Flowing Zen

Who are these 18 Luohans, and why are we interested in their hands? The word Luohan comes from the Sanskrit word Arhat. Both words refer to a person who has cultivated a high level of spirituality, somewhat like a Christian Saint.

The ultimate aim of Tai Chi Chuan practice is to return to the Limitless Void (Tai Chi). It is also the ultimate aim of all great spiritual training and all known world religions. Because this great truth is expressed in different terms by different peoples (like attaining Tao, realizing Buddhahood, or returning to God), it may have different connotations for different people.

There are a lot of foreign words and names on this site. I know that it can get confusing, so in this post, I will try to define them in a way that you can easily understand.

What do Cosmos Qigong, Shaolin Kung Fu, and Zen Meditation have in common? Sure, they’re all energy arts, and they all came from the Shaolin Temple. But did you know that they also came from the same man?

Twenty years ago, in the winter of 1992, I signed up for my first martial arts class. After growing up watching endless hours of Kung Fu Theater on Saturday morning TV, I finally decided to take the plunge.

The Ten Shaolin Laws are non-religious, and transcend cultural and linguistic differences. These simple laws promote values that are worthy and desirable in any culture. Laws, in the Shaolin tradition, are not meant to be restrictive; they are meant to help followers achieve set aims and objectives. In this case, the laws to help us to attain the best possible results in practicing Flowing Zen.

Can you spar with traditional Shaolin Kung Fu techniques? Or do you practice traditional techniques, and then abandon them once you start sparring? Sadly, most Kung Fu students today lack a systematic approach to sparring.  So it’s no surprise that they cannot use traditional techniques in sparring. If you watch them sparring, it is obviousaaa