The Styles Within the Temple Part 1: All Martial Arts Under Heaven Come from Shaolin?

We’re excited to share a series of insights into the history and philosophies of Shaolin kung fu, as recently published in Martial Arts Magazine Australia, Issue 8. This series will be presented in three parts and explore some of the least understood aspects of Shaolin Temple history and training, relayed by a current long-term student of the school with insights from Master Shi Xing Jian and translated by Maling Academy administrator Lisa Guo:

“What styles are taught at the Shaolin Temple?”
It’s a common question, and one I’ve been asked more times than I can count. People often assume Shaolin is a single style of martial arts with a fixed curriculum, passed down through generations in an unbroken line. But the truth is far more complex—and far more fascinating.

As a full-time kung fu student at Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy, training under a 32nd-generation Shaolin master in rural China, I have the privilege of living, practicing, and learning directly from the source. This unique perspective, coupled with the guidance of my master, Headmaster Shi Xing Jian (aka Master Bao), and his kung fu brothers, has given me access to insights that are rarely shared outside of the temple walls. Many of the ideas in this article come directly from their teachings, stories, and first-hand accounts—offered in conversation, during training, or in quiet moments over tea.

Together, we’ll take a deep dive into the layered, living system that is Shaolin Kung Fu.

Shaolin is not just a style. It is a convergence—a living archive, a sanctuary, a birthplace, and a crossroads for martial culture in China. To understand what is taught at the temple, we must first understand the temple’s role in martial arts history. We must unpack the proverbs and philosophies that frame its identity. We must examine how internal and external practices are cultivated together, and how the temple’s massive collection of forms and weapons is structured, transmitted, and continuously evolved.

Presented in three parts, this series begins by addressing one of the most common questions in the martial arts world: What is actually taught at the Shaolin Temple? Part 1 explores how the Shaolin Temple became a central hub for martial knowledge, why the saying “All martial arts under heaven come from Shaolin” is both metaphor and truth, and how styles from across China were preserved and transformed within its walls.

All Martial Arts Under Heaven Come from Shaolin?

You’ll often hear it said: 天下武功出少林—“All martial arts under heaven come from Shaolin; and Shaolin Kung Fu is without equal.” It’s a bold claim. At first glance, it seems improbable. After all, China is vast, its martial traditions countless, with regional styles older than even the oldest temple records. So how can they all trace their origins to one mountain monastery in Henan?

The answer, as with much of Shaolin, lies in the blending of history, philosophy, and function. This famous saying isn’t meant to be taken as a literal genealogy of all fighting styles, but rather as a testament to the unique role that the Shaolin Temple has played in preserving, developing, and transmitting martial knowledge. There are, in fact, multiple interpretations and reasons why this saying holds weight—each rooted in a different form of interdependence between the temple and the arts it became famous for.

In ancient China, during times of war, martial artists were often conscripted into military service. Skilled fighters—masters of spear, sword, or fist—were valuable assets to any army. But not all sought the battlefield. Some wished instead to preserve their knowledge, fearing that if they died in war, their styles would vanish with them.

The Shaolin Temple, with its secluded mountain location, religious protection, and emphasis on discipline, became a safe haven. It offered a neutral space—free from court politics and clan feuds—where great masters from across China could retreat, practice, and teach. These men didn’t always become monks, but they passed on their systems to students who trained under the temple’s roof. In doing so, their arts were preserved, shared, and sometimes transformed. Over time, this created a repository of styles, forms, and techniques that grew more varied and refined with each generation.

Some of these styles remained distinct within the temple. Others were blended, modified, or restructured into what we now recognize as Shaolin Kung Fu.

Not every master had the means or space to pass on their full system in the outside world. But at the temple, they found an environment with both the structure and the student body to preserve their teachings. Here, forms were cataloged. Techniques were restructured. Principles were debated, tested, and refined. The result was not a single style, but a living synthesis—a martial ecosystem built from many lineages, absorbed and adapted into a uniquely Shaolin framework. Even today, practitioners at the temple are exposed to elements of many different systems. The longer you train, the more you come to understand how diverse the curriculum truly is. This is why someone who trains in Shaolin often finds it easier to learn other styles later—the foundation is already there.

An old saying expresses this relationship with striking clarity: 拳以寺名，寺以武显—” The fists take their name from the temple, the temple its glory from the fists.” The Temple gives its name to the martial art, and in turn, martial arts bring honor and fame to the Temple. There is a bond here—deeper than branding, older than curriculum. A mutual elevation.

It’s not just the number of styles that passed through Shaolin that gave it this reputation—it’s how the temple amplified those styles. Through its discipline, structure, and prestige, Shaolin shaped martial arts as much as it preserved them.

Some styles that are now independent or associated with other regions were once practiced in the temple. Tai Chi, though stylistically very different, shares philosophical roots with the temple’s soft fist methods, known as Rou Quan (柔拳). Wing Chun, commonly associated with southern China, includes training tools like the wooden dummy—also found at the Shaolin Temple. Xiangxing Quan (象形拳), or imitation styles like eagle, tiger, monkey, and drunken fist, were refined within the temple’s walls. Rou Gong (柔功), a modern synthesis of Tai Chi and Shaolin movements, is practiced today by contemporary monks and masters.

In essence, Shaolin became a concentration of martial knowledge—a place where styles met, mingled, and evolved. While those styles eventually spread outward across China and the world, their traces often point back to the temple.

In the modern day, many people still look to the Shaolin Temple not just as a symbol of Chinese martial arts, but as a source of lineage, legitimacy, and living tradition. Whether a form originated there, was preserved there, or simply passed through on its journey, the influence of Shaolin continues to echo across the martial world.

Up next, we’ll go deeper—into the internal architecture of the temple’s martial system. What exactly is Shaolin Kung Fu made of? How are its practices categorized? And what makes it distinct in its integration of the physical, mental, and energetic?

Stayed tuned for Part 2!