What was known about Shaolin Kung Fu prior to the 20th century?

[falkor]

I emailed Meir Shahar, the author of The Shaolin Monastery (first true academic work on the subject), but he was unable to answer my question about "Shaolin Quan" AKA Shaolin Kung Fu. My question is:

What is factually known about Shaolin Kung Fu prior to the 20th century from credible sources? In other words, without quoting unverified, legendary, mythical sources, what Shaolin techniques or styles can be listed with certainty, and did they include animal styles?

According to the book Shaolin Monastery, by 1904 the Shaolin Temple was in ruins and Kung Fu was no longer being practised there. In 1928 the temple burnt for the first time, for 40 days, and didn't really recover until the 1980s. Going back to the Ming-Qing transitional period hundreds of years earlier, Shahar attributes 2 known manuals to earliest Shaolin teachings at the monastery, which includes acupuncture and pressure points. Drunken style most likely originated at the temple as well.

However, between the Ming-Qing and 1904 there is no mention of what Shaolin Kung Fu actually was, though there are listed a number of martial arts styles that were developed in close proximity to the monastery, say about 30 miles away, and could have been developed at Shaolin, but there is no way of knowing for sure. One example was Tai Chi, which I heard closely resembles Shaolin Kung Fu. And a lot of the styles Shahar mentions got tied mythically to the Wudang legends.

I was reading that 18/72/108 Louhan technique was where the animal styles originated from, but do not know if this technique was listed in credible sources of the pre-20th century? In other words, how accurate is that claim? I'm worried it might be something to do with the South Shaolin Temple and other legends that cannot be proved? I know that researching in the other direction, Choy Li Fat, Hung Gar, Wing Chun doesn't factually take you back to Shaolin Kung Fu (whatever Shaolin Kung Fu really was; I know what it became). Was Five Ancestors/White Crane recorded as being taught at the monastery or originating there?

Lastly, does anyone know who was actually consulted during the creation of government sponsored Wu Shu after the Cultural Revolution? How much of competition Wu Shu was developed from traditional Wu Shu(a) and real Shaolin Kung Fu(b)? When did the Shaolin monks first tour the world? Obviously, it seems like there was a big break with training at the monastery between 1904 and the 1980s, and I think this might have had something to do with propaganda and installing a new Abbott there even though there hadn't been one for several hundred years? Shahar suggested that Gene Ching might be able to help with my queries about the modern history of Shaolin?

Any help would be much appreciated!

SUMMARY OF TOPIC (updated 30th December 2012)

MY QUESTION: What did pre-20th century Shaolin Kung Fu consist of as taught at the temple, and did it include animals styles? (credible sources only please)
ANSWER FROM SHAHAR: Earliest known styles taught at the temple: pressure points, plum flower fist, internal qi-circulation, drunken, Lost Track Fist. Nothing mentioned between Ming-Qing and 1904 except for styles taught in distant villages (compared the scale of today's villages)
ANSWER FROM THIS FORUM: Chang Quan (traditional only) broken down into small hong quan, big hong quan, and two roads hongquan, possibly Monkey style (that conversation is still in progress), Mantis style, Eagle (no details have yet been discussed on these possibilities or is inconclusive)

MY QUESTION: How was modern Wusu was formed and how does it compare to what the Shaolin monks were learning before? Who was consulted during it's creation and when did the monks first tour the world? Who studied traditional Wu Shu?
ANSWER FROM THIS FORUM: Wu Shu is categorised into several types Sanda (kickboxing) Wushu (competition), BiaoYan (performance) and Chuantong (traditional). Committee members have been named. Chang Quan is the base form. Books/magazine articles have been recommended by Gene Ching (and purchased). "Performance" created recently based on animal styles from Hong Kong Movies (southern)

GENERATED DISCUSSIONS: Were there gaps in the teachings at the temple during the 20th century? Did Shaolin Temple resemble a town with boundaries beyond its walls or is this a modern day commercial venture? Preserving manuals. RenDaHais's 2 previous masters: what they have taught him. Chang Quan as studied by RenDaHai in Song Shan. Did anyone migrate to other parts of China or Taiwan? Did the monks eat meat/drink wine or practise Drunken style? Did Shahar understand interplay between vilages and shaolin? RenDaHai's future video releases. Accuracy of oral traditions vs. written documents in the realm of scholarship. Do the Shaolin monks practise now what they did back in the day? Have any styles been lost? When was the Shaolin Temple burnt/destroyed? Similarities between Chang Quan and other styles taught in the north (and to a lesser extent the south; ChoyLiFut being the most similar). Chairman Mao. Kung Fu ban. The 1930s. South Shaolin Temple/Fujian or centralised zen temple under another name. Comparing today's Kung Fu styles. Does a native know more about history of his area compared to a foreigner? Shahar's agenda/scope and accuracy of his work. Were the 5 animals ever part of the Song Shan teachings? Do old maps exist of China? The lack of falkor's sources. Animal styles that imitate and those that are just named after animals. Accuracy/language of the naming of styles. Jet Li's Shaolin Temple and the lack of animal styles. So called Grandmasters of Shaolin Kung Fu and how they got the title. Confusion over northern/southern origins of styles. Kenpo. How long did it take for 1500 forms to evolve? How long did it take for the monks to learn performance (based on southern styles as seen in the movies)? Philosphy of Chan. Are we wasting energy writing/explaining things here? Bak Siu Lum and northern Shaolin. LKL and his plum flower fist. The science of history. Natives of the temple area vs. visitors in context of entry to the temple and study of Shaolin Kung Fu. The significance of roads and villages.

IMAGES: One photo of the Shaolin Temple without any caption. Jet Li's Shaolin Temple pressbook. Pictures of Chang Quan techniques.

VIDEOS: Videos of traditional Chang Quan as RenDaHai learnt in Song Shan villages. Videos of different types of Wushu.