One-Finger Zen is a hallmark of Shaolin Kungfu

---

It is commonly said that there are 72 arts of Shaolin Kungfu. These 72 arts are sometimes divided into two groups, namely 36 external arts and 36 internal arts, or 36 “hard” arts and 36 “soft” arts.

It should be noted that an external art is often but not necessarily “hard”, and internal art is often but not necessarily “soft”. This is a misconception many people, including kungfu practitioners, have. The Art of Flexibility, for example, is external, but it is “soft”. Sinew Metamorphosis is internal, but it is “hard”.

It is also worthwhile to know that “hard” and “soft” here are not what most people, especially those not exposed to kungfu, may conceptualize what they mean. These two terms, “hard” and "soft", are translated from the Chinese “gang” and “rou”, or “kong” and “yau” in Cantonese. A "soft" force may be more powerful than a "hard" force, a kungfu concept many people may find it difficult to comprehend.

It is also worthwhile to know that internal force is not necessarily more powerful than external strength, though it often is. But it is certain that internal force is more beneficial. It is also independent of age, size and gender.

It is not certain when the concept of 72 arts of Shaolin were first used, but I believe they were probably during the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th century), which was relatively late as Shaolin Kungfu started about the 6th century during the Sui Dynasty. Despite its relatively late entry into Shaolin Kungfu, it still has a long history of many hundred years, considering that many martial arts today are only about a hundred years old. Hence, there are different versions of the 72 Shaolin arts, with some versions very different from others.

There are surely more than 72 arts in Shaolin Kungfu, but terms like 36, 72 and 108 are commonly used in Shaolin terminology. This was in honour of Bodhidharma and the Eighteen Lohan Hands, the first set of exercises taught by Bodhidharma, regarded as the First Patriarch of the Shaoin arts, to the Shaolin monks at the Shaolin Monastery in Henan for nine years starting in 527. Hence, many Shaolin terms, like kungfu sets and arts, take the multiple of 18, such as the 36 Shaolin Leg Techniques, and the 108-Pattern Essence of Shaolin Set.

Let us have a look at three different sets of the 72 Arts of Shaolin. The first is from the popular book available from the internet, “Training Methods of the 72 Arts of Shaolin”, by Jin Jing Zhong; the second is from a modern Chinese book edited by a team of modern Shaolin monks from the Shaolin Monastery in China, based on a classic of the past, “Genuine Shaolin 72 Arts”; and the third is from 72 Arts of Shaolin practiced in our school suggested by our Shaolin Wahnam family members in our Discussion Forum and selected by me.

72 Arts of Shaolin mentioned by Jin Jing Zhong

As some of the arts are literally translated from Chinese, which may not be intelligible to non-Chinese speaking people, I have changed some of the terms, without changing the meaning.

Some of the training is quite brutal, with pain and injury not an uncommon factor. For example, in the training of "Striking with Foot", practitioners are required to kick at rocks with their toes until sending the rocks flying some distance away.

1. Diamond Finger
2. Twin Lock
3. Striking with Foot
4. Pulling out a Nail
5. Embracing a Tree
6. Art of Four Parts
7. One-Finger Zen
8. Iron Head
9. Iron Shirt
10. Art of Taking Blows

11. Iron Sweeping Leg
12. Bamboo-Leave Hand
13. Centipede Art
14. Water Chestnut Art
15. Immortal Palm
16. Hard-Soft Art
17. Red Sand Palm
18. Lying Tiger
19. Swimming Art
20. Thoudand-Pound Weight

21. Golden Bell
22. Finger Lock
23. Lohan Art
24. Lizard Art
25. Rod-Force Art
26. Lute Art
27. Comet Formation
28. Plum Flower Formation
29. Art of Stone Lock
30. Iron Arm

31. Bullet-like Fist
32. Art of Soft Bones
33. Art of Lifting Weight
34. Through-Curtain Art
35. Eagle Claw
36. Iron Bull
37. Eagle Wings
38. Sun-Ray Fist
39. Golden Cicada
40. Iron Bag Art

41. Art of Falling
42. Tortoise Back
43. Running Art
44. Light Body Art
45. Iron Knees
46. Jumping Art
47. Iron Palm
48. Running on Water
49. Drawing in Testicles
50. Iron Thrust

51. Stone Pillar Art
52. Sabre and Spear Cannot Penetrate
53. Art of Flying Star
54. Five-Poison Hand
55. Separating Water Art
56. Running on Walls
57. Art of Somersaults
58. Cypress Formation
59. Big Boss Elbows
60. Pinching Flower

61. Art of Pushing Mountain
62. Stone Saddle Art
63. Jade Belt Art
64. Well-Punching Fist
65. Sand Bag Arg
66. Pierce-Stone Finger
67. Pull-Mountain Art
68. Praying Mantis Claw
69. Stomach Art
70. Guan Yin Palm
71. Raising Pot Art
72. Golden Dragon Palm