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55-618: Shorinji Kempo ( 少林寺拳法 , shōrinji-kempō , meaning "Shaolin Temple Fist Method" or "Shaolin Temple Kenpo") is claimed to be a modified version of Shaolin Kung Fu (using the same kanji ). It was established in 1947 by Doshin So ( 宗 道臣 , Sō Dōshin ) , a Japanese martial artist and former military intelligence agent, who combined his quanfa and jujutsu practice. Nippon Kempo (日本拳法)

110-528: A distinct but related art within their association. This can be illustrated by the official full name of Motobu-ryu style named as "Nihon Denryu Heiho Motobu Kenpo" ("Japan's traditional tactics Motobu Kenpo") and by the International Shorin-ryu Karate Kobudo Federation, where Shōrin-ryū is the actual karate style practiced, whereas "hakutsuru kenpo", or "hakutsuru kenpo karate" is a related but distinctive style also taught by

165-447: A few forms . To learn a complete system, Shaolin monks master a number of styles and weapons. The most famous styles of Shaolin kung fu are: and many other styles. Huang Zongxi described martial arts in terms of Shaolin or "external" arts versus Wudang or internal arts in 1669. It has been since then that Shaolin has been popularly synonymous for what are considered the external Chinese martial arts, regardless of whether or not

220-702: A generic name, it may be used to cover various styles of wrestling practiced in China in the form of a martial arts system or a sport. The art was introduced to Southern China in the Republican era (see Republic of China (1912–1949) ) after 1911. Over 6,000 years ago, the earliest Chinese term for wrestling, jiaodi (Chinese: 角抵 ; pinyin: jǐaodǐ ; lit. 'horn butting'), refers to an ancient style of military kung fu in which soldiers wore horned headgear with which they attempted to butt, throw and defeat their enemies. Ancient Chinese legends talk about

275-675: A memorisation tool to the student. Shaolin Kung Fu Shaolin kung fu ( Chinese : 少林功夫 ; pinyin : Shǎolín gōngfū ), also called Shaolin Wushu ( 少林武術 ; Shǎolín wǔshù ), or Shaolin quan ( 少林拳 ; Shàolínquán ), is the largest and most famous style of kung fu. It combines Chan philosophy and martial arts . It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in Henan , China during its 1500-year history. In Chinese folklore there

330-516: A result, it has enjoyed vast oral circulation and is one of the most "sacred" of the narratives shared within Chinese and Chinese-derived martial arts. That this story is clearly a twentieth-century invention is confirmed by writings going back at least 250 years earlier, which mention both Bodhidharma and martial arts but make no connection between the two. During the short period of the Sui dynasty (581–618),

385-579: A signal tower, as well as establishing a prefecture called Yuanzhou. Furthermore, he had assembled an army at Luoyang to march on the Shaolin Temple itself. The monks of Shaolin allied with Wang's enemy, Li Shimin, and took back the Cypress Valley Estate, defeating Wang's troops and capturing his nephew Renze. Without the fort at Cypress Valley, there was nothing to keep Li Shimin from marching on Luoyang after his defeat of Wang's ally Dou Jiande at

440-470: A strategy. In Shaolin, closely related forms are coupled together, and these couples are called the small and the big forms, like the small and big hong quan, which altogether make the Shaolin hong quan style, and the small and big pao quan, etc. There are also some styles with one form, like taizu chang quan. These styles each teach a unique strategy. Shaolin kung fu has more than hundreds of extant styles. There

495-453: Is a saying, "Shaolin kung fu is the best under heaven," which indicates its superiority among martial arts, and "All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin," which indicates its influence on other martial arts. The name Shaolin is also used as a brand for the so-called external styles of kung fu. Many styles in southern and northern China use the name Shaolin. Chinese historical records, like Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue ,

550-488: Is even documented in the Chinese Buddhist canon . Bodhidharma is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China , and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch . In Japan, he is known as Daruma. The idea that Bodhidharma founded martial arts at the Shaolin Temple was spread in the 20th century, however, this idea came from a debunked apocryphal 17th century legend that claimed Bodhidharma taught

605-409: Is one of the styles used by Mortal Kombat protagonist Liu Kang . His Pao Chui, Choy Lay Fut, Monkey Fist, and Dragon moves derive from Shaolin kung fu. Shaolin monks (referred to simply as "monks" in-game) appear in the roguelike game NetHack , along with samurai . They are one of the two roles to use martial arts skills, with monks having the most powerful martial arts skills in the game. In

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660-498: Is recorded documentation of more than a thousand extant forms, which makes Shaolin the biggest school of martial art in the world. In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Shaolin monks chose 100 of the best styles of Shaolin kung fu. Then they shortlisted the 18 most famous of them. However, every lineage of Shaolin monks have always chosen their own styles. Every style teaches unique methods for fighting ( 散打 ; sàndǎ ) and keeping health via one or

715-679: Is the most prominent name in the Mitose lineage. A student of Chow in Hawaii for nearly six years, Parker moved to the US mainland to attend Brigham Young University. In 1957, he began teaching the kenpo that he had learned from Chow, and throughout his life modified and refined the art until it became Ed Parker's American Kenpo. It employs a blend of circular movements and hard linear movements. Parker created techniques with names such as Thundering Hammers , Five Swords , Prance Of The Tiger , and Flashing Mace to provide

770-611: Is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling wushu style of Beijing , Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the North China Plain which was codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excellency in Catching) of the Nei Wu Fu (内務府, Internal Administration Unit of Imperial Household Department). In modern usage it is also the general Mandarin Chinese term for any form of wrestling , both inside and outside China. As

825-879: Is unlike this. Strive for quiescence of body, mind and intention. Some lineages of karate have oral traditions that claim Shaolin origins. Martial arts traditions in Japan , Korea , Sri Lanka and certain Southeast Asian countries cite Chinese influence as transmitted by Buddhist monks. Recent developments in the 20th century such as Shorinji Kempo ( 少林寺拳法 ) practised in Japan's Sohonzan Shorinji ( 金剛禅総本山少林寺 ) still maintains close ties with China's Song Shan Shaolin Temple due to historic links. Japanese Shorinji Kempo Group received recognition in China in 2003 for their financial contributions to

880-635: The Battle of Hulao , forcing Wang Shichong to surrender. Li Shimin's father was the first Tang Emperor and Shimin himself became its second . Thereafter Shaolin enjoyed the royal patronage of the Tang. Though the Shaolin Monastery Stele of 728 attests to these incidents in 610 and 621 when the monks engaged in combat, it does not allude to martial training in the monastery, or to any fighting technique in which its monks specialized. Nor do any other sources from

935-762: The Bibliographies in the Book of the Han Dynasty, the Records of the Grand Historian, and other sources document the existence of martial arts in China for thousands of years. For example, the Chinese martial art of wrestling, Shuai Jiao , predates the establishment of Shaolin temple by several centuries. Since Chinese monasteries were large landed estates that made a considerable regular income, monks required some form of protection. Historical discoveries indicate that, even before

990-499: The Bodhisattva Vajrapani 's " Kinnara King" form as the progenitor of their staff and bare hand fighting styles. From the 8th to the 15th centuries, no extant source documents Shaolin participation in combat; then the 16th and 17th centuries see at least forty extant sources attest that, not only did monks of Shaolin practice martial arts, but martial practice had become such an integral element of Shaolin monastic life that

1045-458: The spear , and with the weapon that was the forte of the Shaolin monks and for which they had become famous, the staff . By the mid-16th century military experts from all over Ming China were travelling to Shaolin to study its fighting techniques. Around 1560 Yu Dayou travelled to Shaolin Monastery to see for himself its monks' fighting techniques, but found them disappointing. Yú returned to

1100-689: The Great Wall, to hold this event. In the event the Inner-Eurasian heritage of the Manchus would be celebrated and Inner-Eurasian subjects of the Manchus, mainly Mongolic, Turkic and Tibetan lords would be invited to join the Great Khan in the festivities. Zhao Yi records that the Mulan hunts were organised so frequently "to subjugate all Mongols, make them harbour fear [our] might and respect [our] virtue, [by] repressing

1155-685: The Nanjing Chief Military Commission, initiated the conscription of monks—including some from Shaolin—against the pirates. Warrior monks participated in at least four battles: at the Hangzhou Bay in spring 1553 and in the Huangpu River delta at Wengjiagang in July 1553, Majiabang in spring 1554, and Taozhai in autumn 1555. The monks suffered their greatest defeat at Taozhai, where four of them fell in battle; their remains were buried under

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1210-603: The Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender , the practice of "firebending" is based on Shaolin moves. The ABC TV series Kung Fu (1972-1974) starring David Carradine as a fugitive Shaolin monk traveling the Western United States in search of his brother helped to popularize Shaolin Kung Fu with the general American TV audience. Shuai Jiao Shuai jiao ( Chinese : 摔跤 or 摔角 ; pinyin : Shuāijiāo ; Wade–Giles : Shuai-chiao )

1265-541: The Original Shaolin Staff Method was written in around 1610 and published in 1621 from what its author Chéng Zōngyóu learned during a more than ten-year stay at the monastery. Conditions of lawlessness in Henan —where the Shaolin Monastery is located—and surrounding provinces during the late Ming dynasty and all of the Qing dynasty contributed to the development of martial arts. Meir Shahar lists

1320-568: The Shanpuying (Manchu: buku kifu kvwaran). This was an institution dedicated to training wrestlers. The camp was located in Beijing and counted 300 members, of which 50 were archers, 50 were riders and the remaining 200 were wrestlers. The camp was split into two wings, left and right, based on which way the direction the camps are located from the perspective of the Imperial Palace. Each of the wings

1375-708: The Stūpa of the Four Heroic Monks ( Si yi seng ta ) at Mount She near Shanghai . The monks won their greatest victory at Wengjiagang. On 21 July 1553, 120 warrior monks led by the Shaolin monk Tianyuan defeated a group of pirates and chased the survivors over ten days and twenty miles. The pirates suffered over one hundred casualties and the monks only four. Not all of the monks who fought at Wengjiagang were from Shaolin, and rivalries developed among them. Zheng chronicles Tianyuan's defeat of eight rival monks from Hangzhou who challenged his command. Zheng ranked Shaolin first of

1430-467: The Sui dynasty. Like most dynastic changes, the end of the Sui dynasty was a time of upheaval and contention for the throne. The oldest evidence of Shaolin participation in combat is a stele from 728 that attests to two occasions: a defense of the monastery from bandits around 610 and their role in the defeat of Wang Shichong at the Battle of Hulao in 621. Wang Shichong declared himself Emperor. He controlled

1485-400: The Tang, Song and Yuan periods allude to military training at the temple. According to Meir Shahar , this is explained by a confluence of the late Ming fashion for military encyclopedias and, more importantly, the conscription of civilian irregulars, including monks, as a result of Ming military decline in the 16th century. Stele and documentary evidence shows the monks historically worshiped

1540-574: The Tianqiao Wrestling School, a prominent wrestling school in Beijing, which gained great popularity in Beijing. This kind of wrestling was unique as it was a blend between the comedic performance art xiangsheng (相声; crosstalk) and wrestling, creating a form of comedic performance wrestling art known as wuxiangsheng (武相声; martial crosstalk). Wrestling made its way into the Central Guoshu Institute by way of Ma Liang, who wrote

1595-572: The association. Both the "n" and "m" romanizations are used by various groups. Kenpo has also been used as a name for multiple martial arts that developed in Hawaii due to cross-cultural exchange between practitioners of Okinawan martial arts , Chinese martial arts , Filipino martial arts , and Japanese martial arts among other influences. In the United States , kenpo is often referred to as Kenpo Karate . The most widespread styles have their origin in

1650-585: The author as an "ignorant village master." Even then, the association of Bodhidharma with martial arts only became widespread as a result of the 1904–1907 serialization of the novel The Travels of Lao Ts'an in Illustrated Fiction Magazine : One of the most recently invented and familiar of the Shaolin historical narratives is a story that claims that the Indian monk Bodhidharma, the supposed founder of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism, introduced boxing into

1705-629: The body. These exercises are altogether called the 72 arts in the folklore. However the actual exercises are not actually countable. Combat skills ( 拳法 ; quánfǎ ), including techniques, tactics, and strategies for barehanded, weapon, and barehanded vs. weapon situations. Kung fu teaches techniques for both defense and offense. Defensive techniques are mostly four types, dodge, block, catch, and parry, and offensive techniques are feint, hit, lock, and throw. Shaolin kung fu teaches all these types of techniques. In kung fu, techniques are taught via two-person practices. In these practices, one party attacks and

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1760-400: The building blocks of Shaolin kung fu took an official form, and Shaolin monks began to create fighting systems of their own. The 18 methods of Luohan with a strong Buddhist flavour were practiced by Shaolin monks since this time, which was later used to create more advanced Shaolin martial arts. Shaolin monks had developed very powerful martial skills, and this showed itself towards the end of

1815-504: The establishment of Shaolin temple, monks had been armed and also practiced martial arts. In 1784 the Boxing Classic: Essential Boxing Methods made the earliest extant reference to the Shaolin Monastery as Chinese boxing's place of origin. This is, however, a misconception, but even the fact that such a mistake could be made helps to show the historical importance of Shaolin kung fu. In 495 AD, Shaolin temple

1870-408: The first Chinese shuai jiao competition was held in 1935. The art continues to be taught in the police and military academies of China. The word " shuai " ( 摔 ), stands for "to throw onto the ground", while " jiao " may be one of two characters: the first and older, 角 , stands for " horns " and the second and recent, 跤, stands for "wrestle or trip using the legs". In modern Chinese shuai jiao

1925-637: The first wrestling manual in China. Shuai jiao was henceforth formalised in 1917 through the manual Zhonghua Xin Wushu (中華新武術; New Chinese Martial Arts) written by Ma Liang, which was disseminated by the educational department of the Republican Government. This formalised style has been taught in schools since 1928. The term " shuai jiao " was chosen by the Central Guoshu Institute in 1928 when competition rules were standardized . Subsequently,

1980-456: The head and have them submit so that they do not dare to have [ill] intentions." After the fall of the Qing dynasty, many of the former members of the Shanpuying were forced to make a living teaching wrestling or by busking on the streets. For example, the progenitor of Beijing wrestling was an instructor of the Shanpuying known as Wan Baye (宛八爷), or Wan Yongshun (宛永顺). Wan Yongshun was the founder of

2035-658: The legendary deity Yellow Emperor who commanded soldiers who used these techniques. In later times, young people would play a similar game, emulating the contests of domestic cattle, without the headgear. Jiaodi has been described as an originating source of wrestling and latter forms of martial arts in China . jiao li was first referenced in the Classic of Rites during the Zhou dynasty . Jiao li supplemented throwing techniques with strikes , blocks , joint locks and attacks on pressure points . These exercises were practiced in

2090-579: The maintenance of the historic edifice of the Song Shan Shaolin Temple. Several films have been produced, particularly during the 70s and early 80s, about Shaolin kung fu. Films such as 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Shaolin Temple, and Shaolin Wooden Men. Modern films include Shaolin Soccer and Shaolin. Shaolin has influenced numerous rappers, notably the members of Wu-Tang Clan . Shaolin kung fu

2145-453: The manual traces this succession from Bodhidharma to the Chinese general Li Jing via "a chain of Buddhist saints and martial heroes." The work itself is full of anachronistic mistakes and even includes a popular character from Chinese fiction, the 'Qiuran Ke' ('Bushy Bearded Hero') ( 虬髯客 ), as a lineage master. Scholar-officials as far back as the Qing dynasty have taken note of these mistakes. The scholar Ling Tinkang (1757–1809) described

2200-484: The martial arts tai chi , Chang Family Boxing, Baguaquan , Xingyi quan and bajiquan as originating from this region and this time period. From the 1540s to the 1560s, pirates known as wokou raided China 's eastern and southeastern coasts on an unprecedented scale. The geographer Zheng Ruoceng provides the most detailed of the 16th-century sources which confirm that, in 1553, Wan Biao, Vice Commissioner in Chief of

2255-464: The monastery as a form of exercise around a.d. 525. This story first appeared in a popular novel, The Travels of Lao T'san , published as a series in a literary magazine in 1907. This story was quickly picked up by others and spread rapidly through publication in a popular contemporary boxing manual, Secrets of Shaolin Boxing Methods, and the first Chinese physical culture history published in 1919. As

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2310-467: The monks felt the need to justify it by creating new Buddhist lore. References to Shaolin martial arts appear in various literary genres of the late Ming: the epitaphs of Shaolin warrior monks, martial-arts manuals, military encyclopedias, historical writings, travelogues, fiction, and even poetry. These sources, in contrast to those from the Tang dynasty period, refer to Shaolin methods of combat unarmed, with

2365-573: The monks philosophies of Chan Buddhism , in which the monks were then able to use these philosophies to create their own combat techniques of Shaolin kung fu. The idea of Bodhidharma influencing Shaolin boxing is based on a Qigong manual written during the 17th century. This is when a Taoist with the pen name 'Purple Coagulation Man of the Way' wrote the Sinews Changing Classic in 1624, but claimed to have discovered it. The first of two prefaces of

2420-819: The other defends or counters or stands in posture for the other party to perform the technique. In Shaolin kung fu, in addition, two-person forms are taught. In these two-person forms, attacks and defenses are performed one after the other. Each technique is followed by its counter, and the counter by its counter, and so on. These forms ensure perfect memorization and exact transmission of the techniques from generation to generation. In addition to techniques, kung fu styles teach tactics. Tactics govern combination of techniques for better results. Because tactics are not specific techniques, they could not specifically be pre-coded into two-person practices and forms. In Shaolin kung fu, tactics are taught via solo forms ( 套路 ; tàolù ). Every form teaches some related tactics, which altogether shape

2475-608: The particular style in question has any connection to the Shaolin Monastery . Some say that there is no differentiation between the so-called internal and external systems of the Chinese martial arts, while other well-known teachers hold the opinion that they are different. For example, the Taijiquan teacher Wu Jianquan : Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted. Taijiquan

2530-453: The south with two monks, Zongqing and Pucong, whom he taught the use of the staff over the next three years, after which Zongqing and Pucong returned to Shaolin Monastery and taught their brother monks what they had learned. Martial arts historian Tang Hao traced the Shaolin staff style Five Tigers Interception to Yú's teachings. The earliest extant manual on Shaolin kung fu, the Exposition of

2585-490: The teachings of James Mitose and William Kwai Sun Chow . Mitose spent most of his early years training in Japan learning his family style, Kosho-Ryū ( Old pine tree school ). James Mitose would later bring that style to Hawaii where he would teach Chow, who would go on to instruct Ed Parker and Bobby Lowe . The system of kenpo taught by Mitose employed hard linear strikes and kicks, pressure point manipulation, circular movement patterns, and joint locking and breaking. Parker

2640-530: The territory of Zheng and the ancient capital of Luoyang . Overlooking Luoyang on Mount Huanyuan was the Cypress Valley Estate, which had served as the site of a fort during the Jin and a commandery during the Southern Qi . Emperor Wen of Sui had bestowed the estate on a nearby monastery called Shaolin for its monks to farm, but Wang Shichong, realizing its strategic value, seized the estate and there placed troops and

2695-532: The top three Buddhist centers of martial arts. Zheng ranked Funiu in Henan second and Mount Wutai in Shanxi third. The Funiu monks practiced staff techniques which they had learned at the Shaolin Monastery. The Wutai monks practiced Yang Family Spear (楊家槍; pinyin : Yángjiā qiāng). There is a famous saying that kung fu trains both the body and mind. Body building exercises improve body abilities, including flexibility, balance, hardness, power, speed, and control of

2750-476: The winter by soldiers who also practiced archery and studied military strategy . Jiao li eventually became a public sport held for court amusement as well as for recruiting the best fighters. Competitors wrestled each other on a raised platform called a " lei tai " for the potential reward of being hired as a bodyguard to the emperor or a martial arts instructor for the Imperial Military. Jiao li

2805-472: The wrestlers could also earn money by receiving rewards from the emperor by doing extra duties such as performing at banquets and accompanying the emperor on his battue hunts. The Mulan Battue / Mulan Autumn Hunt ( Mulan Weilie/Mulan Qiuxian 木蘭圍獵/木蘭秋獮) was a Manchu tradition named after the Manchu word muran for the battue held during the deer mating season. The emperors of the Qing would go to Chengde, beyond

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2860-512: Was built among the Song mountains in Henan province. The first monk who preached Buddhism there was the monk named Buddhabhadra ( 佛陀跋陀罗 ; Fótuóbátuóluó ), simply called Batuo ( 跋陀 ) by the Chinese. There are historical records that Batuo's first Chinese disciples, Huiguang ( 慧光 ) and Sengchou ( 僧稠 ), both had exceptional martial skills. For example, Sengchou's skill with the tin staff and empty-hand strikes

2915-489: Was created by Muneomi Sawayama in 1932. Sawayama was a judoka who had studied under Kenwa Mabuni , a karateka who would establish the Shito-Ryu school of Karate. It is typically practised wearing protective gear (face, body, crotch, etc.) and gloves and allows full use of stand-up striking, throwing, and ground fighting. Some Okinawan martial arts groups use the term kenpō as an alternate name for their karate systems or for

2970-538: Was headed by a different wing commander, both of whom answered to the same Zongtong Dachen (總統大臣; "President"). The likely purpose of this split of the camp, Yuhuan writes, was to stimulate rivalry between the two sides so that the wrestlers would always remain competitive. Its members, also called puhu (or buku in Manchu) were expected to perform a variety of duties such as guarding the emperor and wrestling with Central-Asian tribute bearers. Aside from their normal work,

3025-402: Was taught to soldiers in China over many centuries and its popularity among the military guaranteed its influence on later Chinese martial arts through the end of the Qing dynasty . The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty enjoyed wrestling. In the Qing dynasty, wrestling was referred to as liaojiao , guanjiao , buku and jueli/jiaoli . The Kangxi Emperor was reported to have established

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