Authentic Northern Shaolin Manual?

[Zane]

I know this is a sticky subject but could someone please give me some info with some historical backing?

I am wondering if there is an actual Northern Shaolin Manual that covers a good cross section of what was traditionally taught at the Northern Shaolin Temple, in the early 1900's or earlier? And in print and translated to English.

This can go in three directions:

1) Assuming that what is taught at the temple today is not what was taught in the early 1900's and before (I have no idea, just heard this today actually), then an early 1900's or earlier manual or at least a compilation of material from this time frame, ruling out modern works written by contemporary monks or others about contemporary practice. A work that is historically verifiable to have come from Northern Shaolin and that covers their practices.

2) A modern work by contemporary monks or others directly studying Northern Shaolin Temple that scholars agree is what was taught at least before the late early 1900's. For example if a modern monk wrote a manual and showed historical references to older documents to make it clear that, if he is presenting modern exercises, that they have their roots in the early 1900's, or earlier, Northern Shaolin Temple.

3) A modern work by modern monks or others that presents contemporary practices but who can prove using historical references that what is taught today is the same as what was taught in the early 1900's and before.


I trained in Southern Shaolin (and I know that's an even stickier topic) for a while and loved it so much but I have always been curious about the northern teachings.

I know that they existed as many are referenced in "The Shaolin Monastery" by Meir Shahar, a very well researched work.

The only one I can find is "Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin". It is purported to be written with the direct input of a Shaolin monk and was written in the early 1900's. Does anyone know if this book in particular is authentic? The word "Shaolin" is thrown around so much that I really never assume until I get some kind of scholarly verification and with this work I have none thus far.

 

[CMyers0323]

I have two pdf's of shaolin kung fu. It's all in Chinese. It's one book just split into two 1,000 page pdfs

 

[callagon]

I know this is a sticky subject but could someone please give me some info with some historical backing?

I am wondering if there is an actual Northern Shaolin Manual that covers a good cross section of what was traditionally taught at the Northern Shaolin Temple, in the early 1900's or earlier? And in print and translated to English.

This can go in three directions:

1) Assuming that what is taught at the temple today is not what was taught in the early 1900's and before (I have no idea, just heard this today actually), then an early 1900's or earlier manual or at least a compilation of material from this time frame, ruling out modern works written by contemporary monks or others about contemporary practice. A work that is historically verifiable to have come from Northern Shaolin and that covers their practices.

2) A modern work by contemporary monks or others directly studying Northern Shaolin Temple that scholars agree is what was taught at least before the late early 1900's. For example if a modern monk wrote a manual and showed historical references to older documents to make it clear that, if he is presenting modern exercises, that they have their roots in the early 1900's, or earlier, Northern Shaolin Temple.

3) A modern work by modern monks or others that presents contemporary practices but who can prove using historical references that what is taught today is the same as what was taught in the early 1900's and before.


I trained in Southern Shaolin (and I know that's an even stickier topic) for a while and loved it so much but I have always been curious about the northern teachings.

I know that they existed as many are referenced in "The Shaolin Monastery" by Meir Shahar, a very well researched work.

The only one I can find is "Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin". It is purported to be written with the direct input of a Shaolin monk and was written in the early 1900's. Does anyone know if this book in particular is authentic? The word "Shaolin" is thrown around so much that I really never assume until I get some kind of scholarly verification and with this work I have none thus far.

i have been searching for the same material you have. my school i train at is only taught from the same line. but all i know is that my grandmaster is a direct decendent of chen style family line and he taught shaolin long fist starting in the early 70s till recently along with shing yi tai chi 7 star mantis and baji. aperently if looked around and found that there is some obscure books dating back to before the cultural revolution where written from taiwan and korea. so far my search has found some of my schools style in the korean blanket term of sipalki or 18 methods. other than that im stuck. i was able to aquire the shaolin gong fu course in traditional forms but im still looking into them. copywrite was in 93 so it might be a bust on the info prior to govt influence.

 

[punisher73]

I don't know if there is anything left really that would be written documentation.

It is my understanding that various styles were taught at the Shaolin Temple. Most written records would have been destroyed in the various fires.

Even with the destruction of the temple, the martial arts were preserved by Shaolin monks that had fled and went to nearby villages.

If you go to Kung Fu Magazine, you can find an article that compares and contrasts Bak Sil Lum and Songshan styles. The author, Gene Ching, believes that the Songshan style currently taught at the Shaolin Temple is the closest as to what might have been one of the original styles.

 

[callagon]

I know this is a sticky subject but could someone please give me some info with some historical backing?

I am wondering if there is an actual Northern Shaolin Manual that covers a good cross section of what was traditionally taught at the Northern Shaolin Temple, in the early 1900's or earlier? And in print and translated to English.

This can go in three directions:

1) Assuming that what is taught at the temple today is not what was taught in the early 1900's and before (I have no idea, just heard this today actually), then an early 1900's or earlier manual or at least a compilation of material from this time frame, ruling out modern works written by contemporary monks or others about contemporary practice. A work that is historically verifiable to have come from Northern Shaolin and that covers their practices.

2) A modern work by contemporary monks or others directly studying Northern Shaolin Temple that scholars agree is what was taught at least before the late early 1900's. For example if a modern monk wrote a manual and showed historical references to older documents to make it clear that, if he is presenting modern exercises, that they have their roots in the early 1900's, or earlier, Northern Shaolin Temple.

3) A modern work by modern monks or others that presents contemporary practices but who can prove using historical references that what is taught today is the same as what was taught in the early 1900's and before.


I trained in Southern Shaolin (and I know that's an even stickier topic) for a while and loved it so much but I have always been curious about the northern teachings.

I know that they existed as many are referenced in "The Shaolin Monastery" by Meir Shahar, a very well researched work.

The only one I can find is "Authentic Shaolin Heritage: Training Methods of 72 Arts of Shaolin". It is purported to be written with the direct input of a Shaolin monk and was written in the early 1900's. Does anyone know if this book in particular is authentic? The word "Shaolin" is thrown around so much that I really never assume until I get some kind of scholarly verification and with this work I have none thus far.

i found a school that left before the cultural revolution for Korea and taiwan. the grand master of the school is Duke Y.M. Cheng. if you can find anything on him or any practitioner that trained under him, i think that would be a good direction.