31 Generations of Shaolin Kungfu
The disciplines and technique Shaolin Kung fu taught
and practiced at Shaolin Temple of SongShan (Mountain Song) in Henan Province
in China attract many students, however only a few receive the honor of
becoming a Shaolin monk. One of the reasons for Shaolin Kung fu's popularity
is that it is used in many martial art movies to represent power, strength
and wisdom.
 Shi Su Yun, only recently Deceased, was known for his ability to do Tong Zi Gong well into his old age.
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Master Shi De Shan is a 31st generation disciple
and martial monk (wu seng) from the Songshan Mountain Temple linage.
As a child, Shi De Shan became a disciple of Shaolin, where he
studied Gong fu from Master Shi Suyun. Shi Su Yun, a 30th generation
martial monk, accepted him as a disciple a gave him the religious name
Shi De Shan ("Shan" means "Mountain").
"Suyun was a Shaolin monk that mastered
both the scholarly (wen) and the martial (wu) aspects of Shaolin. As
a Buddhist, Suyun was very humble. He never fought for authority or
had any attachment to material gain. Even in his final years, after
Shaolin had regained its prosperity, Suyun remained in a tiny room
in the temple which he kept very simple until his passing in 1999. |
As a fighter, Suyun was renowned for his Xiaohongquan
(small red fist) and Tongzigong (child exercises). Suyun defended the
temple on many occasions. One of his most famous matches involved a
large group of Japanese challengers. Alone, Suyun met their challenge,
beat down every single challenger and defended Shaolin’s
reputation. Even in his seventies, Suyun practiced Tongzigong and was
most comfortable sitting in full lotus position.
According to Shi Decheng,
Suyun was a strict master. "Mabu (horse stance practice) was not
like today," recalls
Decheng. "It wasn't three minutes, then five minutes, then ten minutes,
progressively adding up. If you were instructed to stand in mabu, you
just had to stand for the full duration. It was very hard." Despite
his rigorousness, several dedicated students followed Suyun. Everyone
lived and trained in Shaolin Temple together. Times were simpler then. "
Excerpted Quotes : Gene Ching; Kungfu Magazine; "Real vs. Fake"
