What's new

China-India martial arts masters meet at famed Shaolin Temple

I found this Very interesting piece:- :D

Origin

Legend of Bodhidharma

According to the Jingde of the Lamp, after Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk from South India,[8] left the court of the Liang emperor Wu in 527, he eventually found himself at the Shaolin Monastery, where he “faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time”.

According to the Yì Jīn Jīng,

after Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years at Shaolin temple and made a hole with his stare, he left behind an iron chest. When the monks opened this chest they found two books: the “Marrow Cleansing Classic,”[9] and the “Muscle Tendon Change Classic”, or "Yi Jin Jing"[10] within. The first book was taken by Bodhidharma's disciple Huike, and disappeared; as for the second, the monks selfishly coveted it, practicing the skills therein, falling into heterodox ways, and losing the correct purpose of cultivating the Real. The Shaolin monks have made some fame for themselves through their fighting skill; this is all due to their possession of this manuscript.[1
 
The origin of Shaolin Kung Fu is generally credited to an Indian monk named Tat Moh, who is also sometimes known as Boddhidharma. He began life as a prince in Southern India, but became a devoted Buddhist, renouncing his royal heritage to take up the simple lifestyle of a monk. He traveled widely, spreading the teachings of Buddhism. Eventually he rose to become the 28th patriarch of India.

In those days, it was common for Indian monks to travel to China where their Buddhist teachings were eagerly received. In the year 520 A.D. Tat Moh made just such a journey, right through India and China, finally settling at the monastery called Shao Lin - which means 'little forest'. He was disappointed, however, to find the monks very weak and unable to withstand the austere ways of Buddhism - a life which often consisted of long fasts and frugal living.

Tat Moh therefore retired into a cave and meditated in isolation in order to find a solution to the problem. When he emerged after nine years of hard study, he had devised a set of exercises for the monks. These were similar to some Indian exercises such as yoga and were intended to regulate and strengthen the monks' chi flow. Their intention was to strengthen the monks and increase their health and vitality; and this they did, so successfully that Tat Moh's Chi Kung exercises are still practiced to this day. They form the basis of the Shaolin Arts.

It seems that in China there was more than one temple named 'Shaolin'. In this history we will discuss only the Shaolin temple in Fukien Province, since ours is a Fukienese art.

In the history of China there was much lawlessness. Bandits and villains were widespread. Temples were vulnerable to attack, as were monks who traveled the country teaching the ways of Buddhism. So as to protect themselves, the monks developed a system of fighting based on the exercises taught by the founder master - Tat Moh.

Buddhist monks are very gentle and good natured. Their fighting system was developed only to defend themselves against harm. This system was called the 'Lohon' style after the monks in the temple (Lohons) who developed it. The Lohon style is a very basic form of Kung Fu which emphasizes low stances and strong body posture. It proved very successful.

The monks of the Shaolin temple practiced diligently to increase their martial arts skills and were constantly striving to improve their art. A great step forward came with the evolution of the third Shaolin style, called the Tiger style - Tai Chor in Chinese. This was developed by a Chinese emperor, who had relinquished his royal position to adopt the austere ways of Buddhism. He finally settled at the Shaolin temple where he studied deeply in the martial arts, eventually developing the Tai Chor style. For this reason, Tai Chor is sometimes also known as the emperor's style. Tai Chor uses the strong but mobile stance which we use in the Tiger-Crane combination, and which we call the 'walking stance'. It also emphasizes a very strong twisting punch. In fact, the straight punch which ends with a twist of the fist has become a hallmark of Shaolin Kung Fu. The Tai Chor style develops great power and was, therefore, able to defeat the Lohon style which it superseded.

No style is unbeatable. Every move has a counter. Inevitably, another style was later developed which could counter the Tiger style. This was the monkey style, known in Chinese as Tai Sheng. Monkey is a very fast, deceptive style. The monkey tends to close in on his opponent, strike and retreat all in one rapid sequence. Hence, the powerful Tiger may be unable to hit his tricky, constantly moving opponent. If the monkey misses with a strike, he will still move away from his opponent so as not to allow them the chance to counter him. The monkey's strikes are accurate, more than powerful and are delivered with fingers or the open palm. Grabbing is also a favorite monkey technique. The monkey likes to crouch and often attacks the lower body. He especially favours targeting the groin. For male opponents this can result in serious loss!

Because the monkey style consists of much crouching and rolling, it is best suited to people who are short. It is often considered one of the most entertaining styles to watch.

How can the techniques of the monkey possibly be countered? The answer is by the techniques of the white crane! The white crane style was the last and most technically advanced style to be developed in the Fukien Shaolin Temple. Even to this day, the crane style is regarded with great respect and is shrouded in secrecy by its masters. Hence it has been one of the last Kung Fu styles which the Chinese have 'let go' to westerners.

What is this devastating secret possessed by the white crane? The crane sticks. As soon as the crane is attacked it establishes touch contact. If its opponent tries to land the attack, the crane deflects it: if the opponent withdraws, the crane follows; never releasing its touch until it finds a certain opportunity to strike - which it does with no mercy. What use the tricky techniques of the monkey? As he tries to dart away the crane will follow, sticking to him until the chance presents itself to strike. The white crane style represents the pinnacle of the Shaolin martial arts.


The Origins of Shaolin Kung Fu
 
Another cool piece of Information about Shaolin :D

In his book The Shaolin Monastery (2008), Tel Aviv University Prof. Meir Shahar notes the Bodhisattva Vajrapani is the patron saint of the Shaolin Monastery. A short story appearing in Zhang Zhuo's (660-741) Tang anthology shows how the deity had been venerated in the Monastery from at least the eighth century. It is an anecdotal story of how the Shaolin monk Sengchou (480-560) gained supernatural strength and fighting ability by praying to Vajrapani and being force-fed raw meat.[17] Shaolin abbot Zuduan (1115–1167) erected a stele in his honor during the Song Dynasty.[18] It reads:

According to the scripture [Lotus Sutra], this deity (Narayana) is a manifestation of Avalokitesvara (Guanyin).[19][20] If a person who compassionately nourishes all living beings employs this [deity's] charm, it will increase his body's strength (zengzhang shen li). It fulfills all vows, being most efficacious. ... Therefore those who study Narayana's hand-symbolism (mudra), those who seek his spell (mantra), and those who search for his image are numerous. Thus we have erected this stele to spread this transmission.[21]

— Stele re-erected (chong shang) by Shaolin's abbot Zuduan

Shaolin believes Vajrapani to be an emanation of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, rather than a stand-alone deity. The Chinese scholar A'De noted this was because the Lotus Sutra says Guanyin takes on the visage of whatever being that would best help pervade the dharma. The exact Lotus Sutra passage reads: “To those who can be conveyed to deliverance by the body of the spirit who grasps the vajra (Vajrapani) he preaches Dharma by displaying the body of the spirit who grasps the vajra.”[22]

He was historically worshiped as the progenitor of their famous staff method by the monks themselves. A stele erected by Shaolin abbot Wenzai in 1517 shows the deity's vajra-club had by then been changed to a Chinese staff,[23] which originally "served as the emblem of the monk".[24] Vajrapani's Yaksha-like Narayana form was eventually equated with one of the four staff-wielding "Kimnara Kings" from the Lotus Sutra in 1575. His name was thus changed from Narayana to "Kimnara King".[25] One of the many versions of a certain tale regarding his creation of the staff method takes place during the Yuan Dynasty's Red Turban Rebellion. Bandits lay siege to the monastery, but it is saved by a lowly kitchen worker wielding a long fire poker as a makeshift staff. He leaps into the oven and emerges as a monstrous giant big enough to stand astride both Mount Song and the imperial fort atop Mount Shaoshi (which are five miles apart). The bandits flee when they behold this staff-wielding titan. The Shaolin monks later realize that the kitchen worker was none other than the Kimnara King in disguise.[26] Shahar notes the part of the kitchen worker might have been based on the actual life of the monk Huineng (638-713).[27] In addition, he suggests the mythical elements of the tale were based on the fictional adventures of Sun Wukong from the Chinese epic Journey to the West. He compares the worker's transformation in the stove with Sun's time in Laozi's crucible, their use of the staff, and the fact that Sun and his weapon can both grow to gigantic proportions.[28]

Statues and paintings of Kimnara were commissioned in various halls throughout Shaolin in honor of his defeat of the Red Turban army. A wicker statue woven by the monks and featured in the center of the "Kimnara Hall" was mentioned in Cheng Zongyou's seventeenth century training manual Shaolin Staff Method. However, a century later, it was claimed that Kimnara had himself woven the statue. It was destroyed when the monastery was set aflame by the KMT General Shi Yousan in 1928. A "rejuvenated religious cult" arose around Kimnara in the late twentieth century. Shaolin re-erected the shrine to him in 1984 and improved it in 2004.[29]

The Buddhist monk Bodhidharma is often popularly considered to be the creator of the monastery's arts. An example is provided by Wong Kiew Kit, who writes: "It was during this time that the Venerable Bodhidharma came from India to China to spread Buddhism. In 527 CE he settled down in the Shaolin monastery in Henan province, and inspired the development of Shaolin Kung Fu. This marked a watershed in the history of Kung Fu, because it led to a change of course, as Kung Fu became institutionalized. Before this, martial arts were known only in general sense."[30] Wong cites the "Sinew Metamorphosis" as being a qigong style that the Buddhist saint taught to the monks to strengthen their bodies.[31] All of these claims, however, are generally not supported by martial arts historians because the idea of Bodhidharma influencing Shaolin boxing is based on a forged qigong manual written during the 17th century. This is when a Taoist with the pen name "Purple Coagulation Man of the Way" wrote the Sinews Changing Classic in 1624, but claimed to have discovered it. The first of two prefaces of the manual traces this qigong style's succession from Bodhidharma to the Chinese general Li Jing via "a chain of Buddhist saints and martial heroes."[32] The work itself is full of anachronistic mistakes and even includes a popular character from Chinese fiction, the "Bushy Bearded Hero" (虬髯客), as a lineage master.[33] Literati as far back as the Qing Dynasty have taken note of these mistakes. The scholar Ling Tinkang (1757–1809) described the author as an 'ignorant village master'."[34]

Bodhidharma is traditionally said by Buddhists to have meditated at the temple and the important early Ch'an practitioner Shenhui locates it as the site at which Bodhidharma's disciple Hui-k'o cut his own arm off to obtain the ineffable dharma.

His name was thus changed from Narayana to "Kimnara King"
Narayana=Kimnara King :D

Chinese we share Culture from thousands years before.....
A hindu,Siddhartha,founded a way of life called Buddhism,spread to china,thailand,combodai,japan,korea,sri lanka...

There are cultural link ,which no one can break...
 
interesting ..
Chinese point of view..from wiki answers


Shaolin Temple was founded 464 AD, and Bodhidharma was not linked in a book to "Kung Fu" until the Ming Dynasty (1300s AD - 1600s AD). That book was confirmed by scholars to be full of mistakes and falsities.

First, to clarify, the modern "Kung Fu" (an term for all Chinese martial arts) began in the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD-1644 AD); and Chinese historical writings regard Equitation (skill with horses) and Archery as "Kung Fu".

Chinese historians believe that "Kung Fu" began as tools for survival such as hunting and war with different tribes. The earliest mention of a distinct style of hand-to-hand combat was around 2700 B.C. where a fighting technique called "Jiao Li" (角力), where the practitioner uses horned helmets to gore enemies to death. "Jiao Li" was a grappling form with strikes, blocks, and joint locks later added to it to form "Shuai Jiao" (摔跤), which is translated into Chinese Wrestling. "Jiao Li" was developed during the Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC-256 BC), and became an official part of the Zhou military training program. "Shuai Jiao" was used by the Qin army and became a sport under the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206BC).

During the "Spring and Autumn Period" (770 BC-746 BC), swordsmanship became wide spread, many of Confucius's students were described to be skilled swordsman. During this time period, punching techniques, called Boxing in modern terms, also improved a great deal.

During the Qin Dynasty, as mentioned before, strikes, blocks, and joint locks were added to "Jiao Li" to form "Shuai Jiao". Immediately after the Qing Dynasty, during the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD) many "Kung Fu" manuals were written, describing hand-to-hand unarmed combat techniques of the time, showing a vast increment of techniques from before the Han Dynasty. Toward the Han Dynasty, passages from books describe methods for an unarmed combatant to disarm an armed opponent. These records show that the basis for Chinese "Boxing" and its philosophy: <Far use feet to kick, Close use hand to punch, Next to body use joint locks and throws>.

Han Dynasty also saw rise to weapons "Kung Fu", where sword, dao (saber), dagger-axe, and sword-shield combination techniques.
 
Chineese hate India Govt,Indians hate Chineese Govt... No problem

Our Cultures don't hate each other,bcoz they r linked....
So lets stop fighting about culture....

Some troll behind chineese flag started this,
Ignore him
 
Chineese hate India Govt,Indians hate Chineese Govt... No problem

Our Cultures don't hate each other,bcoz they r linked....
So lets stop fighting about culture....

Some troll behind chineese flag started this,
Ignore him

Agreed. :tup:

It is unfair to use the forum as true indicators of the relationships our citizens share in reality.

The fact that our governments dislike each other doesn't mean we as civilians hate each other. As a matter of fact some of my better friends are actually Indians and our families are actually very close to each other.

PDF will always have trolls who provoke for fun and they are ones who doesn't take issues between us as serious as we think they do. Whilst some are getting all annoyed and frustrated by it, they are probably sitting behind the monitor listening to music and laughing out loud at the reader's response.

My advice to all is, just come, learn and have fun but never take Internet too seriously. Arguments online will have no effects to the ways we live life in reality.
 
One of the problems with those exotic "magic" paralysis/death techniques is that they never work in controlled circumstances.

I saw a show once where the Master was able to knock out his students without touching them, but when he tried on a fat reporter, nothing happened. It was sadly comical, as the Master wound up again and again for these cosmic "punches" and the reporter just stared at him.

Secrets involving contact, perhaps. But our bodies evolved so that we are able to function (and fight) even with terrible blows or injuries. It would suck if there is a fatal spot on our bodies that would collapse us if touched, and something like that would have been bred out of us long ago.
 
One of the problems with those exotic "magic" paralysis/death techniques is that they never work in controlled circumstances.

I saw a show once where the Master was able to knock out his students without touching them, but when he tried on a fat reporter, nothing happened. It was sadly comical, as the Master wound up again and again for these cosmic "punches" and the reporter just stared at him.

Secrets involving contact, perhaps. But our bodies evolved so that we are able to function (and fight) even with terrible blows or injuries. It would suck if there is a fatal spot on our bodies that would collapse us if touched, and something like that would have been bred out of us long ago.

There's a reason why most demonstrations are done with students as the victim.
 
Shifu%2B%2526%2Bdashifu%2B3.jpg



Shifuji Deepak Dubey (Shifu means a Shaolin Gong-Fu Master) is A Warrior Monk of 32nd Generation of Shaolin Warrior Monks from Shaolin Temple China AND Grand Master, Shaolin monk of the 31st generation, Shi De Yang!


Learning Drunken Master

India - China cooperation & friendship :cheers:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@ Chinese members
once I saw a movie ipman (loved and watched it 5 times)
it was about a martial art WEI- CHUN

can you tell me which type of art it is and
is it the most famous martial art in china?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom