Shaolin Monks

Shaolin monks are from the Buddhist Shaolin Monastery that was established by the Indian warrior and monk, Buddhabhadra, in Henan Province, China during the later part of the 5th century CE. The physical training at this monastery did not begin until another Buddhist monk, Bodhidarma arrived and was dismayed at the poor physical condition of the monks. Neither Bodhidarma, nor his training methods, were accepted by the community immediately, but after some time he began teaching three different dao yin (qigong) exercises: "The Muscle Change Classic, Marrow Washing, and Eighteen Hand Movements. This was the beginning of Shaolin Kung Fu. During subsequent persecutions of Buddhists in China, Shaolin monk skills in fighting for self-defense became more sophisticated. During the Tang dynasty, beginning in the early 7th century, the Shaolin Temple was rebuilt. The emperor was a Buddhist and there are records of Shaolin monks engaging in conflicts on the emperor's behalf. The skills of these monks in martial arts goes beyond physical training. They engage in mental conditioning and energy training as essential aspects of their fighting skills.

Complex forms of fighting by the Shaolin monks began through the efforts Chueh Yuan, a noble's son who was talented in martial arts. He brought more structure into the training and incorporated the 72 fist style and other movements into the 18 Hand Movements Dao Yin. He later learned pressure point ans wrestling techniques from master Pai Yu-feng and expanded the Shaolin Kung Fu to have 170 movements.

The Henan province is in the eastern central part of China. It is the most populous province and home to ancient cultures. The land is a plain in the east and mountainous in the north and southern extremes. The Yellow River passes throught the northern half. The Shaolin temple is located on Mt. Song (Song Shan), close to near Zhengzhou City.