Changhuxinyimen fist, one of the traditional Shaolin fists, has compact and powerful moves. First created by the great monk Huiyang from the Shaolin Temple in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it was adapted by Kinnara, an eccentric monk famous for defending the temple during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and many martial arts masters in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1636-1912). The fist has a rather complete routine that dates back over a thousand years.

The fist evolved from real combat. The techniques are powerful and vigorous, fast and consecutive, focusing on both attack and defense. While attacking, one must keep their body within a limited space, punch and spin the fist to release the maximum power. The movements are highly practical. After years of improvement, the practitioners pay more attention to inner practice, or Zen meditation.

Shi Yandian is a warrior monk in the Shaolin Temple. He's been practicing traditional martial arts since he was 8. He believes that Shaolin kung fu is the unity of the spirit and technique. And his ultimate goal is to reach high-level inner cultivation.

Changhuxinyimen fist, as its Chinese name implies, actually focuses on inner cultivation. It means to get rid of distracting thoughts and concentrate on practice.

However, it's not easy to be single-minded. Even Shi Yandian, who has been practicing for many years, got into serious trouble. He was injured in an accident and became bedridden. After treatment, he was in a bad mental state and lost his courage. Fortunately, after constant self-adjustment, he gradually rediscovered his confidence.

"Sometimes you are defeated, not by the injuries, but by the vulnerability within," says Shi.

Inner cultivation is not only about the martial art. In daily life, it is more like a kind thought, or positive behavior. Once you achieve this level, you will have a good mentality.

The best of Shaolin is in Zen, rather than its fists. And that is why the Shaolin martial art has been passed down for thousands of years. All thoughts are Zen. Through the elimination of bad emotions, one can achieve a happy, positive mentality. This process is also a form of self-cultivation.