功夫

In the center of the vast Chinese nation lies the Mountain of Songshan, one of the country’s holiest spots and home to the Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of kung fu Introduction to Kung Fu and Shaolin Name: Sun Lizhang 孙立章 ID:201030076 Recently, more and more foreigners come to China to learn Chinese Kung Fu. They believe that Kung Fu is one of the most mysterious Chinese cultures. Many Chinese action stars, like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and some movies, like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Kung Fu Panda have influenced the world greatly and they have played a significant role in the promotion of Chinese martial arts. Here I will give a brief introduction to the origin of Kung Fu and tell you something about Shaolin.  In the center of the vast Chinese nation lies the Mountain of Songshan, one of the country’s holiest spots and home to the Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of Kung Fu.  In AD 527, the religious teacher, Da Mo, traveled from India to Shaolin to spread the word of Buddha. He spent nine years living alone and meditating in a cave above the Shaolin temple. To keep his muscles healthy, he developed a series of movements and breathing exercises based on the movements of animals. These were to become the basis of Kung Fu.       When Da Mo returned to the Shaolin temple, he began to teach the monks these techniques, and his tool of meditation evolved into a tool of combat. Kung Fu was born.       As Shaolin’s reputation grew, more and more young people attempted to join the order. They had their heads shaved as an external sign of inward purity, and they swore an oath of obedience to their masters. Their training was relentless. Their fists would become as hard as iron and their bodies almost impervious to pain.      Today, Kung Fu has given rise to more than 1,000 styles of martial arts. The Shaolin style is still probably the most famous of all. And I do believe the spirits of Shaolin will be carried forward along with the increasing international exchanges.