Martial Arts readers may be aware of the 72 Secret and Consummate Arts of The Shaolin Temple. These Secret Fighting Exercises or ‘Kungs’ appear in Wu Cheng En’s 14th Century Classic Novel, ‘The Journey West’. This describes Sun Wu Kung (King Monkey) as ‘Master of the 72 Transformations’, but currently available English translations convey no understanding of this vital fact’s real meaning. Shaolin Monk Xuanzang is the key!
Victorian Values
The Victorians (and their successors) lacking Kung Fu, Qigong, Feng Shui, Lion Dance, 5 Elements Theory/’Wuxing’, ‘Ghanzhi’ System knowledge and much more (unsurprisingly) entirely edited these from their translations of Chinese History and Literature, transformed them into ‘something rich and strange’ (but definitely not Kung Fu, Qigong, Feng Shui etc) or replaced them with something else entirely. Alongside contemporary ethnocentrism, this militates against proper understanding of Chinese Culture, especially if such sources are considered authoritative, at our expense.
Xuanzang
Shaolin Monk Xuanzang’s (600-664 CE) Journey West into Nepal and beyond is this 14th Century Ming historical novel’s actual subject. This journey immediately followed establishment of Li Shi-Min (599-646 CE) later Emperor Taizhong’s Tang Dynasty. This was thanks to Shaolin Temple martial intervention, which Western Histories also completely ignore. That’s right, the Shaolin Temple saved the Tang Dynasty and Xuanzang was a Shaolin Monk–moreover he was also a Monkey King ‘Wu Kung’ (‘Martial Strong’) i.e. they were one-and-the-same person!
Unfortunately, the Victorians (some still consider these great authorities) were unaware of Kung Fu, Qigong, Feng Shui, inter alia, never mind that (Shaolin) Buddhist Monks (Tang times onwards especially) could be red-hot exponents of all these and more. A Shaolin Monk could also be a ‘Monkey King’ top Monkey-Style (Houquan) Kung Fu Champion (Wang Kung or Monkey King)! But forget it, it would be way beyond dismal Victorian ethnocentrism for them to be aware of this.
King Kong
‘Wang Kung’ translates as ‘King’ Kung which becomes further westernised as ‘King Kong’… and the rest is history… but a singularly inaccurate and unbalanced western one in this case as we see how the story has been distorted!
True Tales of ‘Monkey Kings‘
Late lamented Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong never claimed to be a Monkey King (although Monkey technique is a key ingredient of 5 Ancestors Fist as taught by Si Jo Chee’s school). However, he once defeated a singularly boastful Monkey King… using Monkey skills (1).
‘King Kong’ Asian wrestling Champion in the late 1950’s, was defeated in an epic Challenge match by the late, equally lamented Grandmaster and Changquan, Si Jo Leong Fu, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Leong Fu proceeded to become 3x World Middleweight Wrestling Champion before retiring undefeated in 1963. Whilst Si Jo Leong Fu’s Changquan incorporates key elements of Monkey style, he too never claimed Monkey King status (2).
Funny, enjoyable Japanese T.V. serial ‘Monkey’ also contains many unreliable views absent from the original. In this Buddha is female and Daoist Immortal/Buddhist Bodhisattva Kuan Yin male (Yin cannot be Yang!). The two are depicted very differently in the Shaolin Temple’s central Chan Do/meditation hall. The two figures stand side-by side in true yin/yang balance revealing Buddhism and Daoism’s fundamental inter-relationship and common source (3).
This theme is a feature of Wu Cheng En’s ‘Journey West’. The Ming Dynasty invention of the novel enabled personal and human details’ addition to events summarised in Dynastic Records. ‘Journey West’ provides human interest details and related insights into Shaolin Monk Xuanhang and his companions’ adventures on that most famous inspirational historical journey of all.
Notes
(1) Fuller details are presented in Vol. 2 of ‘Kung Fu Secrets ‘ Magazine edited and published by my most esteeemed Teacher Grandmaster Yap Leong
(2) Grandmaster Yap told me of this epic confrontation as he was born and raised in Ipoh, Malaysia where Si Jo Leong Fu’s Kung Fu School was based, growing up just a few streets away. Leong Fu’s wrestling triumphs are also a matter of Public Record
(3) The significance of this Daoist Immortal’s presence in the Shaolin Temple is not, I feel, fully appreciated in the West
