One of my favorite Shaolin forms is Rou Quan or Soft Fist because it very effectively hides powerful kung fu techniques in fluid movements. The first form that every novice monk must learn is Xiao Hong Quan; The Eight Treasures is one of the most popular forms of Qi Gong in China and monks often entertain people with the drunkard and monkey styles.
As you can see, there are different Shaolin forms and they are used for different purposes: health, war, peace, enlightenment, self-defense and sometimes just for fun. However, regardless of the purpose, they all have the same substance: THE BASIS.
The gold of Shaolin style
The connection between kicks, punches and bases forms a kati. But it is the basics that constitute the essence of the Shaolin style. There are many jewels made of gold. And if you take away the gold, you will no longer have the jewel. This comparison can be applied to kati of this style: remove the foundations and you no longer have a kati. It is for this reason that the bases are known as Shaolin style gold.
Three years
Training at the Shaolin Temple consists of 3 long years of basic training only. No kati is taught during this period. After the monks have achieved perfection in their basics, they begin to carry out their physical conditioning training. In this training they work their legs, arms and hands and, only after perfecting their conditioning, do they learn some kati depending on the specialty of the group they belong to.
Basic training
Nowadays, many of us only practice kati and never practice the basics. But, if you work on your basics individually, it will revolutionize your performance when performing kati and make learning new forms easier and faster. Your body will «memorize» the basics, your legs will be stronger as well as your mind. Doing core training is an excellent way to strengthen your mind and body at the same time.
The most important foundations of the Shaolin style
São import database assignment: Mas B (1), Dy Business (3), Xu B (4), Xu B (4), Qi Xing Bu (6), The Ding B (7) of Ding B (8) and Pu (9).
Stability of the bases
The first thing you need to do when you start doing core training is to practice stability. All bases are important, but we always train the Ma Bu base, also known as the horse base, because it is one of the most difficult.
Start your training by trying to increase the amount of time you can spend on the horse’s base. But don’t be too ambitious at first. You have to be patient and go through the training step by step. Don’t set goals for how long you want to stay, just start practicing.
Maintain your posture
“Maintaining posture” means keeping your back straight, buttocks in, knees in line with your feet and thighs straight like a table.
Pay attention to your posture when you look in the mirror, not only from the front, but also from the side. Focus on your mind and your breathing.
Relax and breathe
It is also very important to practice breathing. Try to keep it as gentle as possible so that your body does not show that it is performing this action. Your back should not make the typical “up and down” motion. When you start to feel tired, tell your body to relax. Start by relaxing your head, then your neck, your back, until you contemplate your entire body. Relaxation is part of basic training.
Think about nature: the lion does not tense up and breathe quickly with all muscles contracted while looking at prey, but is completely relaxed and concentrated. We must be equal.
Don’t listen, don’t see and don’t think. Just do it.
There is a saying from the Shaolin Temple that goes: «Our eyes see nothing, our ears hear nothing, and our mind thinks nothing.» This saying helps us a lot to stay on base because training it is also a Shaolin meditation.
Slowly increase the time you can stay on the horse’s base, little by little, and when you feel tired, stand up and stretch. Move your muscles and start again. Remember that you are not only strengthening your legs, but you are also strengthening your willpower.
Set goals
After a few weeks of core training, you can start setting goals. Start with 5 to 10 minutes at the horse’s base and don’t move. Then increase to 15 minutes. Remember to keep your base low and don’t change your position even if you get tired. You have to start low and finish low.
Make your workout difficult
When you can stay at the horse’s base for 30 minutes, you make your training even more difficult. You can do this in several ways: hold a weight in each hand so you can train your arms and legs at the same time; you can place small plastic bottles filled with water on your arms, legs, back and head. This way, if you are not stable, the water will leak out. In this workout you can also test your balance. Another way to train is to use small wooden poles: standing on these poles makes the situation much more difficult as you will have little space to rest your feet and you will always have to maintain your posture to avoid losing balance and falling.
All these methods are traditional and very effective in basic training. By using them you will gain strength, endurance and balance. Important: Don’t forget to practice your Qi. This way you will strengthen yourself both externally and internally.
You can also train your stability on the other bases, but the horse base is the most practiced in the Shaolin Temple.
Movements with the base
In addition to stability training, you should also practice some basic movements. Stay at the base of the horse and then perform some traditional punches. Change base and perform other types of punches. The base is always connected to the punches. This way, when you practice 5 bases, practice 5 punches.
The names of traditional punches are:
- Gong Bu Chong Quan (Ram Fist at the Archer’s Base)
- Ma Bu Chong Quan (Ram Fist at the Base of the Horse)
- Pu Bu Bian Gung Bu Chon Quan
- Li Bu Chon Quan
Always increase the number of punches you can throw in each workout.
The doors of Shaolin style now open for you
If you practice according to the guidelines above, you will be very well prepared to evolve in learning the different forms of the Shaolin style. Not only will you learn them more easily, but you will also perform the movements with precision.
Having a stable and durable horse base is one of the keys to accessing this ancient style. Furthermore, demonstrating aptitude in performing this basic means that you have a strengthened mind and legs which, in turn, will indicate that you will have much higher stamina in running, fighting and even practicing Qi Gong. All these benefits come from simple basic training that can be used in different ways and in different martial arts.
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