Talk about the history, and how shaolin became to be what it is today :D
Whats everyones opinion on when old Bodhidarhma was about, there seems to be a lot of confusion in this
Most records state around 527 ad give or take 20 years,........ one word -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------KALARIPPAYAT------------------------------------
KALARIPPAYAT-----------As it is said that DA MO 28 th Patriarch was the founder of Shaolin Kung Fu..Allegedly...Bodhidharma was born on Oct. 5th. (Chinese Lunar Calendar) in Southern India, and was the third son of an Indian king whose royal family belonged to the Bhramin caste. He was raised as a warrior to succeed his father as king. He had been trained in the Kalarippayat technique of martial arts. Kalarippayat is believed by many historians as one of the oldest traditions of martial training in the world. In Malayalam, the mother language of Kerala, India, Kalarippayat means repetitive training (payat) inside an arena or school (kalari). It is a scientific and comprehensive system of training for the body and the mind with an elaborate repertoire of weapon training, which in the ancient times led to the making of a proficient warrior. Bodhidharma was not a typical boy and eventually became bored with his courtly training. He began to study with a Buddhist teacher named Prajnatara and became an ardent follower of the teachings. On his deathbed, Prajnatara asked him to go to China to re-awaken the followers of Buddha. According to various sources almost five percent of the population of China was already made up of Buddhist Monks even before the arrival of Bodhidharma. Legends vary in the method of his arrival, some say he traversed the Himalayan Mountains, others say he rode a ship around the coast. Regardless, he arrived around 526 A.D.
Upon arriving in China, the Emperor Wu Ti, a Buddhist himself, who had heard of Bodhidharma’s teaching, requested a meeting with him. Bodhidharma was unable to convince Wu Ti of the value of the new teachings he brought from India and was in fact banished from his court when the emperor discovered that the new teachings would undermine his authority. Rather than returning home, Bodhidharma set out on a northerly direction. He crossed the Tse River, and climbed Bear's Ear Mountain in the Song Mountain range South of Luoyang and Zhengzhou to where the Shao Lin Temple of the Henan Province was located at the foot of Song Shan Mountain. The temple had been founded forty years before by Buddhist monks and was famous for its translations of the Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. Bodhidharma sought entrance into the temple but was initially refused entrance as many travelers were. Legend has it that Bodhidharma then went to a nearby cave and stared at a wall for from seven to nine years. He is purported to have cu t off his eyelids to stay awake in meditation, and so is usually depicted with bulging eyes. Others say that he cut off his eyelashes and that they fell to the ground and became tea plants. It was this show of fortitude that caused the monks to allow him to enter their temple.
Upon gaining entrance, Ta Mo or Damo (as he was now called by the Chinese) saw that the monks were weak and unable to perform the rigorous meditations he expected Buddhist Monks should be practicing. While meditating, they often fell asleep or worse yet, became restless and were not achieving inner peace which was required to reach enlightenment. He spent some time in seclusion pondering the problem. He supposedly wrote down the results of his meditations in two books. The Yi Gin Ching, which taught ways to increase the strength and health of the physical body and incorporated an exercise regimen known as the "18 Fists of Lo Han"; and the Shi Sui Ching, which was primarily a religious treatise explaining methods for developing the Buddhist spirit by using Chi energy. These books laid out an exercise program for the monks that involved physical techniques that were efficient and strengthened the body. Eventually, they became the foundation for s system of self-defense as they were based on his knowledge of Indian fighting systems. His system involved dynamic tension exercises. Many of the basic moves of both tai chi chuan and kung fu can be seen in these exercises. These skills helped the monks to defend themselves against invading warlords and bandits. In three years the monks became so skilled in the martial arts that they start to be feared and respected by the bandits. This went a long way toward continuing the spread of Buddhism and Zen throughout China and the rest of Asia. Bodhidharma died in 539 A.D. at the Shao Lin Temple at age 57. They laid him to rest in a tomb there.
Although many people believe this legend, the fact is there are no records about the existence of the books before or during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) so experts think Damo has little to do with Shao Lin Kung fu. Zongheng, a Taoist priest of Tiantai Mountain, is believed to be the true author of the book and wrote it in 1624. They suspect that to add mystery to it, he made up a story saying the Yi Gin Ching was originally written by Damo, and that his version was just a copy of the original....remeber this is just one side of many stories ;) In 900 A.D. a rich young noble and experienced martial artist, entered the Henan Shao Lin Monastery and assumed the name of Chueh Yuan. He soon devoted all his studies to the further development of Shao Lin Kung Fu and fitness training. Chueh created five animal styles or forms: Dragon - to cultivate spirit, Tiger - to develop tough bones, Leopard - to build strength, Crane - to strengthen sinew, and Snake - to generate chi. During this period 4 other monasteries joined the Shao Lin order. There were: Fukien in the Fujian province, Wu Tang near the Korean peninsula, Kwan Tung in Manchuria, and O Mai Shan temple located in the Szechwan province which also had ties to a Crane temple in Tibet. Each of these monasteries adopted a set of these five animal symbols to represent their temple and as part of the ordination their priests would have these symbols branded into their arms. Chueh combined hard and soft techniques in his forms. Within a few years, he revised the 18 Fists of Lo Han and created what he call ed the 72 Styles or movements. His methods and teaching were so successful that all Shao Lin monks adopted his 72 fists very quickly. 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 became common practice for the Shao Lin and adepts were sent out to share Buddha's teaching and help the poor. It was also considered a test, as many would-be Shao Lin monks were tempted by worldly pleasures and did not return. Those that did became the Priests and brought many new skills, knowledge and wisdom from their travels.
On his travels, Chueh Yuan witnessed a bandit attacking a 60-year-old traveler. He saw the attacker land an apparently very strong kick to the body of the old man with no effect. The old traveler, using only two fingers against the bandit's leg sent him to the ground, and rendered unconscious by the time Chueh reached them. This maneuver impressed Chueh and so he introduced himself to the senior. Much to his surprise the old man told him that he did not know very much martial arts and what little he did know, he had learned from the local master Pai Yu-feng.
Chueh met with and convinced Pai Yu-feng to accompany him back to his temple. Over the next few years, using the 18 fists, the 72 movements and these 'pressure point techniques' Chueh and Pai Yu-feng redeveloped the Shao Lin exercises into the 170 exercises that became the foundations of Shaolin Kung Fu as it is known today: first the basics, which are very similar to the 170 exercises, and then the 5 Animal Styles.
In 1644, the Manchurians invaded China and replaced the Ming Dynasty with the Ch'ing dynasty. The Shao Lin Temples became hives of revolutionaries. In order to counteract the threat from these insurrectionists, the Manchurians destroyed the Shao Lin Temples. The inhabitants of the temples fled, and in this way Kung Fu knowledge was spread. At the same time, however, it became diluted amongst the masses and hundreds of new styles developed.
Kusanku, also known by his Chinese name Kong Su Kung, was a Chinese Sifu who had learned the art of Kung Fu in China and then immigrated to Okinawa where he served as a Chinese military attaché. It is recorded that in 1761 Kusanku displayed Chinese boxing and grappling techniques to a delighted audience in Okinawa. He taught the Chinese boxing style called Kenpo to Tode Sakugawa.
In 1786, a young man named Sakugawa - by chance an aspiring martial artist - tried to push Kushanku into a river as a practical joke. Kushanku stopped Sakugawa's assaults with such ease that Sakugawa made amends with Kushanku and was invited to train with him. For six year Kushanku taught him the techniques of his art, but then returned to China. At the same time, Sakugawa's former master fell sick. Sakugawa returned to his Sensei who, before dying, ordered him to teach his new art.
Sakugawa created an art called "Tode," or Chinese Hand, combining the techniques of his first master and then the techniques of Kushanku. Shortly thereafter he created the kata Kushanku, using the methods of fighting he had learned.Born in the city of Shuri on the island of Okinawa, early in his life he was sent to train at the school of Master Sakugawa. He was also taught directly by Master Kushanku. There is also enough information to believe that he also was taught by a Chinese Master called Iwah and by Yashuhiro Ijuin, a master of the Jigen sword school of the Satsuma clan.
He worked as a bodyguard for three different kings. He lived in China around the year 1830, when he returned he formed his school and started teaching a modified Chinese form he calls Passai. He names his school after the city of Shuri and his style becomes known as Shorin-Ryu karate........phew.....that must be the award winning longest post ever.....(wonderful thing the internet!! ;) )....maybe a good idea not to use any of this in your essays on the history of Shaolin Kung Fu as Sifu will know youve have copied it form here ok!!!! B) ..........so hope you all enjoyed tha little history lesson......next question please!! :P
ede u realy need to do something in your spare time its affecting ur social life
[QUOTE] i have a new 1 dont blame me i popular
Thanks Ede. thats very interesting and useful. :D