Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of Shaolin Monks
72 Arts of Shaolin: (26) PIPA
PIPA GONG
PIPA | Brief Description
Excerpt from the book: Jin Jing Zhong. Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >
Shaolin exercise “PIPA” is also called SAN YIN ZHI – “Three Fingers of Yin” and ZHI TOU TAN - “Springy Fingers”. This exercise is specialized on strengthening the outer side of finger tips and nails. It is a “hard” exercise belonging to the YANG force, a special exercise for the development of the “flicking” force of fingers. When training fingers (in other Shaolin exercises), one finger, either the forefinger or the middle finger, is often used. In the exercise “PIPA” four fingers which do springy movements (flicks) in turn are used. It resembles playing PIPA, the Chinese guitar: as if fingers run over strings, hence that name of the exercise...< A full description of the training procedure is available in the book: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >
...Although this Shaolin skill belongs to “hard” force of Yang, the exact tool of QI is softness Yin, and if those two principles are linked, the skill will be superb. One must not bring the situation to a threat of life or injuries, one must not abuse this skill. Otherwise, by striking (“flicking”) with two fingers, a man can be wounded so that he will not be able to restore his health. There is the demand for modesty in the “Secret Virtue” YIN DE and a combatant, training that difficult exercise, must always keep it in mind.
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
