How To Never Give Up On Your Martial Arts Ever Again

When I was in China, a friend of mine called to say that he was unwell. I asked him to come and visit me so I could teach him Qigong, he told me he didn't have time, I said to him, but when you are sick you will have time to go to hospital because you have no choice. The next day he came and studied with me for seven days. 

It has been my experience that one of the best ways to stay healthy and fit both internally and externally is through the practice of Shaolin Qigong and Kung Fu; it includes all we need for mind body health in one fully integrated unit.

The way to avoid never giving up on our martial arts is to start with a plan. My friend wanted to get better and feel strong again, the best way forward for him was to focus on internal training and not do any external training until he had regained his health. 

What do you want? If you are a beginner, it depends on your goal and your age as to what DVD you should start with. If you want to get fit and lose weight quickly then it's best to start with the Bootcamp DVDs or the Circuit Training DVDs. In these DVDs, we don't put so much emphasis on form but on fitness. If you want to be a martial artist then you start with Shaolin Workout and move through all three DVDs before you move onto Bootcamp and Circuit because you are working with your form and perfecting your movements. 

For the internal training, it's best for most people to start with "The Way Of Qigong Volume 1" but if you are under forty, impatient, training to be a fighter, or you want to quickly strengthen both internal and external then it's best to start with Qigong For Upper Body and Lower Body. Why? Because it means you will stay on target as you see and feel results  rapidly. 

Regardless of what you want, it's best to train 5 - 6 days a week. If you want rapid change then do kung fu in the morning and Qigong in the evening. Remember, you don't need to do all of the Qigong DVD, take a section, just fifteen minutes of Qigong is enough for you to feel the benefit. Alternate between Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body to balance your body. 

It's the same with the circuit training and bootcamp, unlike the Shaolin workouts, you don't need to learn them before moving onto the next DVD, keep surprising your body by changing your workout. Don't worry that your movements aren't 100% correct, as you keep working out, you will slowly slowly begin to perfect the kicks, punches and forms and at the same time you will gain exceptional stamina. 

Having a clear plan gives you a clear workout and keeps you on the path of The Shaolin Warrior.  

For more information on Shifu Yan Lei and his DVDs, please visit: www.shifuyanlei.com

Two Minute Health Tricks From The Shaolin Temple Of Zen

Training in Shaolin Martial Arts is a lifestyle that involves eating well, working out at least an hour five times a week as well as practicing Qigong. But if you're finding that you're busier than usual and can't fit in your regular training, one of these quick practices can still keep you on the Shaolin path.

 Green Tea

Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Want to find out more about the health properties of drinking green tea? click here 

Qigong Workout Press Ups

Just doing ten Qigong press ups from my Qigong Workout every day will increase your upper body strength, and increase the flexibility of your back. A strong back is the foundation of a fit and healthy body. These press ups work the triceps hard so when you do regular press ups you'll find them easier.

Instant Health Massage

Don't have time to do Qigong? Five minutes of the Instant Health Massage after you've stepped out of the shower will increases circulation, stimulate the lymphatic system, open the meridian lines and act as a natural battery charger. To find out more click here:

 Five minute Form

Speed up a Qigong form or slow down a Kung Fu form. Moving through these ancient Shaolin forms helps us to tap into our inner flow and access a peace that can easily be lost in the midst of our busy life. 

Eating Meditation

Don't have time to meditate? Have time to eat? Turn that into your meditation. Tune into your breath and the awareness of the food you're eating. Being aware of the food you're eating, automatically slows down your eating, aids digestion and helps reduce stress. By the end of your meal you'll feel calm and connected. You can also do a tea meditation. 

Just Do It: How To Become A Disciple Of The Bodhidharma

The Bodhidharma Is Your Teacher

 I've been studying martial arts for more than twenty years and I've been a teacher for more than ten years. I make my DVDs, and write these posts because I want to pass my experience and love of martial arts to people, like myself, who also love martial arts. I am a Shaolin Master living in the West, and I am saddened to see so much myth and magic surrounding the Shaolin Temple. My aim is to clear away the myth so that you can get to the heart of the practice. Whatever your view of The Shaolin Temple, this is not important. It's the teachings that are important. The teachings originate from the founder of Zen, Bodhidharma. 

The Buddha said, do not rely on the teacher, rely on the teachings. When we take up the teachings, we owe a debt to our ancestors, and we must respect them for passing such great teachings to us. In many ways, I see the Bodhidharma as my teacher more than the Buddha because he showed me how to use martial arts as a meditation. Each person who learns from me, either in person or with my DVDs or book is also a student of the Bodhidharma. I see myself as a conduit, passing down what my master taught me. I'm always a beginner, always learning, always grateful for these teachings.

 Does The Shaolin Temple Have A Gym?

 The question I get asked the most about my own training is, do I lift weights? The Shaolin Temple doesn't have a gym. My muscles are purely from my martial arts training. What Shaolin does is make our training intelligent.  When I train in Kung Fu I use my own body weight, and when I train in Qigong, I do specific Qigong exercises to strengthen my muscles and give them power and Qi.  This is using the intelligence of the teaching. This is a very holistic approach. We don't just train for one reason, we train for many. In my latest DVDs, I demonstrate how to build muscles through kung fu and how to transform the shape of the muscle and give it energy through Qigong.

 The Toughest Workout Ever

 The movements in Shaolin Bootcamp may look deceptively easy but this is possibly the toughest workout ever taught on a DVD. As you move through the Bootcamp workout you train intelligently. When a martial artist does a push up, she also needs to punch. A strong arm does not mean a powerful punch. As martial artists we need to tune into the intelligence of our bodies and finely tune our training so that we are getting the optimal results for the goals we have set for ourselves. The Bootcamp is designed to keep us moving; push up, stretching, punch, shadow and speed training. It's designed this way for a reason: this kind of training is guaranteed to get us fighting fit; melting the fat and toning the body. It's giving our body new challenges while increasing its speed, coordination and power. 

It's important to vary our workouts because the body is always trying to find ways that it can be lazy. Maybe it finds a comfortable way of doing push ups, so change the angle and make it difficult again. There are no surprises in weight lifting. You do a set and you don't move around so even though you are building your muscles, you’re not increasing your stamina. Shaolin Bootcamp builds your stamina, speed and muscles in one fully integrated movement.

Yoga Can Be Bad For You

I'm not saying that weight lifting is good or bad. I'm saying, what is your goal? If your goal is to build muscle then great. But if you're a martial artist, then your body has a whole set of goals and building muscle is just one of them. People who do yoga are very flexible in one way but if they wanted to kick or punch there would be no power so in some ways they have no flexibility at all. Martial Artists not only stretch but they also do the five kicks to extend and give their stretch power and movement. If you love yoga and you're not interested in self-defence, there's nothing wrong with this type of training. But if you're a martial artist then too much yoga can be bad for you!

Increase Your Peace And Your Punch

Another misperception is that some older people believe that all they have to practice is some gentle Qigong or Tai Qi exercise. But this isn't true because as we get older, not only do our organs shrink but also our tendons, muscles and bones. In Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body I address these concerns by teaching a Qigong form that links hard Qigong with soft Qigong. This is the first time I've taught hard and soft Qigong on a DVD. For fighters or young people who find it difficult to concentrate, these forms are more challenging so easier to focus on, they will increase the power of your punch while increasing your peace. Strengthen your Mabu and your meditation.  Strengthen the internal organs while strengthening the external muscles. This is a tough Qigong because it uses your muscles in a new static way that is different from a push up. It gives your muscle Qi, energy, power. This is the Zen way to train intelligently.

Take Action Now

Now that I'm 38, and having trained for so long, I know that it's increasingly important that we practice these Qigong's. Doesn't matter what martial art's we do, Qigong can help us and prolong our martial art's life.

In the West we tend to get wrapped up in our minds and over complicate things. My master never allowed me to do this. Coming from a Zen Temple meant I wasn't allowed to ask my master many questions because if he gave me answers then they would be his answers and this would cloud my direct experience. The Nike slogan is nicked from the Zen philosophy:  Just Do It. What does this mean? Stop thinking, stop making such a big deal, stop procrastinating. Make your health a priority. If you start thinking too much when you practice - where is the Qi? What am I feeling? Should I focus on my Dan Tian? - Just stop. 

In Shaolin the focus is not on our Dan Tian. Shaolin is a holistic way of working with our body. Our body is made up of not just a Dan Tian. This is why the focus is on the breath and the movement. Simple. Always keep it simple. Just Do it. Combine internal with external, Qigong with Kung Fu. Practice movement and breath, breath and movement, train intelligently, don't over complicate. Just do it. This means you a disciple of the Bodhidharma. This means you are training in Zen.

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