In 1979, as I began my Wah Lum Iron Palm training, I recalled my fascination with the breaking demonstrations I had seen in my earlier years of martial art studies. I was curious to find out how these people could break boards, stacks of cement slabs, and red bricks without damaging themselves. At the same time, these were exciting stunts to watch: where else could you see someone do this kind of damage with just their bare hand? So I became an Iron Palm practitioner to research how to achieve these skills and to one day pass on this aspect of the Wah Lum system. Over time, I learned that there were many different methods for teaching Iron Palm, and in this article, I hope to shed some light on the history and development of Wah Lum Iron Palm training in particular.

Lee Kwan Shan

During the early 1900s, a martial artist named Lee Kwan Shan spent ten years studying Northern Praying Mantis at the Wah Lum monastery in the Shantung Province of China. His purpose for practicing kung fu was self-defense and the defense of others. In Lee's era, Iron Palm (also referred to as Iron Hand) was an important part of a martial artist's training regimen. Lee would later use these and other skills to protect himself and others against thieves, soldiers, and other roadside dangers during his travels across much of China. It was Lee Kwan Shan who would ultimately go on to create the Wah Lum Tam Tui Northern Praying Mantis system and pass on these skills to his students.

Today's Wah Lum Iron Palm training methods are the same as they were in the past; perhaps a bit more scientific, but the overall reason for the training is no different. Iron Palm training helps develop strong focused strikes, conditions the mind and body to work in unison, strengthens stances, and allows one to challenge the limits of the human body. Eventually all of this training makes the body a more efficient weapon. The training allows a person to defend against blows as well as deliver incredibly powerful strikes to a target. Herbology and massage therapy supplement the training to prevent injuries.

Wah Lum Iron Palm training is not for every student in the system. It takes a lot of commitment on a student's part to complete the required training. Many kung fu schools measure this level of commitment differently. Within the Wah Lum system, students must have a minimum of three years of basic training before they can begin learning Iron Palm. This time requirement allows a student to develop an understanding of the principles of the Wah Lum system's fundamentals, as well as what commitment to training is all about. Once a student has fulfilled this time requirement, the Wah Lum basic Iron Palm training involves 100 straight days of practice, twice a day. The student needs a private tranquil place to train in the morning and evening. Basic training consists of striking one's hand on a leather or canvas bag filled with BBs, sand, or small stones. The main conditioning surfaces of the hand are the palm (fig.1), backhand (fig.2), and knife-edge (fig.3). A student will start with 30 repetitions on each striking surface and build up to 300 repetitions during the hundred-day training period. At the end of the 100 days, the student tests his training by breaking a cement block.

Other training procedures are also important. These include specific stretching exercises to loosen the waist, arm joints, and muscles for a smooth striking motion. Breathing exercises are used to circulate internal energy and relax the mind and body in order to endure the hours of repetitive impact training. Before and after each training session herbal medicine (Dit Da Jow) is massaged into the hands. This helps improve blood circulation, strengthen the bones, tone the ligaments and muscles, prevent internal injuries, and reduce the formation of calluses.

This article is the first in what will hopefully become a series of articles on Wah Lum Iron Palm training. This series will give further insight into the process and development of Iron Palm but is in no way intended to replace the need for private instruction by a skilled Wah Lum Iron Palm Instructor. Future articles will feature breaking techniques, training methods, and other information pertinent to Wah Lum Iron Palm training.

Written by Bob Rosen (Wah Lum Kung Fu Boston)