The 14 Extreme trainings of Shaolin Warrior Monks | My Life at the Temple

Hello there, welcome back!
Today we'll be giving a look at the incredible experience of Philip, a young man passionate about martial arts who has spent his time and energies in a Shaolin Temple, diving fully into this unique and challenging experience. This is what a Shaolin Warrior Monks training routine consists of.

This video was published by Philip Hartshorn on his official YouTube Channel. So, don't forget to check out his other great content!

In the video above, Philip describes his experience at the Shaolin Temple focusing mainly on the training, which occupies of course the big part of the day. Each day the training is divided into categories and the total training time goes up to 9 hours total. That's a lot of time spent training, can you imagine that?

Shaolin Warrior Monks Training

Following, we will briefly describe each of the 14 pieces of training that Philipp has talked about in his video.
So, without further beating around the bush, let's jump right into it.

#1 Shaolin Kung Fu

Shaolin Kung Fu, also called Shaolin Wushu, is one of the oldest Kung Fu of Chan Buddhism. Originating in the Shaolin Temple in the Henan province, it is the oldest combination of philosophy and martial arts. A famous saying states that "all martial arts underneath the sky originated from Shaolin.
Shaolin Kung Fu is incredibly fascinating and continues to live through very dedicated disciples throughout centuries.

#2 Sanda

Sanda is also known as Chinese Boxing or Chinese Kickboxing. It originated in the Chinese military and is a full-contact combat sport. However, it too developed from the studies of the traditional Kung Fu styles.

#3 Wing Chun

Wing Chun is a relatively young martial art and many say that its origins go back to the Shaolin Temple. A very skilled Shaolin nun Ng Mui would create a form of Kung Fu suitable for the old and the weakest. Today Wing Chun is trained all over the world, and the passion for this martial art spread even more after the movie series Ip Man, starring Donnie Yen.

#4 Hard QiGong

QuiGong is a way to train the nervous system, the mind, and your internal organs all at the same time, having as a result increased levels of fitness and power. The goal of these exercises is to stimulate the flow of energy, called Chi, and build internal strength. Breathing techniques are used in order to move Chi

#5 Meihua Quan

Meihua Quan is the most ancient form of Kung Fu. it consists of a mixture of martial arts, boxing, and weapons all with an emphasis on the principles and values of traditional Chinese culture. It translates as Plum Blossom Fist, and it is the ancestor of all martial arts.

#6 Buddhist Meditation

Meditation's advantages on your body, mental health, and neural chemistry are widely known and also studied by the scientific community. However, it doesn't take a lab or a scientist to agree on the fact that, with your mind in a peaceful state, everything flows better. Meditation is often seen as sitting quietly with your eyes closed, bt in reality, with some training, you can enjoy the meditative state even if you are sweeping the floor with your broom.

#7 Power Training

Philip has no words to describe this kind of training, if not that its main aim is to completely destroy you or maybe better said, to destroy your mind. To train so hard that you black out many times until nothing remains of you and you become just a machine.
What he thinks describes it best is High Interval Training, but with no intervals.

#8 Qinna

Quinna is a self-defense system that focuses on joint locks. The focus is to capture or grasp your opponent and take them to the ground. Quinna means to hold and grip in order to lock the joint.

#9 Taiji / Tai Chi

Tai Chi Quan originated from Taoism, dialectic ideology, traditional medicine, and physical exercise. As you train, you'll learn how to accumulate strength, and develop flexibility and skills. Tai Chi movements are slow, with low impact on body joints, which makes it a great exercise for old people

#10 Soft QiGong

We have seen the hard qigong, now it's time for its softer brother. The word means Qi - energy, and Gong - practice. The focus of the exercise is to develop the Chi. The purpose is to increase the vitality of the body, mind, and chi, or vital force.

#11 Temple Duty

By Temple Duty Philip refers to all the work that has to be done around the Temple, from sweeping to serving food. Basically, it refers to chores. But aside from keeping the place clean and in order, these duties help to develop character, calm you down, and can be considered mindfulness work.

#12 Martial Arts Forms

Forms are a set type of movement patterns made to teach you the basic foundations of movement and also instill your reactions to the point where it's second nature to do these movements. It could be seen as a mix of high-intensity training, interval training, and running a marathon since you do it for several hours straight.

#13 Power Stretching

Of course, flexibility is a big deal when it comes to anything that has to do with Shaolin training. Philip talks about the stretching routine daily and before every training session. As you can see in the video, the stretches go far beyond your ordinary yoga class.

#14 Tournaments / Fight Day

Competitions cover all of the sections listed above: free combat, sparring, full-contact fighting like Sanda, forms, and weapons. It's a moment in which everybody can put their skills to the test and improve themselves.