# Schools that teach traditional Shaolin Arts but are not Shaolin themselves



## Mider1985 (Dec 27, 2009)

Ok so in other threads we've seen that REAL shaolin monks are very hard to find. But some names did come up that seem to teach traditional Shaolin Arts so my question is do these guys teach the traditional arts. meaning if you put them together with a shaolin monk would the monk say wow you really studied us. Or would he say THATS NOT SHAOLIN IN ANY WAY or would he say THATS A POOR VERSION OF WHAT WE LEARN

Im not talking badly about any of these teachers I just wanna know if what they teach is legit

like Dr Yawn Ming of the YMAA

Or Wing Lam of WLE or Wing Lam Enterprises

In my opinion these guys show alot of good martial arts but like i said above is what they teach traditional shaolin arts even though they are not monks or is it a watered down version. I think its not watered down thats why i opened this thread to get other peoples opinons


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## Mider1985 (Dec 27, 2009)

Also if you wanna add a teacher or school you think teaches Traditional Shaolin arts but may not be shaolin themselves please feel free to post those teachers or dojo's


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## Tensei85 (Dec 28, 2009)

I think its the same answer as the last thread, Shaolin is expansive as opposed to inclusive, so the list would be endless.

In most systems including certain families of Wing Chun they reference their beginnings in the Shaolin, same as Tong Long, as well as many many others.

So Schools that teach these systems by lineage are Shaolin, maybe not Shaolin Monks(obviously) but still Shaolin. 

Both Yang Jwing Ming (His Long Fist) is Shaolin, not the Taiji, Bagua, Xingyi which is a different topic as they are Daoist in nature. 

Wing Lam: Bak Siu Lam(Bei Shaolin), Hung Gar in its history also references the Shaolin or atleast Hung Hei Gun(From Shaolin) so is Shaolin.


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## jks9199 (Dec 28, 2009)

Are you looking to be a Shaolin monk?  If so, you probably need to realize that the character of Caine in *Kung Fu* was fictional, and probably not a whole lot like the real Shaolin monks -- even the fighting monks.  The story about Daruma teaching monks martial arts to prepare themselves for religious instruction is almost certainly apocryphal.

Temples in China were as much political refuges as they were religious institutions.  It wasn't at all uncommon for out-of-favor generals and the like to take refuge at a monastery and to share information and training.  Additionally, it's at least not uncommon for young men to spend some time in the temples even today, learning Buddhism.  It's kind of loosely like going to a summer camp or maybe the mission that many Mormon's do.


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## Tensei85 (Dec 28, 2009)

jks9199 said:


> Are you looking to be a Shaolin monk? If so, you probably need to realize that the character of Caine in *Kung Fu* was fictional, and probably not a whole lot like the real Shaolin monks -- even the fighting monks. The story about Daruma teaching monks martial arts to prepare themselves for religious instruction is almost certainly apocryphal.
> 
> Temples in China were as much political refuges as they were religious institutions. It wasn't at all uncommon for out-of-favor generals and the like to take refuge at a monastery and to share information and training. Additionally, it's at least not uncommon for young men to spend some time in the temples even today, learning Buddhism. It's kind of loosely like going to a summer camp or maybe the mission that many Mormon's do.


 
Ah, dont say that! You mean Caine was not real & everything I've known to be true up until now was a lie??

Haha, just kidding! Btw, I'm not making fun of the OP either just for the record...


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 28, 2009)

Mider1985 said:


> Ok so in other threads we've seen that REAL shaolin monks are very hard to find. But some names did come up that seem to teach traditional Shaolin Arts so my question is do these guys teach the traditional arts. meaning if you put them together with a shaolin monk would the monk say wow you really studied us. Or would he say THATS NOT SHAOLIN IN ANY WAY or would he say THATS A POOR VERSION OF WHAT WE LEARN
> 
> Im not talking badly about any of these teachers I just wanna know if what they teach is legit
> 
> ...


 
You are getting hung up on a name "Shaolin". It is kind of like getting hung up on Taoist Taiji and wondering if the Chen, Yang, Zhaobao, Wu, Wu/Hao, Sun families are fake or watered down. Or saying that Xingyiquan is a watered down version Dai family Xinyiquan or that Hebei style Xingyi is just a bad version of Shanxi or that Chang style Bagua can't be as good as Yin style.

And chances are if you had anyone who did any of the flavors of Shaolin in front of a Shaolin monk today he couldn&#8217;t tell you since what he does is performance Wushu and sports sanda and does not do the Shaolin martial arts of the old (and long gone) Shaolin temple.

From here



> Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery. Of the tens of thousands of kung fu wushu styles, several hundred might have some relationship to Shaolin; however, aside from a few very well known systems, such as Xiao Hong Quan, the Da Hong Quan, Yin Shou Gun, Damo Sword, etc. it would be almost impossible to establish a verifiable connection to the Temple for any one particular art


 
From here



> *List of styles currently taught at the temple*
> Xiao Hong Quan - Little Red Fist
> Da Hong Quan - Big flood fist
> Tong Bei Quan - Through the back fist
> ...


 
Northern Shaolin



> The Northern Shaolin style associated with Gu Ruzhang was first taught to a lay disciple, the celebrated 18th century master Gan Fengchi of Jiangsu Province, by a Shaolin monk named Zhao Yuan, born Zhu Fu, a member of the Ming royal family who joined the sangha after the Ming was overthrown by the Qing in 1644. (Gan is also remembered for founding the martial art Hu&#257;quán &#33457;&#25331;, literally "flower fist", about which he wrote the book Introduction to Hu&#257;quán.) Gan in turn taught Wan Bangcai, who taught Yan Degong, who taught Yan Sansen, who taught Yan Jiwen, who taught his nephew Gu Ruzhang (1894&#8211;1952).


 
From here



> *The Northern Shaolin curriculum of Gu Ruzhang*
> Open the Door
> Lead the Way
> The Sitting Horse
> ...


Northern Shaolin of Jing Wu (Chin Woo) 


> *From Great Grandmaster Kuo Yu Chang (Northern Shao lin Style)*
> Fist Sets
> 1. Lien Bo Step and Hand
> 2. Sil Wah Continious Small Circle
> ...


 
You need to understand that CMA history is at times questionable and that some people that came up with rather amazing fighting styles linked what they did to famous styles or famous people to gain legitimacy and money in teaching. And many of those famous styles and/or people had absolutely nothing to do with it


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## Tensei85 (Dec 28, 2009)

Xue Sheng said:


> You are getting hung up on a name "Shaolin". It is kind of like getting hung up on Taoist Taiji and wondering if the Chen, Yang, Zhaobao, Wu, Wu/Hao, Sun families are fake or watered down. Or saying that Xingyiquan is a watered down version Dai family Xinyiquan or that Hebei style Xingyi is just a bad version of Shanxi or that Chang style Bagua can't be as good as Yin style.
> 
> And chances are if you had anyone who did any of the flavors of Shaolin in front of a Shaolin monk today he couldnt tell you since what he does is performance Wushu and sports sanda and does not do the Shaolin martial arts of the old (and long gone) Shaolin temple.
> 
> ...


 


And that about covers it...


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 28, 2009)

Mider1985 said:


> Also if you wanna add a teacher or school you think teaches Traditional Shaolin arts but may not be shaolin themselves please feel free to post those teachers or dojo's


 
Google Chin Wu aka Jing Wu
Google YMAA look at the list of instructors

And it is not a dojo that is Japanese it is either a Kwoon (South China) or a Guan (North China)

Edit:

Mider1985

I need to add this as well; Based on my experience with things CMA I would not at all be surprised that those that are very good at styles with the Shaolin label they like many of those old Chinese guys that are out there are legitimately know the arts they teach they do not advertise nor talk much about what they do with anyone other than their students. I have come across 2 in my area over the years one was a student of the same teacher as Dr Yang in Taiwan and he was very good. I found out by accident and a painful tuishou match (I lost) and he was only teaching his son. The other I just found, again by accident and he is out of Jing Wu (Chin Woo) and again does not advertise. So finding an advertised school does not necessarily equate to good, but then it does not necessarily equate to bad either... Welcome to the Wild and Whacky World of CMA


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