Sifu my sifu !!

Before I begin, I would like to say that this is NOT a commercial.

After my heart attack and angioplasty some 12 years ago, I was actually given a second lease of life - Alhamdullilah ! But in some ways , I was still never quite myself. I had to give up volley-ball, tennis and other games which were my favourites. I still struggled to climb up steps and even talking was a real chore necause I was panting away. But I was much better than I was before my angiplasty.

One day I got to know know a Chinese man who comes to my neighbour's house on certain Sundays. I was told that he treats people through the traditional methods. So I thought there's no harm in trying him out. So I made my first of many many appointments with him.

The first thing he did was to place his fingers on my left wrist first, then my right and told me the condition of my various organs. Next he held my right wrist and raised my hand as I breathe in slowly. Next he told me that my breathing was stuck 'here' , indicating a point on my sternum (chest).

Then begin a series of point pressure massage---painful at times, ticklish at others. Then he asked me to breathe in again ---and to my surprise, I was able to breathe in more. I never realise that it was possible to put in more oxygen into my lungs to increase my 'chi'.

I ended up taking his medication and tea for three to six months. BUT---since then, I felt fitter, my collegues were surprised at the change of pace in my physical movements. Even climbing stairs nbecame near normal.

Then came a series of bringing friends to see him . I had to share this man's gift with needy friends. Here are some.

1.My University-mate, friend and a Senior General Manager of an oil company . For sometime , he was having health problems. Checks at private hospitals all pointed to his heart. His wife said that he could not climb the steps at home and had to sort of 'crawl' up. Collegues were already eying his position as they were expecting him to retire on medical grounds.

So I took him to my sifu. He traced a point on his ankle , an injury he had when he fell from a tree in his childhood days. Next followed my friend's cursing and almost kicked the sifu because of the pain when his ankle was tended to.

Anyway, after that, his wife mentioned that he was running up the stairs at home and back to his active life. He started his many overseas business trips without any strain. Flying in from the west , stay the night at home and off again to another part of the world the next day.

His collegues and surbodinates (which includes my son ) were all surprised at the change.

2. My collegue who fell at a train station and injured her knees. She was limping and visits to a few clinic and masseurs for months could not cure her of the injury . So a visit to the good old sifu was made , and she was immediately back to her normal self.

3. A female neighbour who was bed-ridden because of a backbone injury and due for an operation was brought to him. After treatment, we could see her doing gardening the NEXT day.

I realised one common factor among all those who were treated by him---he always traced it to a childhood injury !

There are others , many others but I would have to write a book on them .I know it sound like Ridley's Believe It or Not but ...

Anyway, my family and I go for our regular 'conditioning' whenever sifu is in town.

If only I have 5% of his knowledge..........