Tai Ki Kung maestro Ming Wong CY

TAI CHI KUNG - CHANG
SAN FENG STYLE

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Interview

Interview with Master Ming Wong C.Y. conducted by Gaetano Ruvolo

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D.: How does Taoism differ from other grand religions

Ming Wong: We can say about other grand religions, that they are more or less direct and succesfull reflections of a  particular Master's teachings like Budda, Jezus or Mohamet. There is no master of the name Tao in taoism but various testimonies coming from many ancient teachers combined into global and common vision of life and existence. Each person, on the basis of his ability and understanding, takes what he can from this global vision, thus developing thousands of aspects of Tao, of which true and deep meaning remains obscured and difficult to grasp.

D.: lot has been said about taoist alchemy, but in reality little is known of this subject.

Ming Wong: When alchemy is mentioned, the immidiate association coming to mind is with the West, where the alchemist attempted to transform less precious substances into gold. Words in the West have much narrower range of meaning than in China, they are more precise and reduce the concept they describe. Chinese words have broader meaning, so the word "alchemy" in China, apart from seeking for the Philosopher's Stone, which in fact is a  part of practice of taoist "alchemists", also means working on internal processes of a  human being, within his own body, his Energy, the Ki tai Ki Kung energy. In more general meaning, the word alchemy means search for knowledge and awareness, that can be achieved mainly through experience and individual experiments a  person undertakes.

D.: How many times a  day one should practice Tai Ki Kung and what time of the day would be best ?

Ming Wong: Ideally would be four times a  day, like the ancient taoist masters practicing in the mountains, did. We do not have so much time at our disposal, so we have to practice whenever we can, as many times as we are able to, depending on circumstances. It is very important to practice every day, at least once a  day. As for the best time of day for practice, there are four such periods in a  day. The most important time is twice: between 11.00-13.00 in the noon, and from 23.00 to 1.00 in the night. In other words in the midday and midnight. It is the time when Yin changes into Yang. The other two parts of the day important for practice are at down and at sunset.

D.: When did you start practicing Tai Ki Kung and who were your masters ?


Ming Wong: started when I  was five years old, encouraged by my grandfather, who was , as I  had later learnt, an important taoist master and practitioner. At first it was kind of a  play, later it started to fascinate me. I  practiced not only the style taught by my grandfather. Between twelve to twienty years of age I  practiced with different masters all Tai Ki Kung styles and martial art forms associated with them. But I   never neglected Chang Sam Fung style, which I  practiced by myself until I  met my fundamental teacher Men Tou Zi, who was my grandfather's student and taught the same style. Men Tou Zi was known as a  great teacher; so he gathered many followers around him, but their number decreased from hundreds to few, because the practice was based on constant repeating of the same movements, so it was not too spectacular.

The Mountain position from the Father Form. Tai Ki Kung Seminar with Master Ming, Busana 2001 r. phot Anita Komorzycka
The Mountain position from the Father Form. Tai Ki Kung Seminar with Master Ming, Busana 2001 r. phot Anita Komorzycka

According to tradition, before one starts to practice Chang Sam Fung style, only the Mountain Position should be practiced for three years, because it strenghtens the roots of our body, so as the practitioner could be able to withstand in this position for the time length needed to burn one incense stick. After completion of this practice one can start to practice the father form, and then, after ten years, practitioner can start to learn some movements of the Mother Form. As the result, after yet another ten years period, we can say that we have started to learn the practice. Such schedule is impossible in the West. Life is too fast and nobody would find enough patience to follow the traditional path of practice.

D.: What is your opinion about the students in the West?

Ming Wong: Usually, in comparison to students from the East, they find it extremely difficult to reduce their attachment to their "Ego". People from the East are more yielding, people from the West are more rigid. Also people from the West are more prone to emotions, more emotional, but it can be a  virtue, because the practice becomes their passion, which could help them overcome obstacles. While people from East are more passive towards obstacles, are more prone to abandon the path of practice. It is quite common in the West that students after the initial phase of practicing dissapear for some time. After a  period of abandoning the practice they return, more motivated than before. In the East, when student leaves practice it is usually final, at least in relation to a  specified teacher.


D.: What are your immediate plans?

Ming Wong: To continue my current activities as Tai Ki Kung and traditional Chinese Medicine teacher.

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