Shaolin Martial Arts – Dr Colin Chan

I recently dragged my wife to the just released “Shaolin” movie. This is the first major film made about Shaolin Kung Fu since Jet Li starred in the 1982 classic “Shaolin temple”. I am sure everyone is aware of Shaolin monks, their martial arts prowess and their ability to perform great feats of physical strength. However, I like, many people was unaware of the deeper philosophy of Shaolin Kung Fu till I started training in the art 9 months ago.

My Shifu is Jason Yong Jian Beam. He is a 34th generation Shaolin disciple. He always exudes calm and focus. My female staff also find him incredibly good looking…..but let’s not dwell on that. The two principles of Shaolin he emphasizes are being a strong foundation and mind over body. Let me explain further.

Shaolin Kung Fu is built on the strength of one’s stance. All moves, strikes, punches and kicks rely on a strong stance, like a building relies on its foundations. To build a strong stance takes years and years of training. As my Shifu is fond of saying “ No shortcuts… no magic pills” and this is very true. There is no quick or easy way of becoming good at Shaolin Kung Fu.

The ability to withstand and persist at the body conditioning required for Shaolin Kung Fu requires a strong focused mind. The mind always wants to give in to the body; we all know this to be true. It is true regardless of whether it is the inability to do one more push up or that extra coffee we want on a late Friday afternoon. Shaolin teaches that the mind should push beyond the body’s needs and wants. One famous technique is called “iron shirt”. If mastered, it is possible to have sticks shattered on your body without harm or pain. It is a good example of mind over body.

Getting back to the film, the other core belief of Shaolin portrayed in the movie was compassion and care for all regardless of status, race or history. The monks took in and sheltered their worst enemies, even when it ultimately led to the destruction of their temple and the death of their comrades.

So why am I talking about this? How does my Shaolin training help me? What does a strong foundation, a focused mind and compassion and care have to do with being a good laser eye surgeon? Plenty…..