Requirements to a Shaolin Fighter

Shaolin Kung Fu

The requirements are expressed in a form of sayings:

1. To be as graceful as a cat
This rule says that in a fight one should make light, easy and graceful movements like the cat does.

2. To be as aggressive as the tiger
The tiger personifies courage and aggressiveness. The meaning of this saying is that in the face of your enemy you should overrun his courage. Advance harshly, retreat without any confusion, estimate the real situation and than heavily punch with a sharp rush to the enemy. 

3. To step like a dragon
The dragon in China is a symbol of strength and power, so steps should be strong, powerful and resolute. If steps are not resolute, something wrong will be with fists. A non-confident step means a slipshod fist. Thus, steps must be strong and confident. The step follows the movement of the body. When one step is over, the movement of the body is over, too. 

4. To act like a lightning stroke
One must be quick as a lightning stroke and instantly response to any changes. Punch in the fight should look like flash of lightning. You should punch so quickly as not to feel the striking moment. If your punch went home, you should not feel it. 

5. To shout like thunder
In the fight the most powerful strikes are delivered with a shout to help more powerful "effort-jin" emission.

6. To move like a gust of wind
One must move vehemently like a violent gust of wind. If you started fighting with a frontal attack, use your force on the left and on the right to follow the principle "The fist is visible, the strike is invisible" and "If you do not see your hand striking the enemy, you will never see this enemy." 

7. To stay like a nail
One must stay on a foot like a driven nail.

8. To be as heavy as a mountain
One should maintain stances like a mountain that can not be moved off. One should train in "mabu" ("rider") stance and "pole standing" stance. Those two exercises are the most important methods to train strong feet and to regulate your breathing. 

9. To be as light as goose down
However, at the same time you must move around quickly and lightly and instantly response to enemy's actions like goose down moves with the lightest whiff of the wind. 

10. To be soft as cotton wool
Before full exposure of rigidity and its realization at a striking moment one must rear internal slackness and vivifying void. 

11. As hard as iron
With the help of some methods of physical conditioning body, arms and legs of the fighter must become as hard as iron and in the contact with the enemy affect him like metal objects.

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