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| Title: |
The Shaolin Temple - A History and Evolution of Chinese Martial Arts,
Zen Buddhism and the Shaolin Warrior Monks |
| Author: |
Ashley Croft |
| Publisher: |
Martial Arts Publishing Limited |
| Synopsis: |
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NEW for 2010
Following five years of
research and numerous trips to China and the Shaolin Temple, Ashley Croft
has written a history of the Shaolin Temple and its world-renowned soldier monks.
This has included speaking with the surviving Shaolin Monks, getting access to the
most sacred parts of the temple and getting translations of inscriptions on stone
tablets at the temple itself that are hundreds of years old. Ashley has also researched
and had translated many Chinese documents not yet available to the wider world. This
is a great read with many tales of heroic feats of the monks who have undoubtedly helped
to shape the martial arts we practice today. The book can be ordered from all bookshops
or online from Amazon.
The Shaolin Temple has a fascinating and intriguing past.
It started with a small covered platform built at the base of the Songshan
Mountains on the order of Emperor XiaowenEmperor Xiaowen for an Indian monk
named BatuoBatuo, as a place for him to translate scriptures, and to spread the
word of Buddhism. The year was 495.
It is known that the forest and region surrounding the temple
was often plagued with bandits. Wild beasts such as tigers and bears are also known
to have roamed freely. This is recorded on early stone tablets preserved at the temple.
As a consequence some of the monks trained in martial arts to act as a protection force
for the temple and its property. Records suggest this occurred almost as soon as the first
stone was laid. BatuoBatuo´s early disciples are said to have been exponents of martial arts
and were the founding fathers of a regiment of warrior monks that are known in Chinese as
Seng Bing, meaning literally monk soldiers. The word seng means monk and bing soldier. Over
time the warrior monks became an inseparable part of the temples culture and a national
tradition that has continued throughout the temples 1500 year history.
Over time the monk soldiers were a combination of home grown martial
artists who learnt and developed their fighting skills within the Shaolin Temple, and
people who entered the temple already skilled in some form of fighting art. It is not
hard to imagine that some of the monk soldiers were probably hired for their fighting
skills and were in effect mercenaries similar to what occurred with the Knight Templar´s
in medieval Europe in the 1300´s.
At times the martial art skills of the monk soldiers were used
outside of the original protective remit. There are records of Shaolin monks’
engagement in battles across China in support of the ruling dynasty and on occasion
as part of an orchestrated rebellion to remove the incumbent emperor and with the emperor
the dynasty concerned.
The first of such recorded feats was as early as 621 when 13 Shaolin
monks assisted Prince Li Shi MinLi Shi Min (who became Emperor TaizongEmperor Taizong
of the Tang Dynasty) in a decisive battle against the forces of a rival warlord Wang Shi
CongWang Shi Cong. A contemporary record of this event is carved into a stone stele at
the Shaolin Temple which names the 13 monks involved. To reward the assistance provided
Li Shi Min gifted the Shaolin Temple with a watermill and land, and the monks themselves
were offered official titles. This and many other martial feats that have been attributed
to the Shaolin monks are described in detail within book. The book also provides a photographic
journey through the temple and its main buildings.
There is more to the Shaolin Temple than its martial arts. What is not
so well known is it was the birth place of Chinese Chan Buddhism which is more commonly
known across the world as Zen. The creator of Chan Buddhism and therefore the first
ancestor of the now widely practiced Zen sect was the Indian monk BodhidharmaBodhidharma
(Da Mo in Chinese). Bodhidharma arrived at the Shaolin Temple in 527 and legend states
that on arrival he found that the monks in general were in a poor state of health and unable
to cope with the long periods of meditation required when practicing his style of Buddhism.
He reportedly climbed the Shaoshi peak and lived a hermitic life for nine years during which
time he meditated and contemplated the dilemma. When he emerged he started to teach a series
of exercises to the monks to help with the vigours of long periods of meditation. These
exercises are thought to be the forerunner of Shaolin Qigong and are known as Shi Ba Louhan
ShouShi Ba Louhan Shou (18-hands of arhat18-hands of arhat).
The Shaolin Temple has over the years occupied substantial tracts of
land with satellite buildings being located as far as 3.5 km away from the main temple
compound in the foothills of the Shaoshi peak. At one time the temple is reported to have
had 1000 buildings and a curtilage covering 9.3 sq km of cultivated land. At its height the
temple housed 1000 monks of which there were 500 monk soldiers. Its past has however been
turbulent and its fate often at the whim of the incumbent emperor and the popularity of Buddhism
at any given point in time. As a consequence the temple has frequently been attacked and on
occasion destroyed by fire. The last attack was in 1928 when warlord Shi YousanShi Yousan led a
contingent of his forces against the temple and almost totally destroyed it.
Despite these past attacks the temple has always been rebuilt and
survived the test of time. The current temple has again been restored to close to its
former glory and restoration work is still ongoing. There are many historical artefacts
and relics still in situ that provide an invaluable insight into this amazing place.
Anyone who has a serious interest in martial arts and the history and origin of the styles
having roots in the Shaolin Temple will find it difficult not to be taken in by the temples
story. Likewise anyone interested or following Chan / Zen Buddhism will be fascinated to learn
of its history and how the Shaolin Temple played a significant role its development and spread
across China, Japan, and Asia, and now the rest of the world.
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| Title: |
Shotokan Karate - Unravelling the Kata |
| Author: |
Ashley Croft |
| Publisher: |
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| Synopsis: |
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| Many of the kata performed today in Shotokan Karate were created centuries ago by the pioneering karate masters as a means of practising and remembering the myriad of basic techniques that made up their style. The kata are of vital significance as they provide a vehicle for understanding and developing skill in performing these techniques.
This clearly written and easily comprehensible book presents an important insight into the first six Shotokan Karate kata taught: Taikyoku Shodan, Heian Shodan, Heian Nidan, Heian Sandan, Heian Yondan and Heian Godan. It provides detailed instruction on each move , including its physical application against some of the more frequently used forms of attack.
Subjects covered are:
· A detailed exploration of the history of karate, tracing its roots back to China's Shaolin Temple.
· An introduction to the contributions of the pioneering masters who helped shape karate and the kata.
· A description of many of the secret pressure points and their locations.
· An analysis of the kata in which each one is broken down and depicted pictorially, and also described in detail so that the moves can be fully understood.
· A description of at least one kata bunkai [application] for every move in the six kata.
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| Title: |
Secret Karate |
| Author: |
Ashley Croft |
| Publisher: |
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| Synopsis: |
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| WHEN CREATING
KARATE KATA, the Okinawan masters included deadly techniques
targeting vital points. But they kept these techniques
secret from outsiders and, when karate was exported
to Japan, it appears that they chose not to pass on
their full knowledge of vital point striking. As a result
much of the knowledge on the subject remained hidden
from the vast majority of practitioners. In recent times
thanks to modern Instructors such as Professor Rick
Clark these techniques have been revived, and it is
thought that they may help to explain some of the more
obscure moves contained within all the martial arts.
This book is the culmination of substantial
research by Ashley Croft which will help to demystify
the subject and provide a detailed historical perspective
on the evolution of Karate generally, tracing its
routes back from Japan through Okinawa to China itself.
Subjects covered are:
· Historical perspectives: the evolution of
karate, the possible intentions of the ancient masters,
and the development of vital point striking.
· Anatomy and Eastern medical concepts. The
meridians, acupoints and vital energy flow (Qi).
· Location and description of the pressure
points, and the practical application of pressure
point strikes.
· Analysing the kata, identifying the possible
purpose of the moves, and developing workable combinations
using the various vital points.
With over 300 illustrations, this book is an invaluable
learning aid for those interested in gaining a deeper
understanding of karate kata and exploring the hidden
facets of this fascinating martial art.
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| Title: |
Shotokan Karate |
| Author: |
Ashley Croft |
| Publisher: |
Crowood |
| Synopsis: |
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| Shotokan Karate is one of the most
widely practised styles of karate in the world. For
most of its history it has been taught clandestinely,
with past masters only entrusting their secrets to a
select few pupils. This approach has changed dramatically
over the last 75 years, with karate being exported throughout
the world. Topics include: fundamental principles and
philosophy; main striking, blocking and kicking techniques;
detailed instructions of moves with descriptions of
the most common mistakes; flexibility training and the
physiology of stretching, and finally provides an insight
into the mysterious art of Kyusho Jutsu |
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Buy
it today! 
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| Title: |
Karate's History and Traditions |
| Author: |
Bruce Haines |
| Publisher: |
Tuttle |
| Synopsis: |
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| An excellent guide to karate's history and
traditions and now includes recent research on the martial
arts of Korea and the Philippines. |
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| Title: |
Pressure Point Fighting |
| Author: |
Rick Clark |
| Publisher: |
Tuttle |
| Synopsis: |
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| A book by one of the world's leading authorities
in this fascinating subject.
Pressure-point fighting - the practice of
manipulating the body's vital nerve and reflex points for
self-defence - offers the ability to neutralize attackers
without causing permanent harm. This intricate and temporarily
devastating self-defence system has obvious advantages.
What has been missing until now is a comprehensive guidebook
from the Western perspective. Now, this guide explains all
the fundamental pressure-point techniques, illustrated with
photographs and pressure-point charts, melding the ancient
Asian knowledge with modern Western medicine and science.
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| Title: |
Dynamic karate |
| Author: |
Masatoshi Nakayama |
| Publisher: |
Kodansha |
| Synopsis: |
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| Written by Masatoshi Nakayama when he was
the chief instructor of the Japan Karate Association. A very
detailed analysis that aims to help the reader perfect the
karate technique. |
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| Title: |
Karate-do - My way of
life |
| Author: |
Gichin Funakoshi |
| Publisher: |
Kodansha |
| Synopsis: |
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| This text presents the autobiography of
the man who made karate an international martial art, in which
he recalls his own teachers and of his efforts to define and
spread knowledge about karate without compromising its spirit. |
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| Title: |
Karate-do Kyohan |
| Author: |
Gichin Funakoshi |
| Publisher: |
Kodansha |
| Synopsis: |
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| The 'master text' which is a must for your
library. Provides a detailed insight into karate and kata
from the founder of Shotokan. |
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| Title: |
Karate Jutsu : The Original
Teachings of Gichin Funakoshi (NEW to be published in
August 2001) |
| Author: |
Gichin Funakoshi |
| Publisher: |
Kodansha |
| Synopsis: |
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| Gichin Funakoshi was the founding father
of the principles and techniques of karate in Japan. This
is the original text of Master Funakoshi's first exposition
of Okinawan karate. The text elucidates his teaching and training
methods, while the photographs show Funakoshi demonstrating
kata. |
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| Title: |
The Bible of Karate: Bubishi
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| Author: |
Patrick McCarthy |
| Publisher: |
Tuttle |
| Synopsis: |
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| Treasured for centuries by karate's masters,
The Bubishi was a secret text passed from master to student
in China and later in Okinawa. Dealing with philosophy, strategy
and medicine as they relate to the martial arts, it has been
studied and taught from by all of karate's legendary masters.
This English translation includes numerous explanations and
notes to ease comprehension. The authro also includes research
on Okinawan and Chinese history as well as the fighting and
healing traditions that developed in thos countries, making
it useful for researchers and practitioners alike |
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| Title: |
Ancient Okinawan Martial
Arts : Koryu Uchinadi (Tuttle Martial Arts) Vol. 1 |
| Author: |
Patrick McCarthy |
| Publisher: |
Tuttle |
| Synopsis: |
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| Featuring original writings by the founders
of some of the world's most popular karate styles, this volume
includes untranslated texts by Miyagi Chojun, Mabina Kenwa,
Motobu Choki - each of them founders of their own schools
of karate. |
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| Title: |
Ancient Okinawan Martial
Arts Vol 2 |
| Author: |
Patrick McCarthy |
| Publisher: |
Tuttle |
| Synopsis: |
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| Featuring original writings by the founders
of some of the world's most popular karate styles, this volume
includes McCarthy's "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants:
The Mabuni Kenwa Story", the "Dai Nippon Butokukai"
and "Karatedo: Development, Essence, Aims". |
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| Title: |
Classical Bujutsu |
| Author: |
Donn F. Draeger |
| Publisher: |
Weatherhill |
| Synopsis: |
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| The first in a series on the Japanese fighting
arts, this book offers a comprehensive look at bujutsu, Japan's
classical systems of martial training which taught the warrior
how to gain complete mastery of his weapons and of himself.
Bujutsu is the progenitor of judo, kendo, karate and other
martial ways known collectively as budo. Evolved amid the
warfare of Japan's medieval period, the bujutsu systems prepared
the warrior to use his weapons in actual combat, unlike the
later budo. Their technical and psychological training prepared
him to confront death at any moment while remaining in complete
control. |
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| Title: |
Classical Budo |
| Author: |
Donn F. Draeger |
| Publisher: |
Weatherhill |
| Synopsis: |
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| This text is a history and analysis of the
"martial ways" - spiritual disciplines far removed
from the goal of simply defeating an enemy. |
|
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| Title: |
Beginners Guide to Shotokan
Karate |
| Author: |
John Van Weenan |
| Publisher: |
Paul Hooley |
| Synopsis: |
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| A comprehensive guide to Shotokan Karate
aimed at beginners through to Brown Belt. Includes the first
6 Shotokan Karate kata and an SKI based kumite programme |
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| Title: |
75 Down Blocks: Refining
Karate Technique |
| Author: |
Rick Clark |
| Publisher: |
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| Synopsis: |
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| An analysis of one of karate's simplest,
yet most subtle, techniques. Rick Clark seeks to allow the
reader to learn how to evaluate variations and applications
quickly and efficiently and then apply that analysis to daily
martial arts practice. He describes the principles underlying
the technique and explores how to seek out the information
necessary to optimize all applications and strategies for
an array of self-defence skills |
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