8 Step History

[Anarcho]

I was reading a site that had some information about the history of 8 Step and this section kind of threw me:

"As it is well know, there were no better martial artists than those that were to be found in the temples of Shaolin. So, during the mid-Autumn festival, Wang Lang set out for the Lao Shan mountains to challenge the monks of the Shaolin Temple. Upon his arrival, the first thing he saw were taoist monks practicing the art of boxing in the main plaza of the temple. "

Is this a standard account of the origins of 8 Step? I thought the monks at Shaolin were Chan Buddhists...Surely I haven't got that wrong, have I?

Soup is good food.

[EARTH DRAGON]

the lao shan mountains were mainly taoist up to the arrival of Damo in aprox.525 A.D who spread chan buddisim throughout china. So to answer your question there were many taoist at the shaolin temple when Wong Long first visited! I hope this clears up your confusion.

http://www.kungfuUSA.net

[Anarcho]

Sure does. Cheers. :)

Soup is good food.

[EARTH DRAGON]

just out of curiousity was it our website that you read? www.kungfuusa.net (http://www.kungfuusa.net) or does some other site besides my teacher have this history? very curiuos please get back thank you

http://www.kungfuUSA.net

[Anarcho]

Now that you mention it, it was your site...Can't remember how I happened across it. Nice site, though.

Soup is good food.

[EARTH DRAGON]

Thank you so much, my student worked very hard to bring my old fashion traditional butt into the future! and I commend him for it!

http://www.kungfuUSA.net

[kamakiri]

Laoshan Temple is located near Qingdao, Shandong Province.

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Mt. Laoshan, one of China's scenic mountains and famous for many Taoist temples, is located some thirty kilometers east of the coastal city of Qingdao. The whole area of the mountain is 300 square kilometers with the Huanghai Sea to its south. It was regarded as the "Home of Immortals" in ancient times, and has long been favored by Taoists and monks. Scattering on the mountain are nine palaces, eight scenic spots and 72 monasteries, making it the second largest Taoist center in the country.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shandong/qingdao/mt_laoshan.htm

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On the other hand, the Shaolin Monastery is located near Luoyang, Henan Province.

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Known worldwide as the cradle of Chinese martial arts, Shaolin Monastery is 80 kilometers southeast of Luoyang at the western edge of Mt. Songshan, the central of China's four sacred Taoist peaks. It can be reached in 3 hours on a country road through farming villages. But fame has brought change. Far from a remote and romantic retreat where the wisdom of the ages is passed from master to novice, it is a major tourist area, as well as a place of pilgrimage for monks and lay Buddhists. A training hall, where many foreign enthusiasts come to study, has been built next to the monastery. The founder of the monastery, the Indian monk Bodhidharma, reportedly sat facing the back wall of a cave and meditated for nine years. His silhouette is said to have been imprinted on the rock. Imperial sanction ensured the growth of Shaolin's reputation as a martial arts center.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/henan/luoyang/songshan_shaolin.htm