Okay, thanks guys.
I am just looking for ideas as that whole area is not really covered as openly as forms and other drills.
I'm familiar with knocking arms, and I just wanted to ask if there are any other drills which are commonly used.
Of course it's easy to harden up parts of the body but I like a pinch of culture to my training. Otherwise I could just go around drinking protein shakes and wearing affliction T shirts so that it wouldn't matter whether my arms were hard or not!
Anyway if anyone knows a traditional shaolin conditioning drill, and the name of (in chinese and eng) aside from knocking arms, let me know.
Thanks
And Gene I actually have that mag so will look at that, thanks.
fwiw, "knocking arms is not the proper term.
It is more commonly referred to as "sam sing" (三星) or three stars.
Also is Ng Sing (5) Chut Sing (7) Gao sing (9) (all terms in canto).
there is also body striking with long canvas filled with beans and other materials.
Self striking of the body and some of the conditioning exercises look exactly the same, but one type works bone and the other the bulk of muscle.
It is a slow build up over time that allows someone to take incoming strike and recover quickly after having spent time adjusting to how the body works when hit and so on and so forth.
There are many materials available. It is typical of sil lum training to experience this early on in training and it is a hallmark of Hung Kuen training (the three star blocking).
Iron body exercises are becoming more available. But in my opinion, there is no substitute for a Sifu who actually has learned the traditional method.
Kung Fu is good for you.
Nothing wrong with that. Ain't the web great?
Excellent.
At Shaolin, the most common version, which is outlined in the article I mentioned above, is zhuang gong duilian (post work opposing drill 桩功对练). It follows on a very similar pattern as most sam sing patterns but adds a footwork drill, thus the 'zhuang' as ultimately it's supposed to be practiced a top plum flower posts (meihua zhuang). I used to work sam sing a lot when I was under Sifu Wing Lam. I worked zhuang gong duilian under several Shaolin monks over the years, each with slight variations of course, but haven't been doing it much lately.
Gene Ching
Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
Author of Shaolin Trips
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I see what bawang means about online instruction. This is exactly the sort of training that could cripple someone for life.
iron arms skill (铁臂功: tie bi gong): hit hard objects (for example, firstly hit a pillar for a few months, then a big tree for the 1st year, a flat rock for the 2nd year, and finally a harsh rock). mastering level is when you can break a stone.
Start slow, especially if you don't have a teacher to train under directly.