Shaolin Temple Myths

[Lama Pai Sifu]

Before any of you go any further about the Shaolin Temple, it's 5 ancestors who survived a fire, the styles taught there, etc., etc., I would all suggest that you read this book:

Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals
by Brain Kennedy and Elizabeth Gou

It is a very interesting read, and it chronicles Kung-Fu History from over 2,000 martial arts manuals that were passed down through generations of families -to a private collector in Taiwan.

The two authors, bring to light that the whole story of the Shaolin Temple, the one with the ancestors escaping and all the martial arts taught there, HAD NEVER BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE 1910 (I believe that is the date, or 1912).

Many historians at the time debunked this new story, but for some reason it stuck and got into movies and the rest is history (pun intended)

They site actual Shaolin manuals going back to the 1600 (and more current) that say that the temple only taught staff fighting.

The other side of this is that many rebels fleeing the government sought sanctuary in the temple and BROUGHT their martial arts in - they didn't originate there.

So if this is true, styles like Hung Ga, Choy Lay Fut, etc, don't really have origins in the Shaolin temple. That is not to say that they weren't refined, collaborated on and practiced there, possibly just that they temple is and was not all that everyone think it was.

An interesting read nonetheless. Sifu Ross recommended it to me several years ago and I've since turned many people on to it. I hope some of you read it.

The reason I'm posting this is because there are so many history arguments on here. Fact is, these manuals, these old family manuals tell a lot more accurate history than some of the current schools, websites and books.

Not looking to ruffle anyone feathers, just sharing some info that I have read.

[Sifu at Large]

I second the above. I bought this one about two months ago, and any self respecting Chinese martial arts practitioner should own and read this book.

[Mano Mano]

I came across some info a while back on the swordforum about how one of the famous generals of the Ming dynasty who fought against the Japanese pirates. When the general went to the temple he found martial arts being taught there however the empty hand martial arts there were the same styles that were being taught outside the temple & the Shaolin staff techniques didn’t impress him, I think he even taught & reintroduced staff fighting to the temple.

[lkfmdc]

This book is ESSENTIAL reading for anyone doing CMA. IT is excellent history and also refutes so much of the crap plaguing the arts

[sanjuro_ronin]

This one and the one " The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts by Meir Shahar".

[SimonM]

What surprises me is that people still believe histories that center Chinese martial arts at Shaolin.

(I am refering both to "Shaolin is birthplace of MA" and "India / Greece is birthplace of MA, Bodidharma brought MA to China which previously had none")

It's just not good anthropology.

People learned how to punch, kick, wrestle, stab, shoot and throw everywhere long before civilization developed. There is no one birthplace of Martial Arts.

[sanjuro_ronin]

What surprises me is that people still believe histories that center Chinese martial arts at Shaolin.

(I am refering both to "Shaolin is birthplace of MA" and "India / Greece is birthplace of MA, Bodidharma brought MA to China which previously had none")

It's just not good anthropology.

People learned how to punch, kick, wrestle, stab, shoot and throw everywhere long before civilization developed. There is no one birthplace of Martial Arts.

Correct, certainly one culture or country can pick up a few things from another that may be more "refined" in certain methods, or by seeing stuff on the battlefield, but the chances of a country having ZERO prior MA is almost zero.

[uki]

the biggest myth of the shaolin temples is that there are still monks there...