Resources - Primordial Chi Gung
Sifu Rubbo had the rare honor to meet and study with Master Zhu Hui, and developed a deep connection to and respect for this profound system, whose depths he feels are unlimited. Sifu Rubbo asked Master Zhu Hui, "What benefits can one derive from practicing Primordial Chi Gung?" Master Zhu Hui replied, "In my personal experience, I have developed the capability to see what ails you. But not only that, I have cultivated the wisdom and ability to heal you." This statement had a profound influence on Sifu Rubbo, and he was so inspired by Master Zhu he began teaching the "Wu Ji" system to his students. Master Zhu Hui recommended to Sifu Rubbo to practice a minimum of four sets per day, with each set taking between eight and twelve minutes to perform.
I had the opportunity to speak at length with Sifu Rubbo and he shared his deep insights and understanding of this profound practice in the following interview.
Robert: Sifu Rubbo, what can you tell us about Master Zhu Hui?
Sifu Rubbo: Master Zhu Hui was a kind, compassionate and wise man, and he had a gentle sense of humor. His smile made you feel uplifted; you felt good just being in his presence. He was the personification of the highest attributes of his profound arts.
Robert: Can you give us an explanation of Primordial Chi Gung?
Sifu Rubbo: In its construct Primordial Chi Gung can be viewed as a three dimensional physical mandala, encompassing all of the primary aspects of Taoist philosophy: the concepts of yin and yang, the trinity (heaven, earth and man), the Five Element theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), , the I Ching, the Bagua and the mystical aspects of numbers.
The Primordial Chi Gung system reflects the wisdom of the ancient Taoist sages and their theory of the birth of the universe. These concepts were based on their observations of nature, their perception of the alternating balance of energy of the primal forces (yin and yang) and the integral relationship between heaven, humanity and earth. The Taoist sages postulated that from the pre-birth state of Wu Ji (Original Emptiness) came the primal spark and from the primal spark, T'ai Chi (Supreme Ultimate) was born. From T'ai Chi, yin and yang manifested as opposing forces.
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things. -Tao Te Ching
The trinity in Taoist philosophy refers to Heaven, Earth and Humanity. The attributes of Heaven are yang, creative, active and brightness, and of Earth are yin, receptive, yielding, absorbing and darkness. The human being is viewed as a microcosm of the universe, reflecting yin and yang principles and is expressed in male and female. From heaven humanity receives the energy of boundlessness and from earth we receive the energy of harmonizing.
Robert: Can you tell us how the Five Elements correspond to Primordial Chi Gung?
Sifu Rubbo: When you begin the form, you are standing at Center, which is ruled by the element Earth. Earth is the Center from which all the elements arise. The Earth is the ground underneath us, our foundation connecting us to the world around us and to the entire universe. It is nourishing, supportive and life-giving. The color associated with earth is yellow, and the season is late summer. The pathways of chi energy flowing from the earth correspond to the spleen (yin) and stomach (yang). The emotion harmful to the spleen is sympathy. Standing at Center and guiding the chi flow with your intention harmonizes the spleen.
The first direction you face is East, which is ruled by the element Wood. Wood symbolizes new growth, creative energy, expansion in all directions, budding and flowering. The color associated with Wood is green, and the season is spring. The pathways of chi energy flowing from the East correspond to the liver (yin) and the gallbladder (yang). The emotion harmful to the liver is anger. Facing East and guiding the chi flow with your intention harmonizes the liver.
To your left is North, which is ruled by the element Water. Water is fluid and flowing, it conforms to the shape of its vessel, and is essential to life. The color associated with Water is blue or black, and the season of Water is winter. The pathways of chi energy flowing from the north correspond to the kidney (yin) and bladder (yang). The emotion that harms the kidneys is fear. Facing North and guiding the chi flow with your intention harmonizes the kidneys.
To your back is West. The qualities of the ruling element Metal are substance, strength and structure, that which can be molded, hardening and condensing in the process. Minerals provide nutrients from the soil in which food is grown. The color associated with Metal is white, and the season is autumn. The pathways of chi energy flowing from the West correspond to the lung (yin) and colon (yang). The emotion harmful to the lungs is grief. Facing West and guiding the chi flow with your intention harmonizes the lungs.
To your right is South, which is ruled by the element Fire. Fire creates warmth and light. It is vitality, energetic, luminous, and essential to life as well. The color associated with the element Fire is red, and the season is summer. The pathways of chi energy flowing from the south correspond to the heart (yin) and small intestine (yang). The emotion is joy or happiness. Facing South and guiding the chi flow with your intention harmonizes the heart.
Robert: Can you say a few words about the mystical aspects of the numbers?
Sifu Rubbo: The Primordial Chi Gung system contains the "Heavenly" and "Earthly" numerical combinations (Yang odd numbers 1 to 9, Yin even numbers 2 to 10) to extract the "magic" of their power. Particular attention is paid to the Ba Gua (the four directions and the four corners) and the number of repetitions of movements.
Robert: What are the components of the Primordial Chi Gung system?
Sifu Rubbo: There are two parts to this set, Part One "Rolling the Ball", Part Two "The Old Dragon Washing Face." The movements are slow and graceful, the practitioner remains in the center at all times, and the arms, hands, legs and feet are guiding in the energies from the four directions and the four corners (southeast, northeast, southwest and northwest) as the movements are being performed. An important point to remember is that the movements of the body originate in the dantien. The rotations are counter-clockwise, and it is as if the effects of time are being reversed, you are literally "turning back the hands of time".
You are also reversing the seasons: you start the set in the Center, facing East, the season is Spring which symbolizes new beginnings, new growth. The element is Wood, and the energy of the East nourishes the liver. You transition into the direction of North, Winter is the season before spring, and symbolizes dormancy, storing energy for the new growth in spring. The element is Water, and the energy of the North nourishes the kidneys. Then you transition from North to West, from Water to Metal. Autumn is the season before Winter and symbolizes harvesting, gathering. The element is Metal, and the energy of the West nourishes the lungs. Transitioning to the South, the season before Autumn is Summer, which symbolizes full growth. The element is Fire, and the energy of the South nourishes the heart.