Ireland's Valentine Iron Wire Set 2012

[sancrica]

My apologies to Kevin Siheng. I am sorry so much for not mentioning you too... You did an amazing work this week. Thanks brother. Forum does not let me edit the post anymore.

Shaolin Salute,

Santiago

[John O Riordan]

There are some excellent posts to read in this thread, thank you for sharing your experiences.

I have more to share, it will benifet all students especially the students who attended the Iron Wire Course. It applies to all Kung Fu practice not just the practice of the Iron Wire set.

At the Valentine's weekend graduation meal in Killarney I asked Sifu a question. I asked Sifu if it is important to explode force, or make the sounds of the Iron Wire, loudly.

Sifu's answered my question. He explained that it is important to explode force loudly. However if the situation is not conducive to exploding force loudly then a student can explode force more softly. You must remember to keep you mouth open regardless of how loudly or softly you are practising.

Sifu asked me to share this with you on the forum.

Thank you Sifu.

I think my neighbours would also thank Sifu as they will not be awoken by my practice in the early morning

For me this highlights another important point about attending the courses with Sifu. The time you get to spend in the presence of a GrandMaster and the ability ask him questions. There were many excellent questions (Miguel asked a number of them ) and some wonderful stories which Sifu shared with us. An example of how open our school is and how beneficial it is to b e a student of Shaolin Wahnam.


Regards,


John.

[Joan]

My Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

Thank you for sharing your wonderful posts and insights on the Awesome Iron Wire set

It was truly AWESOME!

Along with many of the participants, I was not sure what to expect but knew with Sifu teaching it was going to be a wonderful course!

After the second set of Iron Wire, I truly could 'have taken on the world' and I shared this with the class. It was very different to the courage and strength we get from Sinew Metamorphosis. This was deep deep inside me, there was absolutely no fear, no threat, no confusion. Just simply- total mental clarity and a feeling of being able to do anything, anywhere.

Sifu turned the tables nicely on me when I mentioned it and described how this will help us all in the 30 opponent programme

Seriously though, I can clearly see how our practice of the Iron Wire set can overcome all of our fears in whatever situation we face in life. It gives us a deeper inner strength and clarity of mind than anything I have ever practised with Sifu before.

It became clear to me that while the 30 opponent programme will restore the glory of Kungfu which is very special to our school, it will also truly enhance the life and well being of each participant in the most incredible way. If you haven't signed up for the special training with Sifu Markus Kahilla and his Committee, I would strongly urge you to. It will benefit your life in so many ways.

My deepest appreciation to Sifu for transmitting this set to us over just 2 days!!!

Thank you also Mark for requesting this incredible course last year. I am soooooooo glad you did!

And last but in no way least, my deepest thanks to all who participated in the course and came from so many different countries. As organisers we can organise well but the real success comes from the wonderful participation of each and every student. Thank you my wonderful family, it was very special having you in Killarney

So what are next years set of courses?

1) Flowing Water and Floating Clouds set
2) Wudang Sword
3) Zen

My deepest appreciation to Sifu for agreeing to teach another set of awesome courses and to Dominic who asked a simple question on Wudang Sword and will now get to experience it for real!

Both (1) and (2) are open to Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kungfu students. After all, it is all Kungfu

Smile from the Heart,
Joan

[Mark CH]

Thanks for sharing Sije and thanks for the nice surprise for 2013, wonderful.

Best wishes
Mark

[sancrica]

What a wonderful news! It is a pitty that it is still one year to go...

I am so happy to be in Ireland and enjoy the Irish Shaolin Wahnam Family. :-)

Shaolin Salute,

Santiago

[JasD]

Thank you Sifu for this wonderful course and thank you Sijie Joan for organising everything. Was nice to meet the family in beautiful Ireland.

The course was not only a great force training method, but sparring too, which actually made the force improve and flow better!
Felt like 2 courses in one. In only 2 days!
I would definitely recommend this course to anyone.

The sparring was a bit daunting, but its the experience we need to get comfortable and gain the confidence to improve. And therefore I will gain more experience. The method and confidence given by Sifu, and the tips and corrections, I am deeply grateful for.

Would do it again if I get the chance

Jas

[mping]

Hi all,

Finally got home, now that things have settled I can honestly say the Iron Wire course was really very good! The sparring was quite unexpected but a very pleasant surprise! It was good to see that everyone was enjoying the sparring, even while being punched in the face (I will have to thank Robert for that).

As for the set itself, it is indeed a very powerful set! I was amazed at the amount of force you could generate! It will surely enhance my overall force training to say the least I will definitely be going on this course again if I have the chance.

I would like to thank everyone, specially Sije Joan of course for organizing such a great course, and Sifu for transmitting such valuable arts, whether in set practice or over dinner; Sifu was very generous, since I must have asked at least 10 questions

And finally, I had a very very good time in Killarney until the very end! I will surely visit Ireland somewhere along the road!

Shaolin salute,
Miguel

[Roeland O]

Dear all,

The Iron Wire course was awesome! No 2 ways about it

My objective for the Iron Wire course was to learn how to use internal force instead of physical strength. I feel I have succeeded in my objective, even though it may take some time to overcome the habit of using physical strength completely. I do not always notice when I use physical strength as well, but I do feel the difference between muscle and force a lot better now. More importantly, I have grown in the confidence that even if I train wrongly, our Chi Flow can overcome the negative effects. So I just need to be relaxed and focused…and enjoy my training!

I am looking forward to training the Iron Wire daily and I am very curious what it will bring. I might need the force this year because Siheng Darryl is setting us up for free sparring competitions!

It was 1,5 years since I learned from Sifu and I was again stunned by his abilities and the huge positive effect he has on me. My mind is so much clearer now! Thank you Sifu for your immense gift to us.

Thank you Ireland family, and especially Sije Joan for your great hospitality and a great course.

Salut!

Roeland Oevering

[Kevin_B]

Dear Family,

The tiredness of a thousand sleeps has visited me since the extraordinary events in Killarney last week. Experiencing a deep peace and inner calm like never before, I find myself very focused. It is like the breaking of a new dawn. I’m usually quite skilled in having many tentacles of thought connected to the past and to the future and a myriad of other (irrelevant) bits and pieces. Not now. The tentacles have been chopped. Its just me, here, breathing and fully alive.

Tiredness is a misnomer of course. As Sigung said last Wednesday, I am not tired but full of Chi. My body is readjusting which is manifesting within as a feeling of tiredness. Spiritually, it is very uplifting and nourishing.

The Iron Wire set was outstanding. It would have been worth ten times the price of admission just to see Sigung perform it. Sigung’s Force and Shen had the mystery of the cosmos about them. Simply breathtaking. Simply beautiful.

I experienced some extremely powerful and vigorous Chi Flows on the Sunday morning. Expecting power and vigor to be the signature offering of the Iron Wire, reflecting on it now, I was somewhat surprised for a deep stillness to suddenly consume me in Chi flow in a session towards the end of the morning. Standing there, physically motionless, I had an unexpected moment of pure bliss: I felt my internal force for the very first time. It was like a deep ocean current, flowing softly and very slowly from my hands up into my arms and into my body. It was warm and glowing, charged and deeply nourishing. It was the meeting of an old friend, an old noble and spiritual warrior that has been with me since times ancient.

It was a landmark moment of spiritual bliss and probably merited the writing of a poetic masterpiece or falling to my knees and shedding tears of gratitude and joy. Neither were to be for the singing words of our Grandmaster brought me right back: “And now, more sparring!”

The sparring was amazing. I learned and progressed so much over those short two days it feels like I’ve been on a spaceship in Star Trek travelling at warp speed. To be honest, I didn’t greet Sigung’s introduction of the element of threat with a beaming smile (paraphrasing – “Now, I want you to really punch them, they will thank you for it afterwards”). Reflecting on it now it was masterful teaching. Already I can see the tremendous progress in my combat efficiency and feel the broken remains of many personal insecurities which have been limiting me in my ever onwards and upwards journey.

It was a truly amazing two days.

Thank you Sigung for a truly outstanding set of courses over the Valentine's week here in Killarney. May God bestow a thousand blessings on you and your wonderful family for the truly astonishing fire you light inside all of us in Shaolin Wahnam. There is no path more nobler than your life’s work. Thank you, Sigung. Thank you.

Thank you Sifu for everything. It is only through your eternal kindness and compassion that I am here today reaping tremendous and enormous benefits from these arts. Thank you, Sifu. Thank you. For everything.

Best Wishes to all the Shaolin Family,

Kevin

[Kevin_B]

The class photo.

[Binia]

... thank you for all these inspiring accounts! One can literally feel the great flow :-)

[Darryl]

I've been asked many times by my students how the course was. I've answered by saying "Godly." When asked why, "Because it's probably the greatest course I have ever done with Sifu".

My concern before was that I really felt that three hours a day would have been more than enough. I honestly didn't feel that more than that would be safe to practice. I was correct and I was wrong, because Sifu clearly, cleanly and elegantly demonstrated the highest teachings in the most efficient way.

We generated force, we used that force to grow healthier and then we generated more force.

I've said it many times and every time I've meant it. Thank you Sifu, and thank you for accepting me as your student.

Humbly,

[chris-ireland]

Iron Wire

Hello family ,
I have taken a lot of courses with Sigung and experienced a lot during my training over the years. The Iron Wire is like no other course.

Other force training methods just don’t compare to power that can be generated from it. During the course I could feel the force going deep inside me releasing all the deep emotional and mental blockages by Sunday i was a different person and now a week on, I am different again. I feel every time I train now there is a small but powerful change happening deep within.

Looking back now at the weekend I understand why we practised sparring against boxers, I would if we had not I probably would have exploded with all that force. My heart of confidence has greatly increased as a result of the Iron Wire and as Sifu Joan pointed out we can take on the world.

I would like to thank Sigung for transmitting this wonderful set to us , to for Sifu Joan for organising it and to the Past Masters . Words fail to describe my gratitude all I can say is thank you ,

Many happy blessings Chris

[Guest]

Dear family,

This was a rewarding experience. The foremost benefit I have received from practicing the set for a little over a week is that I am stronger as a person.

Thank you to Sifu for coming all the way from Malaysia to generously teach us this advanced set. You are an excellent teacher and a wonderful example of the Shaolin arts.

Thank you to Sije Joan, it was very kind of you to organise everything and you did it so well.

Thank you to all the course participants too, there was a real family spirit at the course and I received a lot of help and advice on my kung fu from many people

Best wishes,

Sham.

[Nick Jones]

I'm finding it a little challenging to find the words to describe this course. I'm sure if I stay in a state of Zen they'll come as I type though, they always do

And that's the key benefit I received - the speciality of the of the Iron wire set and of the weekend in Killarney. Intense mental clarity. Not just a clear and bright mind. Intense. Mental. Clarity. Way beyond anything I've experienced before. Ever eaten beetroot? Not like I have that weekend. Ever looked at moss? not like I did that weekend. Ever looked at someone else's face with such piercing clarity you can actually feel the minute movements of their muscles and see the chi flow across their skin?

How is this possible?

The force developed from practising Iron Wire correctly leaves your mind so entrenched in a state of Zen, that at that moment when the sublime beetroot slides down your throat you're so aware, so in touch with everything that is happening in that moment, that you can still feel each mouthful after it's been swallowed and as it goes all the way down into your stomach you can feel its energy flow into you. When you look at moss, your heart is so open that there is no difference between the moss and you, you can sense it's life just as you sense your own. When you look at another human being you do so, so open, so unguarded, so untouched by desire or fear or emotion in that moment that you can be aware of their sensations just as clearly as you are of your own.

If all this seems a little 'out there' to you, you've probably not had the chance to experience a deep state of Zen. A state that is not only more amazing and natural than anything else you could imagine, but a state that also enhances everything else you could imagine. So don't imagine. Just be.