Introduction to Shaolin Kung Fu
The credit for the formulation of the ancient art of shaolin kung fu goes to an Indian monk, Tat Moh, who was also referred to as Boddhidharma by some. Boddhidharma was a young prince till he decided to renounce all privileges and walk on the path of Buddhism. His willingness to learn everything about Buddhism took him to China, where he was appalled to see the plight of the monks in the Shaolin temple, who were weak and could not protect themselves from the attacks of the bandits. This inspired Boddhidhar
The basics of shaolin kung fu are hugely inspired by Indian yoga. There were eighteen traditional yoga movements, which were taught to the Shaolin monks in order to enhance their mental and physical strength. Ever since, this style of Kung Fu has undergone tremendous expansion and diversification. With time, the monks began to incorporate various different animal styles into this school of martial art. The main five forms of the animal styles of Kung Fu are the tiger form, which represents ferocity and strength, the crane, standing for fluidity and swiftness, the snake, symbolizing accuracy and speed, the leopard, standing for intelligence and the dragon, which is the master of all the forms.
Thus, different forms of shaolin kung fu focus on different aspects. There is a good balance between the mind, body and the spirit. The practitioner has to know how to strike a chord between soft and hard, speed and power and calmness and aggression, depending on the situation. It is this balance that should be extended to the daily lives of the practitioners. The eight wisdoms that are crucial for learning this form of Kung Fu are perseverance, respect, tolerance, loyalty, patience, humility, dignity and honor. The feature that sets this style of martial art apart from the others is that the teachings of this form can be applied to the other aspects of life also. It not only keeps the body physically fit, but also the mind calm and composed.
ma to come up with a system, which would help these monks defend them in the year 540 AD.