Shaolin temple boxing
Traditionally, the originator of what became Shaolin temple boxing was a sixth century Buddhist monk known as Ta Mo.[1][2] Ta Mo taught his students to perform 18 breathing exercise, twice a day, said to strengthen health and endurance.
According to Robert W. Smith, an author of multiple books on martial arts, three individuals added their martial arts knowledge to the original breathing exercises, at the Shaolin temple around 1300.[1] Chueh Yuan, already a buddhist priest, with an interest in martial arts, and two very experienced martial artists he recruited, during his travels, Li Ch'eng and Pai Yu-feng. Their new changes added 72 "movements" and 172 "actions" to the original 18 breathing exercises.
The new system had five "styles": Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Snake and Crane.[1] In theory the styles are based on the movements of those animals.
Shaolin temple boxing is one of the Chinese martial arts where students try to cultivate their ch'i, a concept very roughly translated as "energy", or "intrinsic energy".[1] Other "internal" or "soft" systems which include, which include ch'i in their teachings, are Tai Chi, Pa Kua, and Tsing-i. Chi is said to be similar to, or identical to, the Ki of aikido. Ch'i is said to be related to the internal forces controlled through acupuncture. Most Chinese fighting systems -- just like Japanese jui jutsu or karate -- rely on brute strength, and are called "hard" systems. Shaolin temple boxing is often said to teach both hard and soft fighting techniques.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Robert W. Smith (2012). Secrets of Shaolin Temple Boxing. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462903276. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
- ↑ Robert W. Smith (1999). Martial musings: a portrayal of the martial arts in the 20th century. Erie, Pa: Via Media Pub. Co. ISBN 978-1-893765-00-9. Retrieved 2026-06-29.