focuses at the index finger but Dragon force can be manifested all over the body. While both arts are soft and flowing, Dragon force is relatively harder.

<End>

[Anton S.]

Bonusquestion

here we go

Bonus Question 11

Sifu has said a number of times and most recently in this thread that your Dragon Strength training has helped in your teaching of qigong and kungfu.

As Sifu has been so generous from the very start of our learning journey, giving us the best from Day 1 – training qigong and kungfu at the mind level - what greater things should we expect from the Dragon Strength course? Would the course bring about an enhancement of what we as Shaolin Wahnam students have been practising so far, a break-through, or even a sea change (that is, something vastly different) from our current and usual practice?

Sifu Zhang Wuji


Answer

One important reason why we in Shaolin Wahnam can attain such good results in short times is because of my training in Dragon Strength. Directly or indirectly my Dragon Strength training has influenced has influenced both my teaching methodology as well as the resultant benefits students obtain. In other words, in some cases I purposely employ Dragon Strength methods in my teaching, in other cases, there is no conscious effort to use Dragon Strength training methods, yet the beneficial influence is present.

In the Shaolin group of kungfu, my Dragon Strength training has made Shaolin styles flowing. In the Taijiquan group, it has made Taijiquan styles powerful. In both groups, the flow and the force aspects have also contributed much to the good health, vitality, longevity, mental clarity, peak performance and spiritual joys of the students. If I had not been trained in Dragon Strength, I believe their benefits would be less.

You have summed up the beneficial influence of my Dragon Strength training neatly. It has enabled me to teach and students to practice at the mind level. The highest level of kungfu, or any art, is the mind. Working at the mind level gives us unbelievable results in unbelievable short time.

Although our students already have unbelievable results, those attending the Dragon Strength course will have even greater unbelievable results! Three very special skills will be taught at the course, namely Dragon force, lighting speed and dim mark.

Please take note that dim mark may be considered a technique or a skill depending on context. Unlike Dragon force and lighting speed which do not have a definite form, i.e. Dragon force and lighting speed may operate any form, dim mark has definite forms, i.e. it operates specific forms, and not on any forms.

For example, you can employ Dragon force or lighting speed with a finger or a level fist, but you do not employ dim mark with a level fist, but with a finger. In this aspect, dim mark is considered a technique. On the other hand, without the appropriate force or skills, you cannot operate dim mark even when you employed its correct form. In this aspect we may consider it a skill.

These special skills will bring about an enhancement not only in our kungfu understanding and performance but also more importantly in our daily life.

Dragon force will not only enhance all types of force we train in our kungfu but also enable us to have zest in whatever we do. Lighting speed will not only enable our kungfu performance to be very fast, but also ensure that our actions as well as thoughts will be implemented without delay. Dim mark will not only give us the privilege to preserve a nearly lost art, but also develop our sense of responsibility and compassion.

The coming Dragon Strength course will certainly bring about an enhancement of what we have been practicing, but also a break-through or even a sea change in our practice as well as daily life. No matter what arts or styles we may currently practice in our chi kung or kungfu, like generating energy flow or Sinew Metamorphosis, Wing Choon or Xingyiquan, it will certainly be enhanced after attending the Dragon Strength course.

Learning the skills at the course may lead to a break-through or sea change in your chi kung and kungfu training, or in your daily life. You may, for example, be anxious when sparring with opponents of other martial arts, but acquiring lighting speed may enable you to apply any planned combat sequences on your opponents so fast you have a break-through of confidence in defeating them in any combat. You may be thinking of improvement in your daily life but have not implemented it, but acquiring Dragon force in the course may give you the energy and mental clarity for its immediate implementation that brings about a sea change in your life.

<End>

[Zhang Wuji]

The most over-used word in this forum. WOW!

Thank you, Sifu, for answering my extra question(s). I am so going to consolidate all the questions-answers on one page and read them again. And again. And again.

[Claudien S]

There are no words that can explain how I feel when I read these questions and answers.

Thank you so much Sifu for illuminating our lives in amazing ways.

Thank you brother Anton for posting

Blessings,
Claude

[DarkCosmoz]

Thank you Sigung.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the second course!

Best wishes,
Stephen

[Anton S.]

Brothers! Luckily we have more material to be amazed by

Bonus Question 12

The Dragon is the most mysterious and mystical of all the animals in Chinese kungfu, and in fact, the only one in the Zodiac that is mythical. There is no credible modern reported sighting of a real dragon. Whereas we can observe the physical characteristics of a tiger or a monkey, and have a sense of the spirit of these animals, we have to rely entirely on our imagination or intuition when it comes to the dragon. Given this, how should we emulate and manifest the spirit of the Dragon or its physical movements in our kungfu practice?

In my own experience, Sifu, I found that it was my qi flow that “taught” me what to do. Before I knew anything about Baguazhang, I had a number of qi flow experiences where I was twisting and coiling around in what I thought were dragon-like movements. It didn’t feel like Taijiquan, Shaolinquan or any other martial art or sport that I knew.

Then, I happened to watch a National Geographic channel on the internal arts and Baguazhang was featured. That was when I realised what I was doing in my qi flow. It was then that I felt that it was heaven’s way of telling me to learn Baguazhang. At that time (6 years ago), Sifu was not teaching Baguazhang yet, hence I asked for Sifu’s permission to learn from Madam Ge Chunyan (she was Jet Li’s sijie, and a disciple of Cheng Tinghua’s lineage). I am not sure if this should be part of the question so I have placed this paragraph in parenthesis.]


Answer

Although they are a rare minority, there are people who have seen dragons. Andrew, for example, told me that while driving to work one morning, he clearly saw a dragon crossing the sky in front of him.

Nevertheless, when we refer to a kungfu style or technique being represented by an animal, like a dragon or a tiger, we do not refer to the real features of that animal, but to the form and spirit symbolized by it. For example, when we describe a certain kungfu style or technique as a tiger, a practitioner of that style or technique does not really act like a tiger, but the internal force demonstrated in his performance of the style, or the way he holds his hand resembling a tiger-claw, is best symbolized by a tiger.

We do not entirely rely on our imagination or intuition when performing a kungfu style or technique symbolized by a dragon or any animal, although some imagination and intuition when applied correctly, can better bring out the characteristics of the animal. We rely on the teaching of the teacher.

(Part 2 follows)

[barrys]

Dear Sifu,

Thank for you sharing the information, sowing some seeds and inspiration. Only a few weeks to go .

Dear Anton,

Thanks for creating the opportunity.

And thanks to everyone who asked the questions.

Looking forward to meeting in December. With metta,

Barry

[Anton S.]

Barry! I´m very happy to have this opportunity!
looking forward to meet in in just 4 weeks!


Second part of the answer to Sifu Zhang Wuji´s question

(Continued from Part 1)

When Uncle Righteousness taught me the Dragon Strength Circulating Chi Set, I had no idea why it was called a Dragon set, nor how to manifest its Dragon form and spirit. I also did not know how to circulate chi. It was much later that I knew about the special features of Dragon force, like its tremendous power and its capability of being manifested in any part of the body. It was also later that I knew how to employ patterns of the set to circulate chi.

At the time when Uncle Righteousness taught me the pattern, “Double Dragons Emerge from Sea”, I knew that the hand-form used in the pattern was called dragon hand-form. But I did not know why it was related to the Dragon.

I read in some kungfu classics that the two fingers in the hand-form resembled the whistles of a Dragon. While this may have suggested the name of the hand-form, I did not find it justifiable to describe the whole set as a Dragon set. The great importance of mind in the performance of the patterns in the set to circulate chi to generate Dragon force, and to direct energy flow to move form is a far better reason to describe it as a Dragon set.

Emulating and manifesting the spirit of the Dragon and performing the patterns in circular and swerving movements resembling a Dragon’s motion does not depend on practitioners’ imagination and intuition. Rather it depends on the teaching of the teacher. In other words, even when students do not imagine or have intuition of a Dragon’s spirit and movement, but the teacher teaches them to perform the patterns in dragon-like manner to manifest tremendous power resulting in Dragon force, and to employ their mind to direct energy flow to move form resulting in tremendous speed, Dragon spirit and form will be manifested.

Our chi flow will move our form. If we let the to flow freely without the influence of our mind, the chi flow movements are likely to be extended, circular and swerving. This is natural and spontaneous. As an analogy, when a person stands up, it is likely that he will be upright with his arms hanging loosely at his sides, though not perfectly due to some bad habits. It is unlikely, for example, that he will bend his body like a bow, or place his hands on his head.

These extended, circular and swerving movements were best described by past masters as a dragon’s movements. This was because these extended, circular and swerving movements resembled Dragon’s movements more than they resembled movements of other animals. I believe this was what happened when describing the Dragon Strength Set as kungfu of the Dragon style and not of any other animal style, i.e. the dragon-like movements occurred first, then the term “Dragon” was used to describe them. It was not the other way round, that past masters decided on the Dragon first, then devised movements to imitate Dragon’s movements.

As a side note, how did past masters know that Dragon movements were extended, circular and swerving,. This was due to cultural convention. By cultural convention, movements of dragons were described as extended, circular and swerving, regardless of whether dragons were mystical or real though rarely seen in the human dimension.

Having described movements from the Dragon Strength set as Dragon movements, later master might imitate dragon-like movements in their practice and teaching. Thus, the presence of Dragon movements in the Dragon Strength Set happened in both ways.

<End>