Newsgroup: it.sport.arti-marziali
Titolo: I 'monaci' di Shaolin + storia di Shaolin

Tutti i monaci di Shaolin (o che si dichiaravano tali) che ho avuto modo di
vedere/conoscere sia in Cina che all'estero nelle varie tournee sono atleti
stipendiati dal governo ed iscritti al Partito.
NESSUNO di questi praticava il buddismo zen e tantomeno 'shaolin', la
maggior parte non l'hanno visto neanche in fotografia, come dimostra
l'affermazione "Ci ha anche ricordato come certe abilità si acquisiscano
solo con l'illuminazione (chi è culture di arti marziali -do sarà senz'altro
d'accordo), e che come tutti i monaci buddhisti zen una volta ottenuta
l'illuminazione possono scegliere di smettere gli abiti di monaco e tornare
laici (questo spiega perché alcuni istruttori del centro di arti marziali
che sorge di fronte a Shaolin non vivano al tempio)" - fesserie senza un
minimo legame con il buddismo zen o con il wushu di shaolin e le sue
regole/insegnamenti.
Ricordo a tutti che molti anni or sono, erano forse i primi anni '80, in
occasione della prima tournee dei 'monaci' in America - alla prima serata -
uno del gruppo e' scappato ed ha chiesto asilo politico in America.
Ora opera da anni con successo (gli  USA sono pieni di ingenui) il 'Tempio
di Shaolin' in America.
YM
Di seguito un articolo di Salvatore Canzonieri re: la storia di Shaolin.
"Shaolin History: The Buddhist/Taoist Legacy of Shaolin's Fighting Monks"
Salvatore Canzonieri © 1996.
Introduction
The history of the Shaolin Temples with its fighting monks has been a very
long, exciting, and honored tradition with much political intrigue. Through
the ages, the Shaolin Temples (north and south) have been built, burned
down, and rebuilt many times. Even so, through all its tribulations, it has
never ceased to be a training grounds and holy place for the monks. Out of
about 1,500 years, it has been totally closed and deserted only a handful of
years (and even then, monks trained there at night secretly). Shaolin is
most famous for its deep knowledge and developments in all aspects of the
martial arts.
Shaolin's fighting monks, of which at its peak numbered in the thousands,
had a reputation throughout China for being highly honorable, most
courageous, and greatly skilled. Shaolin's fighting monks served as role
models for the virtuous and spiritual warrior and sparked a huge interest in
martial arts that influenced much of what we know today.
Oddly enough, the Shaolin fighting art's came from a pacifist beginning: the
merger of the spiritual philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism. The first and
main Shaolin temple was located in Henan (Honan) province, along the north
side of Shao Shih [shaoshi] mountain, and built by the royal decree of
Emperor Hsiao Wien [Xiao Wen] during the early Northern Wei dynasty (386 -
534 AD) for an Indian Buddhist monk named Batuo (or Fo Tuo in Chinese). (He
is most remembered today by his statue, which depicts a fat and jolly seated
monk, the "Laughing Buddha".) The temple originally consisted of a round
dome used as a shrine and a platform where Indian and Chinese monks
translated Indian Buddhist scriptures into Chinese, toiling both day and
night.
Buddhism & Taoism in China
As early as the year 65 AD, the first Mahayana Buddhist community had
settled in China along the ancient silk trade route between India and China.
This settlement was built during a time that China was composed of many
feudal kingdoms. Many of the common people as a result were on troubled
times and had converted to the simpler and older beliefs of Taoism, which
preached the individual search for a higher form of physical and mental
existence based on withdrawing from daily man-made traditions and instead
finding a path in the natural elemental and spiritual forces of life. Many
had became disillusioned with the countless artificial rules of conduct
decreed by Confucianism and Legalism, which believed in solving
socio-political problems through regulations and laws. Taoism caught the
attention of the common folk who already believed in the cycles of nature
and the existence of spiritual forces, and it spread rapidly throughout
China, especially in its southern regions.
Mahayana Buddhism also believed in the futility of worldly ways, but instead
preached the endurance of suffering through spiritual pursuits such as
prayer, scripture reading, and good works in order to reach the final
emancipation promised by Nirvana (Pure Land of Bliss). When Buddhism reached
China, it first attracted the attention of scholars, courtiers, and the
nobility, appealing to their intellectual sensibilities. Thus, started the
beginning of Indian culture and philosophy influencing Chinese custom and
thought.
By the year 316 AD, China was divided into warring tribal states and much
strife occurred as barbaric tribes invaded the north. The time period became
characterized by a great revival of religious fervor of all types and many
temples and shrines were built throughout the land. Buddhism gradually
spread, as did Taoism. In fact, Buddhism became such a powerful force that
violent power struggles broke out between adherents to Taoism and Buddhism.
Over time, Mahayana Buddhism in China and India became more entrenched in
ritual and religious dogma. People believed that translating scripture and
performing elaborate rituals and good works alone assured one of a place in
'heaven". Dhyana Buddhism developed in Southern India and it preached a
return to purer spirituality and a more austere and conservative demeanor,
where salvation could only be achieved by inward enlightenment. Material
things were secondary and so was a blind following of scriptures, deities,
and good works without true understanding of their intent.
Buddhidharma, legend has it, the 28th Indian Patriarch of Buddhism, left his
country to preach Dhyana views in China. Sometime in the early 500s AD, he
reached Nanking (near Canton in south China) and spoke with the Buddhist
Emperor Liang Wu Ti of the Liang southern dynasty. After unsuccessfully
trying to enlighten the Emperor by telling him that his good works and
scripture translating were artificial and done in vain if they were made
solely for the purpose of gaining entry into "heaven" and not truly
heartfelt, he left and crossed the Yangtze River to northern China. There he
sought entrance to Shaolin Temple, staying until his death in 539 AD.
The Head Monk there feared his reformist type of Buddhism, which viewed book
learning as irrelevant, would disrupt the monastery's traditional views and
workings and refused him entry. Buddhidharma stayed outside the temple in a
cave and meditated continuously. He dedication to his beliefs earned the
respect of the head monk and he was allowed entry after a number of years.
Once there, he preached the Dhayana views that Supreme wisdom had nothing to
do with performance, rituals, or translating scriptures, but instead came
from deep meditation and natural living. He opposed the Chinese ways as
highly ritualistic and ceremonial extravagance.
Buddhidharma soon saw that the weak physical state that the monks were in
(because they neglected their bodies to be pious and humble), would make
long periods of meditation impossible. He explained that the body and soul
were united; one cannot be catered to at the expense of the other. Legend
has it that he introduced the idea of physical fitness as part of meditation
with systematized exercises to strengthen the body and mind together by
invigorating the intrinsic vital life force (called 'Chi' - "energy" - in
Chinese). These early calisthenics were known as the:
Muscle Change Classic [Yijingjing] or Change in Sinews;
Marrow Washing [Xisuijing];
Eighteen Hand Movements of the Lohan or Enlightened Ones [luohan shiba
shou].
The idea that the breath could be regulated and then used to promote
invigorating physical changes in the body that produce stamina and endurance
was a major development towards welding physical movements with health
benefits (known as Chi Gung [Qigong]).
Taoists held similar beliefs and practices concerning the cultivation of
Chi, breath, and physical movements (known as Nei Gung [Neigong]). Taoist
priests and scholars found other similarities with Dhayana Buddhism and were
soon attracted to the Shaolin Temple's teachings and came to study there.
Taoism taught the avoidance of direct force through contemplation and
natural reasoning and saw merit in Shaolin's peaceful and non offensive
philosophical foundation. Eventually a hybrid form of Buddhism, called Ch'an
in Chinese (and Zen in Japanese where it also soon spread in opularity),
emerged that exhibited Buddhist structure, based on insightful meditational
reasoning, and Taoist embellishments, based on their Five Elements cycle,
the theories of the I Ching [Yijing] and the Ba Qua [bagua] diagrams, along
with a merger of various deities and spiritual beings (such as the Eight
Taoist Immortals, etc.).
In fact, a Shaolin monk named Hui Neng, who lived from 638 to 713 AD, had
early on become known as the real father of Ch'an Buddhism (Bodhidharma
became known as its First Patriarch) because of his successful blending of
Dhayana Buddhism with the already prevalent Taoist thought of the learned.
Both were essentially paths to immediate enlightenment and total spiritual
thought and it was not difficult to follow the two paths concurrently, since
they did not cling to religious dogma and personalities.
Various Emperors took up either Mahayana Buddhism or Taoism. But, most
Emperors, civil servants, and court members instead practiced Confucianism
and Legalism since it supported their rulings more than a spiritual route
would. Because of their non commitment to worldly ways, Buddhists and
Taoists were not trusted by these governmental peoples. So, periodically, it
became unsafe to preach one of the other philosophies as temples were
dissolved or burned down regularly over the centuries. It was safer for
Taoists to stay at Shaolin and the Ch'an Buddhism practiced there was not to
far off from their own ideas.
Then, during the T'ang dynasty (618 - 907 AD), Mahayana Buddhism reached its
peak and started ebbing while a popular form of Taoism began to rival it
(which was based more on the worship of spiritual beings and the
supernatural). By the end of the T'ang dynasty, Mahayana Buddhism lost its
momentum and played a minor role in all subsequent dynasties. At Shaolin,
Ch'an Buddhism became its own unique sect, followed by the select few that
lived there.
Need for Self Defense Among the Clergy
Another thing that attracted the Taoist priests and scholars was the
development of Shaolin Ch'uan Fa ("fighting arts"). Over the years,
generations of Shaolin monks worked with the exercises attributed to
Buddhidharma to increase their external muscular power and their internal
Chi power. The increase of power had encouraged the monks to investigate its
peculiar properties and characteristics, testing the limits of the body and
Chi. Eventually, the various techniques were used in self defense
applications that were evasive and non-confrontational, but still efficient
and effective.
Temples were always a target of bandits and rebellious soldiers that wished
to either rob them or use the places as their own headquarters. Also, since
monks, priests, and nuns traveled far from their temples in their preaching
and pilgrimages, self defense on the road became a necessity also.
Information was exchanged with professional bodyguards and temple guards met
with on the road who were well versed in various martial arts. Techniques
were absorbed (mostly from Indian Kalaripayit, Mongolian Shuai Chiao, Moslem
fighting systems such as Cha Ch'uan and Tan Tui, and others) and combined
with those the Shaolin temple had already created to develop Shaolin Ch'uan
Fa, known as Lohan Ch'uan by some (which had three original forms: the
Eighteen Hands of the Lohan, the Eight Step, and the 300 plus moves of the
Wind Devil Staff), of whose techniques can be seen as the mother or seed of
many later fighting forms.
The emphasis was on developing fluid self defense techniques that were fast,
evasive, strong, non-direct, deceptive, efficient, and effective while still
being non-confrontational in nature. The practice of these techniques, by
combining them with Chi and breath development, was seen as health giving
rather than debilitating and tiring for the practitioner. The original forms
of Shaolin Ch'uan were much softer than what they later became, sharing a
heavier emphasis on internal development as with the Taoist martial arts
(such as Wu Tang Tai Yi and others). Ch'uan Fa soon became synonymous with
Ch'an Buddhism. Other temples from different sects soon developed their own
great Chi Kung and fighting systems and became well known also.
Thereafter, the Shaolin Temple attracted people from all walks of life as
word spread of the mysterious and marvelous fighting abilities of the monks
(and nuns and priests). Shaolin, as the interest in Buddhism waned, became
instead known as a training ground for people needing to learn the fighting
arts. In the year 1522 AD, 40 monks volunteered and stopped Japanese pirates
from invading the coastline. From the years 600 to 1600 AD, the fame of
Shaolin's Ch'uan Fa grew to an enormous degree as they developed and
researched all aspects of internal/external power, various empty hand and
weapons techniques, body massage and manipulation, and herbal medicine.
The exercises originally developed for the training of the body to withstand
long hours of sitting meditation had undergone many changes to form a unique
martial art, making Shaolin famous for its boxing and staff fighting
techniques instead of its holy scripture writing. At Shaolin, first basic
fist and feet techniques were taught, then more difficult ones, and then
multiple fighting partner sparring and forms.
These techniques can still be seen today in almost every style of martial
art that has its roots in the monks of Shaolin Temple.
The First Closing & Reopening of Shaolin
But, Shaolin Temple almost didn't survive the many political upheavals of
China. Thirty years after Buddhidharma's death, a few monks with weak morals
had left the temple, deciding instead to take advantage of their fighting
prowess and roamed the countryside robbing and killing.
The average person was powerless against them. These actions tarnished
Shaolin's reputation. Furthermore, Emperor Wu of the Chou dynasty (from
572 - 578 AD) accepted the philosophy of Wei Yuansong and ordered every
Buddhist and Taoist monastery abolished and destroyed. Wei Yuansong was a
turncoat monk who in 567 AD denounced Buddhism to proclaim a "universal
church", with the Emperor as "Buddha". This of course attracted the
attention of the new Emperor. Unfortunately, Shaolin was among the many
temples closed down. The Emperor was convinced that the temples were too
rich and that the land would go to better use by parceling it out to
landless soldiers coming off of duty (plus, he had offered free land to all
who would join his army when he came into power and this was a good excuse
to get at it).
Luckily, the next Chou Emperor (Khen Teik) had a change of heart. From
580-581 AD, he first restored the Buddhist and Taoist images in the land and
then established two monasteries each in the two capitals (North and South).
These, with Shaolin being one of them, were renamed the Zhihu (or Puhku)
Monasteries. The Emperor rebuilt and renovated the monastery compound.
Finally, thirty years after Shaolin's closing, the Sui dynasty came into
power (from 589-618 AD). The Sui Emperor (Sui Gaozu) was a Buddhist
scholar-statesman and he allowed Shaolin to regain its original name and
resume its former activities. Strict guidelines were introduced concerning
moral education to avoid any more unscrupulous behavior by wayward monks.
Martial Arts and Morality were now taught as one. This marked another major
development in the evolution of the Shaolin fighting arts.
From 581-601 AD, the Sui Emperor ordered that two more monasteries were to
be started. News of this spread throughout China and attracted to the temple
many who wished to learn the Shaolin arts. An edict was given by the Emperor
stating that, since the two teachings first arose, the land had been
harmonious with numerous students and believers studying in the forest
groves of Shaolin. He then gave them a gift of about 100 acres of land.
The Fighting Monks Go Into Action
But, during the last period of the Sui dynasty (605-617 AD), the empire
collapsed and Shaolin lost its government support. The T'ang dynasty (from
618-907 AD) came into being after Li Shih-Min (Emperor T'ai Tzu) and 6,000
loyal troops of peasant folk took over the capital. The start of the new
empire saw much turmoil as robbers and rivals to the throne attacked and
pillaged the countryside and temples. They made no distinction between the
clergy and laity. Shaolin was attacked by mountain brigands. The monks
fought them off skillfully and valiantly. But, this angered the brigands so
much that they put the monastery, pagoda, and cloisters to flame. All the
buildings along the cloisters went up in flames. Only the Sacred Pagoda
remained intact, where the monks maintained their ground. Thus, the first
burning of Shaolin Temple.
Fifty miles to the North-west of the monastery was a villa, Baigu Retreat,
located near a waterfall with numerous hills and valleys surrounding it. The
area was strategically located and most emperors in the past used it as a
naval base. A rebel general, Wang Shi Chong, made a bid to usurp the throne
from the T'ang Emperor Tai Tsung. He decided to make a mountain top garrison
post at Baigu Retreat and recruited troops in Luoyang city with the
intention of attacking the monastery and keeping it as his headquarters. The
monks, Zhicao, Huiyang, and Tanzong, were among thirteen monks who led the
others in opposition to the rebel general. They courageously attacked the
retreat and overcame all the rebels. The monks used the place as a base to
further overcome other rebels throughout the land around. They captured Wang
Shi Chong's nephew and went over to the Emperor's court.
Emperor Tai Tsung greatly admired the monks' zealousness and loyalty. He had
the incident recorded on a stone tablet that can be still seen today at
Shaolin. The grateful Emperor gave them many gifts and tried to persuade the
thirteen to accept offered posts at the Court, but the monks declined,
saying that their fighting arts were to protect the temple, but if they were
needed they would surely go to battle again. Out of their 1,500 monks, the
Emperor gave them permission to train 500 fighting monk-soldiers for the
empire. From this point on, Shaolin's fighting arts flowered and its legend
spread far and wide. The Emperor ordered all Buddhist and Taoist monasteries
in rebel territory to be dissolved except Shaolin, which was given a gift of
about 40 acres of land and one watermill, the Baigu Retreat.
Over 120 monks went to work restoring the temple, while many others worked
hard to spread the doctrines of Ch'an Buddhism. The Emperor visited Shaolin
himself and personally wrote inscriptions on tablets and banners
commemorating the event. The rest of the T'ang dynasty Emperors continued to
financially support Shaolin, showering it with gifts. As its Ch'an Buddhism
became more known, Shaolin attracted many Taoist students to study there. In
this period, more than ten Ch'an sect temples were built within the mountain
range, housing many famous Buddhist and Taoist scholars famous for their
teachings and insights. The Shaolin Temple in Mt. Song became the greatest
of and most splendidly outfit of them all.
Because Shaolin was so much favored by the T'ang Emperors, other temples
tried to call themselves Shaolin in the hopes that they would not be closed
down by the Emperor. But this was to no avail because the next Emperor,
Ch'uan Tsung, issued an edict that all estates of Buddhist and Taoist
monasteries were to be confiscated because they had grown too rich. But,
because his relatives, the previous Emperors, had personally gifted Shaolin,
he exempted the temple from the official levy. Partly as a consequence, by
the 800s AD, Buddhism greatly waned in China.
Since Shaolin maintained its riches and power, some false monks (named Ming
Chun, Chee Guan, Chen Sok, and Chee Chung) pretended to be dedicated monks
in order to obtain the abbotship. The true monk, Food Yeu, took over the
abbotship and reintroduced the real guiding principles of Buddhism to dispel
these monks. As time went on, the T'ang dynasty crumbled in 907 AD after
another revolt of the peasants. The empire broke up into several kingdoms
until 960 AD, when General Chao Kung Yin reunited China to form the Sung
dynasty (960 - 1279 AD). By the Sung dynasty, Shaolin's fighting arts was
much loved and interest in boxing continued to spread as many people took up
the art as a noble pursuit. The fighting monks of Shaolin were seen as
people of great virtue and heroics, with many legends arising of their
fighting prowess. To enhance its image, the main Shaolin temple was again
renovated and made even more beautiful.
Flowering of traditional Chinese Martial Arts
Around this time, a second large Shaolin temple was built for the southern
areas, in Fukien province. Even the Emperor became a famous martial artist
and developed the Emperor's Long Fist style (T'ai Tzu Chang Ch'uan). His
style had many innovations and became so well known that many practiced it
instead of Shaolin Ch'uan. It's influence can be seen in many of today's
Northern long range fighting styles (even having an influence on Chen
village's Tai Chi, which was located near Shaolin and contains much of its
influence also). Shaolin added his techniques to their fighting arts
curriculum and with those of many other martial artists from throughout
China. During the Sung dynasty, Shaolin started to become a repository of as
many techniques as it could find.
Other non-Shaolin masters of the time were inspired to create their own
styles, either with Lohan Ch'uan as a base or from their own ideas. Some of
these were: Chen Shi I, who developed Liu Ho Ch'uan (Six Ways Boxing);
General Yueh Fei, who created many styles including Ba Tuan Chin Chi Gung,
Yueh Chia Ch'uan, Jiuzhuan Lianhuan Yuan Yang Tui (9 Way Continuous Circle
Mandarin Duck Kicking), and a famous spear form. Also, some non-Shaolin
styles developed in other provinces during the later part of the Southern
Sung dynasty (1127 - 1279 AD), though they were taught there, including: Ba
Ch'uan, Fantzi Ch'uan, Pao Chui, Cha Ch'uan, Wah Ch'uan, Hong Ch'uan, Tau
Tei Yu Tan Tui, as were the internal arts (Wu Tang Pai, Tai Yi, Tai Chi,
Hsing I, Tzu Men, and Liu He Ba Fa).
During the end of the Sung dynasty, the Shaolin was in much disarray and
many people faked that they were warrior monks. Abbot Fu Ju invited 18
masters (most from Shantung province) to Shaolin to absorb their best
technqiues. Form these, he developed 12 forms known as the Kan Jia Quan. He
designed an exam, only people who passed this exam could rightfully claim
that they were warrior monks. Shortly after this time, Wang Lang perfected
these techniques and developed a hybrid martial arts system that was made to
fight against other masters. This was the true origin of the now famous Tang
Lang or Preying Mantis style. It is commonly thought that he did so in the
Ming Dynasty, but Shaolin records dating back to the late Sung period show
his name and his achivements.
Suddenly, in 1279 AD, the Mongolians attacked from the far north and
conquered the Chinese Empire, with Kubla Khan becoming its new Emperor.
He founded the Yuan dynasty, which lasted until 1368 AD. Between 1341-1351,
a violent nationalist movement erupted, led by an army of peasants called
the Red Turbans sect. Eventually, the Mongolians were forced out in the
confusion, and the Red Turbans were severely put down by various generals.
The Taoist/Buddhist White Lotus secret society then helped an ex-Buddhist
monk, Chu Yuan Chin, to become the founder of the much loved Ming dynasty
(from 1368 - 1644 AD).
Many members of royal family bloodlines from various past Dynasties,
including their servants, fled in great numbers to the south of China,
especially to the Fukkian and Quan Dong Provinces. These included the Chao,
Wu, Fong, Miao, and other families. They became known as the Hakka. With
them they brought their own martial arts. Through their influence, Sung Tai
Tzu Quan (both the short and long fist versions) spread all over the south.
Further Evolution of Shaolin Fighting Arts
During the Ming dynasty, Shaolin's fighting arts had its next major
evolution. First, the Mei Huan Ch'uan (Plum Flower Boxing) style was
developed by Pai Chin Tou, a Shaolin graduate, as a means to capture Shaolin
Ch'uan's more internal and circular, dynamic energy into continuous,
uninterrupted body movements. The Ming Empire continued to have various
rebellion arise on numerous occasions. This bothered the patriotism of many
Shaolin monks, and many began to document and collect the many techniques
they had learned. At this time, came the young monk, Chueh Yuan Shang-Jen,
who is considered the founder of the modern type of Shaolin Ch'uan Fa that
has become the root of today's Shaolin derived arts and also has most
evolved Shaolin Ch'uan Fa into an amazing fighting art. Chueh Yuan learned
what his teacher's taught him and analyzed the techniques deeply, feeling
them to be incomplete, and combined them with numerous ideas of his own. He
developed a style that consisted of 72 different positions, each with
fighting principles of their own.
Students came from all over to learn from him and his ideas spread all over.
But, Chueh Yuan was far from satisfied. After some years, he wished to visit
other places that were known for their fighting schools. He left Shaolin and
learned many new techniques as he traveled. He eventually reached Shensi
province and met a master, Li-Shao, who taught him much. Li-Shao and his son
took him near Loke Yong Ton Hock Seng monastery. There he was introduced to
a great master named Pai Yu Feng, whose style was Hit Tai Tau. Chueh Yuan
convinced them all to go to Shaolin, where they altered their styles,
combining them with those of Shaolin Ch'uan.
They created a radically new system, by grouping together the best of
similarly oriented moves that were both internal and external, and it
consisted of 170 (some say 172) different techniques, subdivided into areas
of emphasis. There were originally about 12 animals that represented these
areas. But, Pai Yu Feng died before he could finish the last few. By the end
of the Ming Dynasty, these techniques had reached the south of China, where
they techniques were regrouped and simplified into Five major areas. The
Southern Shaolin martial artists named the style Wu Hsing Ch'uan (Five
form/pattern/element/animal boxing), based on the essence of five animals:
Dragon [Long]- exercises that are both internally flowing and externally
powerful, stressing circular, ever changing, grabbing movements ;
Crane [He]- exercise to internally strengthen the tendons and joints,
stressing external balance and swift kicking;
Tiger [Hu]- exercises to internally strengthen the bones and muscles,
stressing clawing, large, external, hard, fast movements;
Snake [Shi]- exercises for chi development, stressing swift, pin-point
striking of the vital body points; and
Leopard [Pao]- exercises for internal power and speed, stressing sudden,
external powerful movements.
The Five Animals Style of Shaolin met with remarkable popularity and was
considered to pinnacle of Shaolin's Fighting Arts. Each of the five animals
is a complete form of it own. Many of today's surviving Shaolin derived
martial arts styles contain movements and techniques elaborated from this
style: Black Tiger (Fu Jow Pai), White Tiger, Hung Gar, Lian Shi, Lung Ying,
White Eyebrow, Ho Ch'uan, Pao Ch'uan, among many others.
Also, the Okinawan and Japanese Karate and Kempo styles have their roots in
the Five Animals style. Shaolin monks traveled to Okinawa and Japan over the
years and taught there. Okinawan masters then came to north and south Chian
and learned more. Many of Kempo's techniques seem similar to Shaolin Lohan
Ch'uan and much of early Nahate karate's techniques seem similar to the Five
Animals style.
Diversification of Shaolin Ch'uan
Shaolin soon became again became a repository for all types of martial arts,
both empty hands and weapons, both internal and external, from all over
China. The monks sought to preserve as many of the best fighting arts as
they could. Hundreds of styles were taught there. also, new styles were
invented by various disciples. The Ming dynasty saw a time when the most
styles were invented at Shaolin: Fut Chia Ch'uan, Bei Ch'uan, Tuan Ch'uan,
Tah Sheng (monkey style), Mien Ch'uan (soft boxing), Jing Gang Ch'uan, and
many others, with much exchange happening between the two main Shaolin
temples and other temples. Shaolin became one of the eight main "external"
schools of traditional Chinese martial arts (the others being: Hong Ch'uan
(red boxing), Tan Tui (springing legs), Hon Ch'uan, Erh Lang Men, Fanzi
Ch'uan, Pa Ch'uan, and Mi Tsung Yi). Some disciples feared that Shaolin
Ch'uan, which was originally one united system many ages ago, was in danger
of becoming fragmented into numerous little segments, because of continued
specialized teaching. The original fighting monks were able to learn the
whole system and specialized on the best abilities. But, now a disciple
learned the basic Five Animals style and then specialized in one other
style. After a certain amount of years, few monks knew the same styles as
their counterparts and there was a danger that some styles could die out if
there was no one left to teach it.
A meeting was convened of all Shaolin Ch'uan Fa masters. Each demonstrated
their techniques, some excelling in "chi" training, agility, or force. Among
them, five were chosen to be the best for various reasons. Their styles
were:
Da Mo - chi training;
White Crane - mind concentration;
Lohan - body positioning;
Tai Tzu Long Fist - accurate forms patterns;
Tah Sheng [big ape]- agility.
These were combined into one, creating the original Northern Five Ancestors
School (not to be confused with the southern Five Ancestors of the later
Ching dynasty period). Thus, Shaolin Ch'uan evolved yet again.
Second Destruction of Shaolin
But, political upheavals again influenced Shaolin's destiny, just as it was
at its peak. In 1640 AD, a major event occurred that would lead to the
eventual destruction of both Shaolins, after which they never regained the
exalted state once enjoyed. Another revolt of the populace occurred as
Beijing was taken over by insurgents. One of the Ming Emperor's generals
asked the Manchu tribe in the north to step in and help. This they did, but
once the Manchu troops cleared out Beijing, they put their own Emperor on
the throne. Thus, the last Chinese dynasty ended as the much hated Manchu
Ching dynasty began (from 1644 - 1911 AD).
Soon after, a huge patriotic movement began. Many secret societies were
formed to prepare for covert battle and assassinations against the Manchu
rule. Anti-Manchu rebels went to both of the Shaolin Temples and many others
and secretly set up a networked line of communications from the north to the
south, where the Manchu had much difficulty gaining a firm foothold. Ming
royal family members were hidden as the Manchu searched to country to kill
them off. At each temple, rebels masqueraded as monks to study the martial
arts and keep communications lines open. The monks of Shaolin soon became
embroiled in these political intrigues.
It became difficult to know who was a real monk and who was a rebel in
disguise. Also, there were many unshaved disciples that stayed there; some
being clandestine rebels and some not. These rebels were in a hurry to learn
as much as they could before being discovered. It became apparent then that
the old Shaolin process of martial arts training took too long to master.
New fighting styles had to be developed that were easy to learn and still
were very efficient and effective to use. Thus, masters got together at the
sothern Shaolin Temple and analyzed their most efficient and effective
techniques from the forms they knew.
To complicate matters worse, in 1674, the Manchu Emperor Kang-Hsi asked the
monks of the northern Shaolin Temple to help him against an invading navy of
foreigners. 128 monks, led by Cheng Kwan-Tat, a Ming partisan (who had
fought against the Manchu for many years and now had retired to Shaolin to
master the martial arts in his old age), successfully fought back all the
invaders. The Emperor offered them all titles and they refused the offer,
wishing the return to Shaolin (and maintain their covert activities). They
had helped the Emperor in order to camouflage the fact that they were
plotting against him. The Emperor's advisors persuaded him into thinking
that it was dangerous for the Empire to have a center of people with such
extraordinary abilities that were essentially an independent agency from
their government.
An army was sent to Shaolin and the temple was lit on fire, with many
structures burnt down. Contrary to popular belief, it was not completely
destroyed at this time. After the reign of this Emperor, the northern
Shaolin Temple was gradually reestablished. New buildings were built and
huge murals (frescos) were painted depicting the life of a Shaolin fighting
monk as it had been in the past hundreds of years ago. They commemorated the
fact that for 1,500 years the martial arts had been practiced here. These
murals can still be seen today, as are others artifacts from this time
period (including the courtyard, which has 48 depressions in the floor worn
by the feet of the practicing monks).
Second Shaolin Temple
What happened next is that the "undercover" monks and disciples escaped to
the southern Shaolin Temple in Fukien province, built in the Nine Lotus
Mountain. The temple was led by Chih Shan, who developed Nan Ch'uan or
Southern Style Boxing in response to the very different physical environment
of the south. Here again, the Shaolin martial arts went through another
evolutionary change. The Nan Ch'uan Shaolin style was very different from
that of Northern Shaolin, with many of the body mechanics and principles
altered to work in the south, which required more close range fighting
tactics, rather than the north's emphasis on long range.
Chih Shan, a great martial arts teacher, came to the southern Fukien temple
to oversee its clandestine operations and to establish systematic training
in the martial arts that was quicker to learn, as the rebels had done in the
northern temple. Fukien was near the eastern coast and that made it easier
for them to keep in touch with the many rebels who had fled to Taiwan. The
Manchu had less of a foothold in the south of China and there were many
areas, near rivers, that were not governed by the Manchu at all because of
fierce fighting with patriots. At this temple, Shaolin training began to
change to accommodate the rebels. Besides the traditional, rounded, more
mental Shaolin training that took at least ten years to master, a tougher
and quicker method was used. This method could be learned in a few months
and mastered in three years and as focused on allowing the practitioner to
withstand enemy torture. These styles had three forms to learn instead of
the usual ten. Wing Chun was developed here to combat other martial artists
quickly. Also, at Fukien Shaolin Temple, the surviving royal Ming family
members were hidden. They had their own type of martial arts, which is
sometimes known as Southern Preying Mantis today. Besides the ones already
practiced there (such as Dog style, Fut Gar, Southern Lohan, Tuan Ch'uan,
Butterfly Palms, and Five Animals), the Fukien Shaolin martial arts were
concentrated into five styles, each with a different emphasis.
These eventually became known as the Five Elders styles: Hung, Choy, Li,
Mok, and Lau. The founders of each later went on (after the closing of this
temple) to become the figure heads of the original triads - notorious
underground anti-government secret societies (such as the Hung Mun, Ba Qua,
White Lotus, etc., societies), which eventually led the infamous Boxer
Rebellions of early 1900s. They made famous the battle cry, "Overthrow the
Ching, Restore the Ming" and of which the familiar left palm, right fist
Shaolin salute in truth is a symbol for, given as sign that one was a fellow
patriot.
Third Destruction of Shaolin
Unfortunately, the local Manchu governors resented Shaolin's existence and
had suspicions that the rebels were using the temple as their base. In 1760,
the Manchu army was sent to destroy the Fukien Temple. This time, they were
much more thorough in razing and burning down the grounds. Not much was left
of the compound and many people (some say 110 monks) were killed in the
fire. Many other temples with Shaolin affiliations were destroyed also.
Quite a few survived the burning (more than the legend of five survivors),
fleeing south to Taiwan and Hong Kong (British owned [??]) or even to Viet
Nam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Japan, and Korea (where they
influenced the founding of Tang Soo Do and other martial arts). Rebels,
Buddhist monks and nuns, and Taoist Priests scattered throughout China and
set up many martial arts schools, working in opposition to the Ching
government. News of the temple burning brought out the indignation of many
people, who were now even more spurned to join patriotic groups. This time
period saw the rise of dozens of new martial arts styles (more were
developed during the Ching dynasty than any other) as masters innovated new
ideas or consolidated the different styles they knew into new styles.
Southern China's most famous styles, such as Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut, and Wing
Chun, came out of this scenario. These styles were used to fight the Manchu
guards and assassinate political figures.
Many more than five monks survived the temple destruction. Some monks lived
in the countryside nearby, and practiced secretly on the temple grounds.
Some opened martial arts schools. Others joined the Chinese Opera and hid
out there as acrobatic actors. At least eighteen of them have been accounted
for. Five monks, later honored as the Five Early Founding Fathers, had
hidden under a bridge and managed to escape. Later, they were taken into
hiding by five men, who became known as the Five Later Founding Fathers.
They all joined together with the Taoist priest Wan Yin-Loong and Head Monk
Ch'en Chin-Nan and fought against Manchu forces in the northern province of
Hopei.
News of the uprising inspired many in the south to join in the fight,
forming roving gangs that freed small areas from Manchu rule. Each of the
five original monks set up their own Shaolin based schools and today their
teachings can be seen in the various Fukien Shaolin schools still in
existence. None of the uprisings were successful. The Manchu were too
heavily armed, too many, had the support of Western Nations that sought to
exploit China's resources, and were in power so long that younger people
began to forget the original dynasty. The Ming family had settled in the
rural areas of south-east china (the Hakka areas) and had already passed two
generations. Also, so many foreign nations began infiltrating China, that
many freedom fighters turned their attention to this threat instead and
almost supported the Ching Empire.
Slow Rebuilding of Shaolin
The two Shaolin temples, though never fully closed down, never again
regained their former greatness. Even so, around the 1800s, the monks began
returning to the northern temple and slowly rebuilt it (the southern temple
eventually went into disuse and its whereabouts were lost until their
rediscovery very recently). The Ching government by this time had become so
corrupt that it had little time to notice the activity in the secluded
mountain area of Shaolin. By the mid-1800s, the Manchu regime was very weak
and could not enforce its rules much. Western nations (Holland, England,
Germany, France, Russia) took advantage of this situation and invaded China
both economically and militarily and kept the Ching government totally
preoccupied as it fought against them. The Ching Empress began to see the
Boxers as allies against the foreign invaders and let them carry out their
activities.
Furthermore, the Manchu army after 1860 had the wide scale use of guns,
giving them a tremendous advantage over the fighting monks and rebels. In
this way, the monks were able to operate without much interference and
relative freedom, since the Manchu felt that they could overcome them at any
time if they so wished to. But, since the temple had lost so many great
masters, the temple lost much of its reputation among the people. Also, guns
made the martial arts seem useless. The Chinese people began to ignore the
study of the martial arts. Not many people were willing to spend most of
their lives dedicated to this now old-fashioned pursuit. In other parts of
China, as the Shaolin Arts waned, the internal arts were further developing
and gaining practitioners (such as Ba Ji, Tai Chi, and Ba Qua, of which
first appeared around this time).
Dessimination of Shaolin Fighting Arts
In the late 1890s, the various secret societies joined together (known as
the Boxer Rebellion), with the help of Buddhist monks and Taoist priests, in
one last ditch attempt to oust the Westerners and hopefully then the Manchu
also. Armed only with their boxing abilities, the rebels put themselves into
trances via meditation and Chi Gung and felt that they had made themselves
invisible. Alas, the Ching government changed their mind about the boxers
(after much bribing and protest from the Western powers), and allowed armed
foreign troops to enter and kill the Boxers, ending the rebellion quickly.
Finally, in 1911, Dr. Sun Yet-Sen had garnered enough support from outside
China and was able to put an army together that overthrew the Ching Empress.
After the revolution, China became a republic, no longer an Empire as it
entered the modern world. Seventeen years of civil war followed as numerous
warlords sought to grab what they could, causing even more strife than the
Manchu did.
Final Destruction of Shaolin
The warlords were to cause the final end of Shaolin. Chiang Kai-Shek worked
to reunite China by putting together a huge army in his Northern Expedition
(1926-28), which was to rid the countryside of the warlords once and for
all. General Hsi Yousan was appointed to drive out the warlord in Honan
Province, Farn Chung-Shiow. Farn was friends with the Head Monk in Shaolin,
Meaw Shing, who was known as an extraordinary martial artist, but given to
vanity by his seeking of friendships with famous people. When the republic's
troops overcame Farn's army, he fled to Shaolin and asked protection from
Meaw Shing. The troops used their weapons to try to drive out Farn to little
avail. He evacuated along with many of the monks. In frustration and anger,
the General burned down the temple and may Buddhist documents, sacred texts,
and martial arts manuals were gone form good (after surviving centuries of
past temple destructions). Ironically, all that was left was the wall
frescos painted with images of the fighting monks and the various stone
tablets from ancient times proclaiming that the temple is to be spared any
destruction by the various emperors. Meaw Shing died in this battle as
Shaolin Temple, in 1928, saw its final end.
The temple became inactive as a lonely relic of the past for many years
thereafter. Many famous martial arts heroes who fought against the Manchu
had their origin in the Shaolin Temples: Hung Kay Kwun (Hung Gar founder);
Ng Mui (the nun who developed many styles); Tsui Fa; Fong Sai Yok; Lee Pa
Shan; to name but a few. The legacy of Shaolin was carried on through the
years of 1909-1937 with the formation of various martial arts athletic
associations such as the Jing Wu Associations, the Nanking Central Kuo Shou
Institute, and the Central Kuo Shou Institute. At these places, great
martial arts masters still carrying on the traditions of Shaolin training
met and exchanged information. Much use was made of the fighting skills of
graduates from these schools as World War II erupted and the Japanese
invaded China. Soon after the War, the Communists came into power as
Chairman Mao Tse-Tung gathered huge military support among China's poor
peasants. Many of these places were closed down until the new government
could decide whether they were in line with their political ends.
The Legacy of Shaolin
China again saw a decline in the martial arts, as they were generally
discouraged during the post war period. Some martial artists were killed
during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, which attacked anything old as
part of "feudal and superstitious" days. Many left China as best they could
and entered into Hong Kong, America, and other parts of the world, spreading
ideas that had their roots in Shaolin far and wide. After the 1970s, at
Mao's death, the government eased its views against martial arts and a
government sanctioned style of gymnastic, sport oriented "martial art" was
instituted, known as Wu Shu. The traditional Chinese martial arts were given
great scrutiny and many studies commissioned to catalog its many styles and
preserve its history. The original Shaolin Temple was even rebuilt and had
it doors opened for tourists to see. Monks were allowed to return and older
monks were allowed to resume teaching the surviving Shaolin Martial Arts.
As its practitioners were dispersed, we today were able to enjoy bits and
pieces of Shaolin's surviving teachings outside of China. Much of Shaolin's
history is enshrouded in legend or is still lost waiting to be rediscovered
by those interested in preserving its traditions. The practice, and eventual
mastery, of the Shaolin Temple's Ch'uan Fa (Boxing or fighting methods) is a
great legacy that has been handed down through the centuries for about 1,500
years. So much so that today Shaolin Ch'uan and other traditional Chinese
martial arts are considered a Chinese national treasure. Shaolin is now
known as one of the foremost fighting systems in the world. Its methods and
ideas have spread all over the world (Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,
Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Hawaii and the continental US, Europe,
Australia, and even Russia) and influenced the development of many other
martial arts (karate, kempo, Jujitsu, silat, kung fu, etc.).
The legacy of Shaolin is both simple and profound, which is that there is
more to the martial arts than fighting. Shaolin through its Buddhist and
Taoist roots, united two things with the fighting arts: health and virtue.
Health is received through the vitality that the breathing and physical
exercises bring the body by developing the Chi (and medicinal practices such
as herbalism, tui na, acupuncture, etc.). Virtue is received, through the
promotion of spiritual pursuits that meditation, philosophy, and the
teaching of moral ethics bring the mind by developing the higher powers.
Together, they unite the two (body and mind) as one soul. As one can see,
through all of Shaolin's trials and tribulations, it has always continued to
evolve to fit the times and to teach those that have need of its lessons. By
practicing and mastering traditional kung-fu techniques and forms, we are
able to receive direct transmissions through time from the original fighting
monks of Shaolin. Few are lucky enough to have the opportunity to receive a
legacy that has been handed down generation by generation, person by person.
Salvatore Canzonieri © 1996.

 .......(gli  USA sono pieni di ingenui)........
Ciao Wong,
scusa il taglio deciso al tuo interessante msg, ma credo che non solo gli
Usa ma anche tutti gli altri Paesi del mondo abbiano degli ingenui nelle
loro anagrafi....
;-)))))))))))))))))))
Per quello che scrivi sui Monaci Shaolin sono completamente d'accordo con
te.
A presto.
            ----------OSS !!!-----------
               Maestro Mario Cosentino
                    Juko Junior Club
                           Milano
 
http://www.juko-junior-club.it
 
http://web.tiscalinet.it/MarioCosentino
               icq number 46225702
                      --------------

 ha scritto nel messaggio
news:8i7ilc$v1r$1...@pegasus.tiscalinet.it...

scusate ma esiste qualcuno che insegna lo stile di shaolin in modo
serio??????
Praticante di Karate Shotokan
penta...@altavista.com

serio??????
Probab. no perkč? :PPPPPP
RAGNO
Kenpo karate, ex karate shotokan, tai chi chuan yang 
e kungfu shaolin mei hua chuan, semi contact.

 Probab. no perkč? :PPPPPP
Probabilmente SI.
(perchč voglio sperarlo)
;-)


;-)
Appunto xkè lo si vorrebbe sperare... ;))))))))
( ma è l'unico motivo!!)


 ( ma è l'unico motivo!!)
No, Luca, non e' l'unico motivo.
Se mi avessero chiesto se esiste un buon Maestro di un'AM che conosco e
pratico ti avrei risposto senza incertezze.
Nel caso di un'AM che non conosco posso sperare (e ci credo fermamente anche
se non posso avere certezze) che esistano Maestri validi nell'insegnamento.
Del resto come si puo' essere certi del contrario.....???
Come dire, io conosco tutto cio' che avviene nel mondo (marziale).
Credo che sia impossibile.
IMHO.


Credo che sia impossibile.
Speren!! ;)))))))))
