Shaolin monks hone their kung fu skills in the courtyard of the Shaolin Monastery. Murals in the White Hall of the Shaolin Temple.

Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of Shaolin Monks

72 Arts of Shaolin: (6) Four-Part Exercise

SI DUAN GONG

Four-Part Exercise | Brief Description 

Excerpt from the book: Jin Jing Zhong. Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >
The Four-Part exercise is a base one both in the soft and hard GONG FU of 72 Kinds of the Shaolin Martial Art. It has much in common with a known method of health improvement “Eight Pieces of Brocade” worked out by marshal Yue Fei during the rule of the dynasty of SUN. Before studying the very combat technique (WU SHU) one should train the Rider’s stance (MA BU) and Step (movement) technique. The training stirs up interest in a man and he oftener trains himself. Then, it will not be long before the result appears. Those exercises do not need much space. Although the method is simple, its meaning is deep. We give full description of the Shaolin Four-Part exercise. Successive and regular training leads to good health and long life. These four parts are:
(1) Supporting the Sky, Raising the Earth, Adjustment of “Three Heaters” (TUO TIAN TI DI LI SAN JIAO)
(2) Five Damages, Seven Harms, Looking Back (WU LAO QI SHAN WANG HOU QIAO)
(3) Opening the Window to Admire the Moon, Drive away Fire from the Heart (TUI CHUAN WANG YUE QU XIN HUO)
(4) Catching Emptiness, Striking at Emptiness, the Strength will not Give out (ZHAO KONG DA KONG LI BU LAO)
<  A full description of the training procedure is available in the book: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin >

...Although the Shaolin exercise “Four parts” is short, but it is necessary to train it with a pure and quiet heart, concentrate force and attention, breathing should be freely. One must not “force” (control) breathing, one must not “conceal” (hold) breathing either. If you “force” (control) breathing excessively, breath and QI deplete and holding breath undermines QI. It is necessary to do a deep exhalation when tilting down. When you support the sky with your arms, the fingers of both hands should be interlocked, then QI will come to finger tips. It is better, if you can raise your heel a little (i.e. stand on tiptoe). When the palms touch the floor, it is necessary to avoid excessive application of force, otherwise the kidney may be injured. Don’t stop halfway, don’t be afraid of making progress. All movements should be done slowly with a certain force. You do not achieve success in haste, don’t strive for a quick result. In the course of training you will not only improve your health and spirit but also lay a solid base for further improvement in Shaolin GONG FU.

72 Arts of Shaolin (6) Four-Part Exercise

72 ARTS OF SHAOLIN | Brief Descriptions

(1) Diamond Finger - (2) Twin Lock - (3) Striking with Foot  (4) Pulling out Nails - (5) Ringing Round a Tree - (6 ) Four-Part Exercise - (7) One Finger of Chan Meditation - (8) Iron Head - (9) Iron Shirt - (10) A Series of Blows - (11) Sweeping with an Iron Broom - (12) Hand - a Bamboo Leaf (13) Jumping Centipede - (14) Raising a Weight of 1000 JINs - (15) Celestial’s Palm - (16) Method of Hardness and Softness - (17) Cinnabar Palm - (18) Lying Tiger - (19) Swimming and Diving Skill - (20) Sluice Shutter weighing 1000 JINs - (21) Covering with a Gold Bell - (22) Finger Lock - (23) Luohan’s Exercise - (24) Lizard Climbs the Wall - (25) The Art of Lash - (26) PIPA - (27) The Pole of a Falling Star - (28) Poles of Plum Bloom - (29) The Art of Stone Padlock - (30) Skill of the Iron Arm - (31) Fist like a Bullet - (32) Soft Bones - (33) Frog - (34) Piercing the Curtain - (35) The Force of Eagle’s Claws - (36) Iron Bull - (37) Skill of Eagle Wings - (38) Hand of Sun Rays - (39) Exercise for Groin - (40) Iron Bag - (41) Method that Reveals the Truth - (42) Skill of Tortoise Back - (43) Skill of Deft Jumps - (44) Skill of Light Body - (45) Iron Knees - (46) Technique of Jumps - (47) Palm of Iron Sand - (48) Pulling a Silk Thread - (49) Method of drawing in YIN - (50) Rubbing and Thrusts - (51) Stone Pile - (52) Neither Lances nor Broadswords Can Wound - (53) Gong Fu Flight - (54) Hand of Five Poisons - (55) Skill of Water Separation - (56) To Fly Up to the Ridge and to Walk on a Wall - (57) Skill of Somersaulting - (58) Pole of Cypress - (59) Ba Wang’s Elbow - (60) Pinching a Flower - (61) Pushing a Mountain with Palm - (62) Technique of Horse Saddle - (63) Skill of Nephrite Belt - (64) YIN Fist Method - (65) Skill of Sand Bags - (66) Piercing Through Stones - (67) Pulling Out a Mountain - (68) Claws of Mantis - (69) Gong Fu Bag - (70) Palm of Guan Yin - (71) Raising a Pot - (72) Rubbing Palms

About 72 SECRET ARTS OF MONKS FROM THE SHAOLIN MONASTERY

    Main Secret of the Shaolin Training in the Authentic Shaolin Book

    Jin Jing Zhong. Authentic Shaolin Heritage:Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin (Tanjin, China, 1934)