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Revision as of 22:51, 25 July 2005 by JFD (talk | contribs) (changed semicolon to comma)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Shaolin Quan, Shaolinquan or Shaolin Chü'an (Chinese: 少林拳; pinyin: Shàolín Quán) is the term typically used to describe the Chinese martial arts that originate from the famous Buddhist Shaolin Temple and monastery at Songshan in Henan, founded circa 495 CE.
According to the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall and the Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, the monk Bodhidharma (Chinese pinyin Pútídámó or simply Dámó) arrived at the Shaolin temple soon after his departure from the court of the Liang Emperor Wu in 527.
Damo is said to have come to China to introduce the sect of Buddhism known as Chán (Japanese: Zen). Upon his arrival at the temple he found the monks in poor health and unable to endure the long sessions of meditation he introduced. (There are multiple versions of the Damo story; this is merely one of the more common). Because of this, Damo imposed an exercise regimen on the monks. Accounts generally include the Muscle/Tendon Changing (pinyin: Yijinjing) in this regimen and, depending on the source, the Brain/Marrow Cleansing (pinyin: Xisuijing) and/or the 18 Luohan Hands.
The monks of Shaolin later incorporated the bodywork of Damo's exercises with those existing martial arts. This was the birth of what is today known as Shaolin Quan ("Shaolin Boxing" or literally "Shaolin Fist"). Shaolin Quan is credited as the ancestor of hundreds of other widely practised styles, such as Hung Gar and Shorinji kenpo. Martial arts traditions in both Japan and Korea cite Chinese influence as transmitted by monks.
Shaolin Quan began to take the shape we see today during the Ming Dynasty (14th-17th centuries). Typically within the Shaolin system, there are ten empty hand "sets" and many different weapons. Weapons training will vary from school to school. Shaolin practitioners are historically well known for their ability to endure hardship as well as their training with the distinctive steel monk's spade, iron staff and spear.
Southern Shaolin is famous for its Five Animals, styles adapted from imitating the motions of the animals in question for martial applications.
The two main schools of Shaolin Quan are the Temple style and the Northern style (Bak Siu Lum style). Both of these consist of ten hand sets and although similar in technique the sets are completely different.