I. Introduction to Shaolin Boxing
Shaolin Boxing, named after Shaolin Temple, is one of the traditional boxing styles in China. It is based on China's ancient fitness techniques and absorbs the advantages of various martial arts. As one of the most influential schools, it is well-known at home and abroad for its vigorous, unpretentious and conducive to fighting and attacking.
Second, the initial stage of development.
The origin of Shaolin Wushu can only be the folk Wushu in northern China, especially in the Central Plains. At least in the Han Dynasty, the martial arts in the Central Plains have developed to a considerable level, and the art of guiding qi has accumulated rich experience. In addition, according to historical records, before Dharma, some temples in the north practiced martial arts, and some monks also fought against the government.
All the monks in Shaolin Temple come from the people. Some of them will learn martial arts before entering the temple, and then learn from each other among the monks after entering the temple. This enables them to widely absorb the essence of martial arts in the Buddhist and secular circles, constantly sum up experience and develop and create.
General boxing
First, Shaolin tokenistic gesture
Huaquan Xiutui is a rare kind of boxing in Shaolin ancient boxing, belonging to Shaolin Soft Boxing School. Features: rushing to the cow's lying place, agile hands, invisible shape, no clothes, strong hands and weak body. Essence: Hua Quan's Eight Methods, namely, "Swallow, Spit, Float, Sink, Stick, Leave, Break and Sparse".
Shaolin Flower Boxing takes a gentle and elegant road, with its left side twisting to the right like a flag fluttering in the wind, its skillful attack and defense like catkins blowing in the wind, its ups and downs like running water, and its relaxation like ebb and flow. The secret of Huaquan lies not in the moves, but in the use of strength. "The hands are agile, they can't show up, and they hit when they touch clothes. The hands are strong and the body is weak."
Second, Shaolin arhat boxing
Features: "The boxing path is clear and concise, short and compact, flexible and changeable." Essence: "Take the shot like an arrow, close your hand like cotton, succeed in one move, and strike again."
Lohan's boxing theory is permeated with China's traditional philosophical viewpoint of "mutual benefit and extreme opposition". The change of hand shape embodies the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. The hand shape of arhat boxing is divided into five branches according to the "five elements": "The upper palm is water, the straight palm is wood, the flapping palm is fire, the fist is earth, and the hook hand is gold."
At the same time, various hand shapes have different action requirements: "water branches are like clouds, wood branches are like moving arrows, fire branches are like burning clouds, wood branches are as heavy as iron, and gold branches are as deformed as hooks." The ever-changing "three palms, one punch and one hook" makes arhat boxing flexible and changeable, and it can often win by surprise in actual combat.