少林功夫是在嵩山少林寺这一特定佛教文化环境中形成的，是少林寺僧人习禅的途径之一。少林功夫的灵魂是佛教禅宗智慧，禅宗充满东方智慧对人生的洞彻。

　　少林功夫是中国武术各个流派中历史最久、门类最多、体系最大的一个门派。少林功夫动作的设计和组合，都是建立在中国古代的人体医学知识之上，合乎人体的运动规律。少林功夫能使人体潜能高度发挥，实为最优化的人体运动方式。少林功夫大都具有健身的养生功能，其中的《易筋经》、《洗髓经》等，都是非常著名的健身养生功法。 

　　少林功夫是中华武术文化最杰出的代表，深受不同文化人民的喜爱，是人类文明生动的传奇。少林功夫已经成为中华民族的重要精神财富，是全人类共享的珍贵文化遗产。 　

节目介绍　

　　少林十八般武艺包括枪、刀、剑、矛、盾、斧、鞭、徒手等。其实，它们都只是一个概括，中国古代实际的武艺和兵器，种类要远远多得多。今天，“十八般武艺”已成为一个口语，它是武术比赛中的一个正式项目。

　　少林金钟罩铁布衫是练习全身防御的硬气功，集硬功精华于一身，功成后，拳打脚踢毫无感觉，即使棍棒也伤不了，故堪称防御性硬功中的绝顶武功。

　　少林罗汉阵是少林寺的一条规定，凡在寺内得到真功夫的人要想离开少林寺，必须战胜把守山门的武僧，叫做闯山门，凡闯不出山门者不得离开少林寺。此阵法宏伟壮观，有众僧所练。

　　飞针属于少林寺七十二绝技中的一种功法，练此功法，手部必须要有较好的暴发力，先将气运向手中绣花针上，做到内外合一，才能用针将玻璃穿破，此功法，在中国武术界非常罕见。

　　腹部吸碗是少林七十二绝技的一种，将气运向丹田，使腹部鼓起，把碗紧紧吸起，有众人齐拉，不能把碗拔掉。

　　少林二指禅是少林七十二绝技中的主要功法之一。此功法是少林骨功和少林内功的有机结合，融身心力气于一体。少林二指禅也是少林武僧修禅的法门之一。

　　少林象形拳是少林僧徒通过禅和拳的融合而形成的，而拳法的发展基础是自然界各种飞禽走兽的生存技艺。少林僧徒在长期的习武过程中，在目睹了山林中鸟、兽、鱼、虫的翻飞腾跃后，吸取其精华，融会贯通，逐渐创编了从多惟妙惟肖的象形拳。比如少林猴拳、龙拳、虎拳、豹拳、鹤拳、蛇拳、螳螂拳等都是少林知名的象形拳。　

主办 　　

中华人民共和国国务院新闻办公室　

南非共和国艺术文化部　　

中华人民共和国驻南非共和国大使馆  

承办

 河南省少林武术团

北京新影响文化发展有限公司

Shaolin KongFu

Shaolin KongFu has originated in the particular Buddhist cultural environment in the Shaolin Temple of Mountain Songshan over a long history. It is one of the ways the monks in the Shaolin Temple practice the Chan Buddhism. The soul of the Shaolin KongFu is rooted in the wisdom of Chan Buddhism which reflects a thorough understanding of the life.

Shaolin KongFu is the one school among a myriad of Chinese martial arts schools, which enjoys the longest history, the most complete and the largest system. The design and the arrangement of Shaolin KongFu movements are based on the medical knowledge of ancient China. Those movements fit the natural structure of the human body and give full play to the potential of the human body.

Being the outstanding example of ancient Chinese martial arts culture, Shaolin KongFu is very popular in many countries with different cultures. It is a vivid legend in the history of the civilization. Shaolin KongFu has already become the important spiritual asset of the Chinese people and the precious cultural inheritance owned by all the people in the world.

Brief Introduction of The Programme

Shaolin Virgin Boy KongFu is one of the major exercise of Shaolin KongFu. It combines the basic martial art skills and the internal practice, which can prevent aging and keep the practitioner youthful and vigorous.

Shaolin Muyu KongFu is developed by Shaolin martial monks through the combination of Chan and martial art skill. “Muyu”, literally “wooden fish” is a Buddhist wooden beater in a form of a fish or a crab without feet. Shaolin monks are hitting the MuYu(wooden fish), a way of meditation.

Breaking Armor Plate With One's Head is one of the rigid Qigong(Controlled Breathing Exercises).Channeling Qi(breath) to the head makes it capable of splitting bricks and slates. This art requires the practitioner to do both the inner exercise and outer exercise. Head is the most vulnerable part of human body. Due to its special position, it is hard to gather breathes there and build up the force.

The 18 Martial Arts of Shaolin include spear, sword, lance, shield, axe, whip and hand-to-hand wrestle. In fact they are only a glimpse of the whole picture. The ancient Chinese martial art and weapons had many more varieties than those listed above. Today, “the 18 martialarts” has become a set phrase. It is an official programme in martial art competition.

Shaolin Golden Bell is the Shaolin rigid Qigong that practices bodily defense. As it is integrated with the essence of rigid Qigong with the essence of rigid Qigong, practitioners can stand kicking, boxing, and even strikes of sticks. It can thereforce boast the top martial art in the defensive rigid Qigong.

The Arhat Battle Array is a rule in Shaolin Temple, saying that if a person who learned Shaolin martial art wants to leave the temple, he must outfight the monks who keep the gate. This is called “Fight at the gate of the temple”. Those who are not able to beat the gate keepers cannot leave the temple. This array is grand and spectacular and is practiced by many people.

Shaolin Baduanjin is one of the earliest KongFu practiced by Shaolin Temple monks. It is said, as early in the Tang Dynasty. Lingqiu, a famous monk of Shaolin Temple, was good at Baduanjin and lived to be 109. In the Song Dynasty, Monk Fuju compiled Baduanjin into Shaolin KongFu manual. Baduanjin has the functions of stimulating blood circulation and causing muscles and joints to relax, regulating vital energy and blood, promoting metabolism. Practising Bdaduanjin permanently can make one healthy and strange, dispel pestilence or illness and have a long life.

Lying on Iron Forks With One's Abdomen is the Shaolin rigid Qigong that the practitioner channels Qi(breath) to the cinnabar field, and make it circling there, to form an ability to endure strikes. Laying on the sharp points of a steel fork cannot hurt the practitioner.

Shaolin Flying Needle is among the 72 tour de forces of Shaolin Temple. It requires good hand power in channeling Qi(breath) to the needle in hand and combining inner energy with the outer weapon. Only then could thrust the needle through the glass. This is a very rare art in the Chinese martial art circle.

Absorb Bowels With One's Abdomen is among the 72 Shaolin tour de forces. The practitioner channels Qi(breath) to the cinnabar field and swells the abdomen to suck the bowls tightly on it. Several people could not pull the bowls off the abdomen.

Shaolin Twin-finger KongFu is one the major exercises of the 72 martial art skills of Shaolin. It combines the Bone-strengthening practice and the internal practice and integrates the body, the mind, and the Qi(breath). It is also one of the methods of Chan meditation of Shaolin martial monks.

Shaolin Pictographic Boxing is developed by Shaolin martial monks through the combination of Chan and boxing . The base of the boxing art is the survival skills of animals. During the practice of martial arts, Shaolin monks observed the movements and actions of birds, beast, fish and insects, digested and summarized the essentials from them, and created a number of pictographic boxing actions. For example, Shaolin monkey boxing, dragon boxing, tiger boxing ,leopard boxing, crane boxing, snake boxing and rearhorse boxing etc. are all well-known Shaolin pictographic boxing.
 

Organtizers

The State Council Informantion Office of the People's Republic of China

 
Department of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South  Africa

 
Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of South  Africa

Presenters

Shaolin Martial Group,Henan province 

Beijing New Impression Culture Development Co.,Ltd