Issue 57 - Tse Qigong Centre

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Just over Suzhou Creek in north central Shanghai lies Caoyang Park. Asmall park in comparison to many of the amenities in Shanghai, Caoyang Parkhas a wealth of activity belying its size. In fact two of the Masters who teach hereare internationally known and their students practise at a high level ofachievement.Taiji in Caoyang ParkTaiji in Caoyang ParkShanghai JournalThe first time I went to CaoyangPark, in August of 2000, I wasstruck by the sheer numbers ofpeople crammed into its small confines.It seemed people practising Qigong orTaiji took up every square meter whileunder the trees ballroomdancing and Tuishou (pushhands) predominated.Around the tables of Mahjongor card players, huge crowdsgathered and under thearbours, large numbers of theelderly chatted socially.We go to the parkspecifically to practice Tuishou& Wu Style Taijiquan withGrandmaster Wang Hao Da.It is here that he is based andhis students train.Grandmaster Wang,(featured in Qi Magazine,issue 48) a senior student ofthe late Ma Yueh Liang, is awell-known and respectedfigure in the west as well as in Shanghai.His push hands ability is second to noneand people come from far and wide topush with him. His students also practiseat a very high level although not one ofthem has all of his astonishing qualities.Back in December 2000 wewitnessed an out of the ordinary affairin Caoyang Park. Master Xu Guo Ming,who studies with Grandmaster Wang,arranged to bring his Lan Shou Quan (aform of external Shaolin Quan school)brothers up to the park for a Tui Shouchallenge. His Gongfu brothers, all intheir 50s, are strong and fit, and it wasto be a genuine encounter between the“everyonegot onquite well and tried tolearn from one another”internal and external systems. He alsoinvited several other prominent teachersin Shanghai to come witness the eventand push hands with GrandmasterWang. Before we went, we wereconcerned that the situation might getout of control but on the day everyonegot on quite well and tried to understandand learn from one another.Another reason we frequentCaoyang Park is to study Chen styleTaijiquan with Master Jiang Zhong Bao.Master Jiang is an accomplished studentof Feng Zhiquiang. A quiet and humbleman, Master Jiang’s ability isdistinguished by hisinternal spirallingand accomplishedproficiency in theapplication of theform. Master Jianghas a uniqueteaching style andover the months wehave studied with himwe have got to knowhim more intimatelythan is typical. Hedoesn’t just teach usthe form and itsapplications but isconcerned that weunderstand thehistory and culturalconnotations of thelessons as well.We enjoygoing to CaoyangPark to study with ourteachers and theirstudents. Every lessonis a special occasionand the people theremake us feel quitewelcome. The park itself however is quitesmall and were it not for its inhabitantsit wouldn’t warrant a second visit. Wehave been to the park at a variety ofhours and it is either very crowded withpeople practising or it is virtually emptywith some undesirable elements hangingabout. While we would highlyrecommend the park for a visit to observeor study with Grandmaster Wang orMaster Jiang; it is probably worth a missfor any other reasonby J. Reynolds Nelsonemail JRN@qimagazine.comQi Magazine 28
Instructor InsightHelen Howes: SuffolkHelen Howes is qualified to teachthe Dayan Qigong syllabus andcan be contacted on 01508548137 (daytime)/01508548134 (evenings)One day in the summer of 1995, I sat and watched a class at my local martial arts centreand fell absolutely in love with something I had never seen before. If I had been told then that Iwould one day teach this exotic and elegant stuff, I would have run away at once! In the yearssince then, my life has changed entirely. My health, which was very bad, has improved enormously,and I spend much of my free time either training or teaching, or in class with my Sifu, Julian Wilde.I have my own small class in Beccles, and this year I am able for the first time to recommend thatone of my students be invited to attend an Instructors course. This makes me very happy!I find that there are great pleasures and some trials in teaching. When a student isvisibly much more alive and well, that is a great reward. When I find just the right way to explaina movement or exercise, that’s a pleasure. When I teach someone half the form and they just loseinterest or find something else to do, then that can be frustrating. I always enjoy the process ofmaking forms, with their long history and tradition sing for a new student. I find much pleasurealso in attending class. The more I learn, the more I want to know, and the more there is to findout.It took a while before I came to appreaciate that I had not just acquired a skill, and allthe health benefits, but also a big and varied and caring family in my fellow students and in myteachers. There is nothing quite like an instructors course for reinforcing that bond and makingnew friendships from all around the world. Qigong changed my life at a point when it was muchneeded; I hope that I may one day leave many other lives changed in the same way.Sue Burton:West WimbledonMy first professional work was as a ballet dancer. I later moved on to acting and, like many other ex-dancers, I startedteaching once I had stopped performing. As a dancer, I also acquired some massage skills and have more recently studiedvarious forms of massage therapy, including Chinese Massage with an acupuncturist colleague. Because he knew I was interestedin therapeutic exercise, he suggested that I might also like to try Qigong.I was very fortunate to find John Hayes’ class close to where I live in South-West London (luckily I also live quiteclose to where the London Tse Qigong Centre is now based). So in April 1996 I took part in my first Qigong class. My firstimpressions were of a group of dedicated students performing fluid, graceful movements and of Sifu’s relaxed, patient teachingstyle. I found it difficult at first (it still is) to drop some of the movement habits engrained from years of ballet dancing, but I reallywanted a new challenge and found Sifu’s class inspiring.When I began to attend Tse Sigong’s seminars, I found out the more I learnt, the more important the ethosunderlying his teachings became to me. Then, when I attended my first instructors course, Sigong said that one of the mostimportant things in learning to teach was to be of Good Heart. This is what attracts me about the Tse Qigong Centre and I amsure this is what makes it so successful.I myself have been teaching Qigong for two years to a group of women, the eldest of whom is in her eighties! Sofar they have learned Taiji Qigong, Balancing Gong and the first part of Healthy Living Gong with me. Each week we warm upwith some self massage, then each student lets me know if they have any particular physical problems, so we can practise theexercises that will be of most help. The group is all very supportive of each other and I am very fortunate to have the support ofanother instructor, Marie Bell, in my class.If I experience any problems I try to follow Sigong’s advice to keep things simple.I look forward to what the future brings for us.Qi Magazine 30
Page 3 and 4: 1 Editorialwith Michael Tse.3 PO Bo
Page 5 and 6: what the results will be. It is the
Page 7 and 8: Dear ML,This type of experience is
Page 10 and 11: Pushing Hands is a unique skill fou
Page 12 and 13: Five Levels ofQi Magazine 12
Page 14 and 15: movement that starts from the insid
Page 16 and 17: In the last issue of Qi Magazine, I
Page 18 and 19: JumpingTrainingEverytime when we wa
Page 20 and 21: Learning Wing Chun and especially C
Page 22 and 23: Qi Magazine 22
Page 24 and 25: ecause in the past, the life of the
Page 26 and 27: Comfort and QuietLying Down QigongN
Page 30 and 31: PreservedEggsSometimes called Thous
Page 32 and 33: Coming back to the reasonwhy differ
Page 34 and 35: Shou GongShou Gong is the ending mo
Page 36 and 37: The Dragon is a symbol of China, as
Page 38 and 39: Qi MattersWhile books are informati
Page 40 and 41: No support for the people who sleep

Issue 57 - Tse Qigong Centre

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