Earl Grey

It was mentioned earlier in the thread that Sifu Terry does not currently have these in digital format, but as those are from a year or so ago, this may have changed, and in my personal classes with him, he has been working on it for a while, though his current priority take precedent over this. 

1 hour ago, Kar3n said:

Call 911 or whatever the emergency number is for your country and give them his address.

 

He will get help whether he wants it or not.

This is absolutely true.

When I was in grad school, some students were freaking out so hard about exams that several of them ended up in the mental health ward of San Diego. 

Spending 72 hours there will make anyone who threatens suicide either realize they wanted attention or far more suicidal because unfortunately, they don't distinguish much between patients who are outright 12 Monkeys crazy or emotionally melodramatic teens and twenty-somethings. 

Most people end up being the former because it's a reflection of the state of a society that is not sympathetic towards suicidal tendencies. 

As someone who was one of the three individuals there for 72 hours, I realized it wasn't suicide I wanted, it was an escape from a paradigm I hated, and suicide is usually a call for help or a last-resort escape from frustration. They call it Thanatos instinct according to the questionable Freudian theory. 

My escape after the right counseling was finding out grad school sucked, and being the fool who said the emperor was naked found that the politics of my department seriously tried everything they could to get rid of me, reinforcing those diminished feelings of self-worth.

I do not recommend a trip to the mental health ward via the police escorting you there, but some people sadly may need to see that the intensity of their call for help is not a joke. It is made worse when loaded with sedatives and anti-depressants for some individuals there. I was on one for three months and got off eventually. The upside is that it pushed me deeper into the Taoist practice and more discerning of the realities I entered in the workplace, academia, an apartment complex, a restaurant, whatever--finding the rules for each pocket of reality not the reality, and extrapolating from that, the emotional state I was in to be the negative zone I was writing for myself.

Granted, I pondered some of that last year too, but I actively seek help and express the emotions and appreciate the overwhelming support I always get (especially here). 

There are cycles of emotions, and your friend may be in their emotional winter and spiritual midnight--and perhaps you may be seeing them as a warning for your own too given your karmic lesson and test here. 

Sifu Terry, I do a lot of training outside of FP and honestly recovery is better, yes, but can you please elaborate more on how FP affects our physical activity or how our physical activity affects FP? 

Just now, Wells said:

 

Actually, I just love the characters and the stories of the Street Fighter and of the Bioshock (Infinite) games...

I watch high quality walkthroughs of the related games on youtube though...and street fighter II the animated movie was pretty good too.

I grew up playing the original Street Fighter before there was even a Street Fighter 2 and played the first two Bioshocks because I no longer have a PS3 or a gaming PC, I just have a Switch and PS4 now. The Street Fighter comic series by Udon and manga aren't bad either. Most of those related games are right up my alley, and I find it's easier to use popular media of the like when giving examples of Taoist philosophy. Hell, before I got good at Zhan Zhuang, I used to watch playthroughs or tournaments of Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 while standing. 

The Street Fighter 2 Animated Movie is a totally different experience after having watched it first in the English dub with the hard rock soundtrack to the original Japanese and music. 

On topic: I myself have had moments of disappointment, so I do resort to consuming video games, comics, and reading my wall full of speculative fiction paperbacks going back to the 1950s. My take is that I don't need to always get it or be in the flow, sometimes I just need to sit back and be a wanker at times because I don't have or want all the answers. Sure I get moments when I'm down, but I think a couple stories like this summarizes my view:

A kid I knew was a very passionate and fundamentalist Bible thumper. He saw a guy in his 60s buying a Nintendo 64 and a stack of games on a Sunday afternoon. Brice, the kid I knew, told him off and said he should be in church and studying the Bible. The old man replied, "Son, I have been a missionary for over 40 years and a pastor. The time for church and studying has already been a done deal for me. Now's the time for me to enjoying my video games. Word of advice: don't judge or think you know as well as you do with what you think you see."

Brice has since been a very reserved boy since then. 

Similarly, I remember a Zen story where a monk said he finds enlightenment equally in the brothel and in his wine as he does in the temple and his tea because it's all around us. 

1 minute ago, Joolian said:

Very cool, thank you very much for answering, Sifu Terry. 

 

For another topic, has anyone else experienced seeing the blue light /FP energy on the body while walking? For example after a FP session it sometimes happened that I saw blue energy on the tips of my feet or knees while walking down stairs and looking down. Hard to describe, sorry, but maybe someone noticed the same... 

 

Greetings 

Yes, I do see this often too. 

Taken from: https://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/03/14/manvotional-socrates-on-the-importance-of-physical-fitness/

Editor’s Note: In his Memorabilia, Xenophon, a student of Socrates, shares a dialogue between Socrates and one of Socrates’ disciples named Epigenes. On noticing his companion was in poor condition for a young man, the philosopher admonished him by saying, “You look as if you need exercise, Epigenes.” To which the young man replied, “Well, I’m not an athlete, Socrates.” Socrates then offered the following response.

Just as much as the competitors entered for Olympia. Or do you count the life and death struggle with their enemies, upon which, it may be, the Athenians will enter, but a small thing? Why, many, thanks to their bad condition, lose their life in the perils of war or save it disgracefully: many, just for this same cause, are taken prisoners, and then either pass the rest of their days, perhaps, in slavery of the hardest kind, or, after meeting with cruel sufferings and paying, sometimes, more than they have, live on, destitute and in misery. Many, again, by their bodily weakness earn infamy, being thought cowards. Or do you despise these, the rewards of bad condition, and think that you can easily endure such things? And yet I suppose that what has to be borne by anyone who takes care to keep his body in good condition is far lighter and far pleasanter than these things. Or is it that you think bad condition healthier and generally more serviceable than good, or do you despise the effects of good condition? And yet the results of physical fitness are the direct opposite of those that follow from unfitness. The fit are healthy and strong; and many, as a consequence, save themselves decorously on the battle-field and escape all the dangers of war; many help friends and do good to their country and for this cause earn gratitude; get great glory and gain very high honors, and for this cause live henceforth a pleasanter and better life, and leave to their children better means of winning a livelihood.

I tell you, because military training is not publicly recognized by the state, you must not make that an excuse for being a whit less careful in attending to it yourself. For you may rest assured that there is no kind of struggle, apart from war, and no undertaking in which you will be worse off by keeping your body in better fettle. For in everything that men do the body is useful; and in all uses of the body it is of great importance to be in as high a state of physical efficiency as possible. Why, even in the process of thinking, in which the use of the body seems to be reduced to a minimum, it is matter of common knowledge that grave mistakes may often be traced to bad health. And because the body is in a bad condition, loss of memory, depression, discontent, insanity often assail the mind so violently as to drive whatever knowledge it contains clean out of it. But a sound and healthy body is a strong protection to a man, and at least there is no danger then of such a calamity happening to him through physical weakness: on the contrary, it is likely that his sound condition will serve to produce effects the opposite of those that arise from bad condition. And surely a man of sense would submit to anything to obtain the effects that are the opposite of those mentioned in my list.

Besides, it is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.

Where did everyone go? To practice more of course!

I am not posting much as I have been taking more classes with Sifu Terry, although I should probably update everyone here and in my own ppj too because of a lot of development. Coming soon!

I'm really hoping you're just taking a breather and not actually saying farewell. I also hope that this is either Mercury Retrograde stirring up things that aren't normally affected and we are temporarily out of sync, or that this is just a parallel universe I woke up to this morning reading this and the other thread where something like this is what I would never imagine. 

1 minute ago, DSCB57 said:

Why should I not also have the right to feel part of this community? What right do you have to make anyone feel alienated?

Nothing on my part indicates I am trying to alienate you, but good luck with what you are working on. 

41 minutes ago, DSCB57 said:

I think one reason for that taboo is the fact that it can cause envy or lead to those unable to have similar experiences being disheartened, which could cause them to give up. The main point however is that it is very rare for any two students to have the same or even similar experiences in the practice of Qigong cultivation. It is not considered good for students to have any expectations of what they are likely to experience in their training, as the mind is quite capable of providing such experiences, but these are not real. This can be very damaging to one's development, which is why the sharing of Qigong experiences is discouraged in many schools. I agree with this.  

 

You might say that the intention is to inspire practitioners to work harder, but it does not necessarily have that effect. It was after all in this spirit that I shared information here regarding the time it took me to complete each of the meditations, but I think there is sufficient proof that it was not taken in the way I intended at all. I think it's rather a shame as well as hypocritical that many others on this thread openly and frequently boast of their achievements and are applauded for doing so. Many of them should know better, and should be setting a better example to those less knowledgeable. 

For your information, I initially didn't plan on posting what I shared earlier on the main thread, but after an e-mail exchange with Sifu Terry, I was encouraged by him to post it here for him to respond and share some insights that he wanted the group to know about. 

I personally find no problem with people getting different results and I don't see what I do as boasting or showing off. If anything, I feel it's celebrating the joy of our discipline and development. Some feel good, some see strange but wonderful things, and others just don't have health insurance anymore due to their confidence in their practice. Who else can we talk to who also practices Flying Phoenix and with perhaps parallel sensations, confirms we are not crazy? Isn't that what this thread is for? To connect us with each other? My own personal practice journal was quite helpful for a few people, and not just for Flying Phoenix. 

We experience what we are meant to experience. That's all I have to say on the matter as I could very easily be jealous of others who describe things I have yet to encounter in my own work, but I am not, I am quite happy for them since their enjoyment does not take away from my own, and what I share should not discourage anyone else. Storytelling is a medium that has shaped our realities throughout myth and time, so why deprive the world of tales of wonder and awe? My stories and others' own stories have made me feel more part of this community and school, and those who read what we share and call it "boasting" and "hypocritical" probably don't grok the same reality.

To each their own, I guess.

The other week, I learned the long form Monk Serves Wine in what began as a one-hour session that quickly became two hours because of the awe-inspiring turn of events that transpired in my session with Sifu Terry.

It was just after he had posted to do the flash meditations as slowly as possible, which I had begun doing weeks before. We began our session and he was delighted to see how quickly I picked up on the form, but no more than I was due to the immense bliss (as Tao Stillness would describe) that I experienced doing the form, even before learning the breath control sequence and divided by sections at a time. Upon learning the form, we practiced several times with the breath control sequence and on the last one, something wonderful happened. I saw a blue sapphire gem and golden chains around it, then afterwards, a Buddhist stupa similar to the ones outside of the Javanese temple of Borobodur, and outside in front of it was either White Tara or Kuan Yin standing in a pillar of light. Sifu Terry said I just may very well have been initiated, but I do not know into what, and he recommended I reconnect with the being who came during our session or to talk with Eric Isen to see who this is and what this means.

Since that session, my average for the flash meditations slowed down, and now is anywhere from 4-6. 

There is also now a sphere or egg-shaped object I feel energetically that automatically corrects my form in Flying Phoenix and I see it carry over to my Tai Chi and Liuhebafa training. It is as though I am manipulating a sphere within, around, and in front of me at all times
whenever I move.

Also, during Temple Guardian Standing at Entrance (a Bok Fu Pai form for those who don't know), a friend came by and saw me standing there and began doing Zhan Zhuang Embrace the Tree in front of me, then said something strange about me was going on as
he observed. My skull became deeper and face became wolf-like, as my eyes were closed but looked like they were open and piercing him. How interesting. In previous sessions when we would all stand in a circle for basic Zhan Zhuang, he and another student would observe things like my hair becoming golden (not blond, but gold) and eyes and face changing or body size increasing, or seeing my body look like it was the cosmos, as though they could enter my body and float amongst the stars. This time in particular was interesting because it wasn't even 15 minutes, and the things he and everyone else would see would be around the one hour mark.

This now more than ever makes me want to learn more Bok Fu Pai from Volume 6 (and the whole system while I am at it) and both versions from BFP and FP of the form with the same name Child Praying to Goddess for Mercy. I was also excited because I
did the fifth flash meditation that was the Bat Din Gum form and after doing it for six minutes it felt like my body hardened and had been doing Iron Shirt Qigong.

Yesterday, I also reached a milestone for practice of the long form. I began my afternoon session after a long nap with Basic Seated Meditation 5% 60% 80% 40% 30% (which I nicknamed "Tuning The Universal Intellect") for about 10 minutes. Afterwards, I did the flash meditations from volume 5 in order, and averaged 4.5 minutes to 6 or 7 minutes each. I then did long form MSW at about 11 minutes, then for standing long form from volume 5, I thought I would get a good 10-12 minutes for my average before my afternoon appointment, as I wasn't sure if I would move slow enough to beat my best previous time of 16 minutes. I opened my eyes after moving as slowly and gracefully as possible while allowing the form to do itself, and found myself shocked to see that I did the form in 24.5 minutes. 

I am about ready to consider draining my credit cards and sell things I have to get more sessions with Sifu Terry and keep learning more advanced practices.  

The point WW was referencing in the last page replying to joeblast is my university class in Southeast Asian history which had scholar Geoffrey Robinson who is also a human rights activist. He also raises a very good point that Southeast Asia as a regional whole has had more female leaders than the West in the 20th century but that’s an entirely different point and doesn’t account for elements of nepotism and cronyism.

The Philippines has more female leaders and business leaders in general, but by and large a very patriarchal mindset still, which is often attributed to the Catholic Church. Interestingly enough, it’s a society that has more male infidelity than average globally, a study I believe came from the Ateneo de Manila University. When I find the study I will post if anyone is interested but I am not certain it’s relevant here.

1 hour ago, windwalker said:

 

Did they mention who they fought against ?

It’s been 12 years since I was in that class, so I do not remember if it was brought up, but if you want the information of my professor I will post it here for you to contact him. Just say so and you can email him to ask.

6 hours ago, ralis said:

 

I recommended 'Elements of Style' and a few other books to windwalker in another thread. I doubt he will consider your critique and recommendations. Most unfortunate!

Good book recommendations are in my view a gift in of themselves, not because of new titles to consider, but because they give you insight on the person who enjoys those titles. 

The websites we consume are also what influence us. Everyday Feminism and Art of Manliness are among my daily reads. 

Old saying my family on the Chinese side reminded me of: trouble comes from the mouth and through the mouth, from what we say and eat, and what we eat is what we read, what cuisine we devour, music we listen to, and people we engage with, and I am a lot happier on this site more often than not compared to years ago on social media because of the openness and challenging ideas such as this thread on matriarchal cultures. 

Back on topic:

Can't remember, but there was an old Balinese cultural group (or a few) I learned about in my university class with photos of how the warriors were women and leader was also female, because they believed that "the men were just not as trustworthy as warriors and women were just better fighters" in that particular group. Imagine the raised eyebrows as the professor talked about that.

My answer was posted in response to your prior unedited reply and so your question was not answered initially.

The men were content because most did not know better and had never known life outside of their small village for generations while the women who had encountered volunteers for brief periods were the ones who actively wanted change since they were the ones who wished to provide better lives and futures as they often were in the managerial roles of the family while the men took the decision making roles.

One must understand the formal and informal organization in cultures outside his or her own often do not align with their own experiences and expectations. 

Read “Cultures and Organizations: The Software of the Mind” by Geert Hofstede.

13 minutes ago, windwalker said:

 

And I highly suggest if you dont like people questioning what you write t might not be a good idea to post it.

You do write a lot but dont say much....

 

You could have explained yourself a little better,

but it seems like you do like your writing....have at it...

 

You did not question what I wrote. You presumed and made ridiculous conclusions and then failed to engage then the responsibility solely on me for communicating ideas when this is a forum for dialogue between and with people, not for your own entertainment. 

Have a good day, sir, for I have spoken my piece and have been thoroughly bored by your remarks, especially since it is highly likely you are not here to engage, but to present yourself as a sophisticated contrarian who fails spectacularly at doing so and only elicits the common and rational response to disengage entirely from such unfruitful labor. And what labor it is, for to talk sense to a fool is to be called foolish by that fool, says Sophocles. 

I shall take my leave now, for this thread is on matriarchal cultures and none of what you seek to scrutinize contributes to this thread in an enlightening or respectful manner.  

"Barba non facit philosophum" - a beard does not make one a philosopher. 

1 hour ago, windwalker said:

 

It was not an attack, it was a statement based on the information provided.

And I easily could say you sound ignorant and childish, and claim that's an observation based on information provided in your post, but none of what I posted was inferred by anyone else except you, and phrasing it as you have is not appropriate for someone your age. No woman was "allowed" to speak to me, they approached me of their own volition. I find it rather pompous for someone to presume he understands an entire culture's mindset (let alone my experience with them and learning their language and customs) based on what he's misread in a post.

 

An educated man asks questions and seeks to understand, for he can entertain other ideas but you have so far demonstrated that you are making conclusions that make me wonder if your own schooling is able to even match the level sophistication of Gomer Pyle.

 

They ignored you,  did not offer any information,  and according to you were satisfied with the way things were, and answered the woman with yes and no...  ya ok   got it

 

Nobody ignored me, nor was any information not offered, and I certainly wasn't "satisfied with the way things were" or answered the woman with yes and no. I fail to see where you get this information, but it appears from the very brief interaction we have had here that your arguments are based on making logical leaps, misreading things, and putting words in other people's mouths. That to me is far more "unmanly" than what you imply happened with me, and I highly suggest you seek to understand and clarify rather than make assumptions.

 

Might I recommend the title How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren, which is an intellectual how-to book on how to get the most out of books. Even those who consider themselves well read may find their analytical skills when it comes to reading lacking. 

 

It might also help to obtain a copy of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White to help better articulate your ideas afterwards, for so far, you are merely taking a condescending approach while failing to make any valid contribution to the dialogue here. 

 

I shall leave you with a quote that some attribute to Mark Twain, which says "Better to remain silent and have everyone think you a fool than to open your mouth and confirm their suspicions" and remind you of a term from the old days called a "busybody", which refers to someone who spends more time prying into the business of others because they've nothing better to do. I have given you two very good book recommendations, and shall leave you with the words of esteemed playwright George Bernard Shaw:

 

"What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts."

5 hours ago, windwalker said:

 

 

You start out with not being able to distinctly identify who was really in charge and yet assume because you were allowed to interact with the women they were.  odd how evening living with them seems like you failed to understand the roles they played in their culture assuming who had the authority.

 

Maybe the men did not interact with you because they did not consider you a man in their eyes...and allowed the woman to interact with you. 

 

"the men seemed fairly content with things as they are even amidst food security, malaria, sexual health issues, and sanitation and hygiene. "

 

Reads like a very condescending view point, you expected the men to do what? 

Maybe in their eyes you you did not meet the requirements to be considered a man..... 

In the words of Luke Skywalker from The Last Jedi, every word in that sentence (or rather, in this case, your entire post) was wrong.

Nobody "failed" to identify anything, it was a matter of implying not to rely on such static definitions that are culturally biased based on the spirit of this thread and the arguments people made against matriarchal cultures and for patriarchal cultures. 

As for how I interacted with the men there, not only were these lessons already what has been observed and taught by Tanzanian staff from the capitals and American and European scholars about cultural norms and preferences there, but an experience that is replicated time and again by generations of volunteers since 1963. My own personal experience living and working in 13 countries might also lend some authority to this observation as well. 

Quoting you specifically here, "Reads like a very condescending view point, you expected the men to do what? 

Maybe in their eyes you you did not meet the requirements to be considered a man..... " ad hominem attacks mind you do not fit the rules and regulations to be a member here. 

SandrofV I think you may want to go through this thread and see some of the outlines Sifu Terry made of what he practiced that week for a class. You may notice he doesn’t practice everything, and his students still benefit from doing whatever form in no particular order. 

Even if you don’t see the unique benefit of each meditation, it’s your task as a student as well to keep practicing and discover while engaging in dialogue here. There are several students with practice journals here who you may read and note their reactions. While it’s good to compare notes you can also focus more on your own diligence.

Perhaps the way you might understand practice is this: learn the forms and practice them and gradually learn new ones. Do not give up older forms, but do not obsess and do all forms every day. I do six forms on average a day rotating between each volume and just doing what I feel like doing that day due to the unique effect of each meditation. If anything my practice of long form makes me appreciate the basic forms in the earlier volumes and doing the earlier volumes helps me understand the long form.

1 hour ago, BluePhoenix133 said:

Hi, i wanted to ask if any one recalls a type of chi gong that i think was mentioned in this thread or perhaps on another in the dao bums forum. It was some kind of medical chi gong that produced the fragrance of flowers.

For some reason i keep thinking about it.

Thank you.

Fragrant Qigong, or Xiang Gong. I practiced it before Flying Phoenix and haven't gone back because they are incompatible to be done together due to the restriction of Xiang Gong that states no abnormal breathing techniques, which would include the breath control sequence of our practice. 

There are a few threads I've posted in about the matter, but feel free to PM me if you want to know more. 

40 minutes ago, Sulo Eno said:

Hi,

Thanks much for the response. One item was unclear:

"...so there is no issue unless you believe there is something to worry about." If there is nothing to worry about (per my original question, such as the Kundalini syndrome-like effects), then there wouldn't be anything to worry about.

I haven't heard any sort of issue in this thread nor have I and my local community of practitioners, but I certainly don't believe it's an issue and Sifu Terry will likely better explain. 

10 hours ago, Sulo Eno said:

Hello,

I joined this site specifically to practice Flying Phoenix Chi Kung. However, I am wondering if I am able to do this properly for the health (non-spiritual) benefits only. I don't need any supernatural sensations. I certainly don't want any negative Kundalini syndrome-like effects. I am not a Taoist. Is my task quite impossible? I have e-mailed the author of the DVDs, Sifu Dunn, but I'm sure he's quite busy. Does anyone have any input? Better yet, anyone in my situation? I am a practicing Catholic (I have read that a Master Duan was as well).

 

Regards.

Welcome. I know a few people who are devout Catholics and have no problems with Flying Phoenix (they make it their daily practice), so there is no issue unless you believe there is something to worry about. It has been covered in this thread multiple times that one does not need to be a Buddhist or Taoist but to just enjoy the practice and understand that only positive can come from the form when practicing correctly. In my encounters with people from the Catholic faith, some are very suspicious of Qigong and call it "Satanic" and can never entertain the idea of anything outside of the church. Others, priests included, have no problem with it so long as adherents to the faith remember all things come from their God and that the practice strengthens their connection to their church. 

As for Duan Zhi Liang, he practiced Primordial Chaos (Hun Dun) Qigong and was indeed from a Catholic family, and very devout as well. 

Enjoy your practice and don't feel shy about being a non-Taoist or non-Buddhist--we are here to practice Flying Phoenix Qigong and have a pleasant community, not to falsify and mock other faiths. 

Posting another review of my second one-on-one class with Sifu Terry:

It is very hard to not get excited about stories of the martial and Taoist world and applications of Flying Phoenix, to the point I nearly crossed into double lesson territory but was graciously pardoned for this lapse in discipline by Sifu Terry and balanced the time difference with a small compensation. The level of familiarity that builds up is great and one must always remember to be consciously disciplined to remember that it's class first--which is a lot harder than it seems because for me, stories are a way of giving life to the practice and inspiring more and more effort. 

We went over more martial applications from Sifu Terry's other traditions and corrections for the long form on volume 4 which has me emphasize that while you can easily learn the form from the DVD, it will take much effort and work directly with Sifu Terry in order to truly master its subtleties. 

Other noteworthy points were being able to discover how one's form shows the tension in our bodies (common with many high-level masters) and its relationship to primal therapy with the onion layers of anger, frustration, pain, and unmet needs and how grit and grace are the two words that summarize the cathartic nature of Flying Phoenix. For those who find unexplored depths in the psyche and reminders of the skeletons in our closets that we try to hide, you can't hide from reality or yourself when doing the Work, for the Work itself will tap you on the shoulder to help you remember that you still have much to work on and can't hide. 

Anger, anxiety, despair, and fear? You can't hide behind a stiff upper lip. A great career with great income and online profile will also never compensate for a tumultuous inner life. You can't escape--you have to confront it and grow out of it. As I confront my inner child's needs through the practice, I remind myself again it's not about me and remind everyone to always invoke those four words when faced with trials and tribulations, including but not limited to those of the physical, financial, social, emotional, and mental variety.

Don't wait and don't let the price of lessons dissuade you--you will grow exponentially whether in person or on Skype, Flying Phoenix-related or not. Don't be scared--healthcare and psychiatric care will cost you and taxpayer money far more than $220 USD an hour, but you will still get infinitely more value through the DVD series and personal instruction with Sifu Terry. 

I have to second this. I don't get a good read of Jeff and his material is overpriced for what he teaches, which also does not appear to be very accurate. Notice he is primarily marketed towards neophytes rather than experienced practitioners. 

Suggestion: split this out of the Flying Phoenix thread so that we remain on topic.