| HOME | NEWS | ABOUT US | LOCATIONS | EVENTS | MEDIA | EDUCATION | ONLINE SHOP | CONTACT US |
|---|
|
|---|
|
Songshan Shaolin Temple According to legend, Chinese Kung Fu martial arts originated from Shaolin Monastery (first established in AD 495) at the foot of Mt. Song in Dengfeng county, Henan province. For more than fifteen hundred years this Buddhist sanctuary has blossomed and withered, only to bloom again. It has seen glory and humiliation. It was burned down three times; it has produced countless Kung Fu masters and patriotic heroes; and generated many legends and mysteries. At the very beginning, Shaolin boxing was no more than various kinds of physical exercises to limber up the joints and build up a good physique. With the name of “18 movements of Arhat”, it included 18 movements and was said to be invented by Dharma, who came from “Tienju” – today’s India. He meditated nine years in a stone cave behind the Shaolin Monastery, and then he founded the unique Zen sect of Buddhism. He also taught the monks a series of gymnastic skills for self-defense. Through long-term practice and constant enrichment, a complicated series of Chinese boxing (or forms) have come into being. Like everything else, Shaolin boxing developed and gradually attained its perfection through practice. By the time of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it had become widely known. However, after the “abolition of Buddhism” by Emperor Li Yan or Wu Zong (reign 841-847 AD), monks were scattered far and wide, and the martial arts were lost. But then from the Five Dynasties Period to the early Song Dynasty, Shaolin boxing began to develop again along with the revival of Buddhism. There was great development of Shaolin boxing at the end of the Jin Dynasty and the beginning of the Yang Dynasty. A number of famous boxing (or martial arts) masters paid great attention to summing up the hand positions and imparting their skills to younger monks. Soon the Shaolin Temple became widely known for its martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu is based upon not only human boxing styles, but also upon various animals and insects. The tiger, leopard, and even the mystical dragon are responsible for various types of fighting styles. The crane, eagle, dog, snake, monkey, duck, and scorpion also offer various styles of fighting. There is a frog style of fighting, and even a drunken style. Shaolin Kung Fu is one of the major branches of Chinese Kung Fu and has numerous varieties and unique characteristics. It is very effective for bodybuilding and self-defense. Shaolin Kung Fu is very popular in China and is rapidly gaining in popularity throughout the world. History of more than one thousand years has proved that of all the boxing styles in China, Shaolin Boxing with its great vitality is one of the most popular and time honored. Besides, Shaolin Boxing enjoys a high reputation outside of China. It has been spread far and wide in many countries and regions.
A Dharma gathering was held between August 19 and 20, 1999, in the Shaolin Monastery, Songshan, China, for Buddhist Master Yong Xin to take office as abbot. He is the thirteenth successor after Buddhist abbot Xue Ting Fu Yu. The Shaolin Monastery has experienced a 1,500 year history since its establishment in 495 A.D, during the reign of the North Wei Dynasty. It is the Biggest school of Buddhism in China since the Tang Dynasty. During this long period, a unique kung fu art was developed combining Zen doctrine and martial arts, the most impressive symbol of Chinese nationality. The new abbot and Buddhist Master Yong Xin has been a monk since his childhood and followed in the footsteps of the previous abbot, Xin Zheng. In the past twenty years after the former abbot passed away in 1987, Master Yong Xin has taken on the duty to help Buddhism flourish. He has completed many works for Shaolin, reforming the Dharma hall, bell tower, drum tower, and has compiled and classified the cultural relics of the Shaolin Monastery. Master Yong Xin has also published his writings and issued magazines, and promoted various Buddhist activities. He is also engaged in domestic and foreign exchanges. The recovery and development of the Shaolin Monastery are attributed to his tenacious work. His work is praised by the government, celebrities, and widely respected by Buddhists. Master Yong Xin has even been recommended and is now elected as chairman of Henan Province Buddhists Association, representative of Ninth National People's congress. Buddhist Master Yong Xin deserves the honor and position of abbot of Shaolin Monastery, and the congratulations from people and heaven. The Shaolin Temple Today Shaolin kung fu is one of the oldest fighting arts in China with a history of over 1000 years. Shaolin kung fu was created during the Wei dynasty approximately 1400 years ago, and its content is abundant, powerful and highly effective. However, during the process of history, many styles have been lost or filtered out to the outside martial arts community.
|
|---|
| Copyright © 2002-2009 UK Shaolin Temple Ltd. All rights reserved. |
|---|