Due to public demand I was asked to translate my article into english. Please fogive if I did not wrote everything in correct english….

On my way to the second seminarweekend in Cologne with Howard Wang Laoshi I will try to give you an overview of my last week together with him.

First I only wanted to take part on both of the weekend seminars Howard Wang Laoshi was going to hold here in germany. Until now I made only very good experiences with seminars that were organized and held at the Bailung e.V. in Osnabrück/Germany. Though it was not only the quality of the past seminars and the openness to other martial art styles that enthused me all the time. Also the warmhearted kindness wich the students and teachers recepted me impressed me every time I stayed there .

So, when I told my wife that Howard Wang Laoshi will also hold morning trainings due to the time he stays at Bailung e.V. she spontaneously (after we had som glases of whine we together enjoyed this evening) came up with the idea that should use this great chance. I could stay for a week in Osnabrück and take part of the morning trainings.

Until that moment I didn’t even thought about this possibility….

But she was right… why loose the possibility when someone made the long way over from Taiwan to „share“ (Howard Lang Laoshi always pointed out that he is not „teaching“, he wants to „share“ his knowlege) his experiences with Kung Fu.
(I think the next morning my wife regreted her idea a little bit…)

So on the 15th of May I arrived at Bailung e.V. . From that day on I we started every morning between 9:00/9:30 until 12:00 with the training until the 20th of May ( at the 21st I had to go back to Hannover due to my job). Together with me my Kung Fu brother Andy from Amsterdam (originally Machester/England) also stayed there for the morning training.

After the first seminar at the weekend we all become clear that we have this time something completely different to expect from the training than the „normal physical“ training. This training was more for completely different areas of our body.

At the morning trainings Howard Wang Laoshi shared more and more of his theories about internal Kung Fu. Part by part and morning by morning he helped us with partnerdrills to gather the possibillities of „rooting“ and the awareness of „forces“ in our body that were given by the opponent. With this examples, partnerdrills and his detailed explanations the phrases „taking the force of the opponent“, „deflect the force from the opponent“ or „give the force back to the opponent“ became a new meaning and also a bodily experience.

Next to the morning trainings I was invented to stay the rest of the day together with Howard Wang Laoshi, Jochen Wolfgram Laoshi and Andy (sorry andy .. got to ask you the next time about your familyname ..(update Andy Martin)).
After we cooked and eat together at the traing hall, we went to the house of Jochen Wolfgram Laoshi where we sat together drinking tea and in the afternoon also eat together.(can’t remember when I eat so much the last time..)
At all this time Howard Wang Laoshi told us about his theories and experiences. Together with storys about the park in Taiwan where his father is teaching Ba Bu Tang Lang and an enormus background knowledge about the history of Kung Fu, chinese history, background informations about yoga and lots of interresting and funny short storys of his life… time passed by very fast.
At all this time I recognized Howard Wang Laoshi as a very friendly, openminded and warmhearted person who really likes to answere every question. So if you have the possibility to meet him…ASK!. He really likes to share his knowledge.

If there was a pause he always invited us to stand up for small drills about „rooting“ and „alignment“ or to repeat a drill from the morning. (ok.. there where also drills whilst we where sitting…)
I would like to tell you more about this time and his informations. For example what the holy trinity of the christian church got to do with the classical chinese story „Journey to the west“ (a classical story that you should heard of). And how this all stands in relationship to the way of Kung Fu. To write down all would be to much for this text and also incomplete. And due to the incompleteness it might sound a bit too esoteric here.

But in short words:
In his opinion Kung Fu (due to the possibiltys of fitness and to be able to defend yourself) is a way to transform from the state of an ego mind (yeah.. I got 100 medals, 1000 cups from tournaments) to an openminded, selfless, and peacfull human being.
(puh hard stuff.. eyhh?)

Accuratly this theory one could find in every one of his drills. These drills only worked if you get loose of your ego and try to do them „effortless“.
So a direct bodily effect on wich you could validate to an „esoteric“ idea wich you can find in several religions, storys and fairytails.
Although his system lets you easily integrate it in your preferred (or every) Kung Fu Style. It refines the sens and reaction of the practitioner.

Martial Art as a way of live…

Kung Fu means „Work hard“ – and the work has just begun.

When you’ve seen beyond yourself-
then you may find,
peace of mind, Is waiting there-
And the time will come when you see
we’re all one.
(The Beatles „Within or without you“)

I’m looking forward for the next to seminar days in Cologne and the next meeting with Howard Wang Laoshi.

On this way I would like to thank my wife, for her love wich made this week possible.