History Of Kung Fu
Kung Fu was well developed before the now famous
Shaolin Temple was built. The temple was built in the third century A.D. but the
physician Hwa Tuo was using exercises based on animal movements to improve the
physical health of his patients well before that date.
Hwa Tuo lived around A.D. 220-65 and created exercises around the movements of
five animals: the dragon, tiger, leopard, snake and crane. Most Chinese Kung Fu
movements today imitate these movements. The Shaolin Temple did become the
centre for development for martial arts for more than a thousand years. Around
the year 527 A.D. a monk named Do Mo was eventually admitted into the Shaolin
Temple and influenced the Temple structure with exercises to strengthen the
disciples to enable them to pursue the spiritual path more vigorously. His
content of training is present today:
- Exercises designed to strengthen the physical body by working the ……tendons.
- The art of cleansing (the body and mind)
- Meditation to control final movement of the chi in the body.
All Martial arts followed because of the cross-fertilisation between India and
China combined with Do Mo intervention at the Shaolin Temple has lead to what is
called Kung Fu today. The Kung Fu taught at the Shaolin Kung Fu Club can be
traced back to the Shaolin Temple.