While we're on the subject....
Has anyone ever read The Shaolin Grandmaster's Textbook?
I agree with some of it...but some of it seems a little prejudiced, despite the constant retractions. Does anyone know anything about the Order of Shaolin Chan, formerly NYC, now in Oregon?
Gene? God among mortals...creme de la creme.....
God among mortals? creme de la creme?
I'm glad to hear our latest Shaolin special was a catalyst for thought, The Xia. That's exactly what we shoot for around here, that and newsstand viability, of course. Let me tell you - this was our 8th Shaolin special, and I'm still no closer to solving the question you pose. What is the Shaolin ideal? Might as well ask 'what is the American ideal?' One thing is certain. Shaolin, like America, is huge, both literally and conceptually. It's many things to many people. I think we all find our own answers to that question of ideals.
I also think that the mistake most people make about Shaolin is in the 'ideal'. They visualize it as some ideal, idyllic place, some promised land of martial arts like what we see in the movies. The reality is quite different. So is the history. Shaolin has always been extremely 'colorful'. I think a lot of people get their ideal fantasy shattered when they actually experience it, and thus we get a lot of detractors. But there again, even detractors have been a part of Shaolin history for centuries - for longer than America has been a nation actually. Perhaps that puts my earlier comment about how huge Shaolin is conceptually into some context.
Shaolin Wookie: We discussed the Shaolin Grandmaster's text a long time ago here.
Hmm...this has really gotten me thinking
I have a hypothetical, and I'm sure I'll catch flack for it because I'm associated with the SD (PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT ABOUT SD nor a vehicle for it--....but here goes....
Okay, let's say I've studied Chan buddhism of the Mahayana path for a long time, meditate every day, am not a vegetarian, and then got into a martial art to keep in shape and learn a thing or two about self-defense and physical self-expression (ala Bruce Lee). Let's say, for the sake of the hypothetical, I choose to practice some kind of Japanese Karate. It doesn't matter what kind.
Now, Shaolin kung-fu grew out of a Buddhist monastery...and I highly doubt it was started by a bunch of soldiers who wanted to study buddhism (if the Bodhidharma story is a myth, which it probably is). The martial arts they taught kept them in shape, and weren't really meant for war--just preservation (from bandits, health, from animals, etc). Are the movements themselves that important? Chi flow is important--but then a lot of katas from Japanese martial arts mimick CMA forms, even though they have a different source of power at times (much harder/external). But Shaolin arts were originally nothing more than exercise (and this isn't really that hotly debated). So, if I'm practicing this Japanese Karate day in and day out as a part of my routine, and get the same benefit from them that the Shaolin monks did--physically/mentally/spiritually---, am I really that much different? This, I think, gets to the root of what is really SHaolin....is it the spirit of the martial art, or is it the spirit of the philosophy/religion, or is it both?
Or, let's take this viewpoint: Let's say I study Tai Chi (or any Taoist art-Pa Hsien, Pa Kua), and recieve great benefits in the form of concentration and chi flow, does it make it less "Shaolin"?--assuming I'm still that Chan guy...
This isn't about masquerading as a Shaolin monk---I think every American (authentic Chinese immigrant Master or McDojo) who does that nowadays is missing the point. The Xia usually has really good things to say--as do many of the posters on this thread....I wanna know your opinions, just out of the spirit of sharing knowledge/experience...
Personally, if a guy found a way to balance Mahayana Chan of a Shaolin sort, was a regular/successful meditator, and threw Kempo into the mix, practiced a peaceful life, and was an all-around stand up guy with a quiet voice and a strong fist.....I don't think I'd have a really big gripe about calling him Shaolin in the long run, just as long as he never said he practiced TCMA and tried to run a profit on false lineages. He could practice Yoga for all I care, or even Tae Bo--so long as he's not Billy Blanks (I accidentally sat through one of his movies on cable on a saturday afternoon when I was sick, and I still blame him for it)...hehe:D
What's yall's take on this?
PS, that last question isn't referring to the Billy Blanks reference....:cool: