There are many wushu genres in China. Shaolin Wushu is one of them and has several sub-genres. Here is a legend about Hongsheng and Cai-Li-Fo,one sub-genre of Shaolin Wushu. Jiulianshan Shaolin Temple,located in Putian County, Quanzhou, Fujian Province,is a branch of Songshan Shaolin Temple situated in Henan Province. Because there were many monks with master-handed wugong in Jiulianshan Shaolin Temple, it enjoyed high prestige as Songshan Shaolin Temple did and was named South Shaolin. Cai,Li and Fo were three genres of South Shaolin.
After Ming Dynasty’s ruin, many royal clans of Ming, former lieges and patriots fled to South China. They came to Jiulianshan Shaolin Temple and stayed there, exercising wushu with attempt to revolt the Qing Dynasty and recover the Ming Dynasty, Wan Yunlong was one of patriots. He settled down in the temple. cut his hair and became a monk renamed Dazong. Later he was elected chief of the temple. And then, the position was abdicated and handed over to Xingyin, a Buddhist monk. In order to strengthen the power of the temple, Xingyin went and roamed throughout the country to recruit disciples and talents. He taught his all skills in wushu to Zhishan, his preferred disciple. Like his master, Zhishan widely recruited monks and common people as disciples among which the eldest disciple, Cai Dezong (with the Buddhist name Qingcao monk, shortened as “Qingcao”), another disciple of Xingyin, LiShikai (with the Buddhist name of Qingsheng Hu Dedi, also named Qingru), Fang Dahong (with a monasterial name Qingfang) and Ma Chaoxing(with the Buddhist name Qingse) were very well-known for their superior wushu and were honoured as the Five Fathers of Southern Boxing. Zhishan’s other disciples included Sande, a monk, and Ma Ninger, a common disciple. In the Qianlong Age of the Qing dynasty, Ma Ninger betrayed Shaolin and guided Qing troops to burn down the temple. It was the five founders of Southern Boxing who led Shaolin disciples to break out. Afterwards they were forced to leave the Temple and went on fighting against the Qing Dynasty.
After the Jiulianshan Shaolin Temple’s ransack, a lot of wushu originators gathered in Guangdong and brought Guangdong wushu into a thriving and prosperous period. The most famous genres included Cai and Li boxing. And Cai Yafu and Li Youshan are the respective representatives. Born in Gaoyao, Guangdong, Cai Liyi created the Cai Family Boxing, He learned to exercise gongfu under the direction of Yi Guan, a Buddhist monk of Shaolin. CaiYafu and Cai Zhanguang put the boxing into a new stage. The Li Family Boxing was created by Li Sikai, Li Yangkai and Li Shikai, who were all monks derived from Shaolin. Li Youshan, born in Qibao Village, Daze Town, Xinghui, fully developed the Li Family Boxing.
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