Commiting to a system: Damo Mitchell vs Adam Mizner

[tsuki]

Hello there! I have been for many years all over the place with several spiritual practices and teachings and making only minor progress in my development. I feel like that's enough. I am now looking to commit to a system and am divided between two: Damo Mitchell's Nei Gong and Adam Mizner's Taiji. I know there is already some discussion in this forum about these two teachers, but I wanted to expose my dilemma and see if someone with some experience with those two programs and teachers could provide me with some insight.

I'll expose the reasons why I feel attracted to these 2 programs/teachers:

Firstly, Damo. I found Lotus Nei Gong already more than a year ago, maybe 2 years ago. I felt attracted to the Nei Gong training because Damo presents it as a rather complete system: starting from the body, making its way through the energetic matrix and mind, to arrive at the absolute. I am also particularly interested in the somatic healing that he describes, how different past experiences are stored in different parts of the body and may be released through practice. I also love how it connects so nicely to medical practice and that he offers a program on it as well. Other than that, he seems like a really accessible and "normal" guy, which I kinda like.

Regarding Adam. I just recently found his online program and videos, and I was really impressed by his skill. As I watched more of his videos and talks, he really started changing my understanding of what Taiji is, and the potential it has to transform oneself physically, mentally and take us on a path toward the absolute. I also like his approach of starting working on the body and energy through Taiji, but simultaneously making our way through spirit and the mind by practicing meditation, working on both ends, and to that end, he also offers a program that focuses on meditation. On his persona, I really like his simple and straightforward explanations and powerful presence.

I am looking forward to any insights that you may offer! =)

[Taoist Texts]

17 minutes ago, tsuki said:

I am looking forward to any insights that you may offer! =)

so, you are trying to learn a secret chinese art from the two mass-market non-chinese dudes?  paying them your sweat and blood cash money? and the only problem is choosing between them? hmmm, its a toughie. i would say the either one of the both suits you excellently.

[tsuki]

2 hours ago, Taoist Texts said:

so, you are trying to learn a secret chinese art from the two mass-market non-chinese dudes?  paying them your sweat and blood cash money? and the only problem is choosing between them? hmmm, its a toughie. i would say the either one of the both suits you excellently.

You got a suggestion for a good teacher?

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

10 hours ago, tsuki said:

You got a suggestion for a good teacher?

For qigong, Flying Phoenix Chi Kung by Sifu Terry Dunn

 

http://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

For neigong, Authentic Neigong by Rudi

 

https://authenticneigong.com/
 

Both systems have good threads about them here, search for them and read up on them then decide if you want to do them.

[Taoist Texts]

13 hours ago, tsuki said:

You got a suggestion for a good teacher?

sorry friend i dont quite know what you mean here. 'a good teacher OF WHAT'?

17 hours ago, tsuki said:

making only minor progress in my development

a development of what exactly?

 

Ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus ventus est.

If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favourable to him.

Seneca. Epistolae, LXXI., 3.

[liminal_luke]

I wouldn't automatically give a non-Chinese teacher of neigong or whatnot a demerit mark but that's just me.  People have all sorts of opinions but if you start a system you'll know pretty quick if it's for you by the results you get -- or not.

[Shadow_self]

My suggestion would be to go with Damo...but Adam is also excellent (he has a  slightly different way of working). 

 

PM me if you want a discussion on the matter..happy to chat with you

 

Otherwise it will be the same rhetoric from those with no experience of either of the teachers you mentioned (a non useful one)

 

The result being that you wont actually get any of the information you're looking for

[Shadow_self]

16 minutes ago, liminal_luke said:

I wouldn't automatically give a non-Chinese teacher of neigong or whatnot a demerit mark but that's just me.

 

Considering the majority of the lineages are thriving in areas other than China...that'd be a most wise assessment

[Neirong]

On 30/09/2022 at 5:35 PM, tsuki said:

Hello there! I have been for many years all over the place with several spiritual practices and teachings and making only minor progress in my development. I feel like that's enough. I am now looking to commit to a system and am divided between two: Damo Mitchell's Nei Gong and Adam Mizner's Taiji. I know there is already some discussion in this forum about these two teachers, but I wanted to expose my dilemma and see if someone with some experience with those two programs and teachers could provide me with some insight.

I'll expose the reasons why I feel attracted to these 2 programs/teachers:

Firstly, Damo. I found Lotus Nei Gong already more than a year ago, maybe 2 years ago. I felt attracted to the Nei Gong training because Damo presents it as a rather complete system: starting from the body, making its way through the energetic matrix and mind, to arrive at the absolute. I am also particularly interested in the somatic healing that he describes, how different past experiences are stored in different parts of the body and may be released through practice. I also love how it connects so nicely to medical practice and that he offers a program on it as well. Other than that, he seems like a really accessible and "normal" guy, which I kinda like.

Regarding Adam. I just recently found his online program and videos, and I was really impressed by his skill. As I watched more of his videos and talks, he really started changing my understanding of what Taiji is, and the potential it has to transform oneself physically, mentally and take us on a path toward the absolute. I also like his approach of starting working on the body and energy through Taiji, but simultaneously making our way through spirit and the mind by practicing meditation, working on both ends, and to that end, he also offers a program that focuses on meditation. On his persona, I really like his simple and straightforward explanations and powerful presence.

I am looking forward to any insights that you may offer! =)

Luckily, there are reviews for both Damo's and Adam's systems. Make your pick.

Adam Mizner

Damo Mitchell

Edited April 3, 2023 by Neirong

[Shadow_self]

4 minutes ago, Neirong said:

Luckily, there are reviews for both Damo's and Adam's systems. Make your pick.

Adam Mizner

Damo Mitchell

 

@GSmaster 

 

[mcoolio]

6 hours ago, Neirong said:

Luckily, there are reviews for both Damo's and Adam's systems. Make your pick.

Adam Mizner

Damo Mitchell

 

I would think a master of the ancient arts has better things to do than writing this type of reviews 

[tsuki]

On 01/10/2022 at 7:05 AM, Pak_Satrio said:

For qigong, Flying Phoenix Chi Kung by Sifu Terry Dunn

 

http://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html

 

For neigong, Authentic Neigong by Rudi

 

https://authenticneigong.com/
 

Both systems have good threads about them here, search for them and read up on them then decide if you want to do them.

Thank you for your suggestion, I have found Rudi before, someone advised it to me. I looked it up more throughly again, but I got a better feeling from Damo, which I decided to sign up to =)

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

13 hours ago, tsuki said:

Thank you for your suggestion, I have found Rudi before, someone advised it to me. I looked it up more throughly again, but I got a better feeling from Damo, which I decided to sign up to =)

No worries! Best of luck to you in your journey!

[freshpondtaiji]

A warning about Adam Mizner: he studied briefly at some point with a student of Patrick Kelly (my current teacher), I believe the source of much of his knowledge, and was expelled for making things up. I asked PK about him as I was considering attending a seminar and Adam was marketing himself as being in Huang Xingxian (PK's teacher)'s lineage. PK warned me not to believe anything Adam was teaching.

 

I have never met Adam but I know a few US taiji people in ZMQ's lineage who have been to his workshops and have told me something was definitely "off." It's also well known that Adam never even met Huang Xingxian much less studied with him (should be pretty clear just based on age and chronology) though I believe his marketing materials may have implied otherwise: his students are quick to point out he never made the claim of ever studying with Huang directly or even meeting him, yet most outsiders who see his marketing seem very confused about that point.

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

29 minutes ago, freshpondtaiji said:

A warning about Adam Mizner: he studied briefly at some point with a student of Patrick Kelly (my current teacher), I believe the source of much of his knowledge, and was expelled for making things up. I asked PK about him as I was considering attending a seminar and Adam was marketing himself as being in Huang Xingxian (PK's teacher)'s lineage. PK warned me not to believe anything Adam was teaching.

 

I have never met Adam but I know a few US taiji people in ZMQ's lineage who have been to his workshops and have told me something was definitely "off." It's also well known that Adam never even met Huang Xingxian much less studied with him (should be pretty clear just based on age and chronology) though I believe his marketing materials may have implied otherwise: his students are quick to point out he never made the claim of ever studying with Huang directly or even meeting him, yet most outsiders who see his marketing seem very confused about that point.

This is his brother too, vile human being 

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6326793/Vile-paedophile-Jason-Mizner-kept-notes-childrens-names-exploit-them.html?fbclid=IwAR3KzpUfPqWNvFpaA3bWn3P-sprgWIfuaVwSrQfUIACJBDpT60iqN88Vf2Y

[Taoist Texts]

7 hours ago, freshpondtaiji said:

A warning about Adam Mizner:

 

7 hours ago, Pak_Satrio said:

This is his brother too, vile human being 

Quote

The yoga teacher from the Gold Coast 

 

teachers eh?

[Apech]

8 hours ago, Taoist Texts said:

 

 

teachers eh?

let him without a pedo rapist brother cast the first stone

[Wilhelm]

Somehow "I know a guy who knows a guy" and "bad man in the family" are on the more thoughtful end of criticisms I've seen re: Adam on TDB 😂🤦

Edited April 5, 2023 by Wilhelm

[Vajra Fist]

On 03/04/2023 at 9:26 PM, freshpondtaiji said:

A warning about Adam Mizner: he studied briefly at some point with a student of Patrick Kelly (my current teacher), I believe the source of much of his knowledge, and was expelled for making things up. I asked PK about him as I was considering attending a seminar and Adam was marketing himself as being in Huang Xingxian (PK's teacher)'s lineage. PK warned me not to believe anything Adam was teaching.

 

Patrick Kelly is probably the most authentic source of Huang Sheng Shyan taiji in the west. His student Luke Shephard has an excellent online training program which is a one time purchase of around £50.

 

I don't think Adam Mizner has ever said he was taught by HSS, but instead said publicly his main teacher was Mark Rasmus. Mizner would have been around eight when HSS died in 1992.

 

Similarly Damo Mitchell says in a recent podcast HSS was a pivotal figure in his development, and carried out some sort of energy adjustment on him at a seminar. But it's not clear when that was supposed to have happened, as Damo would have been 12 years old when he died. Similarly Damo Mitchell credits Mark Rasmus as a teacher on his site.

 

That's not to discredit Mark Rasmus, I'm sure what he teaches is powerful. But it's not Huang's taiji.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Vajra Fist

[Piyadasi]

4 hours ago, Vajra Fist said:

Similarly Damo Mitchell says in a recent podcast HSS was a pivotal figure in his development, and carried out some sort of energy adjustment on him at a seminar. But it's not clear when that was supposed to have happened, as Damo would have been 12 years old when he died.

I think you're confusing Huang Sheng Shyan with Shen Hongxun here.

[Vajra Fist]

4 hours ago, Piyadasi said:

I think you're confusing Huang Sheng Shyan with Shen Hongxun here.

 

Huang Sheng Shyan is sometimes romanised as Huang Xingxian. I have no idea who Shen Hongxun is, I don't believed he's mentioned at all here.

 

Edit - apologies, do you mean in the workshop that Damo mentioned during the podcast? I need to listen to it again, but if so, that would make more sense! 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Vajra Fist

[freshpondtaiji]

Thanks Vajra Fist,

 

Yes Patrick Kelly (PK) is my teacher.

 

Guillem Bernardo his student who has been running his Shanghai school during Covid has an online course here too that I would recommend: taijistream.com , just watching it is pretty useless but if you actually practice along and try to carefully listen to (and do) exactly what he says there is a lot in there.

 

PK's book "Infinite Dao" (available on amazon) is a memoir/has good notes on taiji and his own experiences meeting many teachers on the Path etc...

 

I don't know Damo Mitchell but nothing he does looks remotely like anything Huang Xingxian taught. Agreed that Mark Rasmus is not Huang Xingxian lineage. Many people incorrectly doing Huang's "5 loosening exercises" who were not in his inner school or even his lineage, often learned from videos of Huang on youtube.

 

 

 

[Piyadasi]

1 hour ago, Vajra Fist said:

 

Huang Sheng Shyan is sometimes romanised as Huang Xingxian. I have no idea who Shen Hongxun is, I don't believed he's mentioned at all here.

 

Edit - apologies, do you mean in the workshop that Damo mentioned during the podcast? I need to listen to it again, but if so, that would make more sense! 

Yeah, the teacher was Shen Hongxun, he did the stuff Damo was talking about.

[Vajra Fist]

2 minutes ago, Piyadasi said:

Yeah, the teacher was Shen Hongxun, he did the stuff Damo was talking about.

 

Appreciate you setting me right

[saxgentleman67]

On 10/2/2022 at 5:12 AM, mcoolio said:

 

I would think a master of the ancient arts has better things to do than writing this type of reviews 

These are not reviews they are from a scam site. Hardly objective.