Shaolin Kung-Fu Album

Shaolin Kung-Fu
Published by Henan Art Publishing House
Hardcover with cloth, octavo, 164 pages
ISBN 7540102462

With profuse illustrations and concise texts this pictorial album introduces well over one hundred routines of Shaolin martial arts (Kung-fu), including boxing, broadsword, spear, sword, Qigong breathing exercise, Neigong internal exercise and Tongzigong children's exercise, with special emphasis on pictures showing, section by section, how to practice the representative Shaolin broadsword, spear, cudgel and boxing routines. With photo-taking assisted by Shaolin Monastery's Kung-fu monks and a preface written by the monastery's abbot Shi Deqan, the album is an excellent guide to mastery of the essential points of Shaolin Kung-fu.

Contents

• Preface by Shi Deqan, the Abb of Shaolin Monastery
• The Eighteen Types of Shaolin Weapons
• Shaolin Sword
• Shaolin Spear
• The Shaolin Cudgel
• Shaolin Hook
• The Shaolin 9-section Whip
• The Shaolin Shovel
• Shaolin Flying Dart
• Shaolin Single Broadsword
• Shaolin Plum-blossom Spear
• Shaolin Fenghou wind and fire Cudgel
• Shaolin Kung-fu
• Twelve Styles of Yijinjing
• Shaolin Boxing
• The Hand Exercise
• The Imitative Shaoling Boxing
• Dahong Boxing
• Xiaohong Boxing
• Eighteen Forms of Shaolin Arhat
• The Capturing Skills of Shaolin Kung-fu
• The Hawk's Claw Exercise
• The Palm Exercise
• The Sword for Killing Devil (the palm exercise)
• Qianjing Jiao (the foot exercise)
• Tietougong (the exercise of head training)
• The Lieing Tiger Exercise
• Paidagong (the exercise of beating every part of the body with a woodbrick)
• Shaolin Tongzigong (the Children's exercise)
• Budaigong (the exercise of the abdomen)
• Yudaigong (the exercise of arms)
• Yizhijin ( the exercise of head standing on one finger)
• Qian Jin Zhui (the exercise of hafting a big stone attached to the testes with a rope)
• Badinggong (the exercise of pulling out the nails from a nailed wood plate)
• Diaogong (the exercise of hanging from a tree with a rope round the neck)
• The Shaolin Fire Exercise (the exercise of licking a burning hot iron shovel)
• The Plum-blossom Stake Exercise
• The Yin-Yang Qixigong (the exercise of attracting something on the belly by Qi)
• The Light Exercise
• The Twelve Methods of Being Healthy and Strong

The Shaolin Monastery is an important center in the development of Chinese martial arts. The monastery is situated in Henan Province, thirteen kilometres northwest of Dengfen County town at the western foot of Mount Songshan. The name Shaolin comes from the fact that the monastery is nestled in the woods below the shady northern slope of Shaoshi Peak. Shaolin Monastery was built in 495 under the patronage of Emperor Xiaowen (reigned 471-500) of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Historical material suggests that almost immediately after its founding, self-defense or some other form of physical training was part of life in the monastery. By the end of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), the outstanding combat skills of the Shaolin monks became well known. According to records, the wushu practiced at the monastery in different periods was varied in style and content. Among the unarmed combat styles were those resembling the fast and agile Chang Quan. Others were powerful, like Nan Quan, or emphasized the use of will and mind as well as breathing like Xingyi Quan (Will-Mind Boxing) and Rou Quan (Soft Boxing); still others imitated animal movements like Luohan Quan (Arhat Boxing) and Hou Quan (Monkey Boxing). Shaolin staff skills were especially famous, although all the eighteen military weapons were practiced. In addition, many other forms of exercise evolved, such as the Standing Pole Exercise, Hard Skills, Light Skills and Qi Gong (Breathing Exercise).