Whoops...

Wow, it's been over a year since I posted here.

Enough to say that the book Shaolin Chi Kung was published, I had 300 copies printed and sold them all within 4 months, which kept me busy. I'm still getting requests for a copy, so may get a 2nd edition printed soon.

But I have a dilemma. Many of my fellow Wahnam instructors have said that the book is too good. Too good? I hear you say. Surely that's a good thing!

Well, yes and no. Yes, because it gives me great pride to know that I really did create a book that is really, really good. But no, because many people are using it as a substitute to learning directly from an instructor. This is not a good thing because as good as a book can be - it is no substitute for learning anything directly from a qualified expert.

For instructors of Shaolin Chi Kung and students who have already learned directly from those instructors - the book is a great and useful supplement to their practice. But for new students I don't think it is useful or appropriate.

Hence my decision not to rush into getting more copies printed. I'm sure I will in the future and only give them to advanced students.

So...

After this years Summer Camp in Brighton - I'm going to be starting work on a 2nd NEW book - working title 'How To Be Happy - Inspite of all the reasons not to be'.

I'll use this blog to document how that project progresses for anyone who is interested. In the meantime...

Bye for now

Nearly there!

Today I signed off on the proofs for the cover (see attached picture) and the contents. The incredibly talanted John Chandler of Chandler Design has done a superb job. I was happy with the formatting of the text (thanks to Andrea of Switzerland). John took that and made it polished. The interior design if you like, is so professional. It looks like a book! John also took the cover concepts that I provided him with and again demonstrated why it's best to hire a professional if you want a professional job doing. I am so delighted with how it all looks.

And all in 7 days! Two of which were Saturday and Sunday. So 5 working days. When John knew I was in a bit of a hurry, he really pushed the boat out to get everything done as quickly and professionally as possible.

Enough to say I'm delighted. I hope you will be too when you hold a copy in your hands! I'll certainly be celebrating like it's all my birthdays in one =)

Not long now... ... ...

HI Ho! It's off to the printers we go

Well, the manuscript for Shaolin Chi Kung was uploaded to Biddles (the printers) ftp server on Monday at 10:30. All of the images were already uploaded and now I await the typesetter's proof so they can take it to the printers. It's all very exciting.

My contact at Biddles asked me when I was hoping to get the book for. I said the 14th July (start of the UK Summer Camp), the sharp intake of breathe didn't really inspire me with confidence, as she said that that might be pushing it slightly. But I'm confident. The document I submitted was formatted just the way I wanted it and I'd inserted boxes where I wanted each picture to go and the boxes were the same size as the actual picture, to the pixel. So I don't think it will take too long to be honest to get the proof.

I also completed the cover on photo shop and submitted that in a complete version, so that shouldn't take too long either.

So, if you will cross your fingers that I will have some books to sell at Summer Camp =)

I'm also in the process of getting some really cool bookmarks made up. They have the P.E.R.F.E.C.T. acronym on one side with descriptions as an aide memoir and I'm trying to decide which image would look best on the reverse.

All in all, everything is going to plan and after Summer Camp I will begin the exciting job of selling all 300 first editions in record breaking time.

Kind regards

Marcus

Light at the End

I've just finished the index for Shaolin Chi Kung - 18 Exercises to help you live a longer, healthier and happier life. It took me a lot less time than I had anticipated. It took me longer to become familiar with words indexing feature than it did to use it. I must confess that I started to get a little concerned at the amount of strange text word began inserting into my manuscript. Though that was nothing compared with when I started to look at the page numbers to see that they actually matched up with the indexed item.

You should have seen the look on my face when I realised that not a single one of them did! Every single entry was wrong. I realised it probably had something to do with the discrepancy between the strange text insertion version of my script compared with the hidden characters version. The strange text version was 15 pages longer. As I sat there scratching my head as to what to do next: go through each entry and update it or start again - neither of which seemed appealing. I thought to check the help facility on word. By chance (or maybe just good chi circulation =)) I saw an entry for updating an index. I read the entry and the magic key seemed to be F9. I held my breath, and pushed the key. Magically before my very eyes the index numbers changed. And you know what? They all now matched up with the words they were indexing. Brilliant!

I still had to go through and take out the repetitions and the complete nonsense, but enough to say that after starting at 01:30 Tuesday morning I have now finished my index.

I've also reformatted all 150 pages of the book to make it easier to read and more pleasing to look at. The effect has greatly improved my work and a big thank you to Andrea from Switzerland for sharing her typography knowledge with me.

I've uploaded all of the pictures to the printers ftp server and now all I have to do is check the web addresses in the text are correct, finish of the useful books and websites page, insert Sifu's fore word and add the ISBN number as soon as it arrives.

You know what? By next week Shaolin Chi Kung could actually be on the printing press! I'm going to celebrate like never before =)

Until then, thanks for putting up with the lack of posts on this blog.

Kind regards

Marcus

Happy Chi Publishing is born!

Hey everyone,

I've been soooo busy recently. Every time I tie up a loose end with the book, I discover another. I won't bore you with the details, but enough to say I've become more adept at Photoshop than I ever thought I would have to. Not to mention discovering the joys of typesetting and fonts. I never realised you could have so many of them!

I'm also in the process of applying for my ISBN's, to do this I've had to come up with a name for my publishing company, as I am the publisher. And thanks to Hubert's chance comment during the Chi Kung Healing course, Happy Chi Publishing was born. Claire helped me on the phone as I put the logo together, it was so much easier than I'd thought, guess I'm starting to pick up some new skills =)

Well, I'm in London again this weekend doing my favourite thing: teaching. I can't wait, it's been too long. What with Level 2 classes coming up and a new Sukhavati study group, things are about to get even busier.

Right, what's next? Oh, yes need to format some more pages.

Not long now.. .. ..

What's your opinion?

I need your help. I've been working with the incredibly talented artist Parveen Kaur on the cover for my book.

She's produced numerous possibilities and I have narrowed it down to two that I really like. I thought it would be fun if you could visit the Shaolin Wahnam Forum look at the two covers and decide which you like the best. In order to get as full a picture as possible I've also included an option 3 - that you don't like either of the covers =)

Oh, and I've written a new article on my new favourite Chi Kung pattern Butterfly Dances in Front of Flower that you can find here. If you want a safe and easy way to overcome depression, lift your spirits and generally feel better then you'll enjoy this pattern.

I'd like to thank you all for your patience. The publishing of Shaolin Chi Kung is overdue, mainly because I am busy making it the best resource on the Shaolin 18 Lohan hands that I possibly can. I've currently got 6 more patterns to marry up with the new photographs and then it's a case of indexing, proof reading, getting all the files into the correct format for printing and sorting out an ISBN. Hopefully not too long now =)

Chi Kung Healing Course

I've just got back from a journey to Malaysia to participate in the historic Chi Kung Healing course with my Sifu - 4th Generation Shaolin Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.

It took me twenty four and a half hours to get from my hotel in Malaysia to my front door. During the 12 hour flight to London Heathrow I had plenty of time to think. One of the things that grabbed my attention was that this course was attended by students from 19 different countries!

I started to wonder why myself and these people took so much effort to learn from Sifu. Journeying to Malaysia as often as we possibly can. If you've ever been vacuum packed in economy class on a 747-400 for 12 hours you'll understand why the journey there and back isn't really my idea of a good time.

Over the last 7 years I've made the journey to Malaysia 6 times, invested £10 000+ in travel, accommodation and tuition fees and spent at least 144 hours in a 747 (that's 6 days!). And there are many of Sifu's students who've been to Malaysia more than I and travelled further than me to do it.

As I flew above India I tried to get clear on why we would travel so far, spend so much and be glad to do so. I mean I could learn something that on the surface appears to be similar to the arts taught by Sifu much closer to home (12 miles up the road to be accurate). The answer I realised was simple.

Because what Sifu teaches is the best.

I fully understood the essence of my Sifu's words:

It is not because I practice Shaolin Kungfu that I call it the best. It is the other way round. Because it is the best, I practice it. If there were another better style of kungfu or other martial arts, I would have chosen to practice that other style.

I have never found anything as good as the Shaolin arts Sifu teaches. I accept that my decision is based on only a small experience of other energy and martial arts. However discussions with some of my very experienced Wahnam brothers and sisters confirms my own conclusions. When a martial arts master of World renown lets go of his previous arts to focus their attention on the Shaolin Arts taught by Sifu, you know there has to be a very good reason for that.

The Chi Kung Healing Course was both the hardest (for me) and the best course I have ever taken with Sifu. What I learned will change my life forever. It will allow me bring freedom from pain, relief from illness and great health to many. If I had invested 10 times more money, energy and time to attend I still would have got an awesome return on my investment.

So now I need to sit down and make plans. Watch this space!