GENUINE INTERNAL ARTS AND WATER-BUFFALO METHODS
"Fierce Tiger Cleanses Claws", genuine chi kung which has been kept as a top secret, but will be taught at the 2016 Dreams Come True Courses in China in September 2016. "Fierce Tiger Cleanses Claws" is not only many times more powerful than jabbing into beans, but also takes less time to train and promotes good health, vitality and longevity.
Question
So, I am left conflicted, trying to find a balance between two seemingly opposing paradigms. I love both of them, and have experienced the pro's and con's of life with only one and not the other. Without a doubt, my life is better with genuine Chi Kung and Kungfu. But I would also say that my life is better with physical exercise/Water Buffalo training.
Is my conflict coming from a blockage? Am I experiencing a deviation from incorrect practice? Is it just a matter of me trying to be smarter than the master? Or is it perfectly OK to live fully, doing the things that excite me and bring me enjoyment, and I simply need to stop worrying about it?
Sifu Matt Fenton
Answer
Let us have fun, which also brings benefit, with some algebra, which is a language using symbols to represent difficult ideas.
Let A and B represent two seemingly opposing paradigms, both of which you love. Here A represents practicing genuine chi kung and genuine kungfu. B represents practicing physical exercise or water-buffalo training.
You have experienced the pros and cons of A. You have not experienced the pros and cons of B.
Your life is better with C and D, which represent genuine chi kung and kungfu respectively.
You would say, but are not sure, that your life will also be better with E, which represents physical exercise or water-buffalo training.
Now the problems.
Is your conflict coming from a blockage? The conflict is trying to find a balance between A and B.
Are you experiencing a deviation from incorrect practice?
Are you trying to be smarter than the master?
Is it perfectly OK to live life fully, doing the things that excite you and bring you enjoyment?
Is it perfectly OK that you simply need to stop worrying about it?
You did not specify what “it” is, but it can be reasoned from your description that it may refers to living life fully, or being smarter than the master, or experiencing a deviation, or finding a balance between practicing genuine chi kung and genuine kungfu on one hand, and physical exercise or water-buffalo training on the other. In other words, it refers to your current situation with all your problems.
When you have translated your verbal description into algebraic form, although it needs some effort, you can see your problems more clearly and are in a better position to overcome them. In truly Shaolin Wahnam spirit, you can make your problems as opportunities for improvement.
As it is often the case, the answers depend on a few variables. The relevant variables are mentioned below for your attention.
Now the answers, or solutions, to your problems.
Yes, your conflict is coming from a blockage, a mental blockage. An effective way to clear the blockage is to practice genuine chi kung.
You did not specifically ask whether you should choose A or B, or do both, probably with different emphasis, but nevertheless I shall still give you my opinion.
If you have experienced the pros and cons of A, unless the cons overwhelm the pros, you should continue A, especially you prefer to be on the safe side.
If you are adventurous, and ready to face some unpleasant results, you can try B. You don’t have to totally abandon A, but try B to compare results. Then you can decide what is best to do. You may, for example, just do A, or just do B, or do both with varying emphasis.
No, you are not experiencing a deviation in this situation.
But if you have practiced chi kung or kungfu wrongly, then it is a deviation, and it is a different issue. The solution here is to correct your wrong practice, not to change into another practice.
Yes, you are trying to be smarter than the master. In this case you are trying to be smarter than the grandmaster and other sifus. They have found from their own experience that genuine chi kung and genuine kungfu are far better, and have discarded physical exercise or water-buffalo training, yet you are saying, and indirectly telling them, though not intentionally, what fools they are for not realizing the benefits of physical exercise or water-buffalo training.
It is not OK to live life fully, doing the things that excite you and bring you enjoyment, if what you do bring harm to you or other people. In this case, if you perform physical exercise or water-buffalo training the ways they are normally done, you will bring harm to yourself.
Yes, it is OK that you simply need to stop worrying about your problems. Not worrying does not mean not caring. You need to care about these problems, and more importantly to take actions to overcome them.
I have given you my answers, based on my experience and wisdom. Whether you choose to follow my suggestions is your choice and your right. As I have mentioned a few times, if someone chooses to be smarter than the master and does water-buffalo training instead of genuine chi kung and genuine kungfu, or worries over these problems and becomes stressful, it is his business, and not my responsibility nor the responsibility of our school.
Jabbing into beans is a water-buffalo method. In the background you can see another water-buffalo method, Taming Tiger. These water-buffalo methods to train tiger-claw were conducted in a Special Chin-Na Course in Sabah in 2008 to give course participants a taste of these methods.
The above article is reproduced from the thread Deviating from the Fundamental Skills of Shaolin Chi Kung in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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