The following is an excerpt from my book entitled Internal
Arts of the Shaolin Temple. This material was first
published during the February 1996 issue of Wushu/Kungfu
Magazine. To view an outline of the book, please click here.
Please click here
to view an outline of the book entitled "Authentic Yang
Style Taijiquan".
"The Martial Arts Under Heaven Arose Out of Shaolin" is a popular saying in the Chinese martial art world. Chinese martial arts, or Wushu as it is known in the Chinese language, is more than just a fighting art, it is a way of life. Chinese Wushu encompasses a philosophy in the art of living. Much of this philosophy is based upon the ancient philosophies of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. Since ancient times, people have had a fascination with the Shaolin Temple and its martial arts. The following will describe details of the Shaolin Temple and its wushu.
LOCATION
Shaolin Wushu originated at the Song Shan Shaolin Temple located in Dengfeng County of Henan Province, China during the Northern Wei Dynasty (495 AD). The temple is situated in the Song Yue Shi Mountain range. Because the temple was erected in the forests of Shao Shi Mountain, it was named Shaolin which means "young forest". The temple was erected during the 19th year of Emperor Xiao Wen's reign by an Indian monk named Ba Tuo (also known as Fo Tuo). The site of the temple is approximately 13 kilometers northwest of the city of Dengfeng. The property of the temple consists of approximately 30,000 square meters of land. The various building and halls within the temple were constructed during different time periods in China's historical past.
The Mountain Gate, which is actually the temple's main gate, was erected in the thirteenth year of Emperor Yong Zheng (1735) during the Qing Dynasty. Above the gateway are the written characters, "Shaolin Temple", which were written by Master Xuan Hua from the Qing Dynasty. On both sides of the gateway are a pair of lions to protect the temple. Inside the temple one will find various halls such as the Hall of the Celestial Kings which was burnt in 1928 and the Hall of the Great Heros which is the main hall within the temple. It was originally constructed in 1735 and then repaired in the tenth year of Emperor Qian Lung (1745) in the Qing Dynasty. During a fire in 1928, many relics within the hall were destroyed. West of the Hall of the Great Heros is the Hall of the Six Ancestors. In this hall, one will find images of the six famous ancestors who lived at the temple during previous generations. The six ancestors would include Da Mo, Hui Ke, Zeng Can, Dao Xin, Hong Ren, and Hui Neng. East of the Hall of Great Heros is the Hall of Jin Na Luo which houses an image of the possible founder of Shaolin Wushu. The Drum Tower which was erected during the Yuan Dynasty is located south of the Hall of Jin Na Luo. The Drum Tower rose approximately 30 meters and housed a bell weighing approximately 5,500 kilograms. The bell could be heard over thirty miles when struck. The Drum Tower was burnt in 1928. In front of the tower is the rock inscription of Emperor Li Shi Min of the Tang Dynasty. Another famous hall is the Hall of the White Robe (Hall of the Martial Texts). This hall is located next to the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas. This hall was also constructed in the Qing Dynasty. The northern and southern walls of the hall contain drawings of fighting Shaolin monks performing styles such as Six Harmony Fist, Six Harmony Spear, Spear verses Broadsword, and Qin Na Joint Locking Skills. The rear wall of the hall has a drawing of the Thirteen Shaolin Monks who saved the life of Emperor Li Shi Min who was the founder of the Tang Dynasty. On the northeastern and southwestern walls are drawings of various Buddha images.
Outside of the temple walls one will find the Pagoda Forest approximately 300 meters west of the temple. The Pagoda Forest has been historically the cemetery for the Shaolin monks. There are over 250 ancient pagodas erected on this plat of land which have housed the remains of monks. The Pagoda Forest is the largest conglomeration of pagodas within China. The age of the pagodas range from the Tang Dynasty (791 AD) to the Qing Dynasty (1803 AD). The pagodas range in level from one up to seven and rising in height up to a maximum of fifteen meters. The more numerous the levels of the pagoda, the higher the staus of the monk who was buried within. On the side of the mountain of Song Shan is the Cave of Da Mo. This cave is said to have been the place where Da Mo stayed for nine years facing a wall. The newest addition to the area is the Shaolin Temple Martial Arts School located east of the temple. The total area of the school in approximately 4,470 square meters. The school houses a performance arena, a practice hall, a fighting stage, offices for the coaches, a guest house, cafeteria, and an exhibition hall. This school is presently the largest martial arts school in Asia.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Shaolin Temple is a center for Chan (Zen) Buddhism, a popular religion in China and Japan. The Shaolin Temple was the birthplace for the Chan sect of Buddhism. The temple is foremost a center for the study of Buddhism and is secondarily for the study and development of Wushu. The creation of Shaolin Wushu is credited to Pu Ti Da Mo, the 28th generation disciple of Buddha Shi Jia Mo Ni. Da Mo is recognized around the world as being the Indian monk who brought Chan Buddhism to China. Based on the book entitled "Chinese Martial Arts History" it can be confidently suggested that Da Mo arrived at the temple at least thirty years after Ba Tuo. Therefore, Da Mo was not the founder of the Shaolin Temple.
According to legend, however, while Da Mo lived at the temple around 527 AD, he devised a number of exercises to strengthen the bodies of the monks living at the temple. Da Mo saw that many of the monks were in poor physical health; thus, for nine years Da Mo isolated himself to develop exercises to strengthen their bodies. Nine years may or may not have been the true length of time spent in the cave. The number nine in Chinese cosmology is quite important and its meaning here may just mean a lengthy period of time in contemplation for the development of these exercises. The creation of the famous Muscle Changing Classics is credited to Da Mo. This internal exercise was designed to promote strength and the generation of internal energy or Qi. He has also been credited for the creation of various other qigong (internal energy exercises) and daoyin (leading and guiding movements) exercises for developing internal energy.
Since the time of Da Mo, many fighting styles have been developed and synthesized within the temple. Some say that Da Mo was the creator of Shaolin Wushu while others say it may have been Song Tai Zu or Jin Na Luo.
During the Song and Ming Dynasties the Shaolin Temple reached its height of fame with over 2,000 monks living at the temple. During the Qing Dynasty, the temple began its decline. In 1928 during the Nationalist years the temple was set on fire during fighting within the country. The Shaolin monks had joined in warlord battles and as a result, the temple was set on fire by Shi You San, a junior officer of warlord Feng Yu Xiang. The temple burned for over 40 days causing much destruction to the temple and its relics. The buildings which burned down included the library which housed Buddhist Scriptures, the Hall of the Celestial Kings, the Hall of the Great Heros, and the Drum Tower. Numerous historical artifacts and volumes of martial art documents were also destroyed in that fire. After the fire, the Shaolin Temple declined. Most of the monks fled with only a few remaining behind to protect the temple. One of the monks who returned to the temple was Abbot De Chan who was 12 years old at the time. He and his teacher fled into the mountains during the attack, but as soon as the army withdrew, they managed to enter the temple to save the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, Da Mo Room, the Abbots Hall, the Hall of Buddha Di Cang, the Hall of the White Robe, and the Moutain Gate. Many of the monks suffered through starvation and hardship during this time period. There is, however, a saying that "each great disaster at the Shaolin Temple has been followed by a prosperous period".
After the Communists took control of China, there was much improvement and restoration of the temple and the surrounding area. However, during a short period within the Cultural Revolution many relics were destroyed by the Red Guards in their attempt to remove fuedalistic remnants throughout the nation. After the Cultural Revolution many people collected donations to help restore various structures such as the Hall of the Great Heros, Hall of the Celestial Kings, and the Martial Library.
In 1988 seven million Chinese dollars were invested in the construction of the "Shaolin Wushu Guan" which is the largest Chinese martial arts school in the world. The school opened its doors on September 26, 1988 and is open to the people of the world for the advancement of Shaolin Wushu.
Presently there are over 48 monks and more than 30 converts who reside at the temple full time. Not all of the monks at the temple, however, practice martial arts; some are strictly religious monks. The monks are divided into various categories based on their particular specialty. Some are doctors, artists, calligraphers, translators, and historians. The monks range in age from 12 to over 80 years old.
Each morning the monks get up from bed and perform various Buddhist rites. Afterwards, the religious monks return to meditation or reading of the scriptures while the martial monks, under the instruction of their teacher, go deep into the mountains for practice. Most visitors to the temple find the hike into the moutains quite difficult because the trails are very uneven; however, the martial monks walk along the trails as if flying over flat ground.
TRAINING SCHEDULE
Based on historical records of the Shaolin monks and the experience of famous martial arts masters, the training schedule for practice is an important key to success in the mastery of martial arts. There is a Shaolin proverb which states that "If a beginner does not arrange the proper training schedule, not only will there be no success in martial arts, but it will also influence the mood of practice leading to injury". The book entitled "The Complete Volume of Shaolin Martial Arts" written by the Shaolin monk, Master De Qian, recorded the training schedule of the Shaolin monks as follows:
Morning Practice: In general the monks rise from bed at five in the morning and begin to practice endurance training by running from 15 to 30 minutes; afterwards, they practice basics for about one and a half to two hours. A break is taken for half an hour before breakfast is served.
Midmorning Practice: Martial art theory is studied from 9:00 to 12:00 AM.
Afternoon Practice: After eating lunch, various routines are practiced from 2:30 to 5:30 PM.
Evening Practice: One hour after eating diner, the monks review basics and the routines that were learned during the afternoon session for about two hours.
TRAINING SEQUENCE
The training sequence of Shaolin martial arts consist of basics, routines, application analysis, selected combination, sparring, and qigong. The parts of the Shaolin training sequence are explained in greater detail below.
Basics: Each day after rising from bed, the monks conduct endurance exercises such as long distance running for approximately 30 minutes. Afterwards, they practice various stretching exercises, stance training, and kicking sets such inside kicks, outside kicks, double kicks, tornado kicks, side kicks, butterflies, and aerial cart wheels. Each of these basics is practiced until mastered. In general, each type of movement is conducted from three to five repetitions per set for a total of one to three sets.
Routines: After practicing the basics, the monks begin to perform various martial art routines. They may rest in between for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Practice of routines continues for approximately three hours. Only after mastering one routine will the next routine be taught. In general, most martial monks will eventually study from 15 to 30 different routines.
Application Analysis: After mastering the various forms each monk wishes to learn, he will ask his teacher to discuss the self-defense application for each technique. A total understanding of the applications is required for proper mastery of the routines.
Selected Combinations: After learning the traditional routines, the monk can ask his teacher to devise various combinations based on the individual monk's basic knowledge and character. The monks will endure the pain of training to gradually improve their fighting level and performance capabilities.
Sparring: After the monk has totally mastered the various aspects of the material described above, he can ask his teacher to gradually introduce the art of sparring. This will improve his abilities in combat and to develop his skills in Lei Tai boxing.
Martial Qigong: Martial qigong is the study of the basic techniques to be applied in hitting vital points, joint locking, and other forms of defense. This stage must be learned in a gradual progression. Otherwise injury to the body may occur.
CONTENT OF SHAOLIN WUSHU
Shaolin Wushu is one of the oldest fighting systems in China with a history of over one thousand years. Shaolin Wushu was created during the Northern Wei Dynasty approximately 1400 years ago. The content of Shaolin Wushu is extremely abundant and colorful. However, during the process of history, many styles have been lost or have been filtered to the outside martial art community. Based on current research to organize the martial arts from within the temple, the following list introduces the various routines found in Shaolin Temple Wushu:
1) Open Hand Routines: Fist Routines - Eighteen Luohan Hand, Eighteen Luohan Fist, Eighteen Luohan Palm, Big Hong Fist, Small Hong Fist, Continuous Fist, Six Harmony Continuous Fist, Five Animal Fist, Snake Fist, Tiger Fist, Dragon Fist, Panther Fist, Crane Fist, Chao Yang Fist, Plum Blossom Fist, Nine Fists, Luohan Fist, Cannon Fist, Tong Bei Fist, Tong Bei Continuous Fist, Long Fist, Eagle Fist, Chang Chui Fist, Jin Gang Fist, Six Harmony Fist, Black Tiger Fist, Seven Star Fist, Shaolin Short Hitting, Five Harmony Fist, Chuo Jiao Fist, Tian Gang Fist, Rock Fist, Xin Yi Fist, Eight Extreme Fist, Hungry Tiger Fist, Fire Dragon Fist, Golden Rock Fist, Fierce Tiger Fist, Kan Jia Fist, Eight Step Continuous Legs, Exiting Mountain Fist, Scissor Fist, Reverse Arm Fist, Six Ancestor Fist, Soft Fist, Monkey Fist, Shaolin Taijiquan, etc...
Two Person Fighting Routines - Eight Extreme Boxing, Eighteen Luohan Hand Boxing, Eighteen Luohan Pulling Hand Boxing, Smashing Step Boxing, etc...
2) Weapon Routines: Broadsword - Plum Blossom Single Broadsword, Bei Yang Single Broadsword, Separate the Heart Piercing Single Broadsword, Shaolin Single Broadsword, Green Dragon Broadsword, Black Tiger Broadsword, Sparrow Shape Broadsword, Four Door Broadsword, Coiling Head Broadsword, Six Harmony Double Broadsword, etc...
Straightsword - Da Mo Straightsword, Two Halls Straightsword, Dragon Shape Straightsword, Sweeping Wind Straightsword, Eight Immortal Straightsword, Fire Dragon Straightsword, Green Dragon Straightsword, Dragon Well Straightsword, Seven Star Straightsword, Tong Zi Straightsword, etc...
Spear - Thirteen Form Spear, Eighteen Form Spear, Twenty Seven Form Spear, Twenty One Form Spear, Thirty One Form Spear, Fire Cracker Spear, Plum Blossom Spear, Flower Spear, Large Flower Spear, Black Dragon Spear, Large Spear, etc...
Staff - Burning Fire Staff, Negative Palm Staff, Eyebrow Staff, Eight Immortal Staff, Great Saint Staff, Tornado Staff, Flying Dragon Staff, Small Six Harmony Staff, Thunder Mountain staff, Shaolin Staff, Wind and Wave Staff, Crazy Ghost Staff, Single Frame Dragon Staff, Double Frame Dragon staff, Splitting Mountain Staff, Monkey Staff, etc...
Other weapons would include the Monk's Spade, Large Knife, Pu Knife, Spring and Autumn Knife, Broadsword with Nine Sectional Whip, Fang Tian Halberd, Moon Teeth Knife, Tian Gang Splitting Water Fan, , Single Ball, Double Ball, Golden Flower Balls, Nine Sectional Steel Whip, Monkey Hand Whip, Leather Whip, Rope Dart, Flying Darts, Meteor Ball Whip, Double Meteors, Iron Broom, Arm Crutches, Turning Hall Crutches, Da Mo Crutches, Three Sectional Staff, Two Sectional Staff, Tiger Head Hooks, Double Hooks, Tiger Forks, Jin Gang Circles, Double Daggers, Double Axes, Monk's Shoes, Striding Tiger Basket, Double Bamboo Chopsticks, Buddha's Horse's Tail, Iron Flute, and others...
One of the most famous Shaolin fighting styles is the Five Animal Fists. The Five Animal Fists consists of the dragon, tiger, snake, crane and panther. Each animal has it's own characteristic. The dragon develops the spirit; the tiger develops the bones and tendons; the snake develops the internal energy; the crane develops the essence; and the panther develops the strength. The essential points to the practice of the five animals are as follows:
When practicing the dragon, the shoulders must sink and relax, the internal energy must reside in the dan tian, and one must use intent not strength; when practicing the tiger, the internal energy should be circulated throughout the entire body, the kidneys should be substantial, and the eyes should show intent; when practicing the snake, lead the internal energy to the fingers and the body should be rooted, relaxed, and soft in movement; when practicing the crane, congeal the essence and spirit, and lead the internal energy to the arms; and when practicing the panther, strength should be in the entire body, and the fists are held tight.
SEVENTY TWO ARTS OF SHAOLIN
The Shaolin Temple is popularly known for its "Seventy Two Arts" for body training. Originally the Shaolin Temple had thirty two hard (external) arts and thirty two soft (internal) arts. In the past, these arts were restricted to the inside walls of the temple. Consequently, stories of these arts were spread throughout China as to the greatness of these skills. The martial monks would begin to learn these arts under the supervision of their teachers. The skills would be learned first from the basic and then proceed into the more advanced and difficult. For example, they would learn the Thousand Pound Foot, Meteor Leg, Wooden Men Hitting, and Iron Sand Palm. After building up this foundation of basic skills, they would learn hard and light abilities such as High Jumping, Golden Needle Finger, One Finger Buddha, Iron Head, Light Body, Buddha's Fist, and Iron Shirt.
Each of these skills must be followed in a strict progression to properly advance without injury. For example, in Iron Arm Skills one must first learn breath control and the proper method for circulating internal energy, then one can begin to start hitting soft materials, earthen materials, wooden boards, and then slabs of rock. This is practiced until athe rock slab can be crushed. Throughout the history of Shaolin, teachers always told their disciples that it did not matter which type of skill was to be learned, one must never be afraid to suffer the pains of training. When the weather is hot, do not be afraid to sweat; when the weather is cold, do not be afraid of frozen feet and hands; when sick with a common cold, bring the sickness to practice. No matter the situation, this must be the way to train day by day, year by year, and decade by decade in order to be successful in the art of Shaolin Wushu.
The training of the Seventy Two Arts can be divided into different levels of practice. The most basic level is to train and develop the skin and muscles; next would be to develop the tendons and bones; following would be a gradual training of internal energy circulation. If one follows these prescribed levels of training, one will receive great rewards from practice.
In the practice of Shaolin Wushu, one must learn the hard and soft abilities (gong) along with the open-hand and weapon routines. The hard and soft abilities are the root of the movements and applications of the open-hand and weapon routines. Gong Fu or true abilities can be divided into four categories: soft abilities, internal abilities, hard abilities, and external abilities. Soft abilities are considered the Dark Hand (Yin Hand); hard abilities are considered the Deadly Hand; internal abilities are for cultivating internal energy; and the external abilities are for developing strength. The practice of soft abilities is relatively difficult. There is no sign of achievement on the surface in terms of the soft abilities. The practice of hard abilities is relatively easy. This ability can be used with knives and spears and to withstand blows from iron poles.
The following is a partial list of the Seventy Two Arts from Shaolin Wushu:
Iron Arm Skills, Body Tapping Skills, Iron Broom Skills, Iron Foot Skills, Kicking Skills, Bamboo Leaf Hand, Snake Walking Skills, Lifting a Thousand Pounds Skills, Luohan Eye Skills, Iron Head Skills, Iron Shirt Skills, Whipping Force Skills, Jade Belt Skills, Separating Water Skills, Far Jumping Skills, Iron Elbow Skills, One Finger Buddha Skills, Plucking Nails Skills, Golden Bell Skills, Iron Cow Sills, Tornado Palm, Lying Tiger Skills, Golden Dragon Hand Skills, Pushing Mountain Palm Skills, Eagle Claw Skills, Golden Sand Palm Skills, Five Poison Hand Skills, Wall Climbing Skills, Plum Blossom Post Skills, Praying Mantis Claw Skills, Plank Running Skills, Light Body Skills, Iron Knee Skills, Soft Bone Skills, Iron Groin Skills, Acrobatic Skills, Thousand Layer Paper Skills, Chasing the Wind Palm Skills.
An illustration of the dedication it will take to obtain the true martial abilities within any of the Seventy Two Arts is the first level for the practice of Point Hitting (Dian Xue Di Yi Ceng). The first level consists of making a large ball of cotton and placing it on a table the height of the practitioners chest. The practitioner stands approximately 1.3 feet away from the cotton ball. The right hand forms a fist while circulating the internal energy three times. Afterwards, punch the fist out towards the cotton ball with great precision. Punching in this manner should be conducted more than 300 times per day. When the punch can cause the cotton ball to be moved and fall off the table, then move approximately three feet away from the cotton ball. The same method as described above is conducted until the punch can move the ball.
After this has been achieved, the fist should be changed to
where the thumb, index finger, and middle are pressed together
and extended out. Shoot the fingers out at the cotton ball more
than 500 times in a session. After practicing like this from 10
to 20 years, the internal energy will be sufficient to achieve
excellence in art of Point Hitting.
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