HOW TO BECOME A SHAOLIN KUNGFU PRACTITIONER
Wei Joo from Malaysia and Leroy from South Africa sparring during the Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course in April 2005
Question
I wonder if there are any places where I can study Chinese kung fu over a longer period, a few years at least. I have sent mails to a few other places, but I never get any replies. My step-father tells me that it is only a childish dream and I should grow up! But I still hope that some day I may study Shaolin.
-- Kelvin, Norway
Answer
One main reason why you did not receive replies is because genuine, traditional Shaolin Kungfu is very rare today.
Yet, there is a good place where you can practice genuine, traditional Shaolin Kungfu over a long period, and that is your home. But first you must learn it correctly.
I shall list out the exact steps you can do to realize your dream.
- Get my book, “The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu”, and practice the exercises explained on pages 57 to 67. You need not worry about the other exercises mentioned in the book. You can just read, or study, them for fun. Spend about half an hour a day to practice these exercises on pages 57-67. Do not practice the exercises all at once. Practice just a few exercises a day. You can choose any exercises you like. Your overall aim is to be able to perform the stances, leg stretching and basic patterns well in six months.
- Attend my Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course in Malaysia.
- On returning home, continue to practice what you have learnt in the course for a year. Even if you only have average intelligence and have to practice alone, if you follow my advice you will be more accomplished in Shaolin Kungfu in a year than what many people may not accomplish in 10 or 20 years.
It is understandable that many people find it hard to believe my previous statement about kungfu accomplishment, and think that I am presumptuous or boastful. In fact over the graduation dinner in the just completed Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course (April 2005), I told my students that at that very time they had accomplished (in five days) more than what most kungfu practitioners might not accomplish in 10 or 20 years.
To substantiate my statement I asked them how many of those who had practiced kungfu for 20 years
- could stay at stance training for half an hour and enjoy it
- could generate an internal qi flow
- could build internal force at their dan tian
- could effectively spar using typical kungfu patterns
- could spar for hours without panting or feeling tired
- could open their heart and experience inner happiness
- could feel their spirit expanding into the cosmos
- could have a glimpse of the Original Face (also called God, Tao or the Buddha by many people).
Except the last two accomplishments, which were attained by a few of the course participants, the remaining accomplishments were accomplished by every one who attended the course.
One of the course participants was Wei Joo, who lives in Kuala Lumpuir in Malaysia. When he attended my Intensive Chi Kung Course a few months ago, he expressed his desire to attend my Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course. I told him that he must have some prior kungfu experience. I told him to learn some kungfu, or even just external kungfu forms, in his hometown first.
But he was not satisfied with the kungfu schools he found, so he learned from my book. I was very impressed with his performance at the course. He could spar reasonably well using typical kungfu forms for a few hours without feeling tired. You can read his and other participants' comments at Comments & Experiences from participants of an Intensive Kung Fu Course in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
Another excellent example is Eugene of the United States. His kungfu journey was similar to that of Wei Joo. He attended my Intensive Chi Kung Course to overcome some health problem, which he did. He also wanted to attend my Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course. As he was not satisfied with the kungfu taught in his home area, he learned from my book. His performance at the Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course was excellent.
You can view him free sparring with Anthony using typical Shaolin patterns shown in video clips here, here and here. These video clips were taken impromptu just about two years after he had started Shaolin Kungfu training with me. Now Eugene is a Shaolin Kungfu instructor. But much more important than his kungfu abilities is his personal transformation. From someone his parents were constantly worried about, he has transformed himself within a few years of Shaolin training into someone full of joy, hope and zest for life.
If your dream to practice Shaolin Kungfu is just a passing fancy, you would find the first two steps difficult. You would find a lot of excuses for not carrying them out. But if your dream is really your life's goal, step three is the biggest hurdle, but you will find it most rewarding.
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