The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu Book

	List of Illustrations	xi
	Preface	xv
1	What is Kung Fu?	1
	Four Aspects of Kung Fu	1
	The Visible Aspect of Form	2
	The Importance of Force Training	3
	Application for Combat and Daily Living	4
	Kung Fu Philosophy for Deeper Understanding	4
	The Benefits of Kung Fu	5
	Mind Expansion and Spiritual Development	7
2	The Historical Development of Chinese Martial Arts	10
	Kung Fu in Prehistoric and Ancient Times	10
	The Glorious Han and Tang	12
	The Song, the Yuan and the Ming	14
	The Modern Period	16
3	From Shaolin to Taijiquan	18
	Kung Fu and Quanshu	18
	Shaolin Kung Fu	19
	Changquan or Long Fists	21
	Yan Qing, Deceptive Movements and the Monkey Style	24
	The Various Styles of Taijiquan	25
	Soft and Hard, Internal and External	28
4	A Comparative Study of Kung Fu	30
	Contrasting Shaolin and Wudang Kung Fu	31
	Internal Palm of Bagua Kung Fu	31
	Xingyi Kung Fu and Taoist Concepts	33
	The Philosophies of Wudang Kung Fu	34
	Wuzuquan or Kung Fu of Five Ancestors	35
	Tanglangquan or Praying Mantis Kung Fu	36
	The Spread of Southern Shaolin Kung Fu	38
	Major Southern Shaolin Styles	39
5	Defining Aims and Objectives	42
	The Importance of Theoretical Knowledge	42
	The Three Requirements for Attainment	43
	Direction and Purpose	46
	Setting Aims for Kung Fu Training	47
	Personal Objectives	49
	Course Objectives	51
6	The Foundation of Shaolin Kung Fu	54
	Inheritance from Past Masters	54
	The Significance of Form and Formlessness	55
	Various Shaolin Hand Forms	56
	Horseriding and Other Stances	60
	Basic Shaolin Patterns	64
7	From Form to Combat Application	68
	The Four Directions of Attack	68
	An Imaginary Opponent in Skill Training	69
	The Principles of Effective Combat	71
	Specific Techniques Against Kicks	75
	Felling and Holding Techniques	79
8	Combat Sequences and Set Practice	84
	Linking Patterns to Form Sequences	84
	Various Sequences for Practice	86
	Relieving Injuries Sustained in Sparring	94
	Linking Sequences to Form Sets	94
	Composing Your Own Kung Fu Sets	99
9	Shaolin Five Animals	102
	Understanding Characteristics and Essence	102
	Some Preliminary Information	105
	The Five-Animal Set	106
	The Names of the Five-Animal Patterns	117
10	Five-Animal Combination Set	119
	How to Improve Combat Efficiency	119
	The Fascination of Kung Fu Application	120
	Spacing and Timing in Combat	126
	Advanced Techniques to Clinch Victory	132
11	The Internal Force of Shaolin Kung Fu	134
	The Relationship Between Technique and Force	134
	The Art of One-Finger Shooting Zen	136
	Developing Forceful Punches	139
	The Compassionate Art of Qin-Na	142
	The Internal Force of Tiger Claw	143
12	Tactics and Strategies	149
	Techniques, Tactics and Strategies	149
	The Legacy of Past Masters	151
	Using Continuous Attack Effectively	152
	A Tactic to Distract Your Opponent	153
	Selecting Strategies to Suit Particular Situations	154
13	Classical Kung Fu Weapons	157
	Why are Classical Weapons Still Being Used?	157
	Staffs	158
	Whips, Knives and Other Weapons	160
	The Spear Family	162
	Light and Heavy Weapons	164
	Common Implements as Weapons	166
14	Understanding and Developing Chi	168
	From Combat Efficiency to Spiritual Development	168
	The Various Genres of Chi Kung	169
	The Three Elements of Chi Kung	171
	Lifting the Sky	173
	Lohan Embracing Buddha	175
	Abdominal Breathing	177
15	Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen	179
	Cultivating Heart, Nourishing Nature	179
	Discipline and Wisdom	180
	What is Ultimate Reality?	183
	Bodhidharma and Taoism in Zen	186
16	The Shaolin Way to Enlightenment	189
	Attaining a Focused Mind	189
	Meditation to Train Awareness	191
	Investigating Cosmic Reality?	193
	The Zen of Bodhidharma and Hui Neng	194
	Shaolin Kung Fu for Spiritual Development	197
	Different Attainments for Different Needs	198
	Notes	201
	Further Reading	202
	Useful Addresses	206
	Index	208