|
Shaolin 18
Wooden Men - 01
The Fukien or southern Siu Lam
(Shaolin) temple was built on Gau Lin Shan in Fukien province near the border of
Gwan Dung Province. Built in 1399 a.d. during the Ming dynasty, the
temple became known as "South Siu Lam/ Shaolin" before being utterly
destroyed during the Qing (1644-1911 a.d.) dynasty.
 During its brief heyday, the
Southern temple had a good reputation for the martial arts, but its
reputation was eroding because many students escaped before
graduating. Thus the level of martial skill of the average person
leaving the temple began to diminish. These supposed masters helped to
degrade the southern temple's reputation. To counter this trend, the
abbot Jee Sim Sim See (Sim See means Zen master) put Hung Yan Sim See
in charge of thirty six chambers. Here, Siu Lam's (Shaolin) warrior monks and
unshaven disciples learned the Siu Lam (Shaolin) martial arts in a step by step
manner, not advancing until each skill had been mastered. An
"unshaven disciple" was a person who stayed at the temple
primarily to study the martial arts and did not take Buddhist vows and
become a monk. Jee Sim is also credited with devising the "wooden
dummy hall".
The wooden dummy hall was
erected in the Lohan Tung or Buddha hall. The eighteen wooden dummies
purpose was to test the kung fu skill of potential graduates. The
dummies names and movements were as follows:
01 - Lohan Or Ga Yit:
When the student entered, this dummy was in a seated position
holding a monk's ornamental staff. As the student approached, the
dummy swung the weapon toward the middle of the student's body. If
the student retreated, the dummy would close, swinging the weapon
faster and faster until the rear wall was reached. The student in
this case would have to either duck or jump over the weapon which
would shatter the student's bones if it connected. If the student
avoided the blow, he was expected to kick the dummy over,
defeating it. All of these dummies were activated by the pressure
of the students weight on the floor. Also, defeating all the
dummies was achieved similarly by knocking them over.
|
