72 ARTS OF SHAOLIN
One-Finger Zen is a hallmark of Shaolin Kungfu
It is commonly said that there are 72 arts of Shaolin Kungfu. These 72 arts are sometimes divided into two groups, namely 36 external arts and 36 internal arts, or 36 “hard” arts and 36 “soft” arts.
It should be noted that an external art is often but not necessarily “hard”, and internal art is often but not necessarily “soft”. This is a misconception many people, including kungfu practitioners, have. The Art of Flexibility, for example, is external, but it is “soft”. Sinew Metamorphosis is internal, but it is “hard”.
It is also worthwhile to know that “hard” and “soft” here are not what most people, especially those not exposed to kungfu, may conceptualize what they mean. These two terms, “hard” and "soft", are translated from the Chinese “gang” and “rou”, or “kong” and “yau” in Cantonese. A "soft" force may be more powerful than a "hard" force, a kungfu concept many people may find it difficult to comprehend.
It is also worthwhile to know that internal force is not necessarily more powerful than external strength, though it often is. But it is certain that internal force is more beneficial. It is also independent of age, size and gender.
It is not certain when the concept of 72 arts of Shaolin were first used, but I believe they were probably during the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th century), which was relatively late as Shaolin Kungfu started about the 6th century during the Sui Dynasty. Despite its relatively late entry into Shaolin Kungfu, it still has a long history of many hundred years, considering that many martial arts today are only about a hundred years old. Hence, there are different versions of the 72 Shaolin arts, with some versions very different from others.
There are surely more than 72 arts in Shaolin Kungfu, but terms like 36, 72 and 108 are commonly used in Shaolin terminology. This was in honour of Bodhidharma and the Eighteen Lohan Hands, the first set of exercises taught by Bodhidharma, regarded as the First Patriarch of the Shaoin arts, to the Shaolin monks at the Shaolin Monastery in Henan for nine years starting in 527. Hence, many Shaolin terms, like kungfu sets and arts, take the multiple of 18, such as the 36 Shaolin Leg Techniques, and the 108-Pattern Essence of Shaolin Set.
Let us have a look at three different sets of the 72 Arts of Shaolin. The first is from the popular book available from the internet, “Training Methods of the 72 Arts of Shaolin”, by Jin Jing Zhong; the second is from a modern Chinese book edited by a team of modern Shaolin monks from the Shaolin Monastery in China, based on a classic of the past, “Genuine Shaolin 72 Arts”; and the third is from 72 Arts of Shaolin practiced in our school suggested by our Shaolin Wahnam family members in our Discussion Forum and selected by me.
72 Arts of Shaolin mentioned by Jin Jing Zhong
As some of the arts are literally translated from Chinese, which may not be intelligible to non-Chinese speaking people, I have changed some of the terms, without changing the meaning.
Some of the training is quite brutal, with pain and injury not an uncommon factor. For example, in the training of "Striking with Foot", practitioners are required to kick at rocks with their toes until sending the rocks flying some distance away.
- Diamond Finger
- Twin Lock
- Striking with Foot
- Pulling out a Nail
- Embracing a Tree
- Art of Four Parts
- One-Finger Zen
- Iron Head
- Iron Shirt
- Art of Taking Blows
- Iron Sweeping Leg
- Bamboo-Leave Hand
- Centipede Art
- Water Chestnut Art
- Immortal Palm
- Hard-Soft Art
- Red Sand Palm
- Lying Tiger
- Swimming Art
- Thoudand-Pound Weight
- Golden Bell
- Finger Lock
- Lohan Art
- Lizard Art
- Rod-Force Art
- Lute Art
- Comet Formation
- Plum Flower Formation
- Art of Stone Lock
- Iron Arm
- Bullet-like Fist
- Art of Soft Bones
- Art of Lifting Weight
- Through-Curtain Art
- Eagle Claw
- Iron Bull
- Eagle Wings
- Sun-Ray Fist
- Golden Cicada
- Iron Bag Art
- Art of Falling
- Tortoise Back
- Running Art
- Light Body Art
- Iron Knees
- Jumping Art
- Iron Palm
- Running on Water
- Drawing in Testicles
- Iron Thrust
- Stone Pillar Art
- Sabre and Spear Cannot Penetrate
- Art of Flying Star
- Five-Poison Hand
- Separating Water Art
- Running on Walls
- Art of Somersaults
- Cypress Formation
- Big Boss Elbows
- Pinching Flower
- Art of Pushing Mountain
- Stone Saddle Art
- Jade Belt Art
- Well-Punching Fist
- Sand Bag Arg
- Pierce-Stone Finger
- Pull-Mountain Art
- Praying Mantis Claw
- Stomach Art
- Guan Yin Palm
- Raising Pot Art
- Golden Dragon Palm
Grandmaster Wong demonstrating the Art of Tiger Claw
72 Arts of Shaolin mentioned in a Shaolin classic
Most of the 72 arts mentioned here are the same as those mentioned in the above book, but are not in the same order. It is probable that the author of the above book took the list from the Shaolin classic.
The Shaolin classic emphasizes that these arts should be learned from a master, not from books. Practitioners should have basic training before attempting these specialized arts, suggesting (though it is not explicitly stated) that basic information practitioners are supposed to know, is not mentioned.
- Iron Arm
- Ability to take Blows
- Iron Sweeping Leg
- Shooting Leg
- Kicking Leg
- Bamboo-Leave Hand
- Hopping Centepede
- Lifting Thousand Pounds
- Lohan Art
- Iron Head
- Four-Part Art
- Iron Shirt
- Twin Lock
- Raising Weight
- Stone Lock
- Iron Pearl Bag
- Thousand-Pound Weight
- Rod Force Art
- Separating Water Art
- Jade Belt Art
- Eagle Wings
- Jumping Art
- Big Boss Elbows
- One-Finger Gold
- Iron Nail Art
- One-Finger Zen
- Stone Pillar Art
- Golden Bell
- Iron Hull Art
- Whirlwind Palm
- Lying Tiger Art
- Pull-Mountain Art
- Golden Dragon Hand
- Push Mountain Art
- Kick Wooden Poles
- Eagle Claw
- Chop-Monster Sword
- Empty-Force Punch
- Golden Sand Palm
- Iron Palm
- Flying Art
- Sabre and Spear Cannot Penetrate
- Five-Poison Hand
- Running on Walls
- Running on Water
- Running Art
- Falling Art
- Golden Spade Fingers
- Plum Flower Formation
- Pinching Flowers
- Praying Mantis Claw
- Running Plank Art
- Dodging Art
- Fast Palm Art
- Light Body Art
- Iron Knee
- Running on Grass
- Through Curtain Art
- Standing on Waves
- Dotting Stone
- Lute Art
- Soft Bone Art
- Lizard Art
- Drawing up Testicles
- Art of Somersaults
- Stomach Art
- Frog Art
- Thousand Sheets of Paper
- Spring Fist Art
- Finger Lock
- Chase-Wind Palm
- Soft Nebulous Art
72 Arts of Shaolin practiced in Shaolin Wahnam
In a thread in Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum, 72 Arts of Shaolin Kungfu started by Ray in 2005, and revived by Sifu Markus Kahila in 2015, our family members mentioned more than 72 arts practiced in our school. David Langford gave an impressive list of 72 arts, with an extra art, "Art of Being a Cheeky Monkey", practiced by some.
To confirm with the magical number 72, I have selected 72 Arts of Shaolin practiced in our school as follows. Some arts, like Eighteen Lohan Hands and Bone Marrow Cleansing, are collective, i.e. there are many arts under one heading. Some versions of the 72 Shaolin Arts, for example, list "Lifting the Sky" and "Pushing Mountain" as separate arts.
- Smiling from the Heart
- Art of Entering Silence
- Art of Chi Flow
- Art of Point Message
- Art of Heavenly Drums
- Eighteen Jewels
- Five-Animal Play
- Eighteen Lohan Hands
- Art of Massaging Internal Organs
- Eighteen-Lohan Art
- Art of Flowing Breeze
- Art of Floating Clouds
- Self-Manifested Chi Movement
- Art of Standing Meditation
- Art of Sitting Meditation
- Bone Marrow Cleansing
- Sinew Metamorphosis
- Cosmic Shower
- Small Universe
- Big Universe
- Cosmic Breathing
- Merging with the Cosmos
- One-Finger Shooting Zen
- Art of Flexibility
- Art of Hundred Kicks
- Iron Palm
- Cosmos Palm
- Eagle Claw
- Tiger Claw
- Dragon Claw
- Golden Bell
- Iron Shirt
- Iron Arm
- Art of Stone Locks
- Marvelous Fist
- Art of Triple Stretch
- Art of Iron Plank Bridge
- Art of Bamboo Man
- Plum Flower Formation
- Art of Exploding Force
- Art of Dragon Speed
- Art of Dragon Force
- Art of No-Shadow Kicks
- Art of Thousand Steps
- Art of Lightness
- Art of Connecting Bridge
- Art of One-Breath Flow
- Art of Staff Force
- Art of Thrusting Spear
- Art of Saber Force
- Art of Pressing Attacks
- Art of One-Finger Gold
- Art of Two Finger Zen
- Striking a Buffalo Beyond a Mountain
- Art of Covering and Taming
- Art of Flowing Force
- Art of Consolidated Force
- Lift-Practice Art
- Black Tortoise Method
- Art of Hei Sai or Energy-Spirit
- Form-Flow-Force Method or Flow Method
- Form-Force-Flow Method or Force Method
- Art of Mental Clarity
- Art of Mind Flow
- Art of Through the Woods
- Empty Hand Enters White Blade
- Tiger Enters Herd of Sheep
- Fighting with Fort Behind
- Shaolin Marvelous Eye Exercises
- Art of Taming Tiger
- Art of Disarming an Opponent
- Art of Dodging
"Lifting Bronze Vessel" is a powerful force training exercise in Eighteen-Lohan Art
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