Shaolinquan

Shaolin and Zen are intimately connected. It's all part and parcel of that heady mix of passive/aggressive ultra violent/hippy sensibility that was captured so well in the original Kung Fu TV series. While it's rare to get a lesson in Buddhism at your local Kung Fu school, it's well worth investigating Zen practice if you practice a Buddhist-influenced martial art.

"And, something I like about the basic Chinese Northern Shaolin approach, it's more sweat than brains. I dislike the current anal micro-focus on structure and alignment and all that creepy Iyengar type of mindset which is now slinking from Yoga over into Chinese internal practices as well. As long as you are reasonably safe and more or less upright, relaxed, and aligned to your own body, that's all you need. I can't stand all the current structure geeks and posture Nazis. Well they can do what they want. Doesn't interest me.