In the 21st century, we are able to witness amazing things regarding fitness and martial arts training. Something new seems to be discovered every single day, and the development of the internet made sharing information a lot easier so it is possible for people all around the world to take part in improving the way everyone trains. New training programs and martial art styles, or improved versions of old training programs and martial art styles seen from a different perspective, are being introduced quite often nowadays and, because of this, many of the known boundaries of the human body have been broken and are no longer seen as such. With the popularization of extreme calisthenics, popularly known as street workouts, we’ve become able to see what human beings are capable of achieving without using expensive equipment and spending time at the gym, and most of the things that are considered common in this day and age were considered almost impossible and superhuman just a bit more than a decade ago.
Training systems similar to Crossfit were frowned upon and even considered unhealthy and unbalanced by many fitness gurus of the past century until they have proven to be extremely beneficial for improving one’s overall physical fitness and now, they are often incorporated into training programs of many professional athletes who require explosive strength and have to withstand extreme efforts for shorter periods of time, such as fighters or sprinters. New things are being discovered and embraced more rapidly than ever, and that is a very good thing in my opinion, but nevertheless, it seems to me that some of the old, traditional methods that were used for thousands of years are being forgotten or neglected, by both trainers and athletes for various reasons, such as not being scientific enough or they consider that they have a modern alternative that beats them.
The proof that somewhat forgotten traditional methods work is for centuries being provided by the monks of the Shaolin temple, which is known as the cradle of martial arts. These monks are widely known for their superhuman abilities, and the stunts they perform are truly awe inspiring. Their methods were, until recently, covered in a veil of mystery, and that is mostly because people like to believe that there are things that cannot be explained with ease, but if we take a closer look into the training methods of these warrior monks, I am sure that you will find that what is superhuman about them is nothing but their willpower.
A typical day at Shaolin
In this article, I will present three aspects of internal training of Shaolin monks and try to explain how they can be beneficial for the modern athlete.
Meditation
Practicing meditation is encouraged by many religious systems, but the goal of zen meditation, which is being practiced in a Shaolin temple, isn’t the same as in other systems. While Christians and Hindus engage in this type of mental exercise in order to visualize Jesus Christ or some other saint or deity, Buddhists believe that Buddha cannot be seen and that if he appears to someone while meditating, it’s because of some autosuggestion – the trickery of one’s mind – and that it should be neglected and moved beyond that state of mind. They believe that by striving to clear the mind from any kind of thoughts, one becomes more aware of the moment and becomes more in control of his own feelings. By regularly practicing this type of meditation, monks develop the ability to be in control of their thoughts, fears and other disturbing emotions, no matter the circumstances they find themselves in. This particular state of mind would be beneficial for any type of athlete faced with some kind of obstacle. Just imagine how easier it would be to compete in any type of sport if we were able to consciously control our emotions, not get controlled by them. It has been proven that practicing meditation on a regular basis improves mental focus, concentration and clarity of mind.
QiGong
QiGong is mostly referred to as breathing exercises, but it is much more than that. It is rather a compilation of light movements, proper breathing and meditation. This system has been a part of Eastern traditional medicine for thousands of years. Even though, it’s main purpose was healing, Shaolin monks use QiGong for the development of their most widely-known feature – The Iron Body. By doing certain types of QiGong forms combined with particular types of breathing, monks are able to develop extraordinary resistance to punches, kicks and all sorts of attacks. They can even break bricks and other hard objects without injuring themselves. Of course, this type of hardness is not just a consequence of QiGong, but also hard impact training, but some of the QiGong forms, such as Sanchin, are crucial for reaching this kind of ability. It is believed that by doing this type of exercise, one gathers Chi, or Qi energy, which is a vital force of the universe, and directs it in any way he wants. I’ve got to say that I don’t really believe in Chi energy, I actually think that it is just a picturesque way of explaining how to direct our focus in the right manner and learn to control and neglect pain. I’ve been doing Iron Shirt QiGong myself for several months, combined with self impact and core training, and I have to say that these exercises work. At some point, I was able to misdirect my thoughts and feel almost no pain at all, while being hit in the body, and at that time, I sparred with Kyokushinkai fighters and Kickboxers regularly. QiGong makes you able to remain calm and teaches you how to breathe properly in order to manipulate your senses successfully. This is just another way to hack your brain, which is kind of like a computer we don’t really know how to use, at least not its premium features.
Tong Zi Gong
Tong Zi Gong is the Shaolin version of Yoga. It is a combination of stretching, breathing and meditation, but because the postures are a bit extreme, it is meant to be done by prepubescent children because their ligaments are softer and easier to manipulate with. For an adult athlete, these postures can be more than a bit tricky to perform, but no one says that you have to get to the Shaolin level in order to get the benefits from these types of exercises. Doing some of the postures that you are able to perform, and striving to perfect them, will increase your flexibility and provide you with a greater range of motion. You will also improve your balance and provide yourself with much better control over your own body. Tong Zi Gong also teaches you how to neglect the pain and go deeper into the stretch by proper breathing and focusing on the particular part of the body that is being used, and relaxing the rest of the body. This way, you learn to use just the necessary muscles in order to perform a movement, which teaches you to spend just the right amount of energy needed for a particular action, instead of just wasting your energy in vain.
In this modern age, physical aspects of training are better than ever, but training the mind shouldn’t be neglected at any cost, because when you put two athletes that went through the same training regime to compete against each other, the one who is more mentally aware and focused will most definitely win. So, if you think that you are in great physical shape, start training your mind, and you will certainly reach the next level faster.