Shaolin Wushu is one of the most influential genres of Chinese martial art and is named after the Shaolin Temple located in Dengfeng County, Henan Province. The monks of the Shaolin Temple began to study martial arts during the Southern and Northern dynasties and this tradition prevailed during the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Shaolin Wushu is famous both at home and abroad as a highly effective method of self-defense and health development. Combining external and internal, and “hard” and “soft” exercises, Shaolin Wushu involves various methods of fighting techniques, consisting of bare-handed boxing and weapon combat. Shaolin boxing has compactly designed routines. His movements are fast, powerful and flexible; both practical for defense and attack.
The most prominent feature of Shaolin boxing is that the practitioner works in a straight line. It means that your forward, backward, turn, sideways or jump movements are restricted in one line. His arms are kept slightly bent so that he can stretch out to attack or withdraw freely to defend. Another characteristic of Shaolin Wushu is to keep the body in perfect balance, as stable as a mountain. Practitioners must keep a calm mind but strike with great force and speed. It should be good at “borrowing” the opponent’s strength. That is, he should not face the opponent’s blows head-on, but take advantage of the striker’s strength and go along with him to take him to protect himself from a force of a thousand pesos. The practitioner must know how to make fake blows and when hitting hit the vital parts of the opponent. Movements must be as dexterous as a cat’s, tremors like a tiger’s, movements like a dragon’s, advances like lightning, and cries like thunder.
Shaolin Wushu is a very convenient sport, since the practice does not need a large space and is not affected by the weather or the type of weapons used.
There are many routines. External exercises include Lesser Hong Boxing, Greater Hong Boxing, Ancient Hong Boxing, Chaoyang Boxing, Chang Boxing, Plum Blossom Boxing, Cannon Boxing, Luohan Buddha Boxing, Tongbei Boxing, Seven Star Boxing , Dragon boxing out of the sea and shooting star boxing; for internal exercises there are Xingyi Boxing and Juji Boxing. Shaolin boxing can be practiced individually or in pairs. Dual routines include: Banshou Liuhe Boxing, Yaoshou Liuhe Boxing, and Kick and Strike Liuhe Boxing.
