Northern Shaolin (martial Art) - History

History

The monastery in Henan is the original Shaolin Monastery. The monks began to practice military weapons sometime around the Tang Dynasty and became famous for aiding the future Emperor Li Shimin in struggles against rebellious forces. The monks were primarily known for their spear and staff techniques until the Ming-Qing transition when they began to specialize in unarmed combat. As the reputation of the Shaolin martial arts grew during the following centuries, its name became synonymous with martial arts, regardless of whether an individual art traced its origins to the Shaolin Monastery in Henan or not. As a result, the "Shaolin" moniker was applied to other Buddhist temples with strong reputations for martial arts. The characteristics of the martial arts taught at each temple were so different from each other that they became identified with their place of origin.

The Northern Shaolin style associated with Gu Ruzhang was first taught to a lay disciple, the celebrated 18th century master Gan Fengchi of Jiangsu Province, by a Shaolin monk named Zhao Yuan, born Zhu Fu, a member of the Ming royal family who joined the sangha after the Ming was overthrown by the Qing in 1644. (Gan is also remembered for founding the martial art Huāquán 花拳, literally "flower fist", about which he wrote the book Introduction to Huāquán.) Gan in turn taught Wan Bangcai, who taught Yan Degong, who taught Yan Sansen, who taught Yan Jiwen, who taught his nephew Gu Ruzhang.

Generation 1-7

1. 朝元 和尚 (Monk Zhāo Yuán)
2. 甘鳳池 (Gān Fèngchí)
3. 萬邦才 (Wàn Bāngcái)
4. 嚴徳功 (Yán Dégōng)
5. 嚴三省 (Yán Sānxǐng)
6. 嚴機(繼)溫 (Yán Jīwēn)
7. 顧汝章 (Gù Rǔzhāng)

Yan Jiwen also taught Gu the skills of Iron Body and Iron Palm. On a famous occasion in 1931, Gu is said to have demonstrated the latter on a horse.

Among the martial artists who gathered at the Central National Martial Arts Institute in Nanjing in 1928, Gu placed in the top fifteen and was included—alongside Fu Zhensong, Li Xianwu, Wan Laimin, Wan Laisheng, and Wong Shao Chou (on other accounts, Wan Laiping)—in the Five Southbound Tigers (五虎下江南, Pinyin Wǔhǔ Xià Jiāngnán; literally, "five tigers heading south of the great river"), five masters of the Northern Chinese martial arts sent to Guangzhou (Canton) to organize another National Martial Arts Institute. In Guangzhou, the name "Shaolin" was already associated with Hung Gar and other styles, so Gu's style came to be known by the name Northern Shaolin.

The current main representative in the US of Gu Yu-jeung's legacy is Grandmaster Chan Kwok-wai (陳國偉), student of Yim Seung-mou (嚴尚武, direct student of Gu), established in Brazil. The legacy is also represented in the United States by Grandmaster Wing Lam, a later student of Yim Seung-mou. In Argentina, the WuHsingChuan School of Sifu Neldo Sacomani traces its lineage from Hui Yin Fu - Lung Kai Ming - Lung Tze Cheung (classmate of Yim Seungmou) - Gu Yu-jeung.