The Shaolin Temple’s 72 Secret and Consummate Arts, i.e. its Secret Fighting Exercises or ‘Kungs’ fall into two main categories: ‘Hard’ Yang/Gang External Energy Training or ‘Soft’ Yin/Rou Internal Energy Training . Soft Bone Arts, also known as ‘Rou Gu Gong’, falls into the latter category.
Technical analysis
Rou Gu Gong develops the suppleness, flexibility and malleability of the bones and joints of the body. Greater resistance to disease and illness is also seen in those who master this Kung. Soft Bones Art involves stretching and contracting the muscles to an extraordinary degree. Understanding 5 key stages, this Kung is an exercise that specifically trains the waist and legs.
method
Stage 1: slide the leg
During this stage, students repeatedly kick straight up while standing without moving other body parts. With the supporting leg straight, the kicking leg (kept as straight as possible) kicks up repeatedly, as high as possible, 100-200 times. Each leg is trained alternately and the exercise is repeated twice a day in the morning and evening for about 6 months or until the students can kick at head height with ease.
Stage 2: kicks skyward
Again, students stand tall on their supporting leg, lift the other leg up, and hold it there for as long as possible. Using the hands to grasp the thigh, the shin (shin) is attached to the chest and the sole of the foot points towards the sky. This position is then held until the student tires, then the other leg is exercised in a similar manner.
Stage 3: Legacy of a Line
This stage incorporates the two essential dimensions of ‘splitting’. One Line Horizontal Legs It involves sitting with your legs stretched out to the left and right respectively, ideally in a straight line, with both hands grasping your waist. In One Line Vertical Legs the limbs are stretched back and forth in a similar fashion before repeating the exercise in reverse.
Stage 4: Waist Training
With fingers interlocked, palms facing up, and feet together, stretch your arms above your head. Bend your upper body forward until you can place your hands firmly on the ground with your head and shoulders on the same level. Hold this position for as long as possible (ideally 10-15 minutes).
Next, with the arms extended, the exercise is repeated backwards, in the opposite direction until both hands touch the ground. In this way, the student achieves an arched bridge position. After holding this for a while, the student attempts to return to the original upright position without losing balance.
Stage 5: Mobile Bridge
When the above can be done easily, students practice bending their bodies to the left and right (greatly improving waist flexibility). Finally, using only the hands and feet (the only parts of the body that can touch the ground), the body is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise to the right and left to further improve the waist performance.
general
The waist itself is a key bridge that joins the upper and lower parts of the body; it also acts as a pivot when the fists and feet are pushed, allowing more power to be transmitted to the limbs. Steam baths have been observed to help make Rou Gu Gong’s waist more flexible.