Five Elders
The original Shaolin Monastery was built on the north side of Shaoshi, the central peak of Mount Song, one of the Sacred Mountains of China, located in the Henan province, by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty in 477. At various times throughout history, the monastery has been destroyed (burned down) for political reasons, and rebuilt many times. [1] It is said that five Shaolin temples existed in various locations throughout Chinese history, although all 5 were rarely active at the same time. [2][3]
| Five Elders | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 少林五祖 | ||||||||||||||||||
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A number of traditions also make reference to a Southern Shaolin Monastery located in Fujian province. [4] [5] Associated with stories of the supposed burning of Shaolin by the Qing government and with the tales of the Five Elders, this temple, sometimes known by the name Changlin, is often claimed to have been either the target of Qing forces or a place of refuge for monks displaced by attacks on the original Shaolin Monastery. Besides the debate over the historicity of the Qing-era destruction, it is currently unknown whether there was a true southern temple, with several locations in Fujian given as the location for the monastery. Fujian does have a historic monastery called Changlin, and a monastery referred to as a "Shaolin cloister" has existed in Fuqing, Fujian, since the Song Dynasty, but whether these have an actual connection to the Henan monastery or a martial tradition is still unknown.[6] The Southern Temple has been a popular subject of wuxia fiction, first appearing in the 1893 novel Shengchao Ding Sheng Wannian Qing, where it is attacked by the Qianlong Emperor with the help of the White Eyebrow Taoist.[7]
The Five Elders of Shaolin
In Southern Chinese folklore, the Five Elders of Shaolin (Chinese: 少林五祖; pinyin: Shàolín wǔ zǔ; Jyutping: Siu3 lam4 ng5 zou2) are the survivors of one of the destructions of the Shaolin temple. [8] Within many martial arts circles, these original Five Elders of Shaolin are said to be
| Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin Mandarin | Pinyin Cantonese | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ji Sin (Gee Sin) | 至善禪師 | 至善禅师 | Zhì Shàn Chán Shī | Ji Sin Sim Si | Also transliterated as Ji Sin Sim Si, literally, Chan (Zen) teacher" Speculated to be also known as Chi Thien Su. |
| Ng Mui | 五梅大師 | 五梅大师 | Wǔ Méi Dà Shī | Ng Mui Daai Si | Noted as founder of Ng Mui Kuen, Wing Chun Kuen, Dragon style, White Crane, and Five-Pattern Hung Kuen |
| Bak Mei (Pei Mei) | 白眉道人 | 白眉道人 | Bái Méi Dào Rén | Bak Mei Dou Yan | Literally "Taoist with White Eyebrows" Speculated to be also known as Chu Long Tuyen. |
| Fung Dou Dak | 馮道德 | 冯道德 | Féng Dàodé | Fung Dou Dak | Taoist Founder of Bak Fu Pai. |
| Miu Hin | 苗顯 | 苗显 | Miáo Xiǎn | Miu Hin | an "unshaved" (lay) Shaolin disciple |
The Five Family Elders
The founders of the five major family styles of Southern Chinese martial arts, were all students of Gee Sin (see above), are also sometimes referred to as the Five Elders. This has caused some confusion.
| Common English | Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin Mandarin | Pinyin Cantonese | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hung Hei (Goon) | 洪熙官 | 洪熙官 | Hóng Xīguān | Hung Hei (Goon) | founder of Hung Gar |
| Lau Saam Ngan | 劉三眼 | 刘三眼 | Liú Sānyǎn | Lau Saam Ngan | literally "Three Eyed Lau;" founder of Lau Gar |
| Choi Gau Yi | 蔡九儀 | 蔡九仪 | Cài Jiǔyí | Choi Gau Yi | founder of Choi Gar |
| Lei Yau Saan | 李友山 | 李友山 | Lǐ Yǒushān | Lei Yau Saan | founder of Lei Gar; teacher of Choy Li Fut founder Chan Heung |
| Mok Ching Giu | 莫清矯 | 莫清矫 | Mò Qīngjiǎo | Mok Ching Giu | founder of Mok Gar |
The Triad Five Elders
Sometimes referred to by certain martial arts groups as the five ancestors and a style of martial arts called Ng Jo Kuen
The Tiandihui/Hongmen claim that their society was born of an alliance between Ming loyalists and five survivors from the destruction of the Southern Shaolin Temple by the Qing government; forged at the Honghua Ting (Red Flower Pavilion), where they swore to devote themselves to "fan qing fu ming" (反清復明 - "Fan Ching Fuk Ming", "overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming").
The five survivors from the Southern Shaolin temple[9] are called the Triad Five Elders and they are:
| Common English | Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin Mandarin | Pinyin Cantonese | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choi Dak Jung | 蔡德忠 | 蔡德忠 | Choy Dak Jung founded the Ching Lin Tong Fung Wong Kwan or Green Lotus Hall of the Phoenix District. This is the first out of the 5 Hung Mun lodges established in China. The color of this lodge’s flag was black with the Chinese character of Piu (meaning Glorious) on it. And, It was also known by the name of Sap Kau Tai or 10 steps and it’s seal was in the shape of a Rhomboid. | ||
| Fong Dai Hung | 方大洪 | 方大洪 | Fong Dai Hung founded the Hung Shun Tong Kam Lan Kwan or Hung Obedience Hall of the Golden Orchid District. This is the second out of the 5 Hung Mun lodges established in China. It was also known by the name of Sup Yee Tai or 12 steps. The color of this lodge’s flag is Red with white trim and had the word HUNG printed on it. This lodges seal is triangular shaped. It is speculated that Fong Dai Hung was also called Ching Cho 青草 (Qingcao) or the Green Grass Monk. | ||
| Ma Chiu Hing | 馬超興 | 馬超興 | Mah Chiu Hing founded the Ka Hau Tong Fuk Po Kwan or Heavenly Queen Hall of the Happy Water Margin District. The color of this lodges flag is scarlet or Dark Red and has the word Hop (United) printed on it. The seal of this lodge is square shaped. He also established the Po Ko Wui or Robe of the Elder Brother Society in Szechuan. His Buddhist name was Yan Wai. | ||
| Wu Dak Tai | 胡德帝 | 胡德帝 | Wu Dak Dai founded the fourth Hung Mun lodge in Hunan and Hubei. His lodge was called Cham Tai Tong Lin Cheung Kwan or Great Blending Hall of the Beautiful Lotus District. It was also known as Yee Sap Kau Tai or Twenty Nine steps. The color of this lodge’s banner was white, and had the word WO or Harmonious printed on it. The seal of this lodge was in the shape of a Parallelogram | ||
| Lei Sik Hoi | 李式開 | 李式開 | Lei Sik Hoi founded the fifth Hung Mun lodge called Wand Fa Tong Lung Sai Kwan or Extension Conversion Hall of the Western Dyke District in Zhejiang and Jiangxi. The color of this lodge’s flag is Green with the character Tung or Mutual printed on it. He is also responsible for establishing the Red Spears Society or Hung Cheong Wui. The shape of this lodge’s seal was circular. |
See also
References
- ^ Shahar, Meir, year = 2001, month = December, title = Ming-Period Evidence of Shaolin Martial Practice, journal = Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies,volume = 61, issue = 2, pages = 359–413, doi = 10.2307/3558572 , publisher = Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 61, No. 2. ISSN 0073-0548. JSTOR 3558572.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help); Missing pipe in:|author=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ http://www.kung-fu-fitness-and-defence.com/kung-fu-shaolin-martial-arts.html
- ^ http://www.shaolin.com/historycontent.aspx
- ^ Title: Martial Arts of the World [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation, Thomas A. Green (Editor), Joseph R. Svinth (Editor) Page. 94, Hardcover: 663 pages,Publisher: ABC-CLIO (June 11, 2010), Language: English, ISBN-10: 1598842439, ISBN-13: 978-1598842432
- ^ http://history.cultural-china.com/en/169H8301H13063.html
- ^ Author: Meir Shahar, Publisher: University of Hawaii Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2008), Language: English, ISBN-10: 082483349X, ISBN-13: 978-0824833497
- ^ Hamm, John Christopher, Paper Swordsmen: JIn Yong and the Modern Chinese Martial Arts Novel. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2006 (ISBN 0-8248-2895-X) pp. 34-36
- ^ Shaolin Monastery by LianZong Wang Qing Dynasty, variously said to have taken place in 1647, in 1674 or in 1732.
- ^ http://www.ngjo.zoomshare.com/
External links
- "Hungmun – The Secret Rebellion Societies, also known as The Triads."
- Chu, Robert; Ritchie, Rene; & Wu, Y. (1998). Complete Wing Chun: The Definitive Guide to Wing Chun's History and Traditions. Boston: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3141-6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Rene Ritchie, Robert Chu and Hendrik Santo. "Wing Chun Kuen and the Secret Societies". Retrieved August 14, 2005.
- Wingchun Archives: Preserving the History & Methods of Wing Chun Kung Fu
- The Heroes of South Shaolin