പ്രിയ സുഹൃത്തുക്കളെ ,
സന്തോഷ വാര്‍ത്ത എന്‍റെ ബ്ലോഗ് മലയാളത്തിലും , ഇനി മുതല്‍ ബ്ലോഗിലൂടെ ഞാന്‍ എന്‍റെ ആയോധന കലാ അനുഭവങ്ങള്‍ നിങ്ങളോടൊപ്പം പങ്കുവയ്ക്കാന്‍ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു . പഠനം, ക്ലാസുകള്‍ , ബഹുമതികള്‍, പിന്നെ നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കുള്ള ക്ലാസ്സുകളും ഞാന്‍ ഇനി മുതല്‍ എന്‍റെ ബ്ലോഗിലൂടെ എഴുതുന്നതാണ് . അടുത്ത തിങ്കളാഴ്ച ഞാന്‍ എന്‍റെ ആദ്യത്തെ കുങ് - ഫ‌ു പഠനത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് നിങ്ങളോട് പറയാം അത് വരെ കാത്തിരിക്കു‌
സനീഷ്‌ ന്യൂ ഡെല്‍ഹി

Is Kung Fu better than Karate?

Q. Why is your site called Not Karate?
(sandeep Rajakad)
A. Because many people consider any martial art to be "Karate." This is in fact not true. Technically there are many more forms of Chinese Kung Fu than there are of Japanese Karate.

Q. So is Kung Fu better than Karate?
(Rocky New Delhi)
A. Absolutely not. Just as all roads once lead to Rome, all martial arts can lead one toward perfection of character. One must simply find the style of martial arts that compliments one's lifestyle

Q. If I train at the Shaolin Kung Fu Studios, will I have to become a Buddhist monk?
(Roopesh Ernakulam South)
A. While we do recognize and respect our Buddhist ancestry, students need not become monks--or even Buddhists--to train at our school.

Q. What is your relationship to the modern Shaolin Temple?
(Anil P Trivandrum)
A. Our system left the Shaolin Temple in the mid 18th century, so any ties to the modern Temple are simply as fellow martial artists, and cousins in the Shaolin Tradition. We continue to teach the Lohan system as it was taught at that time.
Q. Why do you use a colored-sash ranking system?
( Sonu Jangid Jaipur , Rajastan)
A. Traditionally, colored sashes were not used to denote rank. Rather, the students who knew more and performed better were acknowledged as such, and the students who needed help to excel got it. Rank was something for the ego, and therefore was not a concern of the Buddhist monks using these techniques in their search for enlightenment. In modern America, however, students train at various frequency due to the pressures of juggling family life, work etc. In order to help students track their progress, we have adopted a colored-sash system similar to that used in Japanese and Korean systems. Additionally, there is a saying in the Chinese martial arts that a student will search for a good teacher for three years; the teacher will then watch the student for three years before accepting him. This is reflected in the colored-sash ranking system, as it takes about 3-6 years to advance through the beginner and intermediate levels before the student presents himself for the Black sash exam, and enters the inner teachings of the system.

Q. How long does it take to get a Black Sash/Belt?
(Rajendra Prasad Swami Amritsar , Punjab)
A. As long as it takes...typically 3-6 years with a consistent training regimen. Every student is an individual and progresses at his or her own pace. People have done it in as little as a year, and people have done it in much more

Q. I just want to fight....Do I need to learn all that other stuff?
( Rahul , Ghaziabad UP)
A. Check out our San Shou classes! This class is designed for those who just want to improve their fighting skills. While we demand the same moral and ethical values in our San Shou students, we do not require any forms, weapons, or internal training of them (although we do highly recommend it

Q. Is this an offensive/aggressive or defensive/pacifist style?
( Soumya VS, Trissur)
A. Any style that contains strikes or locks can be an offensive style, just as any system using evasion and blocking can be defensive. While we do always stress the fact that one should avoid fighting, Shaolin kung fu represents a complete system of martial arts, allowing us to both attack and defend as needed.

Q. Is this all there is? I really want something more than kicking and punching....
(Sebastian Cochin)
A. There is always more. For those interested, we have several "inner circles" teaching various forms of internal work. These range from Ch'an Buddhist philosophy and Taoist meditative teachings for those more open to the Eastern schools of thought, to several traditions of Western work for students more firmly rooted in European/American ways of thinking.

Saneesh MS , New Delhi E Mail:- saneeshrajakad@gmail.com Mob:-9718553834

Overview of Kung-Fu History

   

There are few historical entities that engender as much debate, confusion, and acrimony as the nature and reality of Shaolin. We have heard distinguished university professors categorically deny the existence of either Shaolin or its problem-children Tongs; that only authenticated accounts by the Communist Chinese government are to be trusted; or that the temples are fictitious, based on stories in old novels.

The following accounts are taken from sources who 1) practiced the specific kung fu styles to Master level from the "supposed" temples, 2) learned their arts AT those temples before the temples were destroyed, or 3) were taught by practitioners from those temples. Also, our sources were corroborated by at least three individuals (standard rule of evidence accepted by most professional journalists). The masters, however, have declined to be named for the reasons that 1) they do not want to engage in controversy-the information is here to accept or reject as you like (as directed by the last lesson of the Buddha), 2) they have assumed new names after leaving China because, as refugees, did not want their families to suffer for their actions. Having said that, and agreeing in advance to protect the confidentiality of our sources, we have been told that...

The Shaolin order dates to about 540 A.D., when an Indian Buddhist priest named Bodhidharma (Tamo in Chinese), traveled to China to see the Emperor. At that time, the Emperor had started local Buddhist monks translating Buddhist texts from Sanskrit to Chinese. The intent was to allow the general populace the ability to practice this religion.

This was a noble project, but when the Emperor believed this to be his path to Nirvana, Tamo disagreed. Tamo's view on Buddhism was that you could not achieve your goal just through good actions performed by others in your name. At this point the Emperor and Tamo parted ways and Tamo traveled to the nearby Buddhist temple to meet with the monks who were translating these Buddhist texts.

The temple had been built years before in the remains of a forest that had been cleared or burned down. At the time of the building of the temple, the emperor's gardeners had also planted new trees. Thus the temple was named "young (or new) forest", (Shaolin in Mandarin, Sil Lum in Cantonese).

When Tamo arrived at the temple, he was refused admittance, probably being thought of as an upstart or foreign meddler by the head abbot (Fang Chang). Rejected by the monks, Tamo went to a nearby cave and meditated until the monks recognized his religious prowess and admitted him. Legend has it that he bored a hole through one side of the cave with his constant gaze; in fact, the accomplishment that earned his recognition is lost to history.

When Tamo joined the monks, he observed that they were not in good physical condition. Most of their routine paralleled that of the Irish monks of the Middle Ages, who spent hours each day hunched over tables where they transcribed handwritten texts. Consequently, the Shaolin monks lacked the physical and mental stamina needed to perform even the most basic of Buddhist meditation practices. Tamo countered this weakness by teaching them moving exercises, designed to both enhance chi flow and build strength. These sets, modified from Indian yogas (mainly hatha, and raja) were based on the movements of the 18 main animals in Indo-Chinese iconography (e.g., tiger, deer, leopard, cobra, snake, dragon, etc.), were the beginnings of Shaolin Kung Fu.

It is hard to say just when the exercises became "martial arts". The Shaolin temple was in a secluded area where bandits would have traveled and wild animals were an occasional problem, so the martial side of the temple probably started out to fulfill self-defense needs. After a while, these movements were codified into a system of self-defense.

 Thanking You ,

Saneesh MS , New Delhi , E Mail :- saneeshrajakad@gmail.com 9212133834, 9718553834