Northern Shaolin

History

The ancestral lineage of Chinese martial arts dates all the way back to the 3rd Millenia BCE and the Yellow Emperor (黃帝) — the semi-mythical leader who is said to have been the first to cultivate the earliest boxing and wrestling systems.

Early illustration of Shaolin monk Bodhidharma

Illustration of Bodhidharma

This precursor to what would become Traditional Chinese Martial Arts developed considerably for centuries, eventually incorporating Taoist and Confucian metaphysics and ethics, as well as concepts from the Chinese medical system, so that by about the year 570 CE, the foundations for what would be recognizably Chinese martial arts had been set.

By this time, the first Buddhist Shaolin temple at the base of the Song Mountains had been built. It was within the walls of the Shaolin temples where Buddhist monks would incorporate martial training into their monastic way of life.

A legendary tale from a 1624 Taoist document asserts that it was the Indian Buddhist monk Bodhidharma, who not only transmitted Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China, but was also responsible for introducing martial training to the Buddhist monastic way of life. Concerned with the poor health and feebleness of the Shaolin monks, Bodhidharma instituted martial training practices that he had learned in his travels.

The earliest documented mention of the Shaolin system is the “Shaolin Kung Fu Manual” dating from the Sui dynasty, between 581-618 CE. This document laid out the earliest known Shaolin form, the “18 Hands of Luohan”, and is the origin of the oldest Shaolin lineages, Luohanquan, or “Luohan Boxing Style”.

Characteristics

“The Grandfather Of All Asian Martial Arts”

Boxing

Ancient Chinese boxing included many hand techniques, such as punching, palming, blocking, intercepting, gripping, locking, and others.

Kicking

Shaolin kung fu places heavy emphasis on kicking techniques in its training routines and forms.

Wrestling

Ancient Chinese wrestling, one of the oldest known combat systems, includes techniques for throwing, striking, blocking, and chin na.

Shaolin Weapons

“A skilled spearman can hold their ground against a multitude of foes…”

Staff

Spear

Shaolin kung fu student training with sword

Straighsword

Broardsword

Our Lineage

Sifu Michael Thomas first learned Shaolin under Sifu Jeff Bolt — himself a student of renowned Grandmaster Yang Jwing Ming

Sifu Jeff Bolt and Grandmaster Yang Jwing Ming

Sifu Michael Thomas is currently a lifelong student of Sifu Roberto Baptista - an accomplished and acclaimed Shaolin Sifu, in the lineage of Grandmaster Chan Kwok Kai.