shaolin news & inspiration

As a parent, I understand the importance of consistent messaging for our little ones. My kids are (mostly) grown now, but I remember clearly how important it was that the messages at home were in alignment to those presented in school and activities my children participated in. Because I came to martial arts later in life, getting the kids involved at the dojo was a missed opportunity to reinforce some important values with The Five Animal Rules.

Maybe not everyone knows this, but our martial art (Shaolin Kempo and Kung Fu) comes with a long history and interesting origin story (actually there are multiple stories). As one story goes, the Buddhist monks living at the original Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China had small plots of land to grow food in order to provide for themselves. (And YES, this is the same temple — rebuilt — that we visit on occasion.) Apparently, the temple kept getting attacked and the crops raided, so the monks had to figure out a way to defend themselves. The story is that the monks observed the animals and integrated their techniques into a system of moves they could use to defend themselves from attack. This is why so many of our techniques have animal names (tiger rake, crane stance, leopard strike, etc.) and this is where our Five Animal Rules comes from.

Similar to Japan’s “Bushido Code” (see our article here) the Five Animal Rules describe a system of values that we expect students to adhere to whether at the dojo, home, school. or anywhere. Here’s a rundown:

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Tiger

SELF-CONTROL is controlling my body by being calm and relaxed without bothering others—not teasing, hitting, or yelling. I only use my kung fu, karate, and jiu jitsus to protect myself and others I care about.

The tiger teaches us to be simple, direct and in control of our actions, and that we are not to fear our opposition. One of the most powerful animals, it must learn to utilize good self-control to contain itself. Here’s an article that goes into greater depth on the tiger.

Crane

PATIENCE is taking the time to listen to others and  not interrupting when others are talking. Calmly wait for my turn, and don’t complain when I need to wait for others. To practice patience take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

The crane shows us that balance, beauty, elegance, and grace are often the first step in resolving conflict. Evasive and good at judging distance, it uses long reach and patience to its advantage.

Snake

RESPECT is using my manners—being kind and polite when I talk to my parents, teachers, and others around me. I treat property that is not my own in the same manner that I treat something special to me.

From the snake, we learn the importance of wisdom, experience and tradition, with minimalist actions used in a perfect, intense manner. The snake maximizes its fighting power through deceptive, agile, and fast movements utilizing extreme chi power.

Leopard

HONESTY is always telling the truth and always taking responsibility for my actions even if I know I am wrong. I never lie or take something that does not belong to me.

The leopard teaches us to use strategy, planning and  foresight and to be thoughtful about confronting a problem or attacker. Pound for pound the leopard is the strongest animal, and its quickness and accuracy are key to its success.

Dragon

DISCIPLINE is listening and following directions especially from my parents and teachers — doing my chores without complaining, keeping my room clean, and practicing kung fu.

The mythical dragon represents the mastery of the other four animals. When you are able to win without someone else losing, you achieve the dragon solution. It is one of the strongest animals, using all parts of its body to defend, often in winding, circular movements.

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In the end, it really doesn’t matter whether the Five Animals origin story is accurate or not, the defense moves that the monks developed are effective and the Five Animal Rules are values everyone should espouse.

If you’d like to integrate and reinforce the Five Animal Rules in your own home or classroom, you can download a coloring sheet here.

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