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Northern & Southern Shao Lin System Pai are special organizations founded by Chinese exponents of hand to hand arts for the purpose of providing systematic control of their arts. No accurate census has been taken of the number of Pai, but even if such a census was restricted to those Pai that sponsor Shao Lin systems, the number would probably be in the thousands. According to orthodox beliefs, Shao Lin Pai fall into two major divisions: those that support Northern Shao Lin, and those that make Southern Shao Lin the center of their activity. Northern Shao Lin is believed to have originated at the He Nan Shao Lin Temple, while Southern Shao Lin is believed to have come from the Fu Jian Shao Lin Temple. In their basic technique patterns, both northern and southern brands of Shao Lin make use of five animal forms: dragon, snake, crane, tiger and leopard.
Northern Shao Lin is traditionally subdivided into three main branches: Hung, which stresses physical prowess and the use of strength in a hard or resistive manner; Kung, in which clever tactics of a soft or pliable nature offset strength; and Yue, in which both hard and soft actions combine to produce technique. Southern Shao Lin consists of five main branches: Ta-Hung Men, Liu-Chia Ch’uan, Ts’ai-Chia Ch’uan, Li-Chia Ch’uan, and Mo-Chia Ch’uan. On the basis of the traditional beliefs just summarized, some exponents of Shao Lin say that there are vast differences between Northern and Southern Shao Lin. Exponents of the former type are said to make more use of long-punching actions and to exhibit a higher order of agility, mobility, suppleness, and fluidity of action in the performance of technique than do the exponents of Southern Shao Lin. An old adage also states that ‘Northern Shao Lin is 70 percent use of legs, and 30 percent use of the hands,’ and posits that the reverse ratio is true for southern types of Shao Lin. Here again, as in the case of defining external and internal systems, modern exponents of hand to hand arts find it difficult to support such traditional beliefs. It is, of course, possible that the stated differences did once exist between the original forms of Shao Lin, but such differences have been erased by the effects of time.
If such statements about the ratio of leg usage to had usage ever were true, they might have reflected primary differences between Chinese peoples living North of the Yang Tze and those living to the South of that great river. People in North China are exposed to a harsh environment with the bleak conditions that surround man whenever he chooses to live in a cold climate. Many Chinese in the North live in mountainous regions, and the conduct of their daily lives promotes the development of strong bodies with especially strong legs. Thus, Shao Lin techniques from Shao Lin are highly motivated to exercise vigorously and thus keep warm. Exponents of Southern Shao Lin, however, live in a humid, how climate where energetic action begets little more than fatigue, and possibly sickness. Nevertheless, peoples of South China are hardworking and make considerable use of their hands and arms, but often go barefoot as they work in rice fields or make their living in other ways in the river-land delta areas of the South. As a result of their tropical environment, he exponents of Southern Shao Lin have developed certain physiological and psychological qualities not seen in the Chinese of the North, and these may affect their Shao Lin techniques.
Exponents of Southern Shao Lin are conservative in their use of kicking tactics, but it is inaccurate to say that Northern Shao Lin is characterized mainly by the use of the legs and that Southern Shao Lin depends largely on the use of the hands. This point will become clearer to the trainee when he attempts to practice the fundamental exercises in connection with the stances and postures described later. | ||||||||||
