The monks do not have it ( traditional kungfu)

[hvillarruel]

Doc, if you ever come to Mexico, let me know, I am really interested in training with you traditional shaolin kungfu. I am training with great Master Li Cun Bin from Secular Disciple Union, but I really like Shi De Cheng kungfu.

It is a shame that traditional kungfu is loosing China or backwards.

[Asger]

I totally agree! I have no idea what draws so many people to wushu instead of traditional kung fu... if it wasn't for the government of course.

Some monks still have it though, I don't think it will ever really die out, maybe it will just move out of China or go underground.

[LeiYunFat]

Toad and scorpion look pretty "traditional".

http://x.russbo.com/vb/showthread.php?t=804

[shaolinstylee]

wushu IS the national sport of china, like it or not, also what they are trying to get into the olympics. Unfortunately, it does mean that some of the wuseng are into the modern side of things...

[hvillarruel]

Whom of the monks and not monks know the complete traditional curriculum or at least are in an advance stage of learning?
Kwong Wing Lam?
Shi De Cheng?
Shi Heng Jun?
Doc....

[arhat]

nobody ever knew the complete "traditional" curriculum.

it is too vast.

[hvillarruel]

You are right, but speaking of something like hung-gar. Someone must know the basic forms, chikung, some degree of traditional medicine, meditation, and application of foms. Because looks like the monks under the abbot knows only 2 or 3 traditional forms.
And I mean to learn something that you can do all your life, something that you can grow with. Not some kind of dance do it with monk clothes.

[shaolinstylee]

nobody ever knew the complete "traditional" curriculum.

not true, you are not up on your shaolin do history!

lol, I hope no one takes that too seriously.

while in some regards it is a shame, there is part of me that sort of understands why.

[dogchow108]

nobody ever knew the complete "traditional" curriculum.

it is too vast.

For various reasons, I feel that the word "curriculum" is problematic here.

[shaolinstylee]

That can be very true....

Especially in that Chan sort of way...

[blooming tianshi lotus]

I have no idea what draws so many people to wushu instead of traditional kung fu........

I used to wonder the same thing myself and was about as die hard shaolin as a person gets. It's funny how only one series of incidents though can lead to a whole new perspective on that! Wushu, if you're familiar with it's history and ties to shaolin etc throughout the CR , was meant as a total external style of ma where spritual expression ( in light of the banning of expressive arts in this period ) was not a factor. Alot of China is, as we all know, still greatly devoid of spiritual beliefs . I myself have half an issue with the legitimacy of committment to the majority of shaolin practioners beliefs, and not wanting to judge and get caught in a strand of thought I'd rather not pursue, not now , not later, and possibley not ever if I can help it, wushu looks like a sane mans version of what shaolin gongfu ( which without the budsdhism is a sad watery poor immitation ) was and should be but itsn't and may never be again.

Extremely sad story in that

Blooming Lotus

[hvillarruel]

This last weekend I went to Mexico DF to train with Master Li Cun Bin. He is great. After that, Alina gave me a VCD of some demos that shaolin monks did, like Shi De Cheng and others. They are great, it was not the watered down version of National Geografic videos. It seems that chinese not give foreigners a detailed view of the good kungfu.

The VCD have Shi De Cheng doing 3 or 4 forms.


So....

...Some monks and disciples DO HAVE IT ( TRADITIONAL KUNGFU )

[andrew]

according to a deffirent sect.'s history that traces back to shoalin. Say that the first was Su Kong T'ai Djin (1849-1928) before the cultural revotion

[shaolinstylee]

wushu looks like a sane mans version of what shaolin gongfu ( which without the budsdhism is a sad watery poor immitation ) was and should be but itsn't and may never be again

quick question, how do you know what it did look like? Who was doing it?

[hvillarruel]

Maybe the forms are changed ( everywhere is the same), but the principles that Master Li taught me are the same as traditional kungfu of other styles ( name it Five Animals/Five Families of Ark Wong or Yang Tai Chi Chuan ). Like the correct use of force using proper alignment of the body. The correct relaxation. It is true that there are more wushu now in the shaolin, but the principles of body motion, chi flow, meditation and else remain there. There is STILL a sense of "get practical" in the kungfu that Master Li teach ( and he is from the so criticised Secular Disciple Union ) than a sense of "look pretty".
Of course I am speaking of Master Li, Master Shi Heng Jun and Master Shi De Cheng. For others, I do not know.