When the era of "video salons" began, my first film there was "Shaolin: Pretenders to Death". To say that it left an indelible mark on me is to say nothing.
It was only later that I learned that in the entire ancient history of China, there were about ten monasteries with the name of Shaolin. But only one survived - the progenitor. This is the northern monastery of Sunshan.
Shaolin Monastery was founded in 495 AD. Indian monk - Bodhidharma, or in another way he was called Damo. The name of the monastery comes from its geographical location. Literally translated - "Monastery in the forest, on Mount Shao."
So were the famous and legendary war monks there?
The monastery was founded in 495, but only in 530 found its way. The fact is that it was in this year that the first patriarch of Ch'an Buddhism, Bodhidharma (Damo), arrived in Shaolin. He taught local monks a new cultivation method and radically changed the established Buddhist tradition. Now the monks practiced meditation by developing martial skills.
Damo was originally from India and came to teach the local monks his teachings. And he came not to the wasteland, but to a monastery built at the beginning of the 3rd century by Taoist monks. This monastery was a fortress on Mount Sunshan. The teaching began to be called "Chan" - which is based on the contemplation of the world and meditation.
Damo taught: "every person is a potential Buddha, you just need to awaken him in yourself." Damo did his best to spread his Chan teachings and for everyone to come to Buddha.
Before Bodhidharma passed on his teachings to the monks, he sat for 9 years in a cave, reflecting and philosophizing on the problems of the universe and being. Then the bright sunlight burned out his appearance on the cave wall during the 9 years of meditation. For this, the monks were imbued with respect and reverence for the strength of his spirit. And then they accepted his teaching as truth.
This cave where Damo meditated is one of the main shrines of Shaolin. All Buddhists in the world consider this place to be ideal for meditation.
The reason for the monks to practice the art of hand-to-hand combat was the need for physical survival in the harsh mountainous environment, the threat of attack by wild animals, and, in addition, princely strife. The Shaolin Monastery is located in the depths of the Songshan Mountain Range, which led to the harsh living conditions of the monks. All this demanded from them good health, unpretentiousness in everyday monastic life and the ability to protect themselves. Therefore, physical training through martial arts training became a necessity for them. Possession of combat techniques allowed one to protect oneself from predators.
During the one and a half thousand years of the monastery's existence, unique forms of wushu, different from other schools and directions, were created, selected and passed on to new generations. The fundamental foundations of the Shaolin style were already formed by the end of the Sui dynasty (581-618) - the beginning of the Tang dynasty (618-907).
Shaolin Monks The era of Sui is the time of the expansion of the Shaolin domain. Since the buildings of the monastery and its lands were spread out in the foothills of the Songshan Ridge, where armed gangs who were engaged in robbery found refuge, the monastery was forced to create its own small militarized detachment for self-defense. The nature of the actions of the defenders of the monastery was predetermined by the conditions of its existence: the emphasis was not on large-scale operations of armed detachments, but on the skill and courage of individual monks-fighters.
Over time, the practice of monastic wushu acquired an ever deeper character, and at the turn of the Sui and Tang eras, Shaolin monks became famous for their martial arts throughout the country.
After the Sui dynasty came to power, Emperor Wen-di (reigned 581-605), who greatly revered Buddhism, granted the monastery 100 cinei (about 667 hectares) of land. Since then, the Shaolin Monastery has become a large estate, and the monks have become landowners. At the end of the reign of the Sui dynasty, riots occurred in the guards, wars broke out one after another, there was a drought and crop failure. In such conditions, the Shaolin monastery, which had vast land holdings, became the target of an attack by the rebel army, which consisted of hungry peasants. The insurgent detachments approached the monastery and burned it down. Only one pagoda survived from the buildings. After these events, the wushu monks organized an armed detachment to defend against robbers. Subsequently, the monks fighters not only successfully defended their territory, but also provided assistance to the imperial court. The story of how thirteen Shaolin monks helped the Tang emperor suppress the rebellion was widely known.
For this help, the monarch granted the monastery the highest permission to support an army of monks: this is how Shaolin became the first martial arts center in the whole country.
In the 13th century, the Shaolin Monastery was headed by the abbot Fuyui. He was a reformer monk who did a lot for the whole of Chinese Buddhism. Fuyu believed that too many monks were leaving the monastery. At the same time, returning to the world, they talked about themselves as some Shaolin superheroes, not hesitating to embellish their exploits and invent various fables.
Then the abbot gathered all the monks of the highest initiation for a council in the monastery, where it was decided to create and introduce a special exam into the practice of teaching monks. This exam was a special complex representing all Shaolin technique.
36 steps of Shaolin
This complex was divided into 36 stages and was called 36 halls. After each stage, the Shaolin Temple monks had to take an exam.
In the first rooms, combat stances and movements were studied.
In the second halls - punches.
Thirdly, with your feet.
In the next stages, the monk improved as a fighter with all types of edged weapons.
It became almost impossible to leave the monastery. To do this, it was necessary to go through 13 outposts - special obstacles on the way, for those who wish to leave the monastery. Each outpost was guarded by experienced monks - professional Shaolin fighters.
The monks who wished to leave the monastery had to measure their strength with the guards and reach the central gate. They were called mountain gates. The rules stated that those who did not manage to reach them the first time would remain in the monastery forever. Therefore, those wishing to leave the monastery decreased many times. And whoever managed to do this, there were real Shaolin monks, for whom one would not be ashamed.
When Mongol rule began, Abbot Fuyui opened 5 branches of the main Shaolin monastery. Special monks were sent to these branches not only to preach the teachings of Damo, but also to teach Shaolin Wushu. Monks were not allowed to carry edged weapons, but a staff was not considered a edged weapon and was always at hand.
The staff is the main weapon of the Shaolin monk. Fuyu introduced a special set of staff training. The abbot himself could knock down more than 3 warriors, strong and armed with swords, with one wave of his staff.
Historical chronicles tell that Shaolin monks have repeatedly helped the rulers of China in the fight against robbers and pirates. In the 14th century, at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, Japanese pirates and various robbers regularly performed robberies and raids on the coastal border of China.
In 1553, one of the most talented generals of that time, Qin Qigua, was ordered to lead an army in the fight against raids. Then he begins to collect the most famous fighters from all over China.
The commander, knowing well the attitude of the people towards the Shaolin monks, decides to seek help from the monastery. The instructors of the monastic army showed their agreement. A detachment of monks was assembled, led by a young soldier named Yen Gun, whose name meant "the light of the month in the heavenly void."
But historians are at a loss in the number of this army. Some say that there were more than thirty monks, others more than a hundred. It is logical to assume that each of the thirty monks led and trained their own squad of fighters.
This confusion consisted in the fact that everyone declared himself a monk of the Shaolin Temple, if more or less, possessed martial art and some kind of weapon.
Monastic army, armed only with staves, more than 2 meters long and weighing 15 kg. was formed and ready. The possession of such weapons spoke of the not hefty strength of the monks. The myth that the Buddhist monk was a weak man who was mainly engaged in spiritual searches was completely dispelled after these attacks against pirates.
Everyone saw that the monks in battle surpassed even the professional trained best warriors gathered from all over China. Shaolin monks, keeping complete calm and not even changing their face, entered into battle with several opponents at once and won, trying to keep the majority alive, as evidenced by their fame of justice and virtue.
The enemy and the ally were shocked when the monks used unknown and incomprehensible fighting techniques, which no one knew or understood. And the worst thing for everyone is that the monks were not afraid of pain, nor were they afraid of death.
According to historical data, the monks participated in more than 100 battles with the Japanese. One of the legends, based on facts from the chronicle, tells how in one battle 4 monks fought with a whole squad of Japanese. The detachment consisted of more than a hundred Japanese.
The heyday of Shaolin comes during the Ming Dynasty. And this time is 14-16 centuries. At the same time, the number of monks fighters grew, but it was not so easy to get into the Shaolin monastery.
Shaolin legends say that they accepted only those who could withstand the most difficult tests not only of the body, but also of the spirit.
But by 1925 there were practically no real masters left in the monastery. And in 1928, the outrageous military leader Shi Yuan completely set fire to Shaolin, destroying the unique sources of knowledge. The death of the great Zhang Sanfeng's treatise, who was considered the only source of Taijiquan knowledge, was a huge loss.
The restoration of the original culture of Shaolin was taken up much later by Wu Shanglin, the son of the last master Ji Jin. For three years he taught the Shaolin monks - all modern masters of the legendary monastery trace the history of their skills precisely from them.
The restoration of Shaolin was dear to China. After World War II, only seven monks lived on the ruins of the monastery, and only three of them had previously studied Shaolin martial arts. The country's authorities forcibly recruited wushu masters from all over the area. It was they who became the progenitors of the modern Shaolin school.
The martial art of monks is called Shaolin-Si Quan-Fa, or Shaolin-Quan for short. This includes not only hand-to-hand combat, but also unique ways of wielding weapons.
Gradually, the monastery took a significant place in popular culture. Shaolin has grown, making the entire region a true tourism Mecca. Today, there are countless commercial martial arts schools around him, which are, in fact, just kung fu and wushu schools.
sources
Today, it is difficult to find a person who is unfamiliar with the Shaolin monastery. This place has been a haven for centuries for monks who tried to combine physical perfection with spiritual attainment. This magical place is located at the foot of Songshan Mountain, southwest of Beijing. Today, martial arts fans from all over the world come here to learn the wushu wisdom and through meditation. But it was not always so. A new round in the history of the Shaolin Monastery began quite recently, after its restoration in 1980, when the authorities decided to turn this place into a tourist center. And this idea worked - today thousands of people flock to Songshan Mountain to feel the spirit of this legendary place.
History of the monastery
The history of Shaolin is overgrown with countless myths and legends, so it is difficult to say for sure when it was created. It is believed that the cult monastery was founded around the 5th century AD. The first abbot was called Bato. He had many students who helped lay the foundations of this legendary place. It is generally accepted that a Shaolin monk is an invincible fighter with tremendous physical strength.
However, one of the legends says that wushu did not immediately originate in a monastery near Songshan Mountain. The history of Shaolin martial arts began with the fact that he came to the territory of present-day China from India. His name was Bodhidharma. It was he who introduced the obligatory physical exercises for since at the time of his appearance in the monastery they were so weak that they fell asleep during meditation. Legends say that Bodhidharma had a huge impact on the development of Buddhism and Chinese martial arts. Let's take a closer look at the history of this incredible man.
Bodhidharma
The personality of Bodhidharma, whom the monks called Damo, was overgrown with many beautiful legends. Today it is difficult to say what kind of person he was, but it is believed that it was he who brought wushu to Shaolin. Before his arrival, meditation was believed to be the best way to learn about the world and achieve enlightenment. They treated the body quite dismissively, considering it an annoying obstacle on the path to perfection. Therefore, the monks were physically weak, which prevented them from meditating for a long time.
Damo was convinced that the body and mind are closely related, and it is impossible to achieve enlightenment without developing a physical shell. Therefore, he showed the monks a complex called "The Hand Movement of Eighteen Arhats," which then turned into Shaolin Wushu. There is a legend that once Damo spent 9 years in a cave, contemplating a wall. After that, his legs refused to serve him, which forced Bato to create a complex for changing muscles and tendons "Damo Yi Jingjing", which laid the foundations of Shaolin Qigong. The vitality cultivation methods developed from these simple exercises were so effective that they were kept secret for a long time.
Further history of the monastery
In subsequent years, the Shaolin Monastery experienced repeated ups and downs. He was burned to the ground more than once, but he, like a phoenix, was always reborn from the ashes, continuing his important mission. Another of the beautiful legends is associated with the son of the warlord Li Yuan. His name was Li Shimin, he led one of his father's armies. In one of the battles, his army was defeated, and he himself fell into the river, the stormy waters of which carried him downstream. Fortunately, the inhabitants of the Shaolin monastery saved the man from certain death, healed and gave protection from 13 monks who protected him. It was a loyal and helpful retinue, because in those days one Shaolin monk could deal with a dozen bandits, who abounded in the local forests.
After Li Shimin came to power, he thanked his saviors. They received land as a gift, and the rules of the Shaolin monks were changed - now they were allowed to eat meat and drink wine. This beautiful story gives an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat life was like in those distant times. Obviously, the monks repeatedly had to participate in battles and defend themselves from robbers, who at that turbulent time were more numerous than the stars in the sky.
Shaolin today
Today the Shaolin monk remains the same as it was hundreds of years ago. At the same time, few people know that northern Shaolin was restored only in 1980. Before that, it lay in ruins for a long time, after it was burned in 1928, when the civil war was in full swing in China, and all power was concentrated in the hands of the militarists. Each of them wanted to own as large a piece of land as possible, not disdaining any methods.
Then came the cultural revolution, after which traditional martial arts were on the verge of destruction, and monasteries were considered a useless relic of the past. It was only in 1980 that the Chinese government realized that there was no point in destroying its cultural heritage, and the monastery was restored. Today, it is visited by hordes of tourists who bring good profits and contribute to the spread. Also, the Shaolin Monastery fulfills the old function - monks are trained here. Today, everyone can try to become a monk in this legendary place, regardless of nationality.
Shaolin Monk Fighter
Unfortunately, these days the situation is such that traditional wushu is not considered a martial art. Many fighters consider it to be dances that have nothing to do with a real fight. And they are not far from the truth: most of the people practicing wushu today are focused on studying formal taolu complexes. According to them, competitions are held, where participants show an imaginary fight, and the judges evaluate their performance. Imagine how boxers enter the ring one at a time and show there a shadow boxing, according to the results of which one of them is awarded a victory. Absurd, not otherwise. But the situation with traditional wushu is exactly that. Full contact fights are practiced only in Wushu Sanda, but this is a purely sports direction.
And now, when Wushu was already written off, a man appeared who blew up the Internet with his incredible fighting skills. His name is Yi Long and he comes from the Shaolin monastery. He does not hesitate to fight according to the kickboxing rules with the strongest athletes of our time. People were finally able to see what a Shaolin monk can do against contact martial arts fighters.
Differences in technique
Yee Long's fights against kickboxing and Muay Thai champions are interesting in that he uses a peculiar technique that is unlike the usual manner of fighting athletes. The fights of the Shaolin monk are distinguished by a huge number of throws and sweeps, for which modern adherents of percussion martial arts were completely unprepared. Some of Yi Long's fights with sports martial arts champions looked so one-sided that for a while he was considered invincible.
But not without defeats, most of which were the result of the defiant behavior of the Shaolin Wushu adept. His habit of putting his chin under the blows of his opponent, showing his superiority over him, has often played against him. When a Shaolin monk felt his advantage over an opponent, he simply dropped his arms and took a few clean blows to the chin. The result of this disrespectful behavior was a heavy knockout from a Muay Thai fighter.
Yi Long - a monk or just a fighter?
Of course, every martial arts fan is interested to see what a Shaolin monk can do against a boxer or karateka. But the behavior of this wushu player in the ring leaves a lot of questions. How can a humble monk flaunt his superiority and show obvious disrespect for his opponent? Yi Long sounds more like an MMA badass than a humble Buddhist.
Be that as it may, this fighter shows miracles of control over his body and excellent fighting skills. Perhaps his impudent behavior is due to the specifics of contact martial arts, or maybe this is just a smart marketing move to stir up interest in his person. The main thing is that Yi Long showed that wushu is really a serious martial art that gives real fighting skills.
Shaolin Monk in Ultimate Fights
It is believed that the next step in the wushu career will be Yee Long's participation in the so-called ultimate fighting, or MMA. However, the probability of this event tends to zero. The reason is that the ground floor is the most important element of fighting in the octagon. There is practically no parterre in traditional and sports wushu, which is due to its history. Moreover, the most powerful techniques of traditional Chinese martial arts are aimed at hitting the enemy's vital points, which is unacceptable in.But who knows, perhaps this mad monk will surprise us again by successfully performing in a cage. Time will tell.
Probably, many have seen on YouTube a video where a shaved bald monk in orange Shaolin pants makes eastern fighters kickboxers in the ring. With dexterity in applying Shaolin Wushu, he proves over and over again that his Kung Fu is cooler than anyone else. Who is he and where is he from - this question is asked by many fans of martial arts.
Information on the network about him is negligible. From what is known, his name is Yi Long (according to some versions of Liu Yilong), and his real name is Liu Xingjun. Born in Shandong, China, Dezhou city district on April 1, 1987. His height is 1.76 m, and his weight is 72 kg.
Master of Chinese Wushu and Wushu Sanda, as well as a kickboxer. He studied independently at the Shaolin Monastery.
He began his performances in 2009 and so far has spent as many as 73 fights in the 61st of which he won, 23 times by knockout. He has only 11 defeats.
Who is Yi Long really? There are various theories.
1. Marketing move.
This is the most common version. Many believe that Yi Long is actually an ordinary Muay Thai fighter who specifically adapted his technique to Shaolin Quan. If earlier in the mid-90s the line between styles began to blur and MMA appeared, then in this case the opposite process takes place. People need spectacles and answers to questions from childhood: who is stronger than a Shaolin monk or a professional boxer.
Even if this is the case and Yi Long's style is based not on Shaolin kung fu, but on mixed martial arts and kickboxing, then we must pay tribute to him in such a complex mixture of techniques and beauty of movements, he manages to find a balance and kicks the bottom of his opponents.
2. It's all staging.
There is another version that in fact everything was done to remove the dough from the population with the help of an ordinary thoughtful show, similar to what wrestling in the United States is. They say that Yi Long's opponents play along with him, because he wins so many victories, and he diligently earns his living in good physical shape and acting talents.
To be honest, it’s hard to believe in this version, it’s not at all attractive for staged fights. At least wrestling did not stand next to what this mad monk is doing in the ring.
3. Weak opponents are selected for him.
Another theory says that it is not in vain that Yi Long does not get out of Asia, that he will go out against Conor McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov and consider there is no monk. There will be no wet place. The fact that the monk has six dozen victories does not count - all his rivals are knocked out in batches because of their inability to fight in principle. So the myth of the invincible Shaolin monk was created for the sake of show and money.
4. He is a real monk!
And of course, the version you want to believe in the most. The fact that Yi Long is a monk of the Shaolin Temple and devotes all his free time to perfecting kung fu skills, comprehending Zen Buddhism and meditation. Why then does he perform in the ring? Who in the temple could allow him to connect with worldly life? We will never get answers to these questions, since they will remain within the walls of Shaolin. And let it be so - the legend will remain a legend.
