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POBox POBox POBox.News, views and your letters and questions answeredThe Goose& the KiwiDear Qi Magazine,Thank you for the informative, wellpresented magazine which I look forwardto receiving and reading.The memory of the Wye summerschool still lingers freshly as Iremember encouraging wordsandadjustmentstomovements as the goose isslowly finding its wings inNew Zealand.The most amazingevent happened whilepractising Wild Gooseearly one morning in mylocal park. I was justmoving into “Flying overthe Sea” when twoCanada Geese (honkingas they flew) passedover. I was so movedthat the hairs on the backof my neck stood up. I thought afterwardsI was dreaming, did I just imagine thathappening, as all that happens now is thebad tempered sea gulls moaning at me asthey compete for space in the earlymorning tranquillity.I’ve now taken more interest in thebird movement, especially the goose andwhat I have seen is totally different to whatI used to see. In fact, since finishing theWild Goose form everything in my life istaking on a new and deeper meaning.I thank you all for your being thereand helping people, more than you canimagine. For me it has inspired my lifeimmeasurably and all the people that visitme in my Chinese Medical practice.Best wishes from New ZealandN. New Zealandthe health of the internal organs and soon. Are there Qi Gong exercises thatstrengthen the physical body and make itmore capable of exertion, and where do Ifind out more about them?Thank you, TBDear T,There are many different kinds ofQigong but of those, there are two mainareas, Hard Qigong andSoft Qigong.Hard Qigonghelps developthe muscle, skinand bone of thebody,usingdynamic breathingexercises,movements andmeditation.Sometimes this iscalled Iron ShirtQigong and youhave probably seenphotos of peoplebendingspearsagainst their throats orbreakingbricksagainst their body or even lying on a bedof spikes. Many martial artists use this asa way of protecting their body from injury.Soft Qigong helps relax the bodyand improve health. It specifically worksto release blockages in the body andrestore natural Qi flow throughout thebody, also using movements andmeditation. The movements in SoftQigong are usually much more gentleand connect with various acupuncturepoints in the body. If it is Hard Qigong inwhich you are interested, I will be holdinga Level I seminar of the Heavenly RiverMonastery Hard Qigong in March 2000in Bellevue, WA (USA). I hope that thishas answered your question.Yours sincerely,Michael TseHeatQigong for Strength InternalGood day Michael,Hello,I have just been looking at the webpage, and saw Bruce Lee on the front ofthe Magazine. I would like to ask you aquestion - a lot of Qi Gong centres aroundI have recently purchased yourbook on “Qigong for Health and Vitality”.Can you, perhaps, help me with my presentstate of ill health? I am aged 61 and workDanny ConnorA friend of mine, DannyConnor, passed away on New Year’sDay. We worked together from 1988to 1990. He was a person whom Iworked with doing Qigong inEngland. We set up a “QigongInstitute” to help promote Qigong andhelp people improve their health. Healways had new ideas and contactsand so we got quite a lot of publicityin newspapers and even sometelevision during the time I was withhim. A t thesame time, Istayed withhim at hishome. He hasa wonderfulwife and shetook care ofme,fixingmeals andmaking mefeel like partof their family.She was a very nice lady. Even myteacher Ip Chun says that.Danny was a very charmingperson who could make you laughvery easily. He had a lot life experienceand he helped me learn more aboutthe Western culture. He also helpedme improve my English which at thattime was not very smooth. Althoughlater we had certain difficulties, I misshim. He did a lot to help promote themartial and healing arts in the UK andwas well known by many people.Michael Tseas an accountant. For about fifteen years Ihave suffered with Psoriasis. My lower legs,elbows and scalp are particularly diseased.I am presently advised by a youngAsian practitioner in Traditional ChineseMedicine. Acupuncture has beenunsuccessfully attempted. My diet is prettybland. Nothing roasted, fried, baked,barbecued. I eat steamed chicken or whitefish, and boiled vegetables. Apples andpears are allowed. White rice, white breadare eaten by me as the wholemeal varietyseems to be too harsh. I have purchased abook or two in an attempt to learn theQi Magazine 3

Sweden -Balancing GongInstructors CourseIn Sweden, on the weekend of 28January, over twenty peoplereceived their qualification as anauthorised instructor for the TseQigong Centre to teach BalancingGong. Everyone worked very hardover the weekend. It was very niceto see how those more experiencedwith the exercises helped those justlearning.Qigong form, but the forms applied byme have, so far, been of no help. Haveyou had any experience with the treatmentof psoriasis, as I should like to overcomethe illness.HG, CardiffDear HG,Thank you for your letter. Yourcondition is very common these daysand you have taken the right steps toreduce the foods mentioned from yourdiet. Fried, roasted and spicy foods allcreate fire in the body. The same forchocolate, caffeine, certain fruits(tangerines, peaches) and vegetables. Youcan also try drinking some cooling teas,like chryanthemum, peppermint or evensome specially prepared mixtures, like WuFa Cha (five flower tea) which is forreleasing fire from the body.When there istoo much fire, thenit is like anythingthat sits near a hotoven, it will lose itsmoistureandbecome dry. Wecan help the bodyto produce more oilsbyimprovingcirculation and Qigongshould certainly aid you in doing this.However, my suggestion in the first placewould be to take as much fresh air aspossible. Try slapping gently from theshoulders down to the wrists on theA Great RecoverySome people came as they wantedto set up their own classes whileothers wanted to become qualifiedso that they might use the BalancingGong exercises in their clinics andwork as therapists. Stefan andBarbro, who are the Swedishcontacts for the Tse Qigong Centre,worked very hard to make thecourse run smoothly and bringeveryone together as a family. Theyare all looking forward to theHealthy Living Gong instructorcourse in the future.World Taiji &Qigong DayApril 8th 2000The goal is to promote Tai Chi &Qigong, & to promote local classesand the important work of localteachers worldwide through aGLOBAL EVENT. The ultimate goalis to vastly improve world health byeducating the world to theincredible potential for healing andhealthcare that Taiji & Qigong offer.Qi Magazine 4Dear Michael:I wanted to take a few moments to drop you a few lines to give you anupdate and say thank you. When I talked to you last I was in despair that mydoctors wanted to put me on complete bed rest as my heart condition wasgetting serious. After much discussion and persuasion, I convinced mycardiologist to allow me to maintain some simple exercises. The one that wasthe most relaxing and easiest for me was Beautiful Woman Turns the Waistfrom your book.I also massaged my feet and arms to stimulate circulation as youadvised. After a few weeks I was scheduled for a major surgery that was tohave me in bed for a few weeks recovering. The day after surgery I felt goodenough to be up and walking, I began doing my Qigong exercise routineagain within a day of my operation. My surgeon and doctors were amazed atmy ability to move so easily so quickly. I was amazed too. I am making greatstrides in my embarkment on a new life. I thank you for your time andsuggestions. I believe that the way you helped prepare me is the reason Imade such a complete recovery so quickly. Thank you, again.KA, IndianaNOTICE!If there is a story you would like to share about how Qigong or themartial arts, Taoism, Buddhism has improved your life and well-being, pleasesend us a letter to:UK: PO Box 59AltrinchamWA15 8FSemail: tse@qimagazine.comUSA: PO Box 2697Kirkland, WA 98083email: tse@wildgooseqigong.comPlease let us know whether or not you wish your name withheld andonly initials put in its place. We would like to help encourage others who maybe experiencing some of the same difficulties that others have overcome.That way, we can help each other and be like a family together.

outside of the arms. You can also do thesame on legs, slapping down the outsideof the thighs and calves to the ankles. Thiswill help the body release negativeenergy. You can also rub the soles of yourfeet at night before sleeping as well, asthis too will help release negative energy.If you find you would like to dosome Qigong exercises, you can try someof the Balancing Gong exercises from myvideo, starting out slowly and finishing bydoing the meditation. If you can do theexercises outside, this is even better. If not,you can open a window to help the airexchange. Even ten minutes a daypractised regularly should show someimprovement in your condition. If youhave any further questions, please let meknow.Wishing you better health,Michael TseQuestions asked ofMichael Tse from his ClassesQ.Why when I am taught inclass by an instructor, is theirmovement different thanyour movement?A.No body will do a formexactly like someone else,even if under the sameteacher. This is becauseeveryone has different sizebodies. However, theprinciple should be thesame. In Qigong theprinciple should be onrelaxation. The mind shouldbe relaxed and calm. Themovements should all connect with your body and energy. Theacupuncture points used in various movements should be correct andthis will also help form a guideline. You should follow the meaning ofeach movement, like gathering the energy to the Dantien, etc.Wing Chun BooksHi there!I am German. Right now I live inDarlington, Wisconsin because I’m anexchange student. This is my problem. Ihave been studying Wing Chun Kung Fufor two years now, but here it’s hard forme to practise becauseI don’t have apartner, but I’mstill in touchwith WingChun. Theonly thing IpractiseWe are all are slightly different when we do the form. It is just like ourhandwriting. Everyone’s writing is not the same, however, the spellingmust be correct and you should be able to clearly read what has beenwritten. This is following the principle.Q.Can we, at the same time I am studying with the Tse Qigong Centre,study with someone else?A.It is not a problem to study with other teachers. Many famous mastersin the past have been studying from more than one teacher. The pointis how you treat your teacher. You should be sincere and honest to tellyour teacher that you want to study with another. A good teacher willnot have a problem for this and will probably even give you advice.However, if you secretly study with someone else and your teacherdoes not know, then this will betray your teacher and you willlose his trust. The best is to ask your teacher before you go tostudy with another. Also, if you go to study with anotherteacher, you should always be honest about yourbackground and tell that teacher you are studying withsomeone else.is Siu Lim Tao and Chum Kiu.So I saw your book which I think isexcellent to help me out a bit.Unfortunately there isn’t anything aboutthe Chum Kiu or using it.This leads me to my first question:Is there another book for advanced WingChun? So a second part? But mainly I writeto congratulate to you on this great bookand I would like to know if you could giveme any tips how I can improve my practicehere without a partner. Like some exerciseswhich improve my speed or is there a wayhow I can still improve my sensitivity?What would you suggest to do? I reallyneed your help, and I think you are really“Wing Chun smart”. It would be great ifyou could mail me back as soon as possibleand give me some advise. Thank you verymuch.M. Darlington USAQi Magazine 5

Dear M,Thank you for your letter. At thismoment, we are working on the otherWing Chun books and so they will beready soon. As for your question aboutpractising alone, this is a commonproblem but it does not mean you cannottrain. I remember when I first beganstudying, I used doors or posts to practisemy upper body work or just practisedpunching in the air. For footwork, thereis much you can do, practising movingin all directions, forwards, backwards,sideways, circling, using the Wing Chunprinciple. You can even use a chair topractise hitting with one foot. This willhelp train your stance on one leg andhelp you keep the upper bodystill and relaxed. Sokeep u look like an army!” said Darryl, with a huge grin, as he surveyed thetwenty-five of us, standing with our staff at the ready, prepared to be instructed inthe art of the Shaolin Damo Staff. Well, at least one soldier was shaking in her boots,feeling very unsoldierly, more like a funny old witch with her broomstick!It was all very strange on that first day. The staff, which was meant to be myfriend, felt unwieldy, and my main preoccupation was to avoid knocking myself oranyone else with it. We started by doing some basic exercises, that was OK, and thefact that I had done some juggling in the past helped me. Then on to the form, andthis was hard work indeed. The postures, the movements, the rhythm, were totallynew to me, and I often found myself in the wrong mind set. I was seeking reassurance“I was a little less clumsy,almost flowing at times. At the end ofthe week-end, I felt amazinglyenergised and supple.Dear SirHappy New Year. I received the“Balancing Gong” video. You’re veryfortunate to have Mr. Tse in your neck ofthe woods. The exercises are easy to followalthough I don’t have the courage to dothe “Peeping Monkey” exercise in public.Living in New York City, that’s a sure fireway to end up in Bellevue Hospital.Although I’ve been meditating formore than 25 years, Qigong is an excellentaddition to my daily routine. I beganlearning Taiji last year and this has leddirectly to Qigong. Because of the yearsspent meditating, I can feel the Qi energyin my body. Storing it in the lower Dantianis something that I wasn’t previously awareof. No matter how long one lives, there isalways something new to learn. I’d like tothank you, Mr. Tse, and other staffmembers for your prompt attention inmailing the video and book.Mr. Tse must be a fan of “MartialLaw.” Samo Hung also likes to useouttakes at the end of his show.Sincerely, MPS - I enjoyed reading yourarticle at Garri Garripoli’s website.Qi Magazine 6Grandma Gets Going with Her Stick.in familiarity, for instance thinking in terms of “Laogong to Third-eye” when I wasmeant to think of protecting my head from a potential opponent. The sequence wasimpossible for me to memorise. But it was fun, and everybody was relaxed andfriendly. So I persevered and found the second day much easier. In spite of manyerrors, I could remember the movements which were being taught, and I felt I was alittle less clumsy, almost flowing at times. At the end of the week-end, I felt amazinglyenergised and supple.I was not the only beginner on the course, but the majority of participantshad some experience of martial arts. It must be a real challenge to teach such amixed bunch, and that was done with great skill and patience by Darryl and Shahriah.Although I was so slow in learning, I received nothing but encouragement, and wasnever made to feel that I was slowing down the learning process of others. Everystudent was able to learn at their own pace and according to their capabilities. This isa great credit to the teachers.I also found much help and encouragement among the other participants, asmile, a kind word, a bit of helpful advice. The general attitude was one of respectfultolerance and mutual support. That is one of the factors which made the week-endso special. Many thanks to all involved.Marie Ball. Wimbledon.If there is anything you want to discuss, if there is anything you want to share withothers, any news or any announcements you would like to make, send them to us. Wealso welcome articles (800 - 1000 words in length) on topics appropriate toQi Magazine.Readers in the UK can write to:Qi Magazine, PO Box 59, Altrincham WA15 8FS. UK.email tse@qimagazine.comReaders in the USA can write to:Qi Magazine, PO Box 2697, Kirkland, WA 98083. USA.email tse@wildgooseqigong.com

travelling, he and his army came to theSichuan area to try and recruit patrioticyoung people to the army and help thecountry.General Cai’s troops to see how shecould help. It was very easy because thegovernment needed a of lot people tohelp expand their revolution. Moon Ladywas very careful of her behaviour andwas talented to cover herself well, so noone knew that she was a lady. She alsotried to secretly help General Cai and somany times she went to hisarea at night to look aroundto see if there was anythingshe could do to help.One night when shewent to General Cai’s campas usual, she suddenly sawsomeone else sneaking intothe general’s camp as well.When she came close, sherecognised that it was anassistant of General Cai andThey knew that Warlord Yuanwanted to be the Emperor instead oflistening to the People’s Government.When they checked the rest of the campand soldiers, they found that one soldierwas missing. By the side of the body ofthe dead assistant, they saw a circledrawn and written in it, a name, ”Moon Lady”.Moon Lady left General Cai andwent to Ermei Mountain. After one yearshe heard the news that General Cai wasill and staying in Japan for treatment.Unfortunately, he died whilst in thehospital. General Cai was a sincere andtrue person who really fought for thepeople. The whole government was veryupset that they had lost such a goodgeneral. In Ermei Mountain people couldhear a lady crying loudly and saying“There will notbeanotherpersonlikeGeneral Cai.The country isstill sufferingand who knowswhen can wehave peace.”They heard thismany times.After awhile no oneheard of thecrying or sawthe Moon Lady’s symbol any more. Somepeople believe she jumped from ErmeiMountain to kill herself in memory ofGeneral Cai and some believed she leftSichuan because General Cai was dead.People understood that Moon Lady hadfallen in love with General Cai.Life is very short, we want to do alot of things and we always say toourselves, “When I have time or when Ihave more money, I will do that.” But atthe end of the day, when we are lying inthe hospital, we look back. We have nomore time and have not done all thatwe wanted to do. Then we pass away.Do not think that we will always haveanother chance. The most importantthing is to decide what do you want todo in your life and complete your aims.Otherwise, you will be like these peoplewho look back and regret that they havenot done the things they wanted to do.“Before theassassin knew whatwas happening,something hithim.”Moon Lady was a very patrioticperson and also wanted to apply hertalent to save chaotic China and to letall the people have a secure life andpeaceful society. She had heard ofGeneral Cai, whom people thought wasthe right person to help the country. Soshe dressed like a boy and joinedwho usually helped himduring the day. So quietly shefollowed him. Suddenly, shesaw him pull out a pistol andpoint it towards the generalwho was sleeping. Before theassassin knew what washappening, there wassomething flying through airand he felt it hit him. Thenhe fell to the ground. Evenwith this happening though,it was all very quiet and sonot even the sleepinggeneral had been disturbed.The next day whenthe general woke up, he sawhis assistant lying on theground beside his bed. Whenhe checked, he found that he had beendead for some hours. On his body, theyfound two knives, one in his hand wherea pistol lay next to it and the other wasin his back. It had gone right through hisback into his heart. After the investigationthe assistant was found to have been aspy of another war lord, Yuan Shi Kai,who wanted to kill General Cai.Qi Magazine 7

Chan Si Gong or Silk Reeling exercises, as they are called in theWest, are the foundation of Chen style taiji. These profoundly simplemovements show how Qi circulates during the practice of taijiquan.Chen TaijiquanSilk Reeling the.Chen Family WayOnce the principle of these moves isstillness. This is why taijiquan alwaysunderstood it is easy to bring claritybegins by preparing posture andto the many thousands of movesconsciousness before starting anythat make up the taiji system, whereas movements. The breath is sunk to thewithout them one could easily learn many Dantien. By maintaining the centre of thethousand moves without ever attaining Dantien it is possible to become still whilea high level of skill or clarity.in movement and in movement while still.During his recentThis paradox is at the heart of taiji and isvisit to the UK Sigongwhat gives taiji its unique spirit.ChenXiaowangThe two movements of theelucidatedtheDantien are circular and occupyfundamental principle of taiji. Hestated that the taijiprinciple is composedofoneposturecombined with twomovements. The posture isbased on the Zhan Zhuangmeditation stance and the twomovements refer to the twodirections that the Dantien isrotated during taiji.The basic Zhan Zhuangposture provides the frameworkfor these two movements of theDantien to direct the Qi aboutthe body. In the Zhan Zhuangstance the spine is upright withthe head, shoulders, Dantien andfeet in vertical alignment. All thejoints are slightly bent and loose.Movement 1It is vital that the whole body is stilland relaxed. This does not mean that thebody is allowed to collapse, it means thatgood posture is maintained but withoutany tension. With the body relaxed, themovement of the Dantien is able to spiralout from the centre to the periphery ofthe body in a logical way.The silk reeling energy spiralsfrom the Dantien to the shoulder, to theelbow to the wrist and finally t

Qigong but of those, there are two main areas,Hard Qigongand Soft Qigong. Hard Qigong helps develop the muscle, skin and bone of the body, using dynamic breath-ing exercises, movements and m e d i t a t i o n . Sometimes this is called Iron Shirt Qigong and you have probably seen photos of pe