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Thread: Shaolin Body Armor

  1. #1
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    Shaolin Body Armor

    I've been researching Wudang and Daoist thought of late and I came across a story of famous Wudang monk who wore a shirt of armor underneath his robes and it got me thinking, I've seen vamp-braces or forearm armor depicted in Chinese martial arts over the years but did the Shaolin Monks use or wear armor of any kind? At some point they did serve as Imperial body guards.

    I know there is a practice of body hardening, various "Iron Vest/shirt", Gene's favorite "Iron Sphinctor" etc...

    Does anyone know what types of armor they may have used?

    If they didn't wear it, how did they fair in pitched battles against armored soldiers? Why wouldn't they wear it? Is it against their vows as a Monk?
    "if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang

    "I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake

    "Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost

  2. #2
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    i can only assume but i think that yes, any modern equipment would be implimented if the activity demanded it. i think it was bawang that posted a picture of the shaolin musket unit.
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  3. #3
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    I beg to differ

    Quote Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer View Post
    Gene's favorite "Iron Sphinctor" etc...
    If there's any orifice to iron-ize, the sphincter would not be on top of my list.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    If there's any orifice to iron-ize, the sphincter would not be on top of my list.
    well - what is your favorite orifice to iron-ize?
    Last edited by MightyB; 06-12-2012 at 12:30 PM. Reason: clarification

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by MightyB View Post
    well - what is your favorite orifice to iron-ize?
    apparently he has a list.
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lucas View Post
    apparently he has a list.
    There are things that mortal man should not know...
    Psalms 144:1
    Praise be my Lord my Rock,
    He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !

  7. #7
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    errr

    it's a shame you cannot unread what has been read and written!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    If there's any orifice to iron-ize, the sphincter would not be on top of my list.
    This begs the question...what is on the top of your list? I guess they only iron-ize appendages.

    Gene you haven't heard of or know any Shaolin Monks to have used armor?

    Quote Originally Posted by MightyB View Post
    well - what is your favorite orifice to iron-ize?
    Well I can tell you Iron Vulva is not something you want face in the heat of battle.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucas View Post
    apparently he has a list.
    This is disturbing on many levels...

    This thread went down hill fast and Bawang hasn't even posted.
    "if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang

    "I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake

    "Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer View Post
    This thread went down hill fast and Bawang hasn't even posted.
    What can we say? You're KFM peers are a classy bunch.
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  10. #10
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    during wars monk soldiers wore the standard armor of the times. in medieval times they wore armor, in modern times they wore western style uniforms.
    Last edited by bawang; 06-12-2012 at 08:04 PM.

    Honorary African American
    grandmaster instructor of Wombat Combat The Lost Art of Anal Destruction™®LLC .
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  11. #11
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    Do you think we should market Shaolin body armor?

    I can't say I've seen that many examples of monks wearing armor beyond vambraces. And I suspect that's a modern accessory. There were surely individual examples of Shaolin graduates armoring up, but that's not the standard.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucas View Post
    apparently he has a list.
    Doesn't everyone?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    If there's any orifice to iron-ize, the sphincter would not be on top of my list.
    Is it too soon for a Jerry Sandusky joke?

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by MightyB View Post
    Is it too soon for a Jerry Sandusky joke?
    Only if it's in bad taste...I saw about a 100 of them already following the articles about his trial. That dude is not going to be happy for the next 500yrs following his sentencing.
    "if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang

    "I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake

    "Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost

  14. #14
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    Lets go a step further...

    So Iron-Izing your body...how effective is it? Could it stop a real sharp edged weapon attack?? I can see the value against blunt force strikes...staff, clubs, hand and foot strikes. I've done some minor training in this with CLF and see the value in it.

    I always thought the pressing spear points and taking short sword strikes to the skin during martial arts demonstrations as mostly a parlor trick and not proof the "Iron" body conditioning will actually stop an edged weapon strike.

    I see 'Iron' training as more of an offensive enhancement, building up calcium deposits on your bone surfaces...hands, knuckles, fingers, chins and skull.
    "if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang

    "I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake

    "Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost

  15. #15
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    you answered your own question

    Honorary African American
    grandmaster instructor of Wombat Combat The Lost Art of Anal Destruction™®LLC .
    Senior Business Director at TEAM ASSHAMMER consulting services ™®LLC

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