Secret Shaolin Kung Fu Fighting Exercises: Golden Dragon Hand!
The 72 Secret and Completed Arts of the Shaolin Temple, also known as’ Kungs’ or Fighting Exercises’, involve extreme training but can produce astonishing results. Golden Dragon Hand, an external power training and palm conditioning fighting exercise, is described. Practical details of the intensity and duration of training and the basic but very effective traditional training aids used are also given.
Golden Dragon Hand, one of the ’72 Secret Arts ‘, has blocking and counterattack applications, increasing defense, rather than being for direct attack purposes.The Secret Arts of the Shaolin Temple, also known as’ Kungs ‘or’ Exercises of Fight ‘, involve tremendous training extremes, but can produce astonishing results.
Actually, there are more than 72 Secret Arts of Shaolin Temple; Various authorities have produced different and equally authentic lists, albeit with much in common. Yang / Yin, Gang / Rou and Internal / External are descriptors used to classify these fighting exercises or ‘Kungs’
The ‘Kungs’ mainly involve mild ‘Yin Rou Energy’ training, (mainly internal) or hard ‘Yang Gang Power’ training (mainly external), although some involve both.
Golden Dragon Hand (sometimes referred to as Closed Plate Arts)
Technical analysis
This is a palm Yang Gang external power training exercise.
A Shaolin maxim insists: “Palms are stronger than fists!” Similary. Some could even produce a broom with their bare hands from a single piece of bamboo, through mastering this art. Its applications include Qin Na (‘sixteen and control’) and bare-hand versus weapon techniques, including disarming.
Methods
A pack of 36 bamboo chopsticks should be securely attached at both ends with a strong string (black electrical tape works equally well, I have found). Make sure they all point the same way (toothpicks are always tapered). These can be purchased easily and inexpensively at your local supermarket or store in China; Plastic ones are ideal!
The first stage of the practice involves grasping both ends of the pack, one in each hand, turning them in opposite directions, reversing the directions, and turning again until the arms get tired. After a short rest the exercise is repeated. Exercise should be practiced several times a day on a regular basis. Progress is indicated by the ability to twist the package and deform it.
In the next stage, the pack is held in the middle between the two palms vigorously rubbing it back and forth, one clockwise and the other counterclockwise before repeating. the exercise in reverse. Signs of progress include: moving the pack back and forth with your hands while rubbing; Cracking / clicking sounds and individual sticks sliding in and out of position, similarly caused. These stages last about two years.
The final stage requires a new pack of chopsticks – this time made of iron! China has moved to stainless steel, Japan occasionally uses tinplate ones, but in Korea they are very popular and can be obtained by mail order or in Korean stores. The exercises in step two are then repeated until the iron chopsticks are first reduced in diameter and, second, markedly elongated due to friction generated by prolonged rubbing. This final stage can take two years or more.
Usually
In ancient China, some people could produce door frames and decorative hardware in this way. However, I can make great progress by simply mastering the first two stages of the Golden Dragon’s hand.