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View Full Version : Our history: How detailed do we get about Shaolin?



Tripitaka of AA
20th October 2002, 14:51
I think it is fair to say that any student of the Oriental Martial Arts would have an interest in the origins of the styles that came to be known as Shaolin Temple Boxing. At Shorinji Kempo we proudly trace the origins of our style back to a Shaolin Temple style that was taught to our founder Doshin So. In the 1970's there was a court case in Japan which confirmed the status of Doshin So as Master of the Giwamonken style and entitled to claim Shaolin lineage.


Um, that's about all I knew (and some of that may be incorrect, it is from memory), but I was always wanting to hear more. Is there a Kenshi who hasn't felt curious about the Shaolin Temple and it's place in Chinese history? But where to look for reliable information and some hard facts beyond the reproduction of a tapestry painting of monks practising.

The BSKF website has a link to an organisation that claims to hold the verified accounts of first-hand knowledge from Shaolin refugees and former monks. This is said to be the real deal, in contrast to the "actors" who play monks at the newly restored Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, China. See here
http://www.shaolin.com/page.asp?content_id=972
What do you think?
Are there any other sites that we should have a look at? Does the Busen Academy at Hombu have any articles that agree/disagree wih the historical information on this site?