The Shaolin Secrets Blog

Whenever guys get together, it never fails that at some point – size is going to come up.

We’re men; we can’t help it. Our egos, self-image and self-esteem are tied largely to whose is bigger and better…and sometimes that argument can go public.

No – I’m not talking about certain appendages or parts of the anatomy (although we talk about that when we’ve had a few too many adult beverages) – I’m talking about martial arts styles and instructors.

Just last week a story broke worldwide on the Internet that proves my point.

The gist of the story was that the Shaolin Temple of China (whose Head Abbot and Warrior Monks were just here in Southern California, performing to a sold-out house of over three thousand spectators and training a select group privately, including yours truly) issued a demand for an apology.

The demand also included a threat of a lawsuit. Someone had posted on the Internet (anonymously, of course) that someone with only a few months of training in a Japanese style had gone to the Shaolin Temple and whupped one of the Monks, obviously proving without a shadow of a doubt that the Japanese arts are far superior to the Chinese and the Shaolin Monks basically suk.

Here’s my response to all the e-mails I received asking for my opinion on this:

"Who the Hell Cares?”

I mean, really; what are we… twelve?

I read this story and had visions of me and Billy Witt, age eleven, covered in dirt and snot, fists clenched, glaring at each other after a vicious sandlot fight where were both fighting for our Fathers’ honor – since it was obvious to both of us that My Dad Could Beat Up Your Dad.

This is the kind of Horsepucky and meaningless B.S. that keeps the martial arts world from the kind of legitimacy that so many people and organizations are trying to bring to it.

And it’s the same attitude that prevents a ton of people out there from experiencing the almost magical wisdom and information contained in the Shaolin Secrets, http://www.shaolinsecrets.com.

Only in the martial arts world can some idiot who trains in his basement with an alleged Master (who believes that he is a reincarnation of an ancient warrior), volunteer to moderate a forum and then be considered and “expert” and therefore influential on all things martial arts – particularly things he is closed-minded about or know nothing.

I have never claimed to be an expert on the Shaolin Temple. Never said I was a Monk. Never said I was the Be All, End All Great Panjandrum of Anything.

I’m just the guy who, along with Professor Mattera, helped unleash the Shaolin Secrets to the world.

This name-calling, you-suk-I’m-the-greatest B.S. is for small-minded losers. The Shaolin Secrets, which you can get at http://www.shaolinsecrets.com, is for all martial artists – regardless of style.

Principles of combat, physics of combat, training exercises, techniques… all of this and more – all contained in the Ten Volumes from the Shaolin Temple.

Go see for yourself why the Shaolin Secrets can help you – and any other martial artist who studies them – take their knowledge and skills in the Shaolin Arts to a whole new level.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. – Got all the Shaolin Monks back on the plane safe and sound. No defections, no problems. The really great news is that I’ve got some surprises up me sleeve for products and some awesome improvements to the website. Stay tuned.

His kick hit me square in the lips and stopped me in my tracks.

Because he was my very good friend, he pulled the kick so it didn’t split me lips wide open – which would have made it very hard to eat the spicy foods I love so much.

I have to admit…I was pretty pissed off. We were working on a drill where I was attacking with hands only and he was defending with legs only – each one knew what the other was trying to do and both of us had been training for over fifteen years – so you know it wasn’t easy to score on each other.

But I was pissed anyway.

After it happened, I turned in to Public Enemy Number One – against myself.

All this negative B.S. started running in my head; the guy I call the “Angry Little Man” really started to let me have it.

“How could you get hit with that kick – you suk.” “He wouldn’t have hit you with that if you were training more often.” “You’re not worthy of your rank in the arts.” “Where’s all that knowledge that you have been studying and practicing”…on and on.

Steam started coming out of my ears. I was good and hot under the collar and thank the stars – the workout was over.

That was good because I had someone’s azz to kick – that Angry Little Man talking all that trash in my head.

He wasn’t helping; he was making things worse. The more he tried to get me to be down on myself, the worse I felt – which made me try harder and force things – which led me to make more mistakes – which led to more yelling from the Angry Little Man.

So – I mentally took him in my arms, spun him around so that I was behind him – and choked him out. Cold. Off to sleep. Silenced.

Feeling much better, I then reviewed in my head what had happened during the training. What I had done well and what I had done when I got hit or made a mistake.

Without the negative crapola going on in my head, it was easy to see what I did well, where improvement could be made and how I could further develop so that next time I was a wee bit better.

That got me to thinking, “I see this all the time with students and other martial artists. When they are fighting or training, they aren’t just fighting against their opponent, but they are fighting with that Angry Little Man in their head.”

Choke that little bastard out. Squash him. Flick him away with your finger. Shut him up.

Clear your mind and focus on what you want, where you are and where you want to go.

If you are working on an attacking combination, don’t focus on the three out of ten that weren’t good; focus on the seven that were great and see what you can learn from the three that weren’t so hot.

Don’t listen to the Angry Little Man.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. – When I wasn’t listening to the Angry Little Man, I was trying to apply some of the principles contained in the Shaolin Secrets Volume I: Shaolin Feats of the Martial Arts, available at http://www.shaolinsecrets.com, and the Shaolin Fighting Secrets DVD Course, available at http://www.shaolinfightingsecrets.com. Go see for yourself how the information from the Shaolin Temple can take your game to the next level – and shut up that Angry Little Man.

Meeting the Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple is lot like meeting the Pope. One’s a German with a five hundred dollar hat and seems to be in charge of all of God’s money. The other is a little guy in a plain gold robe, surrounded by a bunch of other little guys in plain robes, and they all look like they go to the same barber.

One represents the Catholic Church, has millions of followers and people who practice and study every day; the other represents the Shaolin Temple and the Shaolin Arts, also has millions of followers who also practice everyday.

Two very powerful and influential men. While I haven’t met the Pope, just watching the man on television, you can almost see the energy radiating from the guy. The Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple has that same vibe.

I’ll never forget the first time I was in the presence of the Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple.

It’s like having a flashback to one of your earliest memories – when you’re about four or five – and you meet one of your superheroes from television, or that famous uncle of yours that always drives a sports car and shows up only at Thanksgiving.

Your eyes go wide; your breathing gets shallow because your chest is tight, your hands get sweaty and you hope that the person doesn’t ask you a question - you’re afraid you might barf on him instead of answer.

I first saw him in 2001 at the dinner where the Head Abbot presented the Professor with the Shaolin Secrets – the Ten Ancient Training Manuscripts from the Shaolin Temple. I met him again in 2006 when I was part of a group that trained at the Shaolin Temple.

And two weeks ago, I was able to meet him personally and present him with a gift. After the exchange, the Head Abbot was kind enough to pose for a picture with myself, the Professor and Grandmaster DeMasco.

It was an honor for me; a once-in-a-lifetime event where I was able to spend time with someone that could be considered a Head of State or Dignitary. In the case of the Head Abbot, you could say that he, along with the Shaolin Temple, is one of the most influential people in the martial arts – ever.

That is something that I hope you get the chance to do someday. To meet someone that you admire and look up to.

Maybe you’re the type of person who likes to read and your heroes are historical figures that have influenced the world through their actions.

Lincoln, Churchill, Rommel, Gandhi, King…any one of them can be someone you admire and study.

If your hero isn’t alive, there’s only one way to study and learn from them, and that’s through the writings and teachings they left behind, or studies that others have done of them.

Maybe you want to learn more about the Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple and the Shaolin Arts. If you can’t leave your job and go to China, there is another alternative.

Go to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and get the Shaolin Secrets Volume I: Shaolin Feats of Martial Arts, or Shaolin Secrets Volume II: Shaolin Fist Law.

These are the first two of the ten volumes from the ancient training manuscripts from the Shaolin Temple of China. The very same training manuscripts used by the Shaolin Temple to train the legendary Warrior Monks for over fifteen hundred years.

You may never get a chance to meet the Head Abbot. It might not work out that you get to travel to China and train at the Shaolin Temple.

By going to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com you can do the next best thing. Go there today.

Best,

William Huff

Bruce Lee is arguably the most famous martial artist ever.

Even after his death, he is still revered in martial arts circles. Many people consider him the original Mixed Martial Artist.

His power and speed were legendary. For a man small in stature, he packed quite a punch.

Many people wonder what his secrets were that allowed him to be so powerful, so strong…so fast.

The martial art that started Bruce Lee on his journey was Wing Chun Gung Fu, a style that has origins in – and was heavily influenced by - the Shaolin Arts.

A clue as to where Bruce Lee may have learned the secrets of hitting with so much force and speed can be found in this passage taken directly from the Shaolin Secrets Volume I: Shaolin Feats of Martial Arts:

“Saddle Gong is a hard gong, outer strong with the strength of Yang and strong. The training is similar to Strong and Gentle Law but the results are different. At the completion of the training, the fist will be able to pierce through a rock like an iron wedge. It will inflict serious injuries to the human body and cause death immediately even if it does not pierce through it. The signature of mastering this Gong Fu is the flatness of the face of the joints between palm and fingers when making the fist. They don't show the normal uneven shape of the joints. Because of the power of this Gong Fu, it will destroy the object and injure people with one attack.”

This is just a glimpse of the kind of information that is contained in the Shaolin Secrets Ancient Training Manuscripts.

Bruce Lee went on to incorporate many different styles and teachings into his training, but he got his start in the Chinese and Shaolin Arts.

If it was good enough to get Bruce Lee started, it must be good.

Get over to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com, check out how the Ancient Manuscripts were released from the Shaolin Temple – and start to train with the Secrets of the Shaolin Temple.

Best,

William Huff

P.S. – Mucho new content, photographs and proof on the Shaolin Secrets have been posted to the site. Get over to http://www.shaolinsecrets.com and check it out.

A father bull and son were on top of a hill looking down at a herd of cows.

The son turns to the Dad and says “Dad, how about we run down this hill and make luv one of those cows.”

His Dad turns and looks at him with a smile and says, “Son, why don’t we walk down there and make luv to them all.”

Hang with me…there is a moral to the story and yes, it does have to do with martial arts.

The moral of the story is the Father Bull was very wise; why run down and expel all your energy on one cow when you can take your time, walk down and have enough energy for all of the cows.

It’s about expelling energy. In the Shaolin Secrets Volume I: Shaolin Feats of Martial Arts there is a passage on “The Principles of Practicing the Gong”. In that passage it list the three essentials, five taboos and seven possible injuries of practicing.

The Third Taboo of practicing – “Do not rush in your practices.”

A great example of this s a nice young man I was working with up until yesterday. He was young, athletic and very strong.

He came from a successful family; his father was a successful type A personality and seemed to be very demanding on the son.

This made the son a super go-getter; he wanted to learn everything N-O-W. If he could, he try to learn everything from white to Black Belt in a day. He had physical talent and skills, too.

He was moving along very quickly in talent and ability, yet it wasn’t going fast enough – for him. He wanted to be double promoted, skip tests for certain levels and fight constantly.

While I am a big believer in promoting and supporting talent, there also has to be a maturity and responsibility that goes along with the rank and talent – and that’s where this young man needed development.

I knew this because like the Yong Bull in the story, he didn’t understand about pacing himself.

Every time this kid would get into train, he wanted to fight. The problem was that when I let him fight, he practically tried to kill whomever he was sparring with and it usually ended up with somebody injured – usually him.

His training partners eventually understood that if they didn’t knock the bejeezus out of him, he was going to hurt them.

Well, that led to beat downs, frustrations and injury. This kid had popped his own knee out twice and was really abusing his body.

I tried to talk to him several times and explain to slow down a bit. Work on drills constantly to hone his timing and skills and fight once in awhile for a progress check.

I even told him about how I had neck surgery in 2004 after years of abuse, car accidents, full-contact training and other sport-related wear and tear. It could have been avoided if I hadn’t gone so hard on myself.

Well, it didn’t work. He left yesterday to train elsewhere so he can get more fighting and “hard-core” training.

I don’t blame him. I didn’t listen when I was his age either – unless it was my U.S. Marine Senior Drill Instructor at Parris Island. They have a way of activating your listening skills.

I wished him well and hope that someday someone will be able to convince that Young Bull to walk down the hill instead of run. He’ll get more enjoyment out of life that way.

That section I mentioned about the “principles of practicing” is just a sliver of the information taught in the Shaolin Secrets Volume I: Shaolin Feats of Martial Arts, available at http://www.shaolinsecrets.com.

Go check it out for yourself today – and learn why you walk down the hill.

Best,

William Huff