Iching-hexagram-13 7/15/09 4:20 PM TongRen A publication of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation Une publication de la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan

August 2010 Août Volume 17 . Issue 3 Numéro

file:///Users/rhubarb/Desktop/Iching-hexagram-13.webarchive Page 1 of 1 Dennis Meeking and Dennis Pounal “Maio Dao Sabre pierces the Heavens”

TongRen August/août 2010 Volume 17 . Issue 3 Numéro

Published by the Canadian Taijiquan Federation, P.O. Box 32055, London, Ontario, Canada N5V 5K4 www.canadiantaijiquanfederation.com Editor: Michelle McMillan, KI DESIGN, Guelph, Ontario Copy Editors: Charles Dunphy, Oakville, Ontario & Bob Chessell, Barrie, Ontario

TongRen provides a forum for the discussion, TongRen fournit un forum pour discuter, exprimer et expression, and experience of Taijiquan and related vivre le Taijiquan et ses domaines connextes. Articles, subjects. Articles, reports on events, biographies, reportages, activitiés, biographies, lettres, critiques de letters, book reviews, poems, illustrations, scholarly livres, poèmes, illustrations, textes savants et réflexions research, and philosophical musings are welcomed. philosophiques sont les bienvenus. Veuillez soumettre Please email submissions for consideration for tout matériel à fin de publication à la rédactrice de publication in TongRen to the editor, Michelle T o n g R e n , M i c h e l l e M c M i l l a n McMillan

TongRen is published quarterly: February, May, TongRen est publié quatre fois par année, en février, August, November. Submissions must be received by mai, août et novembre. Toute sumission doit être reçue the first day of the preceding month to be included. avant le premier du mois qui précède la date de The Editor reserves the right to determine content of publication. La rédactrice réserve le droit de décider each issue. Priority is given to content submitted by du contenu de chaque numéro. On accorde priorité au CTF members. contenu soumis par les membres de la FCT.

Next issue will be published in November 2010 Le prochain numéro sera publié en novembre 2010 Submission deadline: 1 October 2010 Datelimite des soumissions: 1 octobre 2010

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2 Iching-hexagram-13 7/15/09 4:20 PM TongRen (T’ung-jen) TongRen is the 13th hexagram of the I Ching (Yijing) meaning “Fellowship” or “Sameness with People”.

“Sameness with people means other people and oneself are as one. As for the qualities of the hexagram, above is heaven, strong, and below is fire, luminous: employing strength with illumination, making illumination effective by strength, being truthful within and adept without, developing oneself and others as well, it is therefore called sameness with people. “ The Taoist I Ching (trans. Thomas Cleary, Shambala Publications, 1986 ISBN 0-87773-352-X bk)

TongRen

CONTENTS August 2010 Volume 17 . Issue 3 TABLE DES MATIÈRES Août 2010 Volume 17 . 3 Numéro

Article Authour / Auteur Page

Front cover photo: Brian Bruning, Dan Djurdjevic and Jim Ransom in Taiwan (see article on page 7) Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation 4 20th Anniversary of Cold Mountain Internal Arts & Sam Masich Workshop 5 Letter to the Editor Hajime Naka 6 Our Trip to Taiwan Brian Bruning 7 Is Qigong Placebo? Joh. Friedrcih 8 Kootenay Lake Tai Chi LIves On Hajime (Harold) Naka 10 Taijiquan “Internals” and Nei-Yeh Bill Hulet 11 Adriaan Blaaw and Jill Heath Workshops (advertisement) 12 The Evolution of a Taij Boxer Dennis Pounall 20 Adriaan Blaauw & Jill Heath Workshops 21 Events/Événements 22 CTF Mission & Membership Information 23

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by contributing authors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the policies or beliefs of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation; its executive, Board of Directors, Editor, or members collectively or individually. All material in this publication is provided as information only and should not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No physical activity or medicalfile:///Users/rhubarb/Desktop/Iching-hexagram-13.webarchive action should be initiated based on the contents of this publication. Always consult appropriate Page 1 of 1 health care professionals. The Editor reserves the right to edit or decline submissions. All rights reserved by the Canadian Taijiquan Federation under the authority of its executive.

Décharge: Les opinions exprimées dans TongRen par les auteurs et les annonceurs ne reflètent pas nécessairement la politique ou les positions de la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan, de son conseil d’administration, de ses dirigeants ou de ses membres, collectivement on individuellement. Tout matériel dans TongRen n’a qu’une valeur informative et ne constitue en rien des avis on des directives médicaux. Aucune activité physique ou action médicale ne devrait être enterprise en fonction du contenu de TongRen. Il est recommandé de toujours consulter un spécialiste de la santé avant de s’y engager. La rédaction se réserve le droit de revoir ou de refuser tout matériel soumis. Tous droits réservés par la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan en conformité avec le mandat de ses dirigeants.

3 Our Taiji Community Gathers & Celebrates! DAY ONE Saturday, October 2, 2010

The 2010 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation 1 1am - 12 noon

Bring a lunch and eat in or go out to a neighbourhood restaurant, then come back for:

The 20th Anniversary Celebration of Cold Mountain Internal Arts 1pm - 7:30pm

1:00-3:00 Technical foundations to Internalism Sam Masich and Steve Higgins 3:15 Lion Dance Robin Young and Jing Mo Kung Fu Club 3:30-5:15 Martial Arts Demonstrations

5:30 - Potluck Dinner (please bring a contribution & ingredient list)

Saturday activities are FREE to CTF Members and will be held at Calvin Presbyterian Church, 248 Westmount Road East, Kitchener, Ontario

Contact: Alpha Montermayor [email protected]

4 Our Taiji Community Learns & Plays!

DAY TWO Sunday, October 3, 2010

ONE DAY ONLY! 10am-4pm Yang-style Taijiquan 108: Inside and Out with Sam Masich

The traditional Yang-style 108 movement bare- hand Taiji routine is what started the modern Taijiquan revolution. This is a chance look at key sequences, movement intent and application.

Sam's approach to this form is extremely traditional and highly principled. His work over thirty years with such masters as Yang Zhenduo, Yang Jun, Yang Jwing-Ming, Brien Gallagher, Raymond Chung and others have placed Sam in a unique position to research and transmit this art. Opportunities to study this form with him are rare and if you ask Sam he will say of the Yang 108, "It's my best thing".

A passionate and gifted teacher, Sam Masich never fails to inspire students along their path. Sam works with beginning, intermediate and advanced practitioners encouraging a focus on the integration of classical principles with traditional and contemporary forms. He has been awarded gold medals and praise for his performances in competitions and demonstration in North America, Europe and China. $100 for the day

Waterloo Community Arts Centre, www.sammasich.com (the Old Button Factory), 25 Regina St. S., Waterloo, Ont. Contact: Alpha Montemayor [email protected]

5 Our Trip to Taiwan (Brian and Jim’s Most Excellent Adventure) By Brian Bruning

the screen in front of me died and stayed that way for the next eleven hours. The whole row I was in was affected, but no other. I watched a few videos on the portable dvd player I brought with me and then tried to get some sleep. Although the shades were down for most of the trip and it was quiet, it was impossible to rest due to the small seats and no leg room.

Jim and I were glad to be on the ground and enjoyed the mild temp of around 70 degrees. We met Shou Mei’s brother who took us by cab to the Kingship Hotel on Cisian 3rd Rd, Yancheng District. In the summer of 2008, Grandmaster Chen Yun Ching, son of Chen Pan Ling and heir to his The hotel lobby was attractive with several father’s Martial Arts legacy, invited 19 students carved wooden figures including a huge one next from the United States and Australia to come to to the check in desk, In the waiting area, covering Taiwan in January 2009. They were to attend a the wall, was a large relief of plaster horses. Our training seminar and be part of a special room was on the ninth floor and it had some traditional Chinese ceremony called the “Bai Shi”. This also included Master Chen’s adopted brother James Sumarac and his wife Shou Mei, from Australia.

Jim Ransom and I were selected from the Rochester T’ai Chi Ch’uan Center in Rochester, New York, to be among those select few to become Master Chen’s first “Inner Door” students. This is our story.

Day 1(Thurs.-Fri. Jan. 15-16) From Rochester to Kaohsiung

Our trip started on Thursday, January 15, 2009, interesting features such as rock hard beds, a tub with an air temperature of 0 degrees at the you had to step up into (not much headroom) and Rochester International Airport. Jim Ransom and I a metal post bolted to the floor by the window. departed at 7:25 am. After a stopover in Chicago, There was a long rope coiled into a plastic case we arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport in Japan at high up on the wall next to the window, 3:15 pm and continued on to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, presumably to tie to the post and throw out the arriving on Friday the 16th at 9:15pm. The total window to slide down on in case of fire. travel time was around 19 hours 45 minutes, which was the longest I had ever been in the air. It From almost anywhere in Kaohsiung, you could would have been tolerable except that two hours see the Tuntex Sky Tower, or 85 Skytower. It is an into the trip over the Pacific the video signal to 85-floor skyscraper located in the Lingya District.

6 The structure is 347.5 m (1,140 ft) high with an antenna pushing the building height to 378 m (1,240 ft). The building was constructed from 1994 to 1997 and is the tallest in Kaohsiung. It replaced the Shin Kong Life Tower (244.2 m (801 ft)) as the tallest building in Taiwan when it was completed in 1993 but lost that distinction by the construction of Taipei 101. The tower has an unusual 'prong' design with two separate 39-floor sections, which merge into a single central tower rising to a point.The design was inspired by the Chinese character Kao (or Gao meaning "tall") and is also the first character in the city's name. It reminds me of a giant upside down tuning fork.

We rested that night and enjoyed some Taiwan television, especially the “Kung Fu Puppet Theater”. It had marionettes like the old TV show “Supercar”, except with Kung Fu fighting. It also had the usual religious cable channels seen in the States but with Buddhist monks, and like in the US, it had many channels with reality shows, games shows and soap operas.

Each day we had breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant with some western style food available and then traveled by a charter style bus to the temple for training. I can still hear “Auntie” Mei greeting us loudly exclaiming “Good Morning Taiwan!”

We dined on great local food (after we found a suitable restaurant) cooked fresh and hot and served in the usual manner - on many large, shared, platters placed on “lazy susans” which covered most of the table tops. There were a few dishes I could not recognize but I tried

7 everything. Of course, the fish and chicken were We walked past the waiting tourist rickshaws and cooked with all their parts attached – head, tail, to our first stop – the Tianhou Temple, one of the and feet. It was a little strange to see our food most famous temples in southern Taiwan. It is looking back at us! one of Kaohsiung's oldest temples dedicated to Mazu, protector of mariners and fishermen, and is Every day we heard a musical tune playing one of the oldest architectural structures in outside our window, nine floors up, and found Kaohsiung (constructed in 1691). This was built in out it was what I called the “Happy Garbage traditional Southern Fujianese style, with finely Truck”. It reminded those of us from the USA of crafted, colorfully-painted stone carvings. the ice cream trucks that traveled our streets when we were kids; however, the music here alerted residents, reminding them to bring out their garbage to throw it into the truck themselves. The system works quite well, only we got sick of hearing that tune every day – morning, noon, and night.

Next stop was Qihou Mountain (Cihou-Wade Giles) which occupies a strategic defensive position at the western entrance to Kaohsiung Harbor. In the late 17th century, a battery was established here and installed with six Chinese- style cannons. With the opening of Dagao Harbor (today's Kaohsiung Harbor) in 1863, the battery grew in military importance. Governor Shen Pao- Day 2 (Sat. Jan. 17) – Local Sightseeing chen sent Huai Army Provincial Military Commander Tang Ting-kui and Regional Vice Jim and I met some of our fellow students: John Commander Wang Lu to oversee the construction Scott, Mark Small, Terry Price, Randy and Salma of a new battery and hired a British engineer to Causey, Karen Jensen from the USA and Dan design the fortifications. The new fortifications Djurdjevic from Australia. We decided to go for a consisted of two batteries: one on Qihou walkabout to explore Kaohsiung. We traveled Mountain at the south side of the harbor entrance down the streets and alleys – some quite narrow – and the other on the north side of the harbor and arrived at the Gushan Pier. We took the Qijin entrance. In 1884, Governor Liu Ming-chuan (Cijin in Wade Giles) Island Ferry that connects hired a German engineer to rebuild the southern Qijin Island to the Gushan District of Kaohsiung. half of the Qihou Battery. At that time, four British-made Armstrong breechloaders were Qijin Island was once a peninsula connected to installed at the south side of the battery, facing the the mainland at the southern tip. In 1975 it was Taiwan Strait. severed to create a second entry point to Kaohsiung harbor. Qijin was the first area of On the top of Qihou Mountain we first came to Kaohsiung to be cultivated by early settlers to the the Qihou Fort, which has a long and interesting southern region of Taiwan. history. In Emperor Tongjhih's 13th year, the

8 Ching Dynasty sent Shen Baojhen to Taiwan to pavilions. On the way back to the hotel, Jim and I resist the Japanese army and to built forts at took an alternate route and got lost, of course. We Qihou and Syongjhen North Gate. They are stopped by a local police station for directions. It Chinese style constructions. The word "si" is set was quite a first day! into the entrance brickwork, and the forts are inscribed "Shaking Heaven's South" and "Guarding the North Gate." The top of the fort is open so there is an excellent view of the island, harbor, and Kaohsiung City, although the day we were there the sky was hazy.

The fort consists of three linked compounds arranged from north to south. The northern section, used for training, has thick inner walls in which the troop quarters were located. The central section was the command area, and the southern area was the site of the cannon emplacements. The fortifications are made of iron, cement and brick. The troop quarters are topped by a thick iron-cement roof reinforced with closely set timbers. In the brickwork near the Day 3 (Sun. Jan. 18) – Training Day 1 battery entrance is the character for "Double Happiness”. We started our daily training with T’ai Chi Ch’uan on the grounds of the Kaohsiung Confucius The Qihou Battery was brought into action when Temple. The Temple is located on Lotus Lake the Japanese navy attacked southern Taiwan (Lianchihtan) at No. 400, Lian Tan Rd., in during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), Kaohsiung's Zuoying District. The building is intending to land at Dagao. At that time, the modeled in the Sung Dynasty's unique and defending army was commanded by Liu Yung-fu, majestic architectural style. It is Taiwan's largest famed leader of the Black Flag Army, and his Confucius temple. The first temple was adopted son Liu Cheng-liang, who was established here as early as 1684, just outside the commander of the battery. That day, as seven North Gate of the old city wall, at a site that is Japanese naval ships approached the harbor, the beside the present Lotus Lake. It was damaged by guns at Qihou and Dagu mountains fired on the storms and rebuilt twice during the Ching Japanese ships, slowing their advance. During the Dynasty to form the large, complete temple that subsequent Japanese occupation period the battery suffered extensive damage. The Japanese army finally removed the guns and rebuilt the battery fortifications. Farther up the walk was the Qijin Lighthouse built in 1883 by British engineers as a military outpost during the confrontation with France. Mark and I went into these cave like fortifications where the big guns used to be and got a great view of the harbor, just as the soldiers of old might have.

After a long day of walking, our group stopped by the western shore at the end of the day to rest; however, before long we couldn’t resist practicing exists today. The New Confucius Temple was some Bagua drills in the shade of the circular completed in 1976 with an area of 1800 sq meter.

9 Fo Guang Shan Temple Taiji in main garden

Taiji in main courtyard Confucius Temple garden

Hsing I Staff Suba in rear courtyard

T'ai Chi under trees Taiji under trees

10 The temple is built in the style of the Sung dynasty Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province, which includes the Wanren Wall, Companion Pool and Bridge, Minlun Hall, Li Gate, Yilu House, Lingsing Gate, Tacheng Gate, Tacheng Hall, Dongsi Chamber and Chongsheng Shrine. The Tacheng Hall that forms the main building resembles the Taihe Hall from the Forbidden City in Beijing. The temple is also the site of the annual Teachers' Day celebration, which takes place on September 28th to honor the birthday of Confucius.

We spent most of the day training in the Chen Pan Ling T’ai Chi Form, with Grandmaster Chen During our daily training, some of us visited Yun Ching looking on and working with us to some of the temples around Lotus Lake such as refine our postures. We started each day with the the Yuandi Temple of the High Heavenly Xuan God. T’ai Chi form. Sprinkled in at times was some The “Great Emperor of the Northern Pole” was practice in “Listening Hands”. We were also worshiped by Taoists for his ability to expel treated to a Chen Taiji form demonstration by monsters and cure illness. The Temple, Master Chen’s friend Master An. We were sore commonly known as the “Zuoying Great Temple” for the next couple of days but could not let that located at 100 Lian Tan Road, is the primary stop our training. During our week of training temple in Cijia, Zuoying. It was originally built we tried a couple of different areas such as the during the Ming Dynasty, with reconstruction main courtyard in front of the Temple, the rear beginning in 1973 and lasting three years. The smaller courtyard and under the trees outside the enormous statue of the High Heavenly Xuan God entrance. This area had two sections, which were stands in the Lotus Pond at the front of the tree covered and gave us relief from the warm temple, at the end of a beautiful bridge sun. The other section had local couples wonderfully adorned with statues and wall practicing western style dancing to music playing reliefs. Terry and I entered through a great gate, on a portable stereo. A couple of days later our passed a small pond with a “moon bridge” and young, precocious Katie couldn’t resist a dance walked the main bridge past two pagoda-like with one of the gentlemen. extensions to either side of the bridge. It had a great view of the whole Lotus Pond with all the temples in sight.

That day a small class of local school children were visiting and drew pictures of us training and had a great time showing their work to us.

11 Day 4 (Mon. Jan. 19) – Training Day 2 Founded in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, this monastic order promotes Humanistic This day was dedicated to HsingI, covering the Buddhism, a modern Chinese Buddhist Five Elements, Linking Form & Suba Form in the philosophy developed through the 20th Century morning. We spent the afternoon learning the and made popular by this and other modern Hsing I Kun (Staff Form). Chinese Buddhist orders. Humanistic Buddhism aims to make Buddhism relevant in the world Day 5 (Tues. Jan. 20)– Training Day 3 and in people's lives and hearts. Like most modern Chinese Buddhist organizations, the In the morning, we continued with the HsingI ordination lineage is from the Rinzai Zen (Pinyin Kun and in the afternoon reviewed that form. We - Línjìzōng) school. Fo Guang Shan declares also did some work on the Swimming Dragon Ba clearly that it is an "amalgam of all Eight Schools Gua Zhang with some reviewing the 46 posture of Chinese Buddhism". The complex was quite Chen Pan Ling T’ai Chi Sword. expansive and we spent time touring the main Temple, Museum, Meditation Hall (we all took Day 6 (Wed. Jan. 21) – Bai Shi and Ceremony some time to reflect here), and the Calligraphy room where we all tried our hand following After the ceremony, we all spent the afternoon on “draw by tracing”. We were led on this tour by a field trip to the Fo Guang Shan Monastery (in one of the Buddhist nuns who used a small Pinyin, Fóguāngshān literally means "Buddha's amplified speaker. She had a sore throat that day Light Mountain") and is an international Chinese and needed the boost but her voice was still quite Mahayana Buddhist monastic order based in soft and serene. Taiwan. On the way, we stopped for lunch at a local market where Jim tried the traditional “ear

In the Museum I was particularly fascinated by candle” for an ear wax problem, which cropped the naturally formed rocks which contained up on the way to Taiwan. impressionistic patterns much like the traditional The headquarters of Fo Guang Shan, located in paintings of Asian landscape. Dashu Township, Kaohsiung County, is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. The The Fo Guang Shan Monastery will be the venue organization itself is also one of the largest for the next Taiwan Training Tour January 2011. charity organizations in Taiwan. The order also Participants will be staying and training in the calls itself the International Buddhist Progress Monastery. Society. Its official motto is “May the Buddha's Light shine upon the ten directions. May the That night, we all were treated to a vegetarian Dharma stream continuously flow towards the feast that couldn’t be beat to celebrate our five great continents".

12 Day 9 (Sat. Jan. 24) – Sightseeing Kaohsiung County

We spent this day traveling to the Meinong Hakka Village around 40 kilometers northeast of Kaohsiung City. We drove past many fields of flowers, fruit plants and rice on our way in and around the village. The induction that morning into the Ling Yun Pai ancient town gate or family via the Bai Shi Ceremony. “Dongmen meaning East Gate” originally Day 7 (Thurs. Jan. 22) – Training Day 4 built in the 18th century, was an imposing entrance to this simple village On this morning, we reviewed Ba Gua Zhang and began the Mountain Top Boxing Forms Series 1 The village of Meinong has preserved much of and 2, continuing on into the afternoon. the culture and traditions of the Hakka people, which are one of the four peoples of Taiwan (the others being Taiwanese, Chinese and a dozen different aboriginal peoples). The Hakka are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live mostly in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian, China. Their ancestors were said to have arrived centuries ago from what is today’s central China. Hakka (Mandarin: Kèjiā) literally means people who are visitors. In Taiwan, Hakka people comprise about 15% of the population and are descended largely from Guangdong Province, China. Many Hakka moved to the hills or remote mountains to escape political persecution and many continue to live in these hilly locations of Taiwan. The Hakka are well known for their hard work and have grouped together to form Day 8 (Fri. Jan. 23) – Training Day 5

We reviewed the Mountain Top Boxing Forms while some continued their work on the T’ai Chi Sword. We started to learn the “Mother of all Sword Forms”, the Chung Yang Sword. That night, we all gathered at the local “jazz bar” for a birthday celebration for our youngest fellow students Katie and Glen.

13 successful agricultural communes that dot the Baroque, using red bricks and round arches to island and produce abundant high-quality crops give a unique appearance. There is a great view of including fruit and rice as well as being a huge Kaohsiung from here, day or night. It is now a source of flowers. national Class Two ancient monument managed by the Kingship Hotel in Kaohsiung. It includes a port-view Hall, sea-view Hall, and Kaohsiung Hall, as well as a food court, Cultural Creation Shop, Exhibition Rooms A and B, and the Prison Maze.

In hopes of preserving the Hakka culture, the Kaohsiung County government built the Meinong Hakka Culture Center which we enjoyed spending some time visiting. Among the 1.5 million citizens of Kaohsiung City, about one quarter million (or 17%) are of Hakka origin and with more than 90% of the residents in Meinong of Hakka descent; it made Meinong the best place After dinner that night a group of us visited the for a Hakka cultural museum. Liu Hao Night Market, Cianjin District, which is one of the most famous night markets in Taiwan. In recent years, Meinong has become It was much like our flea markets in the states synonymous with the making of painted oil except that it was many blocks long, brightly lit – paper umbrellas. The paper umbrella is a symbol and with much of the same fare. The shops along for prosperity and is a symbol of good luck for the streets had spilled out onto the sidewalks and the Hakka people. This craft is actually a into the streets, with a crowded pedestrian path relatively recent introduction to Taiwan. In 1920 a sometimes very tightly shared by scooters, and at Hakka businessman from Meinong visited other times with cars. mainland China and, after seeing the beauty of the umbrellas made there, decided to import the skill to Meinong. There are three traditional workshops in Meinong city center but we visited the Yuan Siang Yuan Cultural Village paper umbrella store on Jhongsing Road. This establishment contains shops selling hand-made pottery, works of art, Taiwan glass beads and other gifts, along with some of the most celebrated umbrellas in Meinong. On our way back to the hotel we stopped in the township of Gishan and visited the former British Consulate at Dagou, on the hill east of the harbor opening across from Qihou Fort. The architecture is

14 Day 10 (Sun. Jan. 25) – Training Day 6 It seemed that while in Taiwan just about everything we did or saw was related to history This was our last day of training. We reviewed all and tradition - whether it was training in the that we had covered during our time here and martial arts of Chen Pan Ling on the grounds of a were presented with certificates for this training Confucian temple, or visiting a famous Buddhist before leaving Taiwan. That night was Chinese temple high on a hill and an historic Hakaa New Year but Jim and I rested after our busy day. village where early “visitors” settled. It all came The city had displays of red lanterns hanging in together in the Bai Shi - an emotion filled rows in many sites and we didn’t see any huge ceremony with much cultural symbolism based fireworks display that night but listened to upon centuries of traditional Chinese history. The individuals setting them off all over the city all new “inner door students” of Grandmaster Chen night long. Yun Ching were now part of his lineage and “family”- Ling Yun Pai. Jim and I now have many Day 11 (Mon. Jan. 26)– Departure new “brothers” and “sisters” along with a new “aunt” and “uncle”, and a responsibility to carry Jim and I departed at 3p.m. from Taiwan, with a on an important legacy. short stopover in Hong Kong airport, and continued all the way to JFK airport in New York. We arrived over 15 hours later at 8p.m. that night, Brian Bruning has been a Yang Taiji student since crossing back over the International dateline and 1978, Chen Pan Ling Taiji student since 1989, and gaining back some of the time we lost on the trip Instructor since 1997 at The Rochester T'ai Chi over. We got back into Rochester around Ch'uan Center Rochester N.Y. USA midnight and nestled back into our own beds www.rtccc.com early Tuesday morning, Jan. 27th, ending the trip of a lifetime.

15

IS QI GONG PLACEBO? by Joh. Friedrich RP CRA

It is important to clearly define the terms PLACEBO and PLACEBO EFFECT. These terms mean different things to different people. What is a placebo? My old Oxford, mind you, it is old, says “Placebo; Medicine given to humor, rather than cure, the patient; dummy pill etc. used as control, blank sample in test.” I don’t know of any physician that would give a dummy pill to a sick patient to humor him/her. I reject this definition for the purpose of our discussion. (I dare to question Oxford?). Here is the best definition I found. It will be the one used for the rest of this article. “An inactive substance or other sham form of therapy administered to a patient usually to compare its effects with those of a real drug or treatment.” This piece of work is going to do one of three The Latin meaning of placebo is “I shall please.” things. One, I will be politely asked not to write This is where things get interesting. If placebo any more such articles, or better still, leave the pleases, it would imply that there can actually be Canadian Taijiquan Federation, never to be heard some real or perceived health benefit from an from again. Two, you will just not read my stuff administered inactive substance or therapy. IF, anymore and ignore me. (Not as bad as one). remember now, I said IF, the practice of Qi Gong Three, it will stimulate open discussion about the and Taijiquan is indeed nothing more than true effectiveness of our practice of Taijiquan and placebo, then we would all truthfully argue that Qi Gong, including the medical aspects of them. I we are pleased with it. The crux of the matter is am secretly hoping the latter will be the end result of course in the question of is it real or perceived. of my efforts. But then, I am an eternal optimist. Here is one definition of PLACEBO EFFECT: To be sure, I should clearly outline just what it is I “Such an intervention (meaning the am attempting here. The question is simply ARE administration of an inactive substance or other THE HEALTH BENEFITS WE DERIVE FROM sham form of therapy) may cause the patient to OUR PRACTICE OF QI GONG AND TAI CHI believe the treatment will change his/her AND THE PROJECTED QI FROM A QI GONG condition; and this belief may produce a HEALER NOTHING MORE THAN PLACEBO subjective perception of a therapeutic effect, EFFECT? Without close examination of this causing the patient to feel their condition has question we, that is those of us who are doing improved.” Taijiquan and Qi Gong on a regular basis, would clearly reject the notion that the benefits to our The above definition would only imply a health are just imagined. The skeptics on the subjective perception. Those who adopt this other hand will simply say that there is no definition argue that Placebo Effect is not a real scientific proof that the perception of health improvement in a condition, but a perceived benefits from Qi Gong come Tai Chi and energy improvement. Are there any GOOD scientific medicine generally are just that, placebo effect. studies that bear this out? What do I mean by GOOD scientific study? We need to clear this up

16 because the findings of many so-called scientific attributable to a medication or invasive treatment studies break down when measured against that has been administered.” stringent protocols to be used in such research. The key word in this version is MEASURABLE. My criteria for a GOOD scientific study is simply By measurable I mean as in an increase or this. One; was the research methodology decrease in blood pressure, body temperature, designed to answer the given hypothesis or brain activity, or changes in the chemical question? Two; can the results be replicated by composition from one sample to another. You get another study using the same, valid methods? my drift. The word observable lends itself to at Back to our definition. The most often quoted least some subjective interpretation. The changes detailed analysis of the actual effectiveness of the of the colour in a person’s complexion can be placebo effect was done in Copenhagen and clearly distinguished when there is a crass reported in 2001. It analyzed the findings of some difference. But just how much of a difference 114 research studies with 8525 patients suffering there really is may well be seen differently from from 40 medical conditions ranging from carpal one observer to another when the changes are tunnel syndrome to hypertension. Research more subtle. Felt improvement can only be studies included in this effort were those that expressed by the patient. We could possibly be compared the administration of a placebo to no right back in the other definition of PLACEBO treatment at all. The conclusion was that there EFFECT where the patient perceives an was little or no beneficial effect of the use of improvement without there actually being one. placebos except in the treatment of pain. In this effort we are going to stick with The above study was replicated by the same MEASURABLE. researchers, namely one Hrobjartsson and one A three month double blind, randomized study P.C. Gotzsche, both of the Nordic Cochrane conducted in a number of different facilities Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark implanted pacemakers in 40 patients without and reported in 2004. 52 new randomized trials, activating the devices and in 41 patients with comparing no treatment with placebos resulted in activated devices. The patients who had the the same findings as the original study. switched off devices experienced “significant Has the above study ever been criticized? Let me improvement in perceived chest pain, dyspnea, be the first. Should the replication of the findings and palpitations.” Agreed, these parameters are not have been conducted by a different group of hard to measure. Actual measurable heart researchers to eliminate bias? Is that not a bit like function, however, also improved. The a government suspected of corruption improvements were significantly higher in the investigating itself for that alleged wrongdoing? group that had ‘working’ devices. Subjective as Here are the words of David Freedman, a well as objective, measurable improvements statistician at the University of California; “I just however were clear in the placebo group of don’t find this report to be incredibly persuasive. patients. Not only that; the study was a The evidence of a placebo effect is maybe a little crossover study, meaning that after a specified bit less than I thought it was, but I think there’s a time period the placebo group was switched over big effect in many circumstances. This doesn’t to the ‘working’ mode and the ‘working’ group’s change my mind.” He explained that the devices were switched off. statistical methods used, “pooling data from Was there any criticism of the research protocol? many studies and using metanalysis to examine In my search for critiques of the above study I them could give misleading results.” Go figure. could only find more confirmation that other Then there is this other definition of PLACEBO studies, if not direct replication, have also found EFECT. Note the subtle difference. the placebo effect in pacemaker implantations. Does that imply that this research effort could not possibly be faulty? Hardly. I don’t think there is “The placebo effect is the measurable, observable, any research study that could not be critiqued by or felt improvement in health or behavior not someone. All I can say is that my efforts to find

17 any criticism have failed. How about this? Is it the positive effect of placebo and had to be put on not possible that during the crossover phase that real medication. Then there is another factor that the effects of the ‘switched on’ group lingered must be considered in any study using placebos. into the ‘switched off’ segment of the study? Just Many illnesses fluctuate naturally in intensity. Is thinking out loud. it possible that patients on placebo were just Does that leave us with the unenviable task of experiencing improvement, measurable or having to choose one of the above definitions of otherwise, due to natural regression of the PLACEBO EFFECT over the other? The first one disease? Some of them, yes; 38% of them not clearly rejects any contention that there might likely. Besides, the researchers conducted their actually be some real benefit from the placebo analysis with this factor in mind. Let me quote effect. The second one however allows for actual Dr. Pizzagalli, one of the researchers; “placebo has measurable objective benefit as well as observed a very important and remarkable effect on the and felt benefits. That made it easy for me to brain. It shows the power so to speak, of the prefer the second version. Let’s look at some mind for affecting biology.” evidence that supports my decision. What, you are actually still with me on this? Even the Copenhagen study in support of the first Read on. He said “the mind for affecting quoted definition conceded that there were biology.” benefits in the use of placebos in studies dealing I think it would be fair to say that our body is a with pain. GOOD scientific research confirms biological structure. So we have “the mind that the release of endorphins in the brain, affecting the body.” Is that not what we are into measurable with PET brain scans, brought about in our practice of Taijiquan and Qi Gong, internal by the administration of placebos, relieves pain. arts which interconnect mind and body? We say With the use of fMRI technology blood flow in the Qi follows Yi as in energy follows the mind or the brain was measured when test subjects were intention. I might add that the Shen (Spirit) and subjected to pain after treating them with a the Zhi (Willpower) also play a role in this. A placebo cream as a pain reliever. Sure enough, way to clarify this is to say “you bring about what the pain was measurably reduced. you think about.” When a patient decides to seek What about conditions other than pain? How treatment for their illness and participates in a about Parkinson’s Disease? A study in British scientific, medical research study, would that not Columbia established that the use of a placebo qualify as an intention? Wait for it, I am not released more dopamine into the brain, the very saying that Qi Gong and Tai Chi is just placebo substance that is in short supply in this disease. It effect. I am not done yet. improved the condition in test subjects. Here is a study dealing with Medical Qi Gong Or depression? A group of 51 patients were given from both perspectives; internal Qi Gong either the antidepressant Effexor, Prosac, or a (meaning the patient practices Qi Gong exercises) placebo. 52% of the patients taking real and external Qi Gong (the projection of Qi etc. antidepressants improved and 38% felt better on into the patient by a Qi Gong master). Twenty six the placebo. Not a small placebo percentage in patients who had been resistant to the standard my view but fairly common in many studies. The treatment for late stage complex regional pain important thing here is that the improvements syndrome type 1, where they suffer from severe were actually measured in brain activity changes. burning pain in the extremities, were the subjects Researchers noted that it is not just the dummy of this research. One group of these patients were pill that causes these changes but also the very given Qi projection and trained in Qi Gong fact that patients are being treated with care. exercises to do at home. The other half were also More importantly, they had decided to participate shown some exercises by someone who really did in the study. Those factors alone can have a not know Qi Gong. placebo effect. Another interesting result was that Right then and there you would rightfully argue when placebo patients were eventually told that that this study is not a double blind study since they had taken a dummy pill, they gradually lost the sham Qi Gong expert knew he was a fraud. 18 This is just one example of how difficult it is to do if a magnetic field passes across a copper coil, an research into Qi Gong and its benefits that meets electric current will be produced in the coil. our rigid protocols. Because of the low frequencies of such currents, I quote directly; “Among the genuine qigong an amplifier was hooked up to the coils in order group, 82% reported less pain by the end of the to get measurable results. Such an apparatus first training session compared to 45% of control does not have any intentions, only the patients. By the last training session, 91% of experimenters do. Three Qi Gong masters, using qigong patients reported analgesia (as in pain their hands and fingers, projected energy toward relief) compared to 36% of control patients. the coils and induced measurable current in them. Anxiety was reduced in both groups over time, EMF, come Qi, strikes again. These preliminary but the reduction was significantly greater in the results show, that Qi projection may not just be experimental group than in the control group.” placebo effect. The study concluded that more research should “The force which flows from many people’s be conducted using stringent controls. Agreed, hands.” Hippocrates some of the criteria was measurable, others less How about internal Qi Gong? That is what most so. of us practice; Qi Gong exercises and Taijiquan. What if we take away the placebo effect? We Lets look at a sample study dealing with know that Electromagnetic Field Therapy is used hypertension, or high blood pressure. The control in the healing of fractures as well as in soft tissue. group was subjected to the same rigorous testing The West End Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation as the group involved in 10 weeks of doing Qi Clinic in Hamilton, Ontario uses this technology Gong exercises. Blood pressure was significantly for their patients under the auspices of our health reduced in the Qi Gong group while it remained care system. In this experimental study EMF was unchanged in the control group. The problem used to effectively, and measurably, “modulate with this and many other studies that replicated the rate of phosphorylation of myosin in a cell- the results in China and South Korea is that they free preparation.” (Myosin is an enzyme were not double blind studies with a placebo involved in the contraction of muscles and group. Exercises other than Qi Gong have similar physphorylation is an alteration of that enzyme). beneficial effects on blood pressure. Enzymes in a test tube are not likely to have any Let’s think about that. Numerous studies, all intentions or expectations. EMF did indeed with the same result, namely lower blood reduce the alteration in the enzyme. Next, two pressure. Was that result all because of placebo independent Qi Gong masters projected Qi at effect? That would be giving the placebo effect an enzyme samples that were prepared for this in the awful lot of credit for an awful lot of healing. It same way as they had been for EMF treatment. would say that the placebo effect has been given a Sure enough, their treatment of the enzymes bum rap. Or maybe we have shown that Qi Gong reduced the alteration in the enzymes. and Tai Chi really works after all since it works Interestingly enough, one of the Qi Gong masters the same way as the placebo effect. The placebo deliberately reversed his technique and actually effect has been shown to release endorphins, achieved an increase in alteration. Qi followed Yi dopamine, serotonin and other opioids from our into the enzymes, but they could not have any Yi brains into our bodies. So has the practice of Qi themselves. Or could they? Gong, Taijiquan and many other forms of It must be stated here that the above experiment, exercise. though carefully executed, is just that, an Can we manipulate energy, Qi, inside of our experiment. Much further research is needed to bodies with Qi Gong exercises? Here is why I clearly document the effectiveness of Qi think so. (Yeah, that means I can’t prove it). We projection. Another, equally as experimental and have seen that Qi Gong masters can project Qi subject to further tests, experiment was from their hands into cell samples and copper conducted at York University in Toronto. Three coils with measurable results. How did they copper coils were set up for this. It is known that

19 develop that ability? If they can use their YI to The development of our sophisticated allopathic concentrate and then direct and release QI, as in (meaning our western way of healing) medicine electromagnetic field, does it not suggest that we took just as long to mature to today’s capabilities can use that same YI to direct QI from one part of as did medical Qi Gong and other energy the body to another? Mind you, we all know that medicines. In the long run both developed takes some practice. Then, it follows that if we because of centuries of trial and error. Our use that ability to balance our Qi for better health, double blind research has blinded us to ignore or send Qi to an area of concern in our bodies that the power of our minds, something we have used this activity is more than just the placebo effect. a lot longer than a prescription from our doctor. Just because the evidence is lacking at this point in time does not mean it cannot be done. “The power over which a man’s imagination Lets take this one step further. Banting and Best has over his body to heal it or make it sick is a hypothesized in the 1920s that insulin exists in force which none of us are born without. The the pancreas. They tried to prove it with first man had it, the last man will posses it.” experiments using dogs. It turns out that they Mark Twain had misinterpreted “the results of their own animal experiments! Indeed, if Banting and Best had been truly competent scientists, they would have realized that their animal experiments did not in any way, shape or form, prove that insulin Joh. Friedrich teaches “Medical Qigong exists.” Had the work of Banting and Best been Prescription Exercises” to people with specific terminated upon this critique I would be dead conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, MS, today. Are we to reject the likelihood that the Asthma, Stroke, Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis. development and evolution of Qi Gong over He is studying Medical Qigong through the some 5000 years has real value in our health and International Institute of Medical Qigong. He wellbeing because we have few, if any, double teaches Taiji at the Royal Botanical Garden in blind studies to prove it’s value? Just because we Hamilton. Should anyone be interested in a list of cannot prove the existence of our energy sources used for this article, or in a dialogue, meridian system, which has so precisely been please contact Joh. at placed and located by that same 5000 year history, does that mean they don’t exist? Insulin does.

20 Kootenay Lake Tai Chi Lives On by Hajime (Harold) Naka

The Dao that is mindlessly travelled leads to a mindless destination. Habits are formed and reformed. Tension layered over tension until the body feels like a clenched fist. So Sana Shanti’s work is never done, guiding people back to center, aligned, relaxed, and rooted. Supreme ultimate non-fist. Dao de Bling The summer saw 15 enthusiastic folks take the ‘Dao less travelled’, mindfully driving along a narrow, winding, gravel road leading up to Johnson’s Landing Retreat Center to revive the 30th Kootenay Lake Tai Chi Retreat. When ‘King’ Eric Eastman closed the Dao to his Tai Chi Retreat in 2005 (after 29 Qi-full camps), I developed a case of camp withdrawal and was in need of a Qi-fix. After a couple of summers, feeling ‘Qi- less in Kelowna’, I was thinking of starting up another Taiji Retreat to fill the void, when out of the blue I received a phone call from Richard (who owns JLRC) asking me if I would be interested in continuing Eric’s Tai Chi tradition at his retreat center. I told Richard that he must have been reading my mind. He said that he would provide the facility accommodations, meals and do the advertising and registration. I gave him names of instructors who had taught at Eric’s Retreat – then a date was set. After many months of anxious waiting we arrived at JLRC to resurrect Eric’s Tai Chi Retreat and carry on the spirit from his camp (which was located further down Kootenay Lake). Sana Shanti (who has submitted a series of articles on Taijiquan in TongGren), Arnold Porter (teaches Qigong, Acupressure and Jin Shin Do) and myself facilitated the retreat, loosely following Eric’s camp schedule. After five days of playing Taijiquan, sharing stories, laughter and tears, enjoying friendship and delicious gourmet vegetarian meals, there was a desire to do it again. That was Zen, This is Dao. Sifu Bryan Knack from Spokane, Washington joined our teaching staff. He brings with him a wealth of experience and his teaching style inspires students to learn. This summer (Aug. 7-14) will celebrate the 33rd Kootenay Lake Tai Chi Retreat and I invite everyone to come and play Taiji. Although JLRC is off the beaten path, it has modern conveniences such as wireless access, sauna, hot tub, pay phone (cell phones don’t work here). For info: [email protected] Phone Toll Free 1 (877) 366-4402.

I just want to wish Eric Qi-full surfing wherever he is. Qi-fully yours, Hajime

21 Taijiquan “Internals” and Nei-Yeh By Bill Hulet, Cloud Walking Owl

One of the things that I heard a lot when I first started learning Taijiquan was that people had to learn the “internals”. I think that the people talking to me were just repeating something that they had heard someone else talking about and didn't really understand what the term meant. But the Sufis have a saying that “a pitcher can bring you water without taking a drink itself”, which means that just because someone doesn't understand what they are saying doesn't mean that nothing can be learned from what is said. So from this beginning, always in the back of my mind was an interest in learning just exactly what the “internals” of Taijiquan could be.

I've heard the phrase “internals” used to refer to an awareness of something very concrete – such as the geometry of the body while doing the set. I've also heard it refer to nebulous concepts – such as the flow of chi. I think that these sorts of understandings have merit but I think it would do a lot of Taijiquan players a lot of good if they looked at a little book that I suspect almost none of them have even heard of, let alone read, the Nei-Yeh (or “Inward Training”.)

Scholars believe that this book was written at about the same time as the Dao De Jing. They also believe that it came out of an oral tradition and was edited into a final version through exactly the same process. People traditionally ascribe the Dao De Jing to an individual person named “Laozi” but most scholars believe that this is based on an ancient misunderstanding of a term that really meant “the old ones”. In a sense, therefore, it could be argued that both the Nei-Yeh and the Dao De Jing have the same author. Most people will not have heard of Nei-Yeh, however, because even though it has been treasured and studied by Daoists from its first creation, it has never been popular with the general public. As a result, Westerners haven't bothered to translate the book into English until relatively recently, when more and more people became interested in “religious” Daoism. Luckily, we now have what I believe is a very good translation by the scholar Harold D. Roth: Original Tao: Inward Training (Nei-yeh) and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism .

So what exactly does the Nei-Yeh talk about?

One of its key themes is how one can control the human mind in a way that will allow someone to maintain their vitality in a world that will drain it out of you if you let it.

All the forms of the mind Are naturally infused and filled with it [the vital essence], Are naturally generated and developed [because of] it. It is lost Inevitably because of sorrow, happiness, joy, anger, desire, and profit-seeking. If you are able to cast off sorrow, happiness, joy, anger, desire and profit-seeking, Your mind will just revert to equanimity. The true condition of the mind Is that it finds calmness beneficial and, by it, attains repose. Do not disturb it, do not disrupt it And harmony will naturally develop. (“Chapter” 3)

The essential way to control the mind is through reminding yourself to avoid identifying with the fleeting mental states that arise in our minds from the events of our day-to-day lives (i.e “happiness, joy, anger,

22 desire, etc”.) Instead, the person should strive towards a form of equanimity that comes from constantly reminding himself or herself that he or she is not these specific emotions but rather something else. This is expressed through the phrase “holding onto the One”.

Those who can transform even a single thing, call them "numinous"; Those who can alter even a single situation, call them "wise." But to transform without expending vital energy; to alter without expending wisdom: Only exemplary persons who hold fast to the One are able to do this. Hold fast to the One; do not loose it, And you will be able to master the myriad things. Exemplary persons act upon things, And are not acted upon by them, Because they grasp the guiding principle of the One. (“Chapter” 9)

People have mentioned that this “holding onto the One” sounds remarkably similar to the Buddhist idea of “mindfulness”, and there are similarities. But there are differences too. Daoism believes that the mind and body are intimately connected. As such, Nei-Yeh emphasizes the necessity of proper body awareness and posture as an essential element of “holding onto the One”.

When your body is not aligned, The inner power will not come. When you are not tranquil within, Your mind will not be ordered. Align your body, assist the inner power, Then it will gradually come on its own. (“Chapter” 11)

When we practice Taijiquan, these two points are very important. First, we have to be constantly aware of our posture and how the different elements of our body fit together. Is my knee over my foot? Am I double-weighted? Am I remembering to breathe right? – ”Align your body, assist the inner power”. Second, you have to make sure that you don't get distracted. If you think about what you're going to say to your boss when he asks why the latest job wasn't done on schedule, you will lose your place in the set – so remember to “hold onto the One”.

Another way in which Nei-Yeh differs from Buddhism is that it specifically talks about governance and how people interact with each other. Buddhism tends to dismiss the human world as “maya” (or “illusion”). In contrast, Daoism believes that the here and now is just as important as any other place. It describes the universe in terms of “Heaven and Earth”, not “Heaven above and Earth below” – as Indian and European religions do. Becoming in tune with the Dao through inner training is supposed to help you do a better job of working within institutions and getting along with others.

With a well-ordered mind within you, Well-ordered words issue forth from your mouth, And well-ordered tasks are imposed on others. Then all under heaven will be well-ordered. "When one word is grasped, All under the heavens will submit. When one word is fixed, All under heavens will listen." It is this [word "Way"] to which the saying refers. (“Chapter” 10)

23 Since one of the more annoying parts of the martial arts world is learning to navigate the strong egos and internal politics, it helps immensely if people can learn through “inner training” to speak “well-ordered words” and ask people to perform “well-ordered tasks”. (I certainly wish someone had worked with me on this when I started learning Taijiquan – but then that entire organization from the Daoshis in charge to the local teachers did many crazy things, so I doubt that they would have been competent to teach the Nei-Yeh.)

Most people study Taijiquan for its health benefits. In order to get any benefits, you have to practice regularly. For most people who study, their fundamental health problem is that they are not the sort of people who remember to exercise every day.

For all [to practice] this Way:

You must coil, you must contract, You must uncoil, you must expand, You must be firm, you must be regular [in this practice]. Hold fast to this excellent [practice]; do not let go of it. Chase away the excessive; abandon the trivial. And when you reach its ultimate limit You will return to the Way and the inner power. (“Chapter 17”)

Even if people are exercising regularly, they need to learn a “Daoist” way of looking at the world in order to benefit from Taijiquan. Taijiquan is not just something you scotch-tape onto a life that is out of control, its value resides in its ability to get you to re-evaluate your priorities and change the way you live. “Internal Training” is the process whereby you do this sort of thing.

Nei-Yeh offers practical advice about how to change your life that goes beyond simply “holding onto the One”. It suggests that one way to control our inner mind is by consciously choosing what we are going to expose ourselves to.

As for the vitality of all human beings: It inevitably occurs because of balanced and aligned [breathing]. The reason for its loss Is inevitably pleasure and anger, worry and anxiety. Therefore, to bring your anger to a halt, there is nothing better than poetry; To cast off worry there is nothing better than music; To limit music there is nothing better than rites; To hold onto the rites there is nothing better than reverence; To hold onto reverence there is nothing better than tranquility. When you are inwardly tranquil and outwardly reverent You are able to return to your innate nature And this nature will become greatly stable. (“Chapter” 22)

24 I sometimes suggest to people who get agitated about the latest environmental catastrophe that they go on a “news fast” in order to stop dwelling on negativity. The “Old Ones” who wrote the Nei-Yeh go one step farther and suggest that people seek out specific forms of cultural expression that have a specific effect on the psyche – much like a friend who one told me that when she feels sad she watches a very sad movie to “cry the sadness out of me”.

There is much more that could be said about the Nei-Yeh and I am not the person to say it. What I hope this little essay does is excite some reader's interest in getting a copy so she can read it and come to her own conclusions. I think that a little reflection and a lot of personal experimentation sparked by this little book can go a long way to explaining what the “internals” of Taijiquan really are. In doing so, I would suggest that you would help your own practice – and the practice of the art in Canada – advance a little more.

“The Cloudwalking Owl” is the name adopted by Bill Hulet, a Daoist urban hermit who lives in Guelph, Ontario. A Canadian of non-Chinese extraction, he was initiated into a heterodox form of Quanzhen Daoism several decades ago by a couple of “Daoshis” from Hong Kong. He has also practiced Taijiquan for over 30 years, but is not an expert on either Daoism or Taijiquan. He does, however, have a Master's degree in philosophy. If you'd like to learn more about his idiosyncratic life, he publishes a blog that can be found by Googling the phrase “Daoist Hermit” or at: http://urbanecohermit.blogspot.com/

When you joined the Canadian Taijiquan Federation did you receive your official complementary crest? If not, please send an email to the CTF President through our website contact page at www.canadiantaijiquanfederation.com

25 The Evolution of a Taij Boxer By Dennis Pounall

Others may pursue another path where they choose the tournament circuit as their arena and pursue recognition by winning trophies and titles. The original purpose for martial arts was self- defense and later became a method of personal development. There are different ways to achieve these goals so one must first identify one’s own real purpose for training. One of my key principles is definitely a system with traditional foundation, which includes meditation, applications, form, function and feeling.

In a traditional approach there should be some philosophy, some theology and some room for adaptation and innovation. This allows both the art and the artist to maintain their essential principles, yet develop and add to their traditional forte; allowing room for continued growth, keeping it a living tradition, and maintaining a vital system where the art's full expression stays dynamic and the essential discipline of the style never gets lost. Thereafter, Dennis Pounal – “Return to Buddha” each generation of practitioner will add a little stance – Wuij becomes Taiji; unity of more to the system; breathing fresh life into the mind, body, and spirit posture martial art and making it relevant in the time and environment in which it is practiced. I have been involved in Taijiquan for the last 30 years. I was introduced to martial arts by many Taijiquan and Taijiboxing are heavily steeped in teachers and influenced by a few. During my time artistic expression – depending on which family’s of study I began to understand that martial arts is style is practiced – and archaic principles both a discipline and an art form. Pursuing the founded in a symbiotic relationship between discipline, one should acquire a combination of Taoism and Buddhism. proper instruction, adept understanding and appropriate application. In an article written by Gene Ching from an interview with Master Taiji player, Dr Yang These factors, along with a wholesome traditional Jwing-Ming, in Kungfu Taiji Magazine, March/ foundation, separate modern from traditional April edition (pages 33-44), some very poignant martial arts. In today's society, the most questions are asked: challenging aspects of the arts are the modern lifestyle and global attitudes. To most young “Question: ''What do you see as the biggest people today, the reasons for choosing and challenges facing traditional Chinese martial art studying a martial art are variable. Some may see today?'' it as a way to become famous – to be the next Answer: ''Today's lifestyle has changed as well as winner of the ''Ultimate Fighting Championship'' the peoples attitudes. A new 'MacDonald Culture' commonly known as the ''King of the Octagon''. has taken over with a fancy of quick and low

26 quality martial arts. Their attitude is, fast practitioner with the desire and guts to put the training and fast result. No time for dedication. time, effort and training into their self-generated No time to practice and no patience is the today's career. This, I believe, is one of the fundamental motto, henceforth the evolution of 'Mixed Martial reasons for its growing popularity among the Arts' is in trouble.” upcoming generation of martial artist and professional athletes. Dr. Yang Jwing Ming stated: ''Most people don't care for traditional Chinese martial arts the same On the other hand, if you train in a good way they don't care for classical music.'' Dr. Yang traditional system you may get peace of mind, Jwing Ming then went on to show that due to maintain a healthy body weight, develop a dedication, perseverance and patience, the people peaceful attitude and learn how to avoid personal of the past were able to produce refined music confrontations. called classical music. As much as many people today listen to rock music, classical music still Which would you choose? survives the test of time. Rock music, on the other hand, keeps changing genre with each ever- Both require effort but the latter can be life- changing generation; however, people still like changing and be done for a long time and just the classical rock of the 80's as well as any other like classical music can improve with age. With decade. traditional martial arts you train a higher level of awareness and a higher level of alertness along Consequently, if people did not hold on to with the ability for a peacefully integrated mind, tradition and add to it, there would be no body and soul. foundation for the next generation to stand on. Therefore, it is important to preserve the Today most of Taijiquan instruction is based in traditional martial arts – its path and method – traditional theories with traditional curriculums. away from modern distractions and focus on It tends to attract more gentle midlife living one's life to the fullest potential. The key to practitioners who practice for various reasons yet mastering the art is in the discipline, traditions, the underlying principles remain consistent flexibility and longevity of the human capacity regardless of style or focus. Most Taiji players towards rising above unavoidable everyday receive an inherent benefit of peace of mind, a existence. willingness to learn and understand that practice makes perfect – not seeking perfection by With today's 'MacDonald Society' and the external gratification but accepting the personal immediate gratification and social recognition benefits of daily development. ideology, it is easy to understand why many young athletes might view practicing traditional Some learn patience and some delve a little martial arts as a waste of their time. deeper to learn perception and the ability to take the basic principles and add to them to create A reasonably fit and motivated individual might something else. Others learn transmission. This is be able to learn the basics of the art, possibly win another skill – the ability to bring encourage or U.F.C. titles and earn a sizable income and enlighten a fellow practitioner about endorsements but the true essence of the art interpretation and applications. These hidden might be lost. They might get lots of money or qualities are sometimes overlooked and not even become a famous 'movie star' collecting mentioned as part of the ongoing evolution for endorsements or royalties. The “Ultimate the universal movement of Taijiquan. Fighting Championship” is the only recognized professional martial arts venue that is not based Taijiquan instruction and traditional martial arts on an Asian-affiliated martial arts tradition, thus schools should strive to teach life principles, life widening its appeal to the everyday martial arts skills, and practical applications for today's

27 students. This could mean not holding back and be willing to keep learning and keep sharing. This gives each player the ability for ongoing evolution as both a disciple or as a player in this great musical adventure called life.

Taijiboxing as a martial art is a journey of self-discovery that requires one to understand and except the elusive concept of ''Wuji". This slow unraveling of truth is the difference between legend and mastery, fact and fiction. The key is not to be attached to either definition, but to go straight. Adopting a doing, not unravelling attitude. I would encourage everyone to discovery what their version of Taijiboxing is.

Thanks for your interest. I hope you enjoyed my ideas, be well aware!!

Peace. Sifu Dennis Pounall

Sifu Dennis Pounall lives and works in Elliott Lake, Northern Ontario, as a paramedic. He has been tirelessly practicing martial arts for over 30 years. His styles include Yang style Taijiquan, Pang Gi Noon, Chinese Okinawan Gung Fu, and Kook Sool Won. He teaches workshops and participates in national and international competitions in various styles. He is affiliated with Atado Schools of Defensive Arts and Taijiquan. Dennis can be contacted at: [email protected]

Dennis Meeking and Dennis Pounall – “repulse monkey with toe kick retreating step”

Dennis Pounall and Dennis Meeking – “separation of right foot toe kick”

28 Saturday / Sunday workshops & Free Friday Push Hands in Gatineau, Quebec Saturday Workshops in Milton, Ontario August 2010 – June 2011 Taiji For Two, Empty Hand & Sword, 5-Section Chen, Taji Fan, Push Hands for all! with Adriaan Blaauw & Jill Heath Milton Seniors Activity Centre, 500 Childs Drive, Milton, Ontario Chen (11am-1pm Sat.); Empty Hand (2-4 pm Sat.); Sword (5:30-8:30 pm Sat.) New this time! Taiji Fan (2-4pm Sat.) Chen, Empty Hand & Taiji Fan in Activity Room; Sword in Games Room Saturday 14 August 2010 Saturday 11 September 2010 Saturday 13 November 2010 Saturday 04 December 2010 Saturday 08 January 2011 Saturday 12 February 2011 Saturday 05 March 2011 Saturday 02 April 2011 Saturday 04 June 2011

Centre de Tai Chi Gilles Vaillant, 109 rue Wright, Gatineau, Quebec FREE FRIDAYS! Push hands free play zones! All are welcome! Sword (1-4 pm Sat.); Empty Hand (12-2 pm Sun.); Chen (2:30-4:30 pm Sun.)

Friday - Sunday 17-19 September 2010 Friday - Sunday 05-07 November 2010 Friday - Sunday 10-12 December 2010 Friday - Sunday 14-16 January 2011 Friday - Sunday 18-20 February 2011 Friday - Sunday 11-13 March 2011 Friday - Sunday 08-10 April 2011 Friday - Sunday 10-12 June 2011 Information: Adriaan Blaauw: [email protected] or Jill Heath: [email protected]

Fees & Payment (per curriculum): $50 each 3-hour workshop; $40 if previous in series attended. $40 each 2-hour workshop; $30 if previous in series attended. Pay in full in advance for six 3-hour workshops: $225. Pay in full in advance for six 2-hour workshops: $170. You may pay via cash, cheque or electronically (email transfer, hyperWALLET, PayPal). Gatineau: Attend entire weekend for $120; $90 if previous in series attended. Pay in full in advance for six entire weekends: $500. Push hands are free and all levels of experience are welcome.

Push hands: Not a formal class, but an opportunity to cross hands in an informal environment with other players of varying levels of experience, training backgrounds, and styles. Some instruction available.

Chen: The study of Chen continues via the 5-section form, including solo and two-person work. Newcomers welcome

Taiji For Two: Empty Hand: Two-person empty hand study including work on the 5-section 2-person choreography. Partner work helps to develop greater understanding of techniques and energies. In turn, this transfers greater depth to solo practice as the movements acquire more meaning to the practitioner.

Taiji For Two: Sword: Two-person sword study, including work on that rarity in taiji: a two-person sword form, in this case, the 5-section. Partner work helps to develop greater understanding of sword techniques and energies. In turn, this transfers greater depth to solo sword practice, much in the same way that studying two-person empty-hand work can improve solo form.

Taiji Fan: Both veteran fan wielders and newcomers are welcome. Refinement of form for those who are already familiar with the choreography. Introduction to the Flying Rainbow Fan Routine for newcomers.

PLEASE NOTE: Fan class taught by Jill; Empty Hand by Adriaan. Other classes team-taught by both.

28 EVENTS / Événements Toronto Push Hands Play Saturday 25 – Sunday 26 Sept. 2010 (9am-5pm) Facilitated by Colin Outram Rough Woods Community Centre Monday 2 August 2010 110 Shirely Drive, Richmond Hill, Ontario,Canada www.outramcolin.com/push-hands-play Contact: Ki Nam Choi (416)860-1431 [email protected] Cora Li (416)687-4237 [email protected] 5-Section Workshops in Milton with Adriaan Blaauw and Jill Heath Saturdays: August 14, Sept.11 Grand Master Chen Zhenglei Taichi Gala Milton Seniors' Activity Centre, North American Chen’s Taichi Association 500 Childs Drive, Milton, Ontario, Canada Friday 24 September (6:30-10pm) 5-Section Chen (10am - noon) Chen’s Taichi Single Sword 5-Section 2-Person Empty Hand (1-4pm) with Chen Zhenglei 5-Section 2-Person Sword (5:30-8:30pm) Saturday 25 September 2010 (9am-3:45pm) Contact: Adriaan Blaauw [email protected] Chen’s Taichi Old Frame Routine One & Two Jill Heath [email protected] with Chen Zhenglei Sunday 26 September 2010 (9am-4pm) Milton Seniors' Activity Centre, 500 Childs Drive, Temple Knights Workshops Milton, Ontario, Canada with John Oliver-Peel and Valerie Houston-Peel Contact: Jack Yan(416)677-3886 Wu Shu Camp: Sunday 15 – Sunday 22 Aug. 2010 [email protected] Temple Knights Martial Arts Academy 1018 Moot Road, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada Contact: (705)767-1177 [email protected] Cheng Hsing Workshop www.templeknights.com with Peter Ralston Friday 24 - Sunday 26 September 2010 Rochester T'ai Chi Ch'uan Center T’ai Chi in Sacred Places: 80 Rockwood Pl. Rochester NY USA A T’ai Chi & Qigong Retreat Weekend Contact: Frank Lamanna (585)461-0130 hosted by Phoenix T’ai Chi Centre fl[email protected] Friday 20 – Sunday 22 August 2010 www.rtccc.com Five Oaks Centre, Paris, Ontario, Canada Contact: (519)439-8875 www.phoenixtaichi.ca YMAA Workshops in California with Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming Wudeng Saber YMAA CA Retreat Center, Miranda, CA, USA with Michael Gilman Contact: (617)524-8892 or (707)502-8739 Friday 28- Sunday 30 August 2010 www.ymaa.com Gilman Studio, 913 L St., Port Townsend, Taiji Ball Qigong WA, USA Taiji Yin-Yang Symbol Sticking Hands Contact:(360)385-5027 [email protected] Friday 6-Friday 13 August 2010 www.gilmanstudio.com Qigong-1 (Theory and Spine Qigong) Friday 13-Friday 20 August 2010 Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method with Master Chen Zhonghua Qigong-4 (Soft Qigong, Taiji and Soft White Crane Qigong) Monday 20 – Friday 24 Sept. 2010 (9am-4:30pm) Friday 20-Friday 27 August 2010

29 EVENTS / Événements

YMAA Workshops in Boston Annual General Meeting of the YMAA International Headquarters Canadian Taijiquan Federation 38 Hyde Park Avenue, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA Contact: (617)524-8892 Saturday 2 October 2010 www.ymaa.com 11am-12noon Chin Na – Joint Lock-and-Control Calvin Presbyterian Church, with Jim Noble & Paul Green 248 Westmount Road East, Saturday 7-Sunday 8 August 2010 Kitchener, Ontario Seven Star Mantis – Beng Bu Sequence with Walter Wong 20th Anniversary Celebration of Saturday 14-Sunday 15 August 2010 Cold Mountain Internal Arts Baguazhang – Saturday 2 October 2010 Emei Dragon Shape Baguazhang 1-7:30pm with Adison Martin Calvin Presbyterian Church, Saturday 21-Sunday 22 August 2010 248 Westmount Road East, Kitchener, Ontario Staff I/II Contact: Alpha Montemayor [email protected] Foundation, Matching & Qi Mei Gun Sequence with Nicholas C. Yang & Ben Warner Yang-style Taijiquan 108: Inside and Out Saturday 28 August 2010 with Sam Masich Straight Sword Liang Yi Jian Sequence Sunday 3 October 2010 with Nicholas C. Yang Waterloo Community Arts Centre, Saturday 11-Sunday 12 September 2010 (the Old Button Factory), 25 Regina Street South, Waterloo, Ontario Pushing Hands Contact: Alpha Montemayor [email protected] Getting From Stationary To Moving with Jeff Pratt Saturday 18 September 2010 Martial Arts of Chen Pan Ling with Grandmaster Chen Yun Ching White Crane Primer Wednesday 6 - Sunday 10 October 2010 Understanding Four Corners and Soft-Hard Jin Rochester T'ai Chi Ch'uan Center with Nicholas C. Yang & Ben Warner 80 Rockwood Pl. Rochester NY USA Sunday 19 September 2010 Contact: Brian Bruning (585)461-0130 [email protected] Shuai Jiao – Introduction To Takedowns www.rtccc.com with Nicholas C. Yang & Ben Warner Saturday 25 September 2010 Chin Na in Ground Fighting – Intro. to Grappling & Submission Wrestling with Scott Tarbell Sunday 26 September 2010 Qi Healing Introduction – Becoming the Master of Your Qi with Lisa B. O’She Friday 1 October 2010

30 Canadian Taijiquan Federation / Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan A registered Non-Profit Corporation / Un organisme à but non-lucratif dument enregistré

Mission

1. To encourage development in the practice of 1. Encourager la pratique du taijiquan et Taijiquan and preserve its characteristics as an préserver son caractère culturel et expression of Chinese culture and philosophy. philosophique chinois. 2. To stimulate public awareness of and 2. Stimuler la connaissance et la participation du participation in Taijiquan. grand public en matière de taijiquan. 3. To inclusively link practitioners of Taijiquan 3. Relier tous les praticiens de taijiquan, peu from various styles and traditions without importe les styles et les traditions, qu’ils soient precedence – whether as individuals or seuls ou affiliés, partout au Canada. gathered in groups, clubs and organizations 4. Élargir et renforcer l’expérience canadienne across Canada – as they join the Federation du taijiquan en créant un réseau national et family. international pour les individus, les groupes, 4. To network nationally and internationally les clubs, et les autres organisations. with other Taijiquan practitioners, groups, clubs and organizations with the aim of broadening and strengthening the Canadian Taijiquan experience.

Membership / Membriété

Annual CTF membership includes: Une membriété annuelle vous offre: • A subscription to the CTF’s quarterly journal • Un abonnement à TongRen, la revue trimestrielle TongRen de la FCT, que vous recevrez par la poste • One complementary official CTF crest for each new • Un écusson gratuit de la FCT si vous êtes un membership nouveau membre

Benefits of CTF membership: Avantages supplémentaires: • Access to Taijiquan Teacher Training workshops • Accès aux ateliers de formation des instructeurs, sponsored by the CTF and facilitated by ateliers parrainés par la FCT et donnés par des experienced Taijiiquan teachers enseignants chevronnés • Access to the CTF Taijiquan Teacher Certification • Accès au programme de la FCT de certification des program enseignants de taijiquan • Email notices of CTF-related news and upcoming • Avis électroniques des nouvelles et des événements events à venir de la FCT • Access to the ‘members-only’ section of the CTF • Accès à la section pour les membres du site web de website which includes expanded event postings la FCT qui présente une liste étoffée des and links, an archive of back issues of TongRen, événements et des liens, les anciens numéros de photographs, blogs and forums TongRen, des photos, des blogs et des forums • Postings to the public-access pages of the CTF • Pages publiques pour annoncer votre organisme, website for your club/school, workshops/seminars vos ateliers et tout autre événement lié au taiji and other Taiji-related events • Des occasions de contacts, de rencontres et de • Opportunities to connect, meet, share and further partages avec des praticiens du taiji pour accroître your Taijiquan-related knowledge and experience vos connaissances et votre expérience with other practitioners • Des occasions de vous engager comme bénévoles et • Opportunities to get involved and make a d'influencer la communauté du taiji en joignant le difference in the Taijiquan community by sitting on Conseil d'administration de la FCT et ses multiples the CTF Board of Directors and its various comités committees (volunteer) • Des inscriptions à tarif réduit à des ateliers et • Discounted enrollment is often extended to CTF activités organisés par nos membres members for workshops and activities organized • Possibilité d'acheter les t-shirts et les écussons de la by CTF members FCT • Purchase of official CTF T-Shirts and crests Canadian Taijiquan Federation Membership Application Form Formulaire d’ Inscription à la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan

www.canadiantaijiquanfederation.com

Name/Nom: ______

Address/Adresse: ______

______

Country/Pays: ______Postal Code/Code postal: ______

Telephone/Téléphone:

Home/Domicile: ______Work/Travail: ______

Email/Courriel: ______Website/Site web: ______

Student of/Étudiant de: ______

Club/Organization/Organisme: ______

Instructor for/Enseignant pour: ______

Club/Organization/Organisme: ______

Forms Studied/Formes étudiées: ______

______

Individual membership $35 (Canadian or US) / Family membership $50 (Canadian or US) Membriété personnelle 35$ (canadiens ou américains) / Membriété familiale 50$ (canadiens ou américains)

Please copy and mail completed membership form along with your cheque or money order to: Veuillez envoyer le formulaire dûment rempli et accompagné d’un chèque ou d’un mandat à la:

Canadian Taijiquan Federation P.O. Box 32055 London, Ontario Canada N5V 5K4

You can also register or renew your membership online. Vous pouvez aussi devenir membre ou renouveler votre membriété en ligne. www.canadiantaijiquanfederation.com