The Shaolin Temple

Almost as soon as the Shaolin Temple's first foundation stone was laid in 495 its monks began training in unarmed and weapon based martial arts. Within a short period of time they developed a reputation as a formidable fighting force and the Shaolin Temple became the centre of excellence for martial arts in China; a position it has held through to the present day, influencing the evolution of many of the current Asian fighting traditions. The temple was also the birth place of Zen Buddhism. This book is the culmination of pioneering research into the genesis and development of both Shaolin martial arts and Zen philosophy and provides a fascinating insight into the skill, martial prowess and heroism of the Shaolin Temple's warrior monks.