Shaolin style of life and training?

[Jack]

I was wondering if anybody had any articles on how the Shaolin monks lived and trained. I read one short account once and found it highly inspiring and interesting, so if anybody knows of any... please share.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[TKD_McGee]

Yea on TNT theres a show called:

 

"KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES"

 

Its on at 4PM Eastern Time..

 

David Kerridean is a Monk with magical powers, thats about how good a Shaolin gets (Fictional action, magic).

 

 

[SaiFightsMS]

A place to look that might have the links you are looking for is

 

http://www.ucd.ie/~shaolin

 

 

[SuperMinh]

On 2002-04-30 16:50, TKD_McGee wrote:

 

Yea on TNT theres a show called:

 

"KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES"

 

LOL :lol:

[Taikudo-ka]

Come on, everyone knows the original "Kung Fu" was a much more accurate portrayal of Shaolin Monks...

 

I looked into this a bit, there was even a TV special over here about it... yes you can now live and study at "Shaolin" (though your school might not actually be IN the temple), there IS a temple there, you CAN visit and see monks doing Kung Fu (or more accurately Wu Shu) and I believe they are taking students.

 

However, it all seems a bit touristy... There is a big school there that trains in an old castle courtyard and it all looks very atmospheric, but at the end of the day it all reminded me very much of the typical karate lesson in the local dojo, just with a better backdrop (and orange robes).

 

I think most of the actual Shaolin temple has been set up pretty much as a tourist attraction. All the Wu Shu schools are a side-effect of this. Generally from what I gather you're taught by a "martial monk" who is realy just a martial arts teacher in orange robes, who doesn't follow the rest of the Shaolin traditions... I'm pretty sure you're just taught standard modern Wu Shu as well, not some ancient kung-fu secrets hitherto hidden from the world.

[Taikudo-ka]

As far as actual monastic life, I'd imagine its pretty similar whether you're in England or the far East...

 

You;d have little in the way of personal possessions, wake up very early (probably around 4:00am), enjoy humble communal meals, spend a good portion of the day in meditation (either silent or involving some form of chant/song), and go to bed early.

 

You'd probably grow your own food at the monastery, and have to do your share of chores, and also cleaning and all your other own work. (Unless you were a senior abbot or something)

 

The main difference is that the scriptually oriented western monks spent their time copying sacred manuscripts, the more internally oriented eastern monks spent time studying martial arts and internal exercises.

 

Hehe I imagine a good portion of this was pretty similar to traditional martial arts lessons today... just different scenery. I know they had "balance poles" mounted in a yard that were used to practise forms on top of...

[Jack]

Thanks very much.

 

 

[stonecrusher69]

Shoalin today is different then it was before it was burnt down.The monks today are only actors set up by the govt. to attract tourism!! it is using wu shu and trying to sell it as real kung fu.I heard we they spar they mostly spar like kick boxers,so where where is real shoalin kung fu then?

[Ti-Kwon-Leap]

Watch as Grasshopper battles the insidious "she-devil"!!! It should be called KUNG FU: THE LEGEND STILL DOES THE SAME 3 MOVES!

[Taikudo-ka]

Well I don't think EVERY monk there is a paid actor... It's my belief (maybe I'm wrong) that there were still some "geniune" monks who studied there. Maybe sort of like the Vatican. Yes, it really is an independent city-state. Yes the real pope really does live there. But is it full of tourists and tourist attractions and 101 ways to get a buck out of the "devout pilgrim"? I can't imagine it otherwise.

 

Actually I've never been to either. But it seems a rule in this modern world that if there is a "world icon" or site of historical interest somewhere, and you've heard of it, then so has everyone else, and it is full of tourists. (And also locals trying to make a buck out of them). This phenomenon is now world-wide, from London, to Ayer's Rock (Uluru), from Bob Marley's grave in Jamaica to the Shaolin Temple in China. Sad but true.

 

Not that I think going to Shaolin would necessarily be a bad experience... I'm sure training in castle courtyards and stuff would be a great experience, and I'm sure the Wu Shu you are taught would be good (hehe well at least you know you're getting the "real" Wu Shu). You'd also meet interesting martial artists from all over the world. As long as you understood it was modern wu shu you were learning.

 

Also, if you were interested in the monk's original lifestyle and training, from a historical point of view, a visit would still be very educational. You can still see the original training rooms, balance poles in the courtyard, etc.