The Internal Force of Shaolin Kung Fu

The Relationship Between Technique and Force

Some people have rightly said that awarding black belts in any martial art to children gives a false sense of competence. It is acceptable if they are awarded as an encouragement for their wholesome participation in martial arts as sports or as a recognition of the fact that they have attained certain skills and techniques, but it should not be imagined that children with black belts are formidable fighters to be reckoned with even by adults. In a fight a seven-year-old black belt, for example, will be no match for a powerful adult, even though the child is trained in martial arts techniques and the adult may have no knowledge of martial arts at all. Even though the child may hit the adult many times, it will not cause any serious injury, but just one powerful blow by the adult may be sufficient to kill the child. The decisive factor here is force.
In terms of force, the relationship between a Kung Fu master and an ordinary person is like that between a powerful adult and a child. With the exception of vital spots like the eye, throat and genitals, which will be carefully guarded, a master with the art of Iron Fist and Iron Shirt, for example, can take hits from an ordinary person without sustaining injury, but a single strike of the [ron Fist, which can create a hole m a wall, will also break bones and damage internal organs.
Hence, the mark of a master lies in depth of force rather than range of techniques. Of course, this does not mean that techniques are not important; it only shows that force is generally a more significant factor in deciding victory in combat. When the question of force is not relevant, as when children fight among themselves, or when students of similar force levels engage in sparring, techniques become very important.
The word 'force' is an imperfect translation of the Chinese term gong (pronounced 'kung').The term 'Kung Fu' (gongfu in Romanized Chinese) comes from this concept of gong, indicating that the emphasis is not on learning techniques but on training force. Besides force, the concept of gong also includes other factors like skill, speed, agility, balance, fluidity of movement and correctness of form.
For convenience, gong may be classified into different types, such as basic and specialized, hard and soft, external and internal, but this classification is arbitrary and provisional, and there is often much overlap.
Briefly, basic gong or basic skills refer to the fundamental Kung Fu skills like stances, balance and agility which constitute the foundation of all development. Specialized gong or specialized arts refer to skills and force that are usually limited to specific functions, like the art of Tiger Claw for effective, powerful grip, and the art of Running on Grass, which is a figurative way of saying the exponent can run very fast.
Hard .gong or hard force refers to force that usually exhibits great destructive power, like Iron Fist and Iron Palm. It is mainly acquired through hard (meaning both tough and difficult) conditioning, like hit- ting sandbags and jabbing the palm into granules for years. Soft gong or soft arts, in contrast, are developed through more gentle, but not necessarily easy, means, like repeatedly' stretching and bending the muscles as in the art of Flexible Legs, to develop quick, subtle muscular movements, and running in a maze of poles as in the art of Running Through Woods, to develop agility.
External gong or external force is developed through external means, like hitting sandbags, striking poles, carrying weights, stretching muscles and running on the rims of huge baskets. Internal gong or internal force is derived from internal methods, principally by means of strengthening ring (matter in its finest form), controlling chi (vital energy), and developing shen (mind).
Generally, but not always, hard force is developed by external methods, and internal arts are soft. Hence it is common to equate hard with external and soft with internal. But we must remember that some hard force, like Golden Bell where the exponent can take even weapon attacks with- out sustaining injury, is internal; and many forms of soft, internal force like Cosmos Palm and One-Finger Zen can be very powerful. The word 'soft' is a poor translation of the Chinese term rou, which does not imply any lack of force. The training of advanced Shaolin arts generally involves both external and internal, hard and soft methods.
Basic skills are very important. Many students overlook them, thinking that they are elementary, but in fact, both the terms 'basic' and 'elemen- taW' suggest that they lay the foundation for future development. If' you want to become a Kung Fu master, you should spend some time on basic skills, especially the Horseriding Stance and the art of Flexible Legs, as explained in Chapter 6.Two other very important basic exercises, the arts of One-Finger Shooting Zen and Thirty Punches, are explained below.

The Art of One-Finger Shooting Zen

The One-Finger Zen hand form is a representative Shaolin symbol, and the art of One-Finger Shooting Zen is the fundamental force training technique in my Shaolin school, the Shaolin Wahnam Kung Fu and Chi Kung School, founded by me and named after my two masters, Sifia Lai Chin Wah and Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, who so kindly and generously passed the Shaolin arts to me.
The words of my master Sifu Ho Fart Nam, when 1 first learned Shaolin Kung Fu from him, still ring in nay ears. He said:
One-Finger Zen andTiger Claw are two of the most advanced arts in Shaolin Kung Fu. They are found in the art of One Finger Shooting Zen. Continue to practise this art daily even after you have become a master.
Ideally you should practise the art of Shooting Zen after you can sit in the Horseriding Stance for five minutes. To save time, you may begin it when you can perform the Horseriding Stance well, but you must continue practising the stance until you can achieve the minimum five minutes.

1 Sit comfortably in a Horseriding Stance. Gently sink your chi to your abdominal dan tian, the energy field about 3in below your navel. Hold your right One-Finger Zen hand form near your breast, with the index finger pointing skyward -figure Il. 1 fa). Breathe in gently through your nose.
2 Gendy move the One-Finger Zen forward until your arm is fully extended, but without your elbow locked, and your arm is parallel to the ground at shoulder level -figure 11.1 (b). Do not raise your shoulder. As you move your arm out, gently breathe out through your mouth with a gentle 'shsss...' sound coming from your kidneys.
3 Then bring your One-Finger Zen back to the starting position -figure 11.1 (a), gently breathing in as you do so.
4 Repeat this moving out and bringing in of your One-Finger Zen twice, ie three times altogether. 5 After doing this three times, shoot out your One-Finger Zen with some speed and let your index finger point forwards, with your arm straight -figure 11.1 (c). Simultaneously let out an explosive 'her-it' sound, coming from your abdomen. Make sure that you do not raise your shoulder.
6 Change your hand form from the One-Finger Zen to a Tiger Claw. Bend your arm slightly and make a clockwise circle with your Tiger Claw in front of your body, as if you were blocking an opponent's punch-figure 11.2 (a).
7 Then pull your right Tiger Claw down near to your right knee – .figure 11.2 (b) – simultaneously making a 'yaa...' sound, vibrating from your lungs.
8 Relax fully with a 'ha' sound. Hold your right hand in a fist and place it at your waist. Swallow the saliva in your mouth into your stomach, and feel it go down to your abdomen.
9 Now use your left hand to repeat the whole process. Then repeat the whole procedure, right and left hand, many times – the number of times depends on your progress.
10 When you can co-ordinate your breathing and movement well in your Horseriding Stance, progress to the next stage. Perform the same procedure, except that when you move your hand out and breathe out, visualize your vital energy flowing from. your abdominal dan tian to your index finger. When you move your hand in and breathe in, visualize cosmic energy flowing into your dan tian.
11 Next, when you can co-ordinate your mind, energy flow and hand movement well, progress to the final stage of channelling internal force. Perform the same procedure, but as you move your hand out and in, tense it and visualize it as charged with internal force. As you shoot out your One-Finger Zen, visualize your internal force shooting out like an arrow. You need not worry about what internal force is; when it comes you will experience it, and it can be so powerful that your index finger will vibrate naturally with the force.
12 At the end of the One-Finger Shooting Zen, drop your arms to your side with the palms open, and bend your body slightly -figure11.3 (a).
13 Jump lightly to bring both feet centrally together. As you jump, bring both hands to breast level, with the palms facing upwards -figure 11.3 (b) – and simultaneously breathe in through your nose, into your chest.
14 Then turn your palms face down, and lower them -figure 11.3 (c),so that your arms drop naturally at your sides. At the same time, breathe out gently through your mouth, and let your chi sink gently, very gently, down to your abdominal dan tian -figure 11.3 (d).
15 Close your eyes and relax. Do not think of anything. Remain in this standing meditation position for a few minutes. If you have been practising the Shooting Zen correctly, you will feel internal force flowing along your arms as well as swelling inside you.
16 Finally rub your palms together, warm your eyes with your palms as you open them, massage your face and head gently, and walk about briskly. This is the standard procedure to complete most forms of force training.
It is very important that even though you tense your arm and finger, you must never be tense, especially in your chest. The relaxation with a 'ha' sound at the completion of each set of movements is very important. If you feel pain in your chest, it means you have been performing the exer- cise incorrectly, and you must stop, at least for the time being. Serious injury may result if you persist despite the warning sign of pain. A self- manifested chi flow exercise, which will be explained in Chapter 14, can relieve this problem.

Developing Forceful Punches

The art of Thirty Punches consists of three stages: empty punching, punching with weights and punching a sandbag. You should proceed to the next stage only after you have attained some force in the previous ones. There is no time limit for the duration of training in this art, but a minimum is two months for each stage.
1 Sit comfortably in a Horseriding Stance. Breathe in gently through your nose, into your abdominal dan tian.
2 Punch out your right fist, letting out an explosive 'her-it' sound at the same time -figure 11.4 (a). Make sure you do not move your body, especially your shoulder.
3 Hold the punch for two or three seconds, and breathe in gently into your dan tian.
4 Repeat the procedure alternating your left and right fist for thirty punches. Complete the training with the standard procedure as explained in the secfon on One-Finger Shooting Zen above.

When you can punch quite well without moving your shoulder, punch with all your might. Imagine that you are knocking down a wall each time you punch. Later, instead of taking a breath for each punch, one breath can last for three consecutive punches, without losing any force. Then you can progress to one breath for five punches, seven punches and so on. In this way you will also increase the speed of your punch, without reducing your punching force. This completes the stage of empty punching.
The second stage is similar to the first, except that you hold weights in your fist while punching. In the past, students used stone-locks, which were self-made cement blocks with bars across as handles. Modern students can use the more convenient dumb-bells -figure 11.4 (b). Start with a comfortable weight, then work up gradually to heavier ones.
In the third stage, sit in a Horseriding Stance and punch a hanging sandbag 30 times. That is one set, and you can train for many sets. Your punch should be so powerful that you send the sandbag flying with each punch -figure 11.4 (c). Gradually increase the weight of the sandbag.
If you are ambitious and train for three years instead of six months, you can use marbles and pebbles, then ball bearings and iron filings, instead of sand for your punching bags. You will then have progressed from the art of Thirty Punches to Iron Fist.
In developing hard, external force like Iron Fist, or even punching a sandbag in Thirty Punches, it is necessary to apply Kung Fu medicine to prevent or cure any injury. The following medicinal wine is useful for relieving injuries like bruises, pain, swelling, blood clots, energy blockages at the superficial level, and other traumatic injuries sustained through hard force training or sparring. The names of the ingredients in Chinese are as follows:
ru xiang, mo yao, chuan hong hun, gui wei, zhi ke, chuangong, tao ten, mu xiang, chen xiang, fin fie, chi yao, ji geng, zhi zi, hu gu, dan pi.
Take 12g of each ingredients and soak the mixture in 3 pints of white rice wine. After about two months, discard the residue. Rub some medicinal wine externally on the injured spot, and avoid bringing the medicated part into contact with water for at least an hour.
While Iron Fist was a formidable asset in the past, in my opinion its great destructive properties limit its practical usefulness in today's more settled times. Indeed, when one is likely to break bones or even kill some- one with one punch, Iron Fist becomes a liability instead of an asset. The long training time needed to develop it would be better spent on other Shaolln arts, some of which will be described later, which will bring benefits to you and others. If you want an art that is forceful in self- defence, but will not destroy your opponent, qin-na and Tiger Claw would be a good choice.

The Compassionate Art of Qin-Na

The Shaolin arts of qin-na and Tiger Claw, in line with the spirit of Shaolin teaching, represent a compassionate way of fighting, because they can be used to defeat or subdue opponents decisively without hurting them unnecessarily. There are three ways of attacking using the Tiger Claw:jabbing the claws right into the body, striking with the Tiger Claw palm, and gripping the opponent with the Tiger Claw.
The first method is savage, usually resulting in the opponent's death, and it is therefore never used by Shaolin masters. The second method uses the internal force of the tiger and often causes serious injury, although the opponent can usually recover by taking Kung Fu medicine. It is seldom used. The most popular way of using the Tiger Claw is the third way, holding and gripping, known in Chinese as qin-na. It puts an opponent out of action, yet he or she can recover almost immediately.
Qin-na is technically and qualitatively different from the holds and locks found in some other martial arts, although they may appear to be similar superficially It actually consists of two parts: qin, which means 'hold', and na which may be translated as 'grip'. Although closely related, they' are two different techniques. Na, as far as I know, is unique in Shaolin Kung Fu. It is not found in any other martial arts, at least not in as refined and deep a way as Shaolin Kung Fu. Na, as used here, is not just 'grip' as in gripping somebody's hand or gripping an umbrella in an ordinary manner, in which case it would be no different from qin or 'hold'. Na involves gripping in a special way with the fingers penetrating deep into the opponent's vital points, tendons or joints, so that any unpractised attempt by the opponent to pull away would result in more injury. A qin- na exponent needs to know the meridian system, vital points and posi- tions of the muscles, tendons and joints of the body in detail. There is no English equivalent for qin-na; the convenient translation 'hold and grip' gives only a partial idea.
Many people, including martial artists, are unaware that when you h01d an opponent even in an elaborate lock, you yourself are being immobi- lized as much as your opponent. As soon as you release your hold to free yourself, your opponent becomes free to fight you again. This is not the case in qin-na, because your penetrating grip, not your hold, immobilizes the opponent, so that even when you release the hold he will be unable to fight effectively. Hence, in qin-na it is not necessary to employ elabo- rate locks; an apparently simple grip on the elbow, for example, as is shown in the combination set in the previous chapter, is sufficient to put the opponent out of action, because it will have damaged the vital points or tendons controlling the mobility of the arm.
Qin-na works on three main principles, concisely expressed as 'sepa- rating tendons', 'dislocating joints' and 'gripping points'. They refer to techniques of immobilizing the opponent by damaging his tendons and muscles that control body movement, displacing the natural functions of the joints, and blocking energy flow (including the flow of mental impulses along nerves) at vital points that affect the reactions. Ifyou dam- age the muscles of the upper arm, for example, or dislocate the elbow, or grip some vital points at the shoulder, you can put that arm out of action.
But this injury is only temporary; a master can restore the opponent's natural functions almost immediately, for example by massaging the affected muscles, fixing the dislocation and releasing the energy blockages at the vital points. Dislocating joints is not often used because there is a risk involved. The following advice from my master, Sifu Ho Fart Nam, when he taught me qin-na, is invaluable:
If we are not accurate, or if the opponent moves at just the wrong time when we dislocate the arm, portions from the head of the bone may be broken off.. It is easy to replace a dislocation or to fix a fracture of the body of the bone but to fix a fractured bone-head is extremely difficult. Ifit is not properly done, the opponent may suffer for life. We do not want that to happen.
To apply qin-na well, besides knowing the techniques and having the skill to reach the right spots accurately, it is necessary to have the internal force to execute the techniques. The type of force used to back up qin-na is usuallyTiger Claw or Eagle Claw, both of which are famous Shaolin arts. We do not have enough space to go further into this effective, compassionate art, and to discuss qin-na techniques, their effects on various parts of the body and remedial measures to relieve injuries, but training for its back- up force, Tiger Claw, is explained below. And even if you do not know the intricacies of qin-na, the Tiger Claw force is very useful.

The Internal Force of Tiger Claw

1 Stand in a right Bow-Arrow Stance. Without moving your body, swing both palms, with fingers slightly bent, from your left side up to your front as if you were performing the Mirror Hand block, with your right palm at about eye level, and your left palm near your right elbow-figure 11.5 (a). Simultaneously let out a 'her-it' sound, coming from your abdomen.

2 Turn both palms so that they now face away from you and holding them in the Tiger Claw hand form pull them downwards, with your right Tiger Claw at about your right knee, and your left at about your left knee -figure 11.5 (b). Simultaneously let out a continuous 'yaa...' sound, as you tense your hand and channel internal force to your fingers.
3 Relax after you have pulled your Tiger Claws down to your knees.
4 Repeat three times. For beginners, practising three times may be quite strenuous ifthe exercise is done correctly.
5 Rest for a short while, and perform the exercises another three times on your left side using a left Bow-Arrow Stance.
This exercise is called Fierce Tiger Cleanses Claws, and should be be practised throughout your Tiger Claw training. As you progress, gradually increase the number of times you do it, and skip the short rest between the right and left mode of training. Later, instead of turning from the right to the left Bow-Arrow Stance, move your back left leg forward to form a left Bow-Arrow Stance, then move your back right leg forward to form a right Bow-Arrow Stance, while you continue to perform the exercise. Then reverse the movement; move your front right leg backwards to form a left Bow-Arrow Stance. You may move forwards or backwards after one or more 'cleansing' exercises. Remember to adjust the position of your feet as you change stances.
Later you can use other stances and move in different directions. But it is very important to relax after each 'claw cleansing', and you must not feel pain in your chest after your training. Practise for at least three months before proceeding to the next stage, but still continue with this exercise throughout the whole Tiger Claw training period.
The next exercise involves jabbing your hands into a container of beans. Fill a basin or box about three-quarters full with black beans and green beans in about equal proportion. Place it on a table or chair at a suitable height. Stand in the Horseriding Stance in front of it, hold up your palms, and channel internal force to your fingers. Take a deep breath into your abdominal dan tian and jab your palms, with the fingers apart, straight into the beans as in figure 11.6, breathing out at the same time. It is advisable to cover your face with a piece of cloth to prevent dust from the beans getting into your mouth and nose.
At first you may reach only a few inches into the beans, but gradually aim to reach the bottom. After each jabbing, grip the beans with your palms, turn them face up, raise them high above the beans, then turn again and strike downward onto the beans with your paints. Repeat about 20-30 times, and gradually increase the repetition as you progress. You should practise this exercise for at least six months. Remember to practise Fierce Tiger Cleanses Claws over the same period. If you sustain any external injury in the training, such as bruised or sprained fingers, apply the medicinal wine mentioned earlier.
Meridians (pathways of energy flow inside our body) in our hands are connected to our eyes and other organs. Faulty practice in this jabbing exercise can cause energy blockage that may affect our eyes. This is an example of how training without proper guidance (from a master or a good book) may result in harmful side-effects. The risk of energy block- ages and harmful side-effects can be effectively overcome with the exercises described below. Chi Kung exercises like Lifting the Sky and the Self-Manifested Chi Movement (see Chapter 14) are also excellent.
After jabbing, gripping and striking the beans, complete the exercise using the standard procedure as explained in the section on One-Finger Shooting Zen. Then move away so that bean dust would not get into your nose, remove your face cloth, stand upright and relax. With your arms dropping straight (but not strained) at your sides, flex or stretch your fingers as far and wide as possible 49 times. Then close your eyes and enjoy standing meditation for a few minutes. This finger-stretching exercise is derived from the Classic of Sinew Metamorphosis taught by the great Bodhidharma, the first Patriarch of the Shaolin arts.
Either immediately after this exercise or at another time, you can move on to the next stage. Stand at a suitable distance from a tree or plant with green leaves. Use your eyes to count the leaves. Start with 50, then gradually over a few weeks work up to 200. After counting leaves roll your eyeballs slowly in a wide circle three times clockwise and three times anti- clockwise without moving your head.
After this exercise, called Rolling Stars, close your eyes and 'nourish your shen'. This involves standing upright for a few minutes, resting your eyes, relaxing without thinking of anything, and spontaneously (ie with- out any conscious effort) letting your mind expand. This set of exercises – Counting Leaves, Rolling Stars and Nourishing Shen – is wonderful; you can practise them by themselves as well as part of the Tiger Claw training. Many people have commended me on my good eyesight despite my age and these exercises have a lot to do with it.
The next stage is Taming the Tiger, which is push-ups using Tiger Claws for support. With your body straight and supported only by the fingers of your hands and the toes of your feet as in -figure 11.7 (a), bend your elbows so that your chest is almost touching the ground -figure 11.7 (b).Then straighten your arms so that you return to the original position. Repeat this about 5-10 times, then gradually increase to 50 times.
You can either breathe out while you lower your body and in while you raise it, or vice versa, but you must keep to the same pattern through- out the training session. You can then change it for a different session if you wish. Practise this exercise for at least three months.
The next stage is called Gripping Jars. Get two large jars with small round openings so that you can hold each with one hand by gripping its open- ing with your fingers. Grip the two jars and hold them with your arms straight at shoulder level, and walk about or move in different stances for a few minutes -figure 11.8. You can also move the jars about, still gripped by the fingers. Add a cup of water to the jars every three days. When they are full of water, continue the training by adding a cup of sand every three days. You should practise this exercise for at least six months.

The time I have suggested you spend on Tiger Claw training, as with that for other courses, is the minimum required to attain a reasonably high standard. Of course the more time you spend on it, the better or more powerful your art or force will become. In the Tiger Claw training, you can continue practising any of the stages even after you have completed the minimum requirement.
If some of the training aids are not available, you can skip one or two stages, but that will mean that your training will be incomplete and your force less powerful. But it will still be adequate for the modern, less demanding standards. You must practise the finger-stretching exercise and eye exercises if you perform the bean-jabbing exercise, however, and you must practise Fierce Tiger Cleanses Claws, which develops internal force, throughout the training period.
At the student level, someone who has a good knowledge of techniques and is able to apply them in combat will usually win, both in spar- ring and in real fights. At an advanced level, when the combatants know the right defence for virtually every attack, the decisive factor is often not technique butgong, ie force or skill. An advanced practitioner loses a fight not because of ignorance of the right counters, but because, despite a knowledge of the appropriate defence techniques they cannot be effectively implemented because of the greater force or skill of the opponent.