Summer Retreat 2024

Shaolin Thirteen Fist | Shi San Quan - 十三拳

Here is a demonstration of this form, this form can be trained both as a powerful kung fu form or a nourishing and calming Qi Gong form, Shifu Yan Xin will teach you both styles at the retreat.

Shaolin Walking Stick - Dharma Cane | Damo Zhang - 达摩

Origin and History of the Walking Stick Form

The Shaolin Weapon’s Form Dharma Cane, or Damo Zhang in Chinese, has been given its name in honour of Bodhidharma, the founder of Shaolin Kung Fu, who often is depicted with a walking stick.

The cane itself is a very rare and quite unique Shaolin weapon, mostly only known to monks and local folk masters and not taught very often.

How this form came about:

The cane as a walking stick is traditionally used be the elders as a support for walking or by shepherds on their long walks with their herds. So, it isn’t usually considered or thought of as a weapon.

At some point the leaders and dignitaries at Shaolin Temple collected the moves they were seeing and observing by people in the general public using their walking sticks in every day life. 

The monks derived and designed a routine from these movements, creating a form that centred around the walking stick. The form that was created was used for their own practice at first but as it become more known, common people who weren’t monks started to learn and practice it as well.

The form is fairly simple in its nature with a practical approach. It uses powerful and flexible moves, requiring good coordination of feet and hands together. 

Compared to many other Kung Fu weapons such as the staff or sword, just to name a couple, the cane never became a formalised weapon but has always remained more of a folk weapon. In some ways it can even be considered a secret weapon, as the walking stick as a simple and functional tool doesn’t lend itself to thinking of it as weapon. Only when its owner has attained the required ability and skill of defence and attack, can the walking stick become a weapon in its own right.

Some people might not see the point of the cane, when they don’t know it is used for physical training and practice, which is it’s the main purpose in the Shaolin tradition.

Cane & Form:

Every part of the cane has a function and can be used in a combat situation, depending on the handling, skill and mastery of the person using the cane.

There are three parts to the cane: 

1. The stick forms the main part of the cane. 
2. The so-called upper part consists of the actual handle and
3. The cane point or cane body is the horn shaped part of the handle as it can be seen on the traditional canes.

This traditional Shaolin form includes movements such as hooking, sweeping, chopping, upper cutting, pointing and stabbing.

The movements are flexible and powerful and require some arm strength as well as solid stances and coordination. 

The basis for this weapon form is very similar to the foundation training for the Shaolin staff, so it is useful to be familiar with certain basic skills when learning this form with its simplistic and practical nature.

How to make the Walking Stick at home 

We recommend you to make your own walking stick weapon and bring it with you to the retreat, here is a tutorial on how to do it, you can start to building your relationship with your weapon.  Hope you have fun with it!  

If  for any reason  can't make your own Walking Stick or cannot bring it with you, not to worry, you won't be stuck, there will be practice ones here for you.

Testimonials from our previous Summer Retreat