Martial arts have been among the popular ways to learn methods to physically defeat other persons and to defend one from imminent physical attacks. Martial arts are greatly practiced in China and Chinese martial arts are known by the Chinese term Wushu or the more popular name for it – the kung fu. Kung Fu has different fighting styles which have been developed and refined over centuries to get to its present form. Kung fu has become synonymous with Chinese martial arts. It is one of the most famous and widely practiced forms of martial arts today.
Shaolin Kung fu is a particular form of Kung-fu which is associated with the Shaolin temple and has a history of 1500 years behind it. Shaolin Kung Fu is often said and claimed to be as vast and as diverse as the universe. The benefits from practicing Shaolin Kung Fu is said to be immense and can be broadly categorized in five categories – defense, health, vitality, mind expansion and spiritual development. It is often said that all forms of martial arts practiced under heaven arose out of the Shaolin temple. It is a complex art which has evolved over the past and is known to utilize many aspects of martial arts such as kicking, punching etc. Shaolin Kung fu can be described as a fast, effective and unpredictable way to defeat the enemy. It is most famous for its styles which imitate animals such as the tiger, dragon, crane, snake and leopard to name a few. Each of the different style has exclusive features pertaining to a special quality in the animal. It is believed that the dragon style develops the spirit, the tiger style develops the bones and tendons, the snake style develops internal energy, the crane style develops the essence and the leopard style develops power. The Shaolin temple already had a few animal imitation techniques prevalent but this form become the more popular one with time.
The Shaolin Temple
Shaolin temple has been legendary with its contributions to the different forms of martial arts. The monks in the Shaolin temple have given birth to various renowned forms of martial arts such as Hung Gar and Wing Chun. The Shaolin temple has had a long history simultaneous with the different rulers there. The Shaolin temples were the first to be attacked in case of any attack to the empire and they went down and grew back just as the different dynasties diminished and other dynasties flourished. The Shaolin temple was built in 495 AD and was erected at the foot of Shao Shi Mountain. The name Shaolin literally means “young forest”. The Shaolin temple at its peak had over 1000 warrior monks. The Shaolin monks received various pleas from the emperors throughout its history and the Shaolin temple helped the emperor.
Bodhidharma
The Shaolin temple is considered the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu. Bodhidharma and Damo are the names for a single person who is considered to be the person who revived the kung fu and made it what it is today. Bodhidharma arrived at the Shaolin temple in 527 AD and is believed to have performed some extraordinary acts such as making a hole in the trunk of the tree just by looking at it for nine long years. Bodhidharma is often credited for passing on the teaching of a Buddhist sect to the Shaolin monks. Many of the historians claim Bodhidharma to be the founder of Shaolin Kung fu but it is a point of debate among different historians. It is believed that martial arts in different forms were already practiced in the Shaolin temple even before the arrival of Bodhidharma .
However, it is claimed that it was Bodhidharma ’s presence in the Shaolin temple which led to the further development and refinement of the kung fu. It was then that the Shaolin Kung fu became one of the most sought after arts. Bodhidharma is put at the beginning of the lineage by various scholars who believe that Shaolin Kung fu exists only because of Bodhidharma. For many of the followers Bodhidharma represents compassion, wisdom, strong will, perseverance, development of the mind and the body and the unification of the spirit and the body. Shaolin Kung Fu today is one of the most famous and widely practiced forms of martial arts. It helps a person achieve the state of radiant health and vitality at the spiritual level and helps the person lead a life with a sense of achievement and fulfillment.