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David Carradine, impelled by his kung fu Master to write about the true nature of the martial arts, gives us a candid account of his path toward enlightenment and his initiation into the mysteries of the spirit of Shaolin. Sharing the knowledge gained from his Master Kam Yuen's thirty-five years of study and teaching in the art of Kung fu and Carradine's own training and studies for the role of Kwai Chang Caine in the Kung Fu television series, he explores the true teachings and philosophy behind the art of kung fu and its relevance to the modern world.
Kung fu is an ancient fitness program through which humankind realizes its full potential through better understanding, learning to set higher limits and standards, transcending rigid and false values and achieving harmony with the laws of nature and the universe. The drills of Shaolin kung fu serve to put us in touch mentally with our physical selves, so that we no longer remain strangers to our own bodies.
Kung fu came into being in the 6th century A.D. when a wandering Hindu monk, Bodhidharma, travelling through Northern China, came to a Taoist monastery in the Shangshon mountains. There, Bodhidharma expanded the monks' knowledge about the Hindu prophet Buddha and developed eighteen forms of ahrat - disciplined movements to be performed daily. These forms mingled with ancient Chinese survival systems to become the true beginnings of kung fu.
As the Kung Fu TV series became a smash hit, it created a martial arts explosion around the world. As David Carradine became a star, many others - most notably Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris - helped shape a new genre. But the success of the series and the movies was not always reflected in success offstage. There were many obstacles, physical and emotional, in Carradine's Path toward his quest, yet he discovered that everything furthers. As each truth is revealed, whether through meditation, through hardship or through discipline, the essence itself actually changes, remaining forever out of reach. Yet it is important to keep trying, and every piece of the puzzle clarifies some aspect of the mystery.
Through his Twelve Lessons and chapters on healing, nutrition, stance training, stretching, class, self-defense, meditation, and philosophy Carradine fulfills the goal set out for him and gives generously from the spirit of Shaolin.
