SPRING TRAINING WITH GRANDMASTER ZHANG
It is difficult for the student of Qigong to find a master the level of Yuan Ming Zhang.
When I began training in the martial arts I trained in karate because the school was near
where I worked and I could train on my lunch hour. I had suffered a serious back injury
three years prior and felt I needed to do something to strengthen myself and maintain my
health. But I found that my body demanded a more subtle way of training than karate.
Although I felt healthier, there were times when my body and mind were telling me that
karate wasn’t addressing some important needs such as bringing inner peace, or loosening
up my body and keeping it free of the pain of arthritis. Sure, I regained freedom of
movement, but the pain was still there. Also, I didn’t know it at the time but I was
looking for something to spark a spiritual awakening and bring me in harmony with the
universe.
In addition to an arthritic back I have had problems with balance most of my life. After
studying Karate for a year, I studied Tai Chi to loosen up my body and alleviate the
severe pain that kept me from sleeping for more than a few minutes at a time. Tai Chi,
pain killers and prayers helped somewhat, but I never gave up believing there was
something more than a cure, but a way of life that would alter what seemed to be my fate.
I began my search for a real Qigong master. My Tai Chi teacher also taught Wing Chun
which helped me regain a little flexibility, but he wasn’t able to teach me the Qigong
methods I was looking for. I am grateful to him though, because he gave me something
useful to practice for five years. Unfortunately, my arthritis progressed and at times the
pain in my back and foot was too severe to do Tai Chi. I trained with others, but found
that although they were sincere in wanting to help, their own training was limited and in
some cases were simply teaching what they believed to be internal arts without ever
having mastered them.
So I kept reading books and magazine articles and viewing videos of the masters and
trying to incorporate the things I found useful. As luck would have it, one of those former
teachers showed a video of Master Zhang doing Hsing I Five Elements and I felt an
immediate connection since I was intrigued by Master Zhang’s articles in Qigong
Magazine. His body moved with the subtlety of a tiger stalking its prey, and he executed
his techniques with nimble ferocity. I purchased a few of Master Zhang’s videos and
decided to train with him at his Center in Tehachapi, California.
First, I flew to Laguna Beach where Master Zhang gave a weekend workshop. The
amount of material covered in a weekend workshop is difficult to retain, but Master
Zhang is not only a gifted Martial artist, he is also an excellent teacher with a great deal
of patience. There is a core to his teachings that serves as a foundation to all of the styles
he teaches. And, unlike my past experiences with Qigong, I felt immediate benefits. My
body felt loose, warm and full of spirit.
Master Zhang began teaching me Hsing I on the beach and I must say it was a humbling
experience to be right out there among all the passers by with my body shaking and
shimmering following Master Zhang doing Six Harmonies Qigong, or Hsing I walking,
but I felt my body, spirit and internal organs all connected.
When we arrived in Tehachapi I was in awe of the mountains surrounding the Center.
Being from the damp climate of Michigan, I immediately noticed the pure air as I stepped
out of the car. My breathing was calm and my body was charged with a subtle energy as
though it were magnetized.
The Center is located on the south side of a mountain that is sacred to Native Americans.
There are many dozens of caves on the property that face all directions in order to take
advantage of the energy from all directions. I personally meditated in some of these caves
following specific instructions taught by Master Zhang. During my stay I had no
symptoms of the sinus problems I have had for years and rarely felt fatigued except when
standing on certain rocks.
Master Zhang led hikes on the mountain every day. The ancient rocks all have a spirit of
their own and touch each individual accordingly. Daily, we discovered interesting
formations in the rocks, beautiful flowers and signs of coyotes, bears, and other animals.
These journeys weren’t simply to discover the beauty of the mountain, the exertion built
strength and balanced yin and yang. I became more aware of my internal organs and could
feel the chi energy circulating.
The Mountain rises to the sky in back of Master Zhang’s Center with the very top
forming a silhouette of an ancient Native American jutting into the sky. One day Master
Zhang pointed to a spot just above it and said “today we go meditate.” I asked Master
Zhang to teach me about Feng Shui and as we climbed he would periodically bend over
and pick an interesting stone and hand it to me. Sometimes he would point out interesting
rock formations and colors and say “good shui.”
As we climbed higher and higher I found myself getting winded and my legs feeling
heavier. But Master Zhang skipped over the rocks effortlessly, sometimes wandering out
onto tiny ledges taking pictures or videotaping. Suddenly, I realized we had gone too far
to go back down the way we had come and I was scared. My legs felt too heavy to lift and
my heart raced as I looked towards the top of the mountain. Master Zhang told me to sit
down and meditate, gave me some instructions and leaped over some rocks to take
pictures.
I closed my eyes and felt a force pushing me from behind. Personal conflicts that had
embroiled me since early childhood were teeming my awareness. I clearly saw visions of
a past life and realized I was being made to come to terms with my existence. And all at
once I felt a genuine love and compassion for mankind, nature and the universe.
I opened my eyes and Master Zhang took my picture. Master Zhang is quite a bit shorter
than me and weighs around 130 pounds, but he literally lifted me and pulled me over the
rocks and I crawled while he held my hand until I could go no further. He told me to sit
and do Hsien Tien Tai Chi while he took out his video camera. The Center and the
surrounding houses looked microscopic below me as I did as instructed. As I moved my
hands I gradually felt calm, as though the essence of the universe were dancing in the
palms of my hands and I was breathing it in to the soles of my feet. I had forgotten the
anxiety of the climb and was absorbed in the power of the setting sun when Master Zhang
said “good. Let’s go.”
The climb was now easier and we made it to the top. I now stood next to the perch where
the birds descended from throughout the day. On the other side was a beautiful canyon
that was lit up by rainbows of velvety moss. I could truly say I had been to the top of the
mountain.
Master Zhang teaches each of his students according to their preferences and abilities. He
is interested in really getting to know his students and helping them to balance their lives
and bring them into harmony with the universe. He provides a rare opportunity for the
serious student of qigong and internal kungfu to receive individual instruction from an
authentic master. During my initial stay with him he imparted many valuable teachings
and my entire life has changed. Qigong is not something I practice a little everyday, it’s a
way of life that I live every moment of every day even when I’m sleeping. I am in better
health than I’ve been in a long time. My back shows little signs of the pain that racked me
for years and I have the means to bring anything into balance that is causing me harm.
Anyone who wants to learn teachings that bring every aspect of their lives into harmony
should discover Master Zhang’s teachings and make plans to visit his Center.
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