Ancient Heritage of Shaolin | Training Methods of Shaolin Monks

Introduction - Ten Precepts of Shaolin Warrior Monks - Requirements to a Shaolin Fighter - 18 Wonderful Methods of Shaolin Monks - 72 Secret Arts of Shaolin - Qi Gong - Secrets of the Use of Breath-Qi in Shaolin Practice

Shaolin Qigong - Secrets of the Use of Breath-Qi in Shaolin Practice.

Source: 释德禅少林气功1983 | Shi De Chan. Shaolin Qigong. (Henan, China, 1983).

"The correct movement of Dong makes a fighter fast and powerful like the tiger and gives the strength to move off a mountain..."

/ THE SECRETS OF PUGILISTIC ART OF SHAOLIN MONASTERY /

Teachers of the past have preserved the traditions of the Shaolin School of Qigong. One should practice it day after the day, during thirty years, notwithstanding if it is cold or hot. If you have got a will, you can acquire the true mastery in it: "Due to your efforts an iron beam can be worn off to a needle".

Breathing exercises (Qigong) are one of the components the Shaolin Martial Arts and breathing practices are united with combat arts. There is a saying:

"Before a foot or hand strikes, comes breath-Qi which is transferred with blood and is the base of courage and strength."

Shaolin Qigong Practice: General Requirements

During training it is necessary at first to reach tranquility which should immediately turn into movement. It is necessary to strengthen the Breath-Qi in the Cinnabar Field (Dantian) to reach self-control, strength and agility in the movements. One should pay special attention that the Mind would control the Breath-Qi which should function in unity with the Physical Force (Li). The Breath-Qi should strengthen the Physical Force (Li) and the Force (Li) should follow the Breath-Qi.

As far as the Breath-Qi is concerned, it must not only make the man energetic and his movements natural, permeate the four extremities and impregnate one hundred joints of the human body. Due to special practices the body must become light and capable of doing high jumps so that the man could climb a cliff or get over an abyss.

The Basic Principles of Shaolin Qigong

"A Lantern will light up in a Small Hall and it will light during all the four seasons, the Meditation-Chan will help this Lantern which burns under the influence of healthful breath of the organism Zhen-Qi. Food and water moisten skin and muscles, but only the Main Breath Qung-Qi makes the body strong. In training of the Breath-Qi one must be guided by the following three instructions. First, one should keep Tranquility, second, Softness, third, Smoothness and Thoroughness. The Tranquility consists in Heart Emptiness. The Heart keeps only the image of the entity, all things fall into the void like stones sinking to the sea bottom. In the state of Softness your muscles are quick as quicksand in which Blood smoothly follows the Breath-Qi. Inhalation and exhalation must be deep, long, thorough and steady so that the duration of inhalation and exhalation would not differ a bit."

Explanations

Tranquility

When practicing Qi Gong, your thoughts must be in a state of full concentration: You do not look at celestial Aphthars and thoughts about Dragons playing at your gate do not appear in your head; you are not afraid of a sharp sword near your head, you are as quiet as a Junzi strolling in faraway mountains.

In other words, during training you must put an end to all extraneous thoughts and only then you will be able to reach a state of mind concentration and as a result of it the mind will remain calm. This state is achieved by mind concentration on Dantian - the Cinnabar Field.

The Cinnabar Field is a Sea of Qi, it can engulf each of one hundred diseases. Thus, the concentration of the mind on Dantian, the Cinnabar Field, is the main secret and the basic principle of Qigong practice. When the tip of the tongue raised to palate, the Breath-Qi becomes healthy, and when the Breath-Qi makes for the Cinnabar Field, the Spirit-Shen - becomes strong.

During the Qi Gong practice the mind must concentrate on the Cinnabar Field and the tongue must be raised to the palate (i.e., the tip of the tongue is bent up and touches the upper palate). As a result of it the mind obeys the call of reason. Only in such a way one can reach a state of tranquility, in this state the Breath-Qi does not dissipate in the body.

The treatise Nei-Zin (Canon on the Concealed) quote: The Breath-Qi controls the blood and the blood gives a birth to the Breath-Qi. If the Breath-Qi is obedient and the blood moves freely, the blood will be healthy and the Breath-Qi will be strong, the Breath-Qi will be fast and the blood will be swift.

If you control the Breath-Qi, it means you accumulate the Force-Li; if you releases the Breath-Qi, so it means you makes an effort. If the Breath-Qi comes, so the Force-Li will come too. That's why the Breath-Qi is of the highest value and at the same time a Force.

Softness

The muscles of the whole body must be relaxed. The Secrets of Shaolin Pugilism quoth: As a result of Softness the Breath-Qi moves freely; when the body contains sufficient Qi , the body is healthy. During training in combat arts it is necessary to control and regulate the Breath, only in that case you will react accordingly to all stances and techniques of the enemy who all the time during an attack delivers various blows with his hands and feet. The Breath-Qi must move alternately up and down, from the left to the right, from the right to the left. Those transitions of the Breath-Qi are called transformation or switch-over of the Breath Huan-Qi. Before doing such a transformation it should be soft, as without softness it is difficult to transform the Breath-Qi. The Breath-Qi in a soft and relaxed state freely enters all parts of the body, obeys instructions. Orders direct the Breath to a certain place. Such is the function of Softness in Qigong Breathing Exercises.

Smoothness and Thoroughness Yun Xi

During Qi Gong exercises an inhalation and an exhalation must be deep and long, they must be done smoothly and thoroughly. The "Secrets of Shaolin Pugilism" say: The Breath must go down up to the center of the foot and must go up to the Kunlun mountain (i.e, the brain). During an exhalation breathe out completely; during an inhalation breathe in completely. Furthermore, it is necessary to Breathe smoothly and thoroughly. One should not be careless and coarse. Pay sufficient attention to the duration of Breath, do not do too short breathes. It is necessary to monitor your breath all the time. Inhalations and exhalations must be of the same duration, one ought not to do a long inhalation and a short exhalation or vice versa.

Persistency

Persistency is the most valuable thing in Qi Gong exercises. In spite of very cold weather in winter or unbearable heat in summer, notwithstanding that you feel bad or that you are seriously ill, in spite of other circumstances, it is necessary to do exercises all the time with zeal and not to give way to laziness. Let four seasons last like an instant, let several years pass like a day. If your life does not come abruptly to an end, do not stop your exercises, engage in regular practice, do not pay attention to hurricanes and weather extremities.

Triple practice

It is necessary to exercises at dawn, it is necessary to do exercises late in the night, it is necessary to do exercises at noon. Training is carried out three times a day. "The Secrets of Shaolin Fist" quoth: When you exercise in the morning, you remove from your body the spent Qi and get a new one; when you exercise at noon, you help free movement of the Breath-Qi and semen Jing accumulated in the body; if you exercise late in the night, you train your Qi and make it so keen and fine that you can pierce a wooden board with your finger like a straw mat. 

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Key Points of Shaolin Qigong Practice

"When a movement is done, the tongue touches the palate, the main Breath Zun-Qi of the whole body is concentrated inside. The Breath-Qi is set into motion and reaches the top of the Kunlun and then very smoothly goes down, reaching the center of the foot. Raising and lowering, opening and closing - all is permeated with the single Breath Qi, upper and lower, left and right parts of the body are interconnected. The Breath Qi leaves the Cinnabar Field - Dantian and reaches the tips of the fingers. The Breath Qi returns to the lung, the arms and the legs become tensile. A quick movement of a hand, and the Breath Qi with its all-crushing force goes out. The body moves quickly, the Breath Qi is collected and preserved in its movement. The secret of Shaolin Qigong Technique lies in exercises. If you persistently train for a long time, your strength like a wave will be able to raze a mountain!"

On the Necessity to follow the True Methods

It is necessary to follow techniques during training. The old tutor Su Xi says: A good tutor brings up a good disciple. If you rely only on hard toil and persistency, but do not follow the rules, you may turn into sideways and spend efforts equal to efforts of nine buffaloes and two tigers, but all the same you will not attain perfection. Therefore, it is necessary to do the true exercises and for this purpose you should ask a good tutor to admonish you and persistently do exercises with due regard to the admonishments of elders. You must correct your own shortcomings and persistently perfect yourself, in that case you will enjoy success without fail.

On Importance of Mind concentration on the Cinnabar Field (Dantian)

Control your breath and concentrate at the frontier post of Guan Yan, try to come back to the initial point in the Cinnabar Field (Dantian). The mind guides and propagates the breath into the four extremities so that the weakest man is able to lift the Taishan Mountain and to move a thousand Jins with both hands and feet. It is the Cinnabar Field where the source of force located. When the mind guides the breath, the weakened press strains and you feel warmth; an effort is made with movement and thus force is born. It means the Breath-Qi rushes from the Сinnabar Field. The Law of the Cinnabar Field is the base of Breathing exercises, the force emanated from the Cinnabar Field is equal to the tiger's force!

The Breath-Qi Rushes from the Cinnabar Field (Dantian)

When your mind guides the Breath, the Breath-Qi sinks into the Cinnabar Field and slowly accumulates in it. When the abdomen pulls in, the Guarding Breath Wei-Qi and the Initial Breath Yuan-Qi are preserved in it. If you take actions and make rapid movements after it, the Breath-Qi rushes from the Cinnabar Field. The hieroglyph with the meaning "to rush" implicates that it is a directed effort. When the right side moves, the rushing effort reaches the right side at once; during the movement of the left side the rushing effort reaches the left side at once. If it is an up-movement, the rushing effort also moves up, if it is a down-movement, the rushing effort moves down. All hundred joints of the body move together, the rushing effort is erupting like a volcano. That motion permeates all joints and articulations, its force is like a thunder strike, its speed is like a lightning!

Connection of Outer Movement with Inner Rush

Outer movements and inner Rush propagate simultaneously and they are closely connected with each other. However, that connection can get success only after a long practice. At first the hand starts moving, then the foot moves. After several days of practice you can move your thigh, elbow and knee. Then you train the body and muster jumps. Exercises during a long time give a great strength. Gradual training of the hands results in the ability to break a tile with a hand and a brick with a palm, the ability to pierce a wall with a finger. The ability to do the exercise called The Diamond Fist and The Metal Finger appears. After it you can pass to such exercises for feet and thighs as To Carry the Iron Tiles and Sand Bags Hung up to Legs. You master jumps, flights, soaring up to roofs and flights across abysses that are executed easily and naturally after training.

A Secret of Setting into Motion the Breath-Qi

You set into motion the Breath-Qi. When it moves down, it reaches the center of the foot, and when it move up, it reaches the top of the Kunlun Mountain. The legs move forward and backward, the feet move hither and thither, the torso rotates to the left and to the right, raising and lowering with opening and closing - all is connected with the Breath-Qi. Body movements copy the life, arms and legs move according common laws.

It is also necessary to comprehend the position of the eyes and the arms, unite inhalation and exhalation to do movements harmoniously. As the most important thing in the movement of Breath Qi is smoothness, the most important thing in the use of the Breath Qi is sharpness. When you move outside, you should exhale, when you accept, you should inhale. Your body moves like a rolling wave and your arms take wing, as if waves roll. When you strike, even the shadow is not seen. One must quickly defend, one must quickly strike back. So, the great secret of the art of movement lies in the unity of inhalation and exhalation.

When a movement is done, the tongue touches the palate, the main Breath Zun-Qi of the whole body is concentrated inside. The Breath-Qi is set into motion and reaches the top of the Kunlun and then very smoothly goes down, reaching the center of the foot. Raising and lowering, opening and closing - all is permeated with the single Breath Qi, upper and lower, left and right parts of the body are interconnected. The Breath Qi leaves the Cinnabar Field - Dantian and reaches the tips of the fingers. The Breath Qi returns to the lung, the arms and the legs become tensile. A quick movement of a hand, and the Breath Qi with its all-crushing force goes out. The body moves quickly, the Breath Qi is collected and preserved in its movement. The secret of Shaolin Qigong Technique lies in exercises. If you persistently train for a long time, your strength like a wave will be able to raze a mountain!

COPYRIGHT © 2001-2023 SHAOLIN KUNG FU ONLINE LIBRARY. ONLINE STORE SINCE 2001

 

Shaolin Qigong Theory. The Technique of Inhalation and Exhalation in Connection with Movement and Stillness.

"The Breath-Qi permeates both feet and you stand like a rider on a horse, as steady as the mountain of Taishan, a ladder to the sky. If you transform your Breath Qi, you will become an arrow flying in the fight. You use subtle spiritual force and fly over with the speed of the wind as if unsolved mystery. The man moves like the lightning in the sky and joyfully he triumphs after victories in all combats!"

 

"A Heart movement must set into motion all hundred joints of the body and the essence of the man's strength comes from the lungs. In this case the body is full of the Tiger's Energy! In a glorious fight you will be able to shake Seas and to move Mountains."

The ancient treatise THE SECRETS OF PUGILISTIC ART OF SHAOLIN MONASTERY quoth:

"Inhalation and exhalation are the Breath-Qi, movement and stillness are the heart. One movement of the heart corresponds to one inhalation. In that case a force is not applied, the position is void. When in the process of a heart movement an exhalation is done, the force is applied and the complete position is held. However, the base of tranquility is concentration and the base of a movement is Jing Shen, the Spirit of Essence. Inhalation will be strained and sharp and exhalation diligent and dissipated.

The Heart is the primary commander, the Breath-Qi is an advance, the Eyes are standards and banners. If the eyes grow dull, the vision is not concentrated, so you do not see clear indications and as a result of it movement and tranquility loose the right sequence, the regular sequence of the input and output is upset, hence the disposition will be destroyed and the position lost.

Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to determine the position of the eyes to comprehend this technique. If the vision is normal, it means that the Breath-Qi comes to the eyes. The will-Zhi must rush here. If the Will rushes to the eyes, the Breath-Qi follows it. One movement of the heart - and the whole body obeys the order. Jing Shen, the Spirit of Essence becomes cheerful, the wave of valour heaves. It is the only right explanation of movement and stillness. All movements of the body, the legs and the arms must be agile, this agility is obtained through training the Breath-Qi. A quick movement - and the Breath-Qi rushes ahead. If you have no need to fight, everything is normal. If it is a fight, you win."

"...Inhalation and exhalation are called the Breath-Qi, movement and stillness, in the first place, say about the Heart. The heart did a movement, breathed Qi and Force disappeared. If there is no force and the stance is empty, you have no sufficient strength. Then the heart moves, there is a breathe-out and Force appears; if there is Force, your position is filled and you have sufficient strength.

The Heart is the marshal of the body and the Breath-Qi is the dignitary who goes in advance. The eyes are standards and banners; if they are clouded, you loose orientation, do not comprehend the meaning of enemy's disposition and can not determine movement and stillness. If the sequence of inhalation and exhalation is mixed up, you are threatened with a defeat during a fight. That's why you should pay more attention to the position of eyes.

Eyes are of great importance in the practice of Shaolin martial arts. Improve the ability of your vision of the disposition and the arrangement of your enemy, because your will follows the movement of your eyes. A Heart movement must set into motion all hundred joints of the body and the essence of the man's strength comes from the lungs. In this case the body is full of the Tiger's Energy! In a glorious fight you will be able to shake seas and to move mountains.

It is necessary to control and regulate the sequence of inhalation and exhalation, movement and stillness by taking inside the Breath-Qi and concentrating it in a bundle. Each movement of the body is permeated with the single Breath Qi, as a result of it both arms and legs become quick and strong like those of a monkey. The man moves like the lightning in the sky and joyfully he triumphs after victories in all combats!"

COPYRIGHT © 2001-2023 SHAOLIN KUNG FU ONLINE LIBRARY. ONLINE STORE SINCE 2001

Shaolin Qigong Theory. Instructions on How to do "External" Exercises.

During the fourth Geng (更, 1.00-3.00 a.m.) one must stretch joints and remove from the body spent Breath-Qi, raise up nine times, step down nine times and strengthen his members. An exhalation is like a vulture catching fish with its talons and inhalation is like a huge bird Fen spreading its wings. During the hour Zi (子,11.00 p.m.-1.00 a.m.) persistently and tenaciously do the exercise called The Wind waves a Willow, the exercise called The Diamond Fist should be done during the hour Hai (亥, 9.00-11.00 p.m.).

After your meal do exercise called Metal Finger many times, then break a wooden dummy with the edge of your palm. With the open heart train the exercise Crack a Brick with the Top of your Head and afternoon break a stone with your elbow. When the Breath-Qi reaches the top of Kunlun, do the exercise called Diamond Foot. Walk one thousand Li (600 yards) with small bags with sand and stones tied to your ankles. When your Breath-Qi leaves the Cinnabar Field, do the Iron Broom Sweeps the Yard exercise.

When the Breath-Qi accumulates in the Cinnabar Field (Dantian), raise up and crush trees like a gush of the Black Wind. When the Breath-Qi leaves the Cinnabar Field and reaches the point Bai Hui, the wind moves down, rushes through the square and draws the bow. You, like a bow, bend forward and punch in the stance of the tiger, concentrate your Breath Qi, return Qi to your heart and direct it to the base of your feet.

The Breath-Qi permeates both feet and you stand like a rider on a horse, as steady as the mountain of Taishan, a ladder to the sky. If you transform your Breath Qi, you will become an arrow flying in the fight. You use subtle spiritual force and fly over with the speed of the wind as if unsolved mystery. The man moves like the lightning in the sky and joyfully he triumphs after victories in all combats! 

 

Shaolin Qigong Theory. On the Unity of Inhalation and Exhalation in a Fight.

The body must be energetic and the activity of arms and legs coordinated. You should realize the position of the eyes and distinguish the direction of arm movements. One should observe the degree of remoteness, one should take into consideration the age and the build. If the enemy moves towards you, you move together with him, if the enemy retreat, you chase.

Unify Inhalation and Exhalation and attain your aim in one motion. However, one should be attentive: when you put to motion the Breath-Qi, smoothness is preferable; when you use the Breath-Qi, speed is preferable. If the motion comes from you, it is better to do it during exhalation; if the motion is accepted by you, it is better to inhale. The body must be quick and agile. The arms must be like lightning. If you punch with your fists, nobody should see their movements. One must instantly attain speed, that is the highest true secret which essence lies in Inhalation and Exhalation.

 

Shaolin Qigong Theory. About the Necessity of Keeping the Breath-Qi.

The Breath-Qi is a sequence of input and output. Keeping means the ability to keep and to accumulate internal resources inside the body. Understanding means to understand the nature of Breath-Qi so that it would not upset its sequence and that everything would not go upside down. The way is the route of one single input and output which must follow their way and one should but follow them. This follow-up is done according to a certain method. Control and relaxation of the body, gaits steadiness, arms movements, advance and retreat, up and down movement - all those factors are permeated with the single process of the Breath-Qi.

If you accept some action, you must do it during inhalation, in that case the inhalation is carried out correctly. If you give back some action, you should do exhalation, in that case the inhalation will be appropriate. It is a moment of acceptance that determines a victory or a defeat; at no account you must permit discord in your actions. That's why all who tried to get the mastery of Martial Arts since ancient times till nowadays had to perceive the sources of the Breath-Qi in the human body and only then they should try to understand the principles of Breath and Activity - Lian Qi Xin Gong - and the principles of retaining the Breath. Only in such a way it is possible to improve actions of the human body.

 

Source: 释德禅少林气功1983 | Shi De Chan. Shaolin Qigong. (Henan, China, 1983).