Health and Fitness

The most commonly used Shaolin stance is mabu or horse stance which I wrote about here . In this blog post, I focus on the second most commonly used stance which is: Gong Bu.  Benefits: Strengthens the legs. Strengthens the spine. Is the key to unlocking the Shaolin forms. Centers and grounds the mind and body. Step by Step: 1) Stand straight. Draw your fists to your waist and turn your head to the left. 2) Step your left leg out to the side so your feet are wider than your shoulders and slowly squat into Ma Bu. 2) Turn both legs and bend your left leg as much as you can , keeping your right leg straight. Turn your body to face the left. 3) Remain here for six breaths. Check list: It's a good idea to check your stance in the mirror. Your back foot should be slightly turned in, it shouldn't be completely straight. Your back foot needs to be in line with your left foot. Your front knee should be over your front foot. Is your neck tucked in and your shoulders relaxed? Are you knee...

Rou Quan is a favourite form of mine because it mixes internal and external together. It may look gentle but that's because the strength is hidden inside the movement. It can make you quickly tired because you need to stay in the stances for a longer time. Sometimes the movement is soft and at other times you need to use power but this power is not the same as when you use power in a kung fu form, it is a special combination of mixing internal and external. Rou Quan is a famous Shaolin form, which is independent from all the other forms. One of the reasons for this is because it has some famous traditional techniques hidden in the movement. If they are not pointed out then a person may practice the form and be totally unaware of this. At the Shaolin Temple, Qigong practioners practise it, as do kung fu practioners because it perfectly complements both internal training and external training. It needs more space than Qi Gong so try and go outside or to a park and run throug...