One of the foundations of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu is the Yi Jin Ching, or Muscle Tendon Changing Classic. According to the history of the Shaolin Temple these exercises where created by the great spiritual leader Tamo or Bodhidharma, the Indian Buddhist Patriarch, that founded Chan Buddhism.  When Tamo began to teach the meditation techniques now known as Chan or Zen the monks were two weak and fell asleep!  So he taught them this series of exercises to strengthen their bodies and minds for the rigors of meditation. 

This is a series of exercises that uses breathing and stretching and strengthening movements to prepare the body for Northern Shaolin training.  There are 18 stationary and 6 moving exercises, All of the movements involve moving the body.  The “moving exercises” progress across the training area in a linear fashion using steps to change location.  These exercises are excellent for improving ones health and can be practiced by people of all ages and abilities.  These exercises help to set up breathing patterns that are a perfect compliment to the movements in the Northern Shaolin Forms.   They also strengthen the tendons, help to make the joints supple, circulate the vital energy thru the body, strengthen the limbs and torso, and train spiraling and twisting movements that increase the power of ones kung fu techniques, and improve balance.

Whether this is the authentic Yi Jin Ching created 1400 years ago is difficult to determine.  There are other sets of movements also called Yi Jin Ching.  This series came from a different lineage than Wong Jackman’s Ching Wu Association.  These exercises are brilliant high level Qi Gong that has been beneficial to many people.  There are definitely crossover postures similar to Indian Yoga.  It is easy to see these exercises bridging the gap between Hindu Yoga, to Buddhist Yoga, to Shaolin Kung Fu.  So regardless of origin or attribution they are included because they could be an authentic series and in any case they fit in really well and contribute a powerful tool for body transformation to the system.