Your Martial Art's Checklist

Whether you're new to martial arts or have been training for years, this checklist will ensure that you continue to improve your martial art. 

Relaxed Tension

If you play an instrument then you know that if the string is too tight it will snap and if it's too loose, it won't play the right sound. It's the same with our training, we have to find the correct balance of being relaxed and concentrated. Too relaxed and our movement will be sloppy and lack power, too tense and our movement won't flow and we'll tire easily.

Breathe Correctly

Breath is what brings our mind and body together. Try punching and breathing in at the same time, it feels unnatural doesn't it? Correct breathing helps us to pace ourselves and gives more power to our movements. Always do Qigong breathing when doing Qigong ( unless you are pregnant) , always work with your breath and movement together. If you're running or going through a training drill and you're out of breath, simply pacing your breath with your steps can bring your breathing back to normal.

Are You Training Hard Enough?

A smith puts gold through the fire so she can mould it into the shape of jewellery she wants. Our martial art's is the fire we put our mind and body through so we can mould ourselves into the martial artist we want to be. If it's not difficult, if it's not challenging then there can be no transformation.

Alignment

During your training, check into your body, are your shoulders relaxed, is your body in correct alignment? Check your stances in the mirror. Our bodies want to find an easier way to do something and this can lead to bad habits that we're not aware of so even if you think you know your movement, don't stop from checking up on yourself.

Be Your Own Teacher

At the Shaolin Temple, as disciples we would be taught something very quickly by our master then we would have to go away and master it by ourselves. We weren't allowed to ask questions, we weren't motivated by our master, we had to find the motivation and the drive from our own selves. In the West there are teachers, books, DVDs, lots of information on the internet so the guidance is there, the only block is, are you putting it into practice? 

For more information about training with Shifu Yan Lei's Shaolin DVDs please visit shifuyanlei.com