Monks from Shaolin Monastery

In the 70s, the martial art of kung fu became a phenomenon in Western pop culture thanks to the cult series of the same name. The main character of the series, a runaway monk from the Shaolin monastery, finds himself in the Western world. Since then, kung fu and Shaolin have been associated with the media icon of a warrior monk with outstanding abilities.

But for Buddhists, Shaolin remains the cradle of one of the most significant forms of religion, called chan. Chan is a discipline that values spiritual self-improvement through meditation with prayers and rituals.

It was founded in the V century AD by the Indian monk Bodhidharma. It is based on the principles of contemplation and martial arts, is present in the daily life of monks and is considered as a remedy for physical weakness and laziness.

Despite the vicissitudes of history, monastic traditions were preserved until the Cultural Revolution of Mao, when the Shaolin Temple was officially closed. But the formal organization remained intact, and in the eighties the temple was reopened as a training center and tourist attraction.

Students of karate, judo and tai-boxing often refuse to recognize kung fu as a martial art because of its theatricality and emphasis on testing their own resistance, not an opponent. In a sense, this is true. Kung fu training is mostly conducted without an opponent, since he should never be killed, and the poetic names of techniques and movements hint that this is more meditation than battle.

Nevertheless, the only difference between destroying a clay jug and crushing a human skull with bare hands is conscious will. Despite commercialization, kung fu retains a mystical character, and so far it is closer to the monastic discipline than to the performances of modern gladiators.