The short answer to this question is "yes, they are, and Grandmaster Tian Jian's rank and title come directly from Shaolin Grandmasters that are connected to the temple." The long answer is more complicated. It is important to understand that the term "Shaolin" is not, and never has been, protected. So while the kung fu that is practised at Shaolin Temple today is Shaolin Kung Fu by definition, the Shaolin Temple itself doesn't "own" or "govern" Shaolin Kung Fu as a whole. Many styles that have nothing to do with the Shaolin Temple use the term "Shaolin" completely legitimately, and it is sometimes used to distinguish "external" martial arts from "internal" martial arts (such as Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang, which were mythically said to originate on Wudang Mountain). During Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution, the practise of martial arts was banned. As a result, while some martial artists continued to practise in secret, the vast majority of kung fu masters emigrated around the world. This is one of the main reasons that, in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, you would often hear that the best kung fu was being practised outside of China. Most of the best teachers had fled the country years earlier, and they ended up in Taiwan, Australia, the US, the UK, and elsewhere. Shaolin Temple was not excepted from the prohibition, and by the time the Communist Party relaxed their prohibition on martial arts, there were only a handful of monks left who remembered any kung fu. The support that the Chinese government has provided Shaolin Temple with in recent years is a reflection not of the monks' martial prowess or spiritual value. It is a reflection of their usefulness as a tourist trap and propaganda tool. These government links certainly don't devalue the Temple itself, or any of the monks that train at it. But it is important to understand the reality of Shaolin Temple today, and what is studied there. Shaolin Kung Fu, as it is currently taught in the Temple, is a modern reinvention of the traditional Shaolin arts. The Shaolin curriculum today is composed of dozens of taolu, all of which must be mastered in order to advance through the Temple's rank system, taken from a wide variety of kung fu styles: Hong Quan, Pao Chui, Rou Quan, and many many more. Some of these forms were passed down through the years, and so have been preserved intact. Others have been recreated from old records (scrolls, word of mouth, known similarities with descendant styles, etc.). This approach to Shaolin Kung Fu is distinct from the traditional method. Traditionally, students would study basic kung fu (such as the first three belt levels of our Shaolin Pao Chui certification course) for many years alongside spiritual, physical and mental cultivation. They would then be exposed to a variety of styles, and specialise in only one or two. They would study these styles in depth, drill applications, spar, and meditate on their chosen style(s). What's more, the monks themselves were rarely the most fearsome exponents of Shaolin Kung Fu: when necessary, they took in vagabonds, trainee military generals, aspiring heroes and warlords, and professional soldiers, either for payment, as a political act, or for charitable reasons. These men studied Shaolin styles then took them back outside the Temple, applying them to actual combat and perfecting them as real combat arts. At the IMAR, we approve of the Shaolin Temple's recreation or resurrection of Shaolin Kung Fu. But we believe that the traditional method, spending much more time focusing on much less material and becoming truly proficient in its use, rather than amassing a huge number of performance forms that can't be applied in actual combat, is superior. It lends itself to greater capabilities in self-defence and fighting, a deeper appreciation for the spiritual and physical cultivation provided by training in traditional Chinese martial arts, and a more honest relationship with history. The Shaolin Pao Chui we teach at the IMAR is a recreation of the original, traditional, Shaolin Pao Chui style, which was one of the earliest arts to be 'imported' to the Temple and perfected by masters and students there. Grandmaster Tian Jian was an experienced Chinese martial artist when he started piecing the style together, and the materials he used are amongst the most authentic available to any student of the Shaolin styles. It is well known that the Pao Chui forms practised by the monks are amongst the few taolu that were handed down complete and unchanged (with the exception of the third routine of the Da Pao Chui set, which is a later creation quite different from its predecessors and has, therefore, been omitted from our study). It is also common knowledge that certain Shaolin basics (such as the basic techniques, Ba Duan Jin, 18 Arhat skills, and a collection of grappling techniques) would have formed the 'beginner' curriculum of almost all Shaolin styles, including Pao Chui. As a result, recreating Shaolin Pao Chui as a complete and authentic style of traditional Chinese martial art was a relatively easy task. The main task was to edit out unnecessary material and adjust one's practise accordingly. The resurrection of extinct, or nearly extinct martial arts is a very common practise in China. In addition to the style(s) taught at Shaolin monastery, a huge number of popular styles have undergone (or are undergoing) such a process. And in the west, the entire Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) movement focusses on recreating such styles (for an excellent guide to this process, read The Theory and Practise of Historical Martial Arts by Dr. Guy Windsor, a leading authority in the field). In Grandmaster Tian Jian's case, oversight was provided by Shaolin inheritors Shi Yan Zhe and Shi Gin Loung, the latter of whom is also a professor of Wushu at Beijing University. Hence, Grandmaster Tian Jian's ranks, titles, and curriculum proceed directly from the Shaolin lineage, and all those certified in Shaolin Pao Chui by the IMAR belong to that lineage under him.

Yes. The Black Sash certification course is split up into five levels. These levels are described as coloured sashes, but you should be aware that none of them carry their own certification. The sashes are worn in class purely to denote where each student currently is in their training, but no diplomas are awarded beneath the level of black sash. This is because black sash is the first level at which someone is certified to pass the art on (in this case, to the level of brown sash). In other words, coloured sash rankings are an internal matter for your own school to deal with. They help you keep track of the curriculum and who has learnt what. Black sash rankings carry an additional measure of responsibility and power, and as such, they merit formal recognition with certification and a diploma. The yellow sash curriculum consists of the Shaolin "basics" which are common to most of the Shaolin arts: stances, stretches, and a handful of basic movements and techniques. It also includes the Ba Duin Jin qi gong set, one of the oldest qi gongs in existence that has been practised in China for a thousand years. The green sash curriculum covers eighteen basic fighting techniques that are, once more, common to a great number of Shaolin arts. The purple sash curriculum covers the first official taolu in the Shaolin Pao Chui system: the 18 Arhat Skills (also known as the 18 Arhat Hands, or the 18 Buddha Hands). This form is very very old. It is one of the Lohan forms, and as such is a backbone of many Shaolin arts. It is a foundational art in our system. The first three sashes, as described above, cover the basics of Shaolin Pao Chui. They are composed of well-known and authentic Shaolin material that has been verified as truly historical, and provide a solid basis for further study. The brown sash level is intermediate, and deals specifically with Shuai Jiao (wrestling and throwing) and Qin Na (seizing and holding, joint locks). These arts are taught independently as their own styles, but they are also a component of all traditional Shaolin systems, which include the "four ways" of fighting (attacking and defending with the hands and arms, attacking and defending with the feet and legs, wrestling and throwing, and seizing and holding). In the first three levels, striking was emphasised; in this level, grappling is explained fully. The final level, black sash, introduces the first Pao Chui form: Da Pao Chui Yi Lu (Big Cannon Hammer [or fist] First Routine). This is advanced level kung fu. This explosive form contains the essence of the art, and is designed to teach explosive power generation (Fajin) as well as more advanced combat movements. To attain black sash rank, students are expected to use this form to develop the physical characteristics suitable for advanced Pao Chui practitioners, and explore applications themselves, based on the earlier applications taught at basic and intermediate level (and with assistance if necessary). All students who purchase this course will gain indefinite access to it, membership in the IMAR, certification as a black sash practitioner, and the ability to promote their own students to the level of brown sash. They will, additionally, become eligible to purchase further courses which cover the entire curriculum and go up to 5th duan black sash. In brief, the subjects taught at higher black sash levels are: 2nd Duan: The 36-move Shaolin staff set. 3rd Duan: Da Pao Chui Er Lu (the second and final routine of the Big Cannon Hammer [or fist] style). 4th Duan: Shaolin Single Broadsword or Sabre set. 5th Duan: Xiao Pao Chui (Small Cannon Hammer [or fist] form). This form teaches the explosive power and brutal techniques of the Pao Chui form in a smaller and more compact frame for more advanced power generation and applications. Certification as a 5th Duan Black Sash in Shaolin Pao Chui comes with the title "Master" and the ability to promote ones own students to a maximum rank of 4th Duan black sash. Further promotions are honorary and based on contributions to Shaolin Pao Chui, the IMAR, and traditional Chinese martial arts. These achievements are usually measured in terms of scholarly output and student performance, however, there are no set criteria for advancement. At 7th Duan, the title "Grandmaster" is formally awarded.

Many good books have been written on this subject (we suggest Fuhua Huang and Fan Hong's A History of Chinese Martial Arts for students who are historically inclined). However, we will provide a broad and brief history below: Although many people assume that the Chinese martial arts began at the Shaolin Temple, there is evidence that the Chinese martial arts were well established prior to the construction of the Shaolin Temple. The temple was established in the third century A.D., and there are references to individuals such as the physician Hwa Tuo who used animal-movement exercises to improve the physical condition of his patients even before that era. Hwa Tuo lived during the Three Kingdoms period, about A.D. 220-65. Hwa Tuo is claimed to have devised a series of exercises based on five different animals: the tiger, bear, monkey, stork, and dear. This is essential to note, because there is still a strong tie between animal movement and Chinese martial arts. In actuality, the Shaolin Temple did become a focus of martial arts development and remained so for almost a thousand years before being abolished by the Ching Dynasty in the Eighteenth Century. As a side note, the Shaolin Temple is located in Dengfeng County, Honan Province, at the foot of the 'Songshan' mountain. It should also be noted that several Shaolin Temples have been established around China. It is unknown if these were built as competitors to the Songshan Temple or as an expansion of the original Shaolin Temple. Da Mo (Bodhidharma), a monk, arrived at the Shaolin Temple in 527 AD. Da Mo is thought to have been an Indian monk born in Kanchipuram, near Madras. Da Mo journeyed to Kuang, now known as Canton, and was given an audience with the Emperor of the Liang Dynasty at the time, Wu Ti. The Emperor had asked local Buddhist monks to transcribe Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit to Chinese so that the common public might practise the Buddhist faith. Following his meeting with the Emperor, Da Mo went to a monastery in the Kingdom of Wei before arriving at the Shaolin temple. Da Mo was first rejected admission to Shaolin, possibly because to his status as a foreigner. After being rejected by the monks, Da Mo travelled to a neighbouring cave and pondered for nine years by looking at the cave wall until the monks recognised his religious aptitude and welcomed him. According to legend, his continuous gaze bore a hole through one wall of the cave. Unfortunately, the true reason Da Mo gained the respect of the Shaolin monks has been lost to history. According to legend, a local monk was so affected by Da Mo's piety that he severed one of his hands in symaphy. Da Mo is said to have discovered his Chinese students were too weak, both physically and intellectually, to practise the severe meditation needed by his route to enlightenment after they were accepted to the temple. Da Mo is often considered as the founder of Chan Buddhism, better known by its Japanese name of Zen Buddhism. To address the issue of monk fitness, Da Mo designed exercises that combined physical activity and breathing, thereby improving his pupils' bodies and brains. This allowed them to follow the spiritual path with more zeal. Da Mo belonged to the warrior Caste (Ksatriva), thus it's probable that some of the exercises were inspired by Indian martial arts. As a result, it is clear that early Shaolin Kung Fu was mostly internal in character, with the goal of improving health, mental control, and perception of the Buddha nature. The following is the current content of this training: Ye Gun Kung - Exercises that work the tendons to strengthen the physical body. Sai Choi Kung - The cleaning technique (body-mind) Sime Kung is a meditation practise that incorporates stationary or moving exercises that help the practitioner to perceive, develop, and eventually regulate the movement of Chi in his body. as well as spiritual training, an attempt to immediately sense one's 'Original Face' or 'Buddha Nature' The Chinese martial arts, and indeed all subsequent martial arts, appear to be the consequence of cross-pollination between India and China, as well as the movement of people between the two countries. Monks and merchants were frequently travelling, and it is plausible to believe that they required professional body guards or even learned to defend themselves. This, along with Da Mo's involvement at the Shaolin Temple, has resulted in what we now call Kung Fu.