Shaolin Kung Fu

This article was contributed by Barry Edwards, 1st degree black belt Shaolin Kung Fu.

The study of traditional Shaolin Kung Fu has the potential to greatly enrich the lives and well-being of its practitioners. I have observed the development of my abilities and those of my peers who are everyday men and women like you. Many began with no prior marital arts experience. However, through diligence and hard work, their once latent abilities have begun to blossom. There is no magic formula. Persistent effort over time, and the willingness to invest that time, is enough to enable you to enjoy the mental and mental benefits that Shaolin Kung Fu can offer you.

The following will discuss some of the physical and mental benefits that Shaolin Kung Fu has to offer:

Physical

Explosive Power: Many of the forms in our discipline require explosive movement in order to execute the techniques properly. Through continuous repetition your body will adapt and your muscles will begin to strengthen. As a result, you will be able to generate more power with your movements.

Balance & Coordination: I would consider this to be of great importance to any athlete, particularly a martial artist. Over time, through the practice of forms and sparring, you will develop better body mechanics. In short, you body will learn to move itself more efficiently. This can be attributed to improvements in balance and core strength. The exercises and forms allow you to utilize a large number of muscles that you probably are not accustomed to using. With time, techniques that call upon the use of extremities on opposing sides of the body, like Lohan Short Form #11, are executed with greater ease and precision.

Muscular Endurance: As you progress, you will learn material that is longer in length and requires a higher degree of physical exertion. Inevitably, your stamina will increase and you will be able to execute older material with greater ease and a higher level of output.

Mental

Confidence: Confidence has the potential to improve every area of your life. This is, perhaps, the greatest benefit of your martial arts training. The challenges that you overcome in your training reveal that there is little that cannot be achieved once to put your mind to it. With that knowledge, you begin to feel less vulnerable to the outside world. As a result, you are able to remain calm in stressful situations and assess them more effectively.

Discipline: Nothing great can be attained if you lack this virtue. As you progress, you will soon realize that structure, and order, in your training regimen is a requisite if you expect to see the gains that you hope to achieve. By adhering to a systemic approach to accomplishing a self-determined goal, you begin to cultivate the kind of discipline that will allow you achieve anything, no matter what obstacles stand in your way. The virtue of disciple cannot be emphasized enough. From it, comes patience and self-control.

As with all things, the rewards that you reap from something are directly proportionate to the amount of time and effort that you put into it. This is especially true with Kung Fu. I encourage anyone to become a practitioner of this art. Do it, give it your all, and enjoy the many gifts Kung Fu has to offer.