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Shaolin Breathing and Balance

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It's because of some inner breathing, a very special technique. You move your breathing from your stomach to your head, and when the attack comes you can bounce it back like a spring and fend it off like a spring using your inner strength.

‘It’s because of some inner breathing, a very special technique. You move your breathing from your stomach to your head, and when the attack comes you can bounce it back like a spring and fend it off like a spring using your inner strength. You move your breathing to the top of your head and using this idea, you can protect yourself against anything.’

‘For example, normally this arm is just an arm, but when I use breathing (Qi), moving it first to my stomach, then using my mind to move the Qi to my arm, it’s instantly different, it changes. The change makes my arm able to bear any beatings. You can beat it all you want, sometimes my skin will bruise and hurt, but my inner organs won’t be hurt in any way. So people think the inner force is incredible beyond understanding, something mysterious.’

Shaolin Business, The Documentary Channel

Tong-Zi Gong (Ancient form of Yoga)

In the martial arts, flexibility is paramount. The more flexible you are, the more pain you can withstand. The more pain you can withstand, the faster your progress. Flexibility makes joints pliable, which in turn enables perfect posture and enormous power. It also ensures these qualities last a life-time.

Circles — Circular Motions

Everything in life evolves and revolves in circular motions. Energy is created through circular motions. The body is designed aerodynamically. If we are rigid, stiff and uncomposed, our energy becomes stagnant. Stale energy (oxygen) creates stress.

Circular motions create simplicity in everyday life. Through simplicity everything becomes easier because you do more by doing less.

Circular motions create momentum and teaches us to do more by doing less.

Right Hand/Left Hand

In life we are told we are either right-handed or left-handed. We are deterred from using our left hand and encouraged to use the right. This creates an unbalanced life (physically, mentally, and emotionally). It teaches us to favour one side of our body and neglect the other.

This unbalances our minds, two hemispheres and creates stress and disharmony.

One side of the body ‘specialises’ in certain tasks (writing, shaving etc) and the other side becomes simply uncoordinated at those simple tasks.

Basketball coordinates both sides of the brain. It teaches balance and harmony. What one side of the body can do, the other side can do.

Krisna Conciousness

There are predictions in the scriptures that in this age, man’s duration of life, his mercy and his intelligence are being reduced. Men are not very powerful. Their duration of life is very short. We are always disturbed and we have practically no knowledge about spiritual science.

The present age is called Kal-Yuga, which means this is the age of quarrel and disagreement. No one agrees with anyone else. Everyone has his own theory. Everyone has his own philosophies. If we don’t agree, we fight.

We have different stages in our life: The bodily, intellectual, mental and the spiritual. Yoga is not just a show of gymnastics; it’s a means to controlling the senses.

Ghandi

‘When I despair, I remember that throughout history the way of love and truth has always won. There have tyrants and murderers, and for a time the can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall … Think of it … Always.’

‘You will eat, not to satisfy your plate, but your hunger. A self-indulgent man lives to eat. A self-restrained man eats to live.’

‘Truth, purity, self-control, firmness, fearlessness, humility, unity, peace and renunciation; these are the inherent qualities of a civil resister.’

‘Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will.’

Confucianism

  • Sincerity in public and private life
  • Orderly social life
  • Moral character
  • Respect for elders and ancestors
  • Study and practice for self-examination
  • Become a ‘superior man’ through learning and devotion to moral ideals
  • Importance of the family.

Taoist

  • All is in flux, except Tao
  • Ying balances the Yang
  • Belief in meditation on simplicity
  • Te (virtue) and Chi (energy), the power of effortless action
  • Quest for immortality
  • Heaven rules earth, earth rules man, Tao rules heaven
  • All move in harmony.