Is Shaolin Kung Fu really 'smashing gold and breaking rocks'?

Those who love Kim Dung's martial arts stories must have heard of the famous "gold-smashing, rock-breaking" martial arts of Shaolin Temple. From Vajra Finger, Iron Sand Palm to Iron Cloth Shirt...

A martial artist monk at Shaolin Temple performs Iron Sand Palm - Photo: CN

These martial arts are collectively known as "hard martial arts", which are pure martial arts that train muscle strength and the body's endurance.

Not only Kim Dung's stories, Chinese martial arts legends believe that Shaolin Temple's hard skills, practiced to the highest level, can do extraordinary things beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

For example, a Vajra practitioner can only use his finger to press a hole in a gold bar. A practitioner of Iron Sand Palm can still break bricks and stones with his bare hands, while an Iron Cloth Shirt transforms his body into an iron armor, able to withstand swords and spears…

So what is the truth behind the legends of Shaolin's gold-smashing and rock-breaking martial arts? Is it all just a product of imagination?

How realistic?

Regardless of novels or movies, there are some people who have learned Shaolin Kung Fu, then posted videos of them performing hard kung fu on YouTube. The common moves are using their hands to break bricks and stones, or using a spear to stab the throat but not causing any damage…

A report on the Iron Sand Palm exercise at Shaolin Temple - Photo: SCREENSHOT

But in general, most of these videos are easy for viewers to see through the tricks behind them. Such as using fake materials, hollow bricks or stones that have been treated to be fragile.

The camera angles, sounds and effects also contribute to making viewers believe that these displays of strength are real.

Although much of the legend is exaggerated, there is no denying that some Shaolin martial arts are real, documented in martial arts literature, television shows, and even scientific research.

Vajra is just one example. It is a technique that trains the fingertips to become as hard as steel by piercing sand, beans, and then wood or earthen walls. Of course, piercing metal is only a fiction.

Many elderly monks in Shaolin today can still use their fingers to poke a dent in a young tree trunk or pierce a thin brick - partly due to technique, partly due to thick skin, strong bones, and the ability to concentrate absolute force.

The power of the two fingers of a Vajra practitioner - Photo: CN

Iron Sand Palm - practicing hand exercises by hitting sandbags, beans, and gravel in a cycle of increasing hardness - has also been confirmed by international reports to be effective in practice.

Those who have mastered it can break thin bricks with their bare hands, although studies show that this efficiency depends largely on force transmission technique, choice of material, and speed of attack, rather than mere muscular strength.

Iron Cloth, Iron Head Kung Fu, and Iron Foot Kung Fu are forms of training that increase the body's endurance through impact, often associated with Qigong - a form of regulated breathing to stabilize internal organs and reduce damage.

According to sports medicine researchers, practicing hard kung fu properly can increase bone density, skin thickness, improve soft tissue connections, thereby helping the body withstand impact better. However, the limit is still very clear: no one can punch through granite or solid steel, as legends often describe.

How to practice to reach the level of "iron hand"?

The Shaolin monks' hard training process lasts for many years, following the principle of gradually increasing pressure, combining traditional medicine and qigong.

Step 1: Get familiar with impact force

Beginners clap their hands on sand, beans, and then gravel or a cloth bag filled with broken bricks. This exercise is repeated thousands of times a day for several months, helping to harden the skin on the hands and adapt the muscles and tendons to light impacts.

Step 2: Increase intensity

When their hands are strong enough, they move on to chopping wood, thin bricks, or tightly packed sandbags. At the same time, practitioners must practice internal qigong and control their breathing to increase their ability to concentrate force and reduce pain when hit.

Step 3: Maintain - recover - treat

After each training session, martial arts monks soak their hands in herbal medicinal wine - commonly known as Dit Da Jow - to help restore soft tissue and reduce inflammation. Some traditional recipes also help thicken the epidermis, limiting microscopic damage when hitting the hand against a hard object.

Vajra practitioners only need to poke their fingers into the sand every day, following the principle: little but steady, gradually increasing the hardness, absolutely not being impatient. Practicing with the wrong technique can lead to broken bones, arthritis, even disability.

What does science say about "hard work"?

Dr. James Fallon, a physiologist at the University of California (USA), said:

"Those who practice Iron Sand Palm do not turn their hands into iron. They just optimize the distribution of force and make their bodies more resistant to impact. This is a physiological process, not a mystical one."

Shaolin monks' form of arm strength training - Photo: CN

Similarly, a study by the University of Melbourne (Australia) using MRI showed that people who have practiced hard gong for a long time have higher bone density in the hand area than normal people, but the difference is not too big. The important point is the technique of force distribution and the ability to control the body, not absolute strength.

In addition, sports medicine experts also note: practicing incorrectly, not recovering properly, or ignoring the role of qigong can easily lead to chronic injuries.

Shaolin Kung Fu is real - but within limits. No one can punch through granite or punch through a cement wall with their bare hands.

However, a person who practices seriously, persistently, combines the right techniques and recovers properly can completely puncture tree trunks, break thin bricks, and take strong blows to the head or stomach without injury.

What people call "mountain-breaking magic" is actually just a misunderstanding of physics, or an exaggeration through performance art. Shaolin kung fu is a cultural quintessence - and also a testament to the power of discipline, perseverance, and physical intelligence - not an impossible magic.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/kung-fu-thieu-lam-tu-co-thuc-su-dap-vang-pha-da-20250615074029019.htm