Speaker A
That's a brick, and this is Iron Body.
Explore the ancient Shaolin Iron Body training with Master Yan Lei, learning how to condition the body to absorb and bounce back strikes effectively.
Key Takeaways
- Iron Body training conditions the body to absorb and bounce back strikes, improving resilience and fighting ability.
- Proper technique involves relaxation, timing, and using the body as a weapon, not just hardening it.
- Conditioning tools and methods improve strength, circulation, and pain tolerance.
- Iron Body training is both a practical fighting skill and a health-promoting practice.
- Effective use of Iron Body includes strategic movement and counterattacks to control the opponent.
What the video covers
- The video explores the ancient Shaolin Iron Body technique used to condition the body to withstand and bounce back from strikes.
- Jesse Enkamp trains with Yan Lei, a 34th generation Shaolin Master, whose iron body skills have been studied by scientists.
- Iron Body training focuses on making the body resilient like rubber, allowing it to absorb kicks and punches without injury.
- The technique emphasizes timing, body movement, and using the body as a weapon rather than just hardening it.
- Yan Lei demonstrates how to take kicks by moving forward and bouncing the force back rather than blocking or absorbing it.
- Training includes conditioning with various tools like bricks, towels, and bamboo brushes to strengthen and improve circulation.
- Relaxation and correct breathing are crucial to maximize speed, power, and effective use of the iron body.
- The video contrasts performance demonstrations with practical, useful training for real fighting scenarios.
- Yan Lei explains the strategic use of iron body to control distance and counterattack effectively during combat.
- The training also promotes health benefits by improving blood circulation and reducing pain through proper conditioning.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
An ancient skill used by Shaolin monks to become unbreakable.
Speaker B
How do you develop the iron body?
Speaker A
Today, I'm training with Yan Lei, a 34th generation Shaolin Master.
Speaker A
His iron body has even been studied by scientists.
Speaker A
And I'm about to feel why, my foot is hurting right now because this man is made of stone.
Speaker A
When people see the iron body training, usually broken the stick.
Speaker A
Has performance for fighters, we practice sometimes they kick you, one, two, three can take, after they keep going 10, 20, your body naturally to bouncing.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
So you don't want your body to absorb the kick, to take the kick.
Speaker A
Your body want to bounce them back, to make your body like a rubber.
Speaker A
You can you can bouncing, also when the disease come, your body don't like, your body fight.
Speaker B
Also this is also good for health.
Speaker A
Yes, sometimes when people kick you, you feel the kick.
Speaker A
Not strong enough, you don't need to always block, you can take the kick, go forward.
Speaker A
You can take the punch, go forward.
Speaker B
Can you show me a demonstration?
Speaker B
So if I try to kick you, how would you use the iron body against me?
Speaker A
Okay, if you do low kick.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
Yeah, kick.
Speaker A
Do properly, do properly.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker B
Boom.
Speaker A
Getting getting stronger.
Speaker B
Harder?
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker B
Hup.
Speaker A
It will fight.
Speaker B
All right.
Speaker A
So kicks back.
Speaker B
Oh.
Speaker A
Hand up.
Speaker B
Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker A
Oh.
Speaker B
Oh.
Speaker A
So we take.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
So my body kick, see my body start react.
Speaker B
Bouncing.
Speaker A
Yeah, you go against my kick.
Speaker A
Yeah, you're against.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
How hard are you can?
Speaker B
Am I?
Speaker B
My foot is hurting right now because this man is made of stone.
Speaker B
I haven't conditioned my leg as much as you have conditioned your leg.
Speaker A
So.
Speaker A
Okay, if I move.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
So then you will continue another kick, whatever you do.
Speaker A
You know.
Speaker A
I lost the distance.
Speaker A
So when when the first kick comes, I know his hands.
Speaker A
We go this way.
Speaker A
So.
Speaker A
Body.
Speaker A
Oh come.
Speaker A
So I use the timing.
Speaker A
I timing you.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
You come, I come.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker A
You you come, I come.
Speaker B
Ah.
Speaker A
You come, I come.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker A
Yeah, it's it's.
Speaker A
If I lost the opportunity, if I do this, I just take it.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
So you then you you can you can do whatever.
Speaker A
So I attack, I have to attack.
Speaker A
The between the gap, more small, more better.
Speaker B
Mm, yeah.
Speaker A
Because you time it.
Speaker A
You come, I come.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker A
Yeah, that is that.
Speaker B
So the iron body allows you to use this strategy of attacking my attack.
Speaker A
If you kick me here.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker A
Okay.
Speaker B
Kick.
Speaker A
Yes.
Speaker B
Kick.
Speaker A
I use my reps.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker B
His ribs are very hard.
Speaker A
Kick.
Speaker A
So you see then when we fight, I will give you.
Speaker B
Oh, you open it on purpose.
Speaker A
I let you go.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
I try to use here.
Speaker A
To hurt you.
Speaker B
Yes, that hurt.
Speaker A
Sorry.
Speaker A
So you see then I give you, you you don't want to.
Speaker A
You say okay.
Speaker A
I can cheating you.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
I can make him very, oh.
Speaker B
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A
That I lock you out.
Speaker B
Wow.
Speaker A
So you see strategy.
Speaker A
Same if I want to you kick my leg, so I go this way.
Speaker B
Ah, you're opening this side.
Speaker A
I open this way, yeah.
Speaker A
But you remember since I open, you also open.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker A
Because I make you open, see the elbow will straight away from middle.
Speaker B
Oh.
Speaker A
I will because you you kick.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Since I'm stepping in, you will go back.
Speaker A
That open.
Speaker A
No.
Speaker A
Take it.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
So it's it's not.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker A
You can do a lot of sit ups, for example, I give you.
Speaker A
You kick.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
You kick, see it's open.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker A
So I kick.
Speaker B
Oh.
Speaker A
Same time.
Speaker B
Landing.
Speaker A
Because you I'll make you comfortable.
Speaker A
Every martial arts people they training, they try to make their body become weapon.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Then you have to be able to use the weapon.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker A
You only make your body become weapon, but you don't know how to use.
Speaker A
It's still not useful.
Speaker B
No.
Speaker A
You have to practice the real way how to take attack.
Speaker B
Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker A
So something we do in karate is we smash our arms into each other.
Speaker A
Like a body conditioning.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
How do you practice this?
Speaker A
Do you have something similar?
Speaker A
They they just try to make their hands, arms strong.
Speaker A
They don't think how to make it useful.
Speaker A
We need to be soft.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
Only soft you can punch fast.
Speaker A
You have to be really, really relaxed.
Speaker A
Then you can move speed.
Speaker A
If you tense, you can't.
Speaker A
It's when you use, you have to be soft.
Speaker A
Anyway, you here, it's hard, it's ready.
Speaker A
When the speed come, it's the weapon.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah, but most time we only, same I said it before, when you do the performance, do the broken stick.
Speaker A
This is not useful, just for catch people's eyes.
Speaker B
No.
Speaker A
Useful training and performance, 100% different.
Speaker A
So I can show you the, you know, we use the different equipment.
Speaker B
Yes, please.
Speaker B
So this looks like a brick.
Speaker A
Brick, yeah.
Speaker B
See.
Speaker A
Wow.
Speaker A
And you use tissue, but we don't have tissue, I use the towel.
Speaker A
Because they try to.
Speaker B
Oh, yeah.
Speaker A
Protect this side, you don't get hurt.
Speaker B
Yeah, you don't want to cut your skin.
Speaker A
You don't cut your skin.
Speaker A
So when you do it, we use the horse stance.
Speaker A
Bouncing.
Speaker A
So my body is bouncing.
Speaker A
The reps.
Speaker A
So this I don't bounce them because I have to take it.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
Look how you do the side kick.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
So side kick come, my body have to go forward.
Speaker A
To.
Speaker A
I will not go back.
Speaker B
No.
Speaker A
I go push forward.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Because my body don't like, my body try to push away.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker A
So when you do the other side, the reps.
Speaker A
Open it.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
Because when when when you take here, you close.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
When practice you open it, you go in here.
Speaker A
My body start bouncing.
Speaker A
You see.
Speaker A
So my body.
Speaker A
Take it away.
Speaker A
Then you use this.
Speaker A
This is made for brush.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
So because this is soft.
Speaker A
Soft.
Speaker B
No, it's pretty hard.
Speaker A
I know.
Speaker A
You see it's.
Speaker A
Only you together, they will be hard.
Speaker B
Yeah, okay.
Speaker A
This is heavy, maybe two, three kilos.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker A
Yeah, also when you condition, you you you make your arm stronger because they're heavy.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
It can go inside, which way soft, they will go.
Speaker B
Mm-hm.
Speaker A
They will catch it.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker B
This will actually like go between the ribs and catch the soft tissue.
Speaker A
Yes.
Speaker B
More than the brick.
Speaker A
Yeah, brick with big pieces.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
They focus to make you area.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
This focus makes small space to strong.
Speaker B
It's more precise.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker B
Could you demonstrate this?
Speaker A
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A
So my body bouncing.
Speaker A
So if you the people.
Speaker A
And they tense.
Speaker A
The tense will be.
Speaker A
They just take.
Speaker A
See, I just take it.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
I didn't do I didn't react.
Speaker B
No.
Speaker A
It's mean I didn't get distance.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker A
When people kick me.
Speaker A
See, I go forward.
Speaker B
Yes, this is the way you use it in a fight.
Speaker A
Yes.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
You go.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
You take it, you go, not this.
Speaker A
It's just practice.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Didn't mean no good, but you need to know what you're doing.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
If you say, okay.
Speaker A
I just want.
Speaker A
Stay here.
Speaker A
Or want to go forward.
Speaker A
So you set up the hook.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker A
You set up the hook.
Speaker B
So that's like if I would kick you.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker B
Then you would take that to give me back.
Speaker A
I set up the hook.
Speaker B
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A
I set up because I created the distance.
Speaker A
Then he will think, do I need to kick or not?
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Because every time you kick, he come in, he follow the heavy punch.
Speaker A
Or whatever he do.
Speaker A
They slow, slowly make you confidence gone.
Speaker A
He control you.
Speaker A
Also, it's bamboo brush, also it's good.
Speaker B
Bamboo.
Speaker A
This bamboo because.
Speaker A
How do I say it?
Speaker A
Could recover.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
Basically, they push the blood move.
Speaker B
Oh, for circulation.
Speaker A
Circulation.
Speaker A
Move, move.
Speaker A
Yeah, from shoulder until the hand.
Speaker A
You have to stay relaxed, don't don't against.
Speaker A
Because you want the power to win.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
First maybe you feel pain.
Speaker A
After you, when your body be able to take it.
Speaker A
The happiness grow.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
Because why the kids happy because circulation move fast.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
So same.
Speaker A
You get because the circulation.
Speaker B
This looks like what we do in the sauna, you know, in Finland.
Speaker B
They hit each other with.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
In Russia.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
They use.
Speaker B
Same.
Speaker A
Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker A
Same meaning.
Speaker B
Interesting.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker A
Okay, good.
Speaker A
I can you show you one simple sense.
Speaker A
You will feel.
Speaker A
Yeah, you just copy me.
Speaker A
You put your hand straight.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
I want you tell yourself really, really relaxed.
Speaker A
You take inhale.
Speaker A
Use your nose.
Speaker A
Then exhale clench your fist.
Speaker A
And your body.
Speaker A
All locked.
Speaker A
All tense.
Speaker A
Reps, leg.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yes.
Speaker A
Then you relax.
Speaker A
As relaxed as possible.
Speaker A
Then go.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker A
Okay, then you stay fighting stance.
Speaker A
Exhale.
Speaker A
Exhale with the feet.
Speaker A
Grab.
Speaker A
Exhale.
Speaker A
Go, exhale.
Speaker A
Relax.
Speaker A
Exhale.
Speaker A
Exhale.
Speaker A
Oh.
Speaker B
That was a stronger kick.
Speaker A
Because you didn't use power.
Speaker B
No.
Speaker A
I use power, but different power.
Speaker B
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A
Yeah, you can see.
Speaker A
You can take this.
Speaker A
See.
Speaker A
So stronger.
Speaker A
I want you use natural power, more relaxed, I said more soft.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
See, I don't use power.
Speaker A
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Speaker B
No.
Speaker A
Yes.
Speaker A
So look, I stand against now.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
So I.
Speaker A
If you more kick, I do this, you will be more hurt.
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker A
Because I give you look.
Speaker A
Two car.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
He.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Hit.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
The first is take.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
Second one is hit back.
Speaker B
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A
When you know hit hit back, you got distance.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Mm.
Speaker A
Because I'm yin.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
So you will also you like you will feel pain.
Speaker B
Mm-hm.
Speaker A
Because something coming in, something push you out.
Speaker B
Yes, yes.
Speaker A
Then your body lose your stable, you don't have the foundation anymore.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker A
So it's punch will catch you, lock you out.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker A
Or make you panicking.
Speaker B
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A
Because you lose balance.
Speaker A
When you lose balance, naturally.
Speaker A
So I keep make you go this way.
Speaker A
So this reason the first level when you practice is when you do this.
Speaker B
So this is Chi Gong.
Speaker A
It's Chi Gong.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker A
I just quick show you because it's quick understand.
Speaker A
You have to make your body as relaxed as possible.
Speaker A
Then exhale.
Speaker A
So you clench your hands, arm look like tense.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Leg tense.
Speaker A
Reps locked.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah, so your body look like look like stone.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
How do I say it?
Speaker A
When you under the water, you hold one piece of stone.
Speaker A
You naturally just dropped.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
That feeling you need.
Speaker A
This is good because they practice your focus.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Because everything hand grab, leg locked, muscle all tense.
Speaker A
The different small things together.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
You know, sometimes we lost the focus.
Speaker A
We mind everywhere.
Speaker B
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A
So this is.
Speaker B
So this helps you also focus your mind on contracting your body.
Speaker A
Yeah, so this reason when you practice people punch you, kick you.
Speaker A
You focus.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah, when the sense come, you you your body straight react.
Speaker A
Boom.
Speaker B
Mm.
Speaker A
Because you do this all the time.
Speaker A
One, two, three, all the time.
Speaker B
Well, thank you very much, this was very interesting.
Speaker B
And painful.
Speaker A
You're welcome.
Speaker B
I appreciate it.
Speaker A
You're welcome.
Speaker B
Thank you.
Topics:ShaolinIron BodyMartial ArtsBody ConditioningYan LeiShaolin MasterKung FuMartial Arts TrainingFighting TechniquesHealth Benefits
