What are the famed Shaolin 72 Arts?
I don't know.
For the almost two years that I've spent at Shaolin, and all the other time I've had monks with me at my house, quite frankly I've never heard anyone discuss this seventy two art stuff. I've seen some of it, buried in various places in the Ji Ben Gong and forms training. But taught, as one might think something famous like this would be taught as in a curriculum, well, you just don't see it.Again, Shaolin "traditions" not exactly being clearly identified and taught at Shaolin.
But, for those of you who want it, here it is:
Taken from the russbo.com Forum / Library, as per “Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin” by Tanjin 1934.
Before 72 arts there are some prerequisite exercises:
Suspending a Gold Coin (XIUAN JIN QIAN).
Hanging Pearl of Buddha (GUA FO ZHOU).
1000 Layers of Paper (QIAN CHENG ZHI).
Circle RUYI (RUYI QUAN).
Striking at cotton-wool ball (XUAN MIAN CHUI).
Striking at Wooden Dummy (DA MU REN).
Kicking at Wooden Pole (TI MU ZHUANG).
Kicking at Flying Meteor (TI CHENG CHUI).
72 arts:
1. Method "Diamond Finger" (Yi Zhi Jingang Fa).
2. Exercise "Twin Lock" (Shuang Suo Gong).
3. Exercise "Striking with Foot" (Zu She Gong).
4. Exercise "Pulling out a Nail" (Bo Ding Gong).
5. Exercise "Ringing Round a Tree" (Bao Shu Gong).
6. Four-Part exercise (Si Duan Gong).
7. Exercise "One Finger of Chan Meditation" (Yi Zhi Chan Gong).
8. Exercise "Iron Head"(Tie Tou Gong).
9. Exercise "Iron Shirt" (Tie Bu Shan Gong).
10. Exercise "A Series of Blows" (Pai Da Gong).
11. Exercise "Sweeping with an Iron Broom" (Tie Sao Zhou).
12. Exercise "Hand - a Bamboo Leaf" (Zhu Ye Shou Gong).
13. Exercise Jumping Centipede (WU GONG TIAO).
14. Raising a Weight of 1000 JINs (TIE QIAN JIN).
15. Celestial’s Palm (XIAN REN ZHANG).
16. Method of Hardness and Softness (GANG ROU FA).
17. Cinnabar Palm (ZHU SHA ZHANG).
18. Exercise Lying Tiger (WO HU GONG).
19. Swimming and Diving Skill (QIU SHUI SHU).
20. Sluice Shutter weighing 1000 JINs (QIAN JIN ZHA).
21. Covering with a Gold Bell (JIN ZHONG ZHAO).
22. Exercise Finger Lock (SUO ZHI GONG).
23. Luohan’s Exercise (LUOHAN GONG).
24. Lizard Climbs the Wall (BIHU YU QIANG SHU).
25. The Art of Lash (BIAN JIN FA).
26. Exercise “PIPA” (PIPA GONG).
27. “The Pole of a Falling Star” (LIU XING ZHUANG).
28. “Poles of Plum Bloom” (MEI HUA ZHUANG).
29. The Art of Stone Padlock (SHI SUO GONG).
30. “Skill of the Iron Arm” (TIE BI GONG).
31. “Fist like a Bullet” (DANZI QUAN).
32. Exercise “Soft Bones” (ROU GU GONG).
33. Exercise “Frog” (HAMA GONG).
34. Exercise “Piercing the Curtain” (CHUAN LIAN GONG).
35. The Force of Eagle’s Claws (YING ZHAO LI).
36. Technique “Iron Bull” (TIE NIU GONG).
37. Skill of Eagle Wings (YING YI GONG).
38. Arm of Sun Rays (YANG GUANG SHOU).
39. Exercise for Groin (MEN DAN GONG).
40. Exercise “Iron Bag” (TIE DAI GONG).
41. Method that Reveals the Truth (JIE DI GONG).
42. Skill of Tortoise Back (GUI BEI GONG).
43. Skill of Deft Jumps (CUAN ZONG SHU).
44. Skill of Light Body (JIN SHEN SHU).
45. Exercise “Iron Knees” (TIE XI GONG).
46. Technique of Jumps (TIAO YAO FA).
47. Palm of Iron Sand (TIE SHA ZHANG).
48. Pulling a Silk Thread (YI XIAN CHUAN).
49. Method of drawing in YIN (XI YIN GONG).
50. Technique of “Rubbing and Thrusts” (MO CHA SHU).
51. Exercise “Stone Pile” (SHI ZHU GONG).
52. Skill “Neither Lances nor Broadswords Can Wound” (QIANG DAO BU RU FA).
53. Gong Fu “Flight” (FEI XING GONG).
54. Hand of Five Poisons (WU DU SHOU).
55. Skill of Water Separation (FEN SHUI GONG).
56. To Fly Up to the Ridge and to Walk on a Wall (FEI YAN ZOU).
57. Skill of Somersaulting (FAN TENG SHU).
58. Pole of Cypress (BAI SHU ZHUANG).
59. Ba Wang’s Elbow (BA WANG ZHOU).
60. Exercise “Pinching a Flower” (NIAN HUA GONG).
61. Exercise “Pushing a Mountain with Palm” (TUI SHAN ZHANG).
62. Technique of Horse Saddle (MA AN GONG).
63. Skill of Nephrite Belt (YU DAI GONG).
64. YIN Fist Method (YIN QUAN GONG).
65. Skill of Sand Bags (SHA BAO GONG).
66. Skill “Piercing Through Stones” (DIEN SHI GONG).
67. Skill “Pulling Out a Mountain” (BO SHAN GONG).
68. Claws of Mantis (TANGLANG ZHAO).
69. Skill “Bag” (BU DAI GONG).
70. Palm of Guan Yin (GUAN YIN ZHANG).
71. Skill “Raising a Pot” (SHANG GUAN GONG).
72. Rubbing Palms (HE PAN ZHANG).