How Did Ancient Martial Artists Develop A Body Of Steel???

The shaolin monks and other martial artists of the ancient world had such powerful and intense bodies that even if a dog were to bite them, the teeth of the dog would fall off.





Apprarently they practiced some special Tai-Chi which harnesses the magnetic power and energy around us and can make our bodies invincible. I think the Tai-Chi was called Qui-Qong or something but I can't be sure.





Does anyone know what the art was called and whether or not it is possible to replicate such miracles in the contemporary world. Anyone that has ever seen a show of shaolin monks will surely know that these miracles are very much with us today but shaolin monks are secretive.

How Did Ancient Martial Artists Develop A Body Of Steel???
You need to research this under "Iron body Qui Gong" where a martial artist builds strength over time by conditioning his/her body via various methods such as striking with objects such as fists, wood dowels, or leaning against the end of a rounded pole (such as placing a pole up against a wall and putting the other end against the abdominals, then leaning into it to build strength and tolerance to force).


Let me say that any activity that causes pain can also be used to condition your body.


The easiest way to start this training is to condition your fists, elbows, and shins, and I will tell you how:





1. Fists and elbows: Get a short piece of 2X4 lumber. Start slowly tapping the board at multiple punching/striking angles. Only do this to the point of discomfort, not with intense force as you must gauge this over time. For the elbows you can hold the board in one hand and strike with the elbow over and over. Again, take this slowly.





2. Shins, take a short piece of wooden dowel (about 1 inch diameter) and lay on the floor and roll the dowell up and down the length of your shins. Take this slow, as it can actually cause the skin to redden and scab before it toughens. This happened to me...lol. As your shins toughen you can begin tapping along the length of the shin to the point of tolerance. Later you might be able to kick lightly against a round wooden beam, but again, be careful.





Soon you will feel your fists, elbows and shins harden, and they will feel almost like steel. Many strikes that hurt you at first will have no sensation of discomfort at all. In fact the feeling can be one of power and it can feel good.





I hope this helps, look into books on the subject of Qui Gung, and you will find many more details.
Reply:At what point do you get the red cape and start flying? Report It

Reply:Tell that to the Shaolin Monk that stood up to the western import of guns - his belief that his body was impenetrable cost him his life as the bullet went straight thru him - dead as a doorpost - on the spot.





Don't believe everything you read in the papers or see in films or on TV
Reply:LOL





You said:


"martial artists of the ancient world had such powerful and intense bodies that even if a dog were to bite them, the teeth of the dog would fall off." That's because canine dentistry wasn't what it is now!





Addendum for Bodler the toddler:


You call us idiots, yet you freely admit to allowing others kick you in the stomach and thighs! Ha, ha, ha. God, if it wasn't for 'tards like you, my life wouldn't be worth living! Thanks for giving me a laugh. Also, where's the hate? You are the only one getting all riled up! lol :-)
Reply:Dont listen to these idiots haters, what ever you wanna acheive you can do. I am not a 100 percent sure how to be like that, but in my class with practice alot of iron body training, such as kicking each other on the stomach, tighs, and elbow banging etc.





And I also do Qi Gong exercises at home, I kinda feel the diffrence when we train and I get punched on the kidney, I feel less pain then before.





Well try to do some iron body traning and chi exercises, also try to find some school that teachs that, and best of all, don't listen to f*ckung haters!!
Reply:The belief in forms for health in the past also called sutras in India played a major role in body development, so much so that Bodhidharma taught 2 of these to the Shaolin in Hunan so as to increase their strength.


Today alot of folks laugh at forms thinking they are no help in fighting, simply because they lack the insight to see how they develop your body naturally.


Stretching, balance, strength, eye hand, foot cooridination timing skills all play a part in forms skills. BJJ , Judo has no forms, and may I add no weapon skills either as a result.


All arts that teach Forms or Kata also teach Weapons, just about all that do not teach Forms or Kata have no weapon skills either.
Reply:People can get very very tough through training but the human body will never be invincible. Grow up.
Reply:I've got a bridge in brooklyn to sell you...





The ancient martial artists were tough, but not invulnerable.





What you need to do is get off your computer and go work out and train. Meditate, exercise - and learn.





Chasing myths is pointless.
Reply:A lot of that is myth used to add to the mystique of the Shaolin order. Part of this was done by the monks themselves to warn away potential attackers, part of it was done by the emperors of China wanting the enemies of the empire to fear the tools at his command and part of it is plain legend of time. Over time these stories grow so instead of being hard and powerful fighters they are now seen as having been invincible.





You can't believe most of these legends, even the modern day Shaolin temple says most of them are false and that they never had such abilities. Similar legends abound about the Ninjas.





However the Shaolin monks did practice Qi Gong to harden their bodies. Many people still practice this today and some claim they can take knife attacks that bounce off them. I don't know if these are true or not but you can train in Qi Gong in many parts of the world. On top of this the monks did practice body hardening exercises daily. They would punch and kick walls to harden their hands and feet, they would hang by the neck to the point of almost suffocating to harden the neck, they would take slaps and even punches to the head and stomach to harden them and learn to endure pain. These are no mystery, the body is resilient and adaptive, if it is used to pain it can take a greater level of pain before sending warning messages to the brain. Many fighters still use similar training methods today to harden their bodies, even going to the extreme of breaking bones so they grow back stronger.
Reply:1- they wore armor.








2- The bullshido art you are thinking of credited with "energy around you" would be either qui-gong or becoming a jedi.





while you might think it is funny to mention a completely fictitious art that came out in a sci fi film. It is important to note the hypocrisy that people have when they mention the "force" and learning to lift objects, create energy barriers and as obi kenobi said "its an energy field" in the first movie (the 1979 one).





I now ask you how that is seen as fiction, which it obviously is, but "qui gong" is not, when it purports to do the same thing.





"manipulate the energy around you to produce results, take and manipulate people's 'energy'"?





how is qui gong any less fictitious than yoda?
Reply:It's not a myth.


If you're strong spiritually you can even move mountains.


Try tai chi, or any other form of martial discipline.


Develop your body, your mind, and gradually you'll have strong spirit which is the god within you.


You'll be a god... invulnerable.
Reply:Pure Hollywood I am afraid, very entertaining but not within the realms of reality, maybe you could make some money from copyrighting the movie rights (?) tee-hee
Reply:Do you really believe people got as hard as steel, dogs couldn't bite them for fear of breaking teeth? I am sorry, no disrespect but look at this critically. It just doesn't seem logical.


I am sure people from this time period were in better shape then modern Americans, they had no TV's, fast food, cars,computers, etc. The weak ones died early life and usually did no get to breed. Life was about survival then, now a days it is about material goods, convenience and luxury.
Reply:they did it with myth and anecdotal retelling. when ever anyone is given a beating, the enemy was always twice as big, twice as strong, twice as fast, and able to catch bullets. no different then, no different now.





if you want to beat your enemies better, forget the iron skin, and focus on the soft spots of the enemy.
Reply:Hans..you have certainly been given some "interesting" answers, the sad thing is that you have an affiliation to martial arts which makes you suggestible to nonsense. Unfortunately martial arts has no written history that can be taken as facts, therefore, all you hear from the past are mainly legends and myths. We live in an age where knowledge is available to all those who seek it. Mass education is a modern invention, once upon a time only a few privileged people were educated enough to understand the body. For example the "iron fist" that would kill someone three days later after being punched, may have been an enigma in by gone days, but now we know that a solid and powerful punch on the body, may damage an organ, leading to internal bleeding and death at a later date if not treated. This lack of basic understanding then, would have enhanced the reputation of the puncher in the eyes of simple minded witnesses, and like the tale of the small fish caught by the fisherman, it eventually became a Whale.





Furthermore, within the same context, we are not feuding with our neighbours, people are in martial arts for a variety of reasons, a body of steel may look great on superman, but pure mortals still get stab and shot, even the best from any martial arts. Ignore those men of steel trying to pump up their egos and stick to reality. your best weapon is your mind, use it often. Good Luck.
Reply:If you become a master in any martial you will have a body of steel.For you prats on here just go to You tube and you will see REAL videos of examples of what martial arts can do. I bet most of you have never seen a martial artist in real life you properly got your knowledge from rubbish movies like the Matrix or Dead or Alive. Bloody fools
Reply:I don't believe anyone can develop a body of steel like you are describing. I have never seen this. I have seen a lot of magic tricks at exhibitions, but deception is part of competitive martial arts.





It sounds like the art you are looking for is Qi Gong. It is often pronounced as "Chi or Chee Gong" in the Western Tongue but the actual pronunciation has ZY in it that doesn't exist in the English language. To make it easier maybe search for Chi Gong.





The meaning of the word "Qi", is essential life force. The origin is the ancient text "Secrets of the Yellow Emperor" which might be available in English now. If not then they are still working on the translation.





Qi Gong practitioners utilize exercises and a lifestyle that maximizes the energy in the body. Masters of this art use it in everything from medicine to self-defense.





Tai Chi is a form of Qi Gong which means "energy practice". This life-force theory is also known as Mana in other cultures, also in Sanskrit I believe. Tai Chi is not a martial art though. It is practiced as a dally exercise for health, more like yoga.





Kung Fu is the martial art of Qi Gong theory. Both Shaolin and Wah Lum practice essential energy exercises.