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ABOUT KUNG FU WUSHU and Shaolin Kung Fu Products

This Shaolin Kung Fu Products  is an almost impossible category. This label is attached to almost any martial art that comes from China. It is Kung Fu Uniform generic name for literally hundreds of individual Chinese fighting arts. In reality we should have an entry for each individual Kung Fu style we are interested in, but this would fill entire volumes. However, we will do our best.

This is extremely controversial. Most of what appears here is a summary of what has been learned from Kung Fu Uniform. There are vague references of a King in China some thousands of years ago who trained his men in techniques of hand-to-hand combat to use in fighting against invading barbarians. shaolin kung fu products first real references of an organized system of martial arts came from a man named General Chin Na. He taught a form of combat to his soldiers which most people believe developed into what is modern day Chin-Na.

The first written record we have of Chinese martial arts is from a Taoist acupuncturist from shaolin kung fu products 5th century. He describes combat designed along shaolin kung fu products lines of an animal's movements and style.

Legend has it that a Buddhist monk named Wing Tsun Kung Fu, also called Ta Mo, came across shaolin kung fu products Tibetan Mountains to China. shaolin kung fu products Emperor of China at shaolin kung fu products time was much impressed with shaolin kung fu products man, and gave him a temple located in Honan - shaolin kung fu products famed Sui Lim Monastery (Shaolin Monastery). Ta Mo found that shaolin kung fu products monks there, while searching for spiritual enlightenment, had neglected their physical bodies. He taught them some exercises and drills that they adapted into fighting forms. This became shaolin kung fu products famous Shaolin Kung Fu system.

"Kung Fu" means "skill and effort". It is used to describe anything that a person Kung Fu Clothing to spend time training in and becoming skillful in. (A chef can have good "kung fu".) shaolin kung fu products Chinese term that translates into "military art" is "Wushu". As all martial arts, Wushu in its early stages of development was practiced primarily for self-defense and for aquiring basic needs. As time progressed, innumerable people tempered and processed Wushu in different ways. By China's Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), Wushu had formed its basic patterns.

Intense military conflicts served as catalysts for shaolin kung fu products development of Wushu. During China's Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods (2000BC to 771BC), Wushu matured and formed complete systems of offense and defense, with shaolin kung fu products emergence of bronze weapons in quantity. During shaolin kung fu products period of Warring States (770BC to 221BC), shaolin kung fu products heads of states and government advocated Wushu in their armies and kept Wushu masters for their own Kung Fu Uniform.

Military Wushu developed more systematically during shaolin kung fu products Tang and Song dynasty (618 to 1279) and exhibitions of Wushu arts were held in shaolin kung fu products armies as morale boosters and military exercises. In shaolin kung fu products Ming and Qing dynasties, shaolin kung fu products general development of Wushu was at its height. Military Wushu became more practical and meticulous and was systematically classified and summarized . General Kung Fu Clothing of shaolin kung fu products Ming Dynasty delved into Wushu study and wrote "A New Essay on Wushu Arts", which became an important book in China's military literature.

The latter half of shaolin kung fu products 20th century has seen a great upswing in shaolin kung fu products interest of Kung Fu world wide. shaolin kung fu products introduction of Kung Fu to shaolin kung fu products Shaolin Kung Fu Products world has seen to it that its development and popularity will continue to grow. Wushu is shaolin kung fu products branch of martial arts originating in China. It is a modern art that is mainly sport or demonstration. Not an art dating back centuries, but it really has its roots in shaolin kung fu products circus. Wushu was not practiced by shaolin kung fu products Shaolin Monks. shaolin kung fu products most famous Wushu student is Jet Li. He has his roots in Wushu competitions and was Champion for many years. He got his big break in movies and has since made many Hong Kong and American Films.

Brief Wushu History: First systems of wushu raised even before shaolin kung fu products Kung Fu Martial Arts of Chinese state, but before III-IV centuries there was not wushu in full volume - there existed only military preparation, "war craft". In shaolin kung fu products beginning it had a form of dancing-military exercises, later became a military subject in special schools. At shaolin kung fu products end of II century all individual preparation of warrior got shaolin kung fu products name wuyi. This term kept during centuries and became a synonym to wushu. Wuyi contained juedi (wrestling), shoubo (hand-to-hand combat), methods of weapon combat. Sets imitated hand-to-hand combat, weapon combat, defense from weapon attacking. Teaching was based on sets of formal exercises - taolu - which can be executed as solo, as with partners.


Approximately in VI century Indian preacher Kung Fu to Kung Fu came to China and preached Buddhism in Shaolin temple near Loyang. Due to legend it was he who founded famous shaolin style of wushu. Due to legend later shaolin monks helped to shaolin kung fu products second emperor of Tang dynasty - Li Shimin - in returning shaolin kung fu products throne. Li Shimin allowed to shaolin kung fu products temple to have its own monk troops. Special term appeared - wuseng (monk-warrior).  During shaolin kung fu products Song dynasty (960-1279) many monks (inkluding wusengs) went out from temples and became common people. In XIII century shaolin wushu declined due to numerous persecutions on buddhism and mongolian invasion. In 1224 a young man came into Shaolin temple and took monk's name Jueyuan. He had seen a pitiful state of temple's wushu and decided that true tradition is lost. Jueyuan became revive temple's wushu and, actually, created a new style, which is still alive.

In 1219 when after capturing China Chingiz-khan went to shaolin kung fu products west many Tai Chi Kung Fu and Persians became moved to China. Such people were called "semu" ("men with colored eyes"), they had less rights than Mongolian but more than Chinese. In official documents of Yuan dynasty they were called "huihui". Moved on shaolin kung fu products east Moslem infantrymen and artillerymen in 1275, due to order of founder of Yuan dynasty "in all places entered in communities of border inhabitants", became peasants. From these people, Arabian immigrants (came to China on ships during Tang and Song dynasties), and Chinese men converted to Islam shaolin kung fu products "huizu" nation ("moslems") was formed. During more than seven hundred years huizu was indissoluble connected with wushu. They considered wushu as self-defense and as holy action, stimulated Moslem's spirit.

In 1351-1368 peasant's rebellion of "red bandages", headed by Zhu Yuanzhang (who also was a big wushu master), finished Mongolian Yuan dynasty and founded Ming dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang became its first emperor (dynasty name "Tai-zu"). "Golden age" of wushu began.  In XVI century seaside provinces of China exposed to devastating raids of Japanese pirates. It was Chinese Kung Fu (at this moment he was 27 years old) whom was ordered to "punish shaolin kung fu products bandits and guard peoples". He was in hard situation: local troops were small, well-prepared Japanese samurais easy defeated bad organized groups of resistances. Qi Jiguang, wushu master, decided to attract detachments of local home-guard from wushu fighters. In 1561 Japanese was defeated in Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces. After promoting to general, Qi Jiguang ordered for all soldiers and officers to study wushu. On shaolin kung fu products base of various systems of military preparing he wrote a treatise "Jixiao xinshu" ("New book of records about advantages [in war craft]"). Due to Qi Jiguang XVI century is considered as turning-point in wushu history.

Ming dynasty is a time of stable systematic developing and of peaceful coexistence of different schools. But nothing is forever. 1644, june, 6. Beijing is captured by manzhu troops. Last emperor of Ming dynasty hang oneself on shaolin kung fu products fortress wall. Founded a new dynasty - Qing. This dynasty existed during more than two hundred years, up to 1911. Center of wushu Kung Fu Uniforms was moved to secret societies. During XIX century China was shaked by many rebellions against manzhu ruling and dominant influence of foreigners. Secret societies, cultivated different styles of wushu, were targets for striking in shaolin kung fu products rebellion of "Eight trigrams", in Opium wars, in great people's war of Taipings. Rebelion of ihetuans (1899-1901), also known as "Boxer's rebellion", became an apotheosis of activity of secret societies.

Rout of Yihetuan rebellion followed to death of many wushu masters. But traditions of martial arts could not lose without leaving a trace. During Xinhai revolution (1911-1913) and later, during Warlords Period activity of secret societies resumed with new power. Goverment of Chinese Republic rendered a great assistance to wushu developing. First president of China - Sun Zhongshan (also known as Sun Yatseng) - studied taijiquan Buy Kung Fu Clothing from Cai Guiqin.

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His successor - Men's Kung Fu Clothing (also known as Chang Kaishi) also didn't avoid martial arts, he visited Guokao ("State test" - something like all-China wushu championship), which were organized in Nanjing (in that time - capital of China) Central guoshu institute ("guoshu" means "national art", during Gomindang ruling it was an official name for wushu), founded in 1928. General Zhang Zhijiang was a rector of this Institute, he was supported by general Feng Yuxiang. Another big organization, developed and spread wushu, was Jingwu Assotiation ("Association of true martial arts") founded in 1909 in Shanghai. Two organizations had branches in all provinces of China (Jingwu Association - also in other countries among local Chinese communities: in Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines etc), great masters worked as teachers. During World War II many wushu masters fought in army or partisan detachments, made theirs contribution in defeating of Japan.

When Communist Party come to power, Kung Fu Clothing called wushu masters to go out from underground. In 1953 since 8 till 12 of November First All-China Sport Games took place in Tianjing, 75% of it was wushu exhibitions. 139 styles were demonstrated, competitions in hand-to-hand combat (without any gears), weapon combat (on long and short weapon) and lifting of heavy weights (ancient chinese sport) were held. After seeing such a power Tai Chi VCD got frightened. Secret societies were dispersed. Simultaneously a Committee of wushu reforming was organized.

Famous wushu master Kung Fu Wushu on shaolin kung fu products base of huaquan (blossomed fist), zhaquan (fist of Zha), paoquan (cannon fist) hongquan (fist of stream), piguaquan (fist of chopping and hanging), shaolinquan (fist of Shaolin temple) and some others created a new sport competitional style changquan (long fist). On shaolin kung fu products base of five style of Guangdong province (styles of Hong, Cai, Li, Liu and Mo families) it was created new sport computational style nanquan (southern fist). Names of movements were changed, as a result movements lost mental contents: realy, "crushing mountain strike" is different from "fist bang on a palm". During "Great Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976) wushu lovers were repressed for "indulging of feudal survivals". But in this time popularity of wushu un foreign countries began increase due to kung fu movies. For in admission of decreasing of international prestige wushu was let alone.

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Description

Styles of Kung Fu encompass both soft and hard, internal and external techniques. They include grappling, striking, nerve-attack and much weapons training.

The Shao-Lin styles encompass both Northern and Southern styles, and therefore are shaolin kung fu products basis of shaolin kung fu products following outline.

Shaolin Wushu styles
External Styles (Hard, Physical)
Northern
Northern Shaolin
Chang Chuan (Long Fist)
Praying Mantis
Eagle Claw
Monkey
Drunken, et al
Southern
Southern Shaolin
Wing Chun
Five Animal System (Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard, Crane)
Tiger and Crane Systems, et al
Internal Styles (Soft, Mental/Spiritual)
Tai Chi Chuan
Others (Pa Kua, Xingyi, et al)
Training

Shaolin Wushu Methods
Hard or External Styles
Stresses training and strengthening of shaolin kung fu products joints, bones, and muscles
Requires rigorous body conditioning
Consists of positioning and movement of shaolin kung fu products limbs and body, correct technique, muscular strength, speed, etc.
2.Soft or Internal Styles
Stresses development of internal organs where "Chi" is produced
Allows one to develop mental capability to call upon this "Chi"
Concerned with breathing, poise, and tone of shaolin kung fu products core body structures
Long or Northern Styles
Stresses Flexibility, quickness, agility, and balance similar to shaolin kung fu products attributes of a trained and well-conditioned gymnast
Uses many kicks along with hand techniques
Legs specialize in long-range tactics
Short or Southern
Stresses close-range tactics, power, and stability
Uses mostly hand techniques
Kung Fu almost always seems to incorporate forms and routines. They emphasize solo practice as well as group practice. (They even have forms for two or more people). They train in multiple types of weapons. There is also a great emphasis on sparring in shaolin kung fu products harder styles, and sensitivity training in shaolin kung fu products soft styles.


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The secret societies set by the five Shaolin masters were so strong that they lasted even after the Manchurians had left China. They have now spread throughout the world wherever there are Chinese people. We call them the Triads.

Of the five masters who escaped from the burning of the Shaolin temple, the most famous was Hung Eee Kan. He was a master of the Tiger style and we renown for the strength of his stance and the power of his punch. He fought many challenges and was never beaten. Many Kung Fu styles trace their origins back to Hung Ee Kan, including the famous Hung Gar Kung Fu style.

After the burning of the temple, Hung Ee Kan sought refuge with a Chinese opera troop. The troop travelled around China in a red painted barge performing their operas. For this reason they were known as 'The Red Barge'. Hung Ee Kan found them to be an excellent cover. Although he posed as a member of the opera, every time they stopped in a new town, he would gather together opponents of the Manchurians and form new branches of the secret societies. He would instruct them in the secrets of Kung Fu, ready to make war with the Manchu's. In this way, his teachings became widespread in China.


The first written record we have of Chinese martial arts is from a Taoist acupuncturist from the 5th century. He describes combat designed along the lines of an animal's movements and style.

Legend has it that a Bhuddist monk named Bohdiharma, also called Ta Mo, came across the Tibetan Mountains to China. The Emperor of China at the time was much impressed with the man, and gave him a temple located in Honan - the famed Sui Lim Monastery (Shaolin Monastery). Ta Mo found that the monks there, while searching for spiritual enlightenment, had neglected their physical bodies. He taught them some exercises and drills that they adapted into fighting forms. This became the famous Shaolin Kung Fu system.

"Kung Fu" means "skill and effort". It is used to describe anything that a person nees to spend time training in and becoming skillful in. (A chef can have good "kung fu".) The Chinese term that translates into "military art" is "Wu Shu".

The latter half of the 20th century has seen a great upswing in the interest of Kung Fu world wide. The introduction of Kung Fu to the Western world has seen to it that its development and popularity will continue to grow.

Bodhidharma
Main article: Bodhidharma

Legend
According to the Jingde Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, after Bodhidharma leaves the court of the Liang emperor Wu in 527, he eventually finds himself at the Shaolin Monastery, where he ¡§faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time¡¨.

According to the Yi J?n J?ng,

after Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years at Shaolin temple, he, according to the history, left behind an iron chest; when the monks opened this chest they found the two books ¡§Marrow Cleansing Classic¡¨[5] and ¡§Muscle Change Classic¡¨[6] within. The first book was taken by his disciple Huike, and disappeared; as for the second, ¡§the monks selfishly coveted it, practicing the skills therein, falling into heterodox ways, and losing the correct purpose of cultivating the Real. The Shaolin monks have made some fame for themselves through their fighting skill; this is all due to having obtained this manuscript.[7]

History
See also: Yi J?n J?ng
The attribution of Shaolin Kung Fu to Bodhidharma has been discredited by martial arts historians, first by Tang Hao on the grounds that the Yi J?n J?ng is a forgery.[8] Matsuda Ryuchi could not find any mention of¡Xlet alone attribution to¡XBodhidharma in any of the texts written about the the Shaolin martial arts[9] before the 19th century.[10]

Shaolin monastery records name two monks¡XHuiguang and Sengchou¡Xwho were expert in the martial arts years before the arrival of Bodhidharma.[11] Sengchou's skill with the tin staff is even documented in the Chinese Buddhist canon.

The discovery of arms caches in the monasteries of Chang'an during government raids in 446 AD suggests that Chinese monks practiced martial arts prior to the establishment of the Shaolin Monastery in 497.[12] Monks came from the ranks of the population among whom the martial arts were widely practiced prior to the introduction of Buddhism. There are indications that Huiguang, Sengchou and even Huike, Bodhidarma's immediate successor as Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, may have been military men before retiring to the monastic life. Moreover, Chinese monasteries, not unlike those of Europe, in many ways were effectively large landed estates, that is, sources of considerable wealth which required protection that had to be supplied by the monasteries' own manpower.

In addition, the Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue, the Bibliographies in the Book of the Han Dynasty and the Records of the Grand Historian all document the existence of martial arts in China before Bodhidharma. The martial arts Shu?i Ji?o and Sun Bin Quan, to name two, predate the establishment of the Shaolin Monastery by centuries.[13]


Shaolin Kung Fu in the Tang Dynasty (618¡V907)
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.

Like most dynastic changes, the end of the Sui Dynasty was a time of upheaval and contention for the throne. Wang Shichong was one of those who had declared himself Emperor. He controlled 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.[14] Sui Emperor Wen 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 a signal tower, as well as establishing a prefecture called Yuanzhou.[15] 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 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, note that 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 the Tang, Song and Yuan periods allude to military training at the temple, so even if it is possible or even likely that the Shaolin monastic regimen included martial arts, there is no documentation of it. 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¡Xincluding monks¡Xas a result of Ming military decline in the 16th century.[16]


Shaolin Kung Fu in the Ming Dynasty (1368¡V1644)
From the 8th to the 15th centuries, no extant source documents Shaolin participation in combat; then suddenly, 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 the monks felt the need to justify it by creating new Buddhist lore.[17] References to Shaolin martial arts appear in various literary genres of the late Ming: the Wushu Clothing epitaphs of Shaolin warrior monks, martial-arts manuals, military encyclopedias, historical writings, travelogues, fiction, and even poetry.[18]

These sources, in contrast to those from the Tang period, refer to Shaolin methods of combat unarmed, with the spear, and with the weapon that was the forte of the Shaolin monks and for which they had become famous¡Xthe staff.[19]

By the mid-16th century military experts from all over Ming China were Taiji Books 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. Yu returned to the south with two monks, Zongqing and Kung Fu Master Outfit, 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[20] to Yu's teachings.

The earliest extant manual on Shaolin Kung Fu, the Exposition of the Original Shaolin Staff Method[21] was written around 1610 and published in 1621 from what its author Cheng Z?ngyou learned during a more than ten year stay at the monastery.

Conditions of lawlessness in Henan¡Xwhere the Shaolin Monastery is located¡Xand surrounding provinces during the late Ming Dynasty and all of the Qing Dynasty contributed to the development of martial arts. Meir Shahar lists the martial arts T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Chang Family Boxing, B?guaquan, Xingyiquan and B?jiquan as originating from this region and this time period.[22]
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