You are here: Home / Archives for teaching

3 Days at the Gompa

January 29, 2010 By

Sounds like an exotic journey to a far off land doesn’t it? In way that is exactly what members of the Toronto Study Group experienced during a training session a few years  back. We found ourselves in a martial arts heaven. I hope a brief story about our trip will be an enticement to others.

Due to our flight arrangements, we landed quite late on a Wednesday night, arriving at the Gompa at 1:30AM. Even at this late hour, Shifu Painter had arranged for us to organize our sleeping arrangements so as to get to bed as soon as possible after our arrival. This was good since we knew the day was going to start at 8:30 sharp.

Thursday began with an hour of meditation and Dao Yin yoga with Shifu Painter. There is no adequate way to describe this experience other than to say that it was peaceful, healthful and a completely delightful way to begin our training. We all went to breakfast after this and enjoyed discussing the coming three days of training.

The first martial training session was in Master Jou’s garden. This is an outdoor training space dedicated to the late Master Jou, Tsung Hwa, author of several books and a pioneer of Taijichuan in the west. The garden itself consists of several sections, each with different training tools and environments. There is a wooden deck used for multiple purposes such as meditation, stepping patterns, qigong etc. Beside this is the famous Baguazhang Nine Post Training area which involves nine wooden posts arranged in three rows of three posts, all situated on a surface of loose gravel. You need to step carefully since the gravel slips out under your feet. Next is an area of raised stone steps arranged in a circle so one can practice stepping onto very specific targets. If you miss, you fall over. There is also a place for practicing light body skill. If this was not enough, there are also lengths of narrow beams on which two people can stand and play push hands games. There are practice dummies for arm work, and space to swing weapons. The largest area is a patio with a beautifully inlaid yin/yang symbol surrounded by the eight gua of the Yijing. (I Ching). Here there is plenty of room for combat games with multiple opponents. And there is one unforgettable piece of equipment; a 12 foot length of 4 inch PVC filled with concrete, weighing about 150lbs and hung from a high tree branch so it swings far and wide. This thing is a challenge to one’s walking and rooting skills that has to be experienced to be understood. Does all this sound cool or what??!!

We spent the day in the garden working on our body structure. This involved fine tuning the various alignments that are needed to produce whole body power. This is not a mysterious force, but rather the effect of the various muscles and bones being used in a synchronized way to create more force than any single muscle or group of muscles by themselves. To accomplish this, one must spend time finding the weaknesses in the way the body is held and make the necessary corrections. This we did for the entire day with well-timed rest periods.

After dinner we had some free time and chose to spend it once again in the garden, just lightly playing a game called “Two Dragons Circling Among the Clouds”. The garden is lit at night via well placed lamps, consisting of subdued white light in waist high stands, and blue spotlights overhead which have the effect of moonlight. It is quite magical to be in that place at night playing sensitivity games. We did this for the entire evening until we were just too tired to continue. A fabulous fatigue!

The next day started once again with meditation. After breakfast we spent the morning with Shifu Robert Castaldo. He is one of the official Gompa instructors and he had made some discoveries about stepping that he wanted to share with us.

It was a very detailed examination of the way one’s foot is placed when walking and the effect it has on the ability to deliver power while maintaining balance and root. You may wonder how we can spend so much time on something so seemingly small and specific. Yet we easily filled up the entire morning on this and could have gone on longer. Questions were posed and examined; ideas were tossed around and experiments designed to explore those ideas.

For anyone interested in really exploring body mechanics and their most efficient use, I highly recommend that you try to spend some time with Shifu Castaldo.

After lunch came our session with Shifu Alan Marshall. He asked us what we were working on as a group in Toronto, and we mentioned the “Two Dragons” exercise we had done the evening before. So he graciously spent the afternoon sharing his ideas and approaches to this game. It was eye opening to say the least. It must be said that the Gompa teachers are very adept at assessing where you are and then working to fill in any holes and subsequently adding information to move you forward. Shifu Marshall saw right away where the weaknesses were in the way we were playing and was able to make very specific suggestions for improvements. And, of course, he demonstrated his meaning with each and every suggestion and we learned a great deal about how to improve our practice and make progress. The time flew by and when were just getting started, it was time for dinner. The evening was spent watching a movie and just relaxing with Shifu Painter. It was simply pleasant and relaxing.

The next morning was Saturday. This is the busiest day there as there are classes running all morning. Once again we spent the morning in the garden, this time with Shifu Andy Garza. And once again he wanted to know what we were working on and we told him “Two Dragons”. He watched us play for several minutes and, as with Shifu Marshall, he had some ideas and suggestions for us. But here is the best part, Shifu Garza had different ideas to show us with this game than Shifu Marshall, none of which were contradictory and once again we were shown information which would elevate our practice, yet in different areas.

So we again found ourselves being taught in ways that enhanced our practice without losing any of what we already knew. The reason for this is that the Gompa teachers focus on principles, rather than specific techniques. Principles can be adapted to various specific situations while specific techniques are only applicable to the situation in which they are effective. Also, the focus on principles allows each teacher to share their understanding from a personal standpoint without contradicting the other teachers. In this way each personality, and they are quite different, can be freely expressed while the information is complimentary. If this sounds too good to be true, keep in mind that they have been refining their approach for many years. We are the happy recipients of these years of work.

Saturday afternoon was spent once again with Shifu Painter….hmm, we have come full circle…..going over more details about various aspects of our practice. Circle walking, ba step turns, more alignments, ideas on using weights (water filled balls) to enhance practice etc. etc. This story is already long enough without attempting to get into all that detail. After dinner, we returned to the Gompa for a final in depth discussion with Shifu about various aspects of the art. He clarified and confusions, told some illustrative stories, shared more ideas, and this went on until after midnight.

Here is the bottom line: The level of generosity and care with which each of the Gompa teachers approaches one’s learning is evident and inspiring. How you are doing really matters to them. Nothing is held back and every effort is made to be sure you are learning what you need to learn. Going to the Gompa is like stepping into an isolated training compound, with the feeling of a being a world apart. This is so conducive to focused learning that I felt I was picking up information without being directly taught anything. Just seeing some of the equipment at hand give one ideas for practice. Each of us is naturally drawn to different aspects of practice, and since the environment totally supports all these aspects, one only has to be there to get some inspiration.

The best thing about the Gompa is the Gompa. The word means “place of quiet study” and that is exactly what it is. So if you are in any way considering experiencing this unique place, do your utmost to make it happen. You will be unbelievably happy you did.

Filed Under: Lessons Tagged With: , ,

Imagine the Gompa

July 19, 2009 By

Look into your mind’s eye. That fleeting part of your awareness that can see remembered images and create new ones. You know how to do this. You’ve known it since you were a child. When you were young you called it pretending. “Let’s pretend we’re tigers.” yelled a friend, and a chorus of high pitched children’s roaring would sound.  Your throat would become sore from roaring since it was a matter of compressing the vocal chords and throat to create the required ferociousness. Not only that, you were feeling ferocious so you could be sure the sound was coming out just right.

So, look into your mind’s eye. Create what is described here with the same vividness with which you became a tiger when you were a child.

You can see a wooden wall standing well above your height in front of you with a gate directly ahead. Entering the gate, you step from a the front yard of a suburban home onto a wooden walkway extending straight ahead. You walk along the walkway, which is suspended a few inches above trickling water, with well place plants and rocks on either side. The sound of the water is instantly soothing and you are aware of having left your normal world behind and entered a special place. It is quiet, peaceful and oddly foreign as if these surroundings had been transplanted from another time and place.

The walkway ends at a deck which forms the front yard of a two story building. A staircase runs up the left side of the building for access to the upper story. In the center of the building on the main floor is a single door with several square glass panes offering you a tantalizing glimpse to the interior. Above the doorway are large flags identifying this place with……actually you are not quite sure what the flags represent, but their prominent placement gives them obvious significance. To the right of building is a narrow area, flanked on its right with yet another closed gate. What is beyond this?

The door to the building now opens and you are bid entry along with several other travelers who have come to this place. You step across the threshold into a simple square room with a mirrored wall on the left, a plain wall on the right. On either side of the doorway are comfortable looking two-person couches. But what is most striking is the low, multi-tiered platform on the far wall with portrait photos, flowers, a beautiful small statue of an Asian woman, and various yet-to-be identified items. To the left of this platform is a large Chinese gong. To the right, a single wooden armchair with a tall back and beside this, a side table supporting metal bowls of various sizes.

All this decor creates a feeling of the mysterious and exotic. You wonder how exactly these things are used, and whether you will have a chance to find out first hand. These thoughts are cut short as it has been stated that is is time to go to “the garden”.  You follow the others out the door, each person pausing briefly to turn and bow momentarily as if to say to the room “Thanks for being here.”.

You hear the gate latch opening on that gate to the right of the building and follow the other people through it. Again you step onto another wooden walkway, this one being a bridge suspended over a concrete culvert which runs beside the building. You can clearly see that this bridge takes you to another walled enclosure. So you walk the short distance across the bridge and through a gate on the other side.

This “garden” is in fact an outdoor training area. It is divided into three main sections, the first which you are standing in. It is a concrete surface inlaid with a beautiful large Yin-Yang symbol surrounded by the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching. The size of it is such that around 10 people could walk around its perimeter without crowding each other. A warm, gentle breeze washes over you, rustling the various trees inhabiting this place.

At the far left of this area one of those trees defines the border with the next area. This one consists of a loose gravel surface, various training tools such as balance beams, short stumps of varying heights and a section for the famous nine posts of Bagua. As you continue your tour of the garden, heading toward the third area, you feel the urge to enter the nine posts and begin weaving your way amongst them. And this feeling happens whether or not you know anything about the way the posts are used. It is a strange inner compulsion, almost as if the posts a drawing you inside them.

Beyond this is the third area, a wooden deck surrounded by beautiful plants, another statue of that beautiful woman whom you have now been told is Kwan Yin, the goddess of compassion. This deck has low benches along one side which are ideal for meditation. There are tall trees scattered throughout the garden such that if you look up, you see a stunning canopy of tree branches and leaves which offer protection from direct sunlight. This is feeling is comforting in its simultaneous offering of protection and natural openness.

The effect of all this is to feel transported to an ancient world where time has stopped and deep learning can take place. It is a place of rejuvenation and solace from your regular life that can revive even the most weary of life travelers. It is the Gompa. It truly is as it has been described yet many amazing details have been left out of this description.

Read this again from the beginning and imagine the sights and sounds as best you can. Remember the feeling of being a child pretending to be an animal and try to create the sensations of being in a place like this. For those who have been there, this will all be familiar and will evoke those warm memories of experiencing the Gompa. For those yet to go there, see it in your mind’s eye and know that it is possible to see the real thing.

Filed Under: Philosophy Tagged With: , ,

What is Sung?

July 7, 2009 By

Let’s examine the concept of Sung which is spelled Song in Pinyin transliteration from a practical perspective. The word Song in the Chinese dictionary has numerous definitions the first of which is surprisingly enough: A pine tree. [song 1] pine; loose; slack; loosen; relax; slacken; not hard. The second definition refers to a state in which a thing becomes relaxed, without excess tension.

It is important to remember at this point that the Chinese written language is comprised of symbols thatdo not always indicate precise concrete things as in English. Chinese characters often have layers of meaning that represents feelings and ideas.At first glance it is not so easy to see what a pine tree has to do with being relaxed, yet this is exactly the image that conveys the concept of what true Song is all about. The doggerel about the ancient pine and the snow by my teacher Li Long-dao at the opening of this article was the way he explained Song to me as a young boy.

The pine is an ancient Daoist symbol of longevity and eternal youth, as the tree remains green and flexible no matter what the season. Its roots are deep and strong and the limbs are long and can support great weight. As in the poem, when there is an outside force applied to the limbs, they do not resist or become rigid. The limb bows slightly under the weight of the snow, allowing the weighty mass to slide off. The pine tree is not limp or flaccid. It has just the right balance of firm, flexible resistance without rigidity to sustain itself though all types of weather. It is in this same way that I believe we should view the concept of Song in Baguazhang.

“Before there is Yang-jin the Yin-jin must manifest itself” (Baguazhang Classics).

Yin-jin is that quality of energy that is relaxed before it can become Yang-jin or firm in nature. So before there is hard power there must first be relaxed or soft power.

What this really means is that if we want to deliver great power in striking we must first learn to relax the muscles of the torso and limbs. Beginning any strike with tensed muscles will only inhibit the action because the antagonistic muscles will be flexed thereby reducing the speed and power generated by the agonistic (flexors) during the strike.” The form or style is not important. What is important is what the mind does during the movement and that the body alignments are correct for the specific movements intended purpose.”

I feel in the case of Song, feeling Qi arises as the by-product of correct mental and physical activity. To feel the qi in your Baguazhang, what you must do is carefully examine in slow motion each action you make; feeling the muscles flexing, stretching, and relaxing harmoniously. When you consciously work to slowly and deliberately control the actions of your body in sequence, you learn to relax the muscles not needed in a specific action. As this happens your autonomic nervous system will dilate blood vessels activated through your mental desire to “feel”. The nerves will become more sensitive and you will experience these sensations as qi flows. This feeling of qi is the end result of a proper release of musculo-skeletal tension. The goal is to learn to feel all of this happening and to gain control over your body in action.

That Certain Feeling

Song training has two major parts. Mind/body coordination and rooting skills. In the beginning, to train Song we embark upon a process of consciously finding and relieving unintentional tension in the body in order to facilitate more freedom of movement and articulation of the joint structures. In short, becoming aware of the unnecessary and excessive tonus in our flexors and extensors and letting go of any tension that is unnecessary. Once we can do this we can let the body “settle” in with gravity and develop a dynamic stability called rooting energy.We must not collapse to learn Song. We strive for a harmonic but dynamic balance of flexion in the protagonist muscles, coupled with an equal release and extension in the opposing antagonistic muscle structures. When correct kinetic equilibrium is achieved, the antagonistic muscles will be releasing tension in a balanced, dynamic action with the flexors of the protagonist muscles. There will be achieved a true Baguazhang flow state in the action. The relaxing muscles will act like yin flowing smoothly in harmony with the flexing muscles, yang; just as in the Chinese philosophical principle of the Taiji symbolism.

The first part of Song is mental and physical. You learn to feel these changes at all levels of muscular activity during your movements. This is no small feat, because Baguazhang is a dynamic and moving exercise and the muscles are constantly changing, relaxing, stretching, and flexing. This is one of the reasons for doing the form slowly. You have the time to use your mind to scan the body for areas where you are holding muscles (not used in the present action) that contain non-essential tension and to release it. To attain Song the mind must be disciplined. It is necessary to be fully present in the now moment. To be aware of each and every action you are making as you do the form. There must be, especially for the beginner, no distracting thoughts that bring on anxiety or tension.

My Five Enemies of Song:

1. Tension in the antagonistic muscles. Muscles not directly used in the action must be as relaxed as possible, so as not to pull against those muscles creating the motion. For example, the biceps (protagonist) must flex when lifting the palm, while the triceps (antagonist) must relax and stretch. All skeletal muscles are paired in this way and they must act in this manner to function smoothly.

2. Tension in the protagonist muscles. Muscles used in the actions must not be unduly tensed until the moment of use. To have full energy, a muscle must relax and stretch slightly and then contract. Excess tension in the protagonist muscle will inhibit sensory awareness.

3. Out of sequence entrainment. To have any part move out of sequence interrupts the flow or proper sequence of concentration. This will reduce or negate the mental sensitivity in proportion to the power of the out of phase action.

4. Lack of proper stability.If there is no solid foundation (stance) from which to launch the motion, the sensitivity will be unstable. Instability distracts the mind from it’s goal of feeling the actions.

5. Emotional tension, competing, or thinking of an opponent. Mental anxiety, the desire to win or succeed, can lead to excessive muscular tension in the beginning stages. For the beginner, a student who has learned the form and is now trying to do the internal sensing work of releasing excessive tension, thinking of an opponent or practicing applications of push hands will only retard his progress and lead to the use of excessive muscular force. This is because thinking of anything exciting or dangerous naturally produces a state of excitation in the nervous system, which is reflected in the musculature.

Bottom Line

To develop Song is to use your mind to learn to feel and adjust the way you use your body machinery. This awareness teaches us to clearly differentiate between the necessary and unnecessary use of your muscles as you move. In this way you eliminate the excessive tension of antagonistic muscle groups in any particular action. You learn to balance the body with the force of gravity. Your learn conservation of motion and develop a high level of stability. The release of conflicting muscle traction between protagonist and antagonistic muscle groups will result in greater blood circulation, joint flexibility, and fluidity of motion. You will also improve your kinetic alignments and potential for generating speed and power in martial applications.There is more to it than just these ideas but I hope this will get you started.

Hope this is of some benefit.
John P. Painter

Filed Under: Lessons Tagged With: , , ,

Become an instructor

June 24, 2009 By

If you would like to find out more about becoming an instructor in the Nine Dragon system, the opportunity is here!

Find out more here : Become an Instructor

Filed Under: Lessons Tagged With: , ,