The Shaolin Temple's 72 Secret Fighting Exercises or 'Kungs' involve training extremes which, if persisted with, deliver astonishing results. Practising Finger-Pointing Arts transforms the index-finger into formidable weapon, capable of extinguishing the life of an assailant. Details of training methods and the three key stages involved follow.
Introduction
'Kungs' involve mostly either Soft 'Yin Rou Energy' Training, (mainly Internal) or Hard 'Yang Gang Power' Training (mainly External) although a few involve both. Finger-Pointing Technique (aka 'Single Finger Hand-stand Arts' or 'One Finger Chan Meditation' according to some sources) 'Yi Zhi Chan Gong' is an exercise of the Yin Rou Energy Training variety. As is many of the 'Kungs' of this nature, persistence and perseverence are the keys to success..
Technical Analysis
This was considered a cruel and dangerous exercise by the ancient masters as it concentrated sufficient power into one finger (usually the index, or fore-finger) to take a person's life. Nevertheless, based upon the Vermillion Palm Exercise (1) training falls into several distinctive stages.
Method
Stage 1
Suspend a metal plate (or large hammer) by a door-way you use regularly. As you pass through, press the plate with your finger. At first, the plate will show no movement, after a while though, it should begin to swing when pressed, eventually moving quite a bit. Next, point your finger at the plate, without touching it at all, until you can produce similar movement. Finally, when you can move the plate regularly like this via simply jerking you index-finger upwards, you have successfully completed Stage 1.
Stage 2
Erect a row of candles, tea-lights will suffice, using the fore-finger alone, attempt to extinguish these by pointing forcefully at them, as above, from some distance away. At first, when finger-pointing occurs they will merely flicker, but, with regular practice, one, and then all, will be easily extinguished, snuffed out, as if by a fan. When this occurs regularly, Stage 2 has been accomplished.
Stage 3
Make a paper cylinder/paper-shield and place the candle/tea-light inside/behind this. Attempt finger-pointing as before. When the fore-finger can be pointed, the light extinguished and the cylinder/shield remains whole, further progress has occurred. Finally, place a sheet of glass between yourself and the candle-flame. When your finger-pointing can extinguish this, Stage 3 is complete and the skill mastered.
Overall
Once mastered, finger-pointing can play an important role in combat. The technique also plays a significant part in the training for one-finger hand stands.
Notes
(1) This is a similar 'Kung' initially using softer materials.
Sifu Peter Allsop M.Ed. teaches Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong in Yorkshire and Derbyshire U.K. With almost 40 years experience he is Shaolin Fists International Area Instructor for this region and Senior Student of Grandmaster Yap Leong.
Trained in the U.K. and China, Peter teaches Changquan ('Longfist') Wu Xing (5 Animals), Wu Tzu (5 Ancestors) Kung Fu and 5 Elements Qigong.
Sheffield Chinese Lion Dance Team Member, he also publishes 'Red Dragon Martial Arts Ezine'.
Explore the free resources at: http://www.sheffieldkungfu.com/ or http://shaolinway.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment