The Shaolin Temple has been known for martial arts during different parts of history. Whilst the temple has been destroyed many times and in many cases their martial arts irradicated or dispersed among the community. There are a number of styles that were developed in its name or posthumously.
The Shaolin Temple was established in 495 AD on Mount Song during the Northern Wei Dynasty, commissioned by Emperor Xiaowen for the Indian monk Batuo. Early martial development began with Batuo’s disciples, such as Sengchou, who practiced various forms of striking and wrestling to maintain physical health and provide self-defence. The temple’s reputation as a military powerhouse was solidified in 621 AD when thirteen staff-wielding monks, including Tanzong and Zhicao, assisted the future Emperor Li Shimin in defeating the warlord Wang Shichong. This heroic service earned the monastery imperial patronage and the unique right to maintain a permanent force of monk-soldiers. During the Yuan Dynasty, Abbot Xueting Fuyu played a critical role in the temple’s institutional history, transforming the temple into a “melting pot” of martial styles, inviting masters from across China to share their knowledge. Masters like Jueyuan and the lay master Bai Yufeng are also credited during this broader medieval period with expanding foundational techniques into a comprehensive system.
The Ming Dynasty marked the “Golden Age” of Shaolin martial arts, where monks specialized in staff fighting and were repeatedly drafted to defend the nation against coastal piracy. Advanced military techniques from masters like Pucong and General Yu Dayou were integrated into the curriculum, and the deity Vajrapâÿi was elevated as the progenitor of Shaolin staff arts. However, the subsequent Qing Dynasty viewed the temple with profound suspicion, fearing the monks’ collusion with sectarian rebels.
China experienced significant instability in the late 1920s, characterized by internal struggle and warlord warfare. China was divided into rival groups after the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1912, with local warlords fighting for dominance.
Known as the Warlord Era (1916–1928), this period was marked by a great deal of conflict, shifting allegiances, and widespread destruction. Chiang Kai-shek’s National Revolutionary Army (NRA) undertook the Northern Expedition in 1926 with the goal of uniting China by eradicating warlord authority. The Shaolin Temple was situated in Henan Province, which saw fierce military activity as a result of the campaign. The conflict between warlords and nationalist forces caused extensive damage. The situation worsened in 1928 when the NRA-aligned warlord Shi Yousan (石友三) burned the Shaolin Temple during a fight, destroying many of its martial arts texts, historical archives, and treasures. Many monks left the temple as anarchy spread throughout the area, taking what knowledge they could. Aware of the impending danger, Monk Yong Xiang was hand-copying Shaolin Quan Pu in its entirety with the help of Abbot Zhen Xu (贞绪) and Master De Chan (德禅) since 1926, finished transcribing Shaolin Quan Pu in early 1928 and, with his master’s guidance, departed for Changchun, Jilin, where he would keep the manuscript secret for many years. Even after the temple was destroyed, his activities made sure that the Shaolin martial tradition persisted. Near the end of his life, Shi Yong Xiang entrusted the manuscript to Master De Qian (释德虔) for safekeeping.
The temple’s modern revival was significantly accelerated by the 1982 film Shaolin Temple, which brought international fame to the monastery and its “Zen-Martial” tradition. During this transition into the modern era, Shi Suxi (the 30th-generation senior monk) became a pivotal figure, serving as a “living treasure” who protected and passed down traditional routines through decades of hardship. The Shaolin legacy also remains vibrant through lay grandmasters like Liang Yiquan, who established one of the largest martial arts schools in Dengfeng to preserve the “National Arts” for future generations. Today, the monastery serves as both a flourishing Buddhist sanctuary and a global centre for the study of Chinese martial arts. Master Shi De Qian (释德虔) played a pivotal role in preserving and expanding upon Shaolin Quan Pu. He dedicated over two decades to an extensive research journey across 17 Chinese provinces and various Southeast Asian countries, aiming to preserve and document the rich heritage of Shaolin martial arts. His meticulous efforts involved collecting rare manuscripts, conducting interviews with martial arts masters, and compiling detailed records of various styles and techniques. His collaboration with Shi Sufa, originally known as Xu Zhifa (徐祗法) was also significant (Sufa had studied with Shaolin M Ma Xigong, a disciple of Shi ZhenXu), together they researched and wrote vast amounts of books in an attempt to restore the Shaolin martial tradition.
Northern Shaolin
Yang Xiushan (杨修山 1869-1947)
Born into poverty in Yixian (now Jiafang Village, Zaozhuang, 山东沂州府峄县),Yang Xiushan began working as a child laborer at age eight. At the age of nine, while working as a laborer for a wealthy landlord, he secretly observed the boxing master Luo Gengxin (罗庚欣) teaching “Polian Quan” (破连拳, Breaking Chain Fist) and memorized the techniques, practicing them diligently at home in secret. Recognizing Yang’s dedication after witnessing him effortlessly defeat the three sons in sparring, Luo Gengxin formally took him as a disciple and imparted the complete art, including three routines of paired practice, Qin Na drills, Lu Shi Jia, and six routines of Po Lian Quan.
Later, as a young man famously known as the “Barefoot Immortal” (赤脚大仙) for his barefoot practice, his skills were further elevated when he rescued and cared for a sick Shaolin warrior monk known as Venerable Master Tifeng (体峰大师), spent three years teaching him the ten routines of Shaolin boxing (十路少林拳, Drunken Fist, Monkey Fist, Tan Tui, and numerous weapons skills including Five-Tiger Spear (五虎枪), Crescent Moon Spade (月牙铲), Flying Fork (飞叉), Large and Small Shaozi Staff (大小梢子棍), Plum Blossom Spear (梅花枪), Yang Family Spear (杨家枪), and Luo Family Spear (罗家枪). He also practised some of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Arts (少林七十二艺). Under the monk’s strict guidance, Yang mastered the three great skills of Iron Sand Palm, Diamond Leg, and Iron Shirt..
Throughout his life, Yang Xiushan became a legendary martial artist known for both his skill and integrity. In 1920, he exchanged techniques with the renowned Bajiquan M. Han Huachen (韩化臣, courtesy name Huiqing), learning Baji Quan Xiao Jia, single and double dismantling techniques, and Tieshen Kao, in exchange for his second and third routines of Shaolin boxing. This exchange elevated his combat skills to new heights. In 1922, he established a martial arts school in Donghai County, Jiangsu (江苏东海县). He earned the title “Iron Palms Shock the East Sea” (铁掌震东海) in 1922 after defeating a challenger with a single powerful strike in Donghai County, and was celebrated for using his “Iron Leg” to kill two local bullies harassing a young girl in 1924. In his later years, he served as a martial arts instructor and taught extensively in the Yizhou region from 1933 onward, spreading the comprehensive arts he received. Among his disciples who received true transmissions were Yang Peiwu , Meng Zhaoming , Li Xiezi, Feng Shidao, Zhang Rusong, He Xiukui, Song Deju, Cao Jizhi , Li Chunting, Song Tongqian, Guo Qingfang, and Lü Xiangding.
Songshan Shaolin
Shi Degen (释德根 1914-1970)
Shi Degen was born in Guandimiao Village, Luzhuang, Gongxian County, Henan Province (河南省巩县鲁庄关帝庙村), with the common surname Han (韩). His family was poor, his father died when he was 3 years old, and his mother took their three brothers to survive. When Shi Degen was 6 years old, there was a severe drought in Henan. In desperation, his mother send him to Chaomi Temple (炒米寺), under the guidance of Chan Master Suguang (素端和尚). Suguang saw that Shi Degen was talented and intelligent, so he first sent him to the school run by the temple to study martial arts for 3 years, and then sent him to the county normal primary school to study for 6 years.
At the age of 15, Shi Degen came to Songshan Shaolin Temple alone. He was ordained to become a monk under Master Zhenxu (释贞绪大师), and practiced martial arts with him. Later, he practiced martial arts for many years with Master Wu Shanlin (吴山林, 1875-1970), who was the sone of a reclusive monk Ji Qin (释寂勤), who returned to the secular world. Although Shaolin martial arts are extensive and profound, and there are many routines, Shi Degen, with his diligent study and hard training and his understanding, he mastered both internal and external martial arts. Degen’s martial prowess was extraordinarily deep, and he mastered over a hundred boxing and weapons routines, including Xiao Hong Quan (小洪拳), Da Hong Quan (大洪拳), Luohan Quan (罗汉拳), Meihua Quan (梅花拳), and Pao Quan (炮拳), as well as the closely guarded internal Shaolin skill Xinyiba (心意把). His training methods were famously rigorous: from the age of seven, he practised qinggong (lightness skill) by tying copper coins to his legs and gradually increasing their weight each year, eventually progressing to copper pieces, iron vests, steel rings, and lead tiles, which granted him extraordinary leaping and agility abilities.
In 1946, Shi Degen was appointed as the martial arts instructor for the Shaolin monks, and after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he left monastic life (还俗) and went on to teach Shaolin martial arts at the Henan Song and Dance Troupe (河南省歌舞团) and at various primary and secondary schools in Dengfeng County (登封县), training a new generation of practitioners. In 1962, at the request of the Dengfeng County Bureau of Culture and Education (登封县文教局), he dictated and Wang Xinmiao (王欣淼) recorded the Outline of Shaolin Martial Arts (《少林武术概要》), which became the first systematic work on Shaolin kung fu published after the founding of New China. This book is also the first detailed book after the founding of New China. Introducing the works of Shaolin martial arts has very important historical and cultural significance. In 1970, Shi Degen passed away. There are many monks and lay disciples, and the famous ones include Yang Guiwu (杨桂吾, 1931-2010), Chen Qiuju (陈秋菊), Liu Zhenhai (刘振海), Li Yinchang (李寅长), Liu Cunliang (刘存良), Han Shubin (韩树斌), Zhu Tianxi (朱天喜, 1949-2021), Shi Yongwen (石永文 1945-2011, o:石喜文), Shi Yonghan (释永汉, o:毛文化) and Wang Xigan (王西乾) etc.
Liang Yiquan (梁以全, 释素一 1931- , Shi Suyi )
Liang Yiquan (梁以全, also known by his dharma name Shi Suyi 释素一) was born into a martial arts family in Luotuoya Village, Dengfeng City, Henan Province, Liang Yiquan began training under his father Liang Xingshao, a former martial arts instructor in Feng Yuxiang’s army, at the age of seven. He later became a formal disciple of Shaolin Temple’s Zhenxu (贞绪) and also studied under Zhenhe (释贞). Working as a primary school principal in the 1950s, Liang’s dedication to Shaolin Kung Fu never waned. His career as an educator began early; after working as a teacher and principal in various schools, he continued to teach martial arts on the side. Even during the Cultural Revolution, when he faced personal hardship and was wrongly labeled, he persevered in his practice and secretly trained students in his home village.
In 1977, when the Japanese Shaolin Kempo Federation expressed a desire to visit Shaolin Temple, Liang Yiquan (梁以全) was chosen to represent Shaolin martial arts for the reception. In 1979, was representing Henan Province at the first National Martial Arts Observation and Exchange Conference in Nanning. That same year, he became the key figure in hosting the Japan Shaolin Boxing Federation’s historic pilgrimage to Shaolin Temple, beginning his role as a cultural ambassador. In 1980, he made history as the first Shaolin Boxing representative to travel abroad since the founding of New China, visiting Japan with a Chinese sports delegation.
He served as the head of the Dengfeng County Martial Arts Materials Excavation and Sorting Group, contributing 11 of the 12 martial arts manuals collected by the county. In 1981, he founded the country’s first professional martial arts school, the Dengfeng County Sports Committee Shaolin Martial Arts School (登封县体委少林武术体校), which later evolved into the renowned Shaolin Epo Wushu Academy (少林鹅坡武术专修院), serving as its principal and chief coach. His pioneering work attracted significant media attention, including documentary features by the Central Documentary Film Studio and CCTV. Throughout the 1980s and beyond, Liang held numerous prestigious positions, including vice chairman of the Dengfeng County Wushu Association, deputy director of the Henan Provincial Martial Arts Hall, and deputy to the Henan Provincial People’s Congress. In 2007, he was promoted to the ninth Duan level of Chinese martial arts, and in 2009 was appointed as one of the first experts on the Wushu Research Institute’s Expert Committee at the State Sports General Administration. In 2017, at age 86, he invested nearly 20 million yuan to build Liang’s Boxing Studio in his hometown, ensuring the continuation of his family’s six-generation martial arts legacy.
A scholar as much as a practitioner, Liang Yiquan (梁以全) authored seminal works that systemized Shaolin knowledge, including the post-1949 foundational text A Brief Introduction to Shaolin Martial Arts (Shaolin Wushu Jianjie 少林武术简介), followed by Shaolin Martial Arts of Mount Song (Songshan Shaolin Quanfa 嵩山少林拳法) and other influential books. His lifetime of achievement has earned him the highest honors in Chinese martial arts. He holds the rank of China Wushu Duanwei Level 9 (中国武术九段), is a National Senior Martial Arts Coach (国家高级武术教练), and has been named one of the “Top Ten Martial Arts Masters of Contemporary China” (中国当代十大武术名师).
Shaolin System
Combat methods within Shaolin Boxing are fundamentally rooted in the integration of internal (Nei Gong) and external (Wai Gong) cultivation, where internal energy is used to power physical strikes and harden the body against impact. This methodology emphasizes a reciprocal balance between hard and soft power, ensuring that while movements are physically vigorous and dense, they remain supple and agile enough to absorb an opponent’s force. Whether performing foundational hand routines like Xiao Hong Quan or mastering specialized weapons like the staff, the techniques are strictly “simple and unadorned”, eschewing flashy performance in favour of practical combat efficiency. Training focuses on the mastery of specific mechanics, such as hitting, sweeping, chopping, and thrusting, until the practitioner achieves unity between the mind, spirit, and physical movement.
The primary strategy of Shaolin combat is the tactical logic that “attack contains defense, and defense contains attack,” meaning every movement serves a dual purpose to ensure no opening is left for the enemy. Combatants strive to be “fast as a gust of wind” and “steady as a rock,” moving with the agility of a flying swallow while maintaining a rooted, powerful base. A key strategic signature is advancing and retreating on a single line, utilizing rapid changes and unpredictable transitions to overwhelm an opponent. By adhering to the principle of “overcoming hardness with softness,” the Shaolin strategist uses minimal effort to redirect massive force, aiming to end a conflict decisively by striking vital points with precision and lethal speed.
Key curriculum
| Shaolin Zhenshan Quan【少林镇山拳】 小洪拳 Small Hong Fist 大洪拳 Large Hong Fist 七星拳 Seven Star Fist 通臂拳 Through the Arm Fist 太祖长拳 Long Fist 罗汉拳 Arhat Fist 长护心意门拳 Heart & Mind Gate Fist 梅花拳 Plum Blossom Fist 炮锤 Cannon Fist 心意长拳 Heart & Mind Long Fist 六合拳对练 Six Harmonies dual set) 罗汉拉手对练 (Arhat Hand-Pulling dual set) | Shaolin Kanjia Quan【少林看家拳】 领路拳 Strength (十八功力) 开门拳 Covering the Gate (大迎门掌) 坐马拳 Riding a horse (趟连手法) 穿心拳 Piercing the heart (三请诸葛) 武艺拳 Five Skills (跳跃五艺) 短打拳 Short Combat (地盘短打) 梅花拳 Plum Blossom (七星架子) 八打拳 Eight Strikes (拔步三掌) 连环腿 Continuous Kicks (四门奔打) 埋伏拳 Ambusing Fists (拳中势法) 子午捶对练 (Ziwu Chui dual set) 看家拳对练 (Kanjia dual set) |
Weapons
| 烧火棍 (Fire-Stoking Staff) 阴手棍 (Yin Hand Staff) 夜叉棍 (Yaksha Staff) 齐眉棍 (Eyebrow-Height Staff) 风魔棍 (Crazy Demon Staff) 六合棍 (Six-Union Staff) 五虎群羊棍 (Five Tigers Among the Sheep Staff) 行者棍 (Practitioner Staff) 达摩杖 (Shaolin Damo Cane) 梅花刀 (Plum Blossom Broadsword) 雪片刀 (Snowflake Broadsword) 滚膛刀 (Rolling Chamber Broadsword) 梅花双刀 (Plum Blossom Double Broadswords) 六合双刀 (Six-Union Double Broadswords) 梅花枪 (Plum Blossom Spear) 杨家枪 (Yang Family Spear) 五虎断门枪 (Five-Tiger Gate-Breaking Spear) 六合枪 (Six-Union Spear) 四门枪 (Four-Gate Spear) 罗家枪 (Luo Family Spear) | 达摩剑 (Damo Sword) 龙形剑 (Dragon-Shape Sword) 火龙剑 (Fire Dragon Sword) 青龙剑 (Azure Dragon Sword) 七星剑 (Seven-Star Sword), 提袍剑 (Robe-Lifting Sword) 拦门撅 (Gate-Blocking Stake) 双匕首 (Shaolin Double Daggers) 手稍子棍 (Hand Flail) 大稍子棍 (Large Flail) 大二节棍 (Large Two-Section Staff) 三节棍 (Three-Section Staff) 四门鞭 (Four-Gate Whip) 梅花鞭 (Plum Blossom Whip) 月牙铲 (Crescent Moon Spade) 马叉 (Horse Fork) 朴刀 (long-handled Broadsword) 宣花斧 (Flowery Axe), 春秋大刀 (Spring and Autumn Great Broadsword) 方天戟 (Fangtian Halberd) |
72 Skills of Shaolin
Iron Arm Skill (铁臂功), Row Hitting Skill (排打功), Iron Broom Skill (铁扫帚功), Foot Shooting Skill (足射功), Leg Kicking Skill (腿踢功), Copper Sand Palm / Bamboo Leaf Hand (铜砂掌/竹叶手), Snake Form Technique / Centipede Jump (蛇形术/蜈蚣跳), Lifting a Thousand Jin (提千斤), Arhat Skill (罗汉功), Iron Head Skill (铁头功), Four Section Skill (四段功), Iron Shirt Skill (铁布衫功), Double Lock Skill (双锁功), Pot Lifting Skill (上罐功), Stone Lock Skill (石锁功), Iron Bead Bag (铁珠袋), Thousand Jin Gate (千斤闸), Whip Strength Skill (鞭劲功), Water Splitting Skill (分水功), Jade Belt Skill (玉带功), Eagle Wing Skill (鹰翼功), Jumping Method / High Jump and Far Leap Method (跳跃法/登高超远法), Overlord Elbow (霸王肘), One Finger Diamond Method (一指金刚法), Nail Pulling Skill (拔钉功), One Finger Zen Skill (一指禅功), Stone Pile Skill (石椿功), Golden Bell Cover (金钟罩), Iron Ox Skill (铁牛功), Whirlwind Palm (旋风掌), Crouching Tiger Skill (卧虎功), Mountain Pulling Skill (拔山功), Golden Dragon Hand (金龙手), Mountain Pushing Palm (推山掌), Pile Kicking Skill (踢椿功), Eagle Claw Skill (鹰爪功), Demon Slaying Sword (斩魔剑), Mysterious Empty Fist (玄空拳), Golden Sand Palm (金砂掌), Iron Sand Palm (铁砂掌), Flying Skill (飞行功), Spear and Sword Invulnerability Method (枪刀不入法), Five Poison Chasing Sand Palm / Five Poison Hand (五毒追砂掌/五毒手), Wall Walking and Roof Leaping Method (飞檐走壁法), One Thread Through (一线穿), Leaping and Jumping Technique (蹿纵术), Golden Shovel Finger (金铲指), Jiedi Skill (揭谛功), Plum Blossom Pile (梅花椿), Flower Pinching Skill (拈花功), Mantis Claw (螳螂爪), Board Running Skill (跑板功), Flash Fighting Method (闪战法), Golden Knife Exchanging Palm Skill (金刀换掌功), Light Body Technique (轻身术), Iron Knee Skill (铁膝功), Land Flying Technique (陆地飞行术), Curtain Penetrating Skill (穿廉功), Wave Wrapping Skill / Swimming Technique (浪裹功/泅水术), Stone Pointing Skill (点石功), Pipa Skill (琵琶功), Soft Bone Skill (柔骨功), Gecko Wall Climbing Technique (壁虎游墙术), Crotch Skill (门裆功), Somersault Technique (翻腾术), Cloth Bag Skill (布袋功), Toad Skill (蛤蟆功), Thousand Layer Paper Skill (千层纸功), Pellet Skill (弹子功), Finger Locking Skill (锁指功), Wind Chasing Palm Skill (追风掌功), and Soft Mysterious Skill (软玄功).
GALLERY
