"The world's martial arts out of Shaolin" is a myth or history

History has no record of Dharma boxing or martial arts. Dharma came to China now in the Southern Dynasties, crossing the river to the north, mainly in Luoyang, Songshan area to spread the law. As to whether or not he ever visited the Shaolin Temple, there is no clear record at all in the early history books.

But from the Tang Dynasty, information about Dharma began to gradually increase. First, in the Tang Dynasty, some people said conclusively that Dharma had indeed visited the Shaolin Temple. In the Song Dynasty, stories of Dharma's crossing the river with a reed, facing the wall for nine years, and returning to the west with only his footsteps were told. In the Ming Dynasty, some people compiled the book "Dharma Master's Biography" based on the past legends, which "depicts the crowd and invents the cause and effect".

However, even by this time, no one had linked Dharma to Shaolin Kung Fu, either in the writings of the literati or in folklore. Because in the Ming Dynasty, neither the poems about Shaolin martial arts, nor the related tablets and pagodas, nor Cheng Zongyou's Shaolin martial arts monograph Shaolin Stick Method Explanation, nor any other literature about Shaolin martial arts, etc., did not mention Dharma. Obviously, the connection between Dharma and Shaolin martial arts had not yet been established in the Ming Dynasty.

The real link between Dharma and Shaolin martial arts should be the above mentioned Yi Jin Jing, which was originally a traditional Chinese guiding techniques mixed with some martial arts techniques into a book. The book has a preface signed by Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty. In the preface, it not only pointed out that the author of the book was Dharma, but also recounted a series of miraculous stories about Dharma's transmission of the sutra.

Because of the widespread influence of the Yi Jin Jing in the folklore, as well as the push and pull of the Shaolin Temple itself, Dharma, as the ancestor of the Zen sect, has since leapt to become the ancestor of Shaolin martial arts. But in fact, the real molding period of Shaolin Kung Fu is in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. This article is interesting history original, without the official permission of interesting history may not be reproduced in any form.

Some people say, no ah, although the Dharma transmission of the claim is a later fabrication, but the thirteen stick monks to save the king of the Tang Dynasty is a very famous story, so the Shaolin kung fu should start in the Sui and Tang Dynasty. Is this correct?

First of all, we have to point out that the story of the so-called thirteen stick monks who saved the Tang King is different from the historical facts, and it should be the thirteen stick monks who caught the Tang King. The King of Tang here does not refer to Li Shimin, but to Wang Shichong's nephew Wang Renze, who had been named King of Tang by Wang Shichong.In 621, King Li Shimin of Qin attacked Wang Shichong in Luoyang, and Wang Renze was stationed in Yuanyuanzhou, just outside the city. Thirteen Shaolin monks captured Wang Renze alive and presented him to King Li Shimin of Qin.

This is a miraculous feat, in the six years of Zhenguan (632) promulgated the "Shaolin Temple Ultimatum," Li Shimin praised the thirteen monks of the Shaolin Temple this way: "If we talk about the merits of the Shaolin Temple, and the Wujing is not different." That is to say, the merit of the thirteen Shaolin monks in helping the Tang to capture Wang Renze was not very different from that of the Tang army's victory over Dou Jiande at Wujing Pass.

Secondly, even the story of the thirteen stick monks catching the Tang king can not be inferred from this in the Tang Dynasty, Shaolin Temple already has a more mature martial arts system. Because this inference has at least two doubts:

One, in addition to the deeds of the thirteen stick monks, about the Sui and Tang Dynasty Shaolin Temple records a lot, but so far has not been found to reflect a Shaolin monks martial arts information. Secondly, the reason why this capture of the King of Tang was successful is focused on the rebellion of Wang Renze's men. The thirteen monks sneaked over the wall at night to enter and capture Wang Renze alive, from which it is not clear what the level of martial arts of the thirteen stick monks actually was. We cannot conclude that they were practicing martial arts just because they were involved in a military activity. This cannot be compared with the Shaolin monks resisting the Japanese invaders in the Ming Dynasty.

There is one material that says one thing, and given the inadequacy of the historical data, the Sui-Tang theory of the origin of Shaolin martial arts does not hold water. A more convincing argument is that the establishment of the Shaolin martial arts system would have been in the Ming Dynasty.

On the one hand, there are clear historical records of the Ming Dynasty. Qi Jiguang mentioned the Shaolin Baton in his military work Jixingxinshu (纪效新书-拳经捷要), saying that it was "the famous one of today". In addition, the Shaolin Baton was introduced in He Liangchen's "Formation Chronicle" and Zhao Guangyu's "Commentary on the Title Justice of the Martial Arts Scriptures", etc. Especially in the late Ming Dynasty, the Shaolin Baton appeared. Especially to the late Ming Dynasty, but also appeared "stick in Shaolin" said that the people of the time to promote, can be seen.

On the other hand, the Ming Dynasty had the corresponding real conditions. As mentioned before, because of the failure of the guard system, the soldiers fled into the wind, the state had to open up a wide source of soldiers, recruiting countryside soldiers. The Shaolin monks and soldiers then had a place to practice and grow in war. A series of wars to suppress rebellions and fight against the Japanese accomplished the Shaolin martial arts, making them famous throughout the world and the ages. This article was originally published by Fun History and may not be reproduced in any form without the official permission of Fun History.

In the Ming Dynasty, Shaolin martial arts monks participated in various wars to protect the country and received great praise from the imperial court. Such as Wanli nine years, nineteen years, twenty-three years of the three commendations, not only praised "Shaolin Temple is a holy monk incense, and have to protect the country to overcome the enemy's success", and the temple food difference "in addition to exempt bracelet free", ordered "no military and civilian people to stir up and occupy the land", "and the military and civilian people, etc.", "the Shaolin Temple is not allowed to protect the country. and occupy the field", "do not again private faction" and so on.

However, in the Qing Dynasty, the situation changed dramatically, the court from support to suppression. It was common in the Ming Dynasty to ask Shaolin monks to teach martial arts in military camps, yet in the Qing Dynasty they were severely reprimanded by the emperor. Qianlong forty years just transferred to the governor of Henan Xu Jie asked a few Shaolin monks to go to the barracks to teach gunnery, the Qianlong Emperor knew extremely angry, the special Oracle said :

Monks have become a monk, that is, they should abide by the rules of purity, in order to softly tolerate insults as the main, how can I learn to hit the thorns, and good courage to show off their strength? There is a local responsibility of the people heard, when trying to submerge, why can not turn to recruit to teach, so that the sale of their skills? And monks to teach training camp soldiers, both non-formal, and make people rumored as a joke. Xu performance why not know things like this? The decree to declare injuries!

This is a small matter, but the emperor so reprimanded, thus showing the attitude of the ruler of the Qing dynasty to the Shaolin monks. After parting ways with the rulers, the Shaolin martial arts had to spread to the lower classes and become folklorized.

It is well known that there was an explosive growth in population during the Qing Dynasty. The largest population of any dynasty was only 100 million, but after the Qing Dynasty, there were "40,000,000 compatriots". When there were more people, the land could not support them, so they had to move. The increase in the number of mobile people led to the emergence of various sects and associations. But the Qing government was seriously cracking down on secret societies, but it was "banning religion but not boxing".

So, on the one hand, the increasing number of mobile population has the need to learn martial arts defense, each other will form a relatively loose boxing; on the other hand, a variety of secret religious groups are also carried out in the name of boxing. Because of the Shaolin Kung Fu in the Ming Dynasty has had a very large popularity, so both the ordinary boxing club or secret religion are developed in the name of Shaolin.

The " Shaolin Society" appeared in the organization of boxing clubs in the north, and the "Shaolin Green Bishop" appeared in the organization of religious sects in Sichuan Province and other places. Among the secret religions, the Tiandi Society deliberately compiled stories about Shaolin monks helping Kang Xi to conquer the western provinces , while the Hongmen claimed that the Five Ancestors of Shaolin were their own founders.

Eventually, under the influence of these folk associations, the world's martial arts out of Shaolin in was able to spread widely and become the general public's perception of martial arts.