Shao-Lin Strength Training
Offered Saturdays from 1:00 - 1:30
Shao-Lin Strength Training is a class not to be missed for those looking for a good way to dramatically increase their strength without the joint damage of lifting weights or the side effects of bulky, heavy, inflexible and slow muscles. This class is entirely based on the 49 Postures of the I Chin Ching. The I Chin Ching are a series of excercises centered on the idea of dynamic tension. Dynamic Tension is the act of breathing with tension, you breathe out and forcefully increase the tension to whichever of the 49 excercises you're doing, breathe in hold your tension, breathe out and tense harder. Ideally all 49 excercises are to be done in a row for 49 breath, which would take approximately 3 hours. The number one rule of I Chin Ching is 'if it's not excrutiatingly painful, you're not doing it hard enough'. There is no greater strength tool on the planet.
It's interesting to note that the I Chin Ching are rooted in yoga, which makes sense considering their origin in India. The two arts share a dualistic role, where yoga will relax into a muscle group or posture, with a different kind of body awareness, I Chin Ching will tense dynamically into that same posture or muscle group.
According to our history the 49 I Chin Ching were brought to the Shao-Lin Temple by Bodhidarma (Ta Mo) from India when he brought Buddhism to China. At this time the Shao-Lin Temple was only a Meditation temple. When Bodhidarma arrived he was appalled to see the state of the Monks at Shao-Lin. They were so physically weak that they would fall asleep during Meditation. But before he would give them these excercises the monks had to prove themselves to Bodhidarma, so he sat in a cave and over a period of 9 (some say 7) years he meditated daily. Until one day a Monk from the Temple came up and taking a great sword cut off his left hand to show his sincerity to Bodhidarma. It has been said that the monk carried his arm to Bodhidarma and said "Here is a token of my sincerity. I have been seeking peace for my soul for many years and I know that you can help me find it." Bohdidarma replied, "Do not bring me your arm. Bring me your soul, so I can give it peace as you request." Taken a back the Monk replied, "But that is the very trouble, I cannot grasp my soul, or find it, much less bring it to you." "You see," Said Bodhidarma, "I have given you peace of soul."
At that Bodhidarma taught the 49 I Chin Ching to the Monks of the Shao-Lin Temple, and that is they say how the Martial Arts of the Shao-Lin Temple began. This is also the history behind the Left Hand Salute that we practice during form, when our left hand is unoccupied it generally speaking comes to the chest in a salute to give respect to that monk.