Humanity follows Earth
Earth follows Heaven
Heaven follows The Way
The Way follows Nature
-Lao Zi, Dao De Jing, chp.25
5 Elemental Phase Progression System
5 Elemental Phases Comprehensive Training System
This curriculum is for those who want to have a multi-year comprehensive, systematic, progressive, approach to their training with me, learning meditation, qigong, and Daoist internal kung fu through a progression of practices organized into stages defined by the 5 elemental phases.
The curriculum generally guides the practitioner from from slow and soft practices, to more dynamic and vigorous movements, always grounded in softness and relaxation.
This class also begins with simple qi gong for general health, wellness, and stress relief but follows a more structured outline that is building to the next phase as the student progressively evolves with the material.
Is This Curriculum Right For You?
If you mainly want to learn Tai Chi specifically, and you’re not really interested in anything else, then start with the Tai Chi Foundations Drop-In Classes, and/or the 8 week Tai Chi intro course series. Tai Chi is introduced in this curriculum in the 2nd level along with other practices related to the water element, but if you really just want to jump right into Tai Chi, you can through the Tai Chi Foundations Drop-In Classes, and/or the 8 week Tai Chi intro course series.
If you just want to follow along and learn some simple qi gong for general health, wellness, and stress relief, start with the Qi Gong Foundations Drop-In Classes.
If you just want to learn sitting meditation, attend a Meditation Foundations Class.
If you want to learn all these things, and more, in a systematic approach, keep reading.
This system is a synthesis of Greg’s experiences studying Daoism, meditation, qigong, Chinese Martial Arts, Chinese medicine, and more, into a sequence of elemental contemplation, study, and practice that takes the student through a journey of self-discovery and self-transformation through the 5 elemental phases of Metal, Water, Wood, Earth, and Fire. This sequencing reflects the traditional development of a Daoist priest within the Yu Qing Huang Lao Pai. Though the specific practices differ, the main intent is the same- to provide a person with a framework of practices and contemplations that challenge them to grow through the elemental phases that we as humans navigate physically, energetically, and spiritually. Note: participation in this training does not make you a member of the Daoist Lineages Greg belongs to. While much of what you will learn comes from, and/or is informed by these lineages, this is not to be considered as formal Daoist Priest training or initiation into discipleship.
It is an open-ended system, meaning that practices from any number of styles, systems and lineages could be integrated into this system at a stage that is elementally or energetically appropriate.
It provides a roadmap of development through the elements so as to invoke and evoke the qualities of the elements into and from the practitioner as stages of evolution through the practices they’re learning and related energetic elemental themes they’re contemplating. As such, the goal is attempting to cultivate not just a technical competency in the practices, but to facilitate a genuine sense of self-discovery, self-transformation, and completion of the elements within the practitioner.
Students progress through a range of practices that bring them from metal, to water, to wood, to earth, to fire, and back to water and metal as gold, as they work through the curriculum. This system of learning has been something that Greg has been considering for years, and is excited to be offering through the setting of Waypoint Sanctuary.
Evolution to the next stage of elemental phase progression occurs when students feel comfortable and confident in internalizing and externalizing the material of that stage, including familiarizing with the guiding theory for each elemental phase of the curriculum, as well as memorization of the forms within the curriculum, practicing them regularly on their own. Those who aspire to become teachers will need to pass practical as well as written or oral examination.
If this
Elemental Progressions
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Lungs & Large Intestine
White represents the blank slate of a new process. Like white light contains the potential of all colors, a new student contains the potential of developing all the elements and skills within themself. At this point the student is willing to take on a new approach to their life through the study of internal martial arts & qigong. With every new beginning, there is an ending. For every inhale, an exhale. The metal elemental phase curriculum, represented by the color white, is focused on getting students more in touch with their bodies through their breath. This is an essential foundation for internal martial arts and energy work. Students learn methods for deep auto-relaxation and meditation, along with various qi-gong breathing techniques to enhance the connection of their mind and body, thereby helping to energize and purify their body and mind through breathwork.
Metal Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Theory
-3 Pillars & 4 Stages of Qi Gong
-The 3 Dan Tian & Defining Acu-Points / Qi Xue “Qi Caves”
-3 Treasures - Jing-Essence, Qi-Energy, Shen-Spirit, & Xu-Void
-Levels and types of Qi - Wei, Ying, Yuan, etc.
-External Qi Fields, energy bodies, and Jing Luo acupuncture “Channels and Collaterals”(“meridians”) overview.
-Jin Jing Sinew Channels
Practices
Jing Gong (Stillness Skills)
-laying, sitting, & standing meditation postures
-Includes Zhan Zhuang “Post Standing” and other stances
-Relaxation through breath, awareness, & intention
-Consolidating Essence
Breathing Skills
-Natural Breathing
-4 Wall Breathing
-Bubble Breathing
-Square Breathing
-Sealing & Locking the Breath
Forms / Dong Gong (Moving Skills)
-Sinew Channel Dao Yin
-3 Treasures Qigong
-9 Spiral Gates Qigong
-Wudang Metal Tiger Dao Yin
-Zig-Zag “Tai Chi Walking” Qi Gong
-Hua Tuo Hua Shan Metal Tiger Frolic
-Wudang Metal Snake Yang Sheng Gong
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Kidney & Urinary Bladder
Blue represents the student diving deeper into the sea of mysteries within themself and the curriculum they are endeavoring into. The water element represents our inborn motivation and willpower to see through to completion whatever we have intended for ourselves. Training builds on the breathwork, mind-body integration, and ability of auto-relaxation of mind and body through the breath that was cultivated in one’s metal element training to further develop the ability to soften the body that is essential for internal martial arts training. Training now expands to include study and practice of Taijiquan as the students first true martial arts style within the system. Taijiquan is often compared to water due to its emphasis on using softness to overcome hardness, and the nature of how its movements and techniques flow seamlessly from one into the next. Beginning martial arts training with Taijiquan helps train the student to maintain deep internal awareness and a tendency to slow down as they learn more fast paced and explosive movements in the future. Tai Ji Quan strongly influences the fluid dynamics of our system, as reflected in the Chinese medicine by its impact on Jing-Essence, Jin-Ye body fluids
Water Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Theory
-Micro-Cosmic Orbit Xiao Zhou Tian
--Ren Mai, Du Mai, Bao Mai, Chong Mai, Dai Mai, Da Bao
-Macro-Cosmic Orbit Da Zhou Tian
--12 “Primary” Channels
Wu Xing 5 Elemental Phases
Ba Gua 8 Trigrams (Pre & Post Heaven)
Practices
Breathing Skills (Tu Na)
-Reverse/Embryonic Breathing
-In Stillness & Motion
Forms / Dong Gong (Moving Skills)
-Wudang Yang Sheng Gong
-Wudang Water Dragon Dao Yin
-Hua Tuo Hua Shan Water Bear Frolic
-Water Tortoise Yang Sheng Gong
Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi)
Relaxation, Softness, Sinking, Slowness, & Roundness
Wu Bu & Ba Fa “5 Steps & 8 Methods” of Taijiquan
Taijiquan Single Technique Practices & Martial Applications
18 Movement Wudang San Feng Taijiquan
28 Movement Wudang San Feng Taijiquan
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Liver & Gallbladder
Green represents the sprouting of the student’s latent potential. Nurtured by months or maybe years of meditation, breathwork, and internal body conditioning through the practice of Foundation Qi Gong and Taijiquan, the student is ready to begin pushing their system to new limits of flexibility and development of Fa Jin “Issuing Power”. Like a tree or plant, the student is now cultivating a balance and harmony between softness and hardness. Too hard and the tree will snap under pressure. Too soft and it will not reach the full extension of its growth potential. With the foundation of breathwork, relaxation, and softness from metal and water stages, the student is now guided to begin doing more rigorous stretching routines.
Once this is learned the student is introduced to the San Ti stance training and five element fists of Xingyiquan which help to further develop internal energy training, fa jin ability, and training of rapid movement along a linear trajectory. The linearity of Xingyiquan reflects the linear growth trajectory of a tree. It has a destination it aims to reach by all means necessary, attempting to overcome and push through obstacles in its path towards the light.
Once this is learned, the student is introduced to Ba Bu stance training, circle walking, and 8 mother palms of Baguazhang. The circling and spiraling of Baguazhang reflects the spiral growth patterns that is very often present in trees and plants, this can be seen often in time lapse videos of plants growth. Although they are growing for a goal in a linear direction, there is a side to side and back and forth motion they go through in the process, producing a spiral. Baguazhang training helps to be quickly adaptable to changing circumstances (wind) in one's environment, so as to be able to find the most advantageous position to reach one’s goals.
Wood Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Theory
Sinew Channels (Jin Jing)
Practices
Stretching
Sinew Channel Dao Yin
Forms
Xingyiquan
-San Ti Stance Training
-5 Elemental Fists
Baguazhang
-Ba Bu Stance
-8 Mother Palms
-Circle Walking Qigong
Wudang Wood Leopard Dao Yin
Hua Tuo Hua Shan Wood Deer Frolic
Wudang Wood Dragon Yang Sheng Gong
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Spleen & Stomach
The Yellow Sash represents the Earth element, doubling down on and strengthening one’s foundations. It is at this juncture that the student begins learning the “basic” punching, striking, and kicking techniques that at other schools might be taught at their beginners stage.The reason for the delay in the Waypoint curriculum is in order to first develop deeper internal awareness, softness, and flexibility of one’s body and mind through foundation training in Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang. Taihequan is taught as an introductory form that balances slow, soft, fluid techniques interspersed with fast, hard, fa jin techniques, it trains the ability to rapidly and effortlessly move from a state of being slow and soft, to fast and hard, and back to slow and soft at will. With that foundation, the student will be able to learn and drill all the foundational striking and kicking techniques with far more nuance, skill, and power than new students learning them fresh off the street at other schools. Earth represents having patience, humility, and the willingness to integrate everything you’ve learned so far to develop a stronger foundation. The student will be guided to engage in more rigorous stance training as well as mid and upper body calisthenics such as crunches, leg lifts, push ups, pull ups, and handstands to develop the overall strength and endurance of their body on top of the foundation of flexibility, softness and relaxation they have already been cultivating. This will help prepare them for taking on the weight of weapons in red belt training.
The student is also trained in the grounding skills of rolls and break falls.
The student learns the Wudang Sanfeng Ji Ben Taolu “Foundational Form” which integrates all the major stances and many offensive and defensive techniques.
Earth Elemental Phase Principles & Practices
Forms
Wudang Xing Yi Quan 5 Element Linking Sets
Wudang Tai He Quan
4 punches
4 elbows
21 Kicks
Jibenquan
Wudang Earth Snake Dao Yin
Hua Tuo Hua Shan Earth Monkey Frolic
Wudang Earth Tiger Yang Sheng Gong
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At the orange belt stage, the students' training is beginning to heat up. At this point they are asked to temper that through learning the 108 movement Wudang Sanfeng Taijiquan Taolu which introduces a handful of new techniques, and challenges the student to slow down and maintain deep internal awareness and intent for an extended duration of time, maintaining a slow, low burn of energy within their system.
They also learn the three Xuan Gong Quan forms which further train coordination of speed, softness, and power.
At Orange Sash level the student also learns their first weapons forms - the Taihe Staff and Saber. These build on the Taihequan empty fist form the student learned back in their yellow sash training.
Principles & Practices Taught & Tested for Orange Sash108 Movement Taijiquan
Xuan Gong Quan 1, 2, 3
Tai He Staff
Tai He Saber
Fu Hu Quan
Fire Crane Dao Yin
Fire Crane Yang Sheng Gong