JIN SHEN SHU

Skill of Light Body | Brief Description

Excerpt from the book: Jin Jing Zhong. Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >

The Shaolin "Skill of Light Body” is a soft way to strengthen the internal. It is not simple to acquire the skill of “Light Body”. Thanks to the knowledge of the skill even the people whose bodies weigh over 100 JINS can easily take a rest on the branch of a tree like a butterfly or a bee. It is not complicated for them to fly like a swallow but it is not easy and quick way to achieve such a result.

At the first stage the training method of “The skill of light body” is similar to that one employed when learning “The skill of light jumps” (CUAN ZONG SHU) (56) and “The skill of movement in the air” (FEI XING GONG) (57). At the first training stage a big vat filled with water and put on seven stones is used. The trainees move on the edge the vat, execute different techniques, deliver blows etc. PAO GANG BIEN, “running on edge of a vat”, that is called. While doing that exercise, the trainee carries on his back a canvas bag filled with iron chips or lead soaked with pig blood. The weight of the bag is 10 JIN (5 kg)...

<  A full description of the training procedure is available in the book: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >

...If somebody starts to learn that Shaolin skill in his childhood, he will be able to learn to run on stone piles, on the edge of a vat or a basket within two years. By that time, that is two year after, the amount of small iron pieces in the basket decreases more than by a half. When the movement on the edge of a basket is acquired, you have to fall down from the basket on the flat surface, stand up erect and fall down again. And even in that case the body must not leave any marks on the sand...

...Those who abandoned and stopped training after having met some difficulties tear their hair out from disappointment that they could not acquire that skill. There is a great deal of talk about that Shaolin skill now, there is a demand for it. However, it is difficult to learn the skill as it was before.