Erle Montaigue's Questions & Answer Page OneErle Montaigue receives many questions by email mainly, but also by phone and letter. Those that are deemed to be of help also to others will be listed in these pages. Come back regularly as we are updating this section daily. NB:// IF you see a very dark background you are probably using Firefox for your browser. It works fine with the 3 other main browsers of Safari, Internet Explorer and Opera. Q&A General Section One Q&A General Section Two
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Please note that your name will also be given as the questioner unless
you ask otherwise. Q: From Jeff Ainsley, USA: Dear Master Montaigue, why is it that I get violent shaking while doing my morning chi kung? I have tried to physically stop it from happening but cannot and at the end I feel slightly ill. A: Dear Jeff, please call me Erle as I do not like titles, other than shithead etc. You should normally feel a vibration that could become slight shaking or even a rocking to and fro. However, violent shakes indicate the following. You are getting what is called "Adverse cyclic Qi". This is not good in fact, you should have stopped your qigong practice long ago especially in light of the fact that you are feeling ill! Adverse cyclic qi comes when you have your weight placed over your toes or to the front of your foot with much weight placed onto K1 (Kidney point No. 1, just between the two largest mounts on the base of your foot). We all must have "ground qi" coming into the body at all times. When this flow of life force is blocked we become ill with a much lesser communication with the ground. Hence that fact that long haul flights are not good as we have a much lesser connection with the ground! Any tension causes qi blockages and this happens when we stand for longer periods than 3 minutes with the weight placed over K1. You are actually stopping the flow of qi from the ground into your body! When this happens, there is a build up of qi at K1 which HAS to burst out at some time otherwise you would die. So, we get a tremendous surge of qi coming up through the body causing the violent shaking which can go straight up into your brain causing extreme Yang over activity in the brain. Hence the saying that qigong can cause brain damage or mental instability. Qigong is normally quite safe when done correctly, but can have dire effects when not so. So to answer your problem, simply place the weight onto the rear of your foot. To judge this, have someone draw a line from the crown of your head down the side of your body vertically to the ground. Where this vertical line cuts your foot, it should be the front of your leg where it joins your ankle and no further forward than that. If you weight is further forward, you are leaning. And the classics tell us that the body must be plumb and erect. Follow-up: Dear Erle, Thank you for you reply, I have done what you suggested and I have had no more problems! I am now quite enjoying my Chi Kung practice. Q. From Arne Hoste, Sweden. Dear Erle, I am practicing "Long Har-Ch'uan" (dragon prawn boxing) but when there is a heavy attack by my training partner I am able often to not deflect this one. A. Dear Arne, this is happening because you are not also turning your centre into the attack! You are only using your arm power which will be much less than that of your training partner as he will have the better leverage. In Long har Ch'uan, you must always keep your hands in your centre by turning your waist ever so slightly. This is called a 'fa-jing shake'. So when the attack happens, rather than just blocking it using your hand, make your body do the movement for you. Your palm only lifts up and does not move to the side, turn your waist so that your palm contacts with the oncoming attack by the waist turning. In this way, you will have much more power than then attacker. Q. From Francois Billet, France: Dear M. Montaigue, I am in France. A friend visited you in Australia last year and said that you put your hands over certain points and caused him to feel weak. I have tried to do this but cannot. A: Dear M. Billet, Qi disruption is the highest level of the internal martial arts. It can be used for fighting as well as for healing, in fact the healing is the highest level. You cannot expect to achieve qi disruption just doing those movements that you see others doing, you must train in everything else in order to gain this method. It takes much hard work, especially if you want to sing at Carneige hall! Q. From M. Canada: Dear Erle, why is it that in your method of 3 circle standing qigong you say that we should practice in the upper hand position for two thirds of the time of the lower hand position? Just about everyone else who teaches qigong and that which I have read about, says that the different positions are done for the same amount of time. So when you say to do standing qigong for instance, you say that the upper hand position should be done for say 10 minutes while the lower hand position should be done for 5 minutes for a total of 15 minutes. A: Dear M, The confusion has come about because of those who really do not know about the mechanics of 'qi' in qigong. There are actually four hand positions in standing qigong, however beginners are always only taught two. The reason that beginners are taught only two is that to do the four can cause some problems for those who have not been practicing for some time in that the qi becomes very concentrated when one gets to the very lowest hand position. And this is the reason why I only teach it to my most advanced students such as yourself. When we do the upper hand position (and here I refer to the beginners upper hand position and not the advanced method), that position that is like hugging a tree, the qi is not that concentrated, it is like the hand position of being big and open (yang). When we go into the lower hand position (the beginner's lower hand position of near the navel), the qi is yin and so it is more concentrated. So we must do this hand position qigong for a lesser time period. However, in actual fact, we are actually doing the both hand positions (qi concentration wise), for the same amount of time! But the physical time is only one third. So those who perform and teach to perform the physical positions for the same amount of time are actually causing the yin and yang to be reversed or out of balance, thus causing illness! I guess this has come about from 'teachers' learning from someone's book and teaching it to others, not really knowing anything about the mechanics of qi in qigong. Q: From Darrin Coe, Colorado USA: Why does each palm change in the circular form begin in a counter clock-wise direction? Does this have any significance as far as internal energy/rhythms/blah, blah, blah? or is it done that way just because that's the way it's done? Kindest Regards Darrin F. Coe. A: Dear Darrin, we always begin with a counter clockwise direction because of the inherent nature of a normal body to be more Yang than Yin. So in turning CCW we are enhancing the yin aspects thus balancing out a bit. Could also mean that Tung Hai-Ch'uan had Mad Cow disease and used to run around in counter clock wise circles! Kind Regards Erle. Q: From Bill, USA: Dear Erle, can I use your system to enter and win in the UFC? (Ultra Fight Championship). A: Dear Bill, my system is violent and as such, I do not like using it against anyone! The warrior tries to have as little violence in his or her life as possible due to the very nature of his art. So violence for violence sake or for the sake of ego (which ANY tournament is) is stupid! Think about these charlatans who claim to be able to knock someone down at a distance or who claim to be able to control someone's qi so that they are paralysed with the wave of a hand etc. These are the people who SHOULD enter into these competitions as they would not have to use violence! In fact, if I had such skills, the first thing I would do is to challenge the World heavyweight Champ and become a millionaire as I would not have to use violence against him, just a wave of the hand and I have won! But have you seen any of these white suited egotistical silly people doing this, never! The UFC, what a stupid waste of time and energy! I would never teach anyone to use my methods in such barbaric tournaments, and anyone who would wish to, would not have the brain power necessary to learn my system anyway. Q: From R. Brusan, Croatia: Dear Erle, Can you give me a brief explanation about yin force like what is it, how to gain it or how to use it and also something about p'eng jing (is this related with cold or long jing). Please if you can explain some of this jings. A: Yin force is a force that cannot be felt. The attacker does not know what has struck him, not does he feel it, he just moves backwards. He claims afterwards that the person applying yin force did not even touch him! Hence the untrue stories of people moving people without touching them! But the practitioner HAS touched the attacker, he just hasn't felt it! Yin force comes from the backbone, more important from the spaces between the vertebra. This force is there for everyone to use, however, it takes some practice before one is able to access this power. And this is where the saying from Taijiquan come in. You must completely relax, they tell us, or give up your strength etc.. Of course these are mistranslation of a Chinese word, "SUNG" which does not mean to relax, nor does it mean to give up one's strength, we would fall onto the ground if we were to do that! Sung cannot be translated other than to say that we move without feeling the movement. Once this happens, the attacker will also not feel the movement coming from you. Yin is just as powerful as Yang and both have their place and indeed could not exist without each other, like male and female. There are times when we use yin force and times when we use Yang force. Yang force is easy to understand but again not so easy to execute. It is NOT simply attacking with as much strength as you have! Yin force is much more subtle and is an electrical energy (qi) that comes from the spine. To access yin force, you must firstly have practiced for many years in the advanced methods of push hands. Not the "push me, I push you" push hands that 99% of all schools teach with big open steps etc.., but the more difficult advanced push hands where only a small step is used, causing us to rely more upon yin force rather than brute strength. If someone wishes to do push hands with you and they go into a deep open stance, walk out, as this person will simply be using his superior external strength! This is NOT internal power! However, if someone asks you to do push hands and they just stand there in a normal stance, limp body, then you might just learn something from them. You must 'connect' all of the vertebra, like a chain contained within a plastic pipe, it cannot go anywhere other than for each link to fall down onto the one underneath it. This is the analogy that I give to my students of what the backbone should be doing. Upon execution of yin force, you imagine (in the beginning) like there is an explosion coming out from your backbone, but you do not tense the back area at all, you sink it even more. If you look at each vertebra, what does it look like? It looks like (for those who are up in electricity) a capacitor! With its two opposing poles (yin and yang) and the electrolyte substance in between. A capacitor stores energy and when the both poles are connected to a circuit, this energy (current) flows to cause work. And this is the best way that I can explain how yin force works. All of the individual power that is stored in each vertebra is combined and then released into the attacking person. But because it is yin, and the attacker is usually very yang, he cannot feel anything. this harder the attacker attacks, the harder he is repulsed backwards. When most people feel or not feel this, they say that their centre was completely ruined as if something was lifting them upwards. All 'jings' come from the Universal jing, which in turn comes from your qi. Qi can only be turned in to jing (a workable type of qi, as water is to steam) by performing certain exercises like push hands at an advanced level. P'eng is one of those postures from Taijiquan (to ward off slantingly upwards) upon which is place much importance because it is your protective posture, the one that you will use more than any others. The 'jing' for this posture does NOT come from physical alone but also from the vertebra. However, the body must be held in the correct manner. Hence the taiji classic sayings that tell us how to hold the body etc.. P'eng jing is NOT used to push! It is a fighting posture that is used in a split second to damage an on-coming attacker's qi, to scatter it. Many teachers say that this jing is for pushing someone backwards. Now why would anyone wish to do that? This is OK when you are PLAYING push hands, but taiji is not about playing! It is NOT about competition! When we use P'eng jing we make use of the energy stored in the 'power band' across the scapular region. This stored qi is special jing that is released by performing 'P'eng' into the attacker to upset the balance of his yang qi, thus giving you a chance to re-attack. Taijiquan is all about self defence either for defence against external attack or against pathogenic attack! It is NOT about ego and seeing who is the best pusher!! Of all the different jings, fa-jing is the most powerful as it causes many different things to happen within the body. It has the power to heal a number of emotional problems, to defend yourself against external and internal attack to rid the body of unwanted emotions and stagnant qi. It makes use of all of the other types of jing. So if one knows about fa-jing, then you know about all of the other types of jing! However, fa-jing is easy for many to talk about at parties, but not many will be able to execute it! Ask me when you see me, I'll show you. Ask anyone who knows about fa-jing to strike for instance a hard hand held mitt without drawing his hand back even one inch from the target while touching it with his fingers. If the mitt explodes backwards almost ripping your arm off, then that person has fa-jing! Q: Tim wrote: Hi, I have two question to ask. 1) Is qi a power that can be used regardless of art.for instance to augment external power? 2) Most sifu's say internal devlopment for uses in fighting takes many years of long training sessions a day . Even to get a small amount of qi? Please write me back. Thank you. Tim A: Dear Tim, Most teachers say that because they simply do not know! It's a way out of having to teach what they do not know! EVERYONE has qi! without it you would die! So no matter what style you are practising, whether it is a so-called hard system or a so-called soft system, qi is an important element. Having said that, there is a tendency for most 'hard stylists' to get it all wrong and use too much tension thus blocking the flow of qi. This is where the idea that hard stylists do not use qi has come from. We in the west tend to take what teachers teach us as beginners as the only way to do it. However, look at any old and experienced karate master for instance and he is doing it no differently to what I do it, in the 'internal manner'. So to answer your questions, yes, anyone can use the qi they have to enhance their martial art no matter what style. Given the correct training and WAY that you train, you should see the benefits of enhanced qi flow within one year of beginning training! Kind Regards Erle Q: From M, Canada: Dear Erle; Hope that you and yours are all well. I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to modify, without ruining, the practice the of the forms that you teach. The problem in Canada is two-fold, lack of clear space indoors for most students (including me) to practice the traditional forms that "cover a lot of ground"; in addition, we have deep snow or icy conditions which make training outdoors either impossible because of the cold or hazardous because of slippery surfaces. I have tried doing the forms in sections; but don't like the "choppy" feel of doing it that way; I've tried leaving out repetitions (i.e.., wave hands); but it feels incomplete. Any advice. I had never considered the problems of free space until I started doing the old Yang and pa-kua forms which take up large amounts of space. This is one of the most common complaints from my students -- nowhere to practice in our long winters. Suggestions? M. A: Dear M:, This is easy to fix. I do it all the time when doing form at 3. am indoors. Simply take a couple of steps backwards or sideways etc. However, you must be sure to do it IN CONTEXT, i.e.., do not just stop and move backwards, simply take a couple of slow taiji steps to get out the way of walls etc. This does not damage your own practice etc. Also be sure that the breathing is kept at the slow taiji pace as this will keep the qi meridian open and not disrupt where the qi is activated at that particular moment when you have to move out of the way etc. So, for instance if you are performing 'Brush Knee & twist Step" and you know that you are moving closer to a piano, or wall etc, you can simply do a cross-step rather than the normal straight ahead step after you brush your knee. This will place you away from the piano. Or, if you are coming up to a wall in front of you, instead of placing you foot down ahead of you for the normal step, you should simply place your foot next to the other one and move your other foot backwards so that you are actually moving backwards away from the wall without losing any qi movement. Kind Regards Erle. Q: From Steve, England: wrote: Hello Erle What is the purpose of pressing the two points in the Yang Lu Chan form ? Also , how do you spell the names of the two points ? Thanks for the constant inspiration. best regards Steve A: Dear Steve, Thanks for your message, The answer: The point on the inside of the wrist is called 'Shen Men" (Doorway to the spirit) (H 7) While the one on the outside of he wrist is called "Yang Shih" which means, Valley of Yang (CO 5). You will notice that these points are pressed after a violent movement. These are traditional calming points, in fact they can be used to calm someone who is even taking some kind of fit! I have used these points on people who are simply really agitated through to those who are taking fits and they work a charm every time. Kind Regards Erle. The following Questions are common ones. Q: From Scott: USA. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, HELLO MY NAME IS SCOTT. I HAVE PURCHASED YOUR VIDEO ON DIM-MAK FROM PALADIN AND I HAVE THREE OF YOUR BOOKS ON THE WAY. I AM COMING FROM A HARD STYLE TAE KWON DO BACKGROUND. I FIND YOUR THEORIES AND ART VERY INTERESTING. THE ONLY THING THAT I QUESTION IS THAT MOST OF THE TECHNIQUES ARE SO DANGEROUS, THAT THEY CAN NOT BE STRUCK PROPERLY FOR FEAR OF INJURY. THIS BRINGS ME TO MY QUESTIONS. 1.HOW DO YOU DEVELOP THE CONFIDENCE TO USE THESE POINTS IN A SELF DEFENCE SITUATION WITHOUT KNOWING FOR SURE THAT THEY WORK? 2.THE FA-JING MOTION OF TURNING THE WAIST THE OPPOSITE WAY IS CONTRARY TO MOST HARD STYLES. IS THE REASON FOR THE OPPOSITE TWIST TO GENERATE MORE SPEED OR IS THERE ANOTHER? 3.IS THERE A POINT THAT YOU CAN TELL ME THAT I CAN ATTEMPT TO USE THAT WILL CAUSE A PARTIAL KNOCKOUT OR SOME RESPONSE FROM A TRAINING PARTNER THAT WILL NOT CAUSE PERMANENT INJURY. IF THERE IS NOT ONE CAN YOU RECOMMEND ONE TO PRACTICE WITH THE ANTIDOTE? I THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, AND I THANK YOU FOR PEAKING MY INTEREST IN A TOTALLY NEW AREA OF THE MARTIAL ARTS. SCOTT A: Dear Scott, Thanks for your message. We are able to test the points by using light pressure. If you get a reaction with light pressure, then you will KNOW that it will work with great power. However, when I teach law enforcement officers and groups, I always show them that the points work by activating them on the subjects. I also have a group of Policemen who go out with the express purpose of trying out the strikes!! 2/. Actually when you see the fa-jing turning of the waist you realise that it is not contradictory at all! It happens so fast that you do not even see the waist turn in the opposite direction. Think of it this way, when you take a piece of wire and twist it until it breaks, the part that breaks goes red hot doesn't it. This is power generated from the opposite turning of the wire. The power from bagwa and fa-jing is the same with opposites of yin and yang causing the power to ignite the body. 3/. If you must try out a strike, then use a light tap to ST 5 on the side of the jaw, or a downward strike to TH 23, but do it lightly! You can even do it to yourself, I have KO'd myself twice using this method. Kind Regards Erle. Q: STEVE, USA: Dear Sir or Madam, > Do you have any publications or know of publications > which describe (with diagrams ) the basic 8 circle walking forms. I am > currently learning these forms and feel that an instruction manual would > help my daily practice. > > Thanks for your time, > steve. A: Dear Steve, I have a book ready to be published that shows the full Circular Classical Baguazhang form plus the fighting linear form. However, one of my students in New Zealand has already published a work showing the basic circular form. Her name is : Debbie Hart, 77A Seaview Rd, Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand I also have many videos that teach the circular and linear fighting form from basic to very advanced methods. Leave me your address and I will send you the basic Bagwa tape MTG4 free of charge. Please include the above when replying as I receive about 40 emails per day. Kind Regards erle Q: From Herb Sweeney, USA: Erle, Just read your comment to Steve from England about the two points in the Yang Lu Chan form and I was reminded of an entry I found in an old dictionary (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, copyright 1960 ) The word is hysterogenic (adj., med.) and the definition is given as: Producing hysteria; as, the hysterogenic pressure points on the surface of the body, pressure upon which may produce or arrest an attack of hysteria. I have not found any additional material on hysterogenic but it appears that the two points you mentioned, H7 and CO5, are hysterogenic points and as such may, as the definition states, "produce or arrest an attack of hysteria" Is this true and are there other "hysterogenic" points? How do these points work? Thank you, Herb A: Dear Herb, Thank you for your information, I will add that word to my vocabulary. Yes, both of those points are indeed "hysterogenic", there are others like Neigwan (PC 6) and all work more or less by placing the body and mind into a state of balance, (usually temporarily) until one is able to diagnose the main problem and treat it with a more permanent treatment. People are in a state of hysteria because their yin and yang energy is out of balance, either too yang as in the case of extremely aggressive hysteria or too yin as in the case of sobbing and breaking down etc. Another good point is 2/3 the way between the top of the upper lip and where the nose makes contact. GV 26. You just press this inwards and up slightly with your thumb. You can also, in the case of someone who is out of control, drain some energy to cause them to drop down while you think it out, by pressing into TH 17 behind the ears in a direction that is from rear to front. Not right behind the ear however in the little hole, as this will only aggravate the situation, but just below this point. It's a good pint for controlling people who are drunk etc. Kind Regards Erle. Q: Jean-Louis Brodu wrote: > Dear Erle Montaigue, > > I wonder if you do any kind of salute after completion of the Yang long > form. > > I am asking that because I do practice a Yang form which comes from > the lineage of Yang Shao Yu (spl?). We do a salute whose meaning is to take > the breath of Heaven and get the impulse from the Earth, then the Man in the > middle gives back the energy of the Heaven back into the Earth. > > All the best, > > Jean-Louis Brodu A: Dear Jean-louis, Thank you for your message. All of what you describe SHOULD happen while you are doing the form! IT should happen naturally anyway, you do not need salutes! The Yang Family did not do any salutes, these only came about because it looked nice when the Government introduced competition! Others do salutes because it introduces some element of mystic. Taijiquan is very magical anyway and does not need any salutes either to begin or to end. Kind Regards Erle. Q: From Pat. USA: This question related to the times and acupuncture etc. And is pretty relevant as ancient Chinese did not have western clocks etc. I sent a couple of answers plus the below. A: Dear Pat, What also must be remembered is that still today in China in the 'folk' learning methods, rather than the Government schools, it takes 15 years to become qualified as an acupuncturist. I was there when Master Li Sher-jen was working on a group of people I took there and her son was a fully qualified Western doctor. He began his training with his Mother much earlier than his western doctoring and was still not allowed to put a needle into someone, he was still practicing on oranges!! And we can become fully qualified in only 4 years! I asked when he would be qualified (he was a full time student under his mother) and was told that he might be OK in another 5 years! I also asked about the time thing as LI She r-jen's family wrote most of the old books on acupuncture that we get our theory from. She told me that that was the reason for her son taking so long learning, because it MUST GO INSIDE, was all she said. In other words, by the time that you become qualified, you just know and FEEL where the qi is at any given time of the day, no looking at clocks or where the sun is or where the moon is, you just feel it. And what a wonderful way to know this in the martial arts eh! I am afraid that we in the west for our search for science, we have become too sophisticated and we have left behind the internal, relying only upon books by others and what we are taught rather than what we feel after many years of practice. This is too what has happened to the martial arts today, too much physical and no internal! :People talking talking talking, each trying to out-do the other with his 'knowledge' trying to be top-dog! When all the time they are all missing the main point. That anyone who IS trying to be top dog through ego, will NEVER gain the internal. Kind Regards Erle. Q: From The Slovan Republic: Hi Mr. Erle Montaigue, my name is Juraj Smiesko, I'm 27 years old and I teach mathematics in University of Transport and Communication. I practise Taiji with my friends in Zilina (town in Slovak Republic). My teacher is Zdenek Kurfurst and sometimes I meet Francois Hainry. In Zilina we have the TaiJi Club which has ten members. I would like to thank you for your teaching and writing a lot of information about traditional TaiJi and Bagua systems. Your system of fighting has a great response also in our special police forces, their chief and two members practise TaiJi with me. They bought Video for L.E.O. last summer (throught Zdenek). I know, that you have recorded other Video for L.E.O. about knife fighting and I would like to ask you if you will continue in these series. I'm very happy that I can read your items in your web-server. I have also little web-pages and I would like to ask if I can publish the translations of your items. The address is --- frcatel.utc.sk/TaiJi/wtba.htm ----, but there is a problem because it is mostly written in Slovak language. Two years ago Francois has showed me Short Stick Form. I'm interested in some applications of this form. Are you going to make a Video about it? I have bought Video: FaJing Stick Advance Volume 4 - SanSao, I don't understand if it is complete form or there is a change of sides at the end or this form continue on the other Video. We are practising Pauchui form in our Zilina-Club now and we will be finishing both sides by the summer. I would like to know how long it is needed to practise solo form (in traditional system) while it can be practising Large SanSao. Are you willing to make an interview for our web-sites? I have a lot of questions and it is very difficult for me to find the answers in so big amount of your items because my English is very poor (and sometimes I need translators). Best regards, Juraj. A: Dear Juraj, Thank you for your message. Yes, you may use my material on your site in your language. I will send you the Short Stick form first three volumes as you have missed out on them. (Free of Charge). Yes, can do an interview for your site. Once you have finished the Pauchui, you can go straight into learning it with a partner in San-sau. The Stick san-sau can also be performed on the reverse side both in solo and in san-sau. Please leave me your address so that I can send the tapes to you. Kind Regards erle. Q: Tim (USA) wrote: > First, thank you for writing me back. I can't begin to tell you all the times I've wrote a master a question just to not get a response let a > lone a answer out of them. If its not too much trouble, I would like to > ask you a couple more questions. I have no teacher at this time, so Im > always asking anybody kind enough to reply.I know your very busy so I > thought I should ask you before I dump a ton of questions on you.B.T.W,I > read your interview in black belt mag.It was very good , but what is san > shou? I saw that name and couldn't understand what it was. I must have looked in every mag I have. Thanks again. Tim A: Dear Tim, Ask away mate. But try to keep each Email to about 3 questions as I tend to file emails of copious questions away for later! San-sou is a fighting set either "small san-sau" or "Large san-sau" I guess it's a bit like one step sparring or kumite from karate only there are many more moves. It teaches the use of the postures from the Taijiquan form in a realistic sense and also teaches the dim-mak points, where they are, how to hit them etc. It teaches us timing and body mechanics for fighting and economy of movement etc. Kind Regards Erle Q: Steve from Great Britain wrote: Dear Erle, What is the " Reptile Brain " ? Is it some kind of animal frame of mind that we should enter when fighting for our lives ? Sincerest thanks Steve A: Dear Steve, Scientifically, we have three brains not one. This was discovered by a scientist called Paul McLean way back and is accepted nowadays. The Chinese have known about it for thousands of years as have many other ancient cultures. First there was the reptilian brain, that which reptiles have. It was not a very sophisticated brain, mainly used for survival. Snakes cannot make out detail. So a snake for instance could not look at me and say "oh, here comes Erle". It only sees blobs of colour. However, this makes it very fast at retreat and attack, hence our use of the "Eagle Vision" which is basically the same vision. Then came the "Old mammalian brain which is the one used by dogs and cats and all other non human animals. But the reptile brain was not discarded. The dog for instance uses only its Old mammalian brain for its daily things, but when threatened notice its back (any animal does this when threatened), it arches its back which is one of the many ways to kick in the reptile brain. In this condition, it is very difficult to stop a dog fight fir instance as they are not dogs anymore, they are reptiles taken over by that brain to survive. They will do anything in order to survive in this mode. Next came the mammalian brain which is the one that we have but the other two were not discarded. The old mammalian and reptile brains only account for 10 percent however. Humans have evolved so sophisticatedly that we very rarely have use for the other two brains and only occasionally do we see reports of happenings that can only be attributed to that person going into the reptilian brain, like super-human strength, like fighting off ten men etc. So we have lost that ability to survive because we rely upon others for our well-being. The Internal gung-fu teaches us ways to go into the reptile part of our brains and control it more importantly! So when someone attacks us, they are not confronted by a timid human being any more, but a raging animal. Why is it that most large men even are afraid of for instance a small pit bull snarling at them? Not because the animal is so big, because it isn't and it is easy to fight a dog given its size, but because of the fact that it is going or is into the reptile part of its brain. It has so much Yang energy (aggression) that it affect our own energy causing us to think that this small animal will kill us. And indeed it will because we allow it to! So when we are attacked, we go into this brain and the attacker's energy is so affected in just that same manner as when he is confronted by a snarling or attacking animal. Q: From Dan Australia: Erle, In the last few months (especially after Camp 97) I have noticed that emotional feelings seem to crop up while I am doing the form. This has become more intense recently after I went to a couple of personal development workshops concerned with emotional healing and meditation techniques. The feelings vary from happiness through anger (not very strong, just a sense of frustration) to sadness when I find I am actually crying. sometimes it causes me to get "lost" and forget where I am in the form or do things out of sequence. I am assuming this is part of normal development in Taiji as I recall Jim talking about this kind of thing. I am just taking it as it comes and letting the feelings run their course. This morning when doing the form with a friend he said he could pick up stuff coming from me! I am wondering how strong this might get and if it is likely to turn me into a spectacle in public whenever I do the form! It is actually quite interesting because I am now making connections between Taiji and various other things happening in my life. One day it might form into a unified whole with some purpose, I guess I just need to keep practicing. All the best, Dan A: Dear Dan, We have had many such incidents after camp 97! This is because of mainly No. 6 Qi Disruptive kata which works upon the heart! If it gets too much, because of unwanted hidden emotions flowing outward as they should, then you should practice katas 1 and 5 over and over again and no others for 7 weeks and this will alleviate the problem. But it will take longer of course for all of those unwanted emotions to leave. And yes, it can become embarrassing as if there is much hidden unwanted and used emotion in there, it will come out at any time! No. 6 kata is a very powerful one in getting rid of these unwanted emotions. Once gone, you feel like you are re-born. Kind Regards Erle. Q: SRogers USA wrote: DEAR ERLE, HI, THIS IS SCOTT ROGERS AGAIN. I JUST RECEIVED YOUR COMPLIMENTARY COPIES OF MTG 34 AND 67 REGARDING FA-JING. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR KINDNESS IN HELPING ME LEARN WHAT YOU TEACH. THE TAPES ALTHOUGH I HAVE ONLY REVIEWED THEM PARTIALLY HAVE SUCH A WEALTH OF INFO ON THEM I WILL BE PRACTICING FOR MONTHS. IF YOU SHOULD POST THIS ON YOUR QUESTION AND ANSWER COLUMN I JUST WANTED TO LET OTHER PEOPLE READING IT KNOW THAT YOUR TAPES ARE HIGHLY INFORMATIVE AND THESE ARE THE FIRST SERIES OF TAPES ON A NEW STYLE(TO ME )THAT I FEEL YOU CAN ACTUALLY LEARN FROM. QUESTIONS 1.WHEN DOING THE FAJING TWIST, FROM THE NATURAL STANCE I FEEL AS THOUGH I AM GETTING THE HANG OF IT. FROM THE REVERSE STANCE THAT THIRD SHAKE I AM HAVING A HARD TIME WITH. HOW COME FOR THE NATURAL STANCE IT IS A LEFT-RIGHT MOTION BUT IN THE REVERSE IT IS LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT? A: Dear Scott: The reason for the different body movement is simply that you are in totally different body positions to begin with and as such do not need the last shake when in the natural stance. The third shake by the way is only like a totally involuntary movement whereby your waist moves back to centre. Your waist is naturally centred all the time, so when you move it sideways, it wants to get back there. So when you shake for instance left-right, then you must shake also back to the left to get back to centre. Q: 2.WHEN DOING A MULTIPLE STRIKE AFTER THE PULL BACK OF THE FIRST STRIKE, AS THE SECOND HAND IS GOING OUT TO TOUCH YOUR PARTNER ON THE SHOULDER, IF THAT TOUCH WERE INSTEAD AIMED FOR A VITAL AREA WOULD IT AUTOMATICALLY CONTAIN THE FA-JING ENERGY? A: For others reading this, I must explain. We have a training method to learn about Fa-jing and continuous attack whereby we throw a fa-jing punch at our partner who is standing opposite us with for instance our right fist. As soon as the fa-jing punch is finished, the energy re-bounding from that strike is automatically put into your left palm which simply touches your partner on the left shoulder, indicating that you have continued the attack as well as turned your waist correctly. So to answer your question. Yes, that 'touch' would be the next attacking method where the fingers for instance could attack to hi eyes, or to his vital neck points etc. Kind Regards, Erle. Q: From Tony, Italy: Dear Erle, we have received your letter today(Feb. 28). The program you sent us is very enlightening; However, in consideration of the fact that we already have accumulated a certain amount of knowledge we have more than 20 of your videos), we wondered , before going any further, if it would not be better for us to send you a video through which you could assess our present level, and thus indicate to us where we should start in the program you sent us. Unfortunately, this is the only mean we have , until you come to Europe, to learn that which you teach. Please acknowledge if you concur. Dear Erle, (please forgive our stubbornness), but that of the reptilian brain is a must point for us. Please (WE BEG YOU) give us instructions on how to train for it specifically as you did with your (former timid) students in Australia. For example, by indicating how many times a day we should be doing the TONGUE on soft palate and the stretching of the FINGERS exercise, etc.. Thank you very very much for your infinite patience, best wishes, sincerely, TONY A: Dear Tony, Yes, please send me a tape and I will look at it with an open mind. Mate, you must train in the whole system not just the reptilian brain part! I have had some people who were already tottering on the 'edge' so to speak, who have take the R.B. part out of context and trained in it to excess and who have gone over the edge! The backbone is the key to the R.B. Each vertebra is like a mini capacitor (in electricity). When 'joined' electrically, we have much power available to us. To get at this power we must firstly learn about 'sung'. Sung is like to relax but not quite as there is no English translation of 'sung'. To be in sung is not to feel your hands or body moving as you perform the form or qigong. In this mode we are in a state of 'alpha', or that moment just before sleep. We learn about 'sung' by simply doing form enough, (10,000 times, in Chinese). However, it must be the correct form at the correct level which is why not many have ever reached this level of 'sung' because they do not even know that other levels of form exist! It is the level of the shark, or the eagle or the snake. These animals are not afraid as this human emotion is just not in their mind, only survival is. And they have it naturally, we have to re-learn it by doing form at the 'sung' level. this I will try to teach you when I am in Europe as it must be taught personally as there is an electricity (qi) that must be transmitted personally, this is the internal essence of Taijiquan which can only be gained by contact. In the meantime, however, you can go a long way by learning the physical movements through the tapes and the odd workshop here and there etc. 'Sung' is everywhere, in our form, qigong, push hands, training, san-sau, pauchui and daily lives. How many times have you heard someone say "wow, it makes me feel good just being near so and so". That person has 'sung'. Breathe out and imagine that your breath is going out and into, filling up your palms like a bicycle pump blowing up a tyre. As you do this, stretch your fingers and cause your palms to become concave so that you can see the 'web' of skin between the fingers, as you do this also, drop your tongue to the lower palate. Do this each morning ten times, and again in the afternoon preferably at sun-up and sun-down. however, if you feel that this feeling is too nice and you wish to stay there, you must desist as you are going too deeply into the reptilian brain!! Kind Regards Erle Q: From Jerry, USA: Hi Erle. thanks for the information, on how to get some sleep. I wanted to ask you about the qi flow through the 12 meridians. and their effectiveness when they are attacked. During the times of qi flow through a meridian, is the meridian weaker or stronger, is it best to attack at that time or not, such as the heart meridian whose hours are between 11am and 1PM. I'm trying to get an understanding on the hours of each meridian and when they are vulnerable. I understood some attacks to the neck at a certain time may not be affective, maybe I'm miss understanding the information. hope the family is great, a friend in Pennsylvania Jerry,RPD A: Dear Jerry, The whole 'time' thing is only for the healing art and NOT the fighting art. Firstly, the qi is flowing ALL the time in every meridian. If it weren't then you would die! It is just that the qi is more 'active' in one meridian than the others at its particular two hour period. Each meridian also have its particular point that is also more effective at that time. Sure, the points ARE more sensitive to attack at this time but it is not practical to look at a watch if attacked! Also there is something else. Ancient Chinese did not have western clocks! They took the times fro the qi flow activity from the sun and moon! So to judge the activity of the meridians using a western clock is to get it all wrong! In the healing arts, one must rise to such a level as to simply 'know' when and where the qi is active by touch alone. And it's the same in the fighting art. We move in accordance with what the attacker is doing to us at any particular time. We do not have to worry about what time it is because sub-consciously you will struck the correct points for that attack at any time. However, this takes training in the internal arts only, and lots of it! Set up points, direction of strike, direction of set up point, pressure to use, point to strike, combinations of points to strike can NEVER be thought about, it is too late by that time! So we must work reflexively. And the only way to change movement in to reflex movement is through training in the internal gung-fu, it will never happen using unnatural movement. I have something somewhere on my site re., the correct times and also the correct point to press to affect a healing. Kind Regards Erle Q: Steve, England: Dear Erle, Over the weekend I have been doing my usual reading of Taiji books and magazines and it seems that many teachers believe that Taiji can promote a long life. With this in mind I began to briefly research the lifespan of some famous Taiji masters from the Yang , Chen and Wu families and to be honest , the lifespan of the majority was not as great as I expected. In fact , the results were not that good compared to some of the Hsing-I masters I investigated ( and probably Bagua as well ). My question to you is , do you believe that Taiji can give you a longer life expectancy or does it give you a healthier life without giving you extra years. This is my belief. I do not think Taiji can necessarily give you a longer life but it can without doubt keep you extremely healthy well into old age. What do you think ? thanks and regards Steve A: Dear Steve, You must remember that many of the old masters died in battles! Like six brothers of the Yang family plus Yang Lu-ch'an! And Although Taiji DOES help you to live longer, it cannot do it alone! You must also do all of the other things that will give you a normal life span such as good diet, good sex and good thought etc.! Yang Cheng-fu died of ill health when he was 56! Cheng Man-ching died of alcoholic poisoning etc.. There are some who lived to well over 100 like Wu Tunan who at last count was still alive at 105! The reason, as I see it for the demise of the life span of many famous taiji practitioners is that they all neglected the other parts of taiji for the all slow parts, the yin parts. Cheng-fu died of something called 'yin dullness' by doing all yin things. They neglected to yang parts of their arts. If you look at for instance the relative life spans of the old Baguazhang masters, they all died very old and healthy, those who weren't killed in battles that is. Baguazhang has always been a balanced art, whereas yang Cheng-fu changed the form so that it was no longer balanced. It became too yin with the all slow movements. He thought that he was doing the population a service by doing this as he made taiji easy to learn. But in retrospect, he did not do anyone a service. AS Taijiquan is one component in keeping you healthy it can increase you life span to a NORMAL life span. We all die far too young. Taiji and qigong cannot add qi to your system, it can only bring you back to a normal level of qi, that which you would normally be at for your age. We begin life with '8 bits' of qi. as we grow older we lose one bit (by puberty) then as we age, we lose another and so on. Because of Western living, we lose too many of these bits and die young. All qigong and taiji can do it to give you back those lost bits, back to where you should have been for your age. Kind Regards Erle. Q: Conny, Sweden: Hey ERLE! and good morning!!!! I'm practising Practical Tai Chi Chuan (wu style by Cheng Tin-hung) and became instructor in December 1997. I have tried your 3-circle Qigong and it works great. I am now testing my handform by doing it with vertikel "c-back" (not leaning forward with S shaped back as it should done in the wu style) and I already feeling a big feeling of what i think is chi flowing through my body. after reading your article vitals signs. why I'm asking because I become warm, feel like I'm in harmony, relaxed, impossible doing sudden movements. But those feelings only lasts for a few minutes. 1. Is that something I'm doing wrong or something more i should feel after practise? 2. Is it OK to use your training methods (I have printed out your article Training methods och your book advanced taiji? and bagwa techniques) in my own classe? 3. Is there any easy way to teach my students how to separate Yin and Yang in stances? CONNY. A: Dear Conny, Thank you for your message. Yes, you can use my training material in your class. And the vertical 'C' back will do you wonders especially in the Wu style. I am glad that you are already receiving some benefit. If you feel those feelings even for a short time after practice, that's OK. It is difficult with Wu style as many of the stances seem to go against the general rules of double weightedness, at least that is my understanding of it. You must not only distinguish between what leg has the weight placed upon it (yang) and that which does not, (Yin), you must also know when the qi is coming into which leg and which yin or yang qi it is! As a general rule, the leg that is powering is yang, but there is a fine line between the power of yin and the power of yang and this only comes with much experience. Kind Regards Erle. Q: Jerry, USA. Dear Erle, I know we both are from different styles, but I would like to know about these Nine Qi Kata's. Are these forms (although not the same), moves similar to Kata's down in styles from Okinawin Karate. I read your article regarding weight training and for sometime, I had wanted to let that type of training go. I was surprise to hear from you so quickly. I wanted to know and learn much about knock outs for my self protection as a Cop. but I'm also interested in good health. A: Dear Jerry, I will send you the Qi disruptive kata No. 1 MTG107, just leave your address again as I seem to have lost it! Well, it's there somewhere. Qi disruptive katas are the original forms from whence all other internal forms have come. They are explosive, dangerous, and healthy. Each of the forms works upon a different meridian in the body thus heals different areas of the body while each one also mends some particular emotional thing. For example, as my last camp in September 97, I taught the N0. 6 kata which deals with the emotions and things with the heart. I am still receiving notes from those who did it saying that they are experiencing very emotional times, as this form takes out all unwanted and hidden emotions from way back even in your childhood. So all of those unwanted and needed to be got rid of, emotions come back into your mind and cause all kinds of emotional disturbances with grown men breaking down and crying etc.. The way to fix this, (if you want it fixed as it's good to get rid of these), is to perform katas No. 1 and 5 ten times each morning and evening for 7 days and this will balance out the emotional washing. It will take more time of course to get rid of that junk, but will be less stressful. I guess it's a bit like going onto Methadone rather than cold turkey! Kind Regards Erle. Q: From Ram, Marseilles, France. TaiJiChuan wrote: Dear friends In the framework of a thesis of medecine (Marseille, France), we reseach actively all works of scientific character on Tai Ji Quan (medical, neurophysiological, neuropsychological, neuromotor researches), that have been realized and published. We are particulary concerned by cognitive process of the slow rythm in the movment, and effects of this rythm. If you have some susceptible information to help us in our researches, thank you in advance for what you will be able to communicate us. With my best regards, Ram Institut de Tai Ji Quan 18 rue d'Italie. 13006 - Marseille FR Fax. (33) 4 91 48 88 58 A: Dear Ram, Thanks for your message. The art of Taijiquan does not work because it is all slow moving. You must remember that before the mid 1920's Taijiquan was a balance of explosive and slow flowing movements. Taijiquan is said to be like the great river! If you have ever seen "The Great River", the Yellow River, then you will realise that in parts it is very peaceful and in other parts to go into it would kill you as it is so fierce! This is what Taijiquan is like, it is NOT all slow moving! The all slow moving form invented by Yang Cheng-fu was only invented so that the multitudes could learn Taijiquan easier. Unfortunately, as time went by and so called Taiji spread out into the West, we only ever received the all slow moving version. Even in China where before Yang Cheng-fu, Taijiquan was kept mainly as family secrets, it was now spreading out, but only the slow moving form was that which was being proliferated. Taijiquan heals because it balances yin and yang energies in the body. We become ill because of an unbalance of yin and yang qi. If that imbalance stays, then we eventually die. When there is imbalance of yin and yang, pathogenic disease is allowed to come into the body and we become ill. The all slow moving form is good for we Westerners as we often do not simply get any exercise and this is a way of getting some gentle exercise. However, if we wish to take Taijiquan on to its highest levels of healing, i.e. balancing the body's energies, then we MUST perform the original style as it was invented by Yang Lu-ch'an with its fast and slow movements. I have done experiments with both new and old Yang forms and it is the Old Yang style that always comes out on top as far as healing is concerned. Let me explain it this way. it's like a person who has been eating hamburgers all of his life and he simply changes his diet to include more vegetables, but still keep seating the hamburgers. That person will notice a marked difference to his health. But soon, he will need to go on to change his diet even more, leaving out the hamburgers including mostly fruit. This is the difference between the new and old Yang styles of Taijiquan. Doing Cheng-fu's form will help we out of condition Westerners, however, if we then wish to go on to the higher levels of healing and martial ability, then we have to begin learning the original explosive style. I hope this has been of some help. Kind regards Erle Montaigue Q: Keith Boggess, Philadelphia, USA. Erle, I hope you and everyone are doing well. Let me compliment you on your web page. It's exciting. One of the reasons I don't write often with questions these days is that there is so much on that site. There is now a WTBA club in Philadelphia with a small group of students. A question came up with using eagle vision, C-back, and the other integrated methods of taiji fighting. Randal, the student, is also a fencer. A few days ago he used the taiji method with success against an aggressive and strong opponent when that guy used full power...but, when he used the non-telegraphing attack, i.e., moving the arm first before the body, he got in on Randal. Against a fist, that's not a big concern (leading with the arm), but with a knife, it's hard to defend against (I can guess that one of your answers might be that the problem is that he is defending). Can he use the taiji fighting method against such non-telegraphing weapon attacks? If so, how? Thanks Keith Boggess PS: When you move to Wales, are you going to miss the snakes? A: Dear Keith, Thanks for your message. I'll include you in PA with your Email address again. It's impossible to attack without telegraphing! There MUST be SOME body movement. He was not obviously watching the whole body using eagle vision! The bumping method always works against knife attack, that's what it is best at defending against. The thing is, that someone MUST move in closer to attack you even with a knife. So when they move, that's the signal for you to attack regardless of what they are doing to you. The classic says: "If he strikes you, strike him first" Look at any animal when attacked, they always seem to have that ability to attack at the same time that they are attacked. Why? because they are in the reptilian brain part of their brain where any movement sets them off automatically. A snake will just lie there in the 'C' back position as it dead but at the first sign of movement, be-it ever so slight, it will attack with a deadly ferocity because it HAS to survive. The difference in 'sparring' of course is that we really know that this is not survival and that we are just playing around. However, we can use some of the reptilian brain mode to at least move when the attacker moves thus putting off his timing and ending up in his face where he does not wish us to be. When people attack, they expect you to be where you are when attacked otherwise they would not have attacked you where you are! This can be with a knife or any weapon. So when you are not there, they do not like this, and if you, in addition, attack as you 'are not there' then it makes life even harder for the attacker. The reptile brain is what we are in when doing the taiji form. Yes, I will miss the snakes, and parrots and lizards and all manner of diverse life forms that we have here on Horse's Head. Kind regards Erle Q: Giancarlo Tomio Switzerland: wrote: > Dear Erle, > I have just read Ram's message on your Q&A section. For any medical > literature search I would suggest to check out the free MEDLINE database > of the National Library of Medicine at > > http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/freemedl.html > > I thought this could be of some help for people who actually look for any > medical research information. > There are indeed some interesting articles on taiji, and WTBA people may > want to have a look. I regularly use MEDLINE for my studies at university. > > Best regards, > Giancarlo Tomio > > PS: My girlfriend and I greatly appreciated the advices you gave us: thank > you very much! A: Dear Giancarlo,. Thank you for your information. I will add it to the Q&A section and will look up that site myself. Kind Regards Erle Q: Keith Boggess wrote: Hey, Erle, I had a female student ask a question about taiji and menstruation. Now, I read your response on your Q&A page about things to help menstruation, including changing the diet. Her question is related but a little different. She had heard from someone that women should not practice taiji intensely during menstruation. How do you feel about that? A: Dear Keith, Unless there is something drastically wrong with her period, like an extreme flow etc. then qigong or taiji is OK, in fact it should help especially when there is pain etc. Most women however, do not like doing much at all on the first day of period anyway. This is also not natural and caused by 20th century living! Kind Regards Erle Q: Chris pero USA wrote: Maybe with all those parrots around, you might be able to make a few pets out of them.Ha,ha,ha. If things go my way, in the summer I'll see if I can scrounge up some money and come out to visit for a short time. No promises though, but it would be nice to meet and talk with you for awhile about training,etc.. Maybe we can sit under a tree and sip on a few none alcoholic beverages and share some information about the martial arts,etc.. I'd like to do some sight seeing as well when I'm there. Maybe I can buy a few things their to bring home to give to family and friends. I was wondering how is it that the Stomach 9 point works, for instance, how hard do you have to strike someone, in order for this point to work properly? Also what is the correct angle to make it work? Thank you for all the information you might be able to give me. Regards, Chris P. A: Dear Chris, Actually it is illegal to make pets out of parrots unless they are store ones! Most of our native birds come visit us each morning and we are able to hand feed them. You are welcome to visit us at our annual camp which begins last Friday in August 98. I'll have only a cold Coopers beer with you as it's made naturally ... and is really good! ST 9 works like this. Just under the point is the carotid sinus, a small node that is responsible for measuring your blood pressure. It is situated in the inner branch just above when the carotid artery breaks up into two branches in the neck. When you blood pressure goes up, it sends a message via the cardio-inhibitory centre in the brain via the vagus nerve to the heart to tell it to slow down or even stop! This causes the KO. Depending upon how sensitive this is, you can KO someone with only a stroke of the thing! One person in one million has a hypersensitive carotid sinus where even a quick turn will KO them! So it is really important not to play around with this point as any hard strike will kill. But normally a medium strike at a 45 degree angle from the front in towards the back bone will do the trick. Kind Regards Erle.
Q: Buggee338 wrote: > Dear Erle, > I wanted to ask you, how someone can join the Kyusho List. > I tried to subscribe the List, but my E-mail was sent back. > Is this a new project and has been activated. Are people allowed > to subscribe. I just wanted know, because I'm very interested in > joining this project. By the way thank for the information on > getting sleep, the exercise worked. > > Your Friend, > > Jerry, RPD A: Dear Jerry, That Email on my site SHOULD work?? However if it does not work again, Email Rick Clark at: rickclark@ibm.net He will be able to help you join. Kind Regards Erle |
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