Qigong is a precious national cultural heritage of our country. The Wudang Iron Cloth Shirt is one of the superior traditional martial arts and secret techniques of Wudang Taoism. It has been cherished and practiced by sages and virtuous men throughout history, regarded as the most secret among secrets, and has never been easily taught to others.

The Wudang Iron Cloth Shirt integrates martial arts and qigong. It is based on breathing exercises, movement guidance, and the cultivation of internal qi, and is an advanced practice that extends from the inside to the outside. It aims to strengthen the muscles and tendons, make the joints flexible, promote the circulation of meridians and blood vessels, regulate the smooth flow of qi, strengthen the internal organs and promote vigorous metabolism. This exercise has a unique technique and rapid effects. Results can be seen after three months of practice. If one practices this skill for a long time, the inner potential and functions of the human body will gradually be mobilized, and the true qi will also become increasingly abundant.

Practicing this exercise not only can enhance the explosive power of the whole body, cure diseases and prolong life, and strengthen the body, but also can make the whole body as hard as iron, not afraid of punches and kicks, and not damage the skin, flesh, muscles and bones when hit by a stick, thus cultivating the "indestructible body" that is widely praised in the martial arts world. At the same time, it also plays a certain auxiliary role in cultivating the brave and enterprising spirit of practitioners and improving their martial arts combat skills. While practicing this skill, one can also simultaneously master the Iron Head Skill, Iron Arm Skill, Great Power Skill, etc., which can be described as having multiple abilities in one skill. When used in qigong performances, one can carry out activities such as breaking bricks and stones with the top of the head, breaking stubborn iron with the arm, stabbing the throat with a silver spear, rolling and lying on a nail bed, stretching steel wires with air, and using a copper body with a diamond.

This exercise centers on "cultivating the inner breath and the outer muscles, bones and skin". It uses the intention to guide the qi, and when the qi reaches its peak, the force is achieved. It gradually practices to the state of Yin and Yang being balanced and secret, and the mind and qi being in harmony with the spirit, allowing the qi to flow internally through the five internal organs and six viscera and externally through the limbs and bones, ultimately reaching the state of unity of the essence and the unity of heaven and man.

Preparatory form

Stand with your feet naturally apart at shoulder width, toes facing straight ahead, and keep your knees straight. Let your arms hang naturally at your sides, your shoulders relaxed, your palms facing inward and your backs outward. Gently close your eyes, place the tip of your tongue against the upper palate, and relax your whole body. The expression is serene, all distractions are cleared, the mind is concentrated, breathing naturally, and the mind is focused on the dantian for half a minute.

1. Subduing dragons and tigers

Move your feet slightly to the sides, with a distance slightly wider than your shoulders, and keep your toes pointing forward. Raise your arms straight up slowly from both sides to the front of your body, with your fingers forming a natural claw shape and shoulder-width apart. At the same time, inhale through your mouth (do the same for each pose, gently touch the tip of your tongue against the upper palate, inhale through the gaps between your teeth, and relax your whole body). When your hands are raised to shoulder level, the air is just full.

Then exhale through your nose. Slowly bend your knees and slightly squat into a high horse stance. At the same time, slowly lower your elbows and press them in front of your lower abdomen with your palms facing down. At this moment, you have just exhaled half of your air. After pausing for half a second, quickly hold your breath (do not breathe while holding your breath), tense your whole body and exert force, grasp the ground with all ten toes, clench your legs inward with force, tighten your anus (as if holding back your bowel movements), and lower your shoulders. At the same time, use both hands to slowly spread out to the left and right sides and slightly downward respectively, as if a thousand-pound weight is pulling to both sides. When the spread reaches the same width as your feet, you just can't hold your breath (hold your breath for about 5 to 7 seconds).

Immediately after, exhale the breath you have held through your nose. At the same time, relax your entire body and stand up. Focus your mind on your dantian and take two natural breaths. There is no need to do the preparatory position for another half a minute. Proceed to the second time. Practice in this way repeatedly. As your skills improve, it is advisable to practice 49 times eventually.

Second, two eagles fly together

Take a firm step forward with one foot, bend the front leg and bow it forward, and keep the back knee straight and out, forming a high lunging step. Let the arms hang naturally at the sides of the body, the whole body relax naturally, the tip of the tongue gently touch the upper palate, the eyes close lightly, the expression is peaceful, all distractions are cleared, and the mind is focused on the dantian.

Slowly raise both hands in front of your body, with your fingers in a natural claw shape, shoulder-width apart, and inhale through your mouth at the same time. When both hands are raised to shoulder height, slowly lower them to the front of the navel. When they reach the front of the abdomen, turn the palms upwards and raise them again to shoulder height. Then turn the palms downwards and slowly lower them to the front of the dantian, just when the air is fully inhaled. Pause for half a second, hold your breath quickly, tense your whole body, press your hands down forcefully, bend your arms, and at the same time, grasp the ground with all ten toes, tighten your anus, draw in your chest and abdomen, and lower your shoulders. Pinch your upper arms between your sides, and slowly press your hands behind you to the sides of your hips. Interlock your legs inward and backward with force.

When you can't hold your breath, release one-third of the air through your nose, then slowly pull your hands back about 5 centimeters with force. Hold your breath for 2 to 4 seconds, and then release one-third of the air through your nose. Then, use both hands to pull back slowly and forcefully by about 5 centimeters. Hold your breath for 2 to 4 seconds, and release the remaining one-third of the air through your nose. At the same time, relax your entire body (the held breath should be released evenly in three portions).

Finally, return to the preparatory position, take two natural breaths, and start doing it for the second time. Repeat this practice, alternating the left and right lunge stances. As your skills improve, it is advisable to perform 25 lunge steps on each side.

Iii. The Overlord offers a toast

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, cross your palms in front of your abdomen, stack them up and down, with your left hand on top and your right hand at the bottom. When inhaling, cross your straight arms from bottom to front and upper of your body in an arc. When the arc reaches the same height as your head, turn your palms forward, with your hands about 25 centimeters away from your head. Keep both hands still and continue to draw arcs upwards and to the left and right sides to separate them until they are at shoulder level, with the palms slightly downward. Without stopping the upward movement, continue to lower the arms straight to the sides of the body in an arc. Draw the forearms inward to the front of the abdomen, bend the elbows at a 90-degree right Angle, and place the tips of the elbows on the sides of the abdomen. The palms of both hands face each other, with the fingertips pointing forward. At the same time, bend the waist and half-squat into a four-level horse stance as the arms lower in an arc. At this moment, the breath is full.

Pause for half a second, hold your breath quickly, and at the same time turn your palms upwards. Use both arms to press your ribs inward with force, keeping a distance of about 16 centimeters between your hands. Concentrate your mind highly, focus your mind on your dantian, and stand up slowly with your knees straight as if holding a thousand-jin weight. Grasp the ground tightly with all ten toes of your feet, lift your anus, draw in your abdomen and chest, tense your whole body, and push your legs upwards with force. When your legs are almost straight, raise your hands to the same height as your shoulders. Slowly rotate the forearms of both hands inward, gradually turning the palms upwards until they face forward. At this point, if you can't hold your breath, quickly release the air through your nose and relax your entire body.

Let your arms hang naturally and tuck them in at your hips. Then start doing it for the second time. Repeat this practice. As your skills improve, it is advisable to gradually increase the number of repetitions to 49.

Four. The Green Dragon Wagging Its tail

First, perform the preparatory pose and focus your mind on your dantian for half a minute. Then lie on your side, bend your left elbow and support yourself on the ground with the ulna side of your forearm. Make a fist with your left hand, with the eye of the fist facing upwards. Cross your legs and stretch your knees straight. Place both feet on the ground, with the right leg on top and the left leg at the bottom. Keep your whole body straight and in a slanting straight line. Extend your right hand straight on your right hip. Support your weight with only your left arm and feet on the ground. Gently touch your tongue against the upper palate and clear your mind of all distractions.

Start inhaling and slowly rotate your body from right to left and down at the same time. When your right shoulder is about to touch your left fist, inhale fully and assume the prone position. Then suddenly turn the body to the upper right, return to the lateral position, and at the same time, quickly expel the air from the nose in one go. When breathing, focus your mind on the dantian, lift the anus and contract the Yin. Use all your body's strength. The breathing should be short, forceful and full of sound. Keep your body straight at all times.

Then do it for the second time. Repeat this practice. After practicing the left side, switch to the right side. As your skills gradually improve, it is advisable to do 25 repetitions for each arm.

Five. Wild horses tremble

Stand facing the wall, with your feet apart to the left and right, about two feet away from the wall. Place your hands behind your back, palms facing backward, and grasp your left wrist with your right hand. Then, bend forward with your upper body straight back to form a 90-degree Angle. Use the area one cun in front of the Baihui point at the center of the top of your head as the center and press it against the wall (Baihui point: 7 cun directly above the middle of the posterior hairline, with the tips of the ears straight up, at the center of the top of your head), with your face facing the ground. Gently close your eyes, place the tip of your tongue against the upper palate, relax your whole body, eliminate all distractions, and inhale through the gaps between your teeth. While inhaling, focus your mind on the Baihui point.

After inhaling fully, pause for half a second. Then, with the waist and neck as the axis, forcefully rotate 90 degrees to the left. The head must not leave the wall. Keep the lower limb movements unchanged. When turning the face to the left, quickly expel air through the nose and contract the anus. Focus your mind on the dantian area. Keep your whole body in the original position and remain still. After inhaling through your mouth and filling it up, focus your mind on the hundred points. Twist your waist and neck 180 degrees to the right with force, facing your face to the right. At the same time, use your whole body to blow air outward through your nose, lift your anus and focus your mind on your dantian.

Then inhale again and turn 180 degrees to the left to exhale. Repeat this process of turning your waist, neck and upper body left and right, and keep practicing. As your skills improve, it is advisable to turn each side 25 times.

Six. Laozi Ascends the Throne

Stand with your back facing the wall and your knees straight. The distance from the wall should be such that you can perform a four-level horse stance. Cross and stack your hands in front of your abdomen, with the left hand inside and the right hand outside, with the palms facing inwards. Stand upright, close your eyes slightly, place the tip of your tongue against the upper palate, focus your mind on the dantian, and relax your whole body.

Start inhaling through your mouth. Bend your arms upward from the front of your abdomen to form an arc. When the arc reaches the same height as your head, turn your palms outward and move forward. Without stopping the upward movement, continue to extend both hands straight to the left and right sides to form an arc outward. When the hands are at shoulder level, turn the palms of both hands downward. Slightly bend the knees and squat down as the hands move downward. Continue to draw your hands downward and in front of your body in an arc, bend your elbows to form a cross, and turn your palms into fists with the knuckles facing inward. At the same time, bend your legs and squat down in a four-level horse stance. At this moment, your breath is just full.

Immediately after, push off with all your legs, bend your elbows and pull your arms backward to the sides, and bang your entire back against the wall. At the same time, quickly blow air outward through the nose, exert full force, curl the head, bend the neck, contract the anus and lift the vagina. After breathing, promptly use the rebound force from hitting the wall to push your body off the wall. Let your hands hang down at the sides of your hips, stand upright in a ready position, and repeat for the second time.

Throughout the entire movement, one must firmly focus their mind on the dantian area and not be distracted. By practicing in this way repeatedly, as your skills improve, it is advisable to gradually increase your ability to do it 50 times.

Seven. The immortal guest dusts the dust

Stand with your feet naturally apart, slightly wider than your shoulders. Place both hands straight up from the sides of the body to the shoulders, with the palms facing upwards, and start inhaling through the mouth. With the waist as the axis, twist the upper body 90 degrees from right to left, face to the left, and align the tip of the nose with the seam of the left leg. At this moment, the breath is just full.

Immediately after, bend your right arm and pat your left armpit with the palm of your hand, keeping your left arm unchanged. At the same time, suddenly combine with nasal discharge, exert force throughout the body, and lift and contract the anus. Then relax your whole body, inhale through the gaps between your mouth and teeth, support your hands horizontally on both sides, and twist them 180 degrees to the right with your waist as the axis. At the same time, blow air through your nose, contract your anus, bend your left elbow and pat your right armpit, and keep your right hand in the position of supporting the object unchanged.

Keep your mind focused on the dantian while breathing. Then inhale and turn left, then blow air and pat the area under the left armpit. Inhale again and turn right, then blow air and pat the area under the right armpit. Repeat this five times, starting from the armpit and patting down to the soft ribs one by one. Do the same on both sides. Then, following the same inhalation and spraying method, start from both sides of the lower abdomen and pat upwards with each palm for five times onto the breasts. Then, following the same inhalation and spraying methods, alternate between the two hands from the middle to the upper part of the breasts, and pat from top to bottom to the dantian, for a total of 5 times with both hands.

It is advisable to do this once (a total of 25 times), and then do it twice (a total of 50 times).

Note: After practicing for a month, both hands should be put on sandbags filled with fine sand or mung beans (the length of the sandbags should be determined by the size and strength of your palms, with a small band sewn horizontally in the middle of the sandbags to prevent them from dropping). After two months, the bag should be filled with half sand and half small pebbles (the pebbles should be round and have no sharp edges or corners). After three months, the bag should be fully filled with small stones or small iron sand without sharp edges. When one can hit the body with force while holding a stone bag without feeling any pain, the initial stage of mastery begins.

Viii. A dragonfly skimming the water

Stand with your legs straight and naturally close to your knees. Let both hands hang down at the sides of the body, on the left and right hips, with fingertips pointing down and palms facing inward. Relax your whole body, gently touch the tip of your tongue against the upper palate, and clear away all distractions. Then lift the heels of both feet, touch the ground with the soles of the feet, and try to keep the knees as straight as possible. Push off the ground with the soles of the feet to make the body jump upwards. At the same time, inhale. As you jump, turn and twist to the left and jump 3 to 5 times to complete a full rotation. Then, return to the original position. At this point, the air is fully inhaled. Land both feet simultaneously, with the toes touching the ground first, and at the same time, forcefully blow air all over your body.

Then do it for the second time. Repeat this practice, alternately turning left and right. As your skills improve, it is advisable to do 25 turns and jumps on each side.

Ix. The Clever Cat catches mice

Keep your legs together, stretch your elbows and arms straight to the left and right, lie on the ground with your toes, palms and face facing the ground. Relax your whole body, gently touch the tip of your tongue against the upper palate, clear away all distractions, focus your mind on the dantian, and then inhale through the gaps between your mouth and teeth.

When your breath is about to fill up, straighten your hands and arms with your elbows straight and pull them inward, lifting your waist and chest off the ground. Keep your whole body straight and do not lift it too high off the ground, about 5 inches. At this point, your breath is full. Then release (slide) your hands and arms to the sides, and press your chest and abdomen against the ground. At the same time, quickly blow air outward through the nose. When blowing, use the whole body to exert force and draw in the anus and lift it up.

After breathing, relax your whole body naturally. Then do it for the second time. Repeat this practice. As your skills improve, it is advisable to do it up to 56 times in the future. Throughout the entire movement, always keep your mind focused on the dantian area.

X. The Fierce Tiger Hunts for Food

Stand with your feet apart, bend your knees and squat into a horse stance. Bend your arms and clench them into fists on both sides of your waist, with the fists facing upwards and the elbows pointing backward. Lift the thumbs of both feet upwards and hold the ground with the other eight toes. When inhaling, relax your whole body. After inhaling fully, use all your strength to forcefully expel air through your nose. At the same time, clench your fists tightly, grasp the ground with your eight toes, and lift your anus. Throughout the entire movement, keep your mind focused on your dantian.

Practice like this repeatedly. It is advisable to practice 50 times in the future.

Eleven. Two Instruments, Two peaks

It is acceptable to sit with your knees bent in a double seat, a single seat or a loose seat. Bend your elbows and hold your arms in front of your abdomen, interlock your fingers and insert them, with your palms facing upwards. Relax your whole body naturally, gently touch the tip of your tongue against the upper palate, close your eyes lightly, eliminate all distractions, and focus your mind on the dantian.

Then inhale through your mouth and focus your mind on the Baihui point on the top of your head. After inhaling fully, forcefully interlock your hands, bend your elbows and raise them in front of you, with your palms touching and your fingers grasping the backs of your hands. Keep your thumbs at the same height as your nose and about three inches away from your nose. At the same time, tuck your arms together and use all your strength to suddenly blow air outward through your nose. Lift your anus and focus your mind on the Dantian area in the center of your abdomen.

After the breathing is completed, relax your whole body in time, start inhaling, and focus your mind. When the air is full, quickly expel it through the nose. At the same time, use the forearms of both hands to push them up to the sides. Lower both palms to the level of the chest, with the palms facing outward and the thumbs facing down. Then, slowly lower your hands to the front of your abdomen, and at the same time, use your mind to guide the qi down to the dantian. Relax your whole body naturally.

By practicing in this way repeatedly, as your skills improve, it is advisable to be able to perform the movement 50 times in the future.

Twelve. Hold the moon in your arms

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, keep your knees straight, and let your arms hang naturally at your sides with your palms facing inward. Keep your whole body upright. The Baihui point and the Huiyin point should form a vertical line. Breathe naturally, eliminate all distractions, and gently press the tip of your tongue against the upper palate.

Cross your hands in front of your abdomen as you inhale, then raise your arms straight in an arc. When the arc reaches the same height as your head, turn your palms forward. Without stopping the upward movement, when the arms are spread to the left and right until they reach shoulder level, the palms should face down. Swing the arms from both sides towards the front of the body in an arc, bend the elbows and embrace each other. The palms should face inward, aiming at the dantian. The fingertips of the ten fingers should face each other. The arms should form a spherical shape, with the palms about eight inches away from the dantian. At the same time, slowly bend your knees and slightly squat into a high horse stance as your arms cross in an arc, with your toes pointing forward.

At this moment, the air has been fully inhaled. Stop breathing (neither exhaling nor inhaling) and relax your whole body. Bring your hands together until they are close to your lower abdomen, then turn your palms upwards and keep your fingertips facing each other. Continue to bend both palms and lift them up to the center of your heart, with the tips of your elbows facing left and right. Stand your legs straight slowly, neither exhaling nor inhaling. Then, turn your palm down and inhale, sending down the saliva along with the saliva. When swallowing air, firmly grasp the ground with all ten toes, lift the anus and draw it in.

After swallowing your breath, immediately relax and expand your entire body. Exhale, and slowly lower your palms from the chest to the front of your body as you exhale. Repeat this for the second time. By practicing in this way repeatedly, as your skills improve, it is advisable to practice 50 times in the future.

Precautions

When practicing this exercise, one must follow the requirements and precautions for practice; otherwise, not only will the goal not be achieved, but deviations are also likely to occur.

1. The best time to practice martial arts is from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Practice once in the morning and once in the evening every day. You can also arrange it according to your personal working hours.
2. One hour after a meal, you should practice the exercise. Before practicing, you need to relieve yourself of your bladder and bowels. Do not practice if you are too hungry or too full.
3. When practicing martial arts, do not be nervous in your mind. Do not have the mood of being eager for quick success. Do not lower your head or stretch your neck, so as to avoid the blockage of internal qi and cause dizziness.
4. No other Qigong practices are allowed during the practice of Qigong. Each type of qigong has its own meridian routes. Practicing several methods simultaneously can cause internal qi to interfere with each other within the body, easily leading to deviations (static Qigong can be practiced).
5. When practicing martial arts, one must be fully concentrated and calm, not letting the mind wander due to external distractions. It is forbidden to be distracted or have a jumbled mind.
6. When practicing martial arts, one must be energetic. It is forbidden to practice martial arts after having sex. Refine essence into qi. Essence is the mother of qi. If essence is harmed, qi will be harmed.
7. It is forbidden to practice martial arts after drinking alcohol (alcohol causes the qi to disperse). Practicing martial arts at this time will surely harm the body and lead to deviations.
8. It is best not to practice martial arts at the hours of Zi and Wu. "Wu shi" refers to the period from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and "zi shi" refers to the period from 11 p.m. to 1 p.m.
9. It is prohibited to practice martial arts in the wind and rain, during thunder and lightning, or when wearing wet clothes.
10. When practicing martial arts, one must strictly follow the requirements of the practice method. It is not allowed to increase or decrease the number of practices at will. One's mind should be highly concentrated and both internal and external cultivation should be carried out. When guiding the qi from the dantian to the hands, do not expect it to pass through the meridians and acupoints. Just quickly and naturally guide the qi with your intention.
11. After practicing this exercise, it is not advisable to wipe sweat or the body with cold water or cold towels. Only dry towels or hot water should be used to wipe the body. Cold showers or swimming are not allowed within one hour.

From "A Hundred Schools of Martial Arts - Secret Bleeds of the Martial Arts World"