Northern Shaolin Kung Fu
Instruction
We will be scheduling private
lessons in Kung Fu in Berkeley in 2014. Feel free to contact us
if you want to ask any questions. Email
us.
Northern Shaolin Kung Fu is the core
main of our studio's curriculum. The original Kung Fu designed
at the Shaolin Temple in the Honan province is considered to be
a merging of Hatha Yoga principles, Buddhist Meditation and
Yoga exercises, and China's long martial history.
It is the art form that
the beginning student should master to establish a successful
foundation for the arts of Tai Chi and Hsing Yi. Northern
Shaolin Kung Fu is a complete longevity system unto itself,
one that will keep a practitioner healthy and powerful for an
entire lifetime.
Practicing Nothertn Shaolin
Kung Fu gives student strength, flexibility, coordination, and
athleticism. With our unique teaching style, Shaolin Kung
Fu is learned as a derative of Hatha Yoga- making the art form
capable of transforming the physical structure of the body,
increasing both strength and flexibility. The powerful Kung Fu
stances strengthen while freeing the legs and hips, and the
extended arm configurations likewise strengthen and free the
upper body.
The first system learned,
Tan Tui/Steel Legs Kung Fu, is
well named. Tan Tui contains 12 lines of ambidextrious Kung Fu
stance and techniques that increase leg strength, arm power,
and core power while increasing coordination and movement
skills dramatically. The beginning student builds up dense
muscle structure and begins to circulate ch'i powerfully through the legs, spine
and arms.
Tan Tui also serves as an introduction to the 8
Shaolin Kung Fu stances, which are further developed in the ten
sets of the Northern Shaolin system and four sets of Buddhist Arahat Kung Fu.
It is unusual that the art of Kung Fu taught with a
"Yoga" perspective, as this knowledge has been guarded by real
Sifu's/instructors who wait for a student to prove their worth
by years of practice and discipleship. It has practically been
lost with the proliferation of poor trained instructors. This
Yogic perspective allows for the building of both physical
strength, flexibility, and internal energy development
concurrently.
Once a precision in body
movement and mechanics, as well as a knowledge of the eight
stances of Tan Tui is achieved, the art is practiced with an
emphasis on enhancing application skills. When the body moves
correctly, the techniques for application can be performed with
power.
Kung Fu takes on an
athletic, aerobic, and acrobatic dimension at this stage. When
the art is practiced with a partner to develop martial skill,
these skills acquired in Kung Fu will directly improve Muay
Thai striking and Tai Chi/Hsing Yi performance.
Curriculum
- Tan Tui-
Steel Legs Kung Fu
- Preying Mantis Bang Po
- Northern Shaolin
Kung Fu
- Lohan- Buddhist Saint/Arahat Kung Fu
- Weaponry- Staff,
Spear, Straight Sword, Broad Sword