Was there really a Southern Shaolin Temple?

[bredmond812]

Hello y'all.

I was surfing another forum (Emptyflower if you must know), and I saw a thread that got hijacked into a discussion of whether or not there was really a southern shaolin temple or not. My question is whether anybody has any knowledge regarding the existence of a shaolin Temple prior to the building of one within the last few decades. If there wasnt one, where does the Southern Shaolin Kungfu method come from?

[Shaolin Wookie]

Why not? Was it a large stone structure with a lot of hype around it? I doubt it. More than likely, it was a village which harbored itenerant monks, and there was a kind of commerce of martial knowledge. Then again, there may have been a temple or school of some kind. My main system of study claims descent from the Southern Temple.

Who knows? I've heard convincing evidence from skeptics and historians on the Southern Temple's existence.

[tattooedmonk]

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The styles of the South Shaolin lineage have a reputation for their great effectiveness and power. This article gives an insight into what has made them this way, tracing their history to the legendary burning of the South Shaolin Temple in Fujian Province.


This article is not about any particular style within the South Shaolin family of martial arts, of which there are hundreds, and it is not meant as any kind of practical guide. Instead it is about the place and time that shaped these styles into what they are today.


Some would argue that martial arts are about action, not history – who cares where a style comes from if it is effective, right?


Wrong. In Chinese culture and in the East as a whole, heritage and ancestry are of paramount importance. In fact knowledge of and veneration for your ancestors is the greatest virtue in the Confucian canon and so it is in the martial arts world.


In practical terms this is embodied in the concept of a pattern. A pattern can be seen as an exercise in grounding yourself in certain basic principles, it can be seen as a form of shadow boxing, but it is also a method of transmitting the style’s heritage. This is best understood if you see a pattern as an object of art that has been crafted by each successive generation of masters, all of whom have left their unique signature on it. A skilled eye can see these signature features and trace the movements being performed back to the style’s originator. This is why patterns are so jealously guarded in China: they are the equivalent of the family silver!


Why such a long introduction? Because South Shaolin is unique in the world of Chinese martial arts. Being “martial” it is not surprising that styles are often created in times of violence and war, but no other style or family of styles can claim such a bloody and violent birth as the South Shaolin lineage.


There were actually not just one but three South Shaolin Temples, all located in different areas of Fujian Province:

The oldest was the Putian Temple, established in 557 AD, just 61 years after the mother temple in North China’s Henan Province.

The next was the Quanzhou Temple, established in the 9th century AD, after the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty sent a group of Shaolin monks south to protect the Fujianese coast from attacks by pirates.

The third Shaolin Temple was in Fuqing and was likely established at some point during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD)



History is confused about these three temples. It is not certain whether they existed all at the same time, or succeeded each other, or even which one of the three was the South Shaolin Temple immortalised in martial arts legend.


There is a good reason why this is so, for during the Qing Dynasty the South Shaolin Temple was destroyed so completely that not a single stone was left standing and the majority of historical records about it were burned. It can not even be verified when this took place: records are split between the dates 1674 and 1734, although the latter date is more probable.


Whenever it happened, the episode is one of the most important in the history of Chinese Martial Arts. It became a watershed, with styles created afterwards being distinctly different from all those that came before. The burning of the temple also entered folklore and became a subject of countless novels, plays and films. As such most people in the West, who know anything about Chinese Martial Arts, know about it (although they usually and mistakenly associate the burning with the Northern Temple on Songshan).


So why was the South Shaolin Temple burned down?


The reason has to do with invasion and rebellion and the all out war that was breaking out across the southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian at that time.


Only a few decades prior, in 1644, China was at its lowest ebb. The Ming Dynasty that had ruled for three hundred years was weak, bloated and autocratic, the country was torn apart by rebellions and the last Emperor of the Ming committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on a hill overlooking the Forbidden Palace. At this time China was invaded by the Manchu, a people whose homeland was to the North East of China’s traditional borders. It was in no condition to offer up any effective resistance against the invaders and within a few years most of China was under Manchu control – the Manchu Qing Dynasty began.


Only in the border provinces was there still resistance to the Manchu. Fujian, by virtue of its distance from the capital, its mountainous terrain and a long coast line, became the frontline in the resistance. At first this resistance was open, with the General Koxinga launching counterattacks against the Manchu strongholds further north, but by 1661, after suffering heavy defeats on the mainland, Koxinga retreated to Taiwan.


After his withdrawal resistance to the Manchu went underground and countless secret societies formed under the motto “Kill the Qing. Bring back the Ming.” Many of these societies had strong links with the South Shaolin Temple.


It is not surprising that the Shaolin Temple gave support to the rebels. In those days temples were political and military as well as religious institutions and Shaolin in particular had strong links to the Imperial Throne (ever since a thousand years previously a group of Shaolin monks saved the life of the second Emperor of the Tang Dynasty) and so it would be natural for the Temple to offer aid to remnants of the Ming Dynasty.


Here too there are contradicting stories. According to some, South Shaolin Temple offered protection to many rebel officers of the Ming, who enrolled in the temple as lay students after being defeated by the Qing. Other accounts say that after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty the monks at first tried to build bridges with the new Dynasty and even sent some of its fighters to support Qing troops in a campaign in the far west of China, but the only outcome of this was that the new masters of China became fearful of the temple’s power and influence.


Which ever is the case (and quite possibly the wily abbots were playing both sides at least in the beginning) the Manchu decided that the South Shaolin Temple was a threat to their rule and ordered for it to be burned and raised to the ground. Most of the monks the Manchu could lay their hands on were butchered. According to legend only five escaped – the five ancestors – though of course the open door nature of the Shaolin Temple meant that even if only five masters escaped on the night, there would have been hundreds around who had studied in the temple at some point before the destruction took place.


After the temple’s destruction, the survivors suddenly found themselves being driven underground, for the Manchu placed a prohibition on the open practice of martial arts. From this moment on martial arts in the South of China started to change and develop their own distinctive characteristics.


Demand for fighting skills was high in these dangerous times while at the same time enforced secrecy meant that there was less communication and cooperation between different masters across the province. In this environment hundreds of new styles were created, as each master was forced to set up on his or her own. Some of these styles, such as White Crane, Dog Style and the Five Ancestors Fist became widespread, gaining hundreds of followers. Others became closed family styles, transmitted in secrecy from father to son. This was far safer in a world where the mere act of practising your style could get you into trouble with the Manchu authorities.


In general these new styles emphasised simplicity and efficiency of movement, coupled with high destructive power. A student would want to get to a point where he could do some damage as soon as possible in his training, not knowing when his life might depend upon it. Harsh foundation training or Gong Fu was a key part of each style, building up the body to the point where it could generate and handle maximum power fast. As the saying goes: “In Fujian Shaolin no move without use.”


Practising in secret had its own results. For one thing, traditional military weapons were no longer allowed (at least in the open), so farming and other everyday tools were put to good use and new patterns were developed specifically for them. Another result was a general shortening of patterns – as training was often done behind closed doors where space and time were at a premium.


The fighters of the 18th and 19th centuries in South China did not just have the resistance to the Manchu to contend with. This was a period of great hardship and famines, communal strife and religious cults. The Taiping Rebellion in the mid 19th century, to name but one, is estimated to have cost over 20 million lives.


It is not surprising therefore that so many of the best known styles of traditional wushu practised today have their origins in this period and draw their lineage ultimately to the South Shaolin Temple. It is purely the law of supply and demand, tough times make for the best fighters.


Watch for the distinguishing features of the Southern Shaolin Styles: low powerful stances, fast and efficient arm movements, low kicks, a great emphasis on power generation and force spreading and by extension on breathing techniques, short, compact patterns. Then compare with a northern style, for example Chang Quan, to see the differences.

[bakxierboxer]

Thanks, this seems to be a rather nice synopsis.

Pete

[Vajramusti]

A good essay indeed.


joy chaudhuri

[brothernumber9]

perhaps but far too long and unsubstantiated. In addition, there was some guy who has been doing specific research on the existence of 'a' or 'the' souther shaolin temple and has published a few articles, a few even through Kungfu/Wushu/Qigong (pick your title) magazine.

I am too lazy to dig up the old threads, but Gene could probably say the guy's name from memory. I could be wrong but I think maybe the guy was Indian? (from India that is).

[ittokaos]

Good Afternoon,

His name is Meir Shahar if I'm not mistaken (whcih I occasionally am). He is also to be publishing a book on everything Shaolin. I think it is to come out later this year.


I hope this helps,

WF

ps. If anyone has more info on Mr. Shahar's book I would greatly appreciate it(due date, prices,etc...) Thanks!

[Mega-Foot]

So far as I know, there were four temples: Hunan, Fujien, Omei, and the East Northeastern Temple.

[The Willow Sword]

Was There Really a Southern Shaolin Temple?

Well.."kung fu" the tv series told us that there was. The plethera of chop sockey films from the late 70's told us there was.

The " You know Who" People surely believe it. Who are WE to deny anyone the belief in something that may or may not have existed? Wouldnt be very "American" of us if we did right?

Peace,TWS

[Shaolinlueb]

from what i have read in the past. there might not have been one major temple in the south, but a lot of different small ones.

[Sal Canzonieri]

I wrote a lot about the southern shaolin AFFLIATED temples, there does seem to be archeological evidence that has been found,

You can read all about it here:

http://www.naturalcma.bgtent.com/CMAarticle13.htm

[tattooedmonk]

There was at least 12 known affiliated temples . Thanks Sal, great article.

[tattooedmonk]

Was There Really a Southern Shaolin Temple?

Well.."kung fu" the tv series told us that there was. The plethera of chop sockey films from the late 70's told us there was.

The " You know Who" People surely believe it. Who are WE to deny anyone the belief in something that may or may not have existed? Wouldnt be very "American" of us if we did right?

Peace,TWS

Dude , I am really interested in your issue with "The You know who guys." If you want, PM me to fill me in.

[David Jamieson]

"where is the temple"

"it is within you"

"how do i get there"

"follow the way"

"where is the way"

"the way is on"

[ablinkin]

http://www.hungkuen.net/history-riddleofshaolin.htm

this site it the "official" site of Lam Cho and Lam Chun Sing (masters of Hung Gar)

fairly interesting read