Were Shaolin Monks Really Ancient Masters of Kung Fu?

[isshinryuronin]

I learned that Kung Fu started in the Shaolin temple in Henan Province after the arrival of Bodhidharma around 600, the monks being masters of empty hand fighting. My recent reading leads me to believe this story is not entirely accurate, that their bare-handed fighting skills actually came much later.

There's some early documentation of the monks taking part in military battles. The main weapon in ancient war was the spear. By 1600 they had a reputation for being expert in this weapon as well as the staff, as related in military expert Cheng Zongyou's "Exposition of the Original Shaolin Staff Method" in about 1610. Prior to this time, very little was written regarding Shaolin empty hand combat, most all references talking about weapons. This is not to say they did not have some method of empty hand combat, but it was a distant second compared to pole arms proficiency.

The Northern region was taken over in the mid-1600's by the Qing and the temple was destroyed, sending many surviving monks to the South. With the demise of the monk's relationship with weaponized warfare the empty hand arts grew in importance. The Shaolin art evolved from a military weapon-based art to a civilian hand-based art, leading to chuan fa as we know it. (Early Karate experienced a somewhat similar evolution.)

How does this correlate with the prevailing chuan fa history as you know it?

 

[Same Trick]

Some source claim the mural at the Shaolin temple depicting monks in pugilistic sparring is some 500 years old, could maybe be so. There are depictions of boxers that’s nearly 3000 years old from Egypt, Greece and even Sumer., and the amazing Roman “resting boxer” bronze sculpture from 200 BC.
I don’t know if there in China are other and older boxing definitions than the Shaolin mural, perhaps there are wrestling but I’m not sure about fistfighting.
Fighting/warrior monks was also something that existed in Japan in the 12-13th centuries, apparently they used halberds/spears as weapons.
Then of course there was the Knight Templars and similar orders of Europe that could perhaps be counted as monastic warrior orders ?
But only the Shaolin seems to have developed pugilistic interest .
Places around in Henan were Shaolins located was sort of end stations of the silk road were trader and other from mainly Persia came to settle bringing with them new traditions and culture. Similar was Fujian with Fushiu a hub and port for the maritime silk”road”.
Tying the Chinese martial arts back to ancient figures of importance was/is a thing to give it a more solid authentic ancient story of origin