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“He who knows how to be aggressive, and yet remains patient, becomes a holder for all of Nature's lessons.”
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~~ Lao-Tzu |
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| Northern & Southern Shaolin |
Shaolin Kung Fu is often classified into Northern Shaolin and Southern Shaolin. Northern Shaolin is the style of Kung Fu developed in the Northern Shaolin Monastery in Honan Province of China, and Southern Shaolin in the southern Shaolin Monastery in Fujian Province.
There is a Chinese saying which says "Southern fists, northern kicks". It means that Southern Shaolin Kung Fu is well known for its hand techniques, while Northern Shaolin Kung Fu for its kicks. Another discernable difference is Northern Shaolin is flowing and elegant in its movement, whereas Southern Shaolin is stable and powerful.
The specialization of hand techniques and kicking techniques between Northern and Southern Shaolin was mainly due to environmental factors. Wide, open plains in northern China encouraged the frequent use of kicks in combat; but in southern China where buildings were close together, hand techniques were favored. Nevertheless, one must not be misled to think that hand techniques are not important in Northern Shaolin, and kicks are not important in Southern Shaolin. In fact, there is a greater variety of kicks in Southern Shaolin than in other martial arts generally known for their kicking attacks.
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| Northern Shaolin |
Northern Long Fist was developed around 960AD, by the first emperor of the Song Dynasty, Song Tai Zu. Emperor Song was a skilled Shaolin Master and expert in the Shaolin Lohan Style. The martial style developed by Song Tai Zu was called Tai Zhu Chang Chuan which means Emperors Long Fist style. During 1900 - 1928 when the Shaolin Temple was still active, two great martial arts organizations arose, encompassing many of the great styles, which developed from the Shaolin and other systems. One was the Chin Woo Association (1909), and the other was the Nanking Central Kuo Shu Institute (1928). The Nanking Central Kuo Shu Institute drew from the knowledge of a large number of respected Masters, including Chin Woo members, overcoming Martial Arts politics and age-old prejudices to discuss and explore the best techniques from among the many styles. From this synthesis arose the style commonly known as Northern Long Fist.
Shaolin master Zhue Yuen lived at the Northern Shaolin temple around 1540. Zhue Yuen believed that the Lohan style Kung Fu practiced in Shaolin focused too much on the hard external style. Zhue Yuen pondered this problem during meditation and decided to try to bring more balance to the Shaolin system. He left the temple and traveled China in search of different Kung Fu styles and masters. When Zhue Yuen came to the town of Lan Zhou he met a master named Li Sou. Li Sou introduced Zhue Yuen to Bai Yu Feng who was another famous martial arts master. Zhue Yuen was able to convince both to come back with him to Shaolin Temple to develop Kung Fu. Together they redeveloped Shaolin Kung Fu expanding the original 18 form Lohan Style into 128 movements which were then divided into the Shaolin 5 animal forms (Tiger, Snake, Dragon, Leopard and Crane).
The Northern Shaolin style of Kung Fu is one of the most prominent traditional northern styles of Chinese martial arts. The northern styles of Kung Fu generally emphasize long range techniques, quick advances and retreats, wide stances, kicking and leaping techniques, whirling circular blocks, quickness, agility, and aggressive attacks.
The system teaches empty-hand techniques and weaponry through predetermined combinations, routines, or movement of sets. The students learn the basics by practicing the routines until the movements in the routines can be executed naturally based on instinct. Then, two or multiple man sets are practiced to train responses and applications of techniques learned from the sets. The practice sets/routines are not only practical in applications but are also graceful and artistic in nature. The fluidness of the movements are trademarks of the Northern Shaolin Kung Fu sets.
The Northern Shaolin martial arts are characterized by quick transitions between extended postures like the horse, bow, drop, and dragon stances, as well as jumps, high kicks, and acrobatics that are largely absent from the Southern Shaolin martial arts, which are characterized by relentless hand techniques delivered from less mobile but more firmly rooted stances. It is believed that the distinction between Northern and Southern is due in part to geography and genetics. The Northern terrain was considered flat and easier to do jumps and kicks and Chinese of the North were considered taller with longer legs. Southern Chinese were considered shorter and lived on rocky terrain. Their style developed with more hand techniques and less leg work.
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| Southern Shaolin |
Southern Shaolin is somewhat different from the Northern branch. Generally speaking there is less emphasis on kicks, especially of the jumping variety. Southern Shaolin has a distinct timing that floats between soft, whipping motions and sudden stops. The hands move constantly with sophisticated and unusual hand positions often requiring an "educated" wrist. Specific finger techniques are also shown. This particular branch is based on Eight Words or Characters. Many of the sets are based on two linked characters and emphasize those specific skills in execution. Some very beautiful and intricate hand motions are to be found here.
The Southern Shaolin Monastery was built during the Ming Dynasty by imperial decree. When the Ming Dynasty was overthrown by the Qing, many Ming royalists rallied round the southern Monastery to gather support for the restoration of the Ming. Hence, while the normal greeting in the northern Monastery was clasping of both palms as in prayer, that in the southern Monastery was bringing the right fist towards the left palm in front of the chest. The right fist resembles the Chinese character for "sun" and the left palm for "moon", the combination of which is the Chinese character for "Ming".
The Qing emperor Yong Zheng infiltrated into the southern Shaolin Monastery as a monk to learn Shaolin Kung Fu. Later he dispatched the Qing army, with the help of Lama Monks from Tibet, to raze the southern Monastery to the ground. Today the Chinese government has erected a stone tablet to indicate where the former site of the southern Shaolin Monastery was. Some Shaolin masters escaped the inferno, and fled to Guangdong, which became the stronghold where many Southern Shaolin styles developed.
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| Chi Gung |
In Chinese, "Chi" is the energy that circulates throughout the body, and "gung" translates into "work". Chi Gung is the martial art that increases the body's vital energy, and strengthens the circulation of this energy. Mastering Chi Gung can help maintain the balance in the distribution of body's energy.
Throughout every aspect of nature, there are always two counterparts. When these two counterparts are in balance, the nature is then in perfect harmony. In the Chinese culture, the theory of Yin & Yang pair is used most often to describe this. For every plus there exists a minus, for hotness there exists coldness, for darkness there must be light, and for every good there exists evil. Of course, this is an oversimplification of Chi Gung. Its depth and complexity could fill volumes of book, and could take centuries for scholars to fully comprehend it just by reading it. Therefore, it is definitely something which should be experienced, rather than only read about.
Modern Chi Gung can be a powerful tool in the fight against various illnesses, and can also be an exercise that maintains body health. Practitioners of Chi Gung have the ability to redistribute and focus the body energy, or CHI - the source of our strength, from one area to another area. Chi Gung can, therefore, reroute excess body energy from where body need it the least to where body need it the most, and thus achieve balance in metabolism and energy distribution. By achieving harmony in energy balance, the body will be more capable in destroying toxins in the body, reducing stress, and healing ourselves. Chi Gung can then minimize the degeneration of the body's vital organs and help build up the body immune system.
Thus, Chi Gung can be one of the most axial principles in Chinese study of the martial arts. You will become fully aware of the power you posses inside and you will feel more in control of your own body. There is absolutely nothing more important than health. If you are already healthy, Chi Gung can helps set off a chain reaction of positive thinking that will lead to a successful life.
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 The Dragon |
In Chinese mythology, the dragon is a powerful elemental creature; they had the ability to change forms, fly, change size and other wonderful feats.
Dragons had three to five claws on each hand, with the five-clawed dragon being the symbol of the Emperor. To properly hold a teacup, a writing brush or chopsticks, one needs three fingers.
The Dragon form consisted of Chin Na (seizing, holding, and grappling) techniques that depended on the use of the ‘hard' muscular strength Chinese martial artists call ‘Li'. The form and the techniques it teaches are mostly meant to make the student tough. Its most famous technique is no doubt the ‘Dragon claw', a hand position used for seizing-and-holding purposes. The Dragon has a lot of floating, swinging around, and whipping motions. It uses simple, basic techniques with a challenging strategy of movement complementary to the opponent's (when he advances, I retreat; when he retreats, I advance).
Since the dragon is the most spiritual of the five, likewise it develops the most spiritual quality: Shen (Spirit). This is a transcendent energy that comes from the refinement of Chi (Energy) into Jing and eventually into Shen.
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 The Tiger |
Whereas the Dragon claw merely grabs and holds the opponent's arm, the Tiger claw uses a ripping motion meant to tear the opponent's flesh.
The Tiger Style focuses on strength and agility. It emphasizes low and powerful forward stances. Most of the hand strikes utilize an open palm with its fingers curled into claws. In it one will recognize a hand position that looks much alike to the Dragon claw. The difference between both hand positions is to be found in its practical application. The hand position is used to deliver palm strikes and the fingers will pull, rip, or tear at the opponent.
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 The Leopard/Panther |
The third form a Shaolin student would learn was called the Leopard form (sometimes called ‘Panther'). By training in the Tiger form the student had learned to fight with skill, instead of with muscle power alone. The Leopard form would gradually take away the muscular strength, replacing it with cunning and deceiving techniques. One would learn how to completely depend on the skill one had required from training.
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 The Snake |
The Snake form was the first form that was totally devoid of the use of muscular strength. Even though it was meant for offense and in its nature highly aggressive, it didn't have even as much as one ‘hard' (or ‘external') technique. It would hurt an opponent by merely touching his vulnerable pressure points. The form is very circular and deceptive. It would ‘slip' through the opponent's defense and stick to his arms. How to accomplish this was one of Shaolin's best kept secrets. Today, the techniques of this fascinating form are still the offensive techniques used in Wudang Weng Shun Kuen. It taught the practitioner “spirit” (Shen), deceptiveness and intent.
The Snake focuses on low evasive stances and pinpoint striking. It drives it power by coiling its body and then exploding with great speed to strike out at its opponent.
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 The Crane |
The last of the five animals in the Shaolin system was the elusive Crane. Whenever a Crane is being attacked, it stays calmly in its place. If the adversary tries to get around it, it just shifts in its same spot, turning around its own axis, continually facing its opponent. No matter how much an opponent moves or how threatening or big its gestures are; the crane never gets excited. It stays calm and centered, just observing what is coming. Like the Crane itself, a Crane form practitioner would not waste energy on unnecessary movement. He would wait for the opponent to start an attack, standing still in his own spot. The Crane stylist would meet the attack head-on and redirect it away from himself, nullifying the danger. To this end a Man Sao or Bong Sao, typical Crane techniques, would be applied. The Crane was Shaolin's most advanced form and also its biggest secret.
The Crane Style teaches patience and balance. It emphasizes loose upright stances with a great deal of standing on one leg with quick evasive techniques. The hand strikes involve the fingers brought together to form a rigid point which resembles the beak or striking with the back of the hand and the fingers in the same position resembling the wing.
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