Shaolin Quan
Shaolin Quan or Shaolin Kung Fu is the root of Chinese martial arts. Shaolin has been practiced for one and a half thousand years. It is one of the three pillars of practice at the Shaolin Temple, along with Chinese medicine and Zen meditation.
The original Shaolin Temple was built in 495 A.D in the Henan Province of Eastern China. It was commissioned by the Wei Emperor to host his visitor Ba Tuo, the first Indian priest who came to Henan to preach Buddhism. The religion was starting to spread across Asia and had become so popular that many Chinese emperors sent their priests to India to study Buddhist ideas, as well as inviting Indian monks to come to them. So Ba Tuo became the first Abbad (or ‘best worshiper’) of the Shaolin Temple. He dedicated his life to preaching the doctrine and translating Buddhist manuscripts. Unfortunately no documents of his teaching have survived and we cannot know how Qi Gong was practiced in the temple at this time.
It is with his successor, Da Mo or Bodhidharma (Bodhi can be translated as awakening or enlightenment) that the history of Shaolin really begins. Originally from India, Da Mo belonged to the Mahayana school of Buddhism and was believed to be enlightened. He arrived in China in 527 AD after being invited by Emperor Liang Wu. However the Emperor did not find Da Mo’s ideas pleasing and withdrew his support. So Da Mo went to seek the hospitality of the Shaolin Temple.
When he arrived he discovered that the monks were weak and unhealthy. They had been trying to reach Buddhahood through mediation techniques alone. Very concerned for their low state of health and vitality, he withdrew to the mountains to ponder how they could be improved. After nine years of life in seclusion he returned to the temple to teach the monks the two classic methods he had developed - Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Change) and Xi Sui Jing (Marrow/Brain Washing). When these internal, medicinal Qigong practices were integrated into martial arts, those external, combative forms became increasingly effective. This was the beginning of a new era for martial arts.
It is important to say that Da Mo did not invent Martial Arts - they had existed in China for centuries. However, his innovations gave the foundations for the disciplined martial training which gave the monks the skills they needed to defend the temple. Gradually those martial arts were developed and codified within the temple and became the hallmarks of Shaolin.
During the Tang dynasty (618 – 907 AD), these martial arts proved a vital way of defending the Shaolin Temple from bandits and thieves. An army of warrior monks was created whose lives were devoted to both studying Buddhism and protecting their brothers and the temple . For nearly 300 years, the monks developed a training system that refined their own methods and incorporated outside influences.
Then came the Qing Dynasty, which lasted from 1644-1911. Throughout those years the martial arts were banned. They continued to be practiced in secret, both within the temple and amongst secular society. After the 1911 revolution they came into the open again…until 1945, when they were banned by the new Communist leadership. That prohibition lasted until the 1980s, when the communists realized the death of many elderly masters meant the martial arts were at risk of dying out completely. They finally changed their attitude and began to give the Shaolin Temple some support.
In Shaolin classes we will mainly work with Ji ben gong 基本功 - basic Shaolin exercises that help the practitioner to improve their body's condition. They are a series of stretching exercises, static and moving stances, kicks and punches that train flexibility, movement and coordination.
The student will also learn Taolu, Shaolin Traditional Forms which codify a series of situations of attack and defense. Alongside this external training the classes will cultivate the internal self through the practice of Neigong and Qigong. It is important that Shaolin training maintains a balance between the martial and the spiritual.
Power training
What is more empowering than training your mind through pushing the body towards pulsing and endurance exercises?
We use power training to complement Shaolin Kung Fu practice. It strengthens the practitioner's structure, muscles and tendons in accordance with the principles of Da Mo's theory.
The classes consist of functional exercises combined with endurance, jumping and coordination training. They not only improve our physical condition but also help us to connect with the present moment and the energies that are inhabiting the space. They lead to a renewal of a powerful vitality that can awaken unfamiliar senses and potential within the body and mind.
Qigong means ‘life cultivation’, which means working with Qi (vital energy). It is a system of exercises concerned with certain movements, mental focus and breathing. Whereas many other sports work primarily with the physical body this practice teaches how the mind guides Qi and how Qi leads to corporeal action.
Qigong is concerned with learning how to increase the level of Qi and how to make it flow within the body. A healthy current of Qi prevents stagnation and nourishes organs so that they can work at their optimal level. The practice strengthens ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints and bones. This helps prevent injuries and diseases while expanding our consciousness on all levels, helping us to cultivate a peaceful and neutral mind.
Shaolin Qigong:
I have already introduced how Bodhidarma came from India to the Shaolin Temple and went on to unify the internal and external disciplines of the martial arts. He trained the monks to strengthen their bodies through the practice of Yi Jin Jing exercises while developing their internal and spiritual practise with Qigong. This balanced Qigong training was found to bring great benefits to those who practised it. So after Bodhidarma died, other people continued to develop it.
Hua Tuo five animals qigong:
This method is attributed to Hua Tuo (aprox. 200 D.C.), a surgeon who lived during the Han dynasty. He was also a master of acupuncture and hydrotherapy methods, as well as an ancient breathing exercise therapy called Dao yin (inducing and guiding), which he used to heal many cardiorespiratory diseases. It is thought to be the first Qigong practise that Confucian and Daoist scholars used for medical purposes.
Hua Tuo lived within a society that was deeply attuned to the rhythm and character of nature. If we want to interpret or imitate something, we must first observe it with patience and sensitivity. So Hua Tuo’s creation of the five animals (Wu Qin Xi 五形) Qigong practice was a fitting expression of his time, place and life purpose. It combines the animals’ characteristics with the cosmological cycle and the five elements, and works to harmonise five internal organs. Each animal and organ has its own season:
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Tiger (spring): liver and gallbladder
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Bear (inter - season): spleen and stomach
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Monkey (summer): heart and small intestine
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Bird (Autumn): lungs and large intestine
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Deer (Winter): kidneys and bladder
Wudang five animals Qigong:
This practice is also based on the postures of five animals. Just as in Hua Tuo, their characteristics are the basis of movements which help us to access and improve the function of the five yin organs. However, the animals and their corresponding organs are different. In Wudang:
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Dragon: kidneys
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Tiger: lungs
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Leopard: liver
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Snake: spleen
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Crane: heart
Another difference is that while the movements of Hua Tuo take us traveling across space, in Wudang Qigong we remain on one spot. Yet we find the same opportunities to open and strengthen the body and bring better balance, flexibility and awareness.
Qigong
Taiji Quan
Taijiquan literally means to ‘fight according to the supreme principle’. Taijiquan became a style of martial art when the Taiji theory (太極) originating from the Yi Jing (Book of changes) was given a martial application. This means that Taoist principles lie at the heart of Taijiquan. It is a Martial Qigong based on different energetic patterns which aim to harmonise the Yin - Yang polarities according to the Dao theory of the ‘middle way’.
The concept of Taiji refers to the Grand Ultimate. It encompasses the union and separation of the two polarities, Yin and Yang.
The Yi, or “wisdom mind”, is key to Taijiquan. By being aware of the Yi, we can bring it to a calm state away from thoughts or disturbances. That quietness allows the renewal of a connection with the energetics of the body, the level of feeling - and the level of Qi. At that point, the body, breathing, mind, Qi and spirit (Shén) are harmonized and can enter into a state of flow. Then the body can smoothly manifest both the Yin and Yang polarities through Taijiquan movements, which can be given martial applications when you are together with an opponent.
The origins of Taijiquan are not clear. It consists on a fighting art is thought to date back to the 15th century, when it was developed by Zhang San Feng. It is said that a fight he saw between an eagle and a snake inspired him to create the set of thirteen core movements that make up this art.
The founder of the Yang style was Yang Luchan (楊露禪) (1799–1872). After being initiated into the Taiji Chen style by his teacher Chen Changxing, he developed a personal style that was initially mocked by many in the Chen village. However, his perseverance was rewarded. He became a revered master and creator of the Yang style. It’s popularity grew when Yang Luchan’s grandson, Yang Chengfu (1883–1936), taught it to a large and diverse general public. It has become the most widespread Taijiquan style in the world.
Our classes will focus on the Yang style. We will learn the basics of the Taijiquan, beginning with techniques to relax and prepare our bodies structure wise so that progressively we learn how to open our energetic channels and energetic patterns in our own body, building them up working with a partner through sensitive drills and the sequences to later on being able to apply this knowledge through martial applications.
