"You'll find that many of the truths we cling to, depend entirely upon our point of view." - Obi Wan Ken-obi
The term Shaolin has been reinvented so many times over the centuries. It is now IMO a term used to embody all of the mythical abilities within TCMA training. The term is more an icon now, as opposed to the, who is and who isn't "real" Shaolin. There are current teachers in TCMA that I would consider to have excellent lineage. I think the point of this thread was to discuss what Shaolin means from your point of view. How has practicing what you consider to be "Shaolin" altered your approach to your training vs. say if you had studied traditional Muay Thai? Saying you are "Shaolin" is as much an inspirational practice, as it is a documented fact. But, this is just my point of view.