The intent of this article is to:
Northern Shaolin
Northern Shaolin evolved in the Buddhist temples of China. It had many earlier influences; regional fighting styles, Chinese folk dance, and Yoga from India. (Yoga and Kung Fu are both mind/body health systems. The Indian impulse was one of reverent spirituality; the Chinese concern was with practical and beautiful fighting maneuvers.)
Northern Shaolin is foundation training for all the other systems. It is characterized by lots of fancy footwork, high kicks, jumps and spins. Its displays of elegant, extravagant movement thrill the onlooker and exhilarate the student. It is extremely challenging for literal self-defense in that its primary function is a particular kind of conditioning. The fighting applications are fused with aesthetics that train coordination and develop strength and endurance. It is best learned starting at a young age as it is a physically demanding discipline, requiring flexibility and youthful exuberance.
Its importance should not be overlooked by the internal stylists. The range of movement required by the forms develops a specific structure and liberates a course for the energy flow generated by the internal styles.
The main branch of Northern Shaolin has many offshoots: Preying Mantis, Southern style Shaolin, White Crane, Wu Shu, even Karate. Wu Shu, which has become the national art of China, is a dramatic, stage oriented practice that incorporates elements of ballet and gymnastics. However, the altered posture (arched back, locked joints) are contrary to the alignment necessary to develop fighting feeling. Although the athletic demands of Wu Shu are not in harmony with the needs of the body in the long run, it is a wonderful performance art.
In my experience, the loosening and strengthening effects and coordinated conditioning of Northern Shaolin practice cannot be duplicated by any other process than rigorous, repetitious and increasingly complex form training.
Tai Chi
The lofty title of Grand Ultimate Boxing is well deserved. It is the most beneficial system in terms of its functions and universality. The movements reside on set principals, which are reflected upon constantly during practice. These principals are:
It seems incongruent that the student will develop by practicing slowly. How can speedy responses in fighting be the outcome? A firm root (weight sunk directly on the legs and a straight back) generates power through reflexive arm movement (this is also true of the other systems, just felt more acutely in Tai Chi).
Consider this Zen story:
A student asks his teacher how long it will take him to become enlightened. The Master answers, "Ten years". Disappointed, the student asks how long it will take if he's very diligent in his meditations. The answer - "Twenty years". The student, surprised, asks, "How long will it take if I try harder than any previous student?" The Master's answer is "Forty years."
Tai Chi allows the arms and legs to relax so that the moves must come from the center, rather than arrive there. Put differently, Shaolin comes from the outside-in (external), and Tai Chi from the inside-out (internal).
Tai Chi is considered the "softest" of the internal styles. Energetically, Shaolin represents expenditure and Tai Chi accumulation. Shaolin can exhilarate and then possibly tire the student, whereas Tai Chi relaxes and energizes. Traditionally the student, full of youthful abundance, will find an outlet in Shaolin, and later in life, patiently explore the many aspects of Tai Chi training.
One gets the sense that, in part, Tai Chi is Shaolin broken down into increments. Transitions are given as much weight and attention as completed moves. In terms of fighting function, Tai Chi's emphasis is on circularity, deflection and penetration evolved as a counter to the more linear Shaolin.
The most profound value of Tai Chi is the way its slow movement stretches and encourages energy flow along the meridian lines in the body. Simply put, the practice of Tai Chi forms generates an inner calm, strength and reserve of energy.
Tsing Yi Tsing Yi is the oldest and most primitive of all the Kung Fu systems. The movements are direct and simple. The body movements of the 5 elements (metal, water, wood, fire and earth) and the 12 animals (dragon, bear, tiger, horse, monkey, snake, turtle, dove, falcon, eagle, rooster and sparrow) evoke the feeling of that element or animal as well as imitate its motion visually. The crouching and pouncing require a kick off the back leg. This spring-like action causes the muscles to contract and relax quickly for the leap and resulting pounce. The Tan Tien (the body's center of gravity) must be the source of the movement, or the pounce will be off balance or top heavy. The after-effects of Tsing Yi training are intense. One feels like something not human or reflective, but mindless, primitive and reactive - like a one celled organism, a tree, or a river. One student asked to be taken off Tsing Yi training and resume Tai Chi because he was being more than abrupt with people at work who irritated him. Tsing Yi is considered the hardest of all the internal systems. However, this does not mean the body should be tight or tense. The body should be just as relaxed as in Tai Chi, the softest internal system. As in Tai Chi, hand and foot move together. The difference lies in the pace or rhythm. Tai Chi is a continuous, gentle flow while Tsing Yi is a spasmodic "fast and freeze" movement. The sprinter-like crouch and ensuing pounce results in a stop and go action, causing an interplay of tensing and relaxing the muscles. This is the opposite of Tai Chi, which necessitates an all-over light contraction of the musculature, due to the slow constant pace. Viewing the historical development of systems, Tsing Yi predates Shaolin by thousands of years. It is linked with early Chinese cosmology, insights into the physical world and ancient boxing techniques. When training Tsing Yi, imagine the opponent, and when fighting, imagine no opponent. This outlook is very desirable. When fighting, much is lost due to self-generated resistance. Tsing Yi blasts through all barriers. It is crude, unrefined and direct. Pa Kua Pa Kua is the most therapeutic of all the systems in that it targets vital areas (hips, shoulders, spine, neck and eyes) for increasing energy flow. Pa Kua also is reputed to heal the glands. The basic mechanics of the movement are organized around a circle. The sustained weight sinking while stepping around the circle, focusing the eyes on the center and maintaining extended arm positions causes the vertebrae to twist and stretch. Hips and ankles are stretched as well, causing increased energy flow through-out these vital areas. Pa Kua is considered the middle ground between the "hard" Tsing Yi and the "soft" Tai Chi. The breathing deepens during the practice. There is an overall sinewy, smooth quality to the movements not experienced in any previous systems. Due to the centrifugal focal point, Pa Kua is intensely meditative. Post training, one can still feel the movement internally, like a whirling sensation in the Tan Tien. Pa Kua can be compared to Tai Chi in that it deflects and is very controlled. They both fight at close range. Often, Pa Kua sidesteps with a coiling and uncoiling motion whereas Tai Chi absorbs the attack and penetrates (they both seek to uproot). Pa Kua's rooted stepping trains the ability to get behind, under, around and through the opponent. It develops an inward, spiraling type of momentum that generates great power. The timing is the most naturalistic in feeling. Compared to Tai Chi's forced slowness, Tsing Yi's abrupt speediness and Shaolin's overextended snappiness, Pa Kua has a comfortable smooth pace. In conclusion, each system works to improve the others. Shaolin training causes the student to be limber and coordinated enough to perform all the internal material. The feeling is then developed from the amount of time and attention paid to practicing. Tai Chi improves on Shaolin because balance, timing and waist movement are improved. Tsing Yi contributes an explosive power to the Shaolin, and Shaolin in turn develops looseness and footwork so the Tsing Yi can be executed with speed and coordination. Pa Kua contributes stamina, looser hips, more synchronized movement and tremendous upper body mobility. Put more simply, the rooted feeling in the legs, hips and Tan Tien, lead to the feeling of upper body buoyancy and suppleness in the waist which is common to all the systems. The resulting effects of stress relief, improved posture, deeper breathing, better circulation and mental clarity can be expected from practicing any of them. Form training must be precise. Some Masters will sometimes disregard the exacting nature of the forms and claim feeling and content are the only essentials. One must keep in mind that it is only through the precise execution of the forms that the feelings are generated. Also, respect must be paid to their exact historical preservation. The after effect of training is one of pure exhilaration with no subsequent depression (provided one doesn't overtrain). It compares with "runner's high", or to the feeling of ecstasy experienced by musicians playing together. The desire to engage oneself in such engrossing and beneficial activity is renewed after time, food and rest have replenished the system. Fascination and excitement motivate the individual to train, rather than cold self discipline. Kung Fu represents a bulk of knowledge too vast to be absorbed by any one individual. The training represents unlimited growth potential as it is the accumulation of awareness and not mere muscular exertion. Call it refined coordination. When blockages are overcome, one feels the sensation of pure movement. Mastery is a misnomer. For those enjoying daily practice, there is no "knowing", just "doing". Kung Fu Masters often express themselves with great humility because their fighting responses are so deeply instinctual and highly refined that they are not felt at the "ego" level. The knowledge of the art can be directed to healing, especially by those Masters who understand herbal medicine, diet, Chi Kung, meridians, etc... The significance of training for the individual then becomes infinitely expanded due to the ability to maintain his or her own health and to exert a positive force on others.