Posted on 11/13/2004 7:24:53 PM PST by AM2000
Indians will get a chance to learn Shaolin Kung Fu, considered the mother of all martial arts, when the country's first Shaolin Temple opens in New Delhi this November.
Simultaneous with the November 20 groundbreaking ceremony, classes will begin in a temporary shed at the site, said Kanishka Sharma, who claims to be the first Indian to have trained in the fifth century Shaolin Temple in China in May 2002.
"My masters, six of them, are coming from China and we will lay the foundation stone for India's first Shaolin Temple in New Delhi," Sharma, who teaches the art in different schools said.
The temple will be completed next year and will eventually award certificates of various categories.
Nestled in the beautiful foothills of Song Shan Mountains in China's Henan Province, the Shaolin Temple is regarded not only as the birthplace of martial arts but also Zen Buddhism, introduced by the Indian monk Damo in 517 A.D.
"I will create the same ambience as in the main Shaolin Temple and through this, I will create warriors of light (as Shaolin exponents are known)," said Sharma, who has been associated with TV shows on martial arts.
Among these is a documentary series titled Seven Deadly Arts with filmstar Akshay Kumar that aired on the National Geographic Channel. In it, Sharma taught Shaolin Kung Fu and Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) to the film star spread over two episodes.
Sharma himself is trained in five other martial art forms apart from Shaolin Kung Fu, but finds this the toughest.
"I am trained in six different martial arts - Karate, Jeet Kune Do (a form of Kung Fu created by the legendary Bruce Lee), Kung Fu Toa (an Iranian form of martial arts), Kalaripayattu (the martial art of Kerala) and Muay Thai.
"For me, all these martial arts are like a never-ending process. They are a way of life.
"Training in Shaolin was the toughest. To train seven hours every day was not an easy job. We had to run up a 1,200-metre mountain and then crawl back on our hands and knees in 20 minutes.
"A normal person will take at least 45 minutes to do this."
Sharma said: "We used to stay in the Mabu (horse-riding stance) for an hour every day, hit our heads, shoulders, forearms and fingers against six-feet long stone pillars.
"We also practised Chuans (Kung Fu forms), Sanda (Chinese kickboxing), candle punching and meditation.
"Martial arts is a process of attaining enlightenment by coordinating body, mind and spirit," affirmed the expert who left a plum job with the Reliance Group to learn martial arts.
Asked about the role of actors like Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan in popularising martial arts among the masses, Sharma retorted: "Bruce Lee and Jet Li, for me, do not represent Shaolin Kung Fu.
"These are people who have not spread the real beauty of martial arts, which is enlightenment.
"A martial art is a personality development programme where you gain enlightenment by coordinating your body, mind and spirit," asserted Sharma.
Those two were fast as lightning....
I read a book about that. Very interesting stuff.
Almost two miles, the second half on one's hands and knees (presumably on a rocky surface), in 20 minutes? I'd like to see that.
When you can walk the rice paper and leave no trace, you will have learned....
snatch the pebble from my hand...
High altitude daylight precision bombing is the mother of all martial arts.
Yeah but burning the dragon and tiger into the forearms -- man I hated that part.
In fact it was a little bit frightening. They fought with expert timing!
Ah, Grasshopper!
Cola nuts or uncola nuts.... can you choose wisely?
This is an example of the karmic wheel.
Ancient India had a highly developed warrior caste. When Buddhism appeared these techniques were incorporated and refined into aspects of Buddhism and monk training, along with healing skills. Buddhist monks took this to China and later Japan where they established monasteries and temples.
And now, these same traditions are being brought back to India. Ain't life funny!
Yes indeed, as I recall Kalaripayattu from Kerala is the oldest of the martial arts and the one that was taken to China to eventually become Kung Fu and then from China to Japan where it morphed again into other martial arts.
I saw a show on A&E I believe, it was one episode in the 'Deadly Arts' series about Kalaripayattu, some amazing stuff, but there are very few masters left now.. sad.
There was Funky Billy Chin and Little Sammy Chong.
They said "Here comes the big boss! Let's get it on!"
**whistles** "everybody was Kung-Fu fighting...."
A good book on this is "The Bodhisattva Warriors" by Terrence Dukes aka Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio.
Dukes is about the most readable expert on this subject. He is also rather controversial. But the subject lends to varied interpretation. A google on dukes might help as a lead-in for his work.
The book is just a bit esoteric and rather large.
But if you want to learn about this connection, there it is.
Everybody was kung-fu fighting
Those cats were fast as lightning!
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