Shaolin kung fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is the largest and most famous style of kung fu. It combines Mahayana Buddhist, Chan philosophy and martial arts.
It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in Henan, China during its 1500-year history. In Chinese folklore there is a saying, "Shaolin kung fu is the best under heaven", which indicates its superiority among martial arts, and "All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin", which indicates its influence on other martial arts. The name Shaolin is also used as a brand for the external styles of kung fu. Many styles in southern and northern China use the name Shaolin.
History
Chinese martial arts before Shaolin
Chinese historical records, like Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue, the Bibliographies in the Book of the Han Dynasty, the Records of the Grand Historian, and other sources document the existence of martial arts in China for thousands of years. For example, the Chinese martial art of wrestling, Shuai Jiao, predates the establishment of Shaolin temple by several centuries. In Japan, he is known as Daruma.
The idea that Bodhidharma founded martial arts at the Shaolin Temple was spread in the 20th century. However, this idea came from a debunked apocryphal 17th century legend that claimed Bodhidharma taught the monks philosophies of Chan Buddhism, which the monks were then able to use to create their own combat techniques that developed into Shaolin kung fu. The idea of Bodhidharma influencing Shaolin boxing is based on a Qigong manual written during the 17th century. This is when a Taoist with the pen name 'Purple Coagulation Man of the Way' wrote the Sinews Changing Classic in 1624, but claimed to have discovered it. The first of two prefaces of the manual traces this succession from Bodhidharma to the Chinese general Li Jing via "a chain of Buddhist saints and martial heroes."
Sui and Tang dynasties (581–907 AD): Shaolin soldier monks
During the short period of the Sui dynasty (581–618), the building blocks of Shaolin kung fu took an official form, and Shaolin monks began to create fighting systems of their own. The 18 methods of Luohan with a strong Buddhist flavour were practiced by Shaolin monks since this time, which was later used to create more advanced Shaolin martial arts. Shaolin monks had developed very powerful martial skills, and this showed itself towards the end of the Sui dynasty.
Like most dynastic changes, the end of the Sui dynasty was a time of upheaval and contention for the throne. The oldest evidence of Shaolin participation in combat is a stele from 728 that attests to two occasions: a defense of the monastery from bandits around 610 and their role in the defeat of Wang Shichong at the Battle of Hulao in 621. Wang Shichong declared himself Emperor. He controlled the territory of Zheng and the ancient capital of Luoyang. Overlooking Luoyang on Mount Huanyuan was the Cypress Valley Estate, which had served as the site of a fort during the Jin and a commandery during the Southern Qi.
Recent developments in the 20th century such as Shorinji Kempo () practised in Japan's Sohonzan Shorinji () still maintains close ties with China's Song Shan Shaolin Temple due to historic links.
Shaolin monks (referred to simply as "monks" in-game) appear in the roguelike game NetHack, along with samurai. They are one of the two roles to use martial arts skills, with monks having the most powerful martial arts skills in the game.
In the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, the practice of "firebending" is based on Shaolin moves.
The ABC TV series Kung Fu (1972–1975) stars David Carradine as a 19th century fugitive Shaolin monk traveling the Western United States in search of his brother. This series helped to popularize Shaolin kung fu with the general American TV audience.