What makes you a martial artist?

What's the difference between the training of someone who exercises regularly and the training of a martial artist? Body builders may look strong but be inflexible. Yoga practioners may be flexible but ask him or her to perform a martial art’s kick and they have no power or speed. This is one of the reasons why there are a variety of Shaolin exercises and forms. We train our whole body in a very focused way so every exercise we do increases power, speed, flexibility, endurance, and reaction time.

At the Shaolin Temple we build up our fitness level from our inside out, not from the outside in. Fitness is much more than good stamina. Strength is much more than being able to lift heavy weights.

Suggested Training Plan

The training plan below covers all of your Shaolin Training in one workout. This is not for beginners, you need a level of fitness to be able to do this.

1) Run, skip or cycle for twenty minutes to make your body hot.

2) Raise each knee a hundred times to loosen your muscles.

3) Stretch your legs and hips.

4) Practise the five fundamental Shaolin kicks from Shaolin Workout 1.

5) Do some push ups to train your upper body and / or some exercises from Qigong For Upper Body.

6) Do some traditional punches to stretch out the muscles from Shaolin Workout 1Repeat 2) – 6) three times.

Once you have finished this training do some traditional forms, shadow box or do a workout from one of my workout of bootcamp DVDs.   

Qigong

After you have gone through this training plan, finish your training with the most important exercise of all; Qigong. The power of your martial art's comes from the power of your Qi. Qigong enhances the power of all the external training you have done, awakening the energy matrix of your body.

The Power Of Qi

Many athletes especially long distance runners and cyclists know that it is their mind as much as their body that gets them through the race. Once their mind has given up then they too will give up and they won’t be able to continue and complete or win the race. Even though they understand the power of their mind, they don’t understand the power of Qi. This is why they end up retiring when they're in their thirties. They don’t look after their internal organs. Shaolin Monks train as hard as Olympic athletes but their training deepens as they get older.  Why? Because they do Qigong.    

      

Bone Marrow Cleansing Massage

Once you've finished your Qigong then do the Instant Health massage with the bamboo brush. If you've been using the bamboo brush for a few years and you're not feeling as much benefit then it may be time for you to progress to doing the Instant Health Massage with the Metal Massage Brush. The metal massage brush is about the price of six massages but it will give you a lifetime of massages. Many people mistakenly believe that the metal brush is only used for body conditioning but at the Shaolin Temple we use it for bone marrow cleansing.

As we age, not only do our bones and muscles shrink unless we exercise to prevent them but also the blood cells produced by our bone marrow slow down. This is because the marrow becomes dirty. Through using the metal brush we cleanse the marrow and stop this reversal.

Start off by warming up with the bamboo brush  then move on to the metal brush. This heavier brush creates vibrations in the bones and helps to cleanse them so even though you are still doing the Instant Health massage it is having a much more powerful effect. This is where the name "Bone Marrow Cleansing" comes from.  

Whether you use the bamboo brush or the metal brush, you'll find that you will suffer from less injuries and muscle aches after your training.

This combination of training which is unique to martial arts is what makes you a martial artist and only by training in this very specific way can you become a martial artist and realize your body’s true, natural potential.

 Click here for more info on The Instant Health Massage

Click here for more info on The Metal Brush

www.shifuyanlei.com

High Intensity Training And The Martial Artist

There's been a lot of excitement recently about the latest research on High Intensity Training and how effective it is in losing weight, helping to balance sugar levels and increase fitness levels.  But what does this mean for the martial artist,  and should we change how we train on a daily basis?

Assuming you have a good fitness level already and you're not a total beginner then the first thing you have to decide is what your goal is. Most of us practice our chosen martial art because it's not a sport or another form of exercise but a path which challenges us, offering mind body wellness, giving us a deeper understanding about life, and, as is the case with Shaolin,  a pathway to Zen.

If our goal was simply to lose weight or increase aerobic endurance then our workout should mainly be High Intensity but as martial artists, we need different types of stamina.  My philosophy is to train like a fighter.

This means we begin our training with a run, minimum 5k. Once we're back in our training space, our body is warmed up and we start our martial art's training.

I believe it's best to do High Intensity Training after the run. The workouts in my circuit training DVDs are the workouts I do on a daily basis, rotate them with Bootcamp and this will challenge your body.  This coupled with bag training and Qigong is what sculpts my body and keeps me fighting fit. The number of reps you do will increase as you get fitter, at first you won't be able to keep up with my DVDs but as your fitness progresses - and it progresses quickly with High Intensity Training - then you'll increase your reps.

Research is showing that we don't need weights or lots of equipment in order to get fit, high intensity training is very effective with body weight, and challenging the large muscles in the upper and lower body order is one of the keys.

Alongside High Intensity Training, martial artists also need a longer stamina for the forms that we practice. When my muscles were tested by scientists for Shaolin Steel Jacket, they were also tested for these different levels of activity, and interestingly my muscles rated highly in high intensity and long endurance, this is because martial artists need both of these.

The important thing to take from this research is if you aren't training in High Intensity then you need to do this to up your fitness levels and if you're already training in High Intensity then don't forget what your goal is as a martial artist.

Training like a skilled fighter means we are always at the peak of our fitness and flexibility. Ask yourself, if I had to fight next week and the only contest was stamina and not skill? Would I win or lose on stamina alone? Stamina is one of the hardest things to train alone because it's always about being uncomfortable and out of your comfort zone but it's the best way to train.

Click here for more information on Shifu Yan Lei's training DVDs

SPOTLIGHT ON: Si Bi Quan

Si Bi Quan - STAMP BLOCK PUNCH FORM

 In the feature film I've just shot, Shaolin Temple students practice this form in the mountains of China, and students in the UK practice in their urban environment. One of the things I love about kung fu is how it connects us from one side of the globe to the other. One of the things I love about this form is how grounding it is, strengthening the mind as well as the body.

BENEFITS

This deceptively simple form  uses only two stances, mabu and gong bu. It builds:

Stamina

Coordination

Strengthens the legs

Acts as a gateway to Iron Leg

Centres and grounds

 CHECK LIST

Do the form slowly and check it in the mirror.

Is your body relaxed?

Are you knees slightly pushed out so they are over your knees when you're in mabu?

Are your eyes strong?

Is your centre of gravity in the middle?

Are you gently grabbing the floor with your feet. 

Don't tip the body but keep it straight.

Cautions

If you have knee or back problems then you need to keep your stance high. If you find the stance is aggravating the problem then you need to stop. There should be no pain when you do this stance.

How to improve your form

Start by doing it slowly, checking that your form is correct then begin to speed up. Practicing with a partner is a good way to push yourself but if you don't have a partner then use a stopwatch instead, do five rounds and see how long it takes you. If you don't get out of breath then you're doing it wrong! Make sure your stance  is low and don't allow yourself to rise higher.

Overview

It's a good idea for Qigong and Kung Fu students to spend some time working on this form. Our body's tend to be lazy and want to find an easy way out but regular check ups will keep us on the right path. It's also easier to feel the Qi in the Dantian when we do this form which is why even a few minutes of doing this stance will help us to feel grounded and energised. 

Want to learn more?

I teach this form in my DVDs: Shaolin Workout 1
I teach Shaolin stances in Instant Health: Qigong Workout & Rou Quan

Five Fundamental Stances - Gong Bu

The most commonly used Shaolin stance is mabu or horse stance which I wrote about here. In this blog post, I focus on the second most commonly used stance which is: Gong Bu. 

Benefits:

Strengthens the legs.

Strengthens the spine.

Is the key to unlocking the Shaolin forms.

Centers and grounds the mind and body.

Step by Step:

1) Stand straight. Draw your fists to your waist and turn your head to the left.

2) Step your left leg out to the side so your feet are wider than your shoulders and slowly squat into Ma Bu.

2) Turn both legs and bend your left leg as much as you can , keeping your right leg straight. Turn your body to face the left.

3) Remain here for six breaths.

Check list:

It's a good idea to check your stance in the mirror.

Your back foot should be slightly turned in, it shouldn't be completely straight.

Your back foot needs to be in line with your left foot.

Your front knee should be over your front foot.

Is your neck tucked in and your shoulders relaxed?

Are you knees slightly pushed out so they are over your feet?

Are your eyes strong?

Are you gently grabbing the floor with your feet. 

Don't tip the body but keep it straight.

Cautions:

If you have knee or back problems then you need to keep your stance high. If you find the stance is aggravating the problem then you need to stop. There should be no pain when you do this stance.

How to deepen your Gong Bu

Move between Ma Bu and Gong Bu making sure that your head does not lift but your body stays at the same level. Practice the traditional punching techniques that I teach in Shaolin Workout 1 then stop the DVD and practice the punches slowly and with precision.  

Overview

It's a good idea for Qigong and Kung Fu students to spend some time working on this stance in the same way that yoga students spend time working on their poses. Our body's tend to be lazy and want to find an easy way out but regular check ups will keep us on the right path. 

Shaolin Stances look easy but they are hard on the legs. If you find them easy then you are not in the stance low enough! The Shaolin stances help us to get in touch with the strength that is already within us. Runners often find that they have more stamina when they practice the Shaolin stances alongside their regular running workout.

Want to learn more?

I teach the Five Fundamental Shaolin Stances in my Rou Quan DVD and in my book - Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity. 

THOSE WHO LACK BELIEF IN THEMSELVES WILL NOT BE BELIEVED

When you are training for a fight, it is vitally important that you build up your stamina. A marathon runner has very good stamina but they would never have the stamina to fight in the ring because a fighter’s stamina is totally different. In this article I will concentrate on the first part of a fighter’s stamina training; running. In future articles I will concentrate on bag work, pad work, sparring and body conditioning so that whatever fighting art you practice you can be totally confident that your stamina will really work for you when you go to fight in the ring.

RUNNING WITH YOUR OPPONENT

As a fighter you need to vary the way that you run, some days do a short thirty minute aerobic road run, other days do some hill running. Sprint running is also very important, do ten repetitions of 100 or 200 metres twice a week. Other times you should start with a five minutes slow run then one minute slightly faster then four minutes slightly faster again then back to one minute slow again. Continue this three or four times, but start to change the way you run, use footwork, bigger steps, run backwards and then forwards, pretend that you are dodging an opponent, but keep an eye on your stopwatch – 5 - 1 – 4 – 1. Control your breathing. When you want to give up, keep reminding yourself that this strong stamina training is excellent training for the ring, imagine your opponent is here, don’t let him or her beat you, you have to make yourself as strong as you can be.

A journey of a thousand miles

Keep reinvigorating your mind with positive thoughts. Don’t think about the pain or tiredness you are feeling and don’t think about the whole training that lies ahead of you, just focus on this one single step, concentrate on your pacing, your technique, and on doing this one step the best you can.

Remember the famous Tao saying – “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footstep.” This rings just as true with training as it does with life. And focusing on that one footstep makes a huge difference when you are training. We are so used to our mind going everywhere and being very busy, it is a bad habit that we have got into it, but be strict with your mind, train it to keep coming back, keep coming back to this one step, this one step, and before you know it you have completed your run.

Making friends with the enemy

An important factor to remember when you are doing this training is to keep relaxing your body and letting go of the fatigue. If your muscles start to tense up, find a way to use your mind to relax them. You could use a visualisation technique, for example imagining your muscles are like ice and they are being melted by the sun or another way of dealing with the fatigue is by detaching yourself from yourself, and checking yourself from outside; how are you doing? What do you look like? Find the technique that works for you. Tiredness is something you will have to conqueror on a daily basis, so instead of it being an enemy, you may as well make it your friend.

Kung Fu Journey

In my DVD ‘Kung Fu Journey’, my director Marek Budzynski, insisted on showing what the training was really like on a typical day for a Shaolin disciple. Many people have dreams of being good at fighting or kung fu, but he wanted this DVD not to be like an advert but to show the real grit and hard slog of my training. One morning I went for my usual run at 5.30 am, and there he was with his film crew, filming me running up Parliament Hill in London. While I ran back to the temple, they raced back in their car and were waiting for me in the training hall.

Marek wanted to show real exertion and sweat so the viewer could get a feel for the training. And since watching this DVD, a lot of people have emailed and asked me why I use this weighted jacket when I run and how much it weighs.

Kung Fu Flying

It is 20 kg, and, as you can imagine, it makes running very difficult. When I take it off my body feels so light I feel like I can fly. I then start to do kicks or punches and they are much faster because I have been weighed down with this jacket. It is similar to runners training in higher altitudes, when they come back to a normal altitude it is much easier for them.

The reason they do this is to make the training physically harder than the competition. You need to make your training hard. As hard as you can. But find a coach or teacher so that you are pacing yourself properly. You must only use a weighted jacket when your stamina is at a certain level. This level of training is certainly not for beginners; if your body is not strong enough it can put too much strain on your muscles and potentially damage your joints.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RUNNING

I have done this training since I was fourteen years old. This kind of stamina training is very simple, hard, and boring but I can’t emphasise enough how important it is. Can you imagine if your kicking was like your sprint running? No one would be able to block your kicks. I’ve seen fighters do a lot of pad work and bag work but they never run and when they are kicked their legs can’t take it. As well as building your stamina, it also makes your legs very strong. This along with the circuit training I teach on my kung fu DVDs will keep you fighting fit and youthfully flexible. 

Never press the snooze button

This combination of stamina training is the so-called ‘secret’ behind the Shaolin martial arts. But I think it is the ‘secret’ of success. Hard work and perseverance. Training through boredom, injury, and tiredness. Put your clock on the other side of the bedroom so you can’t reach the snooze button and as soon as you hear the bell, don’t think, get up immediately. Remind yourself why you are doing this training; re-affirm your belief in yourself.

Those who lack belief in themselves will not in turn be believed

I will give you another quote from the Tao; ‘Those who lack belief in themselves will not in turn be believed.’ Believe in yourself. Don’t put limits on yourself. You can achieve much more than you think. And each day do a little bit more and a little bit more, remember don’t think of the journey, just take the steps, and take the steps, and before you know it you will be there.

Increase your stamina level with Shaolin Workout Volume 1, 2, 3 & Shaolin Bootcamp Volume 1 & 2

The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part Three

Every morning, I get up and train. My students see me do the same thing, year by year by year. It’s only when they go in the ring and fight that they understand why I do the same thing every year, every day. The simple things are the most useful but they take time and effort to master.

For example, I train my left leg to be fast and sharp. It’s not very powerful but it's fast. My right leg is very heavy and I use my left leg to attack, to break my opponents plan, any time I have the opportunity. I use my right leg to do the round house kick. If I get them with this kick then I know I will knock them out. I practice many years just for this one kick. I know I can do this kick from any angle, close or long distance. I have confidence because I've done this kick so many times.

I'm not very tall but I'm quite heavy. My opponent is always taller than me so they have a longer reach than me. This is why I need good body conditioning. I don’t have as much opportunity as them to punch and kick. I practice a lot of body conditioning so I know that my body can take their kick and punch.  When I get close to them, I can use my kick to finish this fight.

The important thing is you have to know yourself and know your body. Everyone is different. My technique wouldn’t work for you. Do you know what would? What do you want to do? Build up your punch or your kick? What are you good at? What are you bad at? How do you hide the things you're no good at? How do you use your good things? No-one can teach you. You need to find this out for yourself. You have to become your own teacher and teach yourself.

If you love martial arts then you need to be humble and lonely and simple. Try to make simple things not simple . Try to make lonely life not lonely. Try to make hard training easy. Once you have this kind of thinking you can become a good fighter because you have truly  conquered yourself.

Related DVDs:
Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Bootcamp Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Workout Volume 1, 2, 3
Kung Fu Ch'an 
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The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part Two

If you want to become a good MMA fighter then you need to train with focus. You can't be the best at ground, punch, and kick. You need to choose one or two skills that you will become special at and focus on these then have the other skills as the extra things you can do.

I have many MMA students that want to study with me, they say they know Juijutsu, Thai Boxing, Boxing etc but when I see them train, I ask them, “Which  is your weapon? Your kick or your punch?”  Most people don't have a lethal weapon. They are not 100% in control of their punch or their kick. They have no weapon that can enable them to win.  This means they have nothing special.

I tell them, this means that every time you go to fight, you are hoping for luck. You don't know which skill will help you to win the fight:  kick or punch or ground fighting. When you become a fighter, you can’t live for luck, you need to have full confidence, believe in your punch or your kick or your knee or elbow. Know that when you have the opportunity, you can knock your opponent out.

Because you know you can do this, then you make a strategy to trap them, you are setting them up so you can have the opportunity to knock them out. It's only when you are at this level that you are a good fighter.

This is the reason why you need to be humble. If you have too much desire to have everything, you can't have everything. You can only have one or two skills. This is enough for you to win. Simplify your training and strengthen your skill.

But it's not easy. Because when you have a skill, you have to use your brain, you need to fight different kind of fighters so you need to be able use your weapon from different angles, you need to practice over and over again to make your weapon sharper and sharper. This humbles you. It’s boring. There’s nothing exciting. Where as when you learn different martial arts and different techniques, you feel excited and stimulated but the truth is, you can’t master them. You will always be an average fighter. This week I want you to find your special skill and train in it intensively until it becomes your special weapon
Related DVDs:
Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Bootcamp Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Workout Volume 1, 2, 3
Kung Fu Ch'an 
If you like this blog please share by clicking on the links below.

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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