Northern Shaolin Tan Tui

An External Hard Style

What Does It All Mean?

• What is an external style?

• Well that is very simple an external style means that it builds and draws on the external energy of the body. Meaning your yang Qi(ji) the energy produced by the body for work and motion.

What Does It All Mean (con.)

• What is a hard style?

• I hard style has broad longer range movements often favoring kicks and footwork over punches and close range techniques.

Martial Zen

• It has long been the philosophy of Shaolin Buddhism to achieve enlightenment by conditioning the body mind and spirit through consistent condition of the body and meditation. By creating a strong, centered body the Qi will follow and you will reach Martial Zen.

• Martial Zen is achieving enlightenment through the cultivation of a skill set. Whether it be cooking, martial arts, or painting.

How It Was

• Traditionally they conditioned the body through strict regiments of demanding chores.

• the monks would carry water from wells or travel outside the monastery down treacherous mountain pathes to retrieve it and then slap at the bucket till it was empty.

• They would spend hours doing routines of rigorous movements.

The monks also would practice weapon routines for hours to perfect their technique.

They condition the body by striking each other with poles or breaking bricks on the tops of their heads.

Also they would hold stances atop high posts for hours and balance upside down doing hand stands.

• When the monks were not conditioning the muscles of the body with training, they were conditioning the muscles of the brain by writing and reading poetry, practicing calligraphy and meditation through mantras and visualization.

• there were also a large number of more style specific exercises the monks did to train and enhance their skill and health.

Why Did They Do It?

• It all probably sounds very brutal, intense and unnecessary but everything had its purpose.

• For example, carrying water provided them water from which to drink, cook, and do cleaning, and the journey down and up strengthened all the muscles in their body from hiking down and back. filling the buckets and carrying them up strengthened their backs, shoulders and arms.

• The varying seasonal temperatures and cold water helped to acclimate them to changes in temperature. Slapping the water also developed to develop power in their strikes.

• The punching, kicking, jumping and leaping involved in the routines worked to also condition all parts of the body. ( Legs, arms, abdominals, lats, traps, shoulders, etc.)

How Do We Do it?

• Quite obviously as times have changed so have training methods.

• I used a combination of bands, weights, toning balls, and machines to strength training

• I also do ball drop exercises, yoga mat conditioning and sparring to condition the body to increase endurance and the pain threshold.

A Lesson In Martial Anatomy

• In martial arts we use many of the major muscle groups of the body.

• These are the Deltoids, Lats, Traps, Abdominals, Glutes, Biceps, Triceps, flexors and extensors of the hand, Quads and etc.

Visual Aid

Muscles

• There are three types of muscle fiber used to movement, work or training.

• Slow Oxidative: also called slow twitch. These fibers require oxygen.and have high endurance

• Fast Oxidative Glycolytic: also called intermediate twitch. These fibers require oxygen and sugar. They have moderate endurance and are quick and powerful

• the last is called Fast Glycolitic: These fibers require sugars. they have a low endurance but are very powerful.

Basic Nutrition and Biochemistry

• Water is one the body's most precious and influencial components. Our blood,saliva, saline, mucus, and sweat are all water based fluids.

• it makes up 40-60% of you total body weight, and 72% of your muscle weight. What?! Yes your body stores water and carbohydrates as Glycogen in your muscle tissue.

• This explains why 60% of your diet sould be Carbohydrates(CHO)

• Complex CHO include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pasta and flour.

• Simple CHO Syrups, jellies, and cakes.

• Your muscles use water and carbohydrates to fuel your day to day existence.

• It is commonly thought that if I am gonna be big and strong I need protein. Protein should occupy 10-15% of your diet. It is used for long term repair and fuel of the body.

• The simplest form of protein is an amino acid. There are nine essential amino acids

• Complete proteins, are lean meats, eggs, milk, etc.

• Incomplete proteins are things like cereals, nuts, and beans.

• Fats are also an essential part of our diet. They promote healthy skin, insulate from hot and cold, and protect the major organs.

• Fats also story energy for the body.• Unsaturated and saturated fats are important

though a greater percentage of Unsaturated fats prevents risk of heart disease. (less than 10% should come from Saturated fats)

• Unsaturated fats are oils like Canola, Corn and Olive oil.

• Saturated fats are meat, milk, cream and butter.

• Vitamins and minerals are an important part of our body's processes as well. There are water soluble and fat soluble vitamins. Like B vitamins and vitamin C. Fat soluble include A,D, E, K. the dangerous thing about fat soluble vitamins is that overconsumption can be fatal.

• Minerals like Iron, zinc, Copper, Potassium, Magnessium, and Sodium are builders, activators, regulators, and controllers of the body's metabolic processes.

Northern Shaolin Tan Tui• Tan Tui was originally named Longtantui meaning "Northern Spring

Leg".• It original in longtan temple in Shandong province. Shandong

province is famous for the cultivation of major Buddhist, Taoist, and confucian culture.

• Longtan temple ( or the temple at Dragon's lake) is famous for its contribution to martial arts and early chinese culture.

• The style is nearly 3,000 years old.• It orginally was composed of eight forms. As knowledge and use of

this style grew schools have added to the number. In some places 10 forms are taught and in much of the world 12 forms are taught. It is used as an exercise routine to build the breath and lungs and strength the lower body back and core.

• I practice an Eight form system. This is all based on preference.

My Tan Tui History

• I started learning Tan Tui my Sophmore year of high school from a book in the library. I would wager I started for the same reason any 15 year starts a martial art.

• After I developed circulation issues due to damage to my spleen I began to practice the forms for health. Since that time I have increased my study and practice to everyday.

• Were it not for martial arts and Chinese medicine who knows where I might have ended up.

• Seven years later I am a practitioner of two styles and a certified, registered, and insured instructor. I started my journey only to help myself, but I continue you it to help cultivate your sense of self.

Links, sources and books

• Visual aid taken from http://www.e-missions.net/cybersurgeons/?/index

• the complete book of Shaolin by Wong Kiew Kit is a wonderful source of history.

• The Kung Fu Handbook by Grandmaster Peter Warr is the original book I started learning Wu Shu from.

• Shao-Lin Chuan: The Rhythm and Power of Tan Tui by Grandmaster Simmone Kuo is a great source for supplementary exercises and training, as well as insight to inspire and move you.

• This is the link to Peter War's Wu Kung Federation a phenomenal source of martial arts knowledge http://www.peterwarr.co.uk/wu-kung/tan-tui.asp