Archive for April 2007
Chi Kung Used To Cope With Anxiety And Discrimination During Epidimic
Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 at 1:11 AM by Sifu Smith
Oriental therapies can help chronically ill people stay strong and
reduce stress levels during epidemics, according to research in the
April issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing. Researchers
have shown that people who practiced the Oriental art of ChiKung which
combines gentle exercise with breathing techniques, meditation and
visualisation reaped considerable benefits during the SARS outbreak in
Hong Kong.
Researchers have shown that people who practiced the
Oriental art of Qigong which combines gentle exercise with breathing
techniques, meditation and visualisation reaped considerable benefits
during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong.
It also helped them to cope with the stigmatisation and discrimination that developed against chronically ill people during the crisis, as they were seen as a high risk group with a much greater chance of being infected by, and dying from, the disease.
"We were already studying the health benefits of this very popular therapy when SARS severe acute respiratory syndrome hit Hong Kong" explains lead author Judy Yuen-man Siu, who carried out the research in the Department of Anthropology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Posted in Meditation, Tai Chi
Do You Yahoo - China
Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 11:47 AM by Sifu Smith
Yahoo has taken many questionable steps to further their business profits. Recently, Yahoo-China ratted out a Journalist in China by handing over his email messages and other account information to the Chinese Goverment. Shi Tao, a 37 year old journalist, was accused of "being dissident" by the Chinese Communist Government. After Yahoo rolled him over, and the emails that contained the information, the Chinese Government have sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
In another instance, Yahoo turned over information to the Chinese Government so they could link another gentleman who writes about politics, and has been anonymously emailing his journals to other Yahoo users. One day the phone rings, Wang answeres, and the Chinese Goverment swarm through house, he has been imprisoned since 2002.
Read the Story of being imprisoned for what is written
Be careful next time you sign up for an account.
Edited on: Friday, April 27, 2007 11:55 AMPosted in Stories
Kung Fu Center being built in Russia
Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 6:11 AM by Sifu Smith
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Russia and China have agreed and signed a letter of intent to build the largest overseas center and the first kungfu center in Russia. The land for this incredible kungfu center will be donated for free. The President of Russia is a motivator and supporter of bringing the Shaolin KungFu to Russia.
The Russian President recently went to China and visited the Kung
Fu Temple in Henan Province. Several of the monks have become
mini-celebrities in Russia and are being warmly received. |
Chinese Sporting Events
Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 5:56 AM by Sifu Smith
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Think of the county fair, filled with cotton candy and fried everything. Now compare that to the event in Tianyang County this month. There was tug of war and wrestling in this massive pool of tomatoes. The entire event is a chinese cultural event and even included the very popular tortoise racing. |
Posted in Stories
Progression of Training - Knowing Yourself First
Posted on Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 10:17 PM by Sifu Smith
-"How do I express myself?" Am I defensive, blunt, aggressive, analytical?
-"Do I move together?" When my hand goes out, does my body and foot go out? Do I snap or accentuate?
-"Is the six togetherness there, the 3 physical and 3 internals, moving at one time?"
I wanted to take a moment and recognize Peter, one of our consistent students, who this Saturday morning, demonstrated tremendous gain in this understanding through his diligence, pursuit, and attitude.
Posted in Kung Fu, Students, Tai Chi
Meditation May Help
Posted on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 9:51 AM by Sifu Smith
In this high-tech age of modern medicine, could it be possible to treat the leading cause of death in the U.S. through the power of meditation? According to a first-of-its-kind randomized study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Geriatric Medicine, a widely practiced, stress-reducing meditation technique can significantly reduce the severity of congestive heart failure. The study appears in the Winter 2007 issue of Ethnicity & Disease.
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<a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=65344&nfid=crss">Transcendental Meditation Can Help</a>
Posted in Meditation
New Study:Tai Chi Assists In Preventing Shingles
Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 4:47 PM by Sifu Smith
UCLA just completed a study that demonstrates that elderly people
benefit from learning Tai Chi. In fact, they imroved their immune
system much greater than their elderly counterparts. Specifically these
people showed to improve their immune system against shingles.
Tai
Chi Prevents Shingles - Full Story
China Fails its Olympics Report Card on Tibet
Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 at 9:52 AM by Sifu Smith
500 days away from the Beijing 2008 Olympics, China is still failing to
comply with its Olympics commitments, particularly with regard to Tibet
- even though the International Olympics Committee declared the Games
would “improve the human rights situation in China”.
China
Fails its Olympics Report Card on Tibet
Training as compared to learning
Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 at 7:31 AM by Sifu Smith
Master Chin would often tell us that 'everybody comes with different levels and different expectations'. "We can't all grow up to be doctors and lawyers, but we all have places." The metaphor applies to the kungfu as well. When students come in, some have preconceived ideas of what they will be taught, how good they should be, based on previous experiences. Others come in with an open mind, and without these 'destiny' expectations, and they typically get better much quicker. Master Chin would say, "when you try to take our kungfu and interpret it with a mindset, the student can't make it work" (ie. wing-chun or karate student applies every movement with accenuation of striking or snatching). However, irregardless of the students good or poor interpretations, students can learn from one another.
Recently we were training and have some strong men who have really gained in the past few months, but each one of them face a tendency to over-use strength rather than timely-swift togetherness to express the power. They spent a couple of hours practicing with one of our other students, a lovely lady who has an extensive dance background, her grace and balance is superior than most. She has no intention of being in a sparring match. In those two hours of practice, they laughed learned, and three men made valuable gains in expressing and understanding softness. It is difficult for many people to grasp that softness is not weakness, keeping the yin-yang together.
Most of the time students go through a filter of change, the kung fu and tai chi act as the filter, and we get to meet the person on the other side. The first filter is normally to calm the mind and heart down, loosen up the heart and mind. The second is learning, the ancient master's teaching say that "learning of the mind is prior to learning of the body, learning of the body is superior to learning of the mind. Learning can not occur mind-to-mind, it must occur through enlightenment." Lastly, when learning of the mind has occur, and the student has become self-aware through basic training exercises, then the student begins to train interpretting and applying energy, this training may last a lifetime. It is said that many continue this training, then the spirit opens up.
We are all on our pursuits, none any lesser or greater than another. When we come to learn and practice, pay attention to your practice, look for the strengths in others and borrow them to raise your own, that is why we train together.
Posted in Kung Fu, Students, Tai Chi
Weekend Workshops
Posted on Tuesday, April 03, 2007 at 11:31 PM by Sifu Smith
We currently have a select number of students who are learning in semi-private and private formats. Primarily on the weekend, however some have scheduled during the week. The training always starts with the basics and moves to deeper understanding. If this format sounds like what you are most interested in, then let us know.
Edited on: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 12:20 AMPosted in Kung Fu, Raleigh, Tai Chi
Learning Expression of Power
Posted on Tuesday, April 03, 2007 at 11:28 PM by Sifu Smith
As the students practiced this evening, several were introduced to expressing the same power (peng, lui, gi, an) with a new set of footwork. One of the students made an enlightening comment; "I have learned that I know it if it is just this way". Master Chin often demonstrated, expressed, and taught us that kung fu is a fluid exchange. If you know "when, where, and how your oppenent will attack you" then kungfu is much easier.
One set of foot work can't always apply. As stated in the classics, the primary expressions of Tai Chi and Kung Fu must be trained in the five stepping changes, advancing, withdrawing, turn left, turn right, and grounded. By taking one set of powers and learning to express it in many variations, (the hands and intention are nearly the same, but the footwork is lively), then we realize that form is a boundry.
However, by expanding our understanding the training takes on a deeper understanding. When we call upon a command of expression, the footwork must be solid and lively enough to carry out the command. Learning the hands often seems much simplier than learning the body and feet.
Tibetan Leader Calls on Speaker Pelosi
Posted on Tuesday, April 03, 2007 at 11:20 PM by Sifu Smith
Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, Chairman of the Tibetan Cabinet (Kalon Tripa), today visited the U.S. Capitol and paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the House. Speaker Pelosi has been a long time friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and supporter of Tibetan issues in the Congress.Edited on: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 12:21 AM
Tibetan Leader Calls on Speaker Pelosi
The Kung Fu Family
Posted on Monday, April 02, 2007 at 8:10 AM by Sifu Smith
So Different, So Similar. As this Saturdays practice came to a close, I
was again reminded of the attributes of learning from an old set of
values when it comes to the kungfu school. Master Chin often told us
stories almost 20 years ago, of how when he was learning Kung Fu and Tai
Chi that he would have to pay Master Mat Sik with a bag of oranges. The
incredible number of stories, whether it was Mat Sik, Kuo Lien Ying, or
Henry Ng always gave an image of family. It was so much different than
what I had seen at the time at other martial schools: students show up
at 5:30 out at 6:45, next class 7 pm, endlessly. The Martial Art
Business School, that was one reason why I never went to those places.
Often after practice, the students would be tired, having trained diligently and we would go for lunch. Master Chin liked the K&W at the times so for years that where we went. Some of my fondess memories were of training hard with my classmates, and near the end of practice get the smell of cooking in the back. We would get through, Sifu Chin would hand you a bowl of rice, we would eat some other dish with one of the good sauces, and talk, or watch a kungfu movie (Clubfoot sticks in my mind).
At this stage, now I try to pass down that old-timey tradition. Each saturday after practice, we (10-15 of us) come together at the school, and cook a fine and fulfilling lunch. A massive pot of jasmine rice, grilling vegetables, stir-fry more, and at least 3 sauces we make (thanks again Star, the hot mustard sauce is still burning :). Many of the students have trained in other places and often comment that they never have had a bond with their classmates like the group they sweat, work, and endure with. They often meet with one another at parks and places to train and compare notes.
I am very proud of our group, each has their standing space and work diligently themselves. Again I am grateful to Master Chin who taught me a hell of lot more than kung fu, who shared with me a lot about life, togetherness, and the places you can find family.
Posted in Students