Brief History On Shaolin Martial Arts

By Dominique Martin


The term Kung Fu was actually derived from an accomplishment of something that you worked hard for. This is instead of the widely used misconception of it being the actual name of the martial art. An example for this is when you fight your opponent and deliver a kick and made him drop, that is the actual kung fu.

A lot of martial arts had been derived from teachings being branched from one another. Shaolin martial arts is the primary art that was taught in a Buddhist monastery in Songshan Mountain in Henan, China. Basically, this is the style that started it all and which other styles are being derived from.

During the Dynasty of Northern Wei, a Buddhist monk travelled from India to China in four hundred and ninety five A. D. He was called Ba Tuo by the people of China but his actual name was Buddhabhadra. He gained favor from Emperor Xiaowen and was offered at the court to teach Buddhism, but he refused to do so.

Even if he turned the offer down, he was still given land for him to build a temple in the mountain. It was in Mount Songshan where it all started. Shaolin literally means small forest, and this monastery has been there for over one thousand five hundred years. This is where the big schools are located and where the development and derivation of different styles have been practiced as well.

In between fifty eight and seventy six A. D., the relations between the Indian and the Chinese began to flourish. Because of this, the concept of the art became more prominent in China due to the number of monks being sent to and from there. Bodhidharma, an Indian monk, has more or less likely preached Buddhism in the Shaolin Temple. Although this claim has already been disputed, his arrival had made significant changes in the styles and practices in this martial art.

Until today, the monks are still practicing it in Henan. But it is also a fact that this has been used as an entertainment because of its sheer beauty for its movements and form. This obviously caught the international audience and their attention, but the art had to sacrifice the utility of its self defense core to make it more showy and entertaining.

But in 1934, Jin Jing Zhong published a book named 72 Arts of Shaolin. This is which the author listed only those authentic training methods which are designed more for self defense. These methods and practices were developed due to the scroll given to the author by Abbot Miao Xing.

This style leans more towards for striking. It makes use of punches, kicks, and blocks to hinder attackers from striking. What gives this a lot of attention is the form of these styles which adds to the beauty of the art. It utilizes a mixture of closed and open handed strikes for defense. The application of hard and soft techniques also contributes to this artform.

Movies or films have been utilizing this in the fighting scenes and has gained popularity internationally aside from the theatrical aspect. Also, many fitness trainers and stuntmen are training to gain skills for this for their benefit as well. A lot of institutions have already opened in order to cater this art form which serves as training for people that are outside the Henan province.




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