Shaolin Monastery at Mount Song is considered the epicentre of the Chan school of Buddhism. It is also well known for its martial arts tradition and has long been regarded as a special cultural heritage site and an important symbol of the Chinese nation. This book is the first scholarly work in English to comprehensively examine the full history of Shaolin Monastery from 496 to 2016. More importantly, it offers a clear grasp of the origins and development of Chan Buddhism through an examination of Shaolin, and highlights the role of Shaolin and Shaolin kung fu in the construction of a national identity among the Chinese people in the past two centuries.

This meticulously researched and eminently readable study considers the economic, political, and religious factors that led Shaolin monks to disregard the Buddhist prohibition against violence and instead create fighting techniques that by the 21st century have spread throughout the world.

Master the northern style of Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu with this illustrated martial arts guide The Secrets of Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu: Pek Sil Lum is a comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of the traditional Chinese art known to the West as Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu. It includes a historical overview, basic positions, and authentic forms and techniques. Pek Sil Lum is especially renowned for its repertoire of kicking techniques, ranging from simple front kicks to jumping twirling crescent kicks to the dreaded tornado kick, and includes open- and closed-hand strikes and a number of weapons forms.

Bill Bryson meets Bruce Lee in this raucously funny story of one scrawny American’s quest to become a kung fu master at China’s legendary Shaolin Temple. Growing up a ninety-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, young Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series, Kung Fu. While in college, Matthew decided the time had come to pursue this quixotic dream before it was too late. Much to the dismay of his parents, he dropped out of Princeton to spend two years training with the legendary sect of monks who invented kung fu and Zen Buddhism. Expecting to find an isolated citadel populated by supernatural ascetics that he’d seen in countless badly dubbed chop-socky flicks, Matthew instead discovered a tacky tourist trap run by Communist party hacks. But the dedicated monks still trained in the rigorous age-old fighting forms—some even practicing the “iron kung fu” discipline, in which intensive training can make various body parts virtually indestructible (even the crotch). As Matthew grew in his knowledge of China and kung fu skill, he would come to represent the Temple in challenge matches and international competitions, and ultimately the monks would accept their new American initiate as close to one of their own as any Westerner had ever become. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of-age tale of one young man’s journey into the ancient art of kung fu—and a funny and poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.

The Shaolin Grandmasters' Text is a one-of-a-kind volume discussing the history, philosophy and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an, one of the most misunderstood schools of Ch'an Buddhism. In this revised edition, the Order of Shaolin Ch'an have updated information on their martial and Buddhist legacies in an effort to further preserve the Order's heritage. Beginning in 1901, the most senior priests of the Shaolin Order fled a war-ravaged China. Over a period of several years they gathered in New York City's Chinatown. For the last 100 years, the Order of Shaolin Ch'an has worked quietly to preserve the traditions, philosophy, and arts of the Order in the United States. Since the 70's, when Shaolin and its martial arts increasingly became a focal point of popular culture, misinformation and disinformation have anchored it in a growing notoriety. In contrast, this volume strives to accurately share what is spiritually meaningful and martially significant about Shaolin.

This is the first kungfu book by a Shaolin Grandmaster, Sifu Wong Kiew Kit, who has become a legend. It gives a comprehensive introduction to Shaolin Kungfu, including: - The philosophy and history of Shaolin Kungfu. - A basic Shaolin Kungfu set with many secrets revealed. - Combat application. - Internal force training. - Kungfu weapons. - General principles of kungfu. It is a book that any Shaolin Kungfu practitioner should have.

Shaolin Kungfu has been considered by many as the best martial art in the world. But kungfu is just one of the three treasures of Shaolin, the other two being chi kung and Zen. For the first time ever, this inspiring book, written by an internationally acclaimed Shaolin Grandmaster, brings to you the crystallization of Shaolin wisdom and practice spanning many centuries. Its scope and depth is amazing, touching on, among many other things, poetry and enlightenment. Yet it is written in a language easy to understand. Profound concepts and difficult techniques are explained systematically with many illustrations. The book includes: * The background and scope of kungfu. * Form and combat applications. * Principles and methods of force training. * Energy training and mind training. * Secrets of the masters. * Traditional Chinese weapons. * Maintaining one’s health and vitality and the healing of so-called incurable diseases. * Interesting stories and legends of Shaolin. * Zen and spiritual development.