Talking about Shaolin Kung Fu with Master Yan Qing (1)

Talking about Shaolin Kung Fu with Master Yan Qing (1) Master Shi Yanqing, the martial arts monk instructor of the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, Henan, China, entered the Shaolin Temple Martial Arts Academy to study martial arts at the age of 12, 2…

Talking about Shaolin Kung Fu with Master Yan Qing (1) Master Shi Yanqing, the martial arts monk instructor of the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, Henan, China, entered the Shaolin Temple Martial Arts Academy to learn martial arts at the age of 12. In 2009, he received full ordination and became a monk. He has won the first prize in the "World Traditional Martial Arts Competition", the first prize in boxing and the third prize in swordsmanship in the "Shaolin Boxing Championship". This year he visited more than 20 countries including Germany, France, Austria, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia for cultural exchanges, performances and teaching. The current abbot (Shi Yongxin) aims to conduct cultural exchanges and spread Shaolin Kung Fu in Arizona, USA. Question: Master Yanqing, Shaolin Martial Arts is very famous all over the world, but I would like to know how you understand Shaolin Martial Arts from your personal perspective? Yanqing: Shaolin Kung Fu was accumulated and formed through historical refinement in the specific Buddhist cultural environment of Songshan Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Kung Fu is based on Buddhist beliefs and the tradition of martial arts practiced by Shaolin Temple monks in the past as its carrier. It embodies the essence of Zen wisdom through martial arts. Question: The general audience has some personal feelings about Shaolin Kung Fu from different channels. I am just curious: which boxing or sect is the authentic Shaolin martial arts? Yan Qing: Shaolin Kung Fu is a three-dimensional system, not a "sect" or "boxing type" in the general sense. According to the boxing records handed down from the Shaolin Temple, there are hundreds of sets of Shaolin Kung Fu routines passed down through the ages, among which there are dozens of representative boxing weapons that have been handed down in an orderly manner. Shaolin Kung Fu takes human body movements of offensive and defensive fighting as the core, and routines as the basic unit. Routines are composed of a set of movements. The design of the movements and the combination of the routines are based on Chinese medicine's understanding of the human body. They conform to the laws of human movement. The movements and routines emphasize the combination of movement and stillness, the balance of yin and yang, the balance of hardness and softness, and the balance of spirit and form. For example, one of the core principles is the "Liuhe" principle: hands and feet are combined, elbows and knees are combined, shoulders and hips are combined, heart and mind are combined, mind and Qi are combined, and Qi and force are combined. We can talk about this in detail later in the discussion, but basically it embodies the Chinese ideology and cognition of the unity of people. (To be continued) Master Yan Qing has a number of youth martial arts and adult health-preserving exercises - Tai Chi classes at New Oriental Art School. If interested, please call: 602.490.8613