Shaolin Myths and MISCONCEPTIONS!

[Hakko-Ryu]

I've been reading alot about the Shaolin temple on this forum lately. People seem to REVERE the Shaolin temple in China and it's ways and how great of a style it still is today...Yes the Temple was a great place of Martial Arts, back then...but after it was disbanded, nothing much was left of it.
the Shaolin temple TODAY is nothing like what it was before. What they teach in the temples in this day and age is nothing more than a government funded, tourist attracting, Shaolin style WUSHU. I'm just rather disturbed to see that people view or refer to good kung-fu= SHAOLIN kung-fu... from the temple... in China...The monks are great athletes YES...but these days they are nothing more than pawns for the PR govt to go out and attract tourism for China. As far as i know, most of the forms in PR Shaolin has become nothing more but an empty shell with little combat value... IMHO falling for PR Shaolin Kung-fu would be the same thing as falling to a mcdojo. and i apoligize if i have offended anyone but you have to understand...the more people believe that Wushu is REAL/authentic kung-fu the closer CMA will be to extinction
IMO, All Chinese Government funded Wushu, will be the ultimate downfall of the Chinese Martial arts ...They are sadly destroying one of the greatest and oldest part of their own culture (Kung-fu) without even knowing it. They just care about how flashy Wushu can look so that it could AWE and be recognized globally as a world "Martial Art"/sport! you ask any true traditional CMA instructor and they'd say the same thing.
I was into Wushu for a good 3 years. back then the Wushu community was somewhat still small and growing...today we see Wushu everywhere! a lot of the times promoting the ancient art of "chinese Combat"...there's nothing wrong with Wushu, i just don't think people should promote it as 'real' kung-fu...

[47Ronin]

Yeah, you are totally right.

I also want to state that the real monks do not break their friggin hands for conditioning you dumbo's.

[SoKKlab]

Aye,
Real Kung Fu is not Flashy.
There are still many excellent Chinese Arts out there, but you have to look a bit harder for them these days.

[shunyadragon]

Look in the parks for the good arts. Many were killed and a few escaped to the mountains. They were driven from the temples and what is left is practiced in private or in the parks.

The Arts of the Way survive at best in obscurity and isolation.

Its still best not to call the Art of the Way 'Kung fu'. I the past it was Chuan Fa. Today the modern name for the 'Martial Art' is Wushu.

The original Shaolin knew nothing of Wushu.

[YODA]

Originally posted by shunyadragon
Look in the parks for the good arts. Many were killed and a few escaped to the mountains. They were driven from the temples and what is left is practiced in private or in the parks.

The Arts of the Way survive at best in obscurity and isolation.

Its still best not to call the Art of the Way 'Kung fu'. I the past it was Chuan Fa. Today the modern name for the 'Martial Art' is Wushu.

The original Shaolin knew nothing of Wushu.


Sounds like the intro to a B movie.

[Sub zero]

LOL :D


.............Now one man, has to put things rigth.

[hwardo]

I completely agree with you in regards to the new "shaolin" brand of wushu-- the current inhabitants of the shaolin temple should not be idolized as something they are not.
On the other hand, different styles of boxing and chin na do sometimes have legitimate origins in antiquity, and attaching "shaolin" to their name only serves the purpose of clarification and continuation of tradition. I suppose it poses a question of what else we should refer to these arts as? Legitimacy is always a concern, but at the same time, people need to understand and legitimize their own practice.
What if no two styles of chuan ever sounded the same? If Chinese martial arts cannot be categorized to some degree, it would be a hard sell here in America, that much is for sure.

[Tsing Tao]

pursenaly i have ben trained in many original Shaolin martial arts. which are illegal in china today. Shaolin Wushu is totaly different than Shaolin Kung fu or Gung fu. Wushu is good in the aspect of health, strength, and areal assaults.(Aerial assaults i mean Flips and the like), But it has no real Shaolin foundations.

[Matt_Bernius]

I have been told that one of the easiest ways to differentiate a "modern Shaolin" art from a traditional is to watch for hip movement (or lack thereof). Most forms of Modern Wushu have little if no hip shifting in their motions. Conversely any traditional Shaolin (CMA for the most part) will use dynamic hip coiling to generate power.

- Matt

[hwardo]

I've heard that too. Also, watch out for locking out of joints, multi-directional forms, and exceptionally low stances.

[Hakko-Ryu]

Originally posted by hwardo
I completely agree with you in regards to the new "shaolin" brand of wushu-- the current inhabitants of the shaolin temple should not be idolized as something they are not.
On the other hand, different styles of boxing and chin na do sometimes have legitimate origins in antiquity, and attaching "shaolin" to their name only serves the purpose of clarification and continuation of tradition. I suppose it poses a question of what else we should refer to these arts as? Legitimacy is always a concern, but at the same time, people need to understand and legitimize their own practice.
What if no two styles of chuan ever sounded the same? If Chinese martial arts cannot be categorized to some degree, it would be a hard sell here in America, that much is for sure.

a lot of the times schools attaching 'shaolin' to their name is exactly using it simply for that one purpose...to attract $$ and paying customers.

[Shortfuse]

i remember how i first heard of shaolin kung fu and a friend told me that it was the type of flashy kung fu, he told me they used effective moves as well as the cool looking ones, the kind of shaolin that you see the red haired guy on jakie chan adventure using.

[Matt_Bernius]

Originally posted by hwardo
I've heard that too. Also, watch out for locking out of joints, multi-directional forms, and exceptionally low stances. Right, I had forgotten to mention those. Thanks for filling in the gaps!

[deviouslifeform]

Originally posted by Matt_Bernius
Right, I had forgotten to mention those. Thanks for filling in the gaps!

just clarifying on this,

k i'm a newbie to the arts, altho i had some informal training previously, and am going for my white belt this wednesday in what i believe is white tiger or shaolin-ssu style [have to double check] but [to my point] in learning some of the basics, my instructor told me that with a front kick from crane stance, the hips begin back and during the kick push forward, is this the type of hip movement you are talking about? and if anyone has any more info on white tiger could you please post it or shoot me a link to it, i would just like to get more perspective into what i am getting myself into :>

[David]

Shaolin Temple is dead; long live McShaolinWorld (R) (TM) (PRC)

[Shaolin Dragon]

When is EuroMcShaolinWorld Inc. opening?

[Van_the_cookie_man]

as soon as my previous master gets one of his 10 yr old black belts over there :D