The culture of such traditional Chinese martial arts as are peculiar to Shaolin Buddhist Monastery is both uniquely expansive and subtly philosophic and stands out as a component of world cultural heritage.

Shaolin Monastery takes it for granted that it is incumbent upon the monastery to retrieve such portions of Shaolin kung-fu lore as have already sunk into oblivion, to re-systematize Shaolin kung-fu lore and the systems of pugilistic and weaponry routines, and to standardize all of them. The first step the monastery took in this connection was the initiation of a hunt for the lost portions of Shaolin kung-fu lore by approaching not only the Buddhist martial artists but also such secular martial artists as have received kung-fu training at the monastery precisely for soliciting information that contributes to replenishing the diminished Shaolin kung-fu lore.

In 2002 the monastery created on its precincts "The Workshop for Shaolin Style of Kung-fu". The setup is composed of Shaolin kung-fu experts and dedicates itself to the task of re-systematizing and standardizing Shaolin kung-fu so as to lay a sound foundation of a prospective Shaolin kung-fu instruction system.

Bearing the generic title A Shaolin Monastery's Compendium of Pugilism, the series are monographic writings expatiating on the entire gamut of such pugilistic routines as handed down through the lineage of kung-fu monks of the monastery. Routines thus anthologized in the compendium are all genuine Shaolin kung-fu. And these monographic writings are to be published one after another and should be duly esteemed as standardized Shaolin-wushu teaching materials fit to be used by those who desire to master Shaolin kung-fu. In the future, formulation of the rules which govern the organization of a Shaolin-martial-art-routine match can be based on this compendium. The Reverend Buddhist Monk Shi Yongxin, the chief editor, is the abbot of Shaolin Buddhist Monastery in Mount Song.

210 x 145mm

89pp

(For this item please quote stock ID 31531)

Related Subject Areas:

Martial Arts