Controversy
Although there are extensive archives at the Shaolin Temple detailing their student roster for the past 200 years, there are no written records that exist stating whether or not Su Kong Tai Djin nor Ie Chang Ming were ever members of the Shaolin Temple proper. Since no written records exist, information comes from Grandmaster Sin Kwang The' himself. A lot of the history of this lineage derives from oral tradition, passed down from one master to the next.
The names of the lineage masters do not fit the Buddhist naming convention of three characters beginning with 释 shi, nor do they follow the Shaolin Generational poem of Xue Ting Fu Yu which has been in use for over 34 generations of students.
It is also not clear as to which Fujian Temple SuKong or ChangMing were members of; according to student travels and research, it may have actually been a temple in Guangdong (廣東) instead, such as the Sea Monastery (Chinese: 海幢寺; pinyin: hǎi chuáng sì).
The claim to master 900 forms has come under attack, especially some material unveiled by Grandmaster Sin Thé which is known to have been in print for quite some time, see references. Some, but not all of the new material (circa 2000–present) is referenced in Shi DeQian's 4 volume opus The Shaolin Temple Encyclopedia. Though this may appear to also substantiate some of Grandmaster Thé's claims, depending on how one views it.
The existence of the Fukien Shaolin Temple was itself undocumented and unproven until 1995. The specific location of the Fukien Temple is still being debated.
Read more about this topic: Shaolin-Do
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