Although martial arts have been documented in China since 2600 B.C., the source of today’s martial arts originate from A.D. 527, when Indian monk Ta Mo (Bodhidharma) arrived at Shaolin in Henan province. Before his arrival, the Shaolin monks practiced Taoism and meditation. Ta Mo found the monks to be lacking physical ability stating, “The body, mind and spirit are inseparable, and if you neglect one, the others will suffer.” Ta Mo spent nine years developing three skills to physically and mentally aid the monks: “muscle change classics”; “bone marrow washing course”; and the 18 lou han fists (18 Buddhist Fists), which became the foundation of Shaolin kung fu. Ta Mo synthesized Taoism with Indian Mahayana Buddhism to create Chan (Zen) Buddhism.
Several hundred external martial arts (styles that focus on physiological development rather than chi cultivation) with direct ties to Shaolin kung fu have proliferated from Ta Mo’s 18 Buddhist fists—the most famous being the Five Animal Styles of Shaolin. These styles were developed in the mid-1600s by Shaolin monk Zheu Yang and two other martial artists: Li Sou and Bai Yu-feng.
– November 19, 2012
Shaolin kung fu master Steve DeMasco brings you self-defense secrets straight from Shaolin Temple in this exclusive article. Learn how to take down an opponent, execute a neck break, counter a full-nelson attack and how to escape a mount!
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– April 7, 2011
On our walk down the martial path, we will find that we cannot rely on our martial arts training as we did when we were younger. That head-high kick gets harder and harder to deliver effectively. The power in that once-awesome reverse punch seems to slip, regardless of how much
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– March 31, 2011
If you’re on the prowl for new ways to improve your martial arts skills and expand your knowledge base, the five animals of Shaolin kung fu are for you. By studying the fighting methods of the snake, crane, tiger, leopard and dragon, you’ll glimpse kung fu through the eyes of
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– March 24, 2011
Learn the authentic art of shaolin chuan fa from Black Belt Hall of Fame member Steve DeMasco in this exciting three-part DVD series! DeMasco has been a student of the martial arts since 1971 and has trained with some of the most famous Chinese grandmasters in the world, studying Shaolin
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– March 23, 2011
Black Belt Hall of Fame member Steve DeMasco demonstrates empty-hand ground-defense techniques for situations such as attacks from the rear and escaping a full-nelson hold. DeMasco is the author of An American’s Journey to the Shaolin Temple and has released two DVD sets through Black Belt. For more information on
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– March 21, 2011
Learn the authentic art of shaolin chuan fa from Black Belt Hall of Fame member Steve DeMasco in this exciting three-part DVD series! Steve DeMasco has been a student of the martial arts since 1971 and has trained with some of the most famous Chinese grandmasters in the world, studying
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– March 21, 2011
Learn the authentic art of shaolin chuan fa from Black Belt Hall of Fame member Steve DeMasco in this exciting three-part DVD series! Steve DeMasco has been a student of the martial arts since 1971 and has trained with some of the most famous Chinese grandmasters in the world, studying
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– March 21, 2011
People tell me I tend to sound like an old-timer. I tell them to shut up and get off my lawn! Then I explain that a lot can be learned from comparing the way we did things in the past with the way people do them now. Case in point:
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– March 21, 2011
China has always been the traditional home of the Asian martial arts. For 2,000 years, its people have experimented with and developed self-defense systems that have only recently become known in other countries as karate, judo, jujutsu and sumo.
Yet curiously, little is known of the Chinese martial arts (wushu) outside
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– March 21, 2011
To longtime readers of Black Belt, Steve DeMasco needs no introduction. A student of the martial arts since 1968, he’s been a fixture in the magazine since his debut in the February 1998 issue. Over the ensuing years, he’s espoused his views on the physical and philosophical sides of the
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