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  • Why THE LEGACY OF ZHANG SAN FENG?

    Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

    As you know Sifu will teach THE LEGACY OF ZHANG SAN FENG at this year's Valentine's ZEN/TAO Festival in Dublin from February 29th - March 2nd 2016

    I reproduce below a wonderful question by Andrew and a wonderful answer from Sifu (as always) from the Legacy of Zhang San Feng thread kindly started by Barry in the Q&A's to the Grandmaster section.

    Thank you Sifu, Andrew and Barry!

    Smile from the Heart,
    Joan


    Question 4

    Sifu has noted that Zhang San Feng was probably the greatest martial artist ever. My questions are as follow:

    If Zhang San Feng were alive today, what would Sifu wish to learn from him?

    With the tremendous development in Sifu's teaching methods and the numerous innovations in training and skill development Sifu has made in the past decades, how does Sifu think Zhang San Feng would view the "Legacy of Zhang San Feng" course Sifu will be teaching in terms of content, teaching method and potential achievement for the participants?

    Zhang San Feng is celebrated as the "inventor" of Taijiquan. Probably based on his previous Shaolin training, Zhang San Feng developed this complete system which, I believe, covers all aspects from health to internal force, from martial skills to spiritual cultivation, etc. Can Sifu please share his thoughts as to why others later found it necessary to develop other Taijiquan styles from this already compact, complete and highly efficient system?

    Sifu Andrew Barnett


    Answer

    If Zhang San Feng were alive today and willing to teach me, which will be a great honour for me, I would like to learn from him how to live in this phenomenal world for more than 200 years.

    I was a very good student when learning from my four sifus, Uncle righteousness, Sifu Chee Kim Thong, Sifu Ho Gatt Nam, and Sifu Choe Hoong Choy. But I might not be a good student if Zhang San Feng asked me to abstain from eating delicious food like Portugese grilled prawns, Spanish jamon and Latin American steak.

    Honestly I think the great Zhang San Feng would be very surprised. In all probability we would say, “How could you teach my legacy in five days? I took more than 30 years to attain what you will teach.”

    In terms of content, Zhang San Feng might say, “The patterns you will teach are not the same as those I performed but the principles and practice are close enough. And why do you reveal the secrets of internal force so readily. I didn’t use the terms ‘flowing force’ and ‘consolidated force’, but they describe quite accurately what I did.”

    In terms of teaching methodology, Zhang San Feng might say, “What is this video thing about the Wudang set you name after me? You mean they learn the set before even attending the course? My students would take a few years to learn a kungfu set, with me supervising them everyday. They would also take many years to develop internal force. But you do that in five days? You must take care that your students don’t over-train.”

    In terms of potential achievement for the course participants, the great Taoist patriarch and sage might say, “Overcoming pain and illness? My students didn't have this problem. They were already healthy before they started learning kungfu from me. Being combat efficient? Of course! I don’t want my students to make a mockery of the martial art they practice. But like you, combat efficiency, though important, is not our priority. Our priority is to return to the Tao.”

    “But what are these shoots and pin-downs, and Muay Thai knee jabs? If these attackers fought that way, my students could kill them with palm strikes on their head. But we won’t kill them. We would throw them about like little boys.

    “Applying what they learn to daily life? That is not my concern, nor the concern of my student I and they have done that before we come to the Wudang Mountain to cultivate. But if your students still live in the phenomenal world, that is an excellent achievement for them. But wait. You are the first kungfu master I know who has this aspiration. All other kungfu masters taught their students how to fight well.”

    “And did you say you would teach Taijiquan and call it my legacy? What is this Taijiquan? I haven’t heard its name before. What I teach is Wudang Shaolin Kungfu.”

    “But the most amazing is that you want to teach my legacy in five days! Anyway I wish you all the best.”

    Yes, the Wudang Shaolin Kungfu that the great Zhang San Feng “invented’, which was called Taijiquan a few centuries after him, covers all aspects from health to internal force, from martial skills to spiritual cultivation. It is , in my opinion, the climax of not only Shaolin Kungfu development but the climax of all martial art development.
    This legacy of Zhang San Feng not only gives martial artists good health, combat efficiency and spiritual cultivation, but the best in health, combat efficiency and spiritual cultivation. Considering that many marrial artists today are unhealthy (they are in pain and sustain internal injury much of the time), unable to defend themselves (they take for granted being hit and kicked at in free sparring) and lacking in spiritual cultivation (they are often angry and stressful which show that their spirit is uncultivated), an art that gives good health, combat efficiency and spiritual cultivation is certainly worth learning. Zhang San Feng’s legacy not only give these three categories of benefits, it gives their best.

    Zhang San Feng lived to more than 200 years, and was healthy and full of vitality before he eventually merged with the Tao. This gives an idea of the benefits of his legacy in terms of health.

    In my opinion, top martial artists today would be like children when fighting with past kungfu masters like Wong Fei Hoong and Yang Lu Chan, and Wong Fei Hoong and Yang Lu Chan would be like children when fighting with Zhang San Feng. This gives an idea of his legacy in terms of combat efficiency.

    Zhang San Feng was peaceful, happy and free, had many glimpses of Cosmic Reality, and eventually merged with the Tao, which is the highest spiritual attainment any being can attain. This gives an idea of his legacy in terms of spiritual cultivation.

    When his legacy is already compact, complete and highly efficient, why was it that others later found it necessary to develop other Taijiquan styles? It was because of various factors. Not many people, for example, had the opportunity of Zhang San Feng’s students, nor the ability of Zhang San Feng himself. Others might have learned the art much modified due to passage of time, and further modified it when teaching it to others due to meeting expedient needs.

    Cheng Wang Ting, the First Patriarch of Chen Style Taijiquan, for example, was a scholar-general. He spent most of his life leading an army, not cultivating or practicing Shaolin Wudang Kungfu on the Wudang Mountain like Zhang San Feng and his succeeding disciples did. Chen Wang Ting was the first to give the name “Taijiquan” to the art. The focus of Chen Style Taijiquan was on combat efficiency, not on spiritual cultivation.

    Yang Lu Chan learned Chen Style Taijiquan from Chen Chang Jing, a succeeding patriarch of Chen Style Taijiquan. Chen Style Taijiquan was taught exclusively only to members of the Chen family, and as Yang Lu Chan was not in the Chen family, he worked as a servant in Chen Chang Ting’s family and “stole” the art, which is a kungfu term meaning to learn the art secretly by watching practitioners practice it. Under such conditions, it was understandable that Yang Lu Chan’s Taijiquan would be different from the Taijiquan passed down by Chen Wang Ting, which in turn would be different due to the passage of times from the Taijiquan of Zhang San Feng a few centuries before.

    Later Yang Lu Chan moved from the Chen Village in Henan to Bejing (or Peking) where he taught Taijiquan to the public. Many of the fighting secrets of Taijiquan would not be taught openly.

    Yang Lu Chan’s grandson, Yang Deng Fu, taught Taijiquan to the public for health, not for fighting as in Chen Style Taijiquan, nor for spiritual cultivation as in Taijiquan practiced on the Wudang Mountain. Yang Deng Fu enlarged the forms of Taijiquan techniques, and performed the movements slowly and gracefully. It resulted in what is now called Yang Style Taijiquan. In honour of his grandfather who brough Taijiquan our of the Chen Village, he graciously attributed the founding of Yang Style Taijiquan to his grandmaster, Yang Lu Chan, who actually practiced Chen Style Taijiquan and employed it to defeat all challengers.

    When the Chinese government restored Taijiquan as an item in wushu competitions, a council of Taijiquan masters created a set of 24-Pattern Simplified Taijiquan, which was mainly based on Yang Style Taijiquan. The competitions were based on beautiful demonstrations, not only how well you defeated your opponent, or how much internal force you had. Later Chen Style Taijiquan became popular in China, but it was also based on demonstration.

    We can, therefore, see a change of focus in Taijiquan, from a focus on spiritual cultivation in Wudang Taijiquan, to combat efficiency in Chen Style Taijiquan, to health in Yang Style Taijiquan, and to demonstration in wushu Taijiquan. Nevertheless, in the Legacy of Zhang San Feng course during the UK Summer Camp, we aspire to restore the greatness of Wudang Taijiquan, or Wudang Shaolin Kungfu as it was known then. We aspire to practice Taijiquan for good health, combat efficiency and spiritual cultivation, as well as for peak performance in daily life.

    Attached Files
    Books don't mean a lot unless you open them, Hearts are the same.......


    Valentine's Smile from the Heart 2019 IRELAND - world renowned Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.

    -A FEAST OF SHAOLIN transmitted by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit FEBRUARY 16TH -19TH 2019
    GENERATING ENERGY FLOW
    ONE FINGER SHOOTING ZEN
    THE INCREDIBLE 3 DAY INTENSIVE ZEN COURSE .

    Sifujoan@gmail.com

  • #2
    Thank you Sifu for highlighting this gem!

    It is a fantastic set and one that I am so looking forward to learning ... again !

    All the best,

    Kevin

    Comment


    • #3
      Dear Joan Sije,

      Indeed, this course sounds truly marvellous!

      (I laughed out loud when reading Sifu's passage about what Zhang San Feng might say. )

      Although I am not able to go to beautiful Ireland to attend this course, I would like to mention that I took the liberty some time ago, of posting the Intensive Zen Course and Legacy of Zhang San Feng Course on my websites, which are largely read by Canadian and Japanese readers.

      I hope many people are availing themselves of these priceless opportunities. Wishing you and everyone at the Ireland Zen and Taijiquan festivities all the best of fun and meaningful success with Sifu!

      Shaolin salute - love and respect,

      Emiko
      Emiko Hsuen
      www.shaolinwahnam.jp
      www.shaolinwahnam.ca

      INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
      Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
      4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
      Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
      Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
      Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
      Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
      To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Emiko H View Post

        (I laughed out loud when reading Sifu's passage about what Zhang San Feng might say. )
        Indeed, this passage is an instant classic.

        It sounds like this course is also going to be an instant classic. I wish I could be there; so I will be there in spirit.

        Yours,

        Charles
        Charles David Chalmers
        Brunei Darussalam

        Comment


        • #5
          Thank you!

          Dear Emiko,

          Thank you for your lovely comments. I also really appreciate you including the Zen Intensive and Legacy of Zhang San Feng on your websites.

          We have the pleasure of some Canadian students coming to Dublin in February which is wonderful! I understand you can't make it but I am sure we will meet up somewhere around the world in 2016.

          I have a few more posts coming up here over the next few weeks on the Legacy of Zhang San Feng and perhaps some students who were lucky enough to have taken it at the UK Summer camp last year may also like to comment on the benefits they have received since then.

          Thanks Charles for your lovely comments also. You will have your own fun in Sabah in March I am sure

          Happy training!
          Joan
          Books don't mean a lot unless you open them, Hearts are the same.......


          Valentine's Smile from the Heart 2019 IRELAND - world renowned Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.

          -A FEAST OF SHAOLIN transmitted by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit FEBRUARY 16TH -19TH 2019
          GENERATING ENERGY FLOW
          ONE FINGER SHOOTING ZEN
          THE INCREDIBLE 3 DAY INTENSIVE ZEN COURSE .

          Sifujoan@gmail.com

          Comment


          • #6
            Dear Joan Sije,

            We have the pleasure of some Canadian students coming to Dublin in February which is wonderful!
            That is fantastic news!

            I understand you can't make it but I am sure we will meet up somewhere around the world in 2016.
            That would be very nice indeed. I have fond memories of when we ‘crossed hands’ both in Malaysia and in Ireland.

            I have a few more posts coming up here over the next few weeks on the Legacy of Zhang San Feng...
            I look forward to reading them. Thank you for posting these invaluable teachings of Sifu!

            From the heart,

            Emiko
            Emiko Hsuen
            www.shaolinwahnam.jp
            www.shaolinwahnam.ca

            INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
            Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
            4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
            Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
            Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
            Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
            Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
            To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

            Comment


            • #7
              Over the years of training with Sifu I have taken and practiced many courses, of which 3 stand out and having the biggest impact on me.

              The Choe Family Wing Choon course helped not only with increased sensitivity, but also deepened my understanding and skills in developing various types of force and applying them.

              Next was the Dragon Strength course. This shifted something inside me, softened me and opened the doors to a meaningful flow of energy.

              The Legacy of Zhang San Feng course. This is still with me today, in my heart, my spirit, my being. When preparing for the Summer Camp last year we reviewed the Treatise that Sifu kindly put up on his site the following passage. This single passage has had a profound affect on my daily life and those around me:

              Entering the way nourish heart stabilize nature; accumulate energy focus spirit be main path. Practice this art must follow thus. Heart not peaceful, nature disturbed. Energy not accumulated, spirit disordered.
              During the course Sifu transmitted the real experience of this passage. We weren't just learning great Kung Fu, we were learning how to live life as a meaningful flow of energy.

              I practice the set everyday. It is a beautiful and profound set and one that we are very lucky to have been gifted.

              With greatest respect and gratitude to Sifu.
              Tim Franklin

              http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
              A story of finding Courage and Wisdom

              www.zenarts.co.uk Classes and Courses for Shaolin Kung Fu, Taijiquan and Qigong in Bognor Regis, Chichester, West Sussex

              Fully Alive on Facebook Energy Flow for Health and Happiness

              UK Summer Camp Qigong, Taijiquan, Shaolin Kung Fu, Spiritual Cultivation with Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

              sigpic

              Comment


              • #8
                Dear Tim,

                Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.

                Being able to use these arts in our daily life to make everything we do more simple, clear and enjoyable is such a blessing.

                I would love to hear from others who have taken the Legacy of Zhang San Feng course. It is always such a joy reading experiences from Sifu's teaching.

                Smile from the heart,
                Joan
                Books don't mean a lot unless you open them, Hearts are the same.......


                Valentine's Smile from the Heart 2019 IRELAND - world renowned Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.

                -A FEAST OF SHAOLIN transmitted by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit FEBRUARY 16TH -19TH 2019
                GENERATING ENERGY FLOW
                ONE FINGER SHOOTING ZEN
                THE INCREDIBLE 3 DAY INTENSIVE ZEN COURSE .

                Sifujoan@gmail.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Another reason WHY?

                  Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family and Forum readers,

                  Here is another interesting reason why we are all looking forward to this magnificent course with Sifu in Dublin.

                  Thank you Sifu. Also thanks to Santi for the question which deepens our understanding on many levels and to Barry for Legacy of Zhang San Feng Q&A thread.

                  Smile from the Heart,
                  Joan


                  Doing some research in Sifu's website he mentions that "before Zhang San Feng, kungfu in its physical form, chi kung and meditation were practiced separately. Zhang San Feng was a martial art genius. In his training he integrated physical kungfu, chi kung and meditation into one unity, bringing kungfu development to an unprecedented height. The result was what we now call Wudang Taijiquan".

                  The way Zhang San Feng integrate these 3 aspects into one unity seems very similar to the way we train in Shaolin Wahnam as we train form, energy and mind at the very start and in all our practices.

                  Did Shaolin Kungfu masters integrated these 3 aspects into one unity once Zhang San Feng developed Wudang Taijiquan or they kept training them separately?

                  Did Sigung Ho or any of your Sifus have these 3 aspects integrated into one unity or merging them came later through your own progress and development and as a result of an aha experience like for example practicing Taijiquan?

                  Might this be the reason why we are so cost effective?

                  Santiago


                  Answer

                  Zhang san Feng was a genius. He integrated kungfu , chi kung and meditation into one unity.

                  This is how we train in Shaolin Wahnam. We owe this to Zhang San Feng. We are very grateful to him.

                  This triple training in one not only saves us a lot of time, it gives us a lot of benefits. If we were to train kungfu, chi kung and meditation separately, we would need a longer time. As a rough estimate, we would need three years instead of one year when we train all the three in one unity.

                  Not only we save time, we also get more benefits. In other words, training our arts in an integrated way of triple cultivation for one year gives us more benefit than training the arts separately as kungfu, chi kung and meditation for three years. As a rough estimate again, we get 5 times more benefits!

                  I would also add that my two estimates are conservative. It is more likely that our saving in time and gaining in benefits will be more than estimated.

                  Some random comparison will give us an idea of the gain in time and benefits we get.

                  Our students can spar for hours in intensive courses and are not tired or panting for breadths, whereas even other masters would be tired and short of breath after sparring for 30 minutes. This is a gain in benefit.

                  Our students can develop internal force after a few hours of my regional courses whereas even other masters chased after internal force for years but to no avail. This is a gain of time and benefit.

                  Our students can have a spiritual awakening, like their spirit expanding beyond their physical body, after a few hours of my regional courses, whereas even monks cultivating in a monastery would take years. This is a gain in time.

                  Even after Zhang San Feng had integrated these three aspects into one and had developed Wudang Taijiquan, other Shaolin kungfu masters as well as masters of other styles did not have this great benefit. They still trained kungfu, chi kung and meditation separately.

                  If a master was injured, for example, he would not know how to generate an energy flow to clear his injury. He would have to take medication.

                  Very few kungfu practitioners, including masters, had a chance to learn meditation.

                  Meditation was the prerogative of Buddhist monks, Taoist priests and a few high-level Taijiquan masters. Not any of them had spiritual awakenings.

                  One main reason was that such teaching was kept as a top secret. If past masters knew of the Legacy of Zhang San Feng course at the UK Summer Camp, they would think it was a big, crazy joke.

                  Although I learned excellent kungfu, chi kung and meditation from my four sifus, they did not integrate these three aspects into one unity like what we now do in Shaolin Wahnam. I had to learn kungfu, chi kung and meditation separately.

                  When I learned Four Gates, for example, it was kungfu. Practicing Four Gates did not give me internal force nor spiritual cultivation.

                  To develop internal force, I had to practice One-finger Shooting Zen. For spiritual cultivation, which was taught exclusively to only selected disciples, I had to practice sitting meditation.

                  My training was unlike what a typical Shaolin Wahnam student does today, where kungfu, chi kung and meditation are integrated. When a Shaolin Wahnam student practices Four Gates, for example, he will also develop internal force and train spiritual cultivation. He does not have to practice One-Finger Shooting Zen separately for internal force, or sitting meditation for spiritual cultivation.

                  In other words, by practicing just any kungfu sets, like Floating Water Floating Clouds or the Shaolin Flower Set, without performing separate chi kung and meditation training, a student now can develop internal force and experience spiritual cultivation.

                  Merging the three aspects of kungfu, chi kung and meditation into one unity came later through my own progress and development. It is a result of a aha experience and inspiration from Zhang San Feng, especially after my practice of Taijiquan.

                  This integration of the three arts is one of the main reasons why we are so cost-effective. Another main reason is my heart-to-heart transmission. Students in my courses do not have to practice the techniques for months to acquire the skills. They acquire the skills immediately from my transmission.

                  Another main reason is that I am sincere and generous in passing our arts to deserving students. If a teacher does not want to pass on the secrets, even when he himself is a great master, students may not learn.
                  Attached Files
                  Books don't mean a lot unless you open them, Hearts are the same.......


                  Valentine's Smile from the Heart 2019 IRELAND - world renowned Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.

                  -A FEAST OF SHAOLIN transmitted by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit FEBRUARY 16TH -19TH 2019
                  GENERATING ENERGY FLOW
                  ONE FINGER SHOOTING ZEN
                  THE INCREDIBLE 3 DAY INTENSIVE ZEN COURSE .

                  Sifujoan@gmail.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

                    Thank you Sije for posting this inspiring answer. :-)

                    Only few weeks left for this great course to become a reality. Can't wait!

                    With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

                    Santi

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by sancrica View Post
                      Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

                      Thank you Sije for posting this inspiring answer. :-)

                      Only few weeks left for this great course to become a reality. Can't wait!

                      With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

                      Santi

                      See you soon dear Santi!!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I just want to add here gratitude for Tim & Barry for continuing the tradition with the weekly classes of The Legacy of Zhang San Feng set in London.
                        I have learnt a lot and still am contunually and have improved the set since the Summer camp.

                        Thanks to Both with a big smile from the heart
                        James



                        Originally posted by Tim View Post
                        Over the years of training with Sifu I have taken and practiced many courses, of which 3 stand out and having the biggest impact on me.

                        The Choe Family Wing Choon course helped not only with increased sensitivity, but also deepened my understanding and skills in developing various types of force and applying them.

                        Next was the Dragon Strength course. This shifted something inside me, softened me and opened the doors to a meaningful flow of energy.

                        The Legacy of Zhang San Feng course. This is still with me today, in my heart, my spirit, my being. When preparing for the Summer Camp last year we reviewed the Treatise that Sifu kindly put up on his site the following passage. This single passage has had a profound affect on my daily life and those around me:



                        During the course Sifu transmitted the real experience of this passage. We weren't just learning great Kung Fu, we were learning how to live life as a meaningful flow of energy.

                        I practice the set everyday. It is a beautiful and profound set and one that we are very lucky to have been gifted.

                        With greatest respect and gratitude to Sifu.
                        Aaahhhhh!

                        Comment

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