• Shaolin kung fu and a Zen Wu SHÀOLÍN GŌNG-FŪ CHÁN-WǓ HÉ-YĪ
  • "IN THE GONG-FU SHAOLIN MARTIAL ART AND MEDITATION ARE ONE"
Shaolin Kung-fu (Shaolin Kung Fu) is a traditional martial art system developed in the Buddhist culture of the Shaolin Temple (Shaolinsi) located on Mount Songshan (Songshan) China. It is based on the belief in the supernatural power of Chan Buddhism (Zen), which fully reflects the wisdom. For this reason, UNESCO declared that the disciplines practiced by the monks of Shaolin Temple, are "Cultural Heritage of Humanity" because they represent the highest form of expression of the martial arts.
Unlike many "schools" of Chinese martial arts or "Styles Quan", Shaolin Kung-fu, handed down for many generations in the Shaolin Temple, is an immense, well developed and with the highest number and skill level, including 72 unique set of skills and all kinds of special technical bodies such as Kung-fu: Qì-gōng (Qigong); Rou-Quan (Soft punches); Qin-after (Catch) capture techniques, fight, joint locks, techniques to attack the vital points of human body; General-zǐ-frame (Boy power); Jué (Grab), or imitative styles; etc.. These technical bodies, organized according to specific categories and levels of difficulty, cover such a wide range of martial skills and knowledge as to constitute the largest martial system and ordered the world. The heart of the Shaolin Kung-fu is expressed through the movements of the human body as an attack, defense and fighting, and sequences, consist of groups of movements or Tao-lu (Routine), represent the underlying unity. The codification of these movements is based on medical knowledge of ancient Chinese Buddhist, and complies with the rules of the motor body. The sequences of Shaolin martial and therapeutic, pay particular attention to the alternation of stasis and movement, the balance between Yin and Yang, complementarity of hardness and softness, unification of form and spirit.
Shaolin Kung-fu has been experienced for more than a millennium, period during which he has always maintained its essence Buddhist Chán eliminating undesirable and what was always subject to change. As a result, Shaolin Kung-fu has reached an optimal motor pattern, able to easily develop and fully the potential of the human body. The wisdom of Chan Buddhism has infused deep cultural and spiritual connotations in Shaolin Kung-fu. Consequently, the practice of Shaolin Kung-fu should be based on the belief in the Buddhist doctrine, including: belief, wisdom, faith and trust. The aspiration to supernatural power and the search for wisdom has always been the ultimate goals pursued by the Buddhist monks. This is the main reason why the Shaolin Kung-fu has many mystical effects that distinguish it from other types of Kung-fu.
To reach such a level in Kung-fu, The monks have a duty to continually improve themselves, both in studies in daily practice of meditation Chan and Kung-fu, because the idea behind the Shaolin Kung-fu is the faith nell'inscindibile combination of meditation (Bored) and martial arts (Quan). Soul of Shaolin Kung-fu is rooted in the wisdom of Chan Buddhism and the basic substrate of the belief system of the Shaolin Kung-fu is "Chan-Ding 禅定 (Dhyāna)”: meditation.
(From: "SHAOLIN KUNG-FU" the Venerable Abbot ShiYongXin-translation from Chinese into Italian by Shifu ShiHengChan )
Namo Amitabha