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You are here: Home / Archives for Shaolin Kung Fu

Does Kung Fu Have Power?

June 7, 2022 by lvshaolin

Does Kung Fu Have Power?

Yes, Kung Fu has extremely powerful striking techniques. Kung Fu uses 3 concepts to generate power: first, punches must have velocity or speed, second, striking past the intended target or follow through, and third, aligning the your skeletal structure so that no force is lost.  

There are few things as intimidating as a true power puncher. This is the fighter that seemingly has the inhuman ability to put down their opponent with just a single punch.  

Is it something that you're born with? Or is this something that can be learned and cultivated with training?

So often when people think about improving their speed and power and explosiveness they'll be looking at quite surface-level things in order to improve so they will look at things like exercises or strengthening techniques to work on the individual muscles of the body.

Often students will ask me “How do I you know get my hands faster” or “How do I become more explosive”. I often tell them the same thing, which is before you even start to think about that stuff you need ensure that your technique is perfected. Think about it, adding extra strength and power onto poor technique is essentially like building a house upon shaky foundations.

Three Principles Of Power

Imagine if you had a car that was to come at you for a low speed like five kilometers an hour and it were to hit you the impact it wouldn't be that great even though the car is very big. You would be unharmed probably.

However if the same car came at you at 100 kilometers an hour you would be pulverized.

I want you to think about your fist as the car.

Let's start with some basic physics now i am far from a physicist not even close. Anyway,  a couple of hundred years ago this guy named Sir Isaac Newton came up with the second law of motion.  It basically means that the momentum of an object is that the acceleration that is it's proportional to the forces that is applied to it.

So obviously you would want to apply quite a bit of force to whatever object you are striking with. For example if you are going to punch someone in the face you need to apply force to your fist using your shoulder muscles, your arm muscles and your back muscles. 

1.Your hand speed can be developed. 

What if I told you that there is a specific kind of muscles that are capable of applying more force and generate more velocity for all of your striking?

This type of muscle is know as fast twitch fibers. Imagine two athletes. One of them is a marathon runner, the other is a NFL receiver. Both atheltes train in running however, if you were to compare the types of muscle fibers found in their legs you would find very different kinds of tissues. 

This is because of their methods of training. One is training for endurance while the other is training for explosiveness.

For the art of Kung Fu you want the explosive type of muscle fibers.

What does this mean? In reality, if you want to increase your speed and explosiveness, heavy weight training is the opposite of what you want to do.

To develop speed it is much better to shadowbox with no weights in your hands. I’m talking about thousands of reps by the way. This way your muscles are able to snap. Your muscles get used to moving a high speeds.

The Towel Concept

When  I was younger I would we a towel then twist it up so that it would essentially become a bullwhip. I would then go around torturing my younger brother by whipping him on his butt. Don’t worry he has since forgiven me.

But what I want you to imagine is that your striking is like the towel whip. Your arm and limbs move in sections rather then as a whole. Image the towel vs. the stick. The towel is flexible and the stick is rigid. 

Striking in Kung Fu is much more like the towel than the stick.

Isn't that weird? Something so soft and weak like a towel, can actually hurt somebody, which is why many of the old masters said that, even if you're frail or small or weak, you can overcome a bigger opponent by understanding the bio mechanics of power generation. 

And the key of course is relaxation. The secret, is to use your body like a towel, like a whip, or a chain, by dropping your center of gravity through intramuscular relaxation, and then using the ground reaction force accelerating that through your "hips and your center, and then letting your fist or your leg shoot out into a punch, or strike, or kick, or whatever you do.

2. Follow Through Or Striking Past the Intended Target

For you to cause damage to a target you need to move your body weight into that target. I real life self defense you need to finish off an opponent as fast as possible. Remember, his buddy could be right sound the corner with a baseball bat ready to hit you in the back of your head.

So if youcan move your body weight through the target then you have a much better chance at finishing the fight quickly.  You want to move into and through the attacker.  A good rule of thumb to see if you are moving through an attacker is  to see where you are in relation to where you started.

Here’s what I mean, imagine yourself and your attacker standing on marks on the floor. After striking your opponent you should now be standing on his mark. He should be off of his mark hopefully thrown backward by the force of your attack.

In other words taking up the space he formerly occupied. Keep moving forward until that guy's incapacitated or unconscious.

Following through on your strikes gives you much more power because you are utilizing momentum to your advantage. The average person relies on strength alone to generate power, while the Kung Fu practioionner relies on momentum for power.

3. Structural Alignment Of Your Skeleton

This concept can also bve called kinetic linking. In the Chinese martial arts their is a concept know as grounding or rooting. This is where your stance has a solidity about it, where it is as if you were literally connected to the ground. Imagine if your feet grew tree like roots into the ground evertime you initiated a strike. Your power would literally double. This is because your power doesn’t “leak” out.

Often times your power is killed by some part of your body being out of alignment. Imagine this as leaning backward while trying to throw a punch. Even if you had very fast punches, you would not be able to generate any kind of power. 

A good way to illustrate this structural alignment ins to stand perpendicular to a solid wll in your house. Get in close enough so the you can place your palm against the wall. Now push really hard against the wall. Hold this push while lifting one of your feet in to air.

You will definitely feel the alignment of your skeleton pushing against the wall while having to use very little physical strength.

If you could align yor skelton at the perfect time in a fight, every one of your strike would have devastating power. Remember you only have to align yourself for a split second at the end of each punch.

So what does all of this tell us? Basically, you need to use our whole body mass to generate power.  Mass pluss velocity will increase the impact of your striking.

Kung Fu vs Other Styles

So what separates Kung Fu from other styles? The answer is: nothing. Kung Fu and boxing use the same concepts for generating power. Muay Thai uses the same concepts. Every style that has any significant striking techniques will generate power in the same way. The concepts are universal.

Kung Fu can have devastating power in it’s striking techniques if performed correctly. The key is to relax and not tense up. Use your entire body to hit rather than just arm strength and you can have this type of power too.

Filed Under: Shaolin Kung Fu, Training Tips

How do you breathe in the martial arts?

January 18, 2022 by lvshaolin

Breathing Techniques For Fighters

Today we are going to cover the topic of how to breathe properly for Martial Arts. We all know how to breathe, right? We even do it without thinking. And that is the core of the problem. We don't even know that we are doing it wrong! In this article, we will explain in detail how proper breathing is essential when it comes to Martial Arts.

In Martial Arts, there is a very specific way how to breathe to generate more power. That way of breathing is helping us to recover throughout the round as well. Even and controlled breathing will result in more power and endurance. It will also result in more confidence and calmness.

Try to imagine that you are in a fight. You are still not engaged, just moving around the ring with your opponent. Your breathing rhythm is steady, everything is normal. But when you engage with your opponent everything changes. You aren't concentrating on your breathing anymore. That is the problem. You start to lose control of your body, just because you lost control of your breath.

The Biggest Problem Is Holding Your Breath

It is kind of tough to regulate your breathing in a fight because you are in the middle of an attack. For example, you are in the fight, you throw three punches and you have to roll under your opponent's counter. You won't be breathing between the punches. Yet, you can't catch your breath while rolling underneath. Right?

The thing is - you inhale when you have the time for it. And often you don't feel like you have time for anything, at least not for breathing. But the thing is if you hold your breath while throwing punches - you will exhaust yourself real fast. Holding your breath through the punches will reduce their power. 

The point is to exhale on strikes. In Martial Arts, you need to exhale with every one of the punches you make. That will help you to produce more power no matter how many punches we are talking about. It could be two or it could be ten, you need to exhale every single time. Doing so will also improve your cardiovascular system and its endurance. Simply put - you will have more strength and your breath will last longer.

Next time you go to the gym, pay attention to other people while they work out. You will hear them hissing and making noises while punching or doing the heavy lifting. That "Shh" sound you hear is them exhaling. In Martial Arts we also use that sound, so we can hear ourselves as we exhale to make sure we do it right. If you don't like that particular noise, make some other, but the point is that you can hear yourself and make exhaling every time a habit.

As we mentioned already, it doesn't matter how many punches you throw. You just need to exhale every time you do it. Don't worry that much about inhaling, your body will inhale naturally. On the other hand, it won't exhale naturally. You have to train it to do so. The key is to be persistent and practice your breathing all the time. You can do that at the gym, at Martial Arts classes or even when you are at home.

The thing is that people are concerned that they will run out of breath when it comes to a sparring match. But that is one reason more why you should practice your breathing when training or when in a fight. Proper breathing will relax your muscles and get them more oxygen. If you don't breathe properly the level of carbon dioxide in your muscles will become high. Your energy will go low because of too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen.

To test this theory, go for a swim. Try to keep your head underwater as long as you can without breathing. After at least 20-30 seconds you will start to panic and your brain will send you signals that it needs oxygen. The same thing is happening in Martial Arts when you hold your breath for too long.

Find a way to relax your breathing.

The more you practice your breathing the more you will be aware of it and its benefits. Get into patterns and rhythm and you will see that your body will be grateful for that. Your moves will be lighter and you will have more energy, strength, and power. Get used to exhale and inhale with every defense and offense move. Try to catch your breath when you escape an opponent's punch. Try to breathe in while you are waiting for your opponents' move. Just find your rhythm and flow and - breathe as naturally as you can. The most important thing is that your breathing needs to be even and relaxed. There is no point in being stuck in the middle and holding your breath. You can't just inhale or exhale, you need to find a balance.

There is a situation that happens very often especially when you are a beginner - you are not able to realize your opponents' every move. You are about to hit him and to exhale while throwing a punch - but at that moment he might move. He is about to attack and you and you were about to exhale but you hold your breath, waiting for him to attack. That is a common mistake. You need to know to let it go. Learn to let your breath keep going even if the situation unpredictably changes.

To be clear, inhalation is not the main problem here. Holding your breath instead of exhaling is much worse. If you forget to exhale, your body won't be able to inhale and that is how you run out of breath. You need to keep breathing while both attacking and defending yourself. Your opponent is thought to read your every move. He will know that you want to attack even before you do so. That is the opportunity for him to attack you before you get a chance to attack him. That is exactly what brings you to the situation where you hold your breath longer.

Stopping your breathing is equal to stopping your rhythm. Without regular breathing and rhythm, your defense will be weak and you won't be able to attack. Find a way to let that breath go and find your rhythm again. Keep in mind the importance of exhaling and inhaling all the time.

To improve your breathing imagine all the possible scenarios while practicing. Imagine that your opponent is getting away or him attacking you when you are about to attack him. Learning how to continuously breathe under all circumstances is essential. The most common situation where you forget to exhale is when you are about to attack and that attack doesn't happen. Learn how to let it go, re-catch it, restart and adapt to a new situation. 

Try not to be so busy thinking about your offense all the time. Yes, your offense is very important and you should keep it in mind, but you must not forget how to breathe. Do not be bothered, especially if you are a beginner, that your opponent knows your every move. Sometimes you won't be aware of what is happening but that is perfectly normal. Don't be too hard on yourself.

It is hard to control the situation but it is not impossible. It comes with persistence, training, and practice. Don't spend too much time worrying about that stuff. It is natural that in the beginning, you will struggle with all these things. We all were, but that doesn't mean that there is room for frustration. Don't waste all your hard work. Just learn that breathing and rhythm are the most important things. Everything else, like speed, power and endurance will come in time. 

Differences between Martial Arts and regular training

In Martial Arts, it is not like walking or going for a run. There are a lot of differences and disruptions that you need to deal with. You have to maintain your flow. Pay more attention to details, try to breathe evenly. Find time to reset and exhale every time you notice that you are holding your breath for too long. That will help you to build up your confidence, strength, power.

Consciously thinking about slowing your breathing is a way to go. Your brain and your body need that oxygen. You should never forget that. There is no point in just exhaling and inhaling in Martial Arts. Everything has to be measured and regulated. Slow down your breathing, inhale and exhale completely. Find what is best for your body. It is crucial to control your body and your mind. Controlling your breath will control your panic and anxiety and you will be thinking more clearly.

Conclusion

To summarize everything, breathing is the core of Martial Arts. Without proper breathing, everything else is wasted. To maintain regular breath flow you will need a lot of practice. But remember - once you get a habit out of it - the sky is the limit!

Filed Under: Boxing Classes, Kickboxing, Shaolin Kung Fu

What are the main purposes of martial arts forms?

June 8, 2020 by lvshaolin Leave a Comment

A martial arts form or kata (as it is called in Japanese) is just a series of self defense techniques strung together in a sequence that flows together. Practicing forms is akin to doing rounds of shadowboxing in boxing, just with less of an emphasis on freestyle.

The Truth About Kung Fu Forms – Practical Training Tool Or A Huge Waste Of Time?

I recently read an article written by a Jeet Kune Do instructor. In this article, he advocated the idea that learning forms or choreographed patterns are a useless endeavor.

My humble opinion is that whenever someone tells you that there is no value in training in a certain way or using a certain method it says a lot about their understanding of the martial arts.

Broad sweeping statements such as those are the equivalent of saying that that it never snows in Las Vegas.

Training In Forms Is Not Useless

Forms can teach you numerous things. It can develop many attributes that will help you become both a better fighter and a martial artist. One quality that training informs can develop in you is the attribute of fluidity. Kung fu forms are famous for their flowing and powerful motions.

Executing a set of kata without pausing or stopping between moves will directly translate to being able to fight without stopping. In a real-life self-defense scenario, the ability to flow is so much more important to your success than practically anything else.

Practicing forms or sets will likewise teach you the correct way to block and strike while in motion. Many times students can perform blocks and strike perfectly while standing still but, include footwork and they now must focus on moving multiple body parts at the same time.


Practicing Forms Are The Best Way To Workout

At the highest level of training, forms practice can become the ultimate conditioning solution.

Just how much of a workout you get out of doing forms will greatly depend on how much intensity and speed you execute the form with. What you put inot it is what you will get out of it.  Imagine a boxer that does shadowboxing. Does he get a good workout? Well of course, his results will aslo greatly depend on the speed an intensity that he puts into hos shadowboxing. Does he practicae at a lackadaisical pace or at a very elevated pace?

Why Not Just Do Sparring Instead?

I have trained in several systems of martial arts. Some systems and styles will teach forms, then teach and self defense as a separate class. These systems think of forms and fighting as two completely detached entities. In fact, it is almost as if they were teaching an entirely different styles.

For example, if you went to a tae kwon do gym, the first thing they would teach you is the jab, the cross and the roundhouse kick. yet these techniques are nowhere to be found in the form.

They never teach the how to use the movements found in the form in realistic sparring.

Sparring

No Practical Use Of The Movements Found In The Form

In these types of programs, it seems as though the traditional forms have no realistic use. However, the movements contained within the forms of Shaolin Kung Fu each have an explicit application in combat.

If the movements you are learning have no martial function, then you are learning a dance.

Practicing Forms Has No Value?

It has taken me literally half of my life to feel like I have a firm grasp of every one of the forms in Kung Fu. Even these days, I believe that I have a lot of more room for refinement. Shaolin Kung Fu can take a whole entire lifetime to learn and master.

Saying forms has no value is akin to saying hitting the heavy bag has no value.

You could easily make an argument that the heavy bag does not counter or hit back at you, therefore, hitting the heavy bag is useless. The heavy bag is nothing like a real opponent. 

Hitting or kicking the heavy bag will enable to develop the trait of striking with power. Just as Jumping rope will help you develop fast footwork and jogging will develop your endurance. A boxer, will work sparring, heavy bag, double end bag, running, jump rope, and focus mitts all on the very same day.

Forms are just one of many methods you can use to practice Kung Fu.

However, there are a couple of things that training in forms will not help you with.

What Form Practice Is Not Good For

Training In Forms Will Not Teach You A Feel For What Is Correct Range Or Distancing.

To be proficient in the martial arts you will need to develop a good instinct for what is the correct distance needed between you and your opponent in order to successfully apply blocks.

Kung Fu forms practice also will not teach you how to flow or follow up effectively. Having the ability to recognize the next target then strike it with power is also an essential skill-set.

It took me almost a full year to learn my first Shaolin Kung Fu form. Occasionally, I tell my students how long it took me to learn the first form. Often time they look at me incredulously and I think they do not believe me.

This intrinsic challengesfound in the art of Kung fu are one of the things that initially drew me to it.

However, I also think one of the reasons Kung fu is not as popular in the United States as Tae Kwon Do is, because training in kung fu appeals only to a certain type of person. Shaolin Kung fu appeals to people interested in continuous and constant work and improvement.

 Learning Kung fu is the exact opposite of instant gratification. It takes back breaking work and perseverance to be successful.

Are you looking for true transformation? Then you can be our next student!

Filed Under: Shaolin Kung Fu

Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen

December 20, 2019 by lvshaolin Leave a Comment

 Shaolin Fo Jia Chuan or  Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen 

Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen - The Traditional Southern Style That is the predecessor to modern Wing Chun

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Shaolin Fo Jia Chuan Or Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen

During the time China's Ching Dynasty, which ruled during the 18th century, a style of kung fu called Sil Lum Fut Ga Kuen was created.

Any citizen who would dare oppose the Ching government was tortured and killed. The Han Chinese, who made up the majority of the population, was subjected to the worst kind of physical and mental degradation under the Manchu rule.

Secret societies of revolutionaries dedicated to the overthrow of the Manchus formed. These secret organizations consisted of many of China's most skilled fighters

Hence, the Ching Dynasty realized the threat posed by well-trained fighters against the Ching Regime. Manchurian rulers required commitments of loyalty from all martial arts masters. Those masters who refused were put to death.

Revolution

Therefore, many revolutionary fighters were executed. Others were forced into exile. The Shaolin temples, located in the center of the country, served as refuges for many soldiers, dissidents, and persons fleeing persecution.

However, several of these refugees were martial arts experts. Their combined presence at the temple allowed for the exchange of different fighting styles and techniques.

Thus, these fighters helped to refine and improve the techniques already known by the monks, during their stay. The monks, in turn, fused these techniques with their system of meditation and qigong.

The 5 Famous Families Of Southern Style Kung Fu

One monk living at the Sil Lum Monastery was fortunate enough to receive the attention and guidance of 5 different masters of Kung Fu. He learned from masters of Lau Ga, Li Ga, Mok Ga, Hung Ga, and Choy Ga styles. Each Kung Fu style had unique characteristics and emphasized different techniques.

For example, Hung Ga Kuen emphasized brute strength and a low wide stance. The stances in Hung Ga Kuen are deep and low to develop strength in the legs but become very upright when fighting. You should be able to stay rooted and balanced standing upright because of the feeling gained at the deep posture.

Next, Mok Ga was famed for its kicks. You attack an opponent's knees and feet in this style.

Finally, Lau Ga Kuen contained all of the locking hand techniques.

This one monk integrated this accumulated knowledge into a single style. This monk kept only the martial arts techniques he felt were most efficient. He then discarded all techniques he considered less essential. He condensed them down to only those techniques he thought were really going to work in a true fight.

This is SiI Lum Fut Ga Kuen.

Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen contains elements that are typical of both Northern and Southern Gong Fu styles.

Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen - The Style Of Ng Mui

To begin with, The Sil Lum Temple takes in mostly men for members. To live at the Sil Lum Temple during this time in history, you almost certainly had to be a man.

However, one outstanding lady monk or nun studied this system, her name was Ng Mui.

Ng Mui was a very powerful martial artist and gained the respect of all of the men at the temple. She would sometimes leave Sil Lum and visit the neighboring villages. It is during one of her outings that she met a young woman named Yim Wing Chun.

Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen Seminar

The Wing Chun Connection

In this case, Ng Mui taught another famous teacher named Yim Wing Chun.

However, Wing Chun felt the training was too strenuous and took a long time to master. So, Wing Chun created and perfected a system of her own which now bears her name. In fact, there is still a very strong resemblance to some of the Sil Lum Fut Ga movements in Wing Cun Kung Fu, especially in the hands. 

The Buddhist Connection

Unlike many other martial arts forms, Sil Lum Kung fu origins are based in religion. The Sil Lum Temple was founded as a part of the Chan Sect. Imported into China, the Chan sect was a school of Buddhism that was founded in the Sixth century.

The Chan Sect was a school of Buddhism imported to the Chinese culture during the early Sixth century. The Chan Sect soon became the dominant Buddhist school in China, with more than 79 percent of the country's temples practicing its teachings.

Actually, two completely separate Sil Lum temples were built, one for the Northern sect and one for the Southern sect. These Sil Lum Temples distinguished themselves from the others in that their monks were martial arts experts. Throughout history, dedication to studying and living the scriptures of Buddhism, and intense martial arts training were the hallmarks of the life of a Shaolin monk.

What Is Traditional Kung Fu?

Did you know that some people call my school and ask if I teach ‘traditional” kung fu? Usually, I say yes. Then I think to myself what a loaded question that is. I really have no idea how to answer them because “traditional” can mean so many different things to different people. The art of kung fu itself is ancient. For example, it is hundreds of years old. So, kung fu is “traditional” in that these many techniques survived the test of time because of their efficiency.

However, some schools think “traditional” as being one true way.

They do not intertwine other styles and even they go so far as to say “We teach the art as it was taught by the founder”.

Traditional thought could not be farther from this. The art that I teach called Sil Lum Fut Ga Kuen is an intertwining of five different styles itself.

We would not be practicing Sil Lum Fut Ga Kuen today if the original creator of this martial arts style had taken this so-called “traditional” approach. Bruce Lee was not the first person to incorporate different styles into his training. Martial arts are always evolving because people are all different.

Specifically, what works for you might not work for someone else. For example, a tall person with a long reach will want to stay to the outside rather than get in real close. However, someone with long legs will want to develop their kicks to a high level while if you have a short muscular build you will want to get in tight against the person you are fighting.

Each individual student should receive customized instruction in martial arts. Any martial arts instructor worth their salt will realize this obvious fact.

Use Everything You Know

In conclusion, most people when entering a new school may know some martial arts already.

Very few of these new students like to demonstrate their previous knowledge. Sometimes, they may think it disrespectful or as showing off somehow. However, I always emphasize in my classes for you to use what you know if it is going to help you become a better fighter.

For example, you can use Free fighting or shadow boxing as drills that combine all of your skills together. You should try to become fluid at using them all the styles in conjunction seamlessly.

To summarize, you can take from each art the strength of the art. Kung Fu is really good at targeting. Kung fu hits the eye, throat, and groin as its primary targets. You can steal from boxing the defensive tactics and evasion techniques. A good boxer utilizing slips can become virtually unhittable. From jujitsu, you can incorporate the grappling techniques and ground fighting. Escrima has the best knife defense drills and tactics. You can incorporate Wing Chun Kung fu’s chi sau drills which develop a very high level of sensitivity and flow.

Lastly, my own personal goal and the goals of many of my students, are to become complete fighters. In my very “traditional” school I recommend using everything at your disposal to become one

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Filed Under: Shaolin Kung Fu

Slapping Water – The Legend Of Tai Kwei [Shaolin Kung Fu Training Technique]

March 22, 2018 by lvshaolin

How Slapping Water Became A Shaolin Training Method 

A man named Tai Kwei lived in a small village in China. The landlord of the village was very selfish and greedy. The landlord charged all of the village people a great amount of money just to live and do business in his village.

The people of the village were very downcast and desperate. As a result, they were very poor by the high prices of the selfish landlord.

However, they wanted things to change. The people of the village decided to gather up all the rice they could find and gave it as an offering to the Shaolin Temple. In exchange, the people wanted the Shaolin monks to train Tai Kwei in kung fu. The people of the village thought, if they had a Shaolin master among them, the landlord would no longer be able to force them to pay very high rents.

Slapping Water

Luckily, the master of the temple agreed to let Tai Kwei live and train there. The monk brought out a large barrel of water. The priest then gave Tai Kwei instructions. Tai Kwei was to slap the surface of the water with all his strength. 

Furthermore, the master told him to continue slapping water for the rest of the day. With no hesitation, Tai Kwei slapped the surface and splashed water in all directions. Throughout the day, the barrel was refilled with water each time the water level dropped too low.

The next day Tai Kwei was told to continue his exercise. Surprisingly, this stretched into weeks and then into months. Although he had his doubts, Tai Kwei slapped the water furiously every day.

Finally, after two long years of slapping water in the barrel, he could take it no longer. In due time, Tai Kwei became angry that he had come all this long way and had not learned any kung fu. One night, while sitting at the table for dinner Tai Kwei stood up and spoke to the master. He said, "I have been slapping that barrel of water for nearly two years. I came here to learn kung fu and in all that time I have learned nothing!" In anger, he pounded his fist on the dinner table. To his complete surprise, the sturdy wooden table broke in two with the force of his blow.

There's Always A Lesson

Meanwhile, all of the other priests all gazed in wonder at the remains of the table. Their food was now scattered all over the floor. Tai Kwei was in shock. He turned to the master and immediately bowed to his teacher and apologized. Still in his chair, the master smiled and folded his hands while speaking. "Now my pupil you have learned your first lesson of slapping water".

After a few years, Tai Kwei left Shaolin temple and went back to his village where he helped all of the people who lived there. The landlord was afraid of Tai Kwei's new skills. As a result, the landlord no longer charged the people of his village unreasonable rents and everyone was able to live happily ever after.

Slapping Water
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Filed Under: Shaolin Kung Fu

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