Shaolin Monks
The Shaolin monks are extremely famous for feats of incredible strength, flexibility, and skill in Shaolin Kung Fu, in this article we explore the origins of the monks and what it takes to be a Shaolin monk.
History of the Shaolin Monks
Shaolin monks are thought to have resided at their home, the Shaolin Temple since a nomadic Buddhist teacher formed the temple in Songxian (in China's Henan Province) sometime around 495 A.D. According to legend, Wushu (wu meaning arts in Chinese and shu meaning military) was later invented by a Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma in 527 A.D as a means to keep himself fit and vigilant while he waited on admission into the temple.
Once Bodhidharma had been given permission to enter, he then passed on his secrets and techniques to fellow monks. These techniques were inspired by boxing techniques he had learned while in India as well as from mimicking the movements of animals such as eagles, tigers and cranes. These martial arts techniques became the basis of Shaolin Kung Fu and consequentially, the Shaolin monks. Due to its intense physical nature, Shoalin Kung Fu was supposedly practiced to help staying awake for long periods of time during meditation.
Up until the 1980's, the Shaolin monks have been viewed by China's rulers as both a good thing and a risk by and as a result the monastery has been ransacked many times. Pillaging aside, since the establishment of the Shaolin Temple, the Shaolin monks have been a major influence on Kung Fu and the martial arts in general. In fact, the Shaolin Temple itself can be thought of as the birthplace of Kung Fu. The Shaolin Monks are world famous for their expertise in martial arts. They are legendary to such an extent they are thought to be mythical or magical. This renown comes from performing incredibly amazing feats of strength, flexibility, power and skill in Chinese Kung Fu.
How to become a Shaolin monk
Shaolin monks are split into secular disciples and martial monks. To become a Shaolin martial monk you must begin as a secular disciple. A secular disciple usually starts their journey from as early in life as possible, usually around the age of 8. Once the disciple has proven their devotion to Kung Fu and Buddhism, they may then be promoted to a martial monk by one of their masters. Only the most elite, however, will make it to becoming a martial monk with the extremely challenging training only getting increasingly more difficult as time goes on.
For example, first thing in the morning the Shaolin secular disciples climb a one thousand metre mountain in just twenty minutes, then once they're at the top they must crawl down the mountain on their hands and knees. Each day consists of roughly 8 hours of intense physical training.
Shaolin monk skills
Some of the skills Shaolin monks are famous for are breaking bricks, wood and stone with their limbs and heads. They can balance their bodies, including fragile parts such as the neck on sharp edges of swords or other weapons. Legends speak of some Shaolin monks being able to do a handstand on just one finger.
There are 72 Shaolin skills, ranging from Demon Slaying Sword to Iron Head Skill. A Shaolin monk must master both hard and soft skills from within this set. There are too many to go into great detail, however an example of a hard skill is the Deity's Palm, where a practitioner must strike a wooden object over and over, eventually moving up to hard stone, until he can dent the hard stone. Many of the skills are there to make the warrior immune to pain or damage, so much so that the bones and skin are hardened to a point even the skull can be used as a deadly weapon or cause a staff to snap in half when struck. These skills combined with an extensive mastery of a large number of effective Kung Fu styles, this makes Shaolin monks incredibly skilled and deadly combatants.
Whilst some of the skills you'll see are purely tricks, many of the Shaolin monks' skills are very real and incredible.
Modern day Shaolin monks
Stage shows and spectacle surround contemporary Shaolin monks, with many monks touring and showcasing their talents. At least 100 Shoalin monks teach more than a dozen different styles of Kung Fu to more than 1000 students. If you're a foreigner, you too can train at the Shaolin Temple and learn directly from the source, for a nominal fee over a 3 month journey. The Shaolin Temple itself is now a very popular tourist attraction, receiving around 2 million visitors per year.
