The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts by Meir Shahar

[kwaichang]

I let my fists do my talkin KC Legit or not it works and the proof is in the puddin they say. KC

[Mas Judt]

Well that MIGHT be the problem, it's very hard to get out clear hard consonants without using your mouth.

Hey, I'm not the one saying there is no real CMA in China, or claiming to be, well anything, much less the only Shaolin Grandmaster in the world... don't be so testy, if you believe it, stand up and be proud of it. Just don't get all tweaked if others think it's funny.

[kwaichang]

I am not saying that stuff either I believe what I believe and see KC

[ghostexorcist]

Stanley E. Henning has written a review for Prof. Shahar's book. If you have access to the Project Muse archive site, I highly suggest it.

Stan spends much of the article correcting some of the slight mistakes that Prof. Shahar made.

[GeneChing]

That JAMA review was mentioned on the previous page.

Henning on Shahar:

China Review International
* Meir Shahar's The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts, Vol. 15, No. 3, 2008, 113-121.

Journal of Asian Martial Arts
* Meir Shahar's "Chen [sic] Zongyou, Explanation of the Original Shaolin Staff Method" in Mair, Steinhardt & Goldin, eds., Hawai'i Reader in Traditional Chinese Culture, University of Hawai'I Press, 2005, Vol. 15, No. 1, 2006.
* Meir Shahar's The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2008.

[Shaolin Wookie]

It's one of the leading publishers of research on Asia. Academic texts, like academic journals, are seldom sold in general bookstores; you almost never see them in the megachains. The scholarly book industry is almost a completely different animal. They tend not to do major runs, which is why they are so expensive. If you want one, you'll probably have to order through the site.

Or look in a university library. I found this microform file at GSU about Taiwan's research into traditional kung-fu uniforms. I could scan some and try to email them to interested parties, if anyone is interested. Boring stuff, but it was a Taiwanese committee that conducted the research.

Just puttin' it out there for anyone interested.

[Tainan Mantis]

I found this microform file at GSU about Taiwan's research into traditional kung-fu uniforms. I could scan some and try to email them to interested parties, if anyone is interested.

Yes, I am interested. I have some of the Taiwan Gv historical research on MA in Taiwan, but nothing on uniforms.

I would very much like to see this.

kevinbrazier@yahoo.com

Kevin

[David Jamieson]

I got my copy and am devouring it before my very eyes.

~g gets props almost right away in it. So it must be somewhat good.

[SoCo KungFu]

man you all are so enthusiastic about this book....and I'm still waiting for mine in the mail......

.....sad panda...

[Sal Canzonieri]

Is really great. I've been reading it. And it proves Shaolin has been doing martial arts for far longer than Ming dynasty.

Most of my own personal research has been verified in his book (not trying to be a **** or tooting my own horn, but hell, I've gotten so much **** from people who didn't believe it, so it is great to have been pointing in the right direction all this time. Makes me go "WooHooo!" though.

I have long said that all of Shaolin's Nei gong and Quan sets can be done with the Staff and that all shaolin material is first derived from movements of using a staff and THAT stuff comes from Double Sword movements that arose from Tang dynasty military martial art weapons drills (essentially what is called Tong Bei or Tong Bi today). Yuo can date the sets from how much this is true in the movements.
He already points this out in the introduction of the book before he even gets to the whole proving in the rest of the book.
Looks like he went through hundreds of ancient books that had direct references to martial monks and what they did.

After I read the whole book I'll post any great things I come across.

Meanwhile over the the last six months, I've been proving this theory by making a giant comparison chart that move by move, posture by posture, lines up the direct correspondence the exact same sequences of movements in the Wu, Wu (Hao), Yang, Chen Yi Lu sets with each other AND with Shaolin Tai Zu Chang Quan, Shaolin Rou Quan, Shaolin Chan Yuan and 6 Harmony Nei Gong AND with Tong Bei Strange Flower Intersecting Striking Cannons set and Tong Bei drills.

I show in a giant 11 x 17 chart that all these TJQ, Shaolin, and Tong Bei sets and drills follow the SAME exact sequences of movements, with slight variations, in order and you can see the evolution of the movements from Tong bei on to TJQ.

Next step is to have links for each set of movements in each style available so that people can see exactly how the movements evolved and developed from Tong Bei to TJQ with Shaolin in the middle making the evolution happen.

Meir Shahar's book shows how the martial monks brought in military training to Shaolin and it evolved from sword and spear weapons to staff to empty hand from the Sui and tang dynasties to the Ming dynasty.

It's a great book!

Gene, if you would like to publish my new article with chart, that would be great, you can do an online version that shows the movements being done and a paper version?

[Vajramusti]

I am half way through the book- its a good book. I may comment more when I am through.

joy chaudhuri

[LFJ]

Gene, if you would like to publish my new article with chart, that would be great, you can do an online version that shows the movements being done and a paper version?

that would be most interesting, as i have not been able to visualize that for the life of me!

[Sal Canzonieri]

that would be most interesting, as i have not been able to visualize that for the life of me!

Well, it will be published in the Ezine version of Kung Fu magazine soon, so you can see it there.

Also, I am willing to hold seminars in NY or NJ or go to other states if someone will host a seminar to teach this.

I am going to Spain in May to teach the Shaolin transition nei gung sets that are between tong bei and TJQ.
If any one wants to attend that, contact me privately and I will put you in touch with the people holding the seminar.

[Sal Canzonieri]

I finished read the book.

Well, I answered most of my questions and verified all the research I have been doing on my own, so I am pretty happy with the book.

He answers questions people have had without realizing he is doing it, because he is not a martial artist.

A whole other book can be written in follow up to this own from a martial artist's perspective.

There's info in the book on origins and connections to Shaolin of such styles Tai Tzu, Mizong, Plum Flower, and many others. Stuff that has baffled people for ages.

[Shaolindynasty]

I bought this book on Gene's advice. I have a love/hate relationship with it. On one hand it has a lot of useful info in it for some upcomming articles I've been working on for the mag. On the other hand now I have to rework allot of projects that I had going because of the research

Gene is right though, you shouldn't even attempt to write about shaolin until you read this.