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Gongfu (Northern) Class description

Gongfu Class Description

Find a Gongfu or Northern/Southern Kung Fu Class

One of the most famous aspects of Chinese culture and Chinese history is the practice of Kung Fu. As pronounced in Mandarin Chinese, Gongfu is one of the essentials which define the martial heritage of China. It is safe to say that following Karate and Tae Kwon Do, Gongfu is among the most popular and widely known martial arts. Gongfu has a lineage which dates back nearly as far as Chinese history making it one of the oldest martial arts still in existence today.

Many attribute the Shaolin temple in Henan Province with the creation of Gongfu. This notion is incorrect. Gongfu was merely systemized and formatted at Shaolin temple. It had existed within China for thousands of years prior to the founding of Shaolin temple. More information about the history of Shaolin and its influence on Gongfu is available in our links section.

Gongfu is the most aerobic of the arts that Shi Heng Zhan teaches as it is based off of the training regimen the Shaolin temple warrior monks used to develop their martial skill and become some of the most respected warriors in all of China. Gongfu literally means “hard work” or “difficult cultivation.” Because of this, Gongfu is the foremost practice of physical discipline amongst the police forces in China. This concept of hard work is apparent in the physically demanding drills and taolu practiced in classes. Gongfu not only applies to martial arts but also to any task you place effort into. The thing you work hardest on is your Gongfu. The Gongfu that is taught in Shi Heng Zhan’s classes is martial arts and are properly known as Shaolin Chan Quan. This allows us to see that the practice of Gongfu is based on the idea that you work hard no matter what task comes your way. It is for this reason that Gongfu is one of the foremost practices of “Action Meditation” at Shaolin temple. More information is available in the articles included in the links section.

Many people have approached the practice of Gongfu throughout its more than 3000 year old history and that is why there are so many styles of Gongfu. Speaking strictly of martial Gongfu, there are many schools of thought on the divisions of Gongfu; Northern and Southern for example. Shaolin Chan Quan stays away from defining itself as anything. In Chan Buddhism philosophy, there is no plus and no minus. So there is no north and no south. However, for the discerning martial artist, Shaolin Chan Quan fits the description of a Northern style of Gongfu. Commonly differentiated from Southern Gongfu practice, Northern is said to emphasize wide stances, high kicks, elongated jumping techniques, bursts of agility and speed, circular blocks as well as long-range attacks.

Shaolin Chan Quan is practiced to build a strong body so that the mind has room to grow and cultivate. The practice of Chan Quan, when compared to a practice such as Taiji or Qigong, yields outward physical results, such as weight loss, in a faster manner. There is a saying that with Gongfu, you will become a warrior after 3 years of practice…while in Taiji, after 10 years you will become one of the strongest warriors in all the land. The goal is the same, but the path is different. Finding one’s own path in life is a beautiful expression of freedom. Gongfu is a path.

The exercise regimen of the Shaolin Gongfu/Chan Quan includes a wide variety of stances, kicks, jumps, stretches, punches, strengthening exercises, and forms work.

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From Yoga to Martial Arts

The History of Martial Arts and Yoga

Find a Dragon’s Breath Class

(The Beginnings of Dragon’s Breath Yoga at Temple Arts in Plantation Florida)

Dragon’s Breath Classes // Thursday 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Temple Arts Yoga and Belly Dance studio in Plantation, Florida is excited to introduce the entirely new program, Dragon’s Breath Yoga. This Yoga was made with the Martial Artist in mind. Although one does not need to be a Martial Arts practitioner in order to become involved.

The founder of Dragon’s Breath is Amanda Clemens (also President of Temple Arts Yoga and Belly Dance Studio) who has been a Yoga practitioner her whole life. Starting at the young age of, well being born! You see Amanda’s mom used an Indian massage called Loving Hands on her since the very day she was born. This massage not only helps with the connection between mother and child but also helps in keeping the baby pliable and healthy. It uses a gentle massage that places the baby in Yoga Asanas. So, with an early start in Yoga and nine years experience in the Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu brand of Martial Arts Amanda was destined to see the link between her two loves.

After studying Martial Arts for a few years at a local Plantation Florida Studio, John Wai’s Florida Kung Fu Academy, she began to notice similarities between it and Yoga. Both Martial Arts and Yoga had similar stances or postures. They also shared in internal practices like breath work and focus for the mind. So Amanda began to do a little research and found out what is not very known in the Martial Arts world, that Yoga actually was the beginning to Martial Arts.

Many years ago a Buddhist Monk named Bodhi Dharma went to China in a time where the Emperor was converting to Buddhism. He visited a local Temple, were monks were translating sacred Sanskrit texts to Chinese, and what he found astonished him, the monks were falling asleep during there meditations! Bodhi Dharma could not have this so he began to teach the monks a series of postures to build stamina and strength back into the monk’s bodies. This practice was called Yoga. Just like the standard Yoga asanas are based off of animal poses, Martial Arts, or to be more specific to that time Kung Fu began to develop out of a need for self defense, from those and other animal styles.

Dragon’s Breath Yoga uses that very integration in its program. It shows through the flow of the class the movement of Yoga from Martial Arts. Even better there are two variations to this already popular class. You can try the pure Dragon’s Breath Yoga class which combines a series of Yoga asana with breath work, focus and meditation work design for the Martial Artist. Or the Dragon’s Breath class that is the combo of Martial Arts and Yoga. Both are heart pounding, sweat dripping classes for anyone that wants a challenge themselves and get all the benefits of a healthy, lean, flexible, strong body and focused mind.