Shaolin's Ming dynasty secret manuscripts

[Tainan Mantis]

The purpose of this post is to discover more information that can connect old Henan Shaolin to modern related styles.
All comments welcome.
My interest is because there are similarities between this and Mantis.

Martial Art historians consider the book Chuen Jing to be the authentic pugilist teaching of Ming dynasty Shaolin temple.
The book details Shaolin monk Hsuanji's pugilist secret formula including keyword formulas, drawings and sonnets.

It was written near the end of the Ming dynasty by Chen Songchuan and edited with a preface by Zhang Wu-e.
Zhang Wu-e's preface talks about the Ming dynasty military rebellion so we can assume that he and Chen Songchuan lived near the end of the Ming dynasty.

More details were added later by either Zhang Kongzhao or one of his disciples and again in 1784 by Tsao Huando.

A treasured copy of the 1784 edition is preserved by the Dowo family of Hailing.
It was reprinted in 1930 by the Shanghai National Hsue She Publishing Company under the name Hsuanji; Transmission of Pugilist Pressure Point Secret Formula.

Another treasured copy belonging to a certain Mr Wang was reprinted in 1936 by Tanin Lu Publishing Company under the name Chuen Jing Pugilist Reference.

In the preface of this edition Luo Zhenchang states that this is from a handwritten copy of Shaolin authentic pugilism passed down from Zhang Kongzhao and annotated by Tsao Huando.

The famous Martial Art historian Tang Hao on reading this book travelled to Henan's Shaolin temple with the purpose of proving this book's authenticity.
He interviewed the monks and investigated the generations of monk's tombstones.
He also managed to obtain stone rubbings of tombstones from the Western Pagoda.

He discovered that during the reign of Ching dynasty's first emperor Shunzhi(1644-1661) the name of every monk had the Hsuan character.
This means that Hsuanji lived in the Ming dynasty and passed away early in the Ching dynasty.

[Tainan Mantis]

In answer to private inquiry...
The ISBN number of this book is

957-97725-7-6

Let me know if this is not enough info to find the book.

At present there is no English translation that I know of.

[Tainan Mantis]

In the preface Zhang Wu-e expresses his opinion about the practice of martial arts and working for the government.


"I had a career as a confucion scholar, but my real interest has always been in martial arts and I have been refining my skill for many years.
I think that government officials should also be trained in the ways of martial arts.
Living in this chaotic age one can not just serve as a government official behind a desk when the government really needs you to help command the military.
Military skill can improve your government position.
The great sages of old could turn the tables in chaotic times, but nowadays our great official scholars can't even govern the country."


From this quote it is apparent that he was living in a time, Ming dynasty, when China was ruled by Chinese and there was not yet the fear that China would be overrun by foreign invaders.

[Tainan Mantis]

Please feel free to tinker with the following translation.
This may be the first mention of Taiji and Meihua from the Shaolin temple.
Maybe some people who know Taiji manuscripts can tell when those old books were written.

On the far right it says...
"If you can recognize the profoundness of these stepping methods then however powerful and strong your enemies are they won't be able to demonstrate their bravery."

The zigzag diagram says...
" Zhr character stepping"

The triangular diagram says...
"Triangular stepping"
And in the corner..."Starting point"

The diagram on the right says...
"Plum flower 5 stepping method"
"Center"
"The plum flower 5 step method is part of Taiji theory.
Plum flower stepping can be performed endlessly forward, back, left and right.
All of the steps revolve around the center."

[buddhapalm]

Hi Tainan Mantis,
Fascinating !!!

I would love to see more discussion on this book.

Perhaps someone can translate the whole book for us.

Cheers

Buddhapalm

"Happy Chinese New Year"

[Tainan Mantis]

Hi Buddhaplam,
I am working on more of the translation, but I won't post it until I have it approved by those with a better understanding of classical Chinese.

It would be a great book to translate into English.
I am not sure why it has never been done. So much talk on Shaolin kung fu and this is the first authentic kung fu book on Shaolin empty hand fighting, and yet the West has no access to it.

[Royal Dragon]

I guarentee that if you do the translation, Gene will sell it for you. With something like this, you won't have to work anymore. I'd do it just so i could be free to spend my whole day doing Kung Fu.

[Tainan Mantis]

Here is publisher info for those who want to sample the original text.
Maybe it can be ordered in the states.

Royal Dragon,
Thanks for the good news.
This one takes some time as a lot of care must be placed in finding fitting English words.
It is written in archaic literary Chinese and not easy to understand.
The translations must be approved by several people also, so it takes a lot of time.
A one man effort would be very poor in my opinion so I must wait for others comments.

[r.(shaolin)]

Interesting document. What other steps are shown?
The Shaolin tradition

[Tainan Mantis]

r.(shaolin),
There are quite a few more steps and explanations.
It will take a while before I am ready to post all that.

The next portion starts at the beginning of the book proper, it has interesting similarities to General Chi Jiguang's chapter on pugilism which I will also post shortly.

Chuen Jing(Book of Pugilism):

"Pugilism is originally from Shaolin Temple.
Song Taidzu went to Shaolin Temple to study pugilism,
ever since then it has been famous under all of heaven.

Afterwards came the Wen Family's Seventy-Two Hsing Chuen(Moving Fist),
Thirty-Six He Suo(Connected Locks),
Twenty-Four Chi Tan Ma(Breath Pats on Horse),
Ba Shan Fan(Eight Dodging Turns) has Twelve Short Strikes,
Lu Hong has Ba Gang(Eight Rigids)
Shandong has Li Bantien's skill with legs,
The Eagle Claw King has Na,
And Zhang Jinbo has Strikes.

Well known within the seas each one is profound.

None of them are perfect, some might be better and some might be worse, but they all can be used to defeat the enemy."

[Tainan Mantis]

This book was published in 1584
Chapter 14
A Brief on Pugilism

"...Ancient and Modern Masters of Pugilism:

Song Taidzu has Thirty-Two Postures of Longfist,
Six Step Fist,
Monkey Fist,
And Hua Chuen.

Even though each of these famous styles has their own strong points,
Yet they are similar.

Today we have Wen Family Seventy-Two Hsing Chuen(Moving Fist),
Thirty-Six He Suo(Connected Locks),
Twenty-Four Chi Tan Ma(Abandon Pats on Horse),
Ba Shan Fan(Eight Dodging Turns),
And Shr-Er Duan(Twelve Shorts).

These are the best of the best.

Although Lu Hong's Ba Hsia(Eight Moves) are gang(hard),
yet they can not compare to Mien Zhang's Duan Da(Short Strikes).

(We also have) Shandong's Li Bantien's skill with legs,
Eagle Claw King's Na,
One-Thousand-Falls Zhang's falls,
Zhang Jinbo's strikes,
Shaolin Temple's stick,
(There is also) Ching Tien Stick Method,
Yang Family spear,
And Bazi Chuen and stick.

These are the famous methods in modern times.

Even though they all have their good points,
But some use only the upper(body) and some use only the lower(body).

Any one of them can defeat your enemy,
But learning only one is incomplete.

So one should really learn from all styles..."

[Royal Dragon]

Tainan Mantis,
I couldn't talk you into a very detailed translation of Qi Jiguang's 32 posture Tai Tzu Chang Quan form could I?? I have a partial translation here, but its just the poetry, not enough for me to work out the set. I'm really interested in actually working out the set itself.

I could E-mail you the postures with their Chinese text, all you'd have to do is place the english underneath each posture.

[Tainan Mantis]

Royal Dragon,
This sounds like a good idea for a book to publish.
Do you mean to say there isn't a single complete translation published?

I already have this book so no need to send me the pics.

[WanderingMonk]

Royal Dragon,

If you are looking for usage of the 32 postures of long fist
Go here
http://members.tripod.com/~martial_art/32usage-menu.htm

Its in chinese, but click on the links. Your see diagrams showing some of the applications. The applications are taken from Zhang SongXi's style. Master Zhang was a fighter from the Ming Dynasty.

If you are looking to string it together as a set, go here.

http://members.tripod.com/~martial_art/32menu.htm

go to the second half of the page and there be a bunch of links showing the set.


peace

wm

[Royal Dragon]

Hi, Thanks for the links!!!! Wow, you have just given me about a years worth of stuff to work on!! Thanks!!!

If I could only get the English translations of those texts I'd be set.

Do you mean to say there isn't a single complete translation published?

Reply]
Nope, not that I've seen. If your planning on translating it, and publishing the whole book, you've got my $50

As I just said above, I'm interested in translations of the entire content of the links posted by WanderingMonk too. With enough work, I can get somthing functional out of those, but the details are in the written texts.

[beiquan]

Tainan Mantis,

I picked this book up in Taiwan last summer and I have also been working on some translations, just for practice and to share with my classmates. I would be happy to correspond with you and share information..

[Tainan Mantis]

beiquan,
I am working everyday on translating the whole book.
Feel free to discuss by e-mail or here.

[kai men]

Well I m Still recovering from the shock! amazing information. I will work on this.
I have a question. You know that today Shaolin Monks train a form called "Tai Ssu chang Chuan" or "32 movements of Chang Chuan" which has little to do with the one mentioned in the link, and is also credited to Emperor Tai Zu.
I wonder ¿is this connected? because that version from Shaolin has some movements very similar to Tai chi ones. (Single Weep, Cloud Hands and so on)
I would appreciate any comment on this
kindest regards
horacio

[Royal Dragon]

I don't know if this pertaines to the CURRENT Shaolin Tai Tzu form, as I have heard many of the forms comming out of Shaolin today are modern creations designed to replace lost knowedge, but the Emperor who deveoped Tai Tzu Chang Chuan taught his original 32 move form to the Shaolin for preservation. The current Shaolin 32 move set is "Suposed" to be that form. Some consider it the closest to the original we have today.

The General Qi Jiguang was trained in the Emperor's Tai Tzu Chang Chuan as it was taught widely to the Mings military at the time. He later developed his own 32 move Tai Tzu form seen in his maunual from 1544 AD., and it is considred his addition to the evolution of the art.

Aside from those two forms, there are also a number of other 32 move forms (depending on the line), and a 64 and 72 move form. The 72 is said to have been as much as 300 or moves long during the Ming dynasty. There may be more of it in some lines today, but all I have been able to find is 72 moves of it. This set desended from Liu Yun Qiao, One of Adam Hsu's Sifus.

Depending on the branch, Tai Tzu Chang Chuan has 10-12 Northern Long Fist forms. Some branches name them, others just refer to them by number. In addition to this, a secong style called Tai Tzu HONG Chaun descended form the Emperor Sung Tai Tzu. It has 10 core forms, and is suposed to be very similar to the Tai Tzu Chang Chuan system. Of the Tai Tzu Chang Chuan, several sets are said to be internal. I have one, maybe two of the internal sets on the way to me, but I can't comment on them till I see them.

Tai Tzu also has a small Southern division with 6-8 forms, and the Monkey boxing that is taught along with it has 8 Southern forms, and 8 Northern as well.

This is just what I have so far. Some of my research indicates Tai Tzu Chang Chuan today "May" have a many as 70 forms.

[Tainan Mantis]

Royal Dragon,
I would like to know where you got the info in your 2nd paragraph...
-How do you know General Chi trained in Tai Dzu Chang Chuen?
-How do you know this was taught to the military?
-How do you know he developed a Taidzu form?
-Who said they consider it his addition to the art?

[Royal Dragon]

-How do you know General Chi trained in Tai Dzu Chang Chuen?

Reply]
From researching Chen style. Chen Wang Ting is often said to have learned Tai tzu form Qi Ji Guang, or his manual. If he taught it, he had it have learned it.
If he put it in hs manual, he had to have known it.

-How do you know this was taught to the military?
Reply]
Vertually all accounts of Tai Tzu I have found mention this. Also, I have found info that stated Tai tzu was the core of Shaolin practice during the Ming. I donot have archilogical evidance, but when several lineages all say the same thing, and when certain info keeps popping up over, and over, and over agian, it' get's hard to ignor.

-How do you know he developed a Taidzu form?

Reply]
It's in his manual. It is said his 32 move form is 29 postures of tai tzu. This comes form people who have researched Chen style. It's mostly online sources, but one line I have delt with claimed that the Qi Jiguang form was the ORIGINAL 32 move Tai Tzu form developed by the Emperor. I have also heard this else where. BUT, when you look into it form a Chen Taiji perspective, I have seen it as being only 29 postures of Tai Tzu (I think that is more credible). It never says if it is 29 postures of the original 32 move form, or just represnative of the Tai Tzu in general during the Ming dynasty. Also, many references to the Qi Jiguang form say HE created it as a synthisis of his favored experiances.

If you combine the legends of him creating the set himself, with the comparisiens by Chen researchers that state out of the 32 potures, 29 postures are of Tai Tzu, one must conclude he developed it as a Tai Tzu set. Because he mixed in 3 postures from other things, or plain made them up matters little because 3 postures is such a small percentage of the total 32.

In the end, it is a conclusion I have draw from a wide variety of sources, many of which include Tai Tzu lineages I have spoken with that consider it a form in thier system. Some consider it a lost form, some claim to have it (or part of it). Unfortunetly, one of my biggest research sources just got shipped to Iraq, or I would have you contact him for more info.

-Who said they consider it his addition to the art?

Reply]
It's my wording, but also common sense. I know several Tai tzu lines that consider it part of thier system. A rare part of it, but still a part none the less. Also, the legend of the form says it's from the art descended from Chao Kuang Yin, or Tai Tzu Chang Chuan.

My evediance is not 100% Archologicaly fool proof, and my conclusions are just that, my conclusions based on peicing little bits of the puzzle together here and there. Still though vertually EVERY tai tzu line I have been in contact with considers the set an ancient and authentic tai tzu form. The legends all say It was created by Qi Jiguang, and the most credible ones say it is 29 postures of Tai Tzu (the Chen style researchers I have read online), thus leading me to conclude it is Qi Jiguang's addition to the art.

[Tainan Mantis]

Royal Dragon,
Thanks for the detailed answer.
For this information to be useful there needs to exist some sort of reference material as well as cross refeence.

It is not possible to learn the form from the book as the book doesn't tell how to do the form.
That Chi wrote everything in the book is extremely unlikely.
In fact, it wouldn't be unusual if he didn't write any of it.
This is accepted in Chinese culture.

You mention several times that you have found info.
It would be nice to have more details of that information.

[Royal Dragon]

Alot of my info is oral. We have to wait till my older brother comes home from Iraq, he's got all the details.

Even if the boook does not say how to do the form, I'd still like to see the translations that go with the pictures. Just to put up on my site if nothing else.

[canglong]

Very interesting thread anxiously awaiting more dialogue...