Shaolin Martial Arts
Kung Fu: A Martial Art and An Obsession by Callie Armstrong
Kung Fu is known as humanity’s most effective and devastating systems of self-preservation – this art form requires a very high degree of physical as well as mental discipline, and only a very few can achieve it.
Today, there are more than a thousand recognized styles of Kung Fu. Several popular off shoots are Karate and Escrima. Regardless of the style, what is largely important in the practice of such martial art is the ability of the practitioner to defend oneself from physical harm and by using the mind and skills to get out of any situation. A Kung Fu disciple should be alertness and strong.
To master Kung Fu would mean a lifetime of practicing its teachings. Children who would take on the life of being a Kung Fu disciple will start training at age 5. In the beginning, they are given lowly jobs related to the upkeep of the temple. Aside fom chores, they will do the basic forms of kung fu. They spend long hours training their mind and body to work in tandem.
When they graduate from this stage and earn the trust of their masters, they will reach the level of disciples. They will be taught the deeper secrets and philosophies of Kung Fu. They will also be taught the use of weapons.
During this phase, a practitioner is seen as someone who has some mastery over his art but is yet to become a master. To become a true master one has to absorb chi, which according to the Chinese sages is the vast reservoir energy that governs this universe.
The practitioners of Kung Fu believe that to tap into this energy is to multiply one’s power manifold. And this is not the power of a brute. Chi is about fluidity. The more chi you absorb, the more fluid and calm you become. Think of a large, deep clear pool of water; it is gentle and calm. Throw a stone at it and at the most you’ll create a ripple. You cannot raise angry waves.
Now think of the tsunami. There is no power on earth that can stand the fury of Tsunami.
That is a Kung Fu Master for you. Trained to be a deep, gentle pool but equipped to be a Tsunami should the need ever arise.
In the past, few disciples ever made it to the level of a Master. The test of the Master was one of the most dangerous ones. After the routine oral and written tests there came the test of the tunnel, which was mined by unpredictable and lethal booby traps. The only way out was forward or not at all. Few made it to the end, and those who did came to be known as Sil Lum monks.
Once out, these masters roamed the countryside as the keepers of the law or the guardians of the poor. Some returned to the temple as priests, thus keeping alive the great tradition of the temples of Shaolin.
About the Author
Callie Armstrong is a writer for http://www.AllergyHero.com. Her insights on dieting, exercise and health can be read at http://www.body4beach.com
Wu Shu School of Shaolin Martial Arts
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