[arnuld]

You use 2 small sandbags filled with hard-beans as exercise. I have 3 questions:

• what kind of bag I can use: made of leather or purely of cloth or you suggest some special kind of bag ? Is one bag sufficent or I need 2 just like you have in the video ?
  
• what kind of beans I can use. As a native Indian, its difficult for me to comprehend the exact meaning of beans. Can I fill the bag with kidney beans (known as Rajmah in Hindi). See the photo here . Can I use saw dust or sand ?
  
• You use a small stool where you keep the bags. If I buy the stool and practice, may be the wooden legs will make a lot of sound, which my landlord will complain. So can I keep the bag on the floor ?
  
• If you are not suggesting a special kind of bag then I think, I can buy a piece of cloth and fill it with hard beans ( 500 gms ?) and then triple-stitch it from all sides, 10 times cheaper than a bag.

[tandao]

You use 2 small sandbags filled with hard-beans as exercise. I have 3 questions:
Go the cheapest way that works. You don't need fancy expensive equipment that they sell. As ancient master's realized you use what is around you.

• what kind of bag I can use: made of leather or purely of cloth or you suggest some special kind of bag ? Is one bag sufficent or I need 2 just like you have in the video ?
  
  One bag is sufficient. I have two bags: one filled with iron bb which is for advance training. A beginner will injure their hands. Another is softer and perfect for you.
• what kind of beans I can use. As a native Indian, its difficult for me to comprehend the exact meaning of beans. Can I fill the bag with kidney beans (known as Rajmah in Hindi). See the photo here . Can I use saw dust or sand ?
  
  Use kidneys beans, rice or sand. What feels better to you?
  
• You use a small stool where you keep the bags. If I buy the stool and practice, may be the wooden legs will make a lot of sound, which my landlord will complain. So can I keep the bag on the floor ?
  Ideally you want to stand in a horse stance and have the bag waist high. However, you can put it on the floor in front of you as you sit cross legged or in half or full lotus. Important: always keep your back straight and aligned as in yoga. You can put a soft pillow under the bag to muffle the sounds so your landlord does not complain.
  
  
  SECRET: Relax and don't use strength. Allow your hand to drop and let gravity do the work. Do it consistently but don't injure yourself because you are breaking blood vessels in your hand. Chinese use herbal linament but since you don't have it, it is important to rub your hands after training to circulate your blood and chi.
  
  Although you are enthusiastic don't overtrain. Be consistent. Start off with ten repetitions for each hand position and work up to 49 reps. I am teaching the gradual approach so you do not injure your hands nor disfigure them. Just do it consistently everyday for six months.
  
  Inhale softly through your nose as you raise your arm and exhale sharply as you strike the bag.
  
  Get into a rhythm as you strike the bag.
  
  Empty your mind and let it be a meditation.
  
  Do not injure yourself. No need to disfigure your hands. Ultimately this training is low level Kung fu. But it is good to toughen up your hands and then move on to more sophisticated training.
  
  
• If you are not suggesting a special kind of bag then I think, I can buy a piece of cloth and fill it with hard beans ( 500 gms ?) and then triple-stitch it from all sides, 10 times cheaper than a bag.

Sounds good. Be a creative martial artist. Think of why not just how.

Are you going on to read our TanDao posts regularly? Would appreciate your comments and input. Somethings we say are a bit provocative because we want to go beyond the popular understanding of martial arts. Martial arts is much deeper (after all Bodhidharma was from India, right?) We welcome your thoughts on our posts.

Master Tan

[arnuld]

Ideally you want to stand in a horse stance and have the bag waist high. However, you can put it on the floor in front of you as you sit cross legged or in half or full lotus. Important: always keep your back straight and aligned as in yoga. You can put a soft pillow under the bag to muffle the sounds so your landlord does not complain.

You mean that ideal crane 4 exercise is to stand in horse stance and then practice ?

[b]SECRET: Relax and don't use strength. Allow your hand to drop and let gravity do the work. Do it consistently but don't injure yourself because you are breaking blood vessels in your hand. Chinese use herbal linament but since you don't have it, it is important to rub your hands after training to circulate your blood and chi.

I will remeber this.

Are you going on to read our TanDao posts regularly? Would appreciate your comments and input. Somethings we say are a bit provocative because we want to go beyond the popular understanding of martial arts. Martial arts is much deeper (after all Bodhidharma was from India, right?) We welcome your thoughts on our posts.

I read them, not regularly though, but I have decided to comment only after ruminating over them. Your posts keep my Kung-Fu thinking creative and alive. They look provocative but I think being natural, being true to yourself, being what you really are and being direct and practical in that approach is always considered provocative by our social system. Its the sad truth of life. And yes, Bodhidhrama was from South India, I don't know much about South-India as I belong to Punjab ( in Notrth-India) and both North and South cultures are very different. I am not sure but I guess Bodhidharma was actually a Prince.