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幸会幸会, It is a great honour to have you join us on the journey to discover and explore the 5000 years old Chinese Culture, History, Literature and Martial Arts.
Our club 星洲国术 (Pinyin : Xing Zhou Guo Shu) is a Chinese Culture, Martial Arts and Kickboxing Appreciation Group in Singapore. 
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Chinese Kung Fu
Chinese Martial Arts or Kung Fu is a series of martial art styles which were developed by the Chinese Civilisation throughout the dynastic history of ancient China, hundreds of Chinese Martial Art or Kung Fu styles exist today and they can be practice either bare-handed or with weapons.
Misconception About Kung Fu
Some western media and even martial art schools were misled to believe that Chinese Martial Arts or Kung Fu had originated from outside China, as there were myths and legends about the 5th century Indian high monk, Bodhidharma 达摩 taught exercises called the 18 Arhat Hands 罗汉十八手 and Yi Jin Jing 易筋经 Qi Gong in the Shaolin Temple, and there was the ancient Chinese saying of 天下武功出少林 (Pin Yin : Tian Xia Wu Gong Chu Shao Lin), which means “All Martial Arts Under The Heaven Stem From Shaolin”.
* We have the upmost respect for Bodhidharma and martial arts from all countries, but we have to tell you frankly that Chinese Martial Arts or Kung Fu is truly Made In China by Generations of Chinese Military Personnel and Martial Artists.
The ancient Chinese saying of 天下武功出少林 (Pin Yin : Tian Xia Wu Gong Chu Shao Lin) was definitely an exaggeration by ignorant writers as most Chinese Martial Art styles did not stem or have linage relationship to the Shaolin temple. For instance, famous styles from Northern China like the Tai Ji Quan 太极拳, Ba Gua Zhang 八卦掌 and Xing Yi Quan 形意拳 did not origin from the Shaolin Temple. Throughout its 1500 over years history, Shaolin Temple also did not claim that all Chinese Martial Art styles stem from Shaolin.
Shaolin Temple was built at around 477AD by the order of Emperor Xiao Wen Di 孝文帝 of Northern Wei 北魏 during China’s Northern and Southern Dynasties Period 南北朝时代. About 200 years before the construction of the Shaolin Temple, Chinese historical records in the Three Kingdom Period 三国时代 (220AD - 280AD) already spoke of great cold weaponry exponents and military generals like Guan Yu 关羽, Zhang Fei 张飞 and Zhao Yun 赵云 with the capabilities of combating on horseback and severing the limbs of their enemies with a single strike of their long weapons.
The discovery of manuscripts from modern day archaeological digs of Han Dynasty 汉朝 (202BC - 220AD) tombs also proved that the Chinese were already practicing Qi Gong 气功 exercises like The Wu Qin Xi 五禽戏 (Five Animal Play) for health and longevity during the Han Dynasty or earlier.
The official historical martial art records of Shaolin, 少林拳谱 (Pin Yin : Shao Lin Quan Pu) clearly stated that the 18 Arhat Hands 罗汉十八手 was initially developed in the Sui Dynasty (581AD – 618AD) by Shaolin monks to serve as simple exercises for meditating monks.
Bodhidharma was considered to be the founder of Chinese Chan Buddhism 禅宗 and there were many mythological legends about him. For instance, there were legends stating that he could stand on a reed to cross the river 一苇渡江, his shadow cast a permanent image on the rock wall after 9 years of meditation 达摩影石, he began the physical training of the Shaolin monks and he was supposedly the creator of Shaolin Martial Art.
Most of the mythological legends about Bodhidharma cannot be proven, but according to the historical records of Shaolin Temple, we know for sure that Shaolin Martial Art 少林武功 is not created by a single person. Shaolin Martial Art is a large collection of martial art set-routines inclusive of weaponry, empty-hand, Qi gong 气功, body conditioning and strengthening techniques. These set-routines some were created by the Shaolin monks and the rest were from the ancient Chinese Pugilistic World 江湖中人. In the Song Dynasty 宋朝 (960AD - 1279AD) alone, legendary masters like Yan Qing 燕青, Lin Chong 林冲 and Wang Lang 王郎 had their set-routines contributed to the Shaolin Temple. Even the founder of Song Dynasty, Emperor Tai Zu 宋太祖, Zhao Kuang Yin 赵匡胤 was said to have bestowed his Chang Quan 长拳 forms to the Shaolin monks.
Today, there are also debates in the Chinese Martial Arts Community over the authenticity of Bodhidharma's authorship of the Yi Jin Jing 易筋经 and whether he taught any exercises in the Shaolin Temple, as there was no mention or attribution to Bodhidharma in any of the official texts written about Shaolin martial arts before the 19th century.
To be fair, it is plausible that Bodhidharma could have organized the Shaolin monks to do exercises after meditation in the 5th century, but claiming that Shaolin Martial Art is created by or originated from him is certainly an overstatement and an utter disregard to the Shaolin monks' and past masters' contribution to Shaolin Martial Art.
* We have the upmost respect for Bodhidharma and martial arts from all countries, but we have to tell you frankly that Chinese Martial Arts or Kung Fu is truly Made In China by Generations of Chinese Military Personnel and Martial Artists.
The ancient Chinese saying of 天下武功出少林 (Pin Yin : Tian Xia Wu Gong Chu Shao Lin) was definitely an exaggeration by ignorant writers as most Chinese Martial Art styles did not stem or have linage relationship to the Shaolin temple. For instance, famous styles from Northern China like the Tai Ji Quan 太极拳, Ba Gua Zhang 八卦掌 and Xing Yi Quan 形意拳 did not origin from the Shaolin Temple. Throughout its 1500 over years history, Shaolin Temple also did not claim that all Chinese Martial Art styles stem from Shaolin.
Shaolin Temple was built at around 477AD by the order of Emperor Xiao Wen Di 孝文帝 of Northern Wei 北魏 during China’s Northern and Southern Dynasties Period 南北朝时代. About 200 years before the construction of the Shaolin Temple, Chinese historical records in the Three Kingdom Period 三国时代 (220AD - 280AD) already spoke of great cold weaponry exponents and military generals like Guan Yu 关羽, Zhang Fei 张飞 and Zhao Yun 赵云 with the capabilities of combating on horseback and severing the limbs of their enemies with a single strike of their long weapons.
The discovery of manuscripts from modern day archaeological digs of Han Dynasty 汉朝 (202BC - 220AD) tombs also proved that the Chinese were already practicing Qi Gong 气功 exercises like The Wu Qin Xi 五禽戏 (Five Animal Play) for health and longevity during the Han Dynasty or earlier.
The official historical martial art records of Shaolin, 少林拳谱 (Pin Yin : Shao Lin Quan Pu) clearly stated that the 18 Arhat Hands 罗汉十八手 was initially developed in the Sui Dynasty (581AD – 618AD) by Shaolin monks to serve as simple exercises for meditating monks.
Bodhidharma was considered to be the founder of Chinese Chan Buddhism 禅宗 and there were many mythological legends about him. For instance, there were legends stating that he could stand on a reed to cross the river 一苇渡江, his shadow cast a permanent image on the rock wall after 9 years of meditation 达摩影石, he began the physical training of the Shaolin monks and he was supposedly the creator of Shaolin Martial Art.
Most of the mythological legends about Bodhidharma cannot be proven, but according to the historical records of Shaolin Temple, we know for sure that Shaolin Martial Art 少林武功 is not created by a single person. Shaolin Martial Art is a large collection of martial art set-routines inclusive of weaponry, empty-hand, Qi gong 气功, body conditioning and strengthening techniques. These set-routines some were created by the Shaolin monks and the rest were from the ancient Chinese Pugilistic World 江湖中人. In the Song Dynasty 宋朝 (960AD - 1279AD) alone, legendary masters like Yan Qing 燕青, Lin Chong 林冲 and Wang Lang 王郎 had their set-routines contributed to the Shaolin Temple. Even the founder of Song Dynasty, Emperor Tai Zu 宋太祖, Zhao Kuang Yin 赵匡胤 was said to have bestowed his Chang Quan 长拳 forms to the Shaolin monks.
Today, there are also debates in the Chinese Martial Arts Community over the authenticity of Bodhidharma's authorship of the Yi Jin Jing 易筋经 and whether he taught any exercises in the Shaolin Temple, as there was no mention or attribution to Bodhidharma in any of the official texts written about Shaolin martial arts before the 19th century.
To be fair, it is plausible that Bodhidharma could have organized the Shaolin monks to do exercises after meditation in the 5th century, but claiming that Shaolin Martial Art is created by or originated from him is certainly an overstatement and an utter disregard to the Shaolin monks' and past masters' contribution to Shaolin Martial Art.
True Origins of Kung Fu
There is clear definition for the term “Martial Arts” in the Chinese language since the Zhou Dynasty 周朝 (1046BC – 256 BC), to the Chinese, the term “Martial Arts” can be known as Wu Ji 武技, Wu Yi 武艺, Wu Gong 武功 or Wu Shu 武术, and all of them simply means Combat Skills, and these Combat Skills can be carried out either with weapons or bare-handed.
Many Westerners preferred to call Chinese Martial Arts as Kung Fu 功夫. Contrary to popular belief, the term Kung Fu does not directly translate into “Martial Arts” in the Chinese language. The term “Kung Fu” had originated from the early Cantonese martial artists who emigrated to the Western World; “Kung Fu” actually means “skills achieved over time with effort”, and the skills they were referring to were of course Combat Skills.
Many Westerners preferred to call Chinese Martial Arts as Kung Fu 功夫. Contrary to popular belief, the term Kung Fu does not directly translate into “Martial Arts” in the Chinese language. The term “Kung Fu” had originated from the early Cantonese martial artists who emigrated to the Western World; “Kung Fu” actually means “skills achieved over time with effort”, and the skills they were referring to were of course Combat Skills.
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Chinese Martial Arts or Combat Skills were developed by countless generations of military personnel and practitioners throughout the dynastic history of ancient China, formerly cultivated for the purpose of military warfare and self-defence, today it is also a form of body-building and fitness practice for the masses. According to historians and archaeologists, the Martial Arts or Combat Skills of ancient China just like many other martial arts in the world had started from the use of weaponry.
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The earliest beginnings of Chinese martial arts can be dated back to China’s Neolithic Tribal Era 远古时代, when the early Chinese tribesmen developed primitive survival skills with the invention and usage of rudimentary weaponry made from stones and wood like stone knives, harpoons, axes and arrowhead for the purpose of hunting and tribal defense. With the progression of time, ancient China transited into the Bronze Age during the Shang Dynasty 商朝 and subsequently to the Iron Age by the end Zhou Dynasty 周朝. The advancement in society and metallurgy, and the establishment of armies and development of military training throughout the dynasties had led to the invention of a wide array of metallic weapons meant for war and self defense, countless weaponry and empty-hand combat techniques were also created.
To know more about the history of Chinese Martial Arts please click the below button.
To know more about the history of Chinese Martial Arts please click the below button.
What Defines Chinese Kung Fu
Hundreds of Chinese Martial Art or Kung Fu styles are being taught all over the world today. To quality as a Chinese Martial Art or Kung Fu style they must include the below 3 fundamental elements :
If you come across a school claiming to teach Chinese Martial Art or Kung Fu styles and their curriculum do not include the above 3 fundamental elements you should research further on the authenticity of their martial art styles. |
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