Who are they and what do you know about Shaolin Temple in Henan Province China Part 2
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00:00Who are they? And what do you know about Shaolin Temple in Hunan Province, China?
00:07Part 2. We continue to tell a stage of the life of Kung Fu in the Shaolin Temple.
00:13The earliest extant manual on Shaolin Kung Fu, the exposition of the original Shaolin
00:18staff method was written in around 1610 and published in 1621 from what its author Cheng
00:23Zongyao learned during a more than 10-year stay at the monastery. Conditions of lawlessness in
00:28Hunan where the Shaolin Monastery is located and surrounding provinces during the late Ning
00:33Dynasty and all of the Qing Dynasty contributed to the development of martial arts.
00:38Mayor Shahar lists the martial arts Tai Chi, Chang Family Boxing, Baguaquan,
00:42Xingyi Quan and Bajiquan as originating from this region and this time period.
00:47From the 1540s to the 1560s, pirates known as Woku raided China's eastern and southeastern
00:53coasts on an unprecedented scale. The geographer Zhang Rusang provides the most detailed of the
00:5816th-century sources which confirm that, in 1553, Wan Biao, vice-commissioner-in-chief of
01:04the Nanjing Chief Military Commission, initiated the conscription of monks, including some from
01:09Shaolin, against the pirates. Warrior monks participated in at least four battles, at the
01:14Hangzhou Bay in spring 1553 and in the Huangpu River Delta at Wengjiegang in July 1553, Majiabang
01:21in spring 1554, and Taozhai in autumn 1555. The monks suffered their greatest defeat at Taozhai,
01:28where four of them fell in battle. Their remains were buried under the stupa of the four heroic
01:33monks, Ce Sang Ta, at Mount Xi near Shanghai. The monks won their greatest victory at Wengjiegang.
01:41On July 21, 1553, 120 warrior monks led by the Shaolin monk Tianyuan defeated a group of pirates
01:48and chased the survivors over 10 days and 20 miles. The pirates suffered over 100 casualties
01:54and the monks only f***ed only four. Not all of the monks who fought at Wengjiegang were from Shaolin
02:00and rivalries developed among them. Zhang chronicles Tianyuan's defeat of eight rival
02:05monks from Hangzhou who challenged his command. Zhang ranked Shaolin first of the top three
02:11Buddhist centers of martial arts. Zhang ranked Funyo and Honan second and Mount Wutai and Shaanxi
02:17third. The Funyo monks practiced staff techniques which they had learned at the Shaolin monastery.
02:23The Wutai monks practiced Yang family spear pinion, Yangzhe Qiang. Shaolin temple has two
02:29main legacies, Qian, which refers to Chan Buddhism, the religion of Shaolin, and Quan,
02:34which refers to the martial arts of Shaolin. In Shaolin, these are not separate disciplines and
02:39monks have always pursued the philosophy of the unification of Chan and Quan Shan Quan Yi.
02:45In a deeper point of view, Quan is considered part of Chan.
02:49As late Shaolin monk Sushi said in the last moments of his life, Shaolin is Chan, not Quan.
02:55On the Quan martial side, the contents are abundant. A usual classification of contents are
03:02basic skills Jibingong these include stamina, flexibility, and balance, which improve the
03:07body abilities in doing martial maneuvers. In Shaolin Kung Fu, flexibility and balance
03:13skills are known as childish skill Tanzi Gong, which have been classified into 18 postures.
03:19Power skills Qigong these include. Qigong meditation
03:22Qigong meditation itself has two types, internal which is stationary meditation, and external Y,
03:28which is dynamic meditation methods like Shaolin four-part exercise Si Duan Gong,
03:32Eight-section Brocade Buduan Jin, Shaolin Muscle Changing Scriptury Jinjing, and others.
03:38The 72 arts these include 36 soft and 36 hard exercises, which are known as soft and hard
03:44Qigong. Combat skills Chuan Fa, skills these include various bare-handed, weapon, and bare-handed
03:50versus. Weapon, weapon routines, styles, and their combat Sanda methods. Shaolin styles consist of
03:58many different animal forms and techniques. Wing Chun is widely popular partly due to the
04:04Chinese-made and produced hit movie series Ip Man, named for Bruce Lee's first teacher of Wing
04:08Chun Yip Man the most famous practitioner of the art. Like the usual system of Chinese martial arts,
04:14Shaolin combat methods are taught via forms Taolu. Forms that are technically closely related are
04:20coupled together and are considered of the same sub-style. These are usually called the small and
04:25the big forms, like the small and big Hongquan, which altogether make the Shaolin Hongquan style
04:31and the small and big Paoquan, etc. There are also some styles with one form, like Taizu Changquan.
04:38Indeed, these styles are not complete or stand-alone, this is just a classification
04:42of different forms of Shaolin Kung Fu based on their technical contents.
04:47Shaolin Kung Fu has more than hundreds of extant styles. There is recorded documentation of more
04:53than a thousand extant forms, which makes Shaolin the biggest school of martial art in the world.
04:58In the Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911, Shaolin monks chose 100 of the best styles of Shaolin Kung Fu.
05:06Then they shortlisted the 18 most famous of them.
05:10However, every lineage of Shaolin monks have always chosen their own styles.
05:15Every style teaches unique methods for fighting Sanda and keeping health via one or a few forms.
05:21To learn a complete system, Shaolin monks master a number of styles and weapons.
05:26The most famous styles of Shaolin Kung Fu are
05:29Internal and External Kung Fu
05:32Huang Zongxi described martial arts in terms of Shaolin or External Arts versus Wudong or
05:37Internal Arts in 1669. It has been since then that Shaolin has been popularly synonymous for
05:43what are considered the external Chinese martial arts, regardless of whether or not the particular
05:48style in question has any connection to the Shaolin Monastery. Some say that there is no
05:53differentiation between the so-called internal and external systems of the Chinese martial arts,
05:59while other well-known teachers hold the opinion that they are different.
06:03For example, the Taijiquan teacher Wu Jianquan. Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with
06:09strength and force people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are
06:14exhausted. Taijiquan is unlike this. Strive for quiescence of body, mind and intention.
06:21Some lineages of karate have oral traditions that claim Shaolin origins.
06:26Martial arts traditions in Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, and certain Southeast Asian
06:31countries cite Chinese influence as transmitted by Buddhist monks.
06:35Recent developments in the 20th century such as Shurinji Kempo practiced in Japan's Sohonson
06:40Shurinji still maintains close ties with China's Songshan Shaolin Temple due to historic links.
06:45Japanese Shurinji Kempo group received recognition in China in 2003 for their
06:50financial contributions to the maintenance of the historic edifice of the Songshan Shaolin Temple.
06:56Several films have been produced, particularly during the 70s and early 80s, about Shaolin
07:01Kung Fu. Films such as 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Shaolin Temple, and Shaolin Wooden Men.
07:08Modern films include Shaolin Soccer and Shaolin.
07:12Shaolin has influenced numerous rappers, notably the members of Wu Tang Clan.
07:17Shaolin Kung Fu was one of the styles used by Mortal Kombat protagonist Liu Kang.
07:22His Pao Chui, Chui Lei Fat, Monkey Fist, and Dragon Moves derive from Shaolin Kung Fu.
07:28Shaolin monks referred to simply as monks in-game appear in the roguelike game NetHack,
07:32along with Samurai. They are one of the two roles to use martial arts skills,
07:37with monks having the most powerful martial arts skills in the game.
07:41In the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar The Last Airbender,
07:45Airbender, the practice of firebending is based on Shaolin moves.
07:49From the 1540s to the 1560s,
07:52pirates known as Wokou raided China's eastern and southeastern coasts on an unprecedented scale.
07:58The geographer Zhang Rusang provides the most detailed of the 16th-century sources which
08:02confirm that, in 1553, Wan Biao, vice-commissioner-in-chief of the Nanjing
08:07Military Commission, initiated the conscription of monks, including some from Shaolin, against
08:12the pirates. Warrior monks participated in at least four battles, at the Hangzhou Bay in spring
08:171553 and in the Huangpu River Delta at Wangjiagang in July 1553, Majiabang in spring 1554, and Taozhai
08:25in autumn 1555. The monks suffered their greatest defeat at Taozhai, where four of them fell in
08:31battle. Their remains were buried under the stupa of the four heroic monks C.E. Tsangtaad
08:37Mt. Shi near Shanghai. The monks won their greatest victory at Wangjiagang.
08:43On July 21, 1553, 120 warrior monks led by the Shaolin monk Tianyuan defeated a group of pirates
08:50and chased the survivors over 10 days and 20 miles. The pirates suffered over 100 casualties
08:56and the monks only four. Not all of the monks who fought at Wangjiagang were from Shaolin,
09:01and rivalries developed among them. Zheng chronicles Tianyuan's defeat of eight rival
09:06monks from Hangzhou who challenged his command. Zheng ranked Shaolin first of the top three
09:12Buddhist centers of martial arts. Zheng ranked Funyo and Honan second in Mount Wutai in Shaanxi
09:18third. The Funyo monks practiced staff techniques which they had learned at the Shaolin monastery.
09:24The Wutai monks practiced Yang family spear pinion, Yangjieqiang.
09:29The Shaolin Temple, also known as the Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin See,
09:33is one of the most famous Buddhist monasteries in the world.
09:37The temple is located in the Song Mountains in the Chinese province of Honan and is particularly
09:41known for its connection to the development of Kung Fu. The temple gets its name from the Songshan
09:48mountain peak on which it was built. The name Shaolin comes from the monastery that was built
09:53in the 6th century AD by the Indian monk Bodhidharma near the mountain. The history of
09:58the Shaolin Temple dates back to the 5th century when the Indian monk Bodhidharma came to China to
10:03spread Buddhism. He searched for a place where he could meditate undisturbed and found it in the
10:08mountains of the Song Mountains. There, he founded the Shaolin Monastery and taught the monks
10:13meditation and yoga to strengthen their bodies and minds. Over the centuries, the Shaolin
10:19Monastery developed into a center for Buddhist studies and physical fitness. The monks began
10:24practicing Kung Fu to strengthen their bodies for the demanding meditations and yoga exercises.
10:30This led to the creation of the famous Shaolin Kung Fu styles that are now known worldwide.
10:36However, over the years, the Shaolin Monastery has been repeatedly threatened by wars and
10:40persecutions. It has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, and the monks were often forced
10:46to leave their home monastery. Nevertheless, the Shaolin Monastery has managed to survive
10:52over the centuries and maintain its importance as a center for Buddhist studies and physical fitness.
10:58The Shaolin Temple is now a popular tourist destination and an important pilgrimage site
11:02for Buddhist followers. It offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the history and culture
11:08of Shaolin Kung Fu, as well as the chance to participate in Kung Fu training courses and
11:12Buddhist ceremonies. The temple is also a popular location for filming and has featured in many
11:18famous Kung Fu movies. Overall, the Shaolin Temple is an unforgettable experience for anyone
11:24interested in Chinese culture, history, and martial arts. It is a place full of spiritual energy and
11:30impressive architecture, embodying both its religious significance and its cultural and
11:35historical significance. A visit to the Shaolin Temple is a must for any traveler visiting China.
11:42Current Challenges of the Shaolin Temple
11:45The Shaolin Temple has faced some challenges in recent years. One of them is finding a balance
11:51between preserving traditions and adapting to the modern world. The temple has become a popular
11:57tourist destination and therefore has to take into account the needs of both tourists and monks and
12:01pilgrims. Another issue is funding the temple. The Shaolin Temple relies on donations and income
12:08from tourism to cover its ongoing expenses and carry out modernization projects. There are also
12:14allegations of irregularities regarding the administration and finances of the temple.
12:20Another challenge is protecting the environment and the historical buildings and facilities of
12:24the temple. The Shaolin Temple is located in a highly urbanized area and there is a danger that
12:30the environment could be impacted by increasing tourism and development. Despite these challenges,
12:36the Shaolin Temple has a positive future prospect. The temple has developed into an
12:41important attraction that is of great interest to both tourists and pilgrims.
12:46There are plans to further modernize and expand the temple to accommodate more visitors and improve
12:51the experience. The Shaolin Temple has also begun spreading its traditional techniques and practices
12:56worldwide by opening Shaolin Kung Fu schools and centers in other countries. This helps to introduce
13:02the culture of the Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Kung Fu to a wider audience and promote interest
13:07in this ancient tradition. In terms of financing, the temple has also begun taking measures to
13:12ensure transparency and accountability in regards to managing finances and responding to concerns
13:17and accusations. An important focus for the future will also be protecting the environment
13:23and the temple's historical buildings and facilities. There are plans to introduce more
13:28environmentally friendly practices and technologies and improve the protection of
13:33the environment and historical sites in order to preserve the nature and cultural heritage for
13:37future generations. The Shaolin Temple has played a significant role in Chinese history.
13:44It has established itself over the centuries as a center of Buddhist teachings,
13:48martial arts training, and music and theater performances. It also played an important
13:53role in the development of Chinese culture and society. Throughout the centuries, the temple has
13:59suffered both support and persecution by various governments. During the Ming Dynasty, the temple
14:05was supported by the government and became a center of Buddhist studies and martial arts training.
14:10However, during the Qing Dynasty, the temple was persecuted and destroyed as the government
14:15viewed Shaolin Kung Fu as a threat. Despite these difficulties, the Shaolin Temple has
14:20survived and established itself as a significant institution in Chinese culture and history.
14:26It is now a symbolic place for Chinese culture and history and a place where the traditions of
14:30Shaolin Kung Fu are continued. The Shaolin Temple is not just a place of religious practice,
14:38but also a center of Chinese culture. It is known for its martial arts training,
14:43specifically the Shaolin Kung Fu School. Shaolin Kung Fu was one of the oldest and
14:48most well-known martial arts in China and has influenced many modern combat sports.
14:54Shaolin Kung Fu was originally practiced by monks at the Shaolin Temple to prepare
14:58for their meditative practices and protect themselves from attacks.
15:02Over the years, it has also become a popular art form and a symbol of Chinese culture and strength.
15:08Nowadays, there are Shaolin Kung Fu schools all over the world that pass on the tradition and
15:12teach techniques to students of all ages and abilities. Shaolin monks and their daily practices
15:18and rituals at the Shaolin Temple The monks at the Shaolin Temple live by a
15:22strict rule that includes both spiritual and physical practices. They begin every day early
15:28with meditation and Kung Fu exercises, followed by Buddhist ceremonies such as reading sutras and
15:33singing mantras. An important part of the daily life of the monks at the Shaolin Temple is
15:38meditation. They believe that through meditation, concentration is strengthened and consciousness
15:44is expanded, allowing them to better control their mind and body.
15:48The monks at the Shaolin Temple also have a strict diet rule based on vegetarian foods.
15:54I stop at this point today. Until next time, stay curious,
16:00stay informed, and keep exploring the world's incredible stories.
16:04Soon we will publish
16:07Part
16:083
16:10Thank you
16:11for watching