The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu

Shaolin Kung Fu sounds like magic to many people, for they have learned that is not only an effective martial art and an excellent system for health and vitality, it is also a way to spiritual joy. Those who have the privilege to meet genuine Shaolin masters or to have a more than superficial knowledge of Shaolin tradition will appreciate that this is not an exaggerated claim. Shaolin Kung Fu, together with the related arts of Shaolin Chi Kung and Zen or meditation, was taught in great secrecy in Shaolin Monastery, which is regarded as the ‘foremost monastery beneath heaven’.
Shaolin Monastery was the imperial temple situated at the Central Sacred Summit of China, where emperors of every dynasty since its establishment ascended to pray on behalf of the people. Yet the main reason for its prestigious title as ‘the foremost monastery beneath heaven’ was not this imperial connection, but the marvelous arts taught there. It is no historical coincidence that some of the best generals in Chinese history, like Yuan Zhong of the Tang Dynasty, Yue Fei of the Song Dynasty, and Chi Ji Guang of the Ming Dynasty, had their martial training in the Shaolin tradition.
Although Shaolin Chi Kung is not as well known as Shaolin Kung Fu, probably because it is a more advanced art and was therefore preserved in more secrecy, its contribution to today’s needs, especially in managing stress and relieving physical and emotional illness, is even more immediate and necessary. Professor Qian Xue Sen, the father of the Chinese rocket, believed that the greatest medical breakthrough of this century would be made through Chi Kung, the understanding and practice of man’s vital energy. It is Shaolin Chi Kung, with its development of internal force that has baffled many martial artists, that enables SHaolin Kung Fu to soar to its heights and reach its depths. The following articles will provide some useful methods for internal force training.
Probably the most important yet least known Shaolin teaching, however, is on Zen, which is the highest form of Shaolin Kung Fu. Not many people, even among those who practise Zen, are aware that all schools of Zen in the world today originated form Shaolin Monastery. Zen is regarded as the most direct form of spiritual cultivation, where enlightenment is attained in an instant. The hallmark of Zen is experience not speculation or intellectualization; one attains a Zen awakening by directly experiencing it, not by merely understanding its philosophy. We will show you how to train for a Zen awakening in the following contents. It is Zen that elevates Shaolin Kung Du to its position as the greatest martial art in the world. This is a claim which martial artists of other styles, understandably, will vehemently oppose, but which even they may concede after reading our articles.
In my many years of teaching the Shaolin arts, people have sought our advice on the following three questions:
How can Shaolin Kung Fu be applied for self-defence?
How can internal force be trained?
How can practicing Shaolin Kung Fu enable one to experience spiritual joy?
Some articles aims to answer these and other relevant questions. The historical and philosophical aspects of Shaolin Kung Fu are also explained, as many people, especially from Western societies, have frequently indicated to me their difficulty in obtaining such information, which is necessary for a proper appreciation of Shalin Kung Fu. Nevertheless, this book is mainly a practical guide.
The large number of people from both the East and the West who practise Kung Fu but do not know its combat application is alarming. It has become normal for many kung Fu students nowadays to learn only routine sets, which is actually only the first stage of Shaolin Kung Fu training, without ever progressing to more advanced stages. This is unfortunate because not only is Shaolin kung Fu a very effective fighting art, but the invaluable aspects of health and vitality as well as the development of the noble personality for which true Shaolin disciples are noted, are derived form training in Shaolin Kung Fu as a martial art, and not as a demonstrative form to please spectators.
A few of my students have asked me a particularly searching question: Why do so many Kung Fu students, knowing that Kung Fu is a very effective fighting art, apparently do nothing about it when they are not getting any benefit in terms of self-defence? There are various reasons for this, but instead of dwelling on them, a major portion of these articles is devoted to providing helpful principles and methods to enable Kung Fu students to train themselves to be competent martial artists using such Shaolin methods as specific techniques, combat sequences, sparring sets, force training, tactics and strategies. It must also be emphasized that the Shaolin teaching is opposed to brutality and aggressiveness; if you are looking for a book to turn you into a street fighter, you have definitely chosen the wrong one.
While combat efficiency is a primary function of Shaolin Kung Fu, a more immediate and useful benefit in our law-abiding society is attaining radiant health and vitality. This can be effectively achieved through Shaolin Chi Kung, which represents an advanced stage of Shaolin Kung Fu training. Chi Kung, the art of developing vital energy, not only enhances one’s Kung Fu ability and performance but also promotes emotional and mental development. This book will show you how.
The training of the mind is further enhanced in Zen, or meditation, which will lead Shaolin Kung Fu to the greatest heights and depths. The wisdom of the Shaolin teaching, which reflects the teaching of Buddhism, is awe-inspiring. Since Buddhism is not a religion as the term is usually understood in the West, but a quest for spiritual joy, the Shaolin arts can be practiced by people of any race, culture of religion. Throughout Shaolin history, there have been masters who explicitly professed Taoism, Christianity, Islam and other religions. Cosmic truths like the relativity of time and space, multi-dimensional realms of existence, different levels of consciousness, and seas of myriad stars and galaxies have not only been taught but actually perceived by Shaolin masters in their deep meditation centuries before our modern scientists accepted their validity.
The highest attainment of Shaolin Kung Fu is spiritual fulfillment, irrespective of one’s religion, and this is sometimes achieved through Shaolin Chi kung but usually through Zen. The highest spiritual fulfillment is known in the Shaolin teaching as enlightenment, which is a Buddhist term meaning the liberation of the illusory personal self to realize the Supreme Reality, and which has been described by different religious teachers as the return to God, the union with the Ultimate Truth, or the merging with the Cosmos.
This book therefore covers all important aspects of Shaolin Kung Fu, many of which are not readily available to the public in general, and fulfills a most extensive range of needs for the young, the middle-aged and older people. The young, at heart as well as in years, will find the more dynamic aspects of Shaolin Kung Fu fascinating, not only in opening a vista of combative techniques and skills different from those they have been accustomed to, but perhaps more importantly in providing a training programme that gives them vitality, stamina, quick judgement and mental freshness.
The middle-aged, many of whom may have endured chronic illness, stress and psychotic problems will find the energy flow of Shaolin Kung Fu rewarding. If they consistently practise the Chi Kung exercises described in this book, they have a good chance of relieving their health problems. Those who are already healthy will find the graceful, internal aspects of Shaolin Kung Fu enhances their physical, emotional and mental well-being, so that they can get more out of their daily work and play.
Those who are older, not necessarily in age but in their development and aspirations, will find the spiritual aspect of Shaolin Kung Fu exciting, as it answers questions such as ‘What is the purpose of life?’ ‘Where will I ultimately go to?’ and ‘What actually is cosmic reality? ’and provides practical methods for understanding them. They will appreciate the Zen tenet of experiencing truth directly, and not merely intellectualizing possibilities.
Those who are used to thinking of Shaolin Kung Fu as nothing more than a fighting art will probably find the claims in this book unbelievable. Genuine Shaolin Kung Fu, especially at the advanced levels of Chi Kung and Zen, was taught to very special people, such as emperors, generals and selected disciples. A basic tenet of the Shaolin teaching, which is an echo of the Buddha’s advice to his followers, is that one should not accept anything on faith alone, nor on the reputation of the masters, but practise the arts diligently for a reasonable length of time, and then assess the results according to one’s understanding and experience.
In conclusion I wish to thank ms Julia McCutchen, the Editorial Director, and her capable team at Element Books for their patience and understanding; Ms Doreen Montgomery of Rupert Crew, my literary agent, for her invaluable assistance; and my senior disciple, Shaolin master Cheong Huat Seng and Shaolin master Goh Kok Hin for respectively taking the photographs and posing as my ‘opponent’ for the llustrations in this book.

Wong Kiew Kit
Grandmaster

Shaolin Wahnam Kung Fu and Chi Kung