How Much Daylignt Do We Gain After December 21

Shi Degen 释 德 根
and his students

sword was in the village Guangdimiao home. In family households were still living his old mother, a sister and a few brothers. One day when he visited his family, had the old mother a cow in the rice mill clamped. She was annoyed that the animal was running so slow and called on sword to drive it. Degen swept with a willow branch on his back, whistling and fired it in a loud voice, the cattle was still slow. The mother said: "If you can not beat it with his hand a little?". Degen slapped the animal with his open hand on the buttocks. It fell. It lay there. It did not get up go away. His hip was broken ...

As a sword a little over 20 years old, he went with some masters brothers to Xi'an, in order to ask the monk ordination. In a street the city has just built a platform fight. Some time later, an old monk came to sword and said: "Come, come and look at the" sword fight went to the podium and stood in front of it. To his left he saw a wooden plaque with the inscription: "The fist beats both banks of the Yellow River" and right a second, on which was written: "The foot of the Shaolin occurs hero." Degen jumped onto the podium and began to persuade the man standing there: "We Drowned into homelessness (monks) do not want to be involved in such worldly matters. We hope you like us not to worry. "He asked that the sentence" The Trampling replace the Shaolin heroes. " The man replied, cocky and angry: "Who builds a platform fight, not afraid to fight. If you have the skills, so you should show it in the fight ring, and the awards to be replaced by itself. " Degen reiterated his request several times, but the man did not listen to him ridiculed him and called him three times directly to the fight. Three times rejected sword, in the fourth call, he agreed, on condition that both opponents were writing that they voluntarily injury and death would take into account and the other should not be prosecuted for it. So it came to fight, sword to its beginning, content merely to avoid the attacks of its subject. When that him in a moment of inattention by surprise with a Fußfeger, Degen responded with a Yinyang-elbow-Hammer (from Xiaohong Quan). This was followed by a "yang" with his right fist in the gut of the arrogant. After a second sword blow placed in the middle of the heart, his opponents fell back on spitting, lying on the ground is still some blood and died. Instantly the applause roared from the crowd, who stood down in front of the podium battle going on, and all praised the courage of the Shaolin martial arts and strength of the sword. The podium was then handed over to fight the fire.

These two stories about the grand master sword like them, starting with two of his direct disciples (Zhu Tianxi and Shi Yongwen, see below), in several slightly different versions in the Chinese internet rounds. They show that the enormous efficiency and penetration of Shaolin kung fu sword - as in the first story - it was at first do not even fully aware of and - as in the second story - could mean for his opponents to quick death.


The excellent Shaolin Kungfu of the master and his impetuous Will to fight for the glory and honor of Shaolin Kungfu, found in many anecdotes and stories reflected. Degen is not only one of the most famous kung fu master of the Shaolin Temple in the last century, it is one of the few masters who have held at that time a crucial role in the survival of the traditional Shaolin Kungfu. To date, his work is of great importance, and his name is in technical discussions about the current traditional Shaolin Kungfu always present.

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Shi Degen's secular name Han (韩) is. He comes from the village Guangdimiao (关帝庙 村) in the district Gongyi (巩义) of the Chinese province of Henan (河南省). Born in 1914, he was at the age of 6 years Chaomi taken to the monastery (炒米 寺). This was in the same county as his home village and was a by-temple of the Shaolin Monastery. There he took master Suduan (素 端), as a disciple and gave him - according to the generations of the Shaolin Temple - the Buddhist name sword. It was probably indicative that it even in early childhood that became champions, famous for its excellent kung fu and was also a very strict teacher. With 16 years of sword came to Shaolin Temple, where he learned as a student of Shi Zhenxu (贞 绪) on Buddhism and Kungfu. The monk's ordination, he was in the city of Xian after his twentieth birthday (1934).


At the invitation of Shi Zhenxu in the 30's Wu Shanlin came (吴山林 Also Wu Sanlin 吴三林), the son of prominent kung fu champion and former Shaolin monk Wu Gulun (吴 古 伦), in the Shaolin Temple, there to teach kung fu. Shi Degen was one of his most ardent disciple. After three years left Wu Sanlin the temple - said he was disappointed by the small number of monks and their character traits. Shi Degen is still in close contact with him have maintained, and after he fell ill later, is to be Wu Shanlin have asked repeatedly for his health. Founded


in 1941 in the temple the "Shaolin school" (少林 中学), Shi took the sword kung fu lessons. Five years later, he was senior coach of the fighting monks Shaolin Temple (少林寺 武僧 教头 shaolinsi wuseng jiaotou). . Part of this 30 warrior monks went into the army in 1948, the external conditions at that time were still difficult, suffered in the first half of the decade of the Shaolin Temple as the whole of China - flared up again during the Japanese occupation, in the second half of the war between the KMT and the Communists, who in 1949 decided in favor of the Communists.


lost after the founding of the People's Republic of China in October 1949, the Shaolin Temple by the soon following land reform much of its land ownership and thus a significant Part of his material existence. Like many other monks also went sword back to the lay state in 1950 and lived again in Guandimiao. In the following years he served in various work units of the active region, among other things, he taught the song and dance ensemble for the province of Henan (河南省 歌舞 団).
1958 he was a coach in the district of Dengfeng built Wushu school (登封 县 武术 学校) is involved. During this time the government put more emphasis on the promotion of Chinese martial arts and sword was passed through the districts of Dengfeng, Gongyi and Huashi, in order to attend primary schools to teach physical education teachers and students in Kungfu. Dengfeng from the Department for Education and Sport (登封 教育局) he received in 1962 was a hard job as a teacher of kung fu.
pleasure he took in those years, his student Chen Qiuju (陈秋菊) to class and demonstrate they had some martial arts moves. Chen Qiuju was a gifted, good-looking student from Dengfeng Dajindian that began at the age of 12 years to learn from kung fu swords. In the course of 10 years, she learned from him a number of fist forms, including Xiaohong Quan, Dahong Quan, Meihua Quan, Luohan Quan, Xinyiba, Tongbi Quan, Zui Quan etc. In addition, she taught Meihua sword-spear, sword-Meihua, twelve-membered whip, tiger head hook and some of the rarely seen nowadays only old weapons forms. After she had completed her university studies in 1970, Chen Qiuju moved into Mongolia, where they gave up, unfortunately, the practice of kung fu.


addition to his teaching sword was in this period often participated as representatives of the Shaolin Kungfu compete at the provincial and national level. As a winner of several gold medals he brought so much to the Shaolin Kungfu worldly glory and honor and social recognition to a. Among the prizes taken by buying He also some draft animals to plow the remaining Shaolin monks in the temple, in those times of need, a great help.


also on other areas of culture, extending the efforts of the master, the Shaolin Kungfu alive and spread.
The Office of Culture and Education of the City Dengfeng (登封 市 文教 局) 1962/63 was a written summary on Shaolin martial arts in order. Wang Xinmiao (王欣淼) recorded the oral statements Shi sword, and so was the work "少林 功夫 概要" (Shaolin gongfu gaiyao), which, unfortunately published only internally, offered his time the most comprehensive information on Shaolin Kungfu.
On 08/07/1963 celebrates the film "Burning of the Shaolin Temple" by Fa Lee in Hong Kong made its debut. This film takes Shi Degen movements of the Shaolin fist fight in front of Songshan Shaolin Temple. The money he received for work in the film, he is to the monks of the Shaolin Temple have given.


In the second half of the 60's the population of China when she was about to recover a little of the great famine at the beginning of the decade, the yoke of the Cultural Revolution imposed. For this sword had a special significance: Kungfu has been considered by the Red Guards, as reactionary and could only be exercised in secret and informed. The master showed resistance, to be practiced kung fu in secret and gave his closest pupils continue teaching.


loved the sword tobacco. Even in the hard times of the '60s, he always carried a small tobacco-pipe with him. If one of his students gave him cigarettes, he warned him not to waste so much money for him it was good enough, tobacco leaves to smoke in his pipe.
1968, he was already seriously ill from a lung disease. At the age of 56, he succumbed to his illness in 1970 and was buried in his hometown Guandimiao.

Shi Degen (left) and Li Tianji (李天 骥) - First half of 60s - * 2

Shi Degen controlled more than 100 forms of Shaolin martial arts, boxing, both as well as weapon forms, and a host of principles and techniques. The main elements in his comprehensive Shaolin Kungfu include Luohan Quan (罗汉拳) and Rou Quan (柔 拳). Of particular importance is that sword one of the few heirs to the once top secret Xinyiba (心意 把), was that one martial art that was always previously disclosed outside the Shaolin Temple monks of which were worthy of them. The long Xinyiba on temple walls is reached across the secular Wushu masters, but it should, according to monks of the temple still be a part that is still taught only within the monastic community.

for the Shaolin Temple Shi Degen has played a key role he the Shaolin martial arts, through which the temple had become so famous, yet kept under difficult conditions, maintained and passed on to future generations, - one for the survival of the Shaolin Kungfu not be overestimated earnings.
the very many students, which he gained during his life teaching, there are many secular students - both an attribute to the then political and social situation - on the other hand, was a sufficient interaction with the martial arts world outside the temple walls throughout the history of the Shaolin temple where. Many of the masters who trusted in today's time to right as heir and thus Representatives of the traditional Shaolin Kungfu are standing tradition in sword: either they have learned directly from him (now "old" or "Senior") or of its most outstanding students (the younger). The best-known students of Shi Degen include:

• Guiwu Yang 扬 桂 吾 It was 1931 in the circle Sanjiadian Yanshi the province Henan born. His parents had removed a pharmacy not far from the Shaolin Temple and is one of the wealthier people in the area. Degen often came by in their business and as the young Yang was a bit weak, his father urged him to learn from martial arts sword. He was at the age of 14, his pupil, and received the Buddhist name Xingyi (行 意). According to him, he is the earliest school of sword. He also learned from Wu Shanlin Kungfu, also from the Shaolin Shi Dechan medicine. He also worked intensively with Chan Buddhism. He stayed with swords until 1970, after which he was active until his retirement in 1983 in a work unit. In a film documentary about the Shaolin Temple in 1982, a section of his martial arts captured for posterity: it shows him in the venerable Thousand-Buddha Hall of the Shaolin Temple in teaching of Xinyiba and is probably the first filmed record of Shaolin Xinyiba at all. One of his most prominent disciple Shi Dejian (徳 建), is now head of a small temple in Sanhuangzhai near the Shaolin Temple. Another of his students, Hu Zhengsheng (胡正生), now leads a kung fu school (International Traditional Wushu Shaolin Temple Institute) in the village of Shilipu, also just a few kilometers from the Shaolin Temple. Yang Guiwu died this year.

• Jucai Yang 杨 聚 才 born in 1932 in Dengfeng, he learned as a child poverty. With ten Years he left home, was adopted at the Shaolin Temple Master of Xingzhi (行 智) as a student and received the Buddhist name Yongding (永定). Shi Degen he learned Pao Quan, Luohan Quan, shapes, and more saber-1948 he left the temple and joined the Communist Liberation Army. After demobilization he worked as a sports trainer for the city of Dengfeng. In his later years, Shi Guo Song (释 果 松) one of his students - because of the condition, however, Yang's only for a short time. At the age of 57 years Jucai Yang died in 1989.

• Diao Junqing 刁俊卿 He lived from 1916 to 1989. At the age of 4 years he entered the Shaolin Temple. As a (great-grandson) of the students considered highly Shaolin monk Shi Zhenjun he received the Buddhist name Xingshu (行书). Wu and Shi also Gulun Zhenxu among his teachers. By many he is considered a master of "Bodhidharma Sword" shape. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he went back to the lay state. He is the father of Shanduo Diao (刁 山 多) - formerly Shi Yongzhi (释 永 智), - an internationally-known secular Wushu master and owner of a large school near the Yongtai nuns temple. Diao Shanduo is one of the most prominent of the traditional Shaolin Kungfu. Kungfu students in Europe and America he is mostly known for its worldwide teaching kung fu movies.

• Wang Tianren 王天仁 He entered 1937 in the Shaolin Monastery. His master, Shi Zhenxu gave him the Buddhist name Suxiang (素 祥). Later, Wang was in the army and received military honors as a paratrooper. In 1952 he joined the Communist Party of China. After his retirement in 1980 he devoted himself more time to Kungfu (lessons, tournaments, clubs).

• Cunliang Liu 刘 存 良 Liu, born in 1934, was a lay student of Shi Degen from Dengfeng. His "specialties" include Xiaohong Quan, and Paochui Xinyiba.

• Liu Zhenhai 刘振海 He comes from in the circle Dajindian Dengfeng, was born in 1933 and is famous for its Shaolin Xinyiquan and Liuhequan. He wrote several books, including one about Shaolin Wushu (少林 武术 拳 械 录), which was considered by the Chinese Wushu Association with awards. In 1983 he was in the range of "10 outstanding senior master of the fist fight" ("十佳 老拳师") included.

• At Zhenxi 安振喜

• Xiqian Wang 王 西 干 Wang 1984, a book written about Xiaohongquan.

• Gen Heying 耿 合 営 comes from Dengfeng and is also known for his books on Shaolin Kungfu.

• Jinbao Zheng 郑 进 宝

• Yinzhang Li 李 寅 长 from Guandimiao

• Han Shubin 韩树斌 also made Guandimiao

• Shi Yongwen 石永文 born in 1945 into a family where both the martial art and the medicine was augeübt, he already began at a young age to learn kung fu from his father. It was followed by other masters in the 60s to Yongwen Degen asked to accept him as a student. During the Cultural Revolution, he often drove from his home city of Kaifeng to Swords to Guandimiao to learn from him. When that it no longer teach because of his illness was, he sent him to Shanlin Wu, who taught him Xinyiba and Pao Quan. Later, you still got to Shi Shi Yongwen Suxi (素 喜 大师) Tongbi Quan and sword forms. Shi Xingzheng (行 正 法师), he was accepted as a lay disciple. Since it from him the Buddhist name Yongwen received, he changed his original name Xinwen (喜 文) in Yongwen. Also he took the Bodhisattva vows. Shi Yongwen one of the outstanding representatives of traditional Shaolin Kungfu in all respects with a very rustic style. He supported the Shaolin Temple in many ways, for example, addressing himself to the collection of materials and research in relation to traditional Shaolin Kungfu and participated in important official presentations of the Shaolin Temple (Taiwan visit 1500-year anniversary, etc.) took part to traditional Shaolin Kungfu show off. He wrote numerous books on Shaolin Kungfu and holds a kung fu school in Kaifeng.

• Zhu Tianxi 朱天喜 Born in 1947 Tianxi Zhu is one of the most respected representatives of the traditional Shaolin Kungfu, which is passed on at his school in Zhengzhou. He is also dedicated to the study of kung fu, Chan and Medicine at the Shaolin Temple and published several books on Shaolin Kungfu, including one on Luohan Quan. He developed "Shaolin" medicine of the Henan Health Care Products Co.Ltd (whose chairman he is) and is sold both belong to the Shaolin Temple as well as use of multiple providers on the Internet. His school and he received numerous awards and honors. Outside of China it is now quite well known and may be some prominent protagonists of the Shaolin Kungfu in the U.S. call his disciples. - Before Zhu Tianxi (buddh. Name: Xingzhen 行 真) learned by Shi sword kung fu, he was one of the favorite pupil of He Ru (何如), a master of Shaolin Taizu men in the province of Henan. He also Futong (何 福 同), the great Taizu-old master was very fond of him and encouraged him. Zhu was also a pupil of Mingyue Chen (陈 明月), an old friend of Shi Degen, who recommended his pupil to the Shaolin Masters. Thus began Zhu about 1965 to learn from kung fu sword and stood with him some hard time. Zhu's own claims that he was the last close disciples, the sword has adopted - the students, who closed the door (关门 弟子) ...

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photos * 1 & * 2: from the book "Luohan Quan Shi Yongwen copyright, Shi Yongwen
* Photo 3: copyright yss

The contents of this article were made by me to the best of our knowledge and belief, their truth content created and tested. Ultimately, they reflect my reflection of things. References are available upon request.

11/01/2010 - yss
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