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8. Exercise
"Iron Head"
TIE TOU GONG
Brief
description*
*Excerpt
from the book: Jin Jing Zhong. Authentic Shaolin
Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin. ISBN:
978-1440474170
The exercise “Iron
Head” is hard Shaolin GONG FU, it trains external power
(strength) and belongs to the category YANG. Besides,
this method also has an internal aspect: it must rely on
strong QI. It is necessary to train three parts of your
head: top, forehead and back. Although external effect
(force) is employed to strengthen skin, muscles and
bones, it is also necessary to develop the internal
force and QI. The head should be filled with QI and
Spirit. One can achieve success if the internal and
external aspect match and supplement each other.
Otherwise, if only the force of external effect without
supplementation of the internal force is used, you will
get some result, but it will be far from perfection...
<...>
...If this
method is used against a man (as saying goes "to butt
with the mutton head"), you can easily knock him down.
The head of a well-trained man is harder than a stone. A
head blow can split a stone slab and crumple an iron
sheet. It only demands frank sincerity in training and
fulfillment of all requirements with all one’s heart and
self-denial. It is necessary to reject all extraneous
thoughts so that peace and tranquility would reign in
the head. They rightly say that it is necessary to
improve your character before starting to train Martial
Arts. In that case you will not go to deadlock and reach
the destination. This kind of GONG FU is not so rare.
For instance, strolling acrobats often show such
exercises as “Striking with a Big Hammer at the Head”
(YOU CHUI GUANG DING), “Two Dragons Dive in the Sea” (SHUANG
LONG RU HAI), “Breaking Bricks” (ZA ZHUAN) and others –
all this is the display of GONG FU “Iron Head”. This
Shaolin GONG FU must be used only for self-defense, you
should not be the first who delivers the blow. It is
worth mentioning that it is comparatively easy to attain
success in it.
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