Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of Shaolin Monks
72 Arts of Shaolin: (16) Method of Hardness and Softness
GANG ROU FA
Method of Hardness and Softness | Brief Description
Excerpt from the book: Jin Jing Zhong. Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >
Another name of “Method of Hardness and Softness” is the exercise with a paper bundle. This Shaolin skill belongs to YANG category, but it also uses the vital energy QI, training in which belongs to YIN category. This Shaolin GONG FU is concentrated in a fist. Although it is said to be the hard GONG FU, but you will understand in a process of training that it is not pure hardness. Actually, it is mutually complementary combination of soft and hard GONG FU...
< A full description of the training procedure is available in the book: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >
....Although a man, struck with the same force, receives an injury not as heavy as that one when Shaolin Gong Fu "Horse's Saddle" (MA AN GONG) is used, all the same he will fly at a distance of more than 2 ZHANGs (about 6.6 m) and fall. This method is very effective in a combat with several enemies. The gist of this method is hardness YANG, but softness YIN is also available. Thus, hardness and softness complement each other, that’s why the exercise is called “Method of Hardness and Softness” (GANG ROU FA).
72 ARTS OF SHAOLIN | Brief Descriptions
(1) Diamond Finger - (2) Twin Lock - (3) Striking with Foot (4) Pulling out Nails - (5) Ringing Round a Tree - (6 ) Four-Part Exercise - (7) One Finger of Chan Meditation - (8) Iron Head - (9) Iron Shirt - (10) A Series of Blows - (11) Sweeping with an Iron Broom - (12) Hand - a Bamboo Leaf (13) Jumping Centipede - (14) Raising a Weight of 1000 JINs - (15) Celestial’s Palm - (16) Method of Hardness and Softness - (17) Cinnabar Palm - (18) Lying Tiger - (19) Swimming and Diving Skill - (20) Sluice Shutter weighing 1000 JINs - (21) Covering with a Gold Bell - (22) Finger Lock - (23) Luohan’s Exercise - (24) Lizard Climbs the Wall - (25) The Art of Lash - (26) PIPA - (27) The Pole of a Falling Star - (28) Poles of Plum Bloom - (29) The Art of Stone Padlock - (30) Skill of the Iron Arm - (31) Fist like a Bullet - (32) Soft Bones - (33) Frog - (34) Piercing the Curtain - (35) The Force of Eagle’s Claws - (36) Iron Bull - (37) Skill of Eagle Wings - (38) Hand of Sun Rays - (39) Exercise for Groin - (40) Iron Bag - (41) Method that Reveals the Truth - (42) Skill of Tortoise Back - (43) Skill of Deft Jumps - (44) Skill of Light Body - (45) Iron Knees - (46) Technique of Jumps - (47) Palm of Iron Sand - (48) Pulling a Silk Thread - (49) Method of drawing in YIN - (50) Rubbing and Thrusts - (51) Stone Pile - (52) Neither Lances nor Broadswords Can Wound - (53) Gong Fu Flight - (54) Hand of Five Poisons - (55) Skill of Water Separation - (56) To Fly Up to the Ridge and to Walk on a Wall - (57) Skill of Somersaulting - (58) Pole of Cypress - (59) Ba Wang’s Elbow - (60) Pinching a Flower - (61) Pushing a Mountain with Palm - (62) Technique of Horse Saddle - (63) Skill of Nephrite Belt - (64) YIN Fist Method - (65) Skill of Sand Bags - (66) Piercing Through Stones - (67) Pulling Out a Mountain - (68) Claws of Mantis - (69) Gong Fu Bag - (70) Palm of Guan Yin - (71) Raising a Pot - (72) Rubbing Palms
