Tibetan White Crane Kungfu Origins

Forum for discussion of East Asian Buddhism. Questions specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
ddorje
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:45 pm
Location: Australia

Tibetan White Crane Kungfu Origins

Post by ddorje »

I am seeking further information on the origin of the Tibetan White Crane martial art known as Lama Pai.

The supposed founder is A da tuo zun zhe (阿達陀) and is claimed (on Wikipedia) to have it's origins in Tibet from a form of martial art known as the "Lion's Roar" (獅子吼). Lion's Roar sounds like a phrase often mentioned in Tibetan literature and can be found in Sanskrit literature as Simhanada.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.
'Maybe you collect a lot of important writings, major texts, personal instructions private notes, whatever. If you haven't practiced, books won't help you when you die. Look at the mind - that's my sincere advice' - Longchen Rabjam
Admin_PC
Former staff member
Posts: 4860
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:17 pm

Re: Tibetan White Crane Kungfu Origins

Post by Admin_PC »

A friend of mine teaches this style in NYC and happens to have a graduate degree in Chinese History.
If I can quote him:
"Lama is originally from western China..."
"We have records of Lama in Qinghai, Szechuan, etc... migration from the "west" into Guandong..."
He wrote a book on the topic actually:
https://www.createspace.com/4891253

If I remember him correctly, a long time ago he mentioned that they tried to find evidence for the style in Tibet and only came up with a style of wrestling.
tingdzin
Posts: 1948
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 7:19 am

Re: Tibetan White Crane Kungfu Origins

Post by tingdzin »

Thanks for the reference, PorkChop.
simhananda
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 8:15 am

Re: Tibetan White Crane Kungfu Origins

Post by simhananda »

Simhanada, should perhaps be Simhananda, a name taken by monastics. "ananda" itself means bliss..as in the enlightened state...(which is anyone's guess). Sim (lion's roar) is added to ananda; ex. Dharmananda....I'd guess that the person was on the spiritual path, but I would not go so far as saying enlightened or some great master, any different than the "masters" that are out there today, just people with specialized skills. In fact many of the marital arts practitioners today may be better than those that existed in the day of Simhananda because of better training, facilities, health, diets, and shared and cumulative knowledge.
User avatar
Tongnyid Dorje
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:16 pm

Re: Tibetan White Crane Kungfu Origins

Post by Tongnyid Dorje »

Simha - lion
náda - literaly "sound"
Post Reply

Return to “East Asian Buddhism”