The Birth of China

The Birth of China

The history of China started long before the Qui Dynasty, but it's emperor united many of the warring states and joined many parts of the Great Wall (built in parts against marauding Hans and Mongolians) immuring up to 300,000 Chinese workers into the wall in the belief that it will be stronger against attackers and would be invaders. It was believed that these workers spirits would strengthen the great Wall with their bones and their spirits.

So it is considered that during this time of the Qui Dynasty that the Emperor Chin united most of China into one nation. In his quest for longevity, Emperor Chin tried many potions and lotions and slowly poisoned himself with a mercury based longevity drug.

Around 700 years later, in 497 AD in the time of the Southern & Northern Dynasty that the first Shaolin Temple was built.

The Establishment of Shaolin

Toward the end of the 5th Century AD an Indian Buddhist monk by name of Ba Tuo was traveling through China teaching Buddhism, helping and guiding. His great wisdom and kindness came to the ears of the Emperor who summoned Ba Tuo to come to him.

Exact details of what happened is not known (to me) but Ba Tuo was offered a place in the palace and riches, and encouraged to continue his teachings. Ba Tao kindly declined this offer but asked for a piece of land far away from any 'civilized place in the province of Henan on the side of the Song sang Mountain. There was given a large piece of land and resources to build a monastery in a Forrested area under the Mountain peak Shao from which it derives it's name Shao-lin (the forrest under the peak of mount Shao - source: Shaolin Temple Tour Guide!) in Mandarin or Sil-Lum in Cantonese.

Introduction of Physical Exercise

In about 539 AD, a holy man named Bodhidharma (Ta Mo in Chinese) left his monastery in Southern India to spread the Buddhist faith to China, later called Ch'an Buddhism. (Ch'an is the Chinese translation for the Sanskrit word "dhyana" meaning Yogic concentration. Also known as Zen.). After traveling hundreds of miles to reach Northern China and crossing the Himalayan mountains, he crossed the Yangtze River and headed North to Loyang, the capital of Henan Province.

In a neighboring forest, he found the Shaolin Ssu (Temple). It was, 40 years after it's founding, famous for scholarly translations of Buddhist scripture into Chinese. Bodhidharma sought entrance to Shaolin but the abbot of the day, Fang Chang would not let him into the temple.

Bodhidharma was determined and located to a nearby cave, where he sat in meditation facing a stone wall. From this event many versions exist including;

· That he sat facing a wall for most of the next nine years at the end of which Bodhidharma's deep blue piercing eyes had apparently drilled a gaping hole in the cliff wall.

· That he fell asleep meditating and his eye lids closed and when he woke he was so distraught that he cut of his eye lids so that this would not happen again.

· That he was visited by monks and even supplied with food and water; an that he was able to demonstrate his knowledge and skill of Buddhism to such a degree that he was admitted to the temple

Irrespective of which stories was true, Fang Chang allowed Bodhidharma entry into the temple Shaolin.

Upon gaining entrance to Shaolin. Ta Mo (as was no called) saw that the monks were weak and could not perform the rigorous meditations he expected that Buddhist Monks should be practicing. Whilst meditating they often fell asleep or were very restless and were not achieving inner calm or peace.

He spent some time in seclusion pondering the problem. Considering the time and health awareness at the time Ta Mo came to a staggeringly accurate conclusion, that the monks were not fit to meditate. With this in mind he started working on a solution; he created three treaties of exercises.

These in-place exercises were later transcribed by monks as;

i. "The Muscle Change Classic" or "The Change of the Sinews,"

ii. "The Marrow Washing"

iii. "The Eighteen Hand Movements later named The Eighteen Lohan Shou (Lohan meaning enlightened)

and marked the beginning of Shaolin Temple Kung Fu (meaning hard work and perfection).

Bodhidharma later devised some self-defense movements based on his knowledge of Indian fighting systems.

Shaolin Kung Fu

Many of the Shaolin priests were retired soldiers and generals thus Ta'Mo's teachings were enriched and refined by these martial art masters slowly developed in to Shaolin Temple boxing (also known as Shaolin Ch'uan [Shaolin Fist] or Shaolin Ch'uan Fa [Way of the Shaolin Fist]). Since bandits frequently continued to attack the temple at this time, the Shaolin monks also hired kung fu masters to teach them to better defend themselves.

Shaolin became very apt at kung fu and in repelling the attacking bandits. And slowly but surly they thus became renown for their martial arts prowess and fighting ability. It is to be noted that not all Shaolin Monks were warrior monks but that monks choose to specialize in areas of expertise, much like university professors. Although at this time all practiced kung fu, not all were totally focused on the practical aspect of the art, only the Warrior Monks.

For reasons not know (to me), Shaolin was closed and forbidden in 570. It took 30 years before it was reopened.

The Second Temple

Built around the same time as the Henan Temple, the Fukien Temple was integrated into mainstream Shaolin around 650 AD and became the 'Second Temple" of Shaolin. It was/is a much larger temple than the one in Henan and served as the second main temple in times where Henan was destroyed or occupied.

The 13 Champions

In 698 AD Emperor T'ai Tsung of the Tang dynasty called upon the fighting monks of Shaolin to aid him in his war against General Wang-Shih-Chung, who had gathered a large army in an attempt to oust the Tang emperor from the Imperial throne. Li Shimini, the Emperors son was leading the army against Tang. Tang managed to capture the Emperors son and was inflicting great damage to tangs army.

Tang sent a message to the Shaolin temple to help him and save his son. 13 monks answered their emperor's plea although in fact it may have been a much larger force of 113 Warrior Monks. With this still relative small force of Shaolin (the Emperors army counted 10,000 men) the remaining Tang army, was victorious, the enemy was beaten back and decimated and the Emperors son was saved.

In recognition of their great action T'ai Tsung awarded the monks land, and bestowed upon the temple the title, 'Number One" temple.

Later Li Shimini succeeded his father and a very strong bond was forged between the Imperial court and Shaolin. Regular interchange and training between high ranking soldiers and graduate Shaolin Warrior Monks saw further development of Shaolin Kung Fu and the integration of the secret Imperial Eagle Kung Fu into Shaolin knowledge and skills.

72 Movements

A couple of hundred years later a rich young noble and experienced martial artist, entered the Shaolin Monastery and assumed the name of Chueh Yuan. He soon devoted all his studies to the further development of body fitness and training. Within a few years he revised the 18 Fists of Lo Han and created what he called the 72 Styles or Movements. His methods and teaching were so successful that it was adopted by all Shaolin monks very quickly.

The 72 movements were very effective for both internal and external fitness. They incorporated much of what is being taught today. But Chueh Yuan was still not fully satisfied with this and he went out to teach and learn, looking for Masters of other styles.

This later than become common practice for Shaolin of all categories to become a journeyman after reaching a certain level of knowledge and skill. This saw many new skills and abilities being brought back to the Shaolin Temples.

The Third Temple

It's also around this time that the third temple was integrated into the Shaolin order. The Wutang Tiger Temple was located in the politically unstable area near Manchuria and the Korean Peninsular. It was often being besieged or attacked, and the monks there were very versed with the practical aspect of war, weaponry and defence.

This temple was very old and integrated into Shaolin around 800 AD.

170 Movements

On his travels Chueh Yuan witnessed how a 60 year old traveler was being attacked by a bandit. He saw how the attacker landed an apparently very strong kick to the body of the traveler with very little or no effect. And yet the old man only used two fingers against the bandit's leg sending the attacker to the ground, seemingly unconscious by the time Cheuh reached the old traveler.

This obviously impressed Chuen enormously and he introduced himself to the senior. Much to his surprise the old man did not know much of martial arts and what little he knew was taught to him by the local master Pai Yu-feng.

Pai Yu-feng was a friendly 50 year old and Chuen convinced him to accompany him back to his temple. Over the next few years they, using the 18 fists, the 72 movements and these 'pressure point techniques'. Together they redeveloped this into the 170 exercises that became one of the foundation of Shaolin Kung Fu as we know it.

The Time of the Ming Dynasty

The time of the Ming Dynasty was a golden area in China’s arts history. Many works of art were created that still exist and are now priceless. Philosophy and knowledge was thought in all to a fairly equal degree.

Shaolin Temples also grew and prospered becoming the centre for teaching, philosophy and martial arts. Many monks, wise persons and travelling martial artists would gain entrance to Shaolin and share their knowledge in return for Shaolin knowledge and shelter.

Each Temple may be compared to a university. Each temple had several Shaolin Masters who were experts or specialists in a particular area of training, well being or philosophy. The students would learn from the best in every field. In order to graduate from the temple, they would have to exhibit phenomenal skills and pass through 18 testing chambers in the temple. If they survived the first 17 chambers, they would have to grip an iron cauldron with their bare forearms and have the raised relief of two symbolic animals burnt into their arms. This could have been;

· A Tiger and Dragon (possibly Fukien and Wu Tang Temples)

· Two dragons (probably Henan Temple as the main and founding place)

· Phoenix and Dragon (possibly Kwan Tung Temple)

· Two Cranes (O Mai Shan Temple)

These marks were the signs of a Shaolin Master. (Not all who entered Shaolin became masters, many were only lay priests or guests, especially towards the end of the Ming Dynasty).

This is also the time when the original 170 movements were redefined into the 5 Animal Style (Ng Ying Ga) Kung Fu.

5 Animal Styles

A martial art expert named Zhue Yuen joined the Shaolin. He noticed that the kung fu practiced in Shaolin was unbalanced, tending strongly to the hard external style. Zhue Yuen traveled China in search of martial art styles and found many that he learned and evaluated. But it wasn't until he reached the town of Lan Zhau and met Li Sou that anything happened.

Li Sou introduced Zhue Yuen to Bai Yu Feng who was another famous martial artist practitioner. Zhue Yuen was able to convince both to come back with him to Shaolin to develop kung fu.

They redeveloped Shaolin kung fu to the 5 animal style (Tiger, Snake, Dragon, Leopard and Crane).

These styles were more than just fighting styles (as used in most KF schools now days). As there are 5 Elements, 5 Chi Kung Animals, 5 Feng Shui Animals, the Shaolin 5 Animals were much much more. It has to do with Body, Mind and Spirit; but they were also metaphors for human situation handling, interaction, focus and much more. HEALTH AND WELL BEING THROUGH HARD WORK AND PERFECTION (Kung Fu).

The 4th temple

It is at around this time that the 4th temple was added to the order of Shaolin. The O Mei Shan (Great White Mountain) was a devoted library and medical temple. It was located in a very inaccessible area of Szechwan province. Very much like the other temples used to import kung fu masters, the O Mei Shan temple imported healers.

O Mei Shan was in close contact with the Crane Temple in Tibet and a major medical temple with books, tombs and scrolls from east and west. It is probably the temple that burnt in the symbols of 2 Cranes on to the forearms instead of having the traditional Dragon one of the two animals, as in the other three temples in the 18th Chamber!

The Invaders

Around mid 17th century, invaders from Manchurian, lead by the Ching Family, ended China’s Golden area, and the Ming Dynasties reign. They slowly but surly and brutally took control of China and systematically eradicated all resistance. Many Chinese nobles, warriors and commoners were forced underground where they sought to oust the invaders and reinstate the prosperous Ming Dynasty.

There were a significant number of factions among the Chinese who aided the Manchus against Ming loyalists, in large part because the Manchus held to the same ideology, governmental patterns, and social organization as the Ming. By the early 1600's the Ming dynasty was significantly weakened. It was unable to cope with both its own internal tensions and the militarily strong 50's to the northeast.

An internal rebellion was the direct cause of the downfall of this dynasty (Chinese rebel Li Tzu-ch'eng seized Peking in 1644). That the Dutchmen were able to capitalize on this by being invited to put down the rebellion by a frontier general is largely coincidental. The Great Wall was hardly so impregnable that they would not have been able to invade and conquer the area in its weakened state.

Thus Manchu's found the entrance to China and slowly but steadily conquered China. Those that did not wish to conform had to either migrate or go underground, some also sough refuge in the Shaolin temples.

Shaolin initially only offered passive resistance against the invaders seeking to remain above the political matters. It helped anyone who sought refuge and thus involuntary became a safe haven for refugees and resistance fighters. The Manchu's also had 5 classes of people clearly defined;

1. The Ruler and family

2. The Nobles and their families

3. Manchurians

4. Northern Chinese

5. Southern Chinese

Most Shaolin Temples were considered southern and many Ming loyal soldiers and nobles sought refuge and help in Shaolin. Shaolin, although themselves passive became a centre of resistance. This was a thorn in the invaders side and needed to be dealt with, drastically, but . . .

The 2nd Burning of Shaolin

Shaolin was strong, their reputation great and their support from commoners even stronger. But finally in 1647 AD, through betrayal of an insider and large amounts of Ching loyal troops, armed with cannons, the original Shaolin temple in Henan was almost utterly destroyed. The monks who remained to defend were slaughtered, many fled to the Fukien Temple and for 30 years continued their resistance and support of resistance fighters. This in turn led to the destruction of the Fukien temple, the remaining major temples and most of the lesser temples.

From this time onwards Shaolin were outlawed and any practice of Shaolin Kung Fu punishable by death. Much was lost. Most of the priceless scrolls of Shaolin Kung Fu and teaching and many treasures of knowledge and wisdom.

Shaolin monks and lay persons were now split into many directions, all initially operating in secret. These were those that;

§ continued their resistance and taught Kung Fu for the sole purpose of fighting and defeating the Chins. They defeating founded the triads, so named after a gift of the Ming Dynasty Emperor to the Shaolin of a jade triangle.

§ were devoted to the art. These founded many modern styles for that purpose (non of these styles is all of Shaolin but each have key elements.

§ just practiced Buddhism and did not admit to be of Shaolin.

§ migrated to many other countries including the US, and many oriental countries including Japan, Indonesia, Malaise, Taiwan, etc...

Many great Chinese Fighting Martial Art Masters were born, some gaining great notoriety. Among these were Hung Hei-Kwun and his teachers from the temple, the Monk Sam Tak and the Abbot Chi Zin.

But Shaolin monks were now outlawed. They had to go into hiding and could no longer be monks openly.

The Last Ming Emperor bestowed a great Jade Triangle to the Shaolin to honor their service to China. The Shaolin were able to save this treasure from the invades and used it as a symbol of focus to the Ming Dynasty but also a sign of resistance. Thus the Triads were born also called the heavenly society (Heaven, Earth and Man).

The Reopening of Shaolin

Around 100 years later, towards the start of 1800, the Shaolin Temples were reopened and including the 5th Shaolin Temple Kwantung (located around 200 km's southwest of Fukien).

But the rulers of the day were still fearful of the power of the Fighting Shaolin Monks. They only allowed Shaolin to be used as a purely religious purposes without allowing any Kung Fu or other martial art training.

The underground, no longer Shaolin but Ming loyalists, were very busy making life hard for the Chings. The final big overthrow was to be the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 AD.

The Boxer rebellion was to overthrow the Ching Dynasty and reinstate the original descendant of the Ming Dynasty. The Boxer rebellion was a total disaster. The Manchu’s now armed with hand guns and rifles totally destroyed the Boxers only armed with their Kung Fu. This was the death of the Chinese resistance. Some triad members escaped to other countries, including the US, Korea, etc. Without a focus some/many triad members went into a new line of business . . .

This caused another influx of Chinese martial arts into the Orient, the US and now also the new continent Australia.

The 3rd Burning of Shaolin

As with the previous times, Shaolin influence, power and Kung Fu was stilled feared and forbidden. This possibly led to the 3rd Burning of Shaolin in 1927 AD during Chiang Kai Check’s reign. The Chinese Republic ousted Chiang Kai Check but continued to outlaw any and all martial arts or fighting. Many, many fighting masters migrated to Taiwan where some still can be found and their decendants.

Cultural Revolution

The cultural revolution was against all matter of religion and martial arts. If you were seen to be preaching or teaching any other than Mao's' words, you were immediately re-educated or imprisoned.

This was more disastrous than any of the other times as it attacked Shaolin teachings and style on all fronts not just Kung Fu. This was the final death of Shaolin!

Rebirth of Shaolin

After many successful Chinese Kung Fu movies by Bruce Lee and Jacky Chan and in particular Jet Li in the movie Shaolin Temple, Officials in Henan realized the potential of Shaolin a a marketing tool but also as heritage! But the fear and distrust of Shaolin, its Kung Fu and power was deep. They knew though that they needed some type of ‘replacement’, some type of art other than Tai Chi and Chi Kung that was hard, external and athletic to fill this emptiness. This was the birth of Wu Shu.

Since, Wu Shu has grown and developed and with the many versions and adaptations of kung fu, in some cases there is very little difference between the two. The reopening of the Shaolin temple by the "Grand Abbot" Master Su Xi who's kindness and dedication seem so much similar as the original founder of Shaolin, gives hope to a new era of Shaolin teaching and Spirit.

Animal Wu Shu is being practiced, but not the Shaolin 5 Animals but a new breed of very athletic and well developed Animal styles including;

· Monkey

· Eagle Claw (not the imperial Eagle)

· Crane

· Snake

· Mantis

· Toad

· Rooster (Phoenix)

There are possibly many other styles and flavors emerging in this new era of martial art Renaissance. Also a new era of Shaolin has started again with many martial artists, tai chi, kung fu and chi kung practitioners travelling to Henan where they can learn modern Shaolin Wu Shu!