Written By:

Markus Kahila

In our school, our students have the opportunity to learn classical, specialized Shaolin sets and arts, and also other kungfu styles outside the Shaolin tradition.

We are grateful for having been transmitted, and to be able to pass on, not only the form of these arts, but also their essence, which is their complete practical application in combat as well as daily life. This is the purpose of all kungfu.

Below is a list and descriptions of all kungfu arts taught in our school. Find more information about the training programme in Shaolin Nordic here.

Unarmed Arts

Classical Shaolin Sets

Crossroads At The Four Gates

This is a fundamental Southern Shaolin Kungfu set, that was still taught at the old Shaolin monasteries before the burning by the Qing government. The monks practiced it to build the foundation upon which all their future kungfu development would depend. In Shaolin Nordic, we follow this tradition.

Great Majestic Set or The Triple Strech Set

This set was originally named by the "Great Majestic Hall" of the Southern Shaolin Temple where the monks used to practice it, and was transmitted to us through Shaolin patriarch Chi Sim's lineage. The other name refers to the "triple stretch" force training method, which is also prominently included in the set. The Great Majestic Set is a complete set for Shaolin Kungfu, including force training, combat sequences, tactics and strategies.

Shaolin Flower Set

The Flower Set was the speciality of many legendary Shaolin masters, such as Ng Mui and Fong Sai-Yuk. This advanced set is known for the "Flower Hand" technique, "leaking" strikes, and organ seeking kicks. Despite its elegant patterns, it also includes effective methods for force training. We've inherited this set from two sources, Shaolin patriatch Chi Sim's lineage and through Choy family Wing Chun.

Dragon Strenght Chi Circulation Set

The Dragon Strenght Set is primarily for training internal force, ie. "dragon force" and "dragon speed", but the set also contains a comprehensive approach to combat application. Dragon Strenght is a high level art. Shaolin Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit has stated that he considers it his highest attainment in kungfu.

The Essence of Shaolin

It is said that the best techniques in Shaolin Kungfu are contained in this set. The Essence of Shaolin is a long set, where each pattern is performed only once. Its application is advanced, as the techniques are used in subtle, profound and often surprising ways. It is a tradition that this set is taught by the master only to his chosen successor of the Shaolin arts.

Other Shaolin Kungfu Styles

Shaolin Kungfu Monkey Form

Our monkey form is crystallized in the "Five Monkey Eighteen Felling Technique" set, which, as the name suggests, comprises of five different aspects of the monkey, containing also eighteen hidden felling techniques. This art is transmitted to us from Southern Shaolin, from our Sigung Ho Fatt Nam's lineage. The monkey may seem playful and cheeky, but is deadly in combat. The typical monkey weapon is the staff.

Shaolin Kungfu Dragon Form

Our dragon kungfu is from Northern Shaolin, and it was Sifu Markus' first specialization in his Shaolin training. The hallmarks of the dragon are its flowing movements, which often look soft and graceful, but can be very powerful. One of the characteristic weapons for the dragon is the sword or "jian".

Lohan Kungfu

Lohan Kungfu was the progenitor of Shaolin Kungfu, with earliest versions reputedly containing only eighteen techniques. Later it evolved alongside Shaolin Kungfu also as a legitimate kungfu style of its own, where crushing fist techniques are typically emphasized. The Lohan Kungfu practiced in our school is recorded in the set of "Eighteen Lohan Fists".

Wudang Taijiquan

The patriarch Zhang Sanfeng developed Taijiquan from Shaolin Kungfu at China's Wudang mountain about 700 years ago. Because our school first and foremost represents the Shaolin tradition, our Taijiquan is Wudang Taijiquan, instead of the later, better known family styles such as Chen, Hao, Sun, Wu and Yang. In our practice, chi kung, meditation, combat and force training are equally important, and acquiring good skills for practical fighting is emphasized over set practice. Combat training is predominantly for unarmed applications, but we also teach traditional Taijiquan arts for the sword, the sabre, and the staff.

Other Kungfu Styles

Hung Gar

The art of Hung Gar kungfu, developed from Southern Shaolin kungfu, is known for its internal force, tiger and crane techniques, and the famous "no-shadow kicks". The Hung Gar kungfu in our school includes three sets, which were also the specializations of the legendary Hung Gar master Wong Fei-Hung: "Taming The Tiger" set, the "Tiger-Crane" set, and the "Iron Wire" force training set:

Wing Chun

The Wing Chun kungfu practiced in Shaolin Nordic is Choy family style, which characteristically uses short range force, applications against bigger opponents, and includes Choy Li Fut techniques. Our primary wing chun set is the "Choy Family Wing Choon 72 Pattern Tiger Crane Set", and we also train extensively in "asking bridges", which is the art of "sticking hands".

Xingyiquan or Xingyi

Xingyiquan, known as the "General's Kungfu", can come across as a simplified style, but it's combat and force applications are actually very versatile. Our entire Xingyi style is recorded in the "Five Element Continuous Fist" set, which is quite concise, but its techniques can be effectively used against any kinds of attacks.

Choy Li Fut

Choy Li Fut is a kungfu style that favors wide stances and long reaching attacks. It is especially effective for fighting multiple opponents at once, and is known for its "wave tactic", where strikes follow one other in waves in a flowing manner without pause. The main Choy Li Fut set in our school is "Twelve Fists", which is a long and comprehensive set. In force training, we use both internal and external methods, such as punching with hand weights, "Rolling Bamboo" and the art of "Iron Arm".

Armed Kungfu

In Shaolin Nordic, we also practice traditional kungfu weapons and weapon arts.

Read more about the benefits of kungfu weapon training here.

Ho-Family Flowing Water Staff

Traditionally speaking the staff in a monk's weapon, and there is a saying in kungfu that if you haven't learned at least one staff set, your Shaolin kungfu training is not yet complete. For a long time this set was transmitted only in a single family line, and it contains a complete method for fighting with the staff. Its secrets are hidden in the open in the following poetic couplet: "If there is a bridge, go along the bridge / If there is no bridge, flow with water".

Travelling Dragon Crescent Moon Spear

The crescent moon spear is a versatile weapon, combining characteristics of the spear, the staff, the trident, the sword, the hook and the dagger. The Traveling Dragon Crescent Moon Spear set makes good use of all these qualities, making it a very multifaceted and useful kungfu weapon art.

Plum Flower Sabre

This sabre (dao) set is named after the plum flower, because its movements fan out like the petals of the plum flower. The Sabre is a common weapon in kungfu, especially among those practicing the tiger style. In capable hands it is a formidable weapon even against the spear, whose attacks may be overwhelming against most fighters.

Green Dragon Crescent Moon Guan Dao

The guan dao is a heavy weapon, consisting of a large single blade on one end, a counterweight on the other, and a long shaft combining the two. In the past it was used in wars by both cavalries and foot soldiers, because the great weight of the weapon can readily cut through armor. The proper use of the bulky guan dao requires good technique and a lot of force.

Three-Sectional Soft Whip

Despite its name, the three-sectional soft whip is actually made of full, thick metal parts. It combines three components: The handle, the middle section and the tip with a sharpened end, attached to one another with metal rings. It takes a lot of practice to wield this weapon safely and effectively. It is the second one of Shaolin Wahnam Institute's emblem weapons, in the logo referring to the application of soft and flowing force.

Shaolin Travelling Dragon Sword

The use of the Chinese sword or "jian" is markedly different from many other sword traditions. It is never used to block the opponent's force directly, but the light and agile kungfu sword rather tends to circle the opponent's movements, slashing and piercing with great precision. Of all the kungfu weapons the "jian" is the most demanding to learn.

Taming The Tiger Trident

The speciality of the trident is its three prongs, which may be used for piercing, blocking, crushing, locking or disarming. It is generally a heavy weapon, whose weight is used as an advantage to frustrate the opponent's techniques. The trident is the other one of Shaolin Wahnam Institute's emblem weapons, in the logo referring to the applications of hard, direct force.

Travelling Dragon Thirteen Technique Spear

In Chinese culture, the spear is often called the "king of weapons", referring to the fact that the attacks of a skillful exponent can be very difficult to avoid. Commonly kungfu spear arts are categorized into "soft" and "hard", or so-called "metal spears" and "flowery spears". This spear set belongs to the latter category. It is a light spear art making good use of fast and agile techniques.

Kungfu Arts

72 Shaolin Arts

Many kungfu classics have mentioned the renowned "72 Shaolin Arts", which are regarded as the best in Shaolin. These arts have varied throughout different times and traditions. In our school, we practice five of these arts:

Other Kungfu Arts

Asking Bridges

In kungfu, "Asking Bridges" is the art of using the limbs for sensing through contact and following through momentum to feel, predict and neutralize the opponent's attacks. In some traditional kungfu styles such as Taijiquan and Wing Chun, "Asking Bridges" is practiced systematically, but in Shaolin Kungfu this is infrequent. Our school has been transmitted a complete system for this art, which includes features from southern Shaolin, Choy Li Fut, Taijiquan, Wing Chun and Wuzuquan.