| Shaolin kung fu is not just about defending | | | | the meditation. You see Bodhidharma would find |
| yourself against an attacker or inflicting bodily | | | | that the Shaolin monks were falling asleep during |
| harm. Shaolin martial arts also stress discipline, | | | | their meditation, so he added the breathing |
| respect for yourself and others, patience, and | | | | exercises to help keep them focus on increase |
| being humble even in victory. The mental training | | | | their mental development. To this day Shoalin |
| of Shaolin martial arts helps prepare the student | | | | Kung Fu practitioners still use Chan meditation and |
| for any events that may come. Being physically | | | | it has formed the basis of the Shaolin mental |
| prepared for an altercation is good, but if you are | | | | preparation and development. |
| not mentally prepared you will not be focused | | | | The Shaolin monks would prepare their minds to |
| enough to use the tools that your body has. This | | | | withstand the most terrible conditions so that |
| is why Shaolin meditation is such an important | | | | when faces with those conditions in the real |
| part of the Shaolin martial arts training. Meditation | | | | world, they would be prepared instead of |
| may not be literally practicing your physical tools, | | | | shocked. Knowing that you have the mental |
| but it allows your mind to make better use of | | | | toughness and readiness instills a confidence that |
| those tools. | | | | allows you to go into any situation ready to act |
| Keeping cool in a self defense situation is one of | | | | without hesitating. Self doubt is the number one |
| the best ways to ensure you will survive. Tough | | | | way to be defeated before the enemy has even |
| mental preparedness allows the body to be | | | | thrown a punch. |
| pushed beyond its physical limits. Out bodies can | | | | Meditation also allows one to focus his inner |
| only do so much, but our minds allow for much | | | | energy into his actions. The Japanese call this Chi, |
| greater feats. I am sure you have heard of "mind | | | | and many Westerners have heard of it. The |
| over matter" and the truth is that it works. When | | | | Chinese, however, call it Kiai. Kiai allows a Kung Fu |
| the Shaolin added mental training to their physical | | | | student to do things their physical body alone |
| training the result was that their martial arts | | | | cannot do. Developing control over your Kiai is a |
| system obviously surpassed all others in | | | | matter of intense mental strength and |
| application and practical results. | | | | conditioning. While some people may scoff at the |
| One form of Shaolin meditation is called "Chan" or | | | | idea of Kiai, and it is true that it might be more of |
| "Zen". The Shaolin received the concept of Zen | | | | a mind over matter application than an actual |
| meditation from an Indian priest named | | | | force, but Chinese Kung Fu masters has |
| Bodhidharma. What Bodhidharma did that was so | | | | demonstrated their control over their Kiai by doing |
| unique was to introduce breathing patterns into | | | | physical feats that would otherwise be impossible. |