Qufu Shaolin Kung Fu School

Shaolin Boxing is the short form for 'Shaolin Temple Boxing Techniques'. As a means of spiritual discipline, Shaolin Boxing has been integrated in hundreds of schools, with Chan Buddhist influence or Zen guiding its presence. 'Shaolin boxing styles very greatly. There are in fact hundreds of different boxing styles. Students usually will practice general basics and then will devote him or herself to one or two boxing and weapon styles. 

Shaolin Kung fu practice is generally talked about in terms of three realms. 

1. In the primary realm, the practitioner practices their form and appearance.
2. In the intermediate realm, there is the integration of mind and fist, changing the tangible into the intangible, turning the law into the lawless; obeying no rules, having no movement to follow, controlling the enemy in the intangible. An ancient boxing manual reads, `defeat a person in the intangible or fail being seen`.
3. Shaolin Kungfu's highest realm is for all to be guided by the heart and to fight not just from form but from the formless.

Shaolin Buddhist practice is started in the mindful training of Kung Fu as it cultivates greater awareness. The purpose of learning Kung Fu no longer becomes the goal in itself, but is used as a means of awakening.

Features of Shaolin Kung Fu

1. Short but precise.
2. Box in a line.
3. Casual footwork.
4. Roll in and out.
5. Integration of mind and behavior.
6. Bending but actually not and straight but actually not.
7. Rise high in a tight form and drop in a spreading way. Rise to move with an intention of advance and drop to move with an intention of retreat.
8. Integration of Buddhism and boxing.
9. Focus on defense.
10. Combination of attacking and defending.
11. Numerous tricks.
12. Simple and practical.
13. Vigorous and strong.
14. Numerous acts shrinking back.
15. Numerous kicks.
16. Produce sounds.

Baji Quan, is a traditional Chinese Marital Arts that features explosive, short range power. It originated in Hebei Province in Northern China, but is also well-known in other places today, especially Taiwan. Also known as "rake fist" due to the fist being held loosely and slightly open when not striking, resembling a rake. The term baji signifies “an extension in all directions" and in this case, it means “including everything" or “the universe." 'Ba' (Chinese for eight) denotes the eight major points of the body: head, shoulders, elbows, hands, buttocks, kua, knees, and feet and 'Ji' (polar) is extended in the eight polar directions. Bajiquan shares roots with another Hebei martial art, Piguazhang. It is said that Wu Zhong, the oldest traceable lineage holder in the Bajiquan lineage, taught both arts together as an integrated fighting system. They split apart, only to be recombined by Li Shuwen in the late 18th to early 19th century. As a testament to the complementary nature of these two styles, there is a Chinese martial arts proverb that goes: "When pigua is added to baji, gods and demons will all be terrified. When baji is added to pigua, heroes will sigh knowing they are no match against it." Bajiquan is characterized by direct, culminating and powerful fast strikes that will render an opponent unable to continue and is used in close combat, giving attention to elbow, knee, shoulder and hip strikes. When blocking an attack or nearing an opponent, Bajiquan techniques emphasize striking major points of vulnerability, the thorax (trunk of the body), the legs and neck. The major purpose of Ba Ji training is to develop ultimate snapping power with each strike and open the opponent's arms forcibly (Qiang Kai Men) and mount attacks at high, mid, and low levels of the body, or San Pan Lian Ji. 

Six Major Characteristic Powers:

1. Sinking (Xia Chen or Chen Zhui)
2. Thrusting (Chong)
3. Extending (Cheng)
4. Entangling (Chan)
5. Crossing (Shi Zi)
6. Explosive and short (Cun)

The six big ways of opening the door or Liu Da Kai: is the most important practice of Baji

1. Ding: using the fist, elbow or shoulder to push forward and upward.
2. Bao: putting arms together as if hugging someone. It is usually followed by chop (Pi).
3. Ti: elevating the knee to hit the thigh of the opponent, or elevating the foot to hit the shin of the opponent etc.
4. Dan: using a single move.
5. Kua: using the hip.
6. Chan: entanglement with rotation around the wrist, elbow and shoulder

Stepping and Body Methods:

Footwork in Baji Quan has three special features: Zhen Jiao, Nian Bu and Chuang Bu. These striking techniques relate to ancient Chinese medicine, which states that all parts of the body are connected, either physically or spiritually. 

Open Hand Forms and Weapons:

The forms of Baji are divided into Fist (non-weapon) and Weapon forms. There are 20 fist forms, which include 12 Baji Small Structure Fists, Baji Black Tiger Fist, Baji Dan Zhai, Baji Dan Da/Dui Da, Baji Luo Han Gong, and Baji Si Lang Kuan. There are eight weapons forms, including Liu He Da Qiang (spear), Liu He Hua Qiang (spear), Chun Yang Jian (sword), San Yin Dao (sabre), Xing Zhe Bang (staff), Pudao, and Chun Qiu Da Dao (a long two-handed heavy blade, used by Generals sitting on their horses). 

Some of Baji's forms:

Black Tiger Fist, Small Frame 4th Road, Single Plucking, Small Frame 5th Road, Small Frame 3rd Road, Small Frame 6th Road, LoHan (Buddha's Disciple) Work, Small Frame 1st Road, Small Frame 2nd Road, Six Big Openings- Liu Da Kai, Pu Dao Plain Knife, Spring Autumn Big Knife, 6 Harmony Big Spear, Single Strike, Railing Hand Partner Set- Fu Shou, Si Lang Kuan, Pure Yang Sword, Raise the Willow Saber, Travelling Staff, Six Harmony Spear.

Qigong, qi gong, chi kung, or chi gung (simplified Chinese: 气功; traditional Chinese: 氣功; pinyin: qìgōng; Wade–Giles: chi gong; literally: "Life Energy Cultivation") is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for health, spirituality, and martial arts training. With roots in Chinese medicine, philosophy, and martial arts, qigong is traditionally viewed as a practice to cultivate and balance qi (chi) or what has been translated as "life energy".^[1]

According to Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian philosophy, respectively, qigong allows access to higher realms of awareness, awakens one's "true nature", and helps develop human potential.^[2]

Qigong practice typically involves moving meditation, coordinating slow flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and calm meditative state of mind. Qigong is now practiced throughout China and worldwide for recreation, exercise and relaxation, preventive medicine and self-healing, alternative medicine, meditation and self-cultivation, and training for martial arts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong 

Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM; includes a range of traditional medical practices from China. Often viewed as an alternative medical system in the west, it is considered part of mainstream medical care in east Asia. TCM practices include: herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary therapy, both Tui na and Shiatsu massage, qigong and aspects of Chinese martial arts. TCM comes from a meticulous observation of nature, the cosmos, and the human body. Its major theories include those of Yin-yang, the Five Phases, the human body Channel system (Meridian theory) and Zang Fu organ theory.

TCM sees the human body as a small universe with a set of complete and sophisticated interconnected systems. Those systems usually work in balance to maintain the healthy function of the human body. The balance of yin and yang is considered with respect to qi ("breath", "life force", or "spiritual energy"), blood, jing ("kidney essence", including "semen"), other bodily fluids, the Wu Xing, emotions, and the soul or spirit (shen). 

TCM has a unique model of the body, notably concerned with the meridian system. Unlike the Western anatomical model which divides the physical body into parts, the Chinese model is more concerned with function. Thus, the TCM spleen is not a specific piece of flesh, but an aspect of function related to transformation and transportation within the body, and of the mental functions of thinking and studying.

Traditional Chinese Medicines macro philosophy of disease means its diagnostics are based on an overall observation rather than "micro" level laboratory tests. For this eight guiding principles are employed to analyze and differentiate the energetic imbalances in the body or the nature of a patient’s condition using four diagnostic methods.  

The four types of TCM diagnostic methods are: observe (wàng), hear and smell (wén), ask about background (wèn) and touching (qiè). The pulse-reading component of the touching examination is so important that Chinese patients may refer to going to the doctor as "Going to have my pulse felt." These methods are extremely important as considerable diagnostic skill is required to understand the full complexity of symptoms and dynamic balances. 

The Eight Guiding Principles of TCM

TCM practitioners employ the Eight Guiding Principles to analyze and differentiate the energetic imbalances in the body, or the nature of a patient’s condition. The eight guiding principles actually consist of four polar opposites: yin/yang, cold/hot, deficiency (xu)/excess (shi), and interior/exterior.

Cold/Hot: This principle is used to determine the overall energy of the patient. A cold condition would be one marked by a slow metabolism, chills, pale skin, and a low-grade fever, while a hot condition would be characterized by a heightened metabolism, sensations of heat in the body, high fevers, and a flushed complexion.

Interior/Exterior: This principle describes symptoms in terms of the location of the patient’s problem. Exterior conditions are those caused by the invasion of the body by pathogens, and are usually acute and superficially located with a short duration. Exterior symptoms are those that affect the hair, skin, muscles, joints, peripheral nerves and blood vessels. Interior conditions result from pathogens that enter the interior of the body. Interior symptoms affect the organs, deep vessels and nerves, brain, spinal cord, and bones.

Deficiency/Excess: This principle describes the strength of an illness. In TCM, a deficient condition would be viewed as a lack of blood (such as in anemia), energy (Qi), heat, or fluids. Chronic illness would fall in this category. An excess condition, by contrast, means that the body has too much of something, such as qi or blood. In TCM, an acute condition would be seen as an excess condition.

Yin/Yang: These principles are the generalization of the above principles, and a condition can be categorized in terms of the relative dominance of either yin or yang.  In Chinese medicine, all organisms have both yin and yang qualities and a balance of the two is necessary for good health. In general, yin energy is associated with cold, female energy, and represents the solid organs.  Yang is associated with hot, male energy, and represents the hollow organs.  Chronic illness is seen as yin, while acute illness is seen as yang.

According to TCM, the combination of these principles determines the nature or quality of the three constituents of the body, which are energy (qi), moisture, and blood.  As described above, qi is vital life energy.  Moisture is the liquid medium which protects, nurtures, and lubricates tissue, and blood is the material foundation out of which we create bones, nerves, skin, muscles, and organs.

TCM practitioners diagnose health problems using various combinations of the eight guiding principles.  For example, a patient might be diagnosed as having an "internal cold" or "external heat" condition. Used in conjunction with the five element theory, the eight guiding principles give the TCM practitioner a more complete picture of a patient’s energy imbalances and determine the treatment to be pursued through acupuncture, herbs, diet, and exercise.

The Techniques for diagnosis are:

• Palpation of the patient's radial artery pulse (pulse diagnosis) in six positions.
• Observations of patient's tongue, voice, hair, face, posture, gait, eyes, ears and the vein on the index finger of small children.
• Palpation of the patient's body (especially the abdomen, chest, back, and lumbar areas) for tenderness or comparison of relative warmth or coolness of different parts of the body.
• Observation of the patient's various odors.
• Asking the patient about the effects of their problem.
• Anything else that can be observed without instruments and without harming the patient.
• Asking detailed questions about their family, living environment, personal habits, food diet, emotions, menstrual cycle for women, child bearing history, sleep, exercise, and anything that may give insight into the balance or imbalance of an individual.

Methods considered part of Traditional Chinese medicine: Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Cupping, Gua Sha, Moxibustion, Physical Qigong Exercises, Qigong, Tui na Massage, Die-da or Tieh Ta and Chinese food therapy. 

Traditional Chinese medicine healing is a multidimensional process and understands that the body, mind, spirit and emotions must all be addressed in the healing journey. The mind and the emotions, which are the actions of the mind, play a powerful role in creating wellness or illness, and attracting disease. 

All of these aspects and their relationships are mapped out in the theories that form the foundation of TCM: the theory of yin/yang, the theory of qi (or vital energy), meridian theory and the five-element theory. It is important to understand that these concepts and principles are not the product or result of scientific or rational thinking. They are based on a perception and deep understanding of natural law—how the universe really works at the level of energy. 

One of the main goals of TCM is to identify and treat the root cause of conditions so that the healing is genuine and the condition does not reoccur. It's interesting to know that TCM doctors in ancient times were paid only if their patients remained well. The body has many ways of signaling imbalances; some can lead to more serious health problems if left untreated in a timely way. When these signs and signals are recognized and addressed early on in the healing process, you can achieve and maintain good health. In terms of treatment, TCM uses a variety of natural healing modalities to spark the individual's innate healing capacity. With health difficulties, this self-healing ability can become dormant, but it responds to natural forms of treatment and becomes active once again.

One very effective TCM specialty is prevention. As part of the healing process, each person should learn about lifestyle choices and their impact on wellness—how what he or she does, thinks and feels contributes to their state of wellness.