Introduction The 72 Completed and Secret Arts of the Shaolin Temple are divided into two categories: Soft Yin / Rou Internal Energy Training and Yang / Gang Hard External Energy Training, respectively (1). The iron head exercise (Tie Tou Gong), although formally placed in the second category (hard), is one of a select group that incorporates characteristics of Shaolin hard and soft training.
Technical analysis
The repetitive and progressive nature of the head hitting a wall encourages systematic adaptation to the increasingly demanding extremes of Hard External Training. The need to control the breath, tense and align various parts of the body to support this shows how Soft Internal Energy Training contributes to the successful acquisition of this Secret Fighting Exercise or ‘Kung’.
Method
Shaolin students first wrap their heads by wrapping them in 10 layers of protective silk. On top of this a contoured sheet of metal is placed to fit the top of the head; two final wraps wrapped in silk (some authorities recommend using a towel) secure this metal ‘cap’ in place.
Level 1
The front of the head is repeatedly slammed against any convenient brick or stone wall. The head and neck are kept aligned, the neck muscles are grouped, and the breath is held on impact.
Next, with the back, neck, and head aligned, the back of the student’s head is repeatedly slammed against the wall in a similar fashion. The Student then bends over and charges towards the wall, hitting it with the top of the head. Finally, standing near the wall, the student repeatedly hits her with the left and right side of the head, respectively.
During this stage of training, relatively little force is used when hitting the head against the wall at first. This intensity gradually increases as the weeks go by and the number of strokes gradually increases in practice sessions.
Stage 2
After several months of training, two of the protective silk layers are removed (not the ones that hold the metal in place) and the students repeat their previous efforts. Every 2-3 months another two layers of protective wrap are removed until all have been removed and the student’s head is uncovered.
Now the student’s head is unprotected when he hits the wall. At first, this can cause some pain and discomfort. The students, however, must persevere, as this will eventually disappear and the ‘Kung’ will have finally been mastered.
Usually
By now, the student’s head is as strong or stronger than the wall itself and the Iron Head (Tie Tou Gong) exercise can even be used to break or destroy this: Kung Fu history recognizes several Masters who use Kung for this purpose. Many (including myself) have seen Shaolin monks butt their heads through large stone tablets using this technique.