The Shaolin Workout

Book excerpt: In his loft in New york City's Greenwich Village, Sifu Shi Yan Ming trains men and women of all ages, body types and backgrounds in the fundamentals of kung fu. A 34th generation Shaolin Warrior monk from China's 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. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of four-color photographs, the warrior workout, distills a lifetime of Shaolin training and wisdom into a 28-day workout. The Shaolin Workout is a complete-unto-itself program of both fitness and spiritual lessons can be applied to every aspect of one's life: work, relationships, family. Kung fu gives a superb aerobic workout at the same time that it dramatically increases flexibility, power, and speed. The ultimate promise of the book is this: stick to the plan for 28 days—for as little as 15 minutes a day—to be transformed inside and out. And the enormous sense of accomplishment that results will radiate through your life, allowing you to tackle the world with a warrior's confidence, calm, and poise.