Peter Sundbye: AMAZING kung fu martial arts HISTORY
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AMAZING kung fu martial arts HISTORY
Written by Peter Sundbye
The term 'Kung Fu' does not relate to any specific form of martial art,
but rather translates as 'skill' or 'ability'. Scholars believe that the
use of Kung Fu to describe the Chinese martial form originated in Hong
Kong and Kwangtung province. There are records of the Jesuit priest, Pere
Amiot, writing of the 'peculiar exercises' practised by the Taoist priests
of his region which he called 'Cong Fou'.
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Wu Shu is traditionally the term widely used to describe the traditional
Chinese martial arts, though other descriptions such as Kuo-shu, Kuo-chi,
Chien-shu and Tao-fa have also been used from time to time. (Wu Shu is the
term currently used for Chinese martial arts by the People's Republic of
China).
Exactly when Kung Fu first sprouted is unknown, with historians stating
that Chinese martial forms most likely predate recorded history. Since the
dawn of time there have been battles between man and animal, warring
tribes, etc. during which conflicts combative techniques were executed and
accumulated and passed down from generation to generation.
What is particular about the Chinese martial forms is that many schools or
styles were created by imitating the fighting techniques of animals such as
monkeys, lions, tigers, snakes, bears, etc. The adaptation of animal
techniques stems from a belief that in order to survive in their harsh
natural environment, all animals (even birds and insects) were naturally
endowed with skills for fighting.
Hence techniques were born from the tiger's pounce, the eagle's sharp
claws and the elusiveness and unpredictability of the monkey. Still, it is
difficult to attach a precise date to the true birth of Kung Fu. Some
traditional historians date it as far back as the Shang Dynasty (16th
century BC). Others place it in the period of the Contending States (475 -
221 BC) and the Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti. Indeed, it would appear that
modern Kung Fu has adapted and evolved from the warring experiences of
China's past, with distinct traces of Mongolian, Tibetan, Indian and other
cultural ideologies exhibited in many styles. If there is one common
reference point in tracing Kung Fu's history, it is the Shaolin Temple and
the journey of Buddhism from India to China.
Buddhism reached China during the period of the Eastern Han Ming Emperor
(58 - 76 AD) and soon flourished. It is estimated that by 500 AD there
were more than 10,000 Buddhist temples in China and many emperors became
devout Buddhists. In 495 AD the Shaolin Temple was constructed by the
order of Emperor Wei Xiao Wen (471 - 500 AD). The Temple was built to
house the teachings of a Buddhist monk named Batuo, who came to China for
Buddhist teaching in 464 AD. As such Batuo can be considered the first
Shaolin Temple monk, though there is no record of how or what (471 - 500
AD). The Temple was built to house the teachings of a Buddhist monk named
Batuo, who came to China for Buddhist teaching in 464 AD. As such Batuo
can be considered the first Shaolin Temple monk, though there is no record
of how or what Batuo passed down by way of religious Qigong practice, just
as there is no record of how or when he died.
The most influential person in the study of Kung Fu's history through the
Shaolin Temple is an Indian monk named Da Mo (or Ta Mo). Da Mo, also known
as Bodhidarma, had been a small prince of a Southern Indian tribe. He
followed the Mahayana school of Buddhism and was revered as a bodhisattva
- and enlightened being who had renounced nirvana so as to save others.
The legends of Da Mo in Chinese mythology are elaborate, to say the least.
One legend has Da Mo sitting in a cave where he stared at the wall for nine
years in meditation. After accidentally falling asleep, he became so
angered with himself that he tore off his eyelids and threw them on the
ground. Tea shrubs grew from the ground beneath the discarded eyelids and
monks have used tea ever since to deter sleep.
Dao Mo was invited to China by the Emperor Liang Wu. He arrived in Canton
in 527 AD but when the emperor disliked his preaching. Da Mo withdrew to
the Shaolin Temple. Upon arriving at the Temple, Da Mo found many of the
monks to be sick and weak. He pondered this problem for nine years (his
nine year seclusion) and when he emerged wrote two classics: Yi Jin Jing
(Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) and Xi Sui Jin (Marrow/Brain Washing
Classic). The classics taught the priests how to build their Qi to an
abundant level and use to it improve their health and change their
physicality to one of super strength. When this training was combined with
martial forms, the priests found a marked improvement in the strength and
power of their martial techniques.
It is believed that Da Mo may have authored the series of 18 exercises
contained in a manuscript, the I-Chin-Ching, outlining the Shaolin method
of Chinese boxing. The method that emerged from the Shaolin Temple, which
is representative of the northern Chinese styles in general, was called
wai-jya (wai-chia) or external family of Chinese boxing. Shaolin strove
the increase speed, strength and elasticity. It was vigorous and
calisthenic and became the basis from which Karate in Okinawa and the
Korean martial arts were derived. The Xi Sui Jin was hard to learn and as
such was passed down secretly only to a few disciples in every generation.
Sadly Da Mo passed away in the Shaolin Temple in 536 AD but what he had
started would live on for centuries.
Very quickly the Shaolin Monks would become revered for their fighting
prowess. During the period between the Sui dynasty and the Tang dynasty,
in the 4th year of Tang Gao Zu Wu De (621 AD), Qin King Li Shi-Ming had a
momentous war against Zheng King Wang Chi-Chong. With Qin King in trouble,
13 Shaolin monks came to his assistance against Zheng. When Li Shi-Ming
later became the first emperor of the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 AD) he
rewarded the Shaolin Temple with approximately 600 acres of land. He also
granted the Temple the right to train its own soldiers.
Such were the riches of the Shaolin Temple that martial arts training
became a necessity to protect its wealth from bandits. The responsibility
of defending the Temple was given to the soldier monks known as Seng Bing.
For three hundred years the Shaolin Temple enjoyed a golden period in which
it legally owned its own martial arts training organisation. The Temple
also remained open to outside martial influences, absorbing what it could
and incorporating these techniques and training methods into its own
system. During this period one of the most famous Shaolin monks was
Jueyuan. He travelled the country learning martial arts techniques and
working with other famous martial artists. When in Lan Zhou he met the
famed martial artist, Li Sou, who in turn introduced him to, Bai Yu-Feng
and his son. Later all four men returned to the Shaolin Temple and studied
together. After ten years, Li Sou left the Temple but Bai Yu-Feng and his
son stayed on and became monks. Bai Yu-Feng's name changed to Qiu Yue Chan
Shi and, according to the book of Shaolin Temple record, it was he who
developed the then 18 existing Buddha Hands techniques into 173
techniques. He also compiled the existing techniques contained with
Shaolin and wrote the book The Essence of the Five Fist, which discussed
the methods and applications of the Five Fist (Animal) Patterns. This is
proof that animal patterns had already existed for some time in the
Shaolin Temple.
The Shaolin Temple would also be responsible for spreading the Chinese
martial arts to Japan. In the year 1312 AD the monk Da Zhi came to the
Shaolin Temple from Japan. He studied the Shaolin martial arts (barehands
and staff) for 13 years and returned to Japan to spread Shaolin Gongfu to
Japanese martial arts society. In 1335 AD a Buddhist monk named Shao Yuan
ventured to Shaolin from Japan. During his stay he mastered Gongfu and
returned to Japan in 1347 AD.
The golden era of the Shaolin Temple ended when Manchuria took over China
and became the Qing dynasty. In order to prevent the Han race
(pre-Manchurian) Chinese from rebelling against the government, martial
arts training was outlawed between 1644 and 1911 AD. In order to preserve
their teachings, the Shaolin techniques were passed onto layman society.
Martial arts training in the Temple was carried out in secrecy and the
Shaolin monk soldier decreased in number from thousands to a couple of
hundred. In 1911 the Qing dynasty fell in a revolution led by Dr Sun
Yat-Sen. The value of Chinese martial arts was re-evaluated and for the
first time the secrets of Chinese martial arts were permitted to be openly
taught to the public.
During the Chinese civil war, Chiang Kai-Shek tried to unify they country.
The battle spilled into the Shaolin Temple in 1928 and the Temple was
burned for the last time by Warlord Shi You-San's soldiers. The fire
lasted forty days, destroying all major buildings and priceless books and
records. In order to preserve the Chinese martial arts, President Chiang
Kai-Shek ordered the establishment of the Nanking Central Guoshu Institute
at Nanking in 1928. The traditional name Wushu was renamed Zhong Guo Wushu
or simple Guoshu. For the first time in Chinese history, by rule of the
government, all the major martial arts powers in China came together to
share their knowledge. Unfortunately, at the commencement of World War II,
all training discontinued. China was taken over by Communists following the
Second World War. All religions and all Shaolin training was prohibited
under Communist rule. Wushu training was established at the National
Athletics Institute. However this was not pure Wu Shu, but rather
performance based with major portions of martial training and technique
application eradicated by the government to discourage possible
unification of martial artists against the government. It was not until
the 1980s (unfortunately after several of the traditional masters had
died) that the Chinese government realised the value of traditional
martial arts training and so encouraged it. KFS
This article was submitted by P. Sundbye who has been training in various
martialarts for the last 11 years including Wing Chun Kung Fu, Aikido,
Tong Long and the Lee Total Control system.
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