At the Shaolin Temple in China, Kung Fu means internal and external. They are a family. They are not separate. For example, when you do Qigong, if you don't know how to use power to push your hands then how can you open your body? The more that you understand how to use your body properly, the more your body will be open.
We have to train our body and use our body. In Qigong, sometimes I say, push your hands as hard as you can, but if you haven't trained in Kung Fu then the power won't be enough. This unique combination of Qigong and Kung Fu is the secret of Shaolin Monk's Power.
A child is relaxed and doesn't think too much. Their body is flexible and open. When we become adults, our body becomes tense and it can become lazy. Shaolin Martial Arts helps our body to regain its childlike energy. It's a relaxed power, not a tense power.
The more I train, the more I understand the meaning that our body is our own doctor. More and more people are turning to fasting, diet and intermittent fasting to bio hack their body.
Diet is an important aspect of our health. And for Buddhist monks, like many other religious followers, fasting has always been a part of their lifestyle. Kung Fu and Qigong is another way to bio hack our body.
I started my Novice Monk Training when I was a boy at the Shaolin Temple. I then went on to teach this training at a school in China and then to students in London. The class in London had students ranging from sixteen to sixty. These exercises are suitable for all ages.
If you go to the Shaolin Temple, you will see novice monks and disciples practicing these drills. If you go to a park in Beijing, you will see old people practicing these drills. I still practice these exercises because they keep my body flexible and my hips open. The more we sit in chairs, the more our hips tighten. (Hips are an often overlooked and vitally important for flexibility. A good way to check for hip flexibility is to squat. You should be able to squat with ease and zero pain).
I get many emails from people who dream of going to the Shaolin Temple. These are the exact exercises you would learn if you went there. It may not be so exciting as getting on a long flight and flying to a different country. But if Shaolin is in your heart, your heart is right here.
I am always humbled by my students. Not only the ones I see in person but, for those of you, who I've never met. You trust me to come into your home and teach you. You give me your time. I give you my heart. I'm very passionate about the benefit of everything I teach. And this is why I teach. If you study with me, Shaolin becomes a part of your everyday life like drinking a cup of tea.
If you've always dreamt of training at the Shaolin Temple. Make 2019 the year you start doing it. My online novice monk training course is now available. It's suitable for total beginners and more advanced students who want to go over the fundamentals or are aiming to teach
Click HERE for details.