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

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. 

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 
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Five Ways To Tune Up Your Metabolism

Metabolism tends to slow down as we get older but there are many health and wellness factors we can control to keep it well tuned so that we can continue to maintain a healthy weight and have optimal energy through every stage of our life. These are my five top tips from the Shaolin Temple as to how to keep your metabolism running smoothly.


1) Do Qigong

Qigong regulates the bodies energy. If a person's metabolism is too fast, it will slow down, if it's too slow, the body will shift accordingly. If you're not sure whether you believe in Qi, then take a look at the research some scientists did on my Qigong.

If you're still not convinced then think that you're oxygenating your inner organs. Getting fresh oxygen into the body can't be a bad thing. After going through The Eight Treasures form you'll feel relaxed and have more energy. Relaxation alone helps  balance the metabolism. A happy mind makes a happy body.

2) Do Shaolin Kung Fu

Studies show that interval training can increase metabolism if done at least three times a week. It not only builds endurance but interval training means muscles use more oxygen and burn more calories. Shaolin Kung Fu is the ultimate interval training workout not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to get fighting fit and feel confident. It's cheap, effective and it means we don't need to do a separate cardio from our weight training because we use our own body as the weight. (If you are new to exercise, elderly or haven't exercised in a while then interval training may not be for you and you need to read my beginner's guide to the Shaolin Workout first, which you can find in my newsletters. )

3) Include protein at every meal

Protein takes longer for the body to break down than carbohydrates or fruit and vegetables so you burn more calories when digesting it. Protein is an important factor for Chinese medicine and can include pulses and beans, tofu, fish, poultry as well as meat.

4) Drink green tea

The village where I made my Qigong Volume 2 and 3 and Rou Quan DVDs all drink a very special tea which is known as kung fu tea. This is not because it has anything to do with kicking or punching but because there is a traditional ceremony involved in the making and serving of the tea which takes time - gung in Chinese -. This tea is the explanation the people in this village give for being slim and healthy. A recent study backs up their explanation. It has found that the antioxidants in the green tea may stimulate the body to burn calories and decrease fat. Try to drink a few cups of good quality tea a day.

5) Meditate

Cortisol is the hormone that's produced by the body when it's stressed, this hormone slows metabolism, stimulates appetite, and can increase fat. If you don't have time to meditate then use your Qigong practice as a meditation. Do the standing Qigong ( Qigong 1 or 3) in the day then the sitting Qigong ( Way of Qigong 2) for five or ten minutes in the evening to help unwind before you go to sleep.