Mastery Learning Concepts – Mindfulness Energy
Info
Searching for Answers
Eat Potato and Learning Tai Chi
Sharing my four decades of experience in learning, teaching and mastering the Art Of Tai Chi Quan and Qigong.
When I first started learning the art in 1972, I was very frustrated due to my weak comprehension of the Chinese language.
My regular questions were met with mostly silence. The body language of those around me made me felt that “I am asking silly questions”.
My enthusiasm to learn the art overcame my introverted nature to ask many questions till I was told off “you eat potato type” (you are English educated) don’t ask so much.
Despite feeling embarrassed, I continued learning the art because I loved the sparring sessions on every training.
I was determined to learn the art despite not being able to fully comprehend what my Master Mr. Ong Boon Pin was teaching. Master Ong was an expert in the White Crane style of martial arts before he took up Tai Chi Quan. I learned that Master Ong lost a sparring session to a Tai Chi expert and promised to learn the art if he lost. Master Ong incorporated some of his White Crane style techniques into our Tai Chi Quan training program. Master Ong is a very smart man in training his students for competition. In the first Singapore Tai Chi Tui Shou National competition, he taught me a technique that enabled me to win the championship against a reputable Tai Chi master. Picture below -showed Colin Koh receiving his champion trophy from Deputy Prime Minster Mr. Goh Chock Tong in 1981.
Because of my language handicap, I trained harder than anyone in my club. Most of my seniors and peers were Chinese educated and understanding the instruction from the Master was not an issue.
In between training and after training, my seniors and peers would discuss about the Tai Chi principles and philosophy. I was struggling to understand what were they talking about in Chinese.
The Breakthrough
My enthusiasm and perseverance paid off finally one day. Our Master had started introducing Qigong training in our program in 1981. As usually, I would pay attention and train harder than anyone. The development of my Qigong training was an ‘out of this world’ experience for me.
My body transformation went through many experiences that I got no answer from my master. My 'Chi' development was very 'wild'. Even my Master was worried for me, he even called me at my working place just to check that I am alright.
At the peak of my Qigong development, I was literally ‘awake’ for 14 days without sleep. I was working in SIA then, went back home after work, have a quick shower and off to my Tai Chi and Qigong training from 8.00pm to 10.30pm. I was staying at Bedok North Street 3, I would run to my training centre at Paya Lebar Road, approximately a distance of 5.5km every evening.
At the peak of my Qigong development, I was literally ‘awake’ for 14 days without sleep. I was working in SIA then, went back home after work, have a quick shower and off to my Tai Chi and Qigong training from 8.00pm to 10.30pm. I was staying at Bedok North Street 3, I would run to my training centre at Paya Lebar Road, approximately a distance of 5.5km every evening.
By the time I reached home and washed up, it’s almost midnight. I was not able to ‘sleep’ or rest my body on the bed. Each time I lie down, my whole body would be ‘bouncing’ of the bed. I decided to do meditation till the following morning and set off to work. This routine lasted for 14 days.
I was feeling full of ‘Chi’ during my Qigong training, one evening at the Paya Lebar training centre, I decided to do an experiment, I asked my seniors and peers, 6 strong men to hold me tight and don’t let me move. I just ‘RELAXED’ myself as the 6 men squeezed me harder. Without any warning, the next moment, my ‘Chi’ repelled all the 6 men off their grip on me.
I was feeling full of ‘Chi’ during my Qigong training, one evening at the Paya Lebar training centre, I decided to do an experiment, I asked my seniors and peers, 6 strong men to hold me tight and don’t let me move. I just ‘RELAXED’ myself as the 6 men squeezed me harder. Without any warning, the next moment, my ‘Chi’ repelled all the 6 men off their grip on me.
With disbelief, the 6 men asked to repeat holding me again, they were more prepared the second time and making sure I would not be able to break free this time. Again my ‘Chi’ overcome all their muscular power, I break through their stranglehold with ease. My seniors and peers still doubted my abilities because they don’t believe a “eat potato type’ individual can master Qigong without understanding the principles and philosophy. Some even joked that a spirit had entered my body and knelt down to ask for ’4D’ numbers. But inside my heart I knew I had a big breakthrough.
Searching for Answers
With the breakthrough experience, I was doing even more training and feeling how the ‘Chi’ was developing within my body. I was still searching for answers on my Qigong development. I left my training centre in Paya Lebar road to train with another teacher in Toa Payoh through a recommendation from one of my associate who knew I was enthusiastic about martial arts. I only learned several sessions from the teacher at Toa Payoh. I picked up some tips on Tai Chi Quan training but his Qigong training was the ‘hard’ style. The ‘hard’ style Qigong was counter to what I learned and my ‘Chi’ flow was affected. I learned from the other students learning at the Toa Payoh centre they had the same ‘Chi’ flow problem too.
I shared with my fellow students what I learned and related the stories of how my ‘Chi’ can repelled 6 men. They asked to try out on me and were surprised at my ‘Chi’ power. Soon all the students wanted to learn how I developed my ‘Chi’, and I realized my Toa Payoh teacher was not pleased about it. I decided to leave the Toa Payoh training centre and trained on my own.
I shared with my fellow students what I learned and related the stories of how my ‘Chi’ can repelled 6 men. They asked to try out on me and were surprised at my ‘Chi’ power. Soon all the students wanted to learn how I developed my ‘Chi’, and I realized my Toa Payoh teacher was not pleased about it. I decided to leave the Toa Payoh training centre and trained on my own.
Before I could visit Master Ong and share with him my Tai Chi and Qigong development, Master Ong passed away. I was very sad because I had no one to discuss about my Tai Chi and Qigong development. My seniors and peers were still enjoying their textbook theories, principles and philosophies on Tai Chi and Qigong. Like the wise saying ” If there is a Will, There is a Way” , I started to ‘observed’ my own Tai Chi and Qigong development and analyzed the changes in my journey.
The hunger for answer to my 'Chi' development prompted me to purchase books from overseas when I went travelling, especially in London. Over the years I bought many books but I was not able to get all the answers from the books. English books on Tai Chi and Qigong was hard to come by in the early 1980′s in Singapore.
I had the opportunity to watch many experts from China doing their internal martial arts and had the privilege of visiting China and consulted several Grand Masters on the principles of Tai Chi, Bagua and Hsing Yi Quan.
I had the opportunity to watch many experts from China doing their internal martial arts and had the privilege of visiting China and consulted several Grand Masters on the principles of Tai Chi, Bagua and Hsing Yi Quan.
Realizing my futile search externally for answers, I decided to search within myself. I invested more time in my Qigong and Mindfulness meditation training and this had resulted in significant improvement of my Tai Chi Chuan and ‘Chi’ development.
Mastery Learning and Development
Over the years my experiences had reinforced my belief that doing more training with feeling ( Mind-Body connection) will help to accelerate the progress of Tai Chi Quan and Qigong development. Too much theories (thinking) without a strong foundation (doing and feeling) during training will result in slow progress for the students. Once the foundation (doing and feeling) is strong,and the Mind and Body connection are aligned, progress of the art never stop. This is the Mastery of learning Mindfulness Energy.
