Where did the legend of Shaolin martial mastery come from?
October 20, 2020 8:07 PM Subscribe
I'm curious about the origin of the legendary martial arts skills and training at the Shaolin temple. I know there's some basis in reality (the monks fought in a couple wars, etc) and I know that there was a resurgence in interest after the wuxia cinema craze of the '70s. But there has to be more than that!
I'm also aware in a general way of the Legend of Condor Heroes books (I haven't read them because I hear the translations are weak) but I get the feeling that there is more to it than that - that these books were a modernization and revival of something older (Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West for sure, but more specific than that). Where did the legend of Shaolin's technique and power emerge from, and are there other legends like it?
I'm also aware in a general way of the Legend of Condor Heroes books (I haven't read them because I hear the translations are weak) but I get the feeling that there is more to it than that - that these books were a modernization and revival of something older (Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West for sure, but more specific than that). Where did the legend of Shaolin's technique and power emerge from, and are there other legends like it?
If you're up for an hour long YouTube video deep dive, I remember finding this video on the Shaolin legend pretty interesting.
posted by Zalzidrax at 10:47 PM on October 20, 2020
posted by Zalzidrax at 10:47 PM on October 20, 2020
Check out the History section of the Wikipedia article on Wuxia. It discusses both ancient and modern roots.
Also their articles on Shaolin Kung Fu and Southern Shaolin Monastery have some good references and historical info.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:40 AM on October 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also their articles on Shaolin Kung Fu and Southern Shaolin Monastery have some good references and historical info.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:40 AM on October 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is not an answer to your question, but Legends of the Condor Heroes has finally been professionally translated to English! I've read 3.5 so far of the 4 volumes (4th to be published in Feb 2021) - I'm sure I'm sadly missing some aspects of the language and cultural references, but I'm really enjoying the books.
2018 NPR article
(unless the translations you've heard are weak are indeed these current ones; I assumed you were referring to ones by fans on the internet that have been around for years)
posted by eyeball at 10:27 AM on October 21, 2020
2018 NPR article
(unless the translations you've heard are weak are indeed these current ones; I assumed you were referring to ones by fans on the internet that have been around for years)
posted by eyeball at 10:27 AM on October 21, 2020
Response by poster: Thanks for the info. I know it's not as simple as "oh, it's this story!" but I wanted to get a little more than the articles and such I'd found had told me. I'm gonna leave the question open for a bit in case any late comers show up.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:14 PM on October 21, 2020
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:14 PM on October 21, 2020
You might have luck looking through articles on chinesemartialstudies.com. Here's one titled Bodhidharma: Historical Fiction, Hyper-Real Religion and Shaolin Kung Fu.
posted by Mister Cheese at 1:45 PM on October 21, 2020
posted by Mister Cheese at 1:45 PM on October 21, 2020
I don't know if this counts, but.
In Western pop culture, a very influential source is the Shaw Bros. / Gordon Liu movies like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. For instance, there would be no hip hop Wu-Tang Clan or Kill Bill movies without them.
There's a comparison I'd like to make with another mythical place, because the idea resonates. It's not the first or last time the idea of 'what if a boarding school or university, but they teach magic' has been or will be used. But it's not too far off by saying that the popular Western conception of the Shaolin Temple Mythos is 'Hogwarts, but for kung fu'. The idea of a monastery, where instead of just chanting prayers, the monks develop their bodies, in the end becoming capable of incredible feats. Not through magic, but by the singular dedication and discipline.
I say that because it's not so much one historical event, or a famous tournament. It's the idea, of a Place, dedicated to One Thing; and those who have mastered it, have mastered themselves. People like that idea a lot, and if you give them a kernel to build on, a name they can use as a shortcut to express that concept, they're going to use it for fiction, to the point where people can be surprised that there's a real place, and ask if they named it after the movies.
If there was a music school where one went to spend 20 years mastering the clarinet, people would hear this of someone and say "wow, they went to ____? That's like the Shaolin Temple of music. Their kung fu must be strong" and everyone knows what you mean.
posted by bartleby at 12:02 AM on October 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
In Western pop culture, a very influential source is the Shaw Bros. / Gordon Liu movies like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. For instance, there would be no hip hop Wu-Tang Clan or Kill Bill movies without them.
There's a comparison I'd like to make with another mythical place, because the idea resonates. It's not the first or last time the idea of 'what if a boarding school or university, but they teach magic' has been or will be used. But it's not too far off by saying that the popular Western conception of the Shaolin Temple Mythos is 'Hogwarts, but for kung fu'. The idea of a monastery, where instead of just chanting prayers, the monks develop their bodies, in the end becoming capable of incredible feats. Not through magic, but by the singular dedication and discipline.
I say that because it's not so much one historical event, or a famous tournament. It's the idea, of a Place, dedicated to One Thing; and those who have mastered it, have mastered themselves. People like that idea a lot, and if you give them a kernel to build on, a name they can use as a shortcut to express that concept, they're going to use it for fiction, to the point where people can be surprised that there's a real place, and ask if they named it after the movies.
If there was a music school where one went to spend 20 years mastering the clarinet, people would hear this of someone and say "wow, they went to ____? That's like the Shaolin Temple of music. Their kung fu must be strong" and everyone knows what you mean.
posted by bartleby at 12:02 AM on October 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
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The hit show ran from 1972 to 1975, and featured a Chinese hero who was both a superior fighter and a morally advanced person. It controversially cast a non-Asian actor, David Carradine.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 8:47 PM on October 20, 2020 [1 favorite]