The Shaolin Secrets Blog

Yesterday I wrote about Controversy and how there are doubters and nay-sayers out there talking about http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I.

Here's an e-mail from a reader who understands, "When you stand up and out from the crowd, it's easier to get hit with tomatoes".

"I love the nay-sayers. They are the ones validating that you may be doing something right. Without them, you are probably doing nothing. Keep them coming.

Regards, Mike Bertrand"

Thanks Mike.

In Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I, there is an entire section with illustrations of the hand painted drawings that reads,

"Pictures of Famous Zen Masters and Soldier Monks Through Generations, painted by Dia Dun Bang."

Some of the Monks and Warriors that are listed may sound familiar to some of you.

One of them is Da Mou, who meditated for nine years straight in a cave. If you go to visit the Shaolin Temple, you can ask to go see Da Mou's cave were he meditated.

The legend says that he meditated so long and hard, that his face was etched into the rock just by the sheer power of his energy and focus.

In July of 2001 I was with Professor Charles Mattera and a group of Shaolin Kempo martial artists on a ten day trip to China and the Shaolin Temple.

During this trip to the Temple, I was lucky enough to join a group that took the hike to visit Da Mou's cave.

And when I say hike, I do mean a hike.

The base of the mountain that leads to the cave is pretty close to the Temple itself, but you had better budget yourself some time to get to the actual cave.

As we were going to the base of the mountain, I said to myself, "Self, this will be great. I get to see the actual cave of the famous Da Mou. A quick trek up the hill and we're there."

But...there was no "quick trek" in my future. It took out group over thirty minutes just to get to the cave.

Once we got there (and tried to keep out tongues from hanging out due to the humidity and heat) we got to see the cave.

The space itself was rather small and how Da Mou did it without TiVo, air conditioning and a recliner is beyond me.

When we were told about the legend of Da Mou's face in the rock, we went and looked at the spot where it was said to be. I myself can't say for sure that I saw his face...

But you can see a shadow of something.

The energy of the place was unbelievable. When we came down the mountain I had learned yet another valuable lesson about the martial arts and life.

Sometimes you hear outrageous things, or you read stories in history. Maybe you have read a lot of history books or books on a historical subject by other people.

The lesson I learned is what Bruce Lee called, "Emptying Your Cup".

If you think you know it all, or if you think that what you know is all you need to know, you could be holding yourself back.

You won't be able to learn anything new or be able to absorb information that, while it might be opposite to what you believe or think, happens to be true and could benefit you if you'd let it.

I had heard about the Shaolin Temple, the Warrior Monks, Da Mou's grave and much more and was like, "Yeah, whatever..."

I saw for my own eyes, felt with my own energy, and learned that I had been wrong.

I also learned I had a long way to grow.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - If you are one of those doubters out there, if your cup is "full", if you can't believe that a bald white Former Marine from South Florida was able to hook up with one of the most influential Kempo Masters in the world, and then be able to get access to the Secrets of the Shaolin Temple, get your buns over to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and see for yourself.

I got to thinking about this controversy deal over the weekend. At first, I must admit I got a little tight about people questioning the integrity of what it was the Professor and I are doing.

Then, I said to myself, "Self, if you think you have it bad, what about Moses and what he had to go through."

(How in the world I ever came up with this is beyond me. The extent of what I know about biblical history I had to memorize to get confirmed, because that's what my Momma wanted. But, here we go...)

Think about it for a second. Here's an eighty-something year old guy who comes off a mountain and tells everybody, "Hey, check this out. I was up on this mountain and a bush started burning...but it didn't burn up...and then it started talking to me, telling me to go free some people from Egypt.

Then it made me do some magic tricks, like turned my stick to a snake, and then back again. Then it made my hand look like it was going to fall off, but then it went back to normal.

And get this...this bush wants me to go to Egypt, tell the Pharaoh that I work for The Man, and he better let us go...or else."

Can you imagine what kind of looks this guy got.

Okay, I am not comparing myself to Moses and I certainly don't have to go tell a Pharaoh anything. I am saying that sometimes you can run across things that you think to yourself are "too good to be true."

We all know the saying that "If it's too good to be true, then it usually is." So what do you do when you find some thing like this.

If you are a Doer - a person that takes action - you go and see for yourself.

A workout that burns body fat like no tomorrow and does it without weights and long distanced cardio. I didn't believe it. But I tried it and found out it was the real deal.

Someone taught me that if write out something that you want, look at it daily and take some small action toward it everyday, you'll get it, no matter how big or small it is.

Didn't believe that.

But, I did that with the description of the perfect woman and wife for me. I wrote it out once, but then I tucked it away and never looked at it again.

Less than a year later, I had met that woman and married her...and I knew on the third date that she was it.

I never in a million years thought that I would be a 4th Degree Black Belt, travel the world and one day be at the Shaolin Temple, in the presence of the Head Abbot Shi Yun Shin, as he presented Professor Charles Mattera with a wooden box that contained the ten volumes of the written recorded history of the Shaolin Temple.

But it happened.

To see for yourself, including photos of the actual presentation of the volumes from the Head Abbot, go to https://www.shaolinsecrets.com. Everything you need to see for yourself is there.

You'll see for yourself that sometimes, things that seem too good to be true are really a golden opportunity just waiting for the right person to come along.

Besides, I can't turn a stick into a snake or make frogs hop into your house. I guess I'll just have to rely on my charming personality.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - Big happenings on the horizon. I'm traveling to China on June 29th and then onto Taiwan before returning to the United States. There will be some golden opportunities for you when I return.

In the meantime, if you haven't acted on it yet, get over to https://www.shaolinsecrets.com and get Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I now. You'll want to pick it up now before I get back from the trip to China.

Lao Tai Poh is a Chinese term that literally means "really old wife". She calls me Lao Toh, which means "Old Head" or "Old Man."

You can tell by the names we call each other that we have a lot of fun together.

In honor of my wife officially joining the high risk pregnancy demographic, I surprised her with a very elegant dinner at the Ritz Carlton hotel here in Southern California.

And don't start with the pregnancy thing. My wife and I have been married for three years now, and everyone is bugging us about when are we going to have kids.

(I think it's a conspiracy from those parents who are miserable and want there dual income no kids friends (DINKs) to suffer right along with them.)

We pulled up to the Ritz and my wife's eyes got huge as she happily realized where we were going. She had never been to a resort like this so the venue turned out to be a big hit.

Dinner was unbelievable. We sat with a 100 foot plus view of the Pacific Ocean, watching the surfers as they hit the waves below before they crashed on the rocks.

Riccardo was our wine guy. There's a French word for his title, but I haven't bothered to try and learn anything about the French except the wines.

Riccardo was from Rome, Italy and to say he was pretty sharp on wines would be an understatement. This guy was a walking encyclopedia of wine.

The only fine wine that I recognized on the huge wine list was a 1997 vintage Chateau Neuf de Pape (which I know I didn't shpell correctly). The only reason I knew anything about this one was my good friend Rodger who has for years tried to get some culture into me via his fine wine collection.

Riccardo said excellent choice and then began to educate me on how this particular wine was from the Rhone Valley, how it had been made with painstaking care, and how it was made from the eleven different kinds of grapes.

To which I said, "Oh...kind of like Wine Baloney."

You should have seen the look on Riccardo's face. You'd of thought I had just let one loose in church during the one pause in the sermon.

My wife, God bless her, was laughing hysterically. I think it was a combination of she couldn't believe I said it and the look of obvious discomfort on Riccardo's face.

After Riccardo straightened me out and we had dinner, I was sitting there thinking to myself, "Self, I know how Riccardo feels."

Since launching http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and releasing Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I, I have gotten some of the most "interesting" comments and feedback from people.

"Oh...it's like Tae Kwon Do."

"Neat...so this is the tai chi stuff, right."

"Big Deal. Everyone knows that No Holds Barred is the only real fighting art."

"Impossible. No Italian from East Boston or bald whitey from Florida could possibly get the real secrets from the Shaolin Temple."

Believe me, if I was in your shoes, I might be saying some of the same things to myself.

The difference is I would throw my hat in the ring. I'd say to myself, "Self, let's see what it is. If it's a scam, they won't be around long, but if it's for real, I don't want to miss out."

The amount of people who have found out for themselves is in the hundreds and growing daily. Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I is truly a must have for anyone out there who has any interest is combat arts, health & fitness, history, success principles and more.

Go ahead. Throw your hat in the ring. See for yourself. Be brave enough to say "Wine Baloney."

You'll make Riccardo's day.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - My trip to China is coming at the end of this month. I'll be in several cities but the focus will be the time spent training at the Shaolin Temple. Look for some great new developments upon my return in mid-July.

P.P.S. - Get over to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and get your copy of Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I before I get back from my trip in July. There are going to be some changes after I get back from China and you'll want to get your copy sooner rather than later.

Where you swear what you saw was real but you couldn't have been more wrong than if you invited Larry the Cable Guy to talk at your Church's Annual Picnic.

That happened to my wife a bit ago.

It was my fault. For the first year we were married I was on my best behavior.

No being messy. No walking around the house nekked. Always sharing the remote.

Dutifully suffering through the television shows she liked while I taped my manly shows.

Hanging out together with her friends, who are loud and talk at one hundred miles an hour...with gusts up to one hundred and twenty.

Then, after about a year, we were lying in bed one night and I looked at her, held out my hand and said...

"Bau Bei, pull my finger."

Bau Bei means precious in Chinese, and I'm sure you know what "pull my finger" meant.

My beautiful wife, who is amazingly smart, had no idea what was about to happen and went ahead and pulled my finger.

After I stopped laughing and my wife stopped beating me with the pillow, she looked at me and said, "I guess the honeymoon is officially over."

Fast forward to a little while ago where my wife and I are at a concert.

It was a symphony that my wife wanted to attend and with me being a former classical musician and now struggling beginner guitar player, I agreed to go.

In the middle of the show, the music was making communication tough so rather than try to talk with my wife and get her attention about what I saw down at the front of the stage, I grabbed her shoulder with one hand and pointed at the stage with the other.

At which point she grabbed my finger and started pulling.

I was laughing so hysterically that I kicked over my adult beverage and attracted the attention of three other couples that were around us. My wife just sat there staring at me until she realized what was up and then she was laughing right along with me.

After the show, she and I couldn't believe what we had both done. Me with the "pull my finger" bit and my wife with getting used to it and then reacting naturally to it, regardless of the setting.

We had both gotten complacent and used to the same trick. She was just used to playing along with that trick every time I did it.

I'm getting ready for my trip to China and the Shaolin Temple at the end of this month. I've stepped up the training as I know I will at one point have an audience with Professor Charles Mattera, a Disciple of the Shaolin Temple, and the Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple.

One tends to not want to look like a bag of trash when performing in front of these two gentlemen.

(If you want to find out how Professor Mattera became a Disciple and how it's possible that we are given the honor of an audience with the Head Abbot, go to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and read all about it.)

During my training, one of my Master Instructors has been drilling into my head to change up my drills constantly.

Right handed, left handed, have them kick first, then attack with the hands. Have them attack with hands only, then legs only. Have them start with the hands and then shoot on your legs.

If you practice the same thing the same way all the time, you get stale. Predictable. Slow. Complacent.

But if you mix it up, change angles, change the timing, train with taller and heavier or shorter and faster opponents, you keep your instincts and reactions sharp and become more well rounded.

Just like the Warrior Monks of the Shaolin Temple, you want to train yourself from all different angles for all different scenarios. You want to stay sharp and on top of your game...

That way you'll never fall for the dreaded, "Hey...pull my finger" technique.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - For more ways to train and to learn how the Warrior Monks of the Shaolin Temple varied their training, go to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com. You'll be blown away at the quality and depth of the information presented in Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I.

Well...hockey isn't really a major sport right now. They screwed that up when they went on strike and lost their major television contracts, but that's a topic for a later conversation.

Major or not, the Stanley Cup playoffs has been pushed to a deciding Game 7.

In the NBA, my Miami Heat has taken a 3-2 lead heading back to Dallas with Game 6 possibly being the final game of the series.

If you haven't been watching, you have been missing out on a valuable lesson. One that is obvious to championship players, United States Marines and the Shaolin Temple of China.

I am very proud to be a former United States Marine. Long revered as one of the toughest and best trained military units in the world, they are legendary for the toughness of their Boot Camps.

In recent times, the Marine Corps adopted a final phase of their thirteen week Boot Camp called The Crucible.

During the Crucible, recruits are deprived of sleep and forced into situations where they must think and act as a unit to solve difficult combat situations and put all their training to the test.

At the end of The Crucible, they go on a long force march - what we used to call a "hump" and it finishes on a hilltop where, if they passed their training tests, they are handed the sacred emblem of the United States Marine Corps, the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.

And... for the first time...they are called United States Marines.

I have chills right now just envisioning the ceremony and I know from talking to young Marines who have gone through it that it's not uncommon for many of these tough, motivated young men to cry right on the spot.

I still remember they day I graduated from Boot Camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. Standing out on "the Grinder" a huge blacktop parking lot where we drilled endlessly, decked out in my Dress Blues as the Honor Graduate, the top recruit from my platoon of thirty two men.

I was crying on the inside. From pride, from achievement and from relief.

What's the lesson that these Finals in sports, the United States Marine Corps and the Shaolin Temple of China all can teach us.

Just like the combination of fire and hammering forge hard steel, tough training and tough times make you mentally tough.

To make it in the Finals, to be able to suck it up and get through Boot Camp, and to be able to continue on after you've taken a body shot while fighting all require you going through tough training.

You've got to sacrifice and take your lumps. You've got to push it, make mistakes, screw up and "keep buggering on" as Churchill would say.

At work it may mean that you've got to slog through the endless meetings, political minutiae and work weekends to complete your project on time.

It may mean that you married and then went through a nasty divorce. That you emotionally and financially were pushed to the edge.

In the martial arts, it means you got into the ring with a better opponent and got your clock cleaned. You knew going in that you were overmatched, but you got in there anyway.

What's the payoff.

There's an old saying I learned in the Marines, "The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat."

For the athletes in the Finals, it means having the mental toughness to go to someone else's home floor...and beat them for the Championship.

For the young recruit who made it through The Crucible, it means being called to do your patriotic duty and go to a foreign land and serve honorably. To be able to function and perform in a stressful combat environment and protect yourself, your fellow Marine and get the mission accomplished.

At work, it means that you can handle the tough situations because you've done it before. You become the "Go-To" person in your organization. You get promoted quicker and make more money.

In relationships, it means that you are tempered and more wise as you go out and meet the right person for you, making sure that you remember the lessons that you learned your first time around.

In the arts, it's having the ability to keep it together when you've been taken down, you're on the bottom and your training partner is attempting to beat on your head like a drum.

You don't sweat it; you don't crack and you keep your poise, because you have been forged in the fire and pressure of your training.

Just like the champions of the Finals, United States Marines, and the Warrior Monks of the Shaolin Temple, you understand...

Pressure is good for you.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - To find out more about the grueling training and the steps the Warrior Monks had to go through in their training, go to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and pick up your copy of Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I. I think you'll agree that the Monks are definitely forged in the fire.

It was a great workout. Lots of sweat, moving, hitting pads, the heavy bag, running through the traditional katas and then switching gears to self defense techniques against takedowns, weapons, punches and kicks.

Finished off with the part that's the most fun...pounding each other into mush as we worked on our fighting.

Of course, we can't eye gouge and bite and a few other things that you would if you were fighting for your life. You have to keep your training real but you can't train so hard that you're constantly injured and can't do anything.

As we were reviewing some of our techniques, my partner and I began a discussion about one particular application of a technique.

We did it the way we were taught, and then we started playing with it. Looking at what if we hit different targets, choose to use and elbow instead of a knife hand; what if we placed our foot here in relation to the bad guy instead of here. How would hitting this target affect the body versus this target.

In the middle I started laughing. My partner asked what was so funny and I said, "Well, if all else fails, we can just go fast and no one else will notice if we did it right or not."

This made me start thinking about "rules" and what is "right" or not.

Gene Simmons, the bass guitarist for the rock band Kiss which is one of the most successful rock and roll bands ever, blatantly said, "You do not have to be the best musician or singer to be the best band. Kiss isn't the best musical band; we are the greatest live rock and roll band you will ever see or hear."

He's right. I was a member of the Kiss Army when I was in second and third grade. I had all of their albums and with their make up, platform heels and loud rock and roll, I thought they were the best.

Nothing prepared me for the live show I went to in Las Vegas in 2004. Kiss was touring with Aerosmith and Kiss opened the show.

To say that they are the most entertaining and kick a@# band to see live is not doing them justice. They rocked.

Flames. Explosions. Deafening Sound. Guys flying through the air on cables. It was unbelievable.
And that was only part of the show. You should have seen the crowd. Ladies stuffed into see through spandex that should not be wearing see through spandex.

Guys in face paint and platform shoes. Little kids with makeup on as they go to the show with Mom, Dad and their grandparents. It was awesome.

My Miami Heat won their first championship title this week. Pat Riley, at age 61, captured his fifth championship, Shaq delivered on his promise to bring a title to Miami and the incredible Dwayne Wade won his first title.

Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning, always the bridesmaids and never the brides, both finally got their titles. Hard working Udonis Haslem was rewarded for his losing weight and selfless play.

You could argue that the officiating stunk; Dallas didn't get the calls and that Dallas was the deeper and more talented team. Miami didn't have much of a bench and was getting old.

Looking at both teams on paper, you'd think that it would be Dallas that won and won it going away, running Miami to death up and down the court.

Nope.

Defense and desire wins championships and Miami, playing like crap in a quarter here and there, proved that they might not have been the most talented team, or the youngest, or the fastest...

But they were the best team. And that equaled a championship.

The Shaolin Temple of China is widely considered the birthplace of most martial arts.

There are people that argue that there are other arts that are older - around 5,000 years old or so - and that this art is better than that art, that this jiu-jitsu is better than that jiu jitsu, that so-and-so's art is superior to what's-his-bucket's art over there.

In Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume I and at http://www.shaolinsecrets.com, there is no claim anywhere about who the best is or what is right.

All that you will find is that this is the oldest and most authentic information on the training and history of the legendary Shaolin Temple that you will find anywhere.

This information was taken from the original scrolls of the Shaolin Temple, translated and assembled by the National Treasury Archive of China and then translated for the first time into English.

More accurate and authentic information on the origins and teachings of the Shaolin Arts from the Temple you will not find.

Go to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and see for yourself.

And remember, you don't have to be right, or the most talented or anything else...

You just have to believe...and be your best.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - Information like this has never before been available. I know for a fact that there are some people in the martial arts world that are upset that we are even allowing this information to become public. To find out what's so great that other people are getting mad about it, go to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com. Let's get them good and mad by spreading the word.

Not bad trouble, but that hold-your-head-in-your-hand-because-you-were-a-bad-boy kind of trouble. The kind of trouble that gets you The Look from your wife.

I have a couple of friends like that; some I've known since I was in the fifth grade, a couple from the Marine Corps and some from when I started in the arts fifteen years ago.

This past weekend Mrs. Huff was out of town so I was home alone (not always a Good Thing) so I made plans with a good buddy of mine and off we went.

Of course, the first thing we said was let's not go crazy tonight. Let's hang out enjoy, some fine sushi and beverages and then cruise around for awhile.

The problem is he and I are way too much alike. High energy, quick to laugh, mischievous. Always wanting to improve ourselves, learn new things and be successful.

He and I even have the same sports car, (which each bought not knowing the other was getting one) his is a convertible and mine's a coupe.

Because we are forward thinking, like minded individuals, we feed off of each other. When he finds out something in business that will help me, he calls. When I learn of a new real estate deal that fits him, I call him and let him know about it.

Every time we hang out together, the energy carries over from that night and throughout the next week. It's motivating and the energy that is built infuses everything that we do.

I have a mentor who coaches me and four times a year (and it would be more if I could arrange it) I meet with him and other people he are mentoring and we get together for a weekend down in Florida.

It's another group of forward thinking, like minded individuals who are all focused on growing, learning and being more successful.

The creative energy that is released when we are all together is unbelievable. Ideas and support flow back and forth as people open up and push themselves with everyone in the group supporting each other and pushing each other to be the best they can.

It's called the power of a mastermind group.

The Shaolin Temple of China is a great example of the power of a mastermind group.

The Warrior Monks of the Shaolin Temple understand that in order for them to succeed in their training that must set themselves up to win.

Everything they do and everyone who is involved in the process has to be dedicated to the end goal of training and being the best Warrior Monks they can be.

You can harness the power of a mastermind group to help you achieve in any area of your life. You may have one right now and not even realize it.

If you want to turbo charge your speed to success, look at the people who are successful in the area that you want to be successful in. Get to know them and form a relationship.

Get around other people who are going where you want to go. Check out how they think, how they act and what they do. Help them get to where they want to go and they will help you in turn.

You'll be amazed at how fast you take off towards your goals and desires when you plug in the power of a mastermind group.

Don't wait; start today. Now. Anthony Robbins, the noted motivational speaker and self-help expert, says to never leave the scene of a decision without taking some action.

So, GOYA - Get Off Your Azz and get moving.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - To get and Insider's look at just how the Warrior Monks of the Shaolin Temple think and train, get to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and get Secrets of the Shaolin Temple Volume 1. It's the first step to getting you energized as you look to build your mastermind group and attract other forward thinking like minded individuals like yourself.

P.P.S - By the way, losers, whiners and yeah-buts are the type of people that will read this whole letter and then promptly not do a darn thing. This is not you. Get to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com now.

It was the finest food for two reasons: one, I was stuck on a plane or in an airport for the last twenty four hours (although I have to confess that if you are going to fly to the Orient, Cathay Pacific has some of the most beautiful and professional flight attendants that you could hope for).

Two, it was the best food because when in China, most restaurants and hotels offer buffets. Buffets that are so good that your pants fit tighter when you're done eating. Buffets that give you the name "Buffet Buster" because you can't stop eating.

Lamb, duck, beef, venison, fish, pork. Cooked vegetables, steamed vegetables, dumplings, fried rice, soups and desserts. There's probably more that I haven't listed but my two plates were full and I didn't go back for more.

Sitting hear sipping some steaming oolong green tea, I am excited about the next couple of days.

There's going to be some sightseeing for the next two days plus a workout with Professor Charles Mattera, Disciple of the Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple, and then on the third day...the trip to the Shaolin Temple.

Then it's going to be three days of intense training, a performance by the Warrior Monks and cultural exchange with the Monks and Head Abbot himself.

I've been excited about this trip for weeks. A day or two ago the excitement started turning to nervousness as the date got closer.

On the ride in from the airport, I was reflecting back on my last trip here five years ago. It was the trip that I visited and trained with the Shaolin Monks for the first time.

It was also the trip were the Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple, to show his appreciation for all that Professor Charles Mattera had done to spread the Shaolin Arts, presented him with a priceless gift.

As he presented this gift, the Head Abbot gave a short speech and in this speech, he thanked the Professor for all his hard work and dedication to spreading the art of Shaolin around the world.

He told the Professor that this gift was his way of saying Thank You and he had to promise to continue to spread the word of Shaolin across the globe.

Humbled beyond words, the Professor bowed deeply, thanked the Head Abbot for his thoughtfulness and promised to continue the mission of spreading the Shaolin Arts.

To find out what the priceless gift was and how the Professor decided to help spread the Shaolin Arts, go to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and find out all the details about that trip to the Temple, the priceless gift given by the Head Abbot, and how you can get a part of that gift for yourself.

I'm going to finish my green tea, let my food digest, and then get to working out fro the trip to the Shaolin Temple.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. - It's a short one today...but you can get more of the story at http://www.shaolinsecrets.com. After you read and find out all the details, you'll understand why I'm excited and nervous at the same time, anxious to get to the Temple and see what surprised are in store on this trip.