KUNGFU1

- History -

Kung Fu was invented hundreds of years ago, and traces its roots to the famous Shaolin Temples of China. In 527 ce an Indian prince, named Bodhidharma, renounced his luxurious life to become a Buddhist monk. When he arived at the temple he found the monks far too weak to practice meditation. So he taught them a series of exersizes called "The Eighteen Lohan Hands". When some emporors and generals saw the monks doing The Eighteen Lohan Hands they evolved it into Kung Fu. The martial art was tought from father to son for many generations and slowly spead throughout China. As Kung Fu moved people adapted it to thier atmosphere. In the south there were more rivers and plains many people rode horses, so in the south people developed techneques that where low to the ground with few kicks and strong stances. In the north there were more mountains, so there are taller stances, kicks, and even jumps to be able to fight in the mountainous regions. The shaolin temples still tought Kung Fu and Lohan Hands, but they were now so vast in there amount of knowledge about the martial arts that they had also devided there teachings into northern and southern. As these styles developed, masters started to observe how animals fight, they even started to emitate them. The five main animal styles today are tiger, crane, snake, dragon, and the monkey. The praying mantis was also imitated and observed.Thus the long history of Kung Fu began! Now these styles have broken down into hundreds more and they too have developed other styles. So there are not only the original styles, but also hundreds of styles branching off of them.

Shaolin Laws
These laws of shaolin are the rules that the shaolin practictioners tried to live by. So here they are.
The Ten Shaolin Laws

I / We Shaolin disciples in all sincerity pledge to uphold and practise the Ten Shaolin Laws.

Required to respect the master, honour the Moral Way and love fellow disciples as brothers and sisters.
Required to train the Shaolin arts diligently, and as a pre-requisite, to be physically and mentally healthy.
Required to be filial to parents, be respectful to the elderly, and protective of the young.
Required to uphold righteousness, and to be both wise and courageous.
Forbidden to be ungrateful and unscrupulous, ignoring the Laws of man and heaven.
Forbidden to rape, molest, do evil, steal, rob, abduct or cheat.
Forbidden to associate with wicked people; forbidden to do any sorts of wickedness.
Forbidden to abuse power, be it official or physical; forbidden to oppress the good and bully the kind.
Obliged to be humane, compassionate and spread love, and to realize everlasting peace and happiness for all people.
Obliged to be chivalrous and generous, to nurture talents and pass on the Shaolin arts to deserving disciples.