Fight Against COVID-19 And Care For Each Other, Be Kind To Each Other, And The Hearts Are Close To Each Other Again

Music can relax people, heal wounded heart, inspire people, and make people feel happy.

Music can be a positive energy to give people many benefits.

Wishing you can make yourself happy.

Such a devastating year 2020 is ending soon.  We are still having a very difficult time battling COVID-19.  Many people suffered from infection, lost their loved ones, lost their jobs, and depressed.  I made this music to cheer up and encourage people. We will surely overcome this difficulty.

 

 Relaxing and Healing Music

Click here to Listen

"Sound of Happiness and Joy"

 Wishing everyone in the world happiness and joy!

Overcome COVID-19

Unfortunately, some people still don't understand the danger of  coronavirus.

Some people still gather and chat without keeping social distance.  

What’s wrong with those who go to “Pachinko” store?

Do you think you won’t get the disease?

Have you thought of the pain and aftereffect of pneumonia? Or you may never recover.

Be patient and cautious!

Healing Sound for Taichi and Qigong

Relaxing music gives peaceful mind and good energy.

Music is combination of sounds having melody, rhythm, or harmony. Sound is an energy as well as Qi (Chi). We may feel the energy of the music. Sound of music does not only come in to our ears. We can feel it with our body. We often use relaxation music for Taichi and Qigong for relaxing body and mind or for easier meditation.

Here is a video of marimba music. This talented marimba player K-Ta not only having skillful hands, he also can emit his energy to the instrument through his mallets. His energy transforms to the sounds. The listeners can have peaceful mind and joyful time.

Music has potential benefits for health and wellbeing.

Some studies show Listening to music has following good effects:

helps lower your stress level 

reduces depression and eases anxiety

assist healing energy to release from your body

reduce pain

promotes the body to strengthen immune system

helps regulate emotion, creates happiness, joy, excitement, and more

balance your life

improves. sleep quality, helps fall asleep faster

improves cognition

improves work out, yoga, and other exercise

Xingyiquan Cultivating Internal Power Fajing 形意拳 爆炸力

Xingyiquan 形意拳, the Chinese martial art

Demonstrating Xingyiquan taught by Master Feng Zhengbao 冯正宝, a disciple of Master Xu Wenzhong 徐文忠, who was a disiple of Song Style Xingyi 宋氏形意拳 Master Song Tielin 宋铁麟.

English translation of Xingyiquan is "Form Mind Boxing".

It is related to internal martial art 内家拳.  Taichi 太極拳 and Baguazhang 八卦掌(Eight Trigram Fist) are also famous internal martial arts.  They are sometimes called soft style.  



Another style is external martial art 外家拳, the hard style.

Martial arts which emphasize mostly on physical training, building muscles and strengthening bones, are called external martial art.  

Internal martial arts emphasize on mind training 内功 to cultivate internal power 内勁.  The basic Xingyiquan trainings are Zhuang gong 樁功(standing still) and practicing Five Element Fists 五行拳 and Twelve Animals Fists 十二形拳.  Also practice sequences such as Five element Linked forms五行連環拳, Eight Forms Set 八式拳, Twelve Flooding Punches 十二洪捶, and etc. 

After decades of training when form and mind are harmonized, you will be able to Fajing發勁 ( powerful fist without using muscle force), transform Qi into strong force like explosion 爆炸力.

What is Hunyuan 渾元樁

Hun Yuan 渾元(混元)

​Hunyuan (渾元) means the all.  There is an idea from pre-modern China that the universe is round shape and everything inside it is interrelated to each other.  Therefore, hunyuan means round and all.  In a Chinese martial art called Xingyiquan, there is a physical training method called Hunyuanzhuang (渾元樁).  In this training, one can feel the connection of one’s whole body by standing quietly at one posture.  Xingyiquan emphasizes the importance of using whole body to execute force.  For example, even when we strike our opponent by our hand, we are encouraged to use whole body strength.  In order to lead our whole body strength to our hand, we have to connect our whole body.  By doing Hunyuanzhuang, we can naturally program our whole body to be connected.  By connecting our whole body, we can use our whole body strength even when we move one part of our body to execute enormous strength. 

Health Meditation Technique "Biwuxing"

Xingyi Boxing Meditation"Biwuxing"

形意拳 闭五行

 In Daoism, a way to live long and stay healthy is to cultivate one’s Qi 气.  Also, one should not lose one’s Qi by over spending it.  One can spend Qi not only through vigorous exercises but also by some simple activities such as watching a television, listening to music, or singing.  We spend Qi of our eyes by watching a television or a computer screen, we spend Qi of ears by listening to music, and we spend Qi from Dantian 丹田(lower part of belly where Daoists believe humans can store Qi) by singing.

Spending Qi for a moderate amount does not harm your health but over spending will gradually harm you.  In today’s society, many people constantly watch computer and smart phone screens.  Also, some people listen to music throughout a day.  This can lead the people to over spend their Qi and harm their bodies.

Daoist martial art called Xingyiquan 形意拳 has a meditation technique which prevent spending Qi and restore it.  This meditation technique is called Biwuxing (闭五行).  This literally means closing five organs.  Five organs refer to eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and brain.  In doing Biwuxing, you are supposed to close your eyes, breath quietly and softly from your nose, do not listen to sounds outside but try to hear the sounds inside your body, close mouth lightly, and think nothing.  When you are in this state, your five organs are at rest.  When five organs are at rest, Qi of five organs are not spent.

In addition, as you breath softly and quetly, your body start to restore Qi and make your five organs 五脏 healthy.  According to Chinese medicine, five organs are connected to five internal organs.  Eyes are connected to liver, nose is connected to lungs, ears are connected to kidney, mouth is connected to heart, and brain is connected to spleen.  Therefore, Daoists believe that by nourishing five organs by Qi, one can strengthen the five internal organs.  One does not have to do Biwuxing for a long period.  Five to ten minutes of Biwuxing everyday should be good enough for health maintenance. 

Inviting Good Fortunes

Happy Chinese New Year!  恭喜發財

日本語はこちらから

Making Setsubun animation with Apple motion, pages, final cut pro, and logic pro in Apple Store Shibuya.

Can you hear the ogres saying, "Oishisou, oishisou(yummy, yummy)" and " Hoshii, hoshii (give me, give me)".


Setsbun(節分) is a Japanese festival in the beginning of February just before the beginning of spring 立春, the first solar term.  People throw dried soy beans to the ogres(beasts) to get rid of them

and invite the Otafuku(お多福）into their home. The Otafuku means many good fortunes.  Ogres represent bad fortunes and sickness.  Also, stick a smelly dried fish head on a holly and put it in front of the house entrance so the ogres won't come in.  In Osaka area, each person faces the lucky direction of the year and eat a big sushi roll which is uncut called "Ehomaki恵方巻き" silently.  "Ehomaki" means lucky direction roll.  Today, the habit of eating a sushi roll "Ehomaki" became  popular in Tokyo and other cities in Japan after 7-Eleven(セブンイレブン) started selling them in many cities.

winter holidays in Tokyo

This is aone of the landmarks in Roppongi Tokyo.  There are shops, restaurants, offices, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Suntory museum, and others.  They have the light show every year in December.

Halloween Scary Night in Tokyo

Happy Halloween!  万圣节快乐

Halloween became a strange ritual in Japan.  Young adults wear Halloween costumes and go out.  There is no "trick or treats". 

They start gathering to Shibuya station in the evening.  This photo was taken before 7:00PM on October 30 2016.  There were full of disguised people and couldn't walk.  Couldn't even see the ground .  More people gather in night and go wild every year.  There were so many police men this year telling them not to stop on the street and keep moving.  It may be scary to walk in the crowd.  Foreign tourists also come watch them. 

The department stores, small shops, and car drivers are complaining about this phenomenon.  They wonder why Halloween has changed into wild party for adults.  Probably no one knows the origin and history of Halloween.      

  

2016 Halloween Night in Shibuya Tokyo 

This Halloween movie was created for the "Best of One to One" as a member of Apple Store One to One in 2014 in November.  

ハロウィン動画を作って楽しむ。日本語はこちらから





There are five scenes: Ghosts coming out of Omotesando Apple Store.  Scary dark Hall.  Purple haunted room.  Green room with a witch, black cat, and an alien   The last room is called Pumpple room. Pumpkin x apple = pumpple 

Apple motion 5 was used for visual effects. 

Logic Pro 10 can create the spooky music using Apple loops.

And Final Cut Pro 10 were used to  this Halloween movie. 


Thanks to Apple Store trainers in Shibuya and Omotesando who taught me how to use these applications and made me able to create such video! 

Still learning and wishing they would continue a good service like one to one membership in the future. 

Japanese Tradition: Fireworks in Summer 日本的夏天

こちらから日本語のブログへ

Summer starts after the rainy season(Monsoon梅雨) in Japan.  Summer in Japan is usually humid, hot, and uncomfortable.  People endure by hearing nice and cool sounds of  "Edo Furin(江戸風鈴)" the Japanese glass wind chime, or watching fire flies(蛍). Big fire works, festivals(祭り), and "Obon(お盆)"--- are probably the best things in summer.  


Celebrating "Obon" (or Bon Festival) is one of the most important Japanese tradition.  It was originally a Buddhist ceremony in which people welcome back the sprits of ancestors and also loved ones who passed away.  


Firework Festivals (花火大会) started in 18th century during Edo Era (江戸時代).  It was for comforting the souls of the dead(鎮魂).  Japanese fire works are beautiful and magnificent which also comfort people who watch them. 




Hawaiian Relaxation Qigong and Taichi Class

Halloween 萬聖夜 Haunted House

HAPPY  HALLOWEEN ! 萬聖節快樂

July 4th Independence Day 美国独立纪念日

Colonial fife and drum corps and 4th of July fireworks animation 

This time, I made a video of the US Independence Day with Apple motion 5.   The fife and drum corps are playing "Yankee Doodle" in the colonial day,  the audio parameter behavior was applied to the  marching soldiers, dancing flag, and blinking 50 stars.  If you watch them carefully, you can tell the musical instruments are affecting their movements. 

When I think of the 4th of July, I recall the spectacular scene of the fireworks over the Washington Monument.     

Chinese Festival 端午节 、2014年6月2号

端午节快乐！

Duan Wu Jie (Dragon Boat Festival) is to wish for health　

Celebrating Duan Wu Jie (端午節 May Festival) on May 5th of the lunar calendar started in ancient China.  Duan (端) means beginning.  The Wu month(午月) is the fifth month of the year.  五(numeral 5) is also pronounced "wu".  五月初五 became May Festival.  The summer begins from the fifth month of the year which is end of May or beginning of June of Gregorian calendar.   When Summer solstice occur, the day time is the longest of the year.  This is extreme Yang(太陽)  as day(brightness) relates to Yang and night(darkness) relates to Ying.  Extreme is out of balance.  The temperature and humidity raises high.  It's very hot and unpleasant.  More dehydration and food poison occur during hot season.  Immune system becomes weaker and easy to get infectious disease and may cause epidemics.

Ancient Chinese people thought May is the wicked month.  To get rid of toxins and prevent bad fortune(disease) , people started the ritual on May 5th.  People ate herbal medicines such as calamus and mugwort for maintaining health.  Drank realgar wine(雄黄酒) to get rid of toxin and prevent inflammation.  Let children wear a small bag of fragrance as an amulet to protect them and prevent disease.

We made a video of the carps because May fifth(of Gregorian calendar) is Children's Day in Japan and people put up carp shaped streamer(鯉のぼり) for centuries.  Also, decorate "Yoroi and Kabuto (鎧兜 armor)" to celebrate and wish health and longevity for children.

Cherry Blossoms, Sakura, 櫻花

Happy Spring! 

I saw a movie called Lost Horizon(1973) long time ago.  The airplane crash landed on a snow mountain of Himalaya.  The passengers were rescued and taken to Shangri-La 香格里拉.  I don't remember the story but I thought people went through the cave and reached a village with ever lasting spring with blossoms.  The villagers  have perpetual life.  I remember the part that a man from outside world peggy backed a village woman(Olivia Hussey) and went back to the snow mountain.  Then the woman instantly became old and died.

My video was inspired by the scenery of this movie.  Shangri-La is an utopia.  We can find the inner peace, warmth, comfort, relaxation, while practicing Taichi, Qigong, or meditation like in Shangri-La.  

Sakura, cherry blossoms bloom beautifully in spring time.  The blossoms have very short life.  They only last for about one week in Japan.  Falling petals are also beautiful like snow.  Japanese people love Sakura as thought it resembles human life.  Our life is also short, especially in the ancient time.  Average life lasted less than forty years.  I guess people wished to live happy and beautiful life.    Spring also represents youth.  People wants long lasting spring.     

Although the blossoms don't fast long, the cherry trees have strong life energy.  Some trees in Japan lives over a thousand years.   

    

Xingyi Quan(Form Mind Boxing) for health and self-defence

Xing Yi Quan appears to be a furious boxing, however, it can be practiced by people of any age for health enhancement(養生）. 

The training of Hun Yuan Zhuang(渾元樁) or Santi Shi(三体式), the Stationary Qigong may strengthen the core muscle and improve the balance.  They may help relax and also focus the mind.  

The beginners may practice 5 to 10 minutes of Hun Yuan Zhuang and Santi.

Wuxing Quan(五行拳 Five Elements Fists) and other sets of forms can be practiced slowly and gently like Taichi.  

Xing Yi Long Spear (Xingyi Quan) 形意大枪

Xingyi Long Spear is a weapon used in Xingyi Quan(also called Xingyi Boxing 形意拳)

日本語は、こちらから

Xingyiquan(Hsing I Ch'uan) is a famous internal martial art.

Xingyi（形意）means form and intent.  Xingyi Quan does not use muscle force.  Fa Jing(發勁), a strong power like sudden explosion is the technique used in Xingyi.  The coordination of form and intent is necessary.  It is advanced skill of Chinese martial arts which can be acquired by internal training.  Xingyi also requires long patient training.  

Xingyi Qhuan consists of Wuxing Quan(Five Elements Fists 五行拳) and Twelve Animal Fists(十二形拳).  Wuxing Quan is the basic and important forms which came from the spear technique.  

Xingyi Long Spear (形意大槍) is difficult to control as it is much longer and heavier than standard size spears.  Xingyi martial artists practice long spear forms to improve Wuxing Quan and produce powerful Fa Jing.  

Demonstrated in Honolulu Hawaii

The Xing Yi Quan was passed down from Master Wenzhong Xu 徐文忠

(the disciple of Master Song Gao Lu 盧崇高) to Master Zhengbao Feng 馮正宝, 

then to his disciples in Tokyo 

Please watch the Spring Festival short video 春節動画

Happy Chinese New Year! 

January 31 2014 is Lunar new year.  The year of the horse.   

日本語のブログはこちらから

Chinese new year is also known as Spring Festival.  Chinese characters in this video says  春節好 Chinese new year is also known as Spring Festival.   春 節 means spring festival.  It is the beginning of the new year and also the beginning of spring.  The weather usually becomes warmer around this time of the year.   

恭賀發財 Kung Hei Fat Choi!。 新年好 Xin nian hao 。 春節好 Chun jie hao。

 All these phrases are New Year’s greeting words in Chinese.  

People in Hawaii also celebrate Chinese new year as there are large number of Asian immigrants and visitors.  They have special events in China town every year. China town Parade, Narcissus Queen Pageant, Lion Dances, martial arts demonstration, and others.  

 In this video, the martial artist in Hawaii is practicing Xing Yi Long Spear 形意大槍.  His spear is 3.3m(10.8ft) long.  It’s very heavy and hard to keep the balance.  Taichi mark means Yin and Yang 陰陽.   Yin is earth地 energy and Yang is sky天 energy.  They are balanced.  Man is in the center (in between earth and heaven) Tian Di Ren 天地人.  

See the explanation of the phrases in the horse picture from HERE.

Qi Gong ( Maintaining Healthy State of Mind and Body)

Laozi Teaching Qi Cultivation for Health, Ant-aging, and Longivity

This is a phrase from Dao De Jing (Laozi) 道徳経 chapter 3:

虛其心, 實其腹, 弱其志, 強其骨  

It can be applied for way of health and longevity 養生之道. The phrase is expressing an ideal state of mind and body.

虛其心 ...   your mind is clear and have no worries

實其腹 ...   you have eaten enough and you are not starving 

弱其志 ...   you have no craving because you are content with what you have    

強其骨 ...   your body is strong and healthy

If a ruler of a country is governing the country well, people of the country will have these physical and mental states.

This ideal state of mind and body is required to do Qi cultivation.

When your mind is clear and you have no worries, you can focus your mind on the Qi training(Qi Gong 気功).

If you are focused,  your lower belly Dan Tian 下丹田will be filled with Qi (life energy).

When you are not craving, your mind can stay peaceful and focus on Qi cultivation.

The Qi cultivation will strengthen your body (helps anti-aging, strengthen immunity and stay healthy).

Without strong body, one cannot continue Qi cultivation.

The wild horse is on the narcissus field with blue sky and mountains.  There are plenty of food for him. His belly is very big.  He is fulfilled and happy without any stresses.

Martial Arts for Health

Health is essential to happiness

Happy New Year! 　

2014甲午  is a year of the horse.  

Wishing everyone healthy and prosperous year 2014.

They are the violent scary demons called Namahage.  They come down from the mountain to visit every home to scare bad people.  They will bring good fortune and prosper.  It's a ritual in Oga Peninsula, Akita Prefecture(Northern area of Japan with heavy snow in the winter) on New Year's Eve.  

Health and well-being is important to our lives.  Exercise is essential to the health.  In this video, Namahages are training the Chinese martial art called Bagua 八卦掌 (Eight Trigram Fists) for health.  The famous Baguazhang masters lived healthy long life.  The training may help maintain the health to become active seniors. 

More story is on YouTube.  

Happy Thanksgiving !（感謝祭）

 Thanksgiving Day

I made a motion graphics with Apple Motion and Logic Pro.  Please enjoy my "Turkeys Parade".

　　日本語のブログは、こちらからどうぞ

　
We teach Qigong（養生気功) and martial arts exercises（武術基本功),  Traditional Yang Style Taichi(伝統楊式太極拳), and Taijiyuangong(太極元功) for health, beauty, and longevity.

Visit Hawaiian Relaxation Qigong and Taichi Class in Tokyo.

Anti-aging Health Qigong 12,13

Eight Direction Qigong 陰陽八方功

Movement 12 &13

12.  Turning Ankles (for better Qi circulation and helps preventing ankle injury)

Place hands on knees.  Rotate them in a circular motion, first in, then forward, than out, finally returning to the original position.  Rotate the knees in the reverse direction.  Return to fully standing position. 

13.  Lower Back Massage (helps preventing back pain)

Place hands on lower back, thumbs on side, with four fingers on lower back.  Inhale,  rotate the hips to the left, placing pressure on the left lower back with the fingers; rotate hips forward, pushing forward with the hands; Exhale, rotate hips to the right, pushing on the right lower back with the fingers; rotate hips backward, returning to the original position. Revere the direction of motion.

Qigong for Anti-aging and Health 10, 11

Eight Direction Exercise

Movement 10 & 11

10.  Exercise for Preventing and Improving Hemorrhoid

 Inhale Interlace fingers in front of the chest.  ExhaleBend down to the floor, lowering the hands as far as possible.  Bend knees and bring them together, sitting down as far as possible.  Inhale Stand up, extending legs, still bending forward at the waist.  Inhale Contract glutes and Exhale relax 3 times. 

11.  Hip joint and knee Exercise
Place hands on knees.  Rotate them in a circular motion, first in, then forward, than out, finally returning to the original position.  Rotate the knees in the reverse direction.  Return to fully standing position. 

Qigong for Anti-aging and Health 9

Eight Direction Exercise 

Movement 9

9.  Stretching the back

Bring hands in front of the chest with fingers interlaced and palms facing down.  Bend down at waist, getting down as close as possible to the floor, stretching the lower back and legs.  Inhale, lifting torso parallel to the ground, rotate at the waist in the direction of the left foot.  Exhale, lowering the hands down to the left foot. Perform on the right side. Place hands behind the ankle, relaxing the knee joints.  Inhale, stand up, hands tracing up the back of the legs, and up to the Ming Men (lower back area). Rotate palms outward on Ming Men.  Raise hands up along the back as high as possible, and trace the hands through the under arms, and up to the eye level, palms facing inward.  Think of chi flowing through the arms into the hands. Exhale, relaxing knees, and lowering hands to the waist, Chi flowing down to the Dantian, palms facing upwards. Inhale, palms facing down, raise the arms up parallel to the body. Exhale, bringing hands in front of the chest, interlacing the fingers.  Bend down to the floor, extending arms to the ground.