Wushu exercises for beginner adults. What is wushu - origins and founder

Important notes.

All the exercises from this article are done ten twenty times, I will write how many, but for starters, if it is difficult for you, you can do as many times as you can stand, and over time, it is desirable to bring the number of times to normal.
Movements should be sharp and fast enough to make you feel comfortable.

Breath.

The entire course of breathing is carried out through the nose. You will need to learn how to breathe with the diaphragm, and not with the lungs, as in Wushu gymnastics such breathing is considered correct. This is done in this way, when you inhale air through your nose, the stomach should protrude, when you exhale, retract, while the chest remains motionless.
Breathe evenly, just like breathing from your chest. Over time, you will get used to it, and you will not even notice that you are breathing from the diaphragm. In general, there are several types of breathing in the ear, but more on that in another article.

1. I start the exercise with stretching the pectoral muscles. The arms are bent at the elbows, the elbows are raised to shoulder level, the palms are open and look down, the middle fingers are looking at each other.
We begin to move the elbows back in a count of one or two. Returning after each movement to the original position
Then we straighten our arms and also in a count of one or two, make jerks back, and return to the same line with the shoulders.
These movements, alternating, repeat ten times each.

2. The next exercise is also for stretching the pectoral muscle and developing the shoulder joint.
We raise the right hand up, the palm can be clenched into a fist, the left along the seam down. We start moving the hands back in a count of one or two, then change their position, the left hand goes up, the right hand down, repeat the movement. The exercise is done ten times in each position.

3. Next, we begin to warm up the lumbar region of the back, the arms are lowered down, approximately at an angle of forty-five degrees relative to the body, the palms are clenched into a fist. We make turns to the right to the left, but first with an effort to the right, and then to the left ten times.

4. Next exercise
The arms are spread apart in different directions, forming one line at shoulder level. The palms are bent into a fist. We begin to develop the joints of the palms, rotating the fists forward and backward twenty times.

5. Next, we develop the joints of the forearm.
We bend our elbows at ninety degrees and begin to rotate twenty times, first inward to the chest, then outward from the chest, while trying to keep the forearm in line at shoulder level.

6. In the sixth exercise, we warm up the muscles of the shoulders, while simultaneously developing the shoulder joints.
For this exercise, you need to lower your hands at the seams, you can clench your palms into a fist, or you can leave your palms turned out, turned out a little more difficult. We do twenty rotations with outstretched arms forward and backward.

wushu- a type of Chinese martial arts aimed at ensuring human survival in dangerous conditions. Unlike other martial arts, wushu is a set of measures to develop the latent abilities of a person. Wushu teaches you to quickly find non-standard ways out of situations, improve yourself through physical skills, improve your body and spirit.

In addition to special gymnastics, wushu also includes the traditional Shaolin philosophy and nutritional methods that heal the body. The main wisdom of wushu teacher Shi Yatsen says that every person who has plunged into the world of Eastern philosophy should weigh like air and fly above the clouds.

Will the ear help to lose weight?

Since wushu combines, aimed at strengthening the muscles of the whole body, of course, with regular exercises, you can lose weight. Wushu exercises also develop breathing skills, help to relax the nervous system, learn to meditate and heal yourself.

Wushu will help you heal your body and take care of your harmony

After mastering the technique of performing exercises, you can achieve the following results by systematically repeating them:

• body and overall muscle growth. By controlling the diet, it is possible to achieve muscle relief.
• Significant increase in joint mobility, strengthening tendons and muscles. Chinese philosophers argue that people who have retained flexibility put old age on the back burner.
• Removal of emotional tension and spasm in the muscles due to the impact on special points in the body.
• Strengthen your cardiovascular system with exercises that focus on flexibility and muscle relaxation at the same time.
• Formation of correct posture. With the help of wushu, you can not only develop the correct position of the body while walking, but also correct slight curvature and deformation of the spine.

Since wushu was originally a type of martial arts, imitation of martial movements was excluded from its basic principles in order to avoid injuries. Instead, wushu exercises have taken on a fluidity and softness to reduce the risk of tendon and ligament strains. To lose weight and gain body flexibility, consider a few facts:

• The best time to practice wushu is in the morning after waking up or in the evening.
• Before each lesson, it is necessary to empty the intestines, otherwise some exercises will not be performed correctly.
• For wushu training, it is important to choose clothes made from natural cotton, which do not restrict movement and allow the skin to breathe.
• For a noticeable effect, you need to practice wushu at least three times a week.

Early morning is the best time to practice wushu

Exercises for weight loss

Both for beginners and professionals, there is the same wushu training scheme. It includes a thorough warm-up, basic stances and flexibility exercises. The warm-up necessarily extends to the spine, hip joints, lower back, knee joints and shoulder girdle. After the warm-up, racks are performed and strikes are practiced.

Unlike yoga, wushu stances do not consist entirely of static exercises, but combine a system of dynamic steps. At the initial stage of wushu training, it is recommended to perform exercises in the following position: the elbows are slightly laid back, the back is straightened, the hands are clenched into fists and pressed to the belt. In this position, you can perform one of the main wushu stances.

• Mabu. One of the most complex complex racks. During its execution, the muscles of the legs, chest and cervical spine are involved. It is necessary to stand in the main position, spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulders and slowly squat until the back of the thighs is parallel to the floor. In this case, the stomach should be pulled in as much as possible, breathing is shallow, and the back is absolutely straight.
• Binbu. One of the basic and simplest racks. It is necessary to stand on your feet, completely straightening them and evenly distributing your body weight. At the same time, it is important as if to press into the floor, creating an additional load on the muscles.
• Gunbu. This stance allows you to learn how to maneuver effectively and deliver powerful blows if necessary. To perform gongbu, you need to bend one leg at the knee and take a long step, while both feet should be in the same plane. During this exercise, the calf and anterior thigh muscles of the walking leg should be very tense.
• Suibu. The stance helps to produce an aimed kick. In the outgoing position, the legs should be widely spaced, then you need to sit down on one leg until the thigh is parallel to the floor, bending it at the knee. The toe of the standing foot should be in line with the toe of the skating foot. The quadriceps of the bent leg is tense and holds the entire body.

Perform each stance for 10-30 sets (each for 1 minute)

Each rack must be repeated ten to thirty times, while the rack should take at least one minute in time. There are also dynamic flexibility and endurance exercises that are performed after the basic stances. With regular performance of the presented exercises, you can achieve a significant reduction in body weight.

• Turtle. Tightens the buttocks, strengthens the back and abdominal muscles. Sit on the floor, bend your knees. Cross your arms in the middle of your back, while your fingers should touch the body with the back side. Leaning on the feet and palms, lift the pelvis up until the stomach takes a horizontal position. Hold this position for ten seconds, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise seven times.
• Sparrow. Works the thighs and lower abdomen, and also burns a large number of calories. Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, place your hands on the sides of your thighs, and lift your chin high. Slowly jump up and move forward like a sparrow. It is important to monitor the softness of the landings so as not to injure the knee joints.
• Panda. Ideally works out the abdominal muscles and lower back. Starting position - sitting on the floor, legs pressed to the stomach. Grasp your legs with your hands, press your feet as hard as possible to the floor. Rest your chin on your chest and begin to slowly lean back, keeping your feet on the floor. After maximum stretching of the abdominal muscles, inhale and exhale, then return to the starting position. During the exercise, you should feel a strong burning sensation in the abdominal muscles and tension in the lower back.
• Chopsticks. Strengthens the abdominal muscles. Lie on your back, spread your arms to the sides so that they do not touch the floor. Start slowly lifting one leg up while maintaining body balance. At the highest point, the lower back should touch the floor. Then slowly lower your leg. Repeat the exercise alternately for each leg.

If you devote at least half an hour a day to wushu exercises, then along with the loss of body fat, you can acquire beautifully defined muscles. You should not combine static and dynamic racks with cardio loads (for example, running or cycling), otherwise the muscles will not have time to recover. Listen to your body: if there is a large amount of excess weight, then some racks must be canceled so as not to create a dangerous load on the joints.

It is generally accepted that wushu is mainly a martial art. However, the improvement of one's body, and this is one of the components of any martial art, can also be used by an ordinary person who does not chase victories in the ring, but simply wants to be healthy and fit.

Nowadays, wushu has received a number of new directions, one of which is health-improving gymnastics, which in turn is an integral part of traditional medicine. Wushu gymnastics helps everyone to improve health, improve coordination of movements and psychological stability, develop flexibility and strength, and mobilize the body's hidden capabilities. Wushu exercises are available to people with different levels of training. However, in this article we would like to consider a set of exercises for those who are not yet familiar with wushu exercises.

Before proceeding directly to the exercises themselves, you need to know a few important things:

• Wushu exercises are performed while facing north. This is not a prerequisite, but rather a tribute to tradition.
• Therapeutic and health-improving gymnastics is best done in the morning, like any other exercise, this will help the body wake up. If you simply don’t have time for this in the morning, then you can do the exercises in the evening after work, but in no case should you do gymnastics immediately after eating. You can do it no earlier than 1.5-2 hours after the last meal.
• At the same time, exercises should not be done even if you experience a strong feeling of hunger.
• As in any other form of physical training, it is important to do it regularly during wushu, gradually increasing the load.
• For gymnastics, loose, comfortable clothing is best.

Exercises for beginners

So, consider a set of wushu exercises for beginners. Where do you need to start for those who are still at the beginning of the journey and do not have any skills. First of all, it should be a set of breathing exercises, which we will now consider.

Breath

• During the exercise, you need to breathe only through your nose.
• You will have to give up the habitual breathing with the lungs and breathe only with the diaphragm. To do this correctly, we inhale through the nose, while sticking out the stomach, while exhaling, the stomach retracts, the chest should remain motionless
• Breathing is even and calm.

Don't be discouraged if at first you don't succeed in breathing correctly. Over time, you will no longer need to control your breathing, you will get used to breathing correctly.

Warm up

We start with stretching. In no case should you load the muscles of the body without this stage, otherwise you risk getting stretched.

Exercise 1

1. Bend your arms at the elbow joint, the elbows themselves are on the same level with the shoulders, the open palms should look at the floor, the middle fingers are pointing at each other.
2. We take our elbows back to the count of one or two, after which we return to the starting position.
3. We straighten our arms again at the expense of one or two, perform jerks back.
4. We return the hands to the shoulder line again.

Stretching the pectoral muscle

1. We raise the right hand up, the palm is clenched into a fist, the left hand is located along the body.
2. At the expense of one or two, we take our hands back perpendicular to the floor, then we change their position in places, i.e. the left hand rises up, the right one falls along the body, and we repeat the movement of the hands back.

Repeat 10 times for each position.

Warm up the lumbar muscles

The next exercise is to warm up the lumbar muscles. To do this, we lower our hands down at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the body, fists are clenched. We perform twisting of the body alternately to the left and right. We make turns with effort. 10 twists should be performed on each side.

We develop joints

1. We raise straight arms to the sides so that they form one straight line with the shoulders. The palms are in fists again. We rotate the fists back and forth 10 times in each direction.
2. We pass to the joints of the forearm. The arms are bent at the elbows at a right angle. We begin the rotation of the arms, first inward, then outward from the chest. The forearm should be in line with the shoulders. We repeat 10 times in each direction.

Back to the waist

The next exercise is again for the lower back, in addition, it helps the cervical vertebrae, as well as develop the ankle joint.

Feet shoulder width apart, hands on the belt. We rotate the pelvis alternately to the right and left at the same time, making sure that the legs do not bend at the knees. Repeat 10 sets on each side.

Warming up the joints

The legs are again shoulder-width apart, the knees are slightly bent, the hands rest on the knees. Gently rotate the knees, first inward, then outward. We repeat 10 times.

The next exercise is again on the muscles of the legs.Legs together, hands continue to rest on the knees. We perform a squat, while making a couple of springy movements, rising and falling back to our haunches. Try to keep your heels off the floor.

On the video - morning exercises from basic wushu exercises:

Floor exercises

We take a gymnastic rug, if it is not there, then you can replace it with a large towel.

Exercise 1

Position - sitting on the floor.

1. The right leg is straight, the left is bent at the knee and is located on the right at an angle of 90 degrees.
2. Next, rotate the foot towards you and away from you, repeating 10 times.
3. We hold the bent leg with our hand. Then change legs and repeat the exercise.

Exercise 2

The following exercise is again performed while sitting on the floor:

1. We pull the legs bent at the knees towards us, folding the feet.
2. We begin to spread our knees to the sides until unpleasant painful sensations appear in the inguinal muscles, while leaving the feet in place.
3. You can help yourself with your hands. We repeat 10 times.

Exercise 3

The position is the same.

1. The right leg is extended, the left leg is bent at the knee and positioned so that the heel is near the pelvis, and the fingers are directed away from it.
2. We spread our legs as much as possible.
3. We perform inclinations to the right leg, trying to maximally feed the body in the direction of her fingers. You can help yourself with your hands.

And finally, strength training

1. We take a position - lying on the floor face down.
2. We perform push-ups, while in the upper position we slightly take the body back, stretching the tendons of the legs.
3. We repeat 10 times. If the first time is difficult for you, then you can do less.

FROM THE AUTHOR

The perfectly wise do not make mistakes. No one in the world understands the meaning of his words, he keeps his thoughts in deep secrecy.

Guanzi (1st century BC)

Gymnastics wushu, in my opinion, are available not only to experienced athletes, but to everyone who seeks to improve their own health and get rid of a whole baggage of chronic diseases.

From time immemorial in Russia, and in many other civilized countries, a stereotype of a healthy person has formed: of course, tall, with an athletic torso, an impressive muscle relief. But the East is a “delicate matter”, or rather, thin and small. Therefore, in Asia, the ideal of a healthy person is a small man, quite well-fed, even with a small belly (because of abdominal breathing, and not love to eat tasty and a lot). In addition, a healthy person, above all, should have pink satin skin, shiny hair, a smile and a calm, radiant look...

The main signs of a healthy person in Eastern culture are different from European ones. This, of course, is flexibility, mobility of joints and tendons, plasticity of movements, proper breathing and the ability to control one's body and will. That is, there is, or rather, on the body, the harmony of the spirit and the carnal principle! Bodhidharma, the founder of the famous Shaolin wushu school fourteen centuries ago, educated his students according to the principle: "Through the perfection of the body to the perfection of the spirit."

Wushu is not only a martial art and sport, it is, first of all, medical and health-improving gymnastics, psycho-training and, oddly enough, a philosophical system. Before developing the physical abilities of one's body, Chinese teachers called for the improvement of the individual, for the search for harmony between a person and the outside world.

The literal translation of the term "ush at"-" martial art ". Originating several millennia ago, wushu It was a technique of hunting and self-defense from animals and enemies. But later, the ancient Chinese came to the conclusion that, having such a powerful weapon as wushu in the arsenal, a person must be strong in spirit and master the skill of using it so as not to harm the weak and defenseless. This can only be achieved through training, not just the body, but also the spirit.

Now, when fighting is carried out with the help of a completely different weapon than wushu, two new directions have arisen: self-defense without weapons and a system of preventive and therapeutic gymnastics.

The healing and healing aspects of wushu are an integral part of traditional medicine. It is known from numerous Chinese sources that " having mastered wushu systems increases the protective properties of the body ... constant practice gives practical skills in achieving good health and prolongs life ... then a person will not need whole pots of medicines". Art wushu develops on the basis of psychophysical training, during which a person activates and mobilizes the hidden capabilities of the body.

The widest distribution wushu received after the formation in 1949 of the People's Republic of China. Teaching has been introduced in primary and secondary schools since the first grade. wushu as compulsory physical training.

Wushu is the most massive national type of physical and sports training in China, and today not only in it. Wushu is not limited to physical culture and sports. Wushu is a fusion of gymnastic complexes and respiratory gymnastics, which include elements of acupressure and have health-improving and therapeutic value, it is both sports and martial arts, it is both psychophysical training and fine arts, it is a philosophical system that determines the view of the world and the very way of life.

Conventionally, three areas can be distinguished in wushu: health-improving, sports and military-applied, and each next direction includes the previous ones as an integral part.

In my book, I will introduce readers to the first direction, which is only the small tip of a huge iceberg called wushu.

Wushu of a health-improving orientation includes complexes of gymnastic exercises, basic body movements (hips, arms and legs), exercises for working out plasticity of movement, breathing exercises and massage complexes.

I will not dwell on the philosophical foundations of wushu, which are complex and related to ancient and modern religious systems in China. The main goal of my book is to introduce wushu therapeutic exercises, which allow you to develop strength, flexibility, coordination of movements, improve health and, most importantly, is available to people with different levels of physical fitness.

Mastering these gymnastic complexes and basic movements will help you acquire the skills to use your strength when performing various hard work, develop coordination and dexterity. These exercises can also be used as gymnastics to relieve fatigue and invigorate during intense mental and physical labor, and most of them do not require additional space and special conditions.

PRIMARY GYMNASTIC COMPLEX

Everyone should understand that wushu is not an easy country walk in the fresh air, therefore, before embarking on complex exercises, you need to prepare your body, weakened by illness and idleness.

The proposed complex is a simplified system of exercises. Performing these simple exercises, you can not only stretch all the joints, muscles, tendons, but also "work out" the circulatory and nervous systems, internal organs.

If you are a terribly busy person and you do not have enough time to complete the entire complex, of course, you can reduce the number of exercises, but this is the same as, " taking on the chest", forget " sniff the crust". The performance will decrease significantly. Therefore, if you seriously think about your health and plan to bring your body to perfection, you should not save time in classes, especially the initial ones. Remember that even a trained gymnast who immediately has large loads during a warm-up can get injured.

The more correctly and carefully you perform each exercise, the greater the positive effect you will achieve. And although wushu originally formed as a martial art, remember that the exercises I have given in this book are not imitations of martial movements. Therefore, do the exercises smoothly and gently. Otherwise, injury to the tendons and muscles is possible.

A few important tips before you start doing the initial complex.

It is best to perform these exercises in the morning or evening after work (wash your face, brush your teeth, empty your intestines).

Clothing for classes should be free. When exercising during breaks at work, loosen your belt and tie, unbutton your shirt collar, and remove your watch.

Do not exercise when you feel very hungry; do not exercise earlier than 1.5–2 hours after eating.

Usually, according to Chinese tradition, exercises are performed while facing north.

Observe gradualness in the load, do it regularly (better little by little, but regularly).

standing exercises

You can turn on peppy music, preferably without words or with words in a foreign language, so as not to be distracted by understanding the text (it is especially difficult to study if the lyrics are completely meaningless - its words can get stuck in your brain for a long time, and the poor brain, instead of relaxing , will be forced to work on the analysis of the unanalysable).

Each exercise must be performed at least 12 times.

Exercise 1

Starting position: legs apart, arms down.

For each count 1–4, we tilt our heads forward, backward, to the right, to the left.

Exercise 2

Starting position: legs apart, arms to the sides.

For each count, we make circular movements with brushes.

Exercise 3

Starting position: legs apart, arms to the sides.

For each count, we make circular movements with our hands.

Exercise 4

Starting position: legs apart, in the hands of a gymnastic stick or rope.

Raise your straight arms up above your head and make a circle at the shoulder joints, and then return to the starting position.

Exercise 5

Starting position: legs apart, hands on the belt.

At the expense of 1-3, we alternately make springy torso to the left and right.

Exercise 6

Starting position: legs apart, hands on the belt.

At the expense of 1-3, we alternately make springy torso to the right leg, left leg, forward, by 4 we return to the starting position.

When bending over, try to reach the floor with your fingertips or palms.

Exercise 7

Starting position: wide stance, legs apart with the body tilted forward, arms to the sides.

For each count, we make turns of the torso to the right and left.

Exercise 8

Starting position: legs apart, hands on the belt.

At the expense of 1-4, we make circular movements with the body to the right, at 5-8 - to the left.

Exercise 9

Starting position: legs apart, arms to the sides.

On count 1 - lean back, slightly bending your knees, touch your heels with your hands.

On count 2, return to the starting position.

Exercise 10

Starting position: legs apart.

We perform swings with the right and left legs forward, arms in front of us, slightly apart.

Lying exercises

« If you're in your apartment, lie down on the floor, three to four", - Vladimir Vysotsky once sang; but even if you are at home, you don’t need to lie down on the bare floor, lay a foam mat on it. And don't forget that you didn't lay down to take a nap or relax! You lay down to cheer up and shake off the remnants of sleep.

Perform all exercises seven times. Finish with running, walking and breathing exercises.

Exercise 1

Starting position: lying on your back, arms at the sides, palms down.

1. Lower the raised straight leg either to the right or to the left.

2. The same with both legs at the same time.

3. In conclusion, we make circles with both feet.

Exercise 2

Starting position: lying on your stomach, palms rest on the floor.

Straightening your arms, bend, raising your head and body.

Close your hands behind in the "castle". Bend over without taking your feet off the floor.

The same, but hands behind the head.

Exercise 3

Starting position: lying on your back.

Bend your legs, straighten at an angle of 45 degrees, lower.

Raise your straight legs, bend them and return to the starting position.

Raising straight legs, try to touch the floor with your feet behind your head.

Exercise 4

Starting position: lying on its side, the left hand creates support in front of the chest, the right behind the back.

Perform circular movements with a straight right leg.

Raise your straight legs.

Put your hands behind your head, lift your body.

Exercise 5

Starting position

Pulling your feet towards you on the floor, raise your pelvis - the "bridge" on the shoulder blades.

Rest your palms on the floor. "Bridge" based on hands, feet and head.

The same, straightening the arms, relying only on the legs and arms.

Exercise 6

Starting position: lying on the stomach.

Alternately raise straight legs.

With your hands on your ankles, bend over.

Lower your arms along your body, palms down. Leaning with your hands, raise your straight legs.

Exercise 7

Starting position: lying on your back.

Move into a sitting position without using your hands.

Spread your legs wider, hands should lie on the back of your head.

Go to a sitting position, bend towards the floor.

The same, but straight arms behind the head.

Move into a seated position with your legs bent over.

Exercise 8

Starting position: lying on your back, hands behind your head.

Perform foot movements that imitate the rotation of the pedals - "bicycle".

Crossing movements with straight legs raised at an angle of 45 degrees - "scissors".

Circles with straight legs in opposite directions.

Breathing exercise

We live at the bottom of the atmospheric ocean, which is about 100 kilometers deep. Air pressure is approximately 1 kilogram per 1 square centimeter.

We know that it is possible to live without food for more than 30 days and survive. But without air we can do only a few minutes.

Many scientists state that the deeper a person breathes, the fewer breaths he produces in 1 minute, and the longer his life. People who breathe often live less. This statement is also confirmed in the animal world: rabbits, guinea pigs and all other rodents are often breathing, producing many respiratory movements in 1 minute. They live a very short time.

And the main indicator health pool body, according to many Chinese masters wushu, is the duration of breath holding. Therefore, periodically during the day, you need to perform a simple breathing exercise, which will not only allow you to improve your health, but also give you strength, make you balanced, and speed up nervous processes.

The more vital energy a person has, the longer he holds his breath, the better the conditions for concentration of attention.

The ancient Chinese sages argued that the higher the level of consciousness a person has, the more spiritual energy he has, the less he needs to destroy something for the sake of preserving himself and in general in material things, including food, water, and most importantly, oxygen. . It is clear that the opposite is also true: the more vitality in a person, the more concentrated he is, the less he breathes, the less he gets sick, the slower he ages.

Most of the processes in the human body are "tied" to breathing. Alas, due to improper breathing, we burn (oxidize) in the fire of the oxygen we breathe. The oxygen that keeps us alive can harm our body if the body's defense mechanism is malfunctioning. To adjust your breathing and strengthen the mechanism of protection against the harmful effects of oxygen, it is necessary to perform a breathing exercise.

This exercise can be performed at any time, sitting, standing, lying down and while moving. This is the usual slow measured breathing. Control over it is the essence of the exercise and consists in focusing on breathing.

A distinctive feature of the breathing exercise is the partial blocking of the glottis with the aim of some deceleration of the air. To do this, the muscles of the larynx are slightly tense. Breathing is accompanied by a slight hiss. When inhaling, a whistling sound is heard " sss", on the exhale - hissing -" xxx". But remember: the sound is not formed by the vocal cords, not by the friction of air against the palate, as in snoring, but precisely due to the narrowing of the passage for air. The source of the sound is not the bronchi or the nose, but the upper part of the larynx, located just above the Adam's apple.

Take a quick breath (a few seconds), mainly from the stomach.

You should try to stretch the exhalation as much as possible, make it slow, even, steady.

The duration of breathing (inhalation and exhalation time) should be gradually increased, but only at the expense of the exhalation time. It does not require any violence on the body. Don't tire yourself out. All attention is concentrated on a faint hissing sound.

Heaviness in the head, tinnitus, heat in the body, redness of the face, lethargy, weakness, depressed mood after exercise - all these are evidence of overwork. If they are, then you are a bit overzealous.

The duration of the breathing exercise should be a few minutes at the beginning, add 1-2 minutes weekly. The subtlety lies in creating resistance to the air passing through the respiratory tract.

K. M. BARSKY, orientalist,
V. V. SMEKALIN, master of sports

Chinese wushu gymnastics is characterized by a variety of schools and styles. The Shaolin school is the most popular in China. She took as a basis the movements with the help of which the people from ancient times strengthened their health and kept fit.

Today we begin to acquaint you with "18 methods of Buddhist monks" - a set of exercises that can be called an encyclopedia of the Shaolin school of wushu. The complex is taken from the book of the famous Chinese wushu master Tsa Longyun.

The complex consists of 28, not 18 movements: several elements are added in order to make smoother transitions from one movement to another. Separate movements are repeated twice.

The arrows in the figures indicate the subsequent movements of the arms and legs.

1. STARTING POSITION

Legs together, arms extended along the body, fingers pressed to the hips, back straight, shoulders straightened, eyes looking straight ahead. Breathing is even, deep (Figure 1).

2. LEGS TOGETHER FISTS TO BELT

Clench your hands into fists, raise them along the body to the belt, press the edge of the palm to the belt. Turn your head to the left, eyes look straight ahead (Figure 2).

Note: Hand movements and head rotation are performed quickly and synchronously. In this case, the body is slightly forward, the center of gravity is transferred to the toes of the legs. Elbows tightly pressed to the body The body is ready for the next movement.

3. THE EAGLE BUGS INTO THE THROAT

a) Turn the body half a turn to the left, legs bent at the knees, right in place, take a wide step with the left.

Unclench the left fist and describe with the left hand a circle counterclockwise in front of you from the waist to the right shoulder, then simultaneously with the turn of the body, pull it forward from the shoulder; the arm is bent at the elbow, the palm is directed forward, the fingers are up, the thumb is set aside, the eyes look at the left hand (figure 3a).

b) Without stopping the movement with a grasping gesture, clench the left hand into a fist, turn it with the edge of the palm towards you and sharply take it to the belt. At the same time, turn the body to the left, and the toe of the right leg inward, straighten the right leg and half-bend the left knee, transferring the center of gravity to it.

At the same time, open the right fist and straighten the right arm from the belt forward, the edge of the palm is directed forward, the fingers are up. The eyes look at the right hand (Figure 3b).

Note: abduction of the left hand, straightening of the right hand are performed simultaneously. When straightening the right arm, the shoulders are lowered, the body is slightly tilted forward, the fingers are at the level of the eyebrows.

4. POSITION EMPTY STEP AND PUSH WITH THE PALM

Transfer the center of gravity to the right leg and half-bend it at the knee, take the left leg back a little, the toe is pulled back and barely touches the ground (empty step position).

At the same time, lower the right hand down and take it back to the belt, the palm is directed forward, the fingers are down.

Unclench the left fist and straighten the left hand with a push forward, the edge of the palm is directed forward, the fingers are up.

Following the abduction of the right hand, move the body back and slightly turn to the right, eyes look at the left palm (Figure 4).

Note: the center of gravity of the body should be transferred to the right leg, the left leg is completely unloaded, the back is straight.

5. A MAN HANGING A SKETCH ON YOUR SHOULDER

a) Take a step forward with your left foot. With the left hand, describe a circle counterclockwise through the bottom to the right shoulder, the thumb is set aside, the arm is half-bent at the elbow. Following the step, the arm from the shoulder continues to move forward in an arc.

At the same time, clench the left palm into a fist, straighten the left arm and take it down behind the back. The eyes look at the left hand (Figure 5a).

b) Without stopping the movement, with a grasping gesture, squeeze the left palm into a fist, turn it with the edge of the palm towards you and sharply take it to the belt. At the same time, take a step forward with the right foot, after the step turn the body to the left, half-bend the legs at the knees (rider position).

Following the body, the right hand from behind the back goes through the bottom forward. Then half-bend it at the elbow, place the fist in front of the face at the level of the eyebrows, the edge of the palm is directed to the left. At the same time, turn your head to the right, eyes look straight ahead (Figure 5b front and back).

Note: bringing the fist to the belt, a wide step with the right foot and the removal of the right hand are performed simultaneously. Having taken the position of the rider, move the right shoulder forward, and the left shoulder back. Shoulders are down, back is straight.