Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the medical practice developed by the Chinese nation for health preservation, life extension, and the treatment of diseases and injuries. The characteristics of Shaolin Kung Fu, including self-defense, fitness, and combat, have promoted the application and development of TCM within the Shaolin Temple. In turn, the use of TCM in Shaolin Kung Fu ensures the healthy development of these Kung Fu practices. In practicing Shaolin Kung Fu and using various weapons for combat, the monks of Shaolin Temple inevitably suffer from sprains, fractures, and bleeding. To promptly treat falls and combat injuries, there has been a heightened focus on TCM research for self-help and helping others.
The preface of “Shaolin Temple’s Wonderful Prescriptions for Traumatology (少林寺傷科妙方)”, written by Monk De Chan (德禪法師) of Shaolin Temple, states: “Monks from the temple confront enemies in battle, where injuries are inevitable. This necessitates monks to practice self-treatment, hence the emergence of monk physicians. Monk physicians base their practice on self-created self-help methods… secrets not to be disclosed externally.” Besides TCM for treating injuries and diseases, Shaolin Temple also possesses its unique therapeutic methods, such as acupoint therapy, massage therapy, meridian and acupoint therapy, fitness qigong self-healing, TCM health preservation methods, and acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.
The fitness exercises and boxing techniques of Shaolin Kung Fu hold an important position in Chinese martial arts and Qigong. They primarily use offensive and defensive movements as their basic material, differing only in their movement structure, arrangement, and training methods from combat boxing techniques. Meanwhile, Shaolin Quan no longer prioritizes combat effectiveness as its ultimate goal but focuses on the practitioner’s self-improvement, aiming to strengthen the physique, extend life, and eliminate diseases and injuries. The “Ba Duan Jin” (Eight Pieces of Brocade) and “Yi Jin Jing” (Muscle/Tendon Change Classic) passed down within Shaolin Temple incorporate theories of guided therapy and basic martial arts movements, serving both to strengthen the body and improve skills. They represent ancient and modern martial arts and Qigong fitness methods, passed down through generations.
In Shaolin TCM, the auxiliary medicines are divided into internal and external types. The internal medicines primarily strengthen muscles and bones, stimulating muscle vitality and preventing fatigue from excessive training. The external medicines focus on relaxing muscles and activating collaterals, reducing swelling and pain, and preventing the aging and necrosis of muscles. The internal medicines have gradually formed prescriptions through practical application, while external medicines have selected formulas from decoctions and alcoholic solutions used for traumatic injuries.
In summary, from the perspective of Shaolin Kung Fu’s development, it contains its self-developed medical elements and extensively incorporates and adapts elements from TCM. TCM skills are not only applied and developed within Shaolin Kung Fu, but also serve as a benevolent act of salvation and relief by the monks of Shaolin.