Chinese gong fu: The embodied myth.

摘要

Shaolin gong fu is one of the most abstruse martial arts in the world because of its diverse infrastructure. As difficult as it is to understand this martial art, there is a unifying factor that makes its esoteric practices accessible to even the most uninitiated: the human body. It is through embodiment - i.e., the manifestation and expression of an idea through the body - that we can begin to understand the gong fu universe. In gong fu, the body becomes the text to be studied. Adepts harness and contain the raw energy of the universe, or qi, in their abdomen they draw inspiration from Buddhist and Daoist iconography they channel the power of the Daoist Immortals by recreating their myths and they control the power of nature through the emulation of animals. Embodiment in gong fu practice is based on kinesthetic learning, proprioceptive responses, and psychophysical connections. These innate human abilities are the basis for the core principles that have facilitated the perpetuation of ancient knowledge between master and pupil for nearly 1500 years. Forms, or quan, thus become the primary material -- i.e., the body text -- through which practitioners, and non-practitioners alike can enter into this esoteric universe.