QIANG DAO BU RU FA

Skill “Neither Lances nor Broadswords Can Wound” | Brief Description

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

Shaolin skill “Neither Lances nor Broadswords Can Wound” is a “soft” Shaolin Gong Fu, has the “outer” power, belongs to the force YIN and at the same time YANG as to its essence and spirit confined in it. That method seems to be somewhat enigmatic and mysterious. But in reality, it is simply one of training methods in a “soft” Shaolin Gong Fu. Sometimes, for instance, such words can be heard: “I can engage with empty hands a mob armed with the sword DAO and halberd JI and they can not even wound me”. Usually listeners of those words think it to be absolutely absurd. However, people who acquired that kind of Shaolin Gong Fu to perfection really can do so.

Training in that Shaolin skill is quite difficult. More over, few people have that skill now, that method is practically lost. The purport of the method is in dodging and avoiding. It is necessary to start from training the Shaolin skill “Soft Bones” (see par.#32) which includes such exercises as “flexible legs”, “flexible waist” and so on. Besides, it is necessary to train your eyes for distance estimation. Training body, arms, and eyes is the most important principle in Martial Arts. It is possible to enter a “forest” of swords and lances and leave it without being wounded only thanks to an eye skill. Otherwise, it is difficult to confront such a situation. First steps in training eye sight have been already described in the Shaolin exercise “Luohan’s skill” (see par.#23). Later, it is necessary to train oneself in counting immovable objects. For example, you sit in a room, look in the window and count bricks in the wall of the opposite house. Or, you can count number of tiles on the roof in each row. Try to cast a quick glance and say the exact number, it is not so simple. You can make piles of tiles or other objects with a height of several CHIs and count them. If you can exactly count in a short time, you can go further...

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

...Now, even if a few dozens of armed people attack you alone, all the same you will not be wounded. However, it takes not less than 10 years of hard work to improve your mastery to such a level. It is useful to have that skill, as you will not be afraid of meeting bad people. In case you can easily to take away weapon from your enemy. That kind of GONG FU was passed over only at the Shaolin Temple. At the present time very few people learn it and that skill is almost lost. That causes a deep regret.