Shaolin
Intro:
Shaolin wushu (or Kung Fu) is a well-known Chinese martial art.
Origin:
China.
History:
Shaolin wushu is traditional name for methods of combat (barehand or weapon)
originated or developed in Songshan Shaolin temple of Denfeng county, Henan province
(capital city - Zhengzhou) of China. Shaolin wushu is wide-spread in China and in
other countries, it is one of the eldest brunches of wushu. Due to legend it origins
from indian buddhist preacher Bodhidharma (in chinese it was pronounced as Putidamo,
later became reduced to Damo). He came in Northern Wei kingdom approximately in
VI century and incomprehenced leave to this temple. During nine years he sat in
the cave in front of the wall (this cave still exists and is very popular place
for tourists). When he finally decided to stand up he found that he cannot stand
on the legs. But due to special set of physical exercises Damo restored an activity
of his legs, and ordered monks that in the future they must combine silent contemplation
with physical exercises. It is said that from him monks studied first set of shaolin
wushu - "18 hands of arhats" ("arhat" - Buddha's follower, reached the last, fourth
level of holiness on the way to nirvana and got free from usual wishes). Real evidences
of Damo's wushu teaching does not exist, but it is historical fact that his "4 action"
ordered to monks contained "rendering for evil".
Another popular legend about Shaolin temple is a story about how 13 monks saved
an emperor. It was in VII century. Li Shimin - second emperor of Tang dynasty -
escaped from the rebel Wang Shichun, fell in the river and was saved by monks. 13
monks tried to defend emperor, monks detachment defeated rebels and captured Wang
Shichun. After returning the throne Li Shimin presented to the temple lands, allowed
for monks to eat meat and drink wine, for the temple it was allowed to have special
monk troops. This story became a base for famous movie "Shaolin Temple", made in
1980 (starred Li Lianjie, Qiu Jianguo, Yu Hai and other members of China national
wushu team). By the way, one of Wang Shichun's general starred Pan Qingfu, now living
in Canada (known due to movie "Iron & Silk").
First real historical data about temple's wushu training belong to the starting
of the reign in China of mongolian Yuan dynasty. In XIII century in the temple come
some monk named Jueyuan. He leaved home with th only purpose - to study the secrets
of shaolin fighting methods. He studied from the best shaolin teachers, but found
that level of temple's wushu is quite less than described in legends. He tried to
found real wushu masters. In Lanzhou he helped some Li Sou to defend from bandits.
Li Sou told Jueyuan that in Loyang (that time capital of China) there exists some
Bai Yongfeng who know secret shaolin traditions. Together with the son of Li Sou
(later he took a monk's name Denghui) all four men returned at the temple. There
they during many years processed existed methods, adding all rational things. On
the base of "18 hands of Arhats" Jueyuan developed a set "72 hands" (now in shaolin
wushi there exists two-men set "72 methods of Jueyuan"), later it was completed
to 170 methods. Bai Yongfeng developed a system "fighting of five animals" - tiger,
leopard, dragon, snake and crane.
Shaolin temple existed up to 1928. In 1928 this place became a battlefield for
two warlords, and terrible fire destroyed the temple. Due to chronicles fire shtormed
during 40 days, temple was burned down, monks dispersed. Some of them came to warlord's
armies and quickly became commanders. During WWII monks fought in partisan detachments.
The most dizzy career was made by Xu Shiyou (monk's name Youniang). He entered a
Communist party, became a Head of Guanzhou's military district and fellow-campaigner
of Mao Jiedong. Information about hm can be found even in the book of Li Zhisui
"The private life of Chairman Mao" (Random House, New York, 1994).
Temple was in ruins up to 1970. That time japenese Sho Dosin, proclaimed himself
as successor of real shaolin tradition as if transferred him during WWII in China
by some monk (very doubtful story, but by the political reasons chinese officials
prefer name the things, studied in "Japanese shorinji kempo assotiation", as japanese
version of shaolin wushu), announced that wish to visit this famous temple. Goverment
quickly found a big sum of money for the restoration of the temple and gathered
monks (more exactly, gathered them of monks who wished to return in the temple).
Now Songshan Shaolin temple is a big center for tourism. Many wushu school, which
don't have any relation to the temple, exist near the temple. Usually they make
money on credulous foreigners who are ready to pay 20 US dollars per day and after
two weeks receive a certificate about "studing real shaolin wushu". Also there exists
sport institute of shaolin wushu. Its students travel through the world in monk's
clothes and make demonstrations of "real shaolin wushu". In such conditions many
real masters prefer to found own institutes in other cities and provinces of China.
For instance, successor of Degen (Shi Degen was the last master of shaolin luohanquan
("Shaolin's Fist of Arhats")) opened his own institute in Kaifeng, in Shaolin itself
now there is no any master of this style. But it does not mean that there isn't
ANY master in Shaolin temple. The most famous monk of our days is Deyang. Some old
masters also still alive - for example, Dechan, who restored the temple in 1970s.
Shaolin wushu contains as inner styles (with "soft" working), as outer styles
(with "hard" force). Now most styles are outer styles. Inner work and outer work
differs from each other due to pecularity of art, not depending on school. If main
work is training of "muscles, skin and bones" - it is outer work, if qi, jing and
shen - it is inner work.
It is very difficult to determine which styles are shaolin ones. In every part
of China you can found a style which, due to words of its fans, originated from
Bodhidharma himself. Now it is two kinds of shaolin styles. (1)Styles, which were
practiced in the temple during all of its history and are still practiced (for example,
shaolin hongquan (it is not hung gar!!!)); (2)Styles, which are practiced now outside
the temple, but with reference to them there isn't any doubt about its shaolin's
origin (examples - shaolin luohanquan, shaolin kanjiaquan).
The next nowdays taolu wihout doubts are sets of shaolin fist methods: xiao hongquan
(small hongquan), da hongquan (big hongquan - 3 sets), paoquan (cannon fist), zhaoyangquan
(fist directed to the Sun), meihuaquan (fist of meihua plum), tongbiquan (fist of
pierced arms), jingangquan (diamond fist), xinyiba (catch of heart and mind) and
some others. Two-men sets: liuhequan (fist of six battles), wuhequan (fist of five
battles), "72 methods of Jueyuan" and some others. Main weapon: pole, spear, broadsword-dao,
straight sword-jian, mace, hook of tiger's head, sickle for grass, spade with crescent,
nine-section wheep, three-section staff, dagger, halebard-ji, trident and others.
Mixed sets: "barehand against broadsword", "barehand against spear", "barehand against
dagger", "halebard against spear", "broadsword against spear", "pole aganst spear",
"sickle for grass against spear", "two broadswords against spear", "eyebrow-height-pole
against spear", "crutch against spear", "crutch against eyebrow-height-pole", "nine-section
wheep against pole", "mace and wheep against spear", "three-section staff against
spear" and many others.
Besides this shaolin wushu also contains qinna methods (joint locks), special
methods of fighting on close range, "Yijinjing" treatise and a big veriety of methods
of hard and soft training.
Specific manner of shaolin wushu is the next: liftings and lowerings, advancing
and retreatings - all occur on the straight line, liftings are diametrical - lowerings
are longitudinal. Shaolin wushu was tested in battles, therefore they think that
attack and defence must take place in front or from the side, there is no need waste
a time for going around. It is saying: "Fist hit in the place where cow can lye".
It means that during the fighting advancces and retreatings are two-three steps
length, therefore shaolin wushu can be trained in any place.
Moreover, during hits arm is bent - and is not bent, stretched - and is not stretched;
it also origins from real combat. Arm is too stretched - no power for returning,
strong enemy can catch it; arm is too bent - strike can not reach target.
Shaolin wushu needs coordinate using of inner three coordinations (heart and
mind, mind and qi, qi and force) and outer three cordinations (hands and feet, elbows
and knees, shoulders and hips). Manner of shaolin fist methods: when moving - like
wind, when standing - like nail, heavy - like iron, light - like leaf, in defence
- like maiden, in attacking - like fierce tiger. It is saying: "Fist has a form,
stike does not has a form". It means that it is possible to see fist on the training,
but in fighting fist is too fast, it is impossible to see its form. Rule of martial
art: "No methods and blocks - only one hit, methods and blocks exist - many hits".
Other applied methods: "outside fierce - inside calm", "make noise on the east
and attack from the west", "show up and hit down", "full and empty work together",
"exist methods for yin, exist methods for yang". Movements are powerful and adroit,
sense is deep - and simple expressed. Force is used adroitly, in abundance has reactivity,
hard contains soft, soft contains hard, soft and hard helps each other.
Shaolinquan is characterized by six hyerogliohes: working out, conformity, bravery,
quickness, fierce and true.
`Working out' means that skill must be absolute. It is saying: "Fist hits thousand
times, but body moves naturally". In fist methods penetrating in sense must be supernatural,
attack contains defence, defence contains attack. `Conformity' - qi moves in conformity
with action, defence conforms with attack to help the force and follow the form.
There is no need to act straight against attacking force, four liangs can exctract
thousand jins. `Bravery' means resolution. Chance appeared - you attack without
hesitation. `Quickness' means speed. In movement - like running hare, take in at
a glance - like flying swan. `Fierce' means that movements must have a force. `True'
means that it is no need to train pretty but empty movements; method after method,
form after form, if it is not a strike - then defence, but defence contains strike,
strike contains defence.
For all that shaolin wushu give a great atention to transformations of full and
empty; "hard is meet by soft transformation, soft is meet by hard attack". In training
of the body the main method is "pillar's standing". It contanins pillar's standing
in mabu position, pillars of `zi' and `wu' signs, pillars of meihua plum etc. "Pillar's
standing" is a base of shaolin wushu, main method of leg power training and putting
the breath in order.
(Contributor: Unknown)
|
A - C