Snake and Crane Shen Gongfu Training

At its core, this system is about transformation and cultivation. It is about growing oneself in meaningful ways. There is no financial cost involved in this training. I do not want your money, I want you to do the training.

What is Shen Gongfu (Spiritual Kung Fu)?

From its earliest roots what we in the west know as Kung Fu has been deeply tied into Qigong and Spiritual cultivation. The philosophy and ethics of both Buddhism and Taoism are woven throughout the tapestry that is traditional Chinese Martial Arts going back to the earliest days of the Shaolin Temple and Damo. Also known as Bodhidharma, Damo was a Buddhist monk who traveled from India to China to spread his teachings of Chan (Zen) Buddhism around the 5th or 6th century. Legend states that he found the monks there ignoring their physical bodies in the quest to achieve enlightenment and this greatly disturbed him as he felt that they had lost their way. He was so disturbed that that legend goes on to say that he secluded himself in a cave for nine years gazing at the wall and contemplating the problem. Finally, one monk who was desperate to be his student, Huike, cut off his own arm and presented it to Damo to display his sincerity and commitment. This was enough to prompt him out of his seclusion and to teach these monks his way. He is said to have written two books on his methods, the Yijinjing 易筋经 (Muscle and Tendon Changing) and the Xisuijing 洗髓經 (Bone Marrow Cleansing), the latter of which was considered lost and only incomplete parts have been found. The former became the basis for many Qigong and Martial arts practices and has survived to the modern day in a variety of different forms and traditions. This Yijinjing Qigong became the basis for practices such as Iron Shirt and the Baduanjin (Eight treasures).

The purpose of this practice is to build one’s health, vitality, and strength.

Kung Fu (Gongfu) roughly translates to Time and Effort, and it can be applied to anything that requires a very high level of commitment and consistent practice. Thus Spiritual Kung Fu (Shen Gongfu 神功夫) can be thought of as a practice to cultivate the human spirit. As Damo instructed all those centuries ago spiritual cultivation begins with physical cultivation; a strong spirit requires a strong and healthy body. At Snake and Crane the Yijinjing is the core of our training and provides the foundation that is required to succeed in a journey of personal growth. We also train in the classical martial arts of Taijiquan and Baguazhang as well as Hatha Yoga.

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