Shi Yan Ming

High above the bustling streets of New York City's hip Greenwich Village, Sifu Shi Yan Ming trains men and women of all ages, body types, and backgrounds in the fundamentals of kung fu. Hailing from Cina'a Shaolin Temple-the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the mecca of all martial arts-Yan Ming teaches the students at his USA Shaolin Temple that there is no better workout program than his brand of kung fu for getting the body and mind into warrior condition.

Now this world-renowned master of the martial arts presents his 4-week program for total mind, body, and spirit transformation in The Shaolin Workout. This 28-day workout distills a lifetime of Shaolin training and wisdom into a manageable regimen, no matter your schedule, age, or fitness level. In as little as 15 minutes a day, you'll get an intense aerobic workout that increases your flexibility, power, and speed. At the same time you wil experience spiritual benefits what will radiate through your entire life, allowing you to tackle the world with a Shaolin warrior's conficence, calm, an poise.

The Shaolin Workout includes 28 exercise sessions that teach authentic Shaolin kung fu stretches, stances, poses, punches, and kicks as well as daily meditations to strengthen the mind, body, and spirit. By following this program, you will become more in tune with your body and the world around you. The Shaolin secrets to getting the body, spirit-and life-you've always wanted are here in your hands. Now is the time to get started.

Shfu Shi Yan Ming, a 34th-generation Shaolin warrior monk, is respected not only in the martial arts world but also in the entertainment world by stars like Jet Li, Jackie chan, Wesley Snipes, and the Wu-Tang Clan. His kung fu classes have been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, New York Daily News, and Entertainment Weekly. Brian Gray of Inside Kung Fu magazine has called him a 'living treasure of China.' He has also appeared on the Discovery Channel, MTV, and CNBC, among other major networks. Sifu Shi Yan Ming lives in New York City.

'Sifu Shii Yan Ming is a true living master. His teachings of Shaolin martial arts and Chan Buddhism have inspired me for over a decade. Sifu's lessons transcend the physical and will help readers live a fuller, happier, life, and I am delighted that he has distilled the thousands of years of information and Shaolin tradition into a readable program that gives the public from novice to expert the chance to delve into this wealth of knowledge.'-The RZA, Wu-Tang Clan

Contents

Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 Kung fu, the way of the warrior
Chapter 2 The warrior's workout
Part One
Session 1-Wrists and ankles
Wrist rotation
Ankle rotation
Combined wrist and ankle rotation
Session 2-Neck and eyes
Neck stretch
Neck rotation
Eye focus
Ssessin 3 Shoulders, arms and chest
Shoulder rotation
Arm stretch
Arn rotation
Open chest
Open arms
Sessin 4 Waist and stomach
Waist stretch (hui yao)
Waist rotation (rin yao)
Session 5 Legs
Forward extended leg stretch
Side extended leg stretch
Session 6 Upper body and lower back
Upper-body side stretch
Upper-body forward stretch
Lower-back forward stretch
Ankle grip
Session 7 Review
Part Two
Session 8 Hamstrings and hips
Going bu stretch (goan bu yatui)
Hip stretch
Pu bu stretch (pu bu yatui)
Session 9 Hips, knees, and warm-down stretches
Hip rotation
Knee rotation
Seated hamstring stretch
Crossed seated stretches
Session 10
Pushing palm strike (tui zhang)
Fist punch (chong quan)
Session 11
Bow stance (gong bui)
Session 12
Front slap kick (caijiao)
Session 13
Horse stance (ma bu)
Session 14 Review
Part Three
Session 15
Front slap kick with arm rotation (lunbi caijiao)
Sesssion 16 Half-crossed seated stance (xie bu)
Session 17
Front flex kick (zhengtitui)
Session 18
Crouched stance (pu bu)
Session 19
Inside crescent kick (lihetui)
Session 20
Hollow stance (xu bu)
Session 21 Review
Part Four
Session 22
Front snap kick (zhengtantui)
T-shaped stance (ding bu)
Session 23
Side flex kick (cetitui)
Session 24
Crossed stance (tsa bu)
Session 25
Outside crescent kick (waibaitui)
Session 26
Crossed seated stance (zuopan)
Session 27
Luohan sleeping (luohan shui jiao)
Chapter 3 Train farther!
Index
New temple, new life… (mais)

The greatest book I’ve ever received (after the Bible, which you already know about).

DON’T stop reading if you’re over forty, or if you’re a woman. (Oh, I barely caught you, didn’t I? You were about to leave the page.)

The older you are, the more this book is for you. If you don’t care about self-defense or martial arts, this book is for you.

This book has given me peace, made me finally feel handsome, and removed all the cares from my life. It’s taught me incredible stretches, unbelievable exercises (don’t worry, it starts off slow), and indescribable teachings.

It has fundamentally improved my health, my posture, my attitude.

As I walked my dog tonight, living in the moment and enjoying heaven on earth, I realized I must share this book with everyone I can. To not do so would be a sin. It would be nothing short of theft.

And as I felt inspired to share the post, I wondered: How do you describe such a book?

How do you describe a book that has made me feel completely at peace when just minutes earlier I’d been worrying about debt, my lack of health insurance, and my job that pays me only $20,000 a year? (Please, don’t worry. Thankfully, these days my situation has improved, and I credit this book for helping make that happen.)

But back to the point, how can a book with just a few stretches, exercises, and teachings bring God into the room with you, lift your mood, and make you ecstatic you’re alive? How can it do this when minutes before you were seconds away from crying or wanting to end your life?

How can it take you from no hope to hope in just minutes?

And what would such a book be worth? My first thought tonight when I asked myself that question while walking my dog was $500.

I’ve spent $500 to travel far away and gaze at the ocean while waves lapped my feet and gulls glided by me. I’ve experienced that heaven on earth and it was worth every penny of that $500.

But, I’ve never experienced it alone in my study, just moments after feeling deeply depressed.

So, what’s a book worth that gives you that feeling of heaven any time you want, without having to travel or spend additional money? It’s given me this feeling hundreds of times.

I believe the book is worth $10,000. It’s changed my life that much. It’s made me happier, healthier, improved my posture, and allowed me to catch glimpses of God’s beauty that I’d never seen before. It’s helped me deal with angry customers and bad employees. It even has an exercise to help improve your eyes — and yes, I believe it’s helping my eyesight; certainly preventing its continued deterioration.

I’ve shared parts of this book with family and friends and they’ve all been changed. The book is that deep, and that powerful. But remember, we shouldn’t be surprised. The book contains more than a thousand years of compiled wisdom from Shaolin Monks.

These teachers have seen what bad posture does to you. How sadness and negativity can wreck your body.

They’ve seen how birds live their lives, gleeful and spry (ever seen a sad bird?) and they’ve transferred this knowledge into passed-down wisdom.

The only folks who won’t like this book are young. If you’re under twenty, don’t waste your money. You haven’t experienced the hell of life. You’re still rushing through it 90 mph convinced happiness awaits you at the next mile marker. You’ll soon learn you’re wrong, but you’re too young to listen to me.

But for everyone else, this book is over-the-top good. It will change your life, if you let it. And it is easy enough that you can start it at any age. (That’s part of what makes it unique. It starts so easy that you won’t get frustrated and quit. The first day’s exercise lasts less than five minutes — really, it’s about two minutes. Surely, you can stand up straight and stretch out your wrists and ankles for two minutes? And ignoring the exercises and stretches, I’ve got to say the teachings/meditations are worth a $100 alone.)

So, there you go. I’ve tried to explain the inexplicable. I’ve attempted to give you the greatest gift I’ve ever received. It’s taught me to slow down, live in the moment, and feel handsome and clean; like an angel on earth that God wants to wrap His arms around, not like some worthless failure who’s wrecked by the reality that he didn’t measure up, who’s frustrated his body is growing weaker and softer each passing day.

The book has taught me to love harder and give more at work and in every thing else I do. It’s taught me life is a blessing, and that I can grow younger every day — not older (you’ll understand this point when you read the book).

You can mock this post. You can ignore it. I might have, too, if the situation were reversed.

But I have attempted to hand you the greatest gift I could give you. I’m extending both my hands to you with this knowledge lying in them, like gleaming gold medicine in my cupped hands.

The book is roughly $20, depending on when you check it’s price. It’s the cost of a night out for dinner or some silly purchase you won’t remember a month later.

And it’s right there. In my hands. Glowing and awaiting you.

May it bless you and improve your life 1/1,000th as much as it has mine. And when it does, you, too, will be telling your friends about it like some silly prophet. Like you have something you must share. Trust me on this.

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Please, please, please. If you’re over 40, or certainly over 50, I beg of you to buy this book. Even if you hate the philosophy, which you won’t, you must keep your back and neck limber. Don’t wait until you’re hunched over or your balance is so bad that you’re sure to break a hip. Please, I beg of you. Buy this book and take care of your body in a healthy way — a way that’s safer than the gym or other things you’ve seen. Haven’t you seen 80 and 90 year old Monks doing Tai Chi and Kung Fu? You can be this way at that age, too. Don’t die a slow death each day like we do in the West. Take care of yourself starting today, and allow this book to transform your attitude and posture. And even better, experience heaven and joy right now, wherever you are, and for the rest of your life.

P.P.S. Some may think the author’s teaching interfere with Christianity. They don’t. He even says not to change religions and expresses his appreciation for Christianity. But, it will help improve your service to God through your Christianity. I guarantee it. (And honestly, if your faith is so weak that you’re scared to read a book that barely mentions Buddhism a few times, then you need to change churches and open up your mind.)… (mais)