The Art of Stealth
Far Eastern martial arts are all derivatives of ancient arts of war. Some schools teach ancient weapons, some teach unarmed combat, and some just promote a healthy lifestyle through martial exercise. At the core of our youngster’s development program, lies the warrior art to which everything we do is anchored. The Chinese art of stealth, or Yin Fa 隱法 in Mandarin, is an art and way-of-life that was built upon the principles of penetrating buildings and fortifications using physical skills of stealth, combined with ingenious tools and seemingly outlandish strategies. It is the same warrior art once used by the well known ninja 忍者 of Japan. In historical documents, Chinese stealth operatives were known as penetrators 通. In Chinese folklore they are often referred to as swallows 燕子, likening them to the agile and silent little birds of the night.
Training elements of the Chinese art of stealth include martial art skills, acrobatics, and stealth techniques. The student of Yin Fa 隱法 trains to become skilled enough to destroy their opponent with anything at hand. That could mean a blade, a spear, or even a hair clip (dont worry – not for kids – we will explain). Where survival is threatened, the art includes skills of escape, evasion, hiding, and concealment. The overriding principle of the historical stealth operative was to remain undetected, and unknown to others, both on missions and in daily life.
So that’s the historical description, but why is it relevant today? This is the art once used by the finest, most skillful warriors to ever exist. Yin Fa 隱法 – the Chinese art of stealth – requires all parts of the mind-body complex to be developed. It requires technique, skill, tenacity, endurance, mental resolve, and so on. It is the only human activity to have such a broad and positive impact on human development and mental health.
To see how the training translates into child development, please watch the video below. These are our youngsters aged between 7 and 8 years old with 2 to 3 years experience accordingly.
As you can see from the above video, we have kids doing extraordinary things. What is even more interesting, is that these kids are not necessarily ‘talented’ and many less athletic children have achieved these skills from nurture and hard work in our program.
So, in short, we train children to be the best they can be in an art where they are individuals, yet at the same time, they are part of a close group which builds team spirit and cooperation.
If you require more information on the Chinese art of stealth, please visit our research web here.