Shaolin Kung Fu

Shaolin Kung Fu

Shaolin kung fu combines Chan Buddhist philosophy with rigorous physical martial arts training. It was named after the Shaolin Temple, in China, where Chan Buddhism and Shaolin kung fu both originated. Practitioners of Shaolin kung fu undergo intense physical and mental training. They use different styles of kung fu, various expressions of martial arts. Luohan quan is one of the oldest of these. It means the fists of an enlightened Buddhist practitioner. In Shaolin kung fu, there is little separation between the spiritual and physical. It also includes concepts from Chinese Medicine about complementarity, as the practitioners try to fuse hardness and softness, yin and yang.