Category Archives: shaolin kung fu

A Complete Guide To Shaolin Kung Fu

February 23, 2015bootcamp training, circuit training, dvd kung fu, fitness, High Intensity Training, HIT, HIT training, HIT training and the martial artist, ki gong, kung fu circtui training, martial arts, shaolin bootcamp, shaolin kung fu, shaolinkung fu workoutgong fu, gung fu, kung fu books, kung fu dvd, kungfuworkout, shaolin kung fu, shaolin kung fu workout, shaolin temple, shaolinworkoutShifu Yan Lei Team

If you don’t have a Shaolin teacher near you my Shaolin Warrior Programs give you instant access to the authentic teachings you would learn if you entered the Shaolin Temple. In order to learn Shaolin Kung Fu, you need to respect yourself and respect your teachings. Train regularly, five- six times a week and clearly define your goal. Why are you training? Do you want to learn Shaolin as a martial art? Or do you want a fast track to fitness?

My original goal was to test my skills. I was a very angry 15 year old who was always getting into fights. My Master – who is now the Shaolin Abbot – was fed up of coming to the police station to get me out of jail so he sent me to a very well known Zen master.

In the Cultural Revolution when Mao was destroying all the temples, this master risked his life to stay in the temple. For many years he lived in this destroyed temple and when Buddhism was allowed to flourish again he started to re-build the temple. Every morning he would sit in meditation and chant and I would train. He asked me to sit with him but I had no patience to sit. After a few weeks of trying to get me to sit he told me to make training my meditation.

When I came back to the Shaolin Temple, my training was no longer a way of being able to learn new fighting techniques so that I could conquer other people but it became my meditation.

Shaolin transformed my life, and it’s my goal to help as many people transform their lives. I’m very happy that thousands of students all over the world now train with my DVDs and books.

In this post I give a quick overview of each Kung Fu Program program, what benefit they will give you and some suggested training programs.

If you want to learn Shaolin as a martial artist then you need to start with Shaolin Workout 1, 2, and 3. If you’re not so bothered about Shaolin martial arts but you want exceptional stamina then train with Shaolin Bootcamp and Shaolin Circuit Training.

Shaolin Workout 1 is exactly the same as if you were stepping into a class at the Shaolin Temple. Don’t expect to keep up and understand everything. As you keep studying with the DVD, you will slowly see improvements and gain an understanding. Once you’ve mastered the five fundamental kicks and the five fundamental stances, even if you still can’t keep up, you’re ready to move onto Shaolin Workout 2.

One of the reasons for moving up quickly is so that your body doesn’t reach its plateau, in order for your body to keep improving, you need to keep surprising it and keep finding the edge of your training. Alternate between Workout 1 and Workout 2.

If you’re only interested in fighting techniques and not traditional Shaolin then skip Workout 1 and 2 and go straight to Workout 3, where you learn fighting kicks and fighting punches and combinations.

As a martial artist continue to come back to these three DVDs, and now to improve your strength and stamina and challenge your body even more, add in Shaolin Bootcamp 1 and 2. These DVDs use your own body for strength training and are more challenging in terms of stamina.

You can alternate the days so now you have a complete 5-day workout:

Monday: Workout 1

Tuesday: Workout 2

Wednesday: Workout 3

Thursday: Bootcamp 1

Friday: Bootcamp 1

Saturday: Self-train without the DVDs perfecting your techniques.

If you’re a fighter or you want to work more on your stamina and modern fighting techniques then alternate between the Circuit Training DVDs and the Bootcamp DVDs. Circuit Training Volume 1 focuses on punches and Circuit Training Volume 2 focuses on kicks.

It’s good to do each of the Circuit Training DVDs twice a week:

Monday: Circuit Training 1

Tuesday: Circuit Training 2

Wednesday: Bootcamp 1 or 2

Thursday: Circuit Training 1

Friday: Circuit Training 2

Saturday: Bootcamp 2

With the Bootcamp DVDs, correct form is not as important as pushing your strength and stamina. If you’re working with all 7 of the DVDs then work out a program that fits with your goals.

I have two other kung fu DVDs, these are more specialist DVDs specifically for martial artists, Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 1 is exactly what the title says Kung Fu Ch’an and Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 2 teaches takedowns so you need a partner to practice with, Kung Fu Ch’an demonstrates how kung fu can be a direct gateway to the teachings of Ch’an Buddhism or Zen, this is not a teaching DVD as such.

You can share your training experiences with other students by joining this Facebook page.

All of the DVDs and downloads are available at www.shifuyanlei.com

Train like a Shaolin Monk this summer in China

What’s In A Shaolin Warrior’s Refrigerator?

January 26, 2015a shaolin warrior's diet, best diet for health and fitness, best diet for the martial artist, chinese diet, dvd kung fu, shaolin kung fu, what's in a shaolin monk's refrigerator? shaolin dietchinese diet, diet for fitness, diet for healthy weight, diety for health, qigongbook, shaolin kung fu, shaolin temple, what's in a shaolin monk's refrigerator? what's in a shaolin warrior's refrigerator? shaolin dietShifu Yan Lei Team

Shaolin Warriors alongside the majority of Chinese people see food as medicine and eat in accordance with traditional Chinese Medicine. Foods have Yin and Yang qualities and we alter what we eat in accordance with how our health is that day. For example, if we have a cold then we’ll make chicken soup with dried red plums, Goji berries and ginger, an excellent tonic soup.

Inside the Shaolin Temple we eat vegetarian food but outside the temple, the fighting monks are allowed to eat meat if they feel their body needs it. Some people believe that all Buddhists are vegetarian but the historical Buddha was not a vegetarian. He begged for his food and accepted whatever was given to him. There is a strong philosophy of compassion in Buddhism which has led many Buddhists to become vegetarians. However in this article I’m not going to go into the ethics of being a vegetarian. I’m just going to give you an insight into a Shaolin Warrior’s daily diet.

Natural Food Shaolin Warrior’s focus on eating foods in their natural state. We don’t eat energy bars or cereal, we don’t drink coca cola, protein shakes, alcohol, or water with ice. We eat a diet which is rich in fruit, vegetables, and good quality protein. For carbohydrate we eat white rice, steamed buns or noodles. We drink water at room temperature, and lots of green tea. For snacks we eat nuts and fruits.

Carbohydrate – The Difference Between East & West Before I came to the West I’d never seen brown rice before. I, along with the majority of Chinese people don’t like the taste of it so it’s not something we eat. There seems to be a backlash against refined carbohydrates or even carbohydrates in general in the West. But anyone who trains hard needs to eat carbohydrates. ( I eat about three times the amount of carbohydrate the average person eats because I train so much.)White rice is a source of dietary fiber, which is important for a healthy digestive system, it contains vitamin B1 and is low in fat.

Daily Food Our daily food is stir fried vegetables and protein with carbohydrate, the most common protein being lamb, chicken, pork or tofu (now that I’m in the West I eat turkey and Quorn which is a good source of lean protein). Lamb is usually grass fed which is better than grain fed, it’s Yang and is good to eat if people are low in energy. We rarely eat beef. We eat protein with every meal because it helps us to sustain energy during our training. For our evening meal we don’t eat any carbohydrate unless we’re going to train that evening.

Timing Is Important In this picture, we’re having breakfast at the Shaolin Summer Camp. Shaolin Warriors believe that the time they eat is as important as what they eat. We eat our heaviest food at breakfast because we need this energy for training, a slightly lighter lunch then less food in the evening. Studies have shown that eating breakfast aids weight loss. Eating within an hour of exercise burns a little more fat and helps to promote leanness. Eating before exercise enhances performance and increases the amount of calories burnt.

Chinese food – excluding Chinese food in Western restaurants which is usually not authentic Chinese – combines food in such a way that not only is it packed with nutrition but it’s also an immune booster.

5 Vegetable Immune Booster A good example of this, and a dish to eat in the evening is five vegetable stir fry with ginger. Take five vegetables, preferably five different colours, cut them thinly then stir fry them with ginger, garlic and chili. I suggest that one of your vegetables is red pepper which has a high vitamin C content, and shitake mushroom which enhances immunity . Ginger aids digestion, chili contains capsicum which has anti-bacterial qualities and garlic is one of the most powerful healing foods that you can include in your daily diet to boost immunity. This simple dish not only tastes great but helps to prevent cancer, the common cold, gives you your five a day, and cannot make you fat.

Although our diet is Chinese, you don’t need to start eating Chinese food to change your diet to healthy, you just need to make sure that you’re eating fresh fruit and vegetables with good quality protein and carbohydrate. Food in its natural state has all the nutritional benefits you need. Avoid processed food. Live simply and keep your diet simple. That way your mind and body will be in balance.

Take The 40-day Shaolin Warrior Challenge

January 19, 201540-day shaolin warrior challenge, bootcamp training, cha'n buddhism, circuit training, neural pathways of brain, shaolin kung fu, shaolin qigong, zen meditation40-day shaolin warrior challenge, bamboo beater, bamboo brush, gong fu, ki gong, kung fu, qi self-massage, qigongbook, qigongdvd, qigongworkout, shaolin temple, shaolinworkoutShifu Yan Lei Team

At the Shaolin Temple, our masters told us that it took 40 days before any lasting change would happen in our mind and body. Buddha sat for 40 days under the Bodhi tree before he gained enlightenment. Jesus and Mohammed fasted for 40 days before they went back into the world to share their teachings. Scientists have found that after 40 days, the neural pathways in our brain make a lasting change.

If you are just starting out, or have been working with my DVDs for many years and want to reinvigorate your practice and transform your mind and body into a Shaolin Warrior then the 40-day challenge is for you.

It’s 40 days of putting a stronger emphasis on your practice, of training more than you usually would – which may mean getting out of bed an hour earlier -, training 6 days a week, and doing some additional mind training throughout the day. After 40 days you will see a significant change in your mind and body.

The DVDs that you use are down to what level you are. You will need at least 1 Kung Fu DVD or download, at least 1 Qigong DVD, download or book as well as the Instant Health bamboo or metal massage brush.

These are my 7 Guidelines to your 40-day challenge

1. Attitude Of Mind. Train where you are with what you have. All you need is faith you can do it and your bamboo or metal brush. Just play my DVD and follow the training. You can follow it in a small flat, outside in the park or on top of a mountain.

2. Surrender to the teachings. One thing that slightly irritates me is the amount of questions I get asked by my Western students. I know that your education is different to mine but coming from a Zen Temple we put the emphasis on practice. If I asked my Master so many questions he would beat me! The more answers I give, the more I take away from your experience. Everything you seek is in the teaching if you can only surrender to it.

3. Practice AM & PM. In the midst of your busy life it’s difficult to train twice a day but for the next 40 days this is what you must do in order to progress. Even if you only have 10 minutes in the morning, do a little Qigong and stretching and this will help your day flow better while reminding you that you are training to be a Shaolin Warrior. I like my main training to be in the morning, this sets me up for the day; I then do Qigong in the evening to revitalize my body and give me a deep and peaceful sleep. Find the way that is right for you.

4.Be A Shaolin Warrior In Your Life. Breath is the link between the mind and the body. It’s the key to a powerful martial art’s practice. A Shaolin Warrior is grounded and focused so keep reminding yourself to breathe throughout the day. If you have a digital watch, you can set a few alarms or get it to beep on the hour as a reminder for you to stop and breathe.

5. Eat Right. Check out my blog post about food. For these 40 days put an emphasis on eating well. Make sure you eat a big breakfast every day, don’t drink any sugar drinks or eat processed food. Try to cook your own food.

6. Train Intelligently. The beauty of Shaolin is in its many exercises. What do I practice every week? The five basic kicks, the five stances, some traditional kicks and punches, bag work, pad work, exercises from my Circuit Training and Bootcamp followed by Qigong. Once you know the exercises from my DVDs, mix it up so that your body never gets used to any workout, this means your body will never get lazy and you will always be working to your optimal.

7. Schedule Your Challenge. Write in your diary the day you will start. Throughout the 40 days make a note of the changes that you experience as well as what happens to your fitness levels. How many press-ups and squats can you do now? How many can you do after 40 days? How flexible are you now? How flexible after 40 days? How about your focus and your peace of mind? Shaolin is as much about the mind as it is about the body.

Join the new Facebook page I’ve made for people training with my DVD so that you can join with your fellow Shaolin Warriors to share your journey and support each other. Or come and train with me at the Shaolin Summer Camp this year in China. Remember. Great mind and bodies are not born that way, they are trained.

Shifu Yan Lei teaches Shaolin Kung Fu & Qigong with DVDs, books, downloads and personal training.

Train Like A Shaolin Monk In The Songshang Mountains In China. July – August 2016

January 6, 2015kungfusummercamp, shaolin kung fu, shaolin temple, shaolinsummercampkung fu summer camp, qigong summer camp, shaolin summercamp, songshang mountains, trainattheshaolintempleShifu Yan Lei Team

Please click Shaolin Summer Camp 2016 for the updated details of the Shaolin Summer Camp 2016.

From Friday 31st July 2015 – Friday 28th August 2015 I’ll be teaching a Shaolin Summer Camp in the Songshang Mountains, a few kilometers away from the Shaolin Temple in China. You’ll train like a Shaolin Monk in authentic Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong, three times a day, 6 days a week. You can train for a minimum of two weeks or the whole month. The focus will be on training hard! This is not a holiday. Sample Schedule: Most of your training will be done outside. You will start the day with a run up the mountain then come back and do a kung fu session with the emphasis on strength and stamina training, you will then cool down with some Qigong. After you’ve finished training, breakfast will be served. This is usually steamed bread, congee, pickled vegetables and stir fried vegetables. After breakfast you’ll rest and we’ll start our training again mid-morning, with a focus on getting your form and techniques correct. Lunch will be served at 1pm. After lunch it’s advisable to sleep to help your body recover from the hard training. In the afternoon you’ll train for another 3 hours. At 6pm we’ll have dinner. Evenings will be spent reading or doing internal training such as Qigong or meditating. I will teach in English. Who Is Is Suitable For? Anyone over the age of 18 who has a passion for Shaolin. You MUST be a non-smoker and no alcohol is allowed during your stay. Do I have to be good at Kung Fu and Qigong? Beginner’s are welcome but to get the most out of our stay it’s good to have a basic fitness level and a grounding in kung fu. No matter what level you are, you’ll be training in a non-competitive friendly environment Weather: It’s usually between 30 – 36 so we train in the early morning before it gets hot, and we train inside when the weather is at it’s hottest. You need to bring lots of training clothes. Terrain: We are based amongst the mountains. You can see one of the areas where you’ll be training in this video. PRICE: £1000 for two weeks. ( about $1520.00 US dollars) £1500 for one month. ( about $2285.00 US Dollars). You can start your training in any of those weeks.

What You Get: 1) 6 hours of training per day – This is a professional way to build up your internal and external strength. Training will be in Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong. 2) Accommodation – You will stay in a shared room with one other person. The room has an en-suite bathroom and air conditioning. 3) Meals – All of your meals will be provided. This will be healthy, hearty, Chinese food, locally grown. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements, We will do our best to accommodate. What you need to provide: A valid passport and Chinese visa. Your flight to China and travel to the venue. Travel Insurance Training clothes, running shoes, training shoes, flip flops or sandals, and towels. Pocket money to buy water, and snacks. There will be the option of visiting the Shaolin Temple and the Bodhidharma Cave and you will need to pay the admission fee. Getting There: The nearest airport to Shaolin Temple is Zhengzhou. The nearest city is Dengfeng. There are regular flights from Beijing to Zhenghou, and it’s possible to book them on the day at the airport. We can arrange pick up and drop off at Zhengzhou airport. The price will be a maximum of £80.00 depending on the number of people. Once you register, we’ll try and put you with other people who are traveling to make the cost as low as possible. Address: China, Henan Province, Dengfeng City, Leijia Gou, Shaolin Temple International School. The venue is the blue dot on the map. Payment Details: Payment needs to be made by bank transfer. All payments must be made in full by 30th June. We can only accept currency in sterling pound. Cancellations for All Retreats: If you cancel 4 weeks before your arrival date, we will be happy to refund you but a cancellation fee of £100.00 will be charged plus £100.00 for the application form. If you cancel less than 4 weeks before your arrival date, there is a cancellation fee of 50% of the total contribution of your stay. If you cancel anytime in the week before your arrival date, there is no refund. Reserve Your Spot: We are a small group and places are limited so please book early. Email info@shifuyanlei.co.uk. Palmo will send you an application form, and a link to pay a non-refundable deposit of £100.00 which will be off-set from your training fee. She’s happy to answer any queries you may have.

The Super Important Training That Most Martial Artists Ignore

October 7, 2014fitness, High Intensity Training, HIT, HIT training and the martial artist, kung fu circtui training, martial arts, shaolin kung fukung fu circuit training, kung fu download, kung fu exercises, Shaolin Circuit Training, shaolin temple dvdShifu Yan Lei Team

High Intensity Training (HIT) is the best way to torch fat, build lean muscle, and boost your metabolism. Research has shown that it reduces our appetite and continues to help us lose weight after our training session. But what does this mean for the martial artist? And should we change the way we train? When my muscles were tested by scientists. There were rated highly in both short intensity and long endurance stamina. This is because a martial artist needs both. We’re not training purely for exercise or to lose weight, we’re training to hone our skills. Want powerful kicks or punches? Work on stamina first then flexibility then speed then power. Don’t underestimate how important stamina is for the martial artist. Without stamina, no skill.

Build Stamina & Skill In 6 Easy Steps

Start your training session with a run. This is your long endurance stamina.
After your run, begin your HIT training. This is your short intensity training. I teach HIT training in my Shaolin Circuit Training DVDs . You can do HIT training with a bag, pads, or sparring with a partner.
Challenge the large muscles in your upper and lower body. This is the key to successful HIT training. (if you’re doing bag/ pad training you need to combine exercises from my Circuit Training DVDs).
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone. It’s the only way to improve fitness and not hit a martial art’s plateau
Alternate. Do HIT training 3 – 4 times a week, or every other day of your regular martial art’s training.

Shaolin HIT Training is one of the challenges on our pathway to Zen. We can be as peaceful and spacious when we’re out of breath as when we’re sitting still. Try it and see

. Shifu Yan Lei teaches Hit Training in Shaolin Circuit 1 and 2