The current state of Shaolin Gongfu and the skill level of current monks as fighters rather than performers is something that interests me as well.
Even if some monks were able to fight well, I wonder if they'd be fighting like kickboxers, or use real Shaolin techniques. Makes you wonder when Sanda is the official sparring method of Shaolin.
Shaolin nowadays seems to be mostly external, while I believe in the past it used to be internal. Most of the old Shaolin texts I read that have been translated talk about the 6 harmonies, raising the back and dropping the chest etc. Also, if you look at Southern Shaolin styles, their internal components seem to have remained intact for the most part. White Crane, White Eyebrow and Southern Praying Mantis have a lot of internal work, including spinal movement and joint opening/closing.
Today, you see a lot of Shaolin monks proudly posing for cameras in their postures with their chest sticking out.
Shaolin must have had internal work similar to Xingyi, I wonder when that got lost, or whether it actually did get lost completely.
Even if some monks were able to fight well, I wonder if they'd be fighting like kickboxers, or use real Shaolin techniques. Makes you wonder when Sanda is the official sparring method of Shaolin.
Shaolin nowadays seems to be mostly external, while I believe in the past it used to be internal. Most of the old Shaolin texts I read that have been translated talk about the 6 harmonies, raising the back and dropping the chest etc. Also, if you look at Southern Shaolin styles, their internal components seem to have remained intact for the most part. White Crane, White Eyebrow and Southern Praying Mantis have a lot of internal work, including spinal movement and joint opening/closing.
Today, you see a lot of Shaolin monks proudly posing for cameras in their postures with their chest sticking out.
Shaolin must have had internal work similar to Xingyi, I wonder when that got lost, or whether it actually did get lost completely.
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