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Fu History>Kung Fu mastery |
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Mastery
Derives from Hard Training |
As a matter of fact, the majestic Shaolin kung fu only
can be mastered through extreme, almost unimaginably
difficult training. What is the secret? The answer lies
in years of perseverance. The devotees persist in
training year-round, even during the hottest of summer
and the coldest days of winter. They awake before dawn
and finish training when the moon hangs high. They race
up and climb down stairs a thousand meters high, naked
to the waist in winter, and practice on stakes, and in
robes in the summer they lift the “stone lock” each
weighing as much as 50 kilos. They hang themselves
upside down with perfect composure. They turn their
heads into “iron” by hitting against wood. Light
exercise can be trained on the edge of a cauldron or a
bamboo basket; and beating water in a vat or a pool is
part of the basic training for the iron sand palm
exercise. They do not stop training even while eating,
walking, sleeping, and offering tea to guests. They rise
early in the morning, do the iron broom exercise while
sweeping the ground. They practice the skill of iron fan
while fanning in hot summer. They use their stomach as a
chopping board when cooking, and they crush walnuts on
their head.
In the depth of Mt. Songshan there are secret training
grounds equipped with wooden stakes, sand bags, and sand
pits – the cradle of many masters of Shaolin kung fu.
These are located by brooks surrounded by beautiful
scenery, thus favoring the tough training. |
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