Shaolin chuan is credited as the father of the eastern arts – there is a Chinese saying that “all martial arts come from Shaolin”.

History and Philosophy

Legend has it that some 60 years after the founding of the Shaolin temple, situated on Song Shan in the Henan province, a visiting Indian monk named Bodhidharma, or “Damo” – who later founded Zen Buddhism – taught the Shaolin monks various martial exercise regimes such as the famous “18 hand movements of Lohan” for improved health and concentration during meditations. The monks later combined these moves with the existing martial arts to form Shaolin chuan.

Like most things over time, Shaolin chuan evolved over the years, especially during the Ming Dynasty (1300s – 1600s), and spread throughout China and east Asia. Wing Chun chuan, taekwondo and Japanese karate all have their roots in Shaolin chuan.

Shaolin Training

Shaolin chuan is essentially an external-style martial art which utilises the physical strengths and weaknesses of muscle, bone and sinew. Typically within the Shaolin system there are 10 bare hand sets or forms, as well weapon forms. There are two distinct Shaolin styles – the Northern style which has a mixture of hand and foot techniques, and the Southern style which is predominantly based on hand techniques.

Shaolin is famous for its “Five Animals”, modelled after movements and motions of the snake, crane, leopard, tiger and the dragon.  Bodhi dharma was said to have imitated the moves of a snake and crane after witnessing a battle between these animals.

Today, there are hundreds of secular schools around the world that teach Shaolin chuan in one form or other.