Shaolin Kung Fu is not a word that would need any introduction to any of us. Thanks to repeated exposure in multiple movies & media outlets, not just people of India, but the entire world knows about it. However, when we speak about Shaolin Kung Fu, we quite often forget to have a closer look at its ancient history & the Indian connection.
Yes, the world-famous Shaolin Kung Fu has a very close association with ancient India. This ancient martial art form is named on Shaolin Temple, where it originated approximately 1500 years ago. The Shaolin temple was built around the year 495 AD, in Mount Song in Henan Province of China, by the then emperor of the Northern Wei dynasty- Emperor Xiaowen. The first abbot in this Shaolin Temple, who preached Buddhism here was the Indian monk – Buddhabhadra, who came from Southern India. The Chinese know him as Batuo.
A couple of decades later in 527 AD, Shaolin Temple had another visitor from Southern India – Bodhidharma. Known as Damo to the Chinese, Bodhidharma was born as a prince to a great Pallava king from Kanchipuram. However, he later renounced all pleasure & privileges of royal life to become a Buddhist monk. He is credited with transmitting Chan Buddhism to China.
According to ancient legends when he first reached the Shaolin monastery, he was refused entry. He spent the next 9 years in a close-by cave meditating. Impressed by his sincerity & determination he was later invited into the Shaolin Temple. Besides being a Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma was also an expert Kung Fu master.
Deeply disturbed by the poor physical condition of Shaolin monks, he began teaching and instructing them on various techniques to improve their health conditions. This also included the physical training of Shaolin monks, which finally led to the development of Shaolin Kung Fu. Centuries have passed since then and the story of Bodhidharma has almost been forgotten even in the country where he was born and grew up. However, a handful of people in India are still toiling hard to keep this priceless legacy of times gone by alive. Shifu Master Prabhakar Reddy is one of them.
Grand Master Prabhakar Reddy is a martial art expert who needs no introduction, to people who are well versed with Shaolin Kung Fu experts in India. Having mastered his skills in martial arts over many years, he has been bestowed with many prestigious awards – both national & international. This includes awards from – Guinness Book of World Records, Limca Book of Records and many other respectable organizations.
Not content with just being a master in Shaolin Kung Fu himself, he is also training the next generation of Indians in this ancient art, whose origin lies in the contribution of an Indian in a foreign land. This would ensure that the legacy left by great ancient sons of India is never forgotten & continue to guide and inspire the future generations of this great nation.
We at Guide Book To Life, take ancient history very seriously; not just in the Indian context but also in the whole world scenario. We believe that the role of great men of the past - who have guided, inspired and driven us to be better human beings should never be forgotten. Hence, we contribute in this great endeavor in our own way, by paying our respect to Indian heroes of ancient past like – Buddhabhadra & Bodhidharma & also to likes of Shifu Master Prabhakar Reddy, who even in the 21st century is keeping the centuries-old Indian legacy of Shaolin Kung Fu alive.