Martial Arts from the Heart
3 min readControlling mobility with stillness is one of the characteristics of Chinese martial arts. For example, shadow boxing gives off a sense of elegance and quietude, while emphasizing changes in tranquility. When practicing shadow boxing, the practitioner first straightens the body, closes the eyes, keeps energy in check, lets the hands naturally down, and expels all worry and disturbance before starting to practice. Shadow boxing stresses the training of even breathing and a serene mind, but “the momentum of shadow boxing is like the ocean, surging forward without cease,”as people note. Under the peaceful surface are the wild ocean currents, yet a tolerant heart embraces all things on Earth.
Dynamic Shaolin martial arts also emphasize the combination of motion and stillness, as described in the words of a song:”Lie like a bow, stand like a pine tree, sit like a bell, and walk like the wind.”The highest criterion for Shaolin martial arts is the oneness of movements and ZenBuddhism, through which one is able to achieve the goal of quietly practicing Buddhism. Before practicing martial arts, the practitioner must first sit in quietude on a rush cushion, achieve calm, focus energy, and only then slowly stand up free of any worldly cares. Shaolin martial arts, described as “coming from emptiness or soulessness,”places emphasis on the training of the mind and on combining mobility with tranquility.
Defeating the strong with the soft is another important feature of Chinese martial arts. For example, Shaolin martial arts require a practitioner to jump, land, advance, retreat, turn aside, etc., in a straight line, with the purpose of collecting energy inside rather than of keeping thebody steady; and once in attack mode, one directly hits the vital parts of a rival at the fastest speed and with the greatest strength imaginable. Some people describe Shaolin martial arts as being “elegant like a cat, yet fierce like a tiger; walking like a dragon, moving like lightning, with a voice like thunder.”Shadow boxing, though lacking a single distinctive line, hasa seemingly broken line linking the flow of energy. Shadow boxing, also called “lithe hands”or “cotton circles,”is a gentle art, like a languid, enchanting dance, starting slowly and ending slowly, as naturally as if no force were applied. However, practitioners have the ability to launch a sudden attack to effectively defend themselves. Therefore people compare shadow boxing to water-gentle but powerful.
Generally speaking, Chinese martial arts are a type of defensive martial arts, where offensive attack is not the main goal. The three purposes of Shaolin martial arts are to protect the temple, protect oneself and keep fit, rather than to attack others. Resorting to force only when there is no alternative is one characteristic of Chinese martial arts, as well as a feature of military theories in China. One commandment of the Shaolin Temple is the requirement to “hold morals in esteem, rather than force,”as evidenced by its incorporating the concept of “benevolence”in Confucianism and by its principle against brutal attack. Shaolin martial arts stipulate the “eight don’ ts”when one has to resort to force: don’t attack the temples, don’t attack the chest, don’t attack the soft ribs, don’t attack the armpits, don’t attack the private parts, don’t attack either side of the small of the back, don’t attack the coccyx, and don’t attack the auricles. These body parts are delicate, and the regulation of the “eight don’ ts”is to avoid taking life.
