SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
FEBRUARY 2022 PART 1

Penang -- picture taken from https://www.savills.com.my/offices/estate-agent-in-penang.aspx

Question 1

Angel and I miss the nice courses and trips to Penang. It is a magical place almost feels like our home. Courses with you are undoubtedly one of the best experiences in my life.

I would like to ask you about the ability to smile from the heart. Did one of your honorable sifus show it to you? What is the story behind the ability to smile from the heart?

When I was connected with Sigung Ho Fatt Nam, my heart opened. I felt like a little ecstasy of bright and golden energy and joy. It was one of the most powerful smile of the heart that I have ever felt, then throughout the day I felt serene and joyful inside.

Is it necessary to be calm to smile from the heart? Sifu, do you have any advice? I take very seriously everything you tell me and advise me.

— Paz, Spain

Answer

It is indeed lovely to receive your email.

Penang is a wonderful place. It is great that you enjoy my courses and find them beneficial.

My sifus did not teach me to smile from the heart. Many of the things, like entering into a chi kung state of mind and smiling from the heart, were learned during my years of teaching, not during my student's days.

It is great that you had contact with Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, who is now with Guan Yin Bodh Satt as Golden Boy. No wonder I found him very youthful.

It is easy to smile from the heart when we are calm. But smiling from the heart can be done when we are agitated, though it is not easy. Sink your "chi" (or energy) to your "dan tian" (or abdominal energy field). This will make you calm. Then smile from the heart.

I learned smiling from the heart during my teaching days when I read something from a Taoist master. I didn't follow his instruction, but used my own. Smiling from the heart has become one of the best instructions any student can follow.

You are good at kungfu. Practice more your combat applications, and use them in sparring. It is not only greatly helpful in your sparring, but also in your daily life.

Question 2

I sit here at the kitchen table drinking a coca-cola. It makes me happy to think of the many coca-cola's with extra ice which I have been lucky enough to enjoy with Sifu.

I am resolving matters slowly with my sister. I sent my parents an apology that I didn't visit them before and told them I loved them very much and I would visit them after the lockdown.

— Sender and Country Withheld

Answer

Coca Cola is a wonderful drink. When I was in the United States, Eugene (the US Shaolin Wahnam Chief Instructor) took me to visit the Coca Cola factory. I took Coca Cola long ago in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and it has since become my favourite drink.

I am very happy that you are slowly resolving matters with your sister. Often many encounters are a matter of misunderstanding, a matter of personal views.

I am very glad that you sent a letter of apology to your parents and told them you loved them very much. I am very sure that very soon you and your parents will have a close relationship.

Parent do not care whether their children are wealthy or famous. They just want their children to visit them and talk to them.

Snake Hand

The "Snake Hand"

Question 3

Is "Spear Hand" just a different name for "Snake Hand"?

— Sifu Leonard Lackinger, Shaolin Wahnam Wien

Answer

If we use a "willow-leaf palm" as a palm, it is called a "willow-leaf palm". If we use a "snake hand" for piercing, it is called a "snake hand". They are similar in their form; it is in their application that is different.

There are many types of "spear hands", one of which is the "snake hand". If you use your thumb and index finger, like the fangs of a snake, it can be a "snake hand". You can use it to strangle an opponent.

If we use our thumb and index finger with the fingers close, we may call it a "drunken fist". If we use it as a "monkey paw" for striking, we call ot it a "monkey paw".

Like you I was very interested in various hand forms. Later I discovered that much of the hand forms depended on their application. I learned this during my teaching. Hence I always maintain that one can learn a lot from teaching, especially when the teacher has a clear, inquisitive mind.

Question 4

When I entered Shaolin Wahnam, many details were not highlighted or did not matter anymore due to the crystallized teaching methodology. For the online program, I think it would be good to include some of those details, as I don't have much possibility to correct mistakes.

Answer

It is useful to talk about details in Shaolin Wahnam.

Many people ask about "walking briskly" before and after a chi kung training programme. We do not talk about walking briskly now as our students perform high level chi kung.

But I always ask our students to walk about briskly before and after a chi kung training session, in both intensive and regional courses.

It is good to include details of walking briskly before and after a training session as many people may not know the reasons though I may not talk about it. (This will be answered in Question 9 below.)

walking

Walking before and after a training session

Question 5

If I remember correctly, you commented that the hands do not need to become warm, when rubbing them before the facial massage. Or should they?

Answer

The hands are already warm by the time we complete our training session. If the hands are not warm, it is because of the weather.

If the environment is cold, the hands may not be warm. This actually shows a better flow of energy; the energy from the hands has flown to warm the internal organs which are more important than the hands.

In low level chi kung, the hands are not warm as the heat or energy is still in the hands.

Question 6

When dabbing the eyes gently after rubbing the palms, are the finger tips or the palms used to dab?

Answer

When we perform the point massage before opening the eyes, we use our finger tips. But when we perform the facial massage after opening the eyes, we use our palms.

Question 7

When doing the point massage, in which direction should we make the circles ideally?

Answer

When doing the point massage, ideally the finger tips should be making the circles in an anticlockwise direction. But if you use the clockwise direction, you are not wrong. In other words you can use either direction.

Finger Tips

Massaging face

Question 8

Should the eyes be open or closed when performing the "Heavenly Drums"?

Answer

When performing the "Heavenly Drums" the eyes should be open. This will prepare the eyes for everyday consciousness. Before that we were in cosmic consciousness.

For us who perform high level chi kung, we are always in a chi kung state of mind, i.e. always fresh and alert. We are fresh and alert at all times.

Question 9

What are the main purposes of walking about briskly at the end of our session?

Answer

The main purposes of walking about briskly at the end of our session are as follows:

1. To bridge the gap between our intuitive or comsic consciousness and our everyday consciousness. When we are in a chi kung state of mind, we are in intuitive consciousness.

2. To send chi to the eyes when performing the point massage, and to send chi to the face when performing the facial massage so that we can have sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks.

3. To aid in "normalization" so that we feel fresh and alert at other times or normal times. In low level chi kung, which are not normal for our students, others feel fresh and alert only when they practice chi kung. Most other people practice gentle physical exercise which is not chi kung.

We walk about briskly after a training session. But before a training session we also walk about briskly which will help us to relax.

Relaxation is very important in our daily life. Walking about may also make us focused. To be relaxed and focused are the necessary conditions to perform any internal arts.

If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Grandmaster Wong via his Secretary at stating your name, country and e-mail address.

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