Strength, balance and total concentration are the hallmarks of a good Kung Fu practitioner. The movement must be matched by stillness. Shaolin Kung Fu, also called Shaolin Wushu, is one of the oldest and famous styles of Kung Fu. It combines Chan philosophy and martial arts. It originated and was developed in the ancient Shaolin Temple in the Henan Province, China during its 1500-year history. The word “Shaolin” is derived from Shao- from the Shaoshi Mountain and lin- meaning forest. This is in relation to the first temple built in the Henan Province.
Popular sayings in Chinese folklore related to this practice state “All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin” and “Shaolin Kung Fu is the best under heaven” indicating the influence of Shaolin Kung Fu among martial arts. Chan meaning “meditative state” is a Chinese school of Mahayana Buddhism. It developed in China from the sixth century CE, becoming popular during the Tang and Song dynasties. Shaolin culture is rooted in Mahayana Buddhism, while the practice of Chan is its nucleus and finally the martial arts, traditional medicine and art are its manifestations. Shaolin Kung Fu integrates dynamic and static components - yin and yang. 
Bodhidharma is recorded as having come to China during the time of Southern and Northern Dynasties to teach a “special transmission outside scriptures”. Some traditions specifically describe Bodhidharma to be the third son of a Pallava king from Kanchipuram. The Long Scroll of the Treatise on the Two Entrances and Four Practices written by Tan Lin, contains teachings that are attributed to Bodhidharma. The text is known from the Dunhuang manuscripts. As the first Shaolin abbot, Batuo devoted himself to translating Buddhist scriptures and preaching doctrines to hundreds of his followers. In 527, Bodhidharma, the 28th patriarch of Mahayana Buddhism in India, arrived at the Shaolin Temple. Bodhidharma spent nine years meditating in a cave of the Wuru Peak and initiated the Chinese Chan tradition at the Shaolin Temple. Thereafter, Bodhidharma was honoured as the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism.
Bodhidharma taught the monks 18 forms which evolved into 54 forms and later into 108 forms. This was the foundation of the “Shaolin Fist”.
One of the oldest Shaolin philosophies is that “one who engages in combat has already lost the battle”. The Shaolin practitioner is never an attacker, nor does he or she dispatch the most devastating defences in any situation. The Southern Shaolin styles which are predominantly hand technique-oriented, consist of Southern Praying Mantis and the five animals that make up the Five Animal Fist: Tiger, Dragon, Leopard, Snake and White Crane. The Northern Shaolin styles which put more emphasis on kicks and foot techniques consist of Northern Praying Mantis, Black Crane, and Black Tiger. Wing Chun is arguably the most famous single style within the Shaolin system. It was made known to the West by Bruce Lee and James Lee in the late 1960s in what was the single most influential introduction of Chinese Kung Fu outside China.
The Shaolin Monastery is a renowned temple recognised as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the Songshan mountain range in the Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China. The name reflects its location in the ancient grove of Mount Shaoshi, in the hinterland of Songshan Mountains. Mount Song occupied a prominent position among Chinese sacred mountains. The main pillars of the Shaolin culture are Chan Buddhism, martial arts, Buddhist art, and traditional Chinese medicine. This Shaolin cultural heritage, still constituting the daily Temple life, is representative of the magnificent Chinese civilisation. The Shaolin Temple is an important religious and cultural institution both in China and internationally. Because of its uniqueness, the Shaolin culture is accepted and recognised by people of different races and cultural backgrounds. The temple has become a means for China to display its cultural soft power.
Shaolin Kung Fu is manifested through a system of different skills that are based on attack and defence movements. Shaolin Kung Fu has more than hundreds
of extant styles. There is recorded documentation of more than a thousand extant forms, which makes Shaolin the biggest school of martial art in the world. In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Shaolin monks chose 100 of the best styles of Shaolin Kung Fu. Then, they shortlisted the 18 most famous of them. Meditation is the soul of Chan Buddhism and Shaolin Kung Fu. Some monks can meditate for a full week with no need for rest or sleep. In Shaolin Kung Fu, there are 49 ways (postures) to stretch and condition your muscles. The robust monks practice endurance punching and kicking. Iron Bone Training is the most famous of the training done by the Shaolin. It is carried out to densify the skin and bones by mechanical vibration or controlled stress caused by the impact of the forearms, legs, and palms on a punching bag, tree, water, or into the hot sand.
Qigong is the art of developing vital energy, particularly for health, vitality, mind expansion and spiritual cultivation. It is a major part of Shaolin Kung Fu and is intertwined into every external style. It involves the building of Chi and directing it to parts of the body for prevention from injury or to an opponent with the intent to injure. Dragon style relies heavily upon evasion as a tactic and evades primarily by the rotation of the upper or lower torso with little or no stance movement. It employs pinpoint strikes to vulnerable targets and also heavily uses tiger-like punches and clawing techniques, snake-like stance shifts, and leopard-like hit and run strikes to weaken a physically superior adversary.
Leopard style is construed as a soft subsystem and is used to develop speed and strength, for it is the fastest of the tiger family. The main weapon is the leopard fist. The fist is formed in such a way that it can jab, rake or crush on any surface without alteration, striking soft points in the anatomy. Viper style consisted of intimidating strikes that could inflict heavy psychological damage by drawing lots of blood without causing life-threatening damage. Its trademark was the tongue strike – two fingers aiming often at arteries and veins. Evasive footwork forces the opponent to work harder to target the Kung Fu practitioner, who, in turn, has the opportunity to tire his opponent before launching a definitive counterattack. Black Tiger Kung Fu originated in the Henan Shaolin Temple. It has more emphasis on footwork than the Southern Shaolin Kung Fu forms and bears some resemblance to the Eagle style. After repeated practice and research, the monks developed many different weapons and their unique styles. The variety of Shaolin weapons eventually increased to over 120, but the basic fighting style has 18 weapons. Kung Fu is not just a martial art, it is a spiritual practice. Its perfection is a mark of faith.
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