Chinese Wand Exercise
Encyclopedia
Chinese Wand Exercise is an obscure ancient exercise system, related to the martial art Kung Fu. The “wand” in Chinese Wand Exercise is a 48-50” long dowel, 1” in diameter, (wood or bamboo
, for example), used as a fulcrum for balance, form and posture. “It’s the pyramid effect, with you as center.” “Seventeen gentle bending, twisting and lunging movements flow in exact order, specially designed to get the blood circulating more efficiently throughout the body. These exercises are done in gradual, easy ‘Stages’ while using an original Chinese deep-breathing technique” and chi energy, and can be easy or more challenging as the individual chooses.
Together they exercise every major muscle in the body and take no more than 20 minutes to complete. The relative ease of the 17 moves (11 standing and six floor exercises) engage all the organs and muscles of the body together in harmony rather than separating out one part of the body from another. This produces a more efficient way of staying fit and healthy by increasing and balancing the chi energy.
“Chinese Wand prevents illness and delays the aging process of many cells.” Together, they exercise the entire body safely and gently. Chinese Wand was known as a “preventive” of disease while acupuncture
was the “treatment.”
The exercises were derived from studying animals at play in nature
, hence some of the names of the forms: “Springing of the Tiger,” “Raising of the Bird’s Wing,” “Panda Rolls,” to name a few. Chinese wand is not by itself taught as a method of self-defense.
It should be noted that the source of all current information stems from Bruce L. Johnson, who is currently the only known living Grand Master of Chinese Wand.
buddies, all wrestlers, were exploring Shanghai
and were amazed by an 80-year old rickshaw man’s ability to pull a wide rickshaw with the three muscular seamen up and down the steep hills of Shanghai. Johnson pursued the slight Chinese man who eventually led him to the slender, regal Grand Master. Upon meeting Dr. Ch’eng at his home in Shanghai, the tall, 235-pound 19-year old was unable to take down the 130 lb. Ch’eng who, seemingly inexplicably, fended him off and left him lying on the floor after each of three increasingly aggressive advances. He used an ancient “spinning” technique. Johnson, convinced that he had to learn everything this man could teach, was soon accepted as a student by Ch’eng, who was no doubt impressed and amused by the young headstrong man’s potential and enthusiasm for learning all he could. Eventually Dr. Ch’eng, having lost his sons in the war between China and Japan, trusted Johnson enough to pass on the knowledge and techniques he would need to become the next Grand Master.
-raised Bruce Leroy Johnson, (b. June 21, 1926) was a sickly child who overcame his early beginnings through exercise and body-building. Health and physical fitness
became a lifelong passion, as well as a quest to stay young and embrace Nature.
After high school, during World War II
, the handsome blue-eyed, black-haired (of Swedish and Iroquois decent) Johnson became a Navy
heavyweight wrestling champion who excelled in physical exploits and competitions. He also was a navy ranger, and one of the first to reach the shores of Iwo Jima
. His mother’s sister was married to revered WWII journalist
and author, Ernie Pyle
, with whom Bruce had a close relationship and who was killed only a few miles from where Johnson was, on the island of Ie Shima. He is often called upon to accept memorial awards on behalf of his uncle.
Johnson studied at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo
, Japan
where he earned three black belts in Judo
.
Back in the states after WWII, Johnson tried to introduce the merits of the exercise system
. But because of McCarthyism
and the fear of Communism
, there was little enthusiasm about anything Asian. Few showed interest in learning the unusual, oriental exercises.
Meanwhile, wanderlust led Johnson around the world finding work, often on ships. He was a bodyguard
for King Farouk for a time. Wherever he went in the world, he sought out others who might have heard of Chinese Wand, even placing ads in local papers. But he never found anyone. As far as he knew, he was the only one who knew about it. Johnson spent time in Hollywood and found a small group of health food
and fitness enthusiasts such as Mae West
, Jimmy Durante
, and others who became students. It has been rumored that he might have been the inspiration for the song “Nature Boy
” (popularized by Nat King Cole
) when he claimed he spent time with the songwriter, Eden Ahbez
. Later, he taught celebrities such as James Coburn
who was photographed in People Magazine doing the exercises.
Johnson became friends with Bruce Lee
, and the two did demonstrations of strength and speed together. “Bruce [Lee] was the only man who could ever ‘handle’ me - of course, he never knew Dr. Cheng.” Lee was quoted in Johnson’s book as saying, “All things are possible with the great Masters.”
In 1965, Johnson became a hero when he rescued three children from a shark in the Bahamas by swimming out and averting its attention . A fourth child was killed. Armed with only a pointed shell he grabbed on the beach, he fought the beast a full five minutes underwater, his leg in its mouth until he jabbed its eye with the shell and was able to escape, barely making it to shore. He won international acclaim and was honored by heads of three governments.
He caused another sensation in 1966 when he and a friend (who later became his wife) volunteered to spend an unspecified amount of time on an uninhabited Fiji Island with no supplies, only bathing suits and camera equipment. Learning too late that the island was far from idyllic limited their stay to 40 days, but caused national publicity.
Dramatic adventures seemed to follow the elusive Johnson who often found himself at the right place in time to rescue others from extreme danger (over 50 documented at the risk of his own life) including fires, mangled cars, even abusive husbands.
Johnson rarely spoke of his powers as a mystic
. Students would sometimes notice supernatural
transformations in his appearance as he taught the class. He was inclined to believe that Dr. Ch’eng was teaching through him. One famous psychic
of his day, Peter Hurkos
, upon meeting Johnson said, “Who is that beautiful Chinese man coming out of you?”
Others saw Johnson transform: after a class in Areca, California, a young student “asked him if he knew that he had become transformed into a Chinese person while he was performing the wand exercises. . .Did you see it too?...” another classmate added.
It has also been said that the late Dr. Ch'eng's formidable, otherworldly presence was physically tangible, gentle, even erotic.
Enthusiasm for Chinese Wand was minimal until a nationwide curiosity in Eastern philosophy
erupted in the 1960s
, beginning with the Beatles’ trip to India
and the subsequent publicity. Interest in meditation techniques, yoga
, martial arts, and other esoteric practices spiked. At last, Johnson was able to develop classes. Eventually, he self-published a book in 1975.
In December 1976, Johnson, who also worked as a professional diver, was seriously injured in an underwater accident and sustained a near-fatal brain stem infarct causing stroke-like symptoms. Initially told he would never walk again, he once again defied odds and within a matter of months, was walking and looking as healthy as ever.
Although still reeling from lingering and painful after-effects of the trauma, he managed to generate interest from a major publisher (William Morrow
, New York
) who published his book in hardcover in 1977.
During the time he was striving to regain his health, he underwent a Christian
“born-again” experience that eventually influenced his thinking and upended his belief system. He slowly rejected a holistic awareness of consciousness and abandoned his lifelong allegiance to preserving and re-introducing the teachings of Dr. Ch’eng and the art of Chinese Wand. The spreading of a popular desire to learn the more violent aspects of martial arts and the potential “danger” of involvement with the supernatural
conflicted with his newfound ultra-conservative Christian views. Efforts to promote Chinese Wand diminished and eventually disappeared from public view.
“--Oriental philosophy is at their [martial arts] heart,” Johnson says. “These things are not from God
, as God is not in the business of mystical energies or the occult
. . .I no longer practice the martial arts …as a Christian, I cannot in good conscience, teach or recommend the martial arts to others.”
videos are generating a resurgence of the practice in the U.S. and the U.K. in particular. A new generation of students are learning what they can from Johnson’s book, sometimes by changing the name slightly (e.g. `Chi Stix', 'Stick Yoga,' or `Jian Gan - Chinese Health Wand') to avoid copyright infringement on Johnson's original text.
Sadly, it appears that Johnson has not trained anyone to carry on this unique art as the next Grand Master. Because of this, apart from the basic exercises, the remaining 190 exercises, more esoteric practices and knowledge, are in danger of being lost.
“I am the last of the Grand Masters [of Chinese Wand]. When I go, the secret goes with me.”
Some in the Chinese martial arts and Qigong community are now taking a serious interest in the Chinese Wand and promoting its use as a social exercise the way Johnson envisaged. A new book on the subject examines the esoteric aspects of the art and its origins and influences - and encourages dialogue within China itself.
The link with China was very much in Johnson's thoughts. He was curious whether someone was still practising in a remote region of China and intended to take the art back to China himself:-
"In China they now do Tai Chi, but my one ambition is to return there and bring their ancient Chinese exercises full circle."
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, for example), used as a fulcrum for balance, form and posture. “It’s the pyramid effect, with you as center.” “Seventeen gentle bending, twisting and lunging movements flow in exact order, specially designed to get the blood circulating more efficiently throughout the body. These exercises are done in gradual, easy ‘Stages’ while using an original Chinese deep-breathing technique” and chi energy, and can be easy or more challenging as the individual chooses.
Together they exercise every major muscle in the body and take no more than 20 minutes to complete. The relative ease of the 17 moves (11 standing and six floor exercises) engage all the organs and muscles of the body together in harmony rather than separating out one part of the body from another. This produces a more efficient way of staying fit and healthy by increasing and balancing the chi energy.
“Chinese Wand prevents illness and delays the aging process of many cells.” Together, they exercise the entire body safely and gently. Chinese Wand was known as a “preventive” of disease while acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
was the “treatment.”
History in China
Although awareness of its existence is recent, Chinese Wand is said to be thousands of years old. It was passed down through Grand Masters and kept private for the use of the succeeding Chinese rulers and their families. They were devised for the emperor to slow down the aging process and maintain perfect health.The exercises were derived from studying animals at play in nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, hence some of the names of the forms: “Springing of the Tiger,” “Raising of the Bird’s Wing,” “Panda Rolls,” to name a few. Chinese wand is not by itself taught as a method of self-defense.
It should be noted that the source of all current information stems from Bruce L. Johnson, who is currently the only known living Grand Master of Chinese Wand.
Coming To America
According to Johnson, when he was 19 he learned the exercises from 93-year old Grand Master Ch’eng in 1945. He and two NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
buddies, all wrestlers, were exploring Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and were amazed by an 80-year old rickshaw man’s ability to pull a wide rickshaw with the three muscular seamen up and down the steep hills of Shanghai. Johnson pursued the slight Chinese man who eventually led him to the slender, regal Grand Master. Upon meeting Dr. Ch’eng at his home in Shanghai, the tall, 235-pound 19-year old was unable to take down the 130 lb. Ch’eng who, seemingly inexplicably, fended him off and left him lying on the floor after each of three increasingly aggressive advances. He used an ancient “spinning” technique. Johnson, convinced that he had to learn everything this man could teach, was soon accepted as a student by Ch’eng, who was no doubt impressed and amused by the young headstrong man’s potential and enthusiasm for learning all he could. Eventually Dr. Ch’eng, having lost his sons in the war between China and Japan, trusted Johnson enough to pass on the knowledge and techniques he would need to become the next Grand Master.
Biography of Grand Master Bruce L. Johnson
MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
-raised Bruce Leroy Johnson, (b. June 21, 1926) was a sickly child who overcame his early beginnings through exercise and body-building. Health and physical fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
became a lifelong passion, as well as a quest to stay young and embrace Nature.
After high school, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the handsome blue-eyed, black-haired (of Swedish and Iroquois decent) Johnson became a Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
heavyweight wrestling champion who excelled in physical exploits and competitions. He also was a navy ranger, and one of the first to reach the shores of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. His mother’s sister was married to revered WWII journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author, Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle
Ernest Taylor Pyle was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during World War II. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944...
, with whom Bruce had a close relationship and who was killed only a few miles from where Johnson was, on the island of Ie Shima. He is often called upon to accept memorial awards on behalf of his uncle.
Johnson studied at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where he earned three black belts in Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
.
Back in the states after WWII, Johnson tried to introduce the merits of the exercise system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
. But because of McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
and the fear of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, there was little enthusiasm about anything Asian. Few showed interest in learning the unusual, oriental exercises.
Meanwhile, wanderlust led Johnson around the world finding work, often on ships. He was a bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
for King Farouk for a time. Wherever he went in the world, he sought out others who might have heard of Chinese Wand, even placing ads in local papers. But he never found anyone. As far as he knew, he was the only one who knew about it. Johnson spent time in Hollywood and found a small group of health food
Health food
The term health food is generally used to describe foods that are considered to be beneficial to health, beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. However, the term is not precisely defined by national regulatory agencies such as the U.S...
and fitness enthusiasts such as Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
, and others who became students. It has been rumored that he might have been the inspiration for the song “Nature Boy
Nature Boy
Nature Boy is a song written by eden ahbez and later popularised by Nat King Cole. It may also refer to:In music:* "Nature Boy", a song by Primus from their album 'Pork Soda'...
” (popularized by Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
) when he claimed he spent time with the songwriter, Eden Ahbez
Eden Ahbez
eden ahbez was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential on the hippie movement...
. Later, he taught celebrities such as James Coburn
James Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
who was photographed in People Magazine doing the exercises.
Johnson became friends with Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
, and the two did demonstrations of strength and speed together. “Bruce [Lee] was the only man who could ever ‘handle’ me - of course, he never knew Dr. Cheng.” Lee was quoted in Johnson’s book as saying, “All things are possible with the great Masters.”
In 1965, Johnson became a hero when he rescued three children from a shark in the Bahamas by swimming out and averting its attention . A fourth child was killed. Armed with only a pointed shell he grabbed on the beach, he fought the beast a full five minutes underwater, his leg in its mouth until he jabbed its eye with the shell and was able to escape, barely making it to shore. He won international acclaim and was honored by heads of three governments.
He caused another sensation in 1966 when he and a friend (who later became his wife) volunteered to spend an unspecified amount of time on an uninhabited Fiji Island with no supplies, only bathing suits and camera equipment. Learning too late that the island was far from idyllic limited their stay to 40 days, but caused national publicity.
Dramatic adventures seemed to follow the elusive Johnson who often found himself at the right place in time to rescue others from extreme danger (over 50 documented at the risk of his own life) including fires, mangled cars, even abusive husbands.
Johnson rarely spoke of his powers as a mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
. Students would sometimes notice supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
transformations in his appearance as he taught the class. He was inclined to believe that Dr. Ch’eng was teaching through him. One famous psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
of his day, Peter Hurkos
Peter Hurkos
Peter Hurkos , born Pieter van der Hurk, was a Dutchman who allegedly manifested extra-sensory perception following a head injury and coma resulting from a fall from a ladder when he was age 30. During World War II he was a member of the Dutch Resistance against the Nazis and was imprisoned in...
, upon meeting Johnson said, “Who is that beautiful Chinese man coming out of you?”
Others saw Johnson transform: after a class in Areca, California, a young student “asked him if he knew that he had become transformed into a Chinese person while he was performing the wand exercises. . .Did you see it too?...” another classmate added.
It has also been said that the late Dr. Ch'eng's formidable, otherworldly presence was physically tangible, gentle, even erotic.
Enthusiasm for Chinese Wand was minimal until a nationwide curiosity in Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Korean philosophy...
erupted in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, beginning with the Beatles’ trip to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the subsequent publicity. Interest in meditation techniques, yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, martial arts, and other esoteric practices spiked. At last, Johnson was able to develop classes. Eventually, he self-published a book in 1975.
In December 1976, Johnson, who also worked as a professional diver, was seriously injured in an underwater accident and sustained a near-fatal brain stem infarct causing stroke-like symptoms. Initially told he would never walk again, he once again defied odds and within a matter of months, was walking and looking as healthy as ever.
Although still reeling from lingering and painful after-effects of the trauma, he managed to generate interest from a major publisher (William Morrow
William Morrow and Company
William Morrow and Company is an American publishing company founded by William Morrow in 1926. The company was acquired by Scott Foresman in 1967, and sold to Hearst Corporation in 1981. It was sold along to the News Corporation in 1999...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) who published his book in hardcover in 1977.
During the time he was striving to regain his health, he underwent a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
“born-again” experience that eventually influenced his thinking and upended his belief system. He slowly rejected a holistic awareness of consciousness and abandoned his lifelong allegiance to preserving and re-introducing the teachings of Dr. Ch’eng and the art of Chinese Wand. The spreading of a popular desire to learn the more violent aspects of martial arts and the potential “danger” of involvement with the supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
conflicted with his newfound ultra-conservative Christian views. Efforts to promote Chinese Wand diminished and eventually disappeared from public view.
“--Oriental philosophy is at their [martial arts] heart,” Johnson says. “These things are not from God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, as God is not in the business of mystical energies or the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
. . .I no longer practice the martial arts …as a Christian, I cannot in good conscience, teach or recommend the martial arts to others.”
Chinese Wand Today
Even though Johnson’s book is no longer in print, the web and YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos are generating a resurgence of the practice in the U.S. and the U.K. in particular. A new generation of students are learning what they can from Johnson’s book, sometimes by changing the name slightly (e.g. `Chi Stix', 'Stick Yoga,' or `Jian Gan - Chinese Health Wand') to avoid copyright infringement on Johnson's original text.
Sadly, it appears that Johnson has not trained anyone to carry on this unique art as the next Grand Master. Because of this, apart from the basic exercises, the remaining 190 exercises, more esoteric practices and knowledge, are in danger of being lost.
“I am the last of the Grand Masters [of Chinese Wand]. When I go, the secret goes with me.”
The Future
Although Johnson is the last Grand Master his book opened the art up to the wider population. He wanted his book to be in every nursing home, every hospital, every physical therapy room, every doctor's office for the doctor to prescribe the exercises to patients - in every home so families could practice together; he also hoped that workers in offices and factories could practice the exercises together to increase productivity and health of workforce and that physical fitness instructors in schools and colleges would adopt the system.Some in the Chinese martial arts and Qigong community are now taking a serious interest in the Chinese Wand and promoting its use as a social exercise the way Johnson envisaged. A new book on the subject examines the esoteric aspects of the art and its origins and influences - and encourages dialogue within China itself.
The link with China was very much in Johnson's thoughts. He was curious whether someone was still practising in a remote region of China and intended to take the art back to China himself:-
"In China they now do Tai Chi, but my one ambition is to return there and bring their ancient Chinese exercises full circle."