YES BUT DID the SHAOLIN REALLY do that? Or was that just a myth??

In China, separating myth from history can be difficult and Shaolin is no exception. Most Shaolin aficionados are familiar with tales of the final test for warrior monks (Wǔsēng 武僧 ). Such descriptions typically include some reference to, or variation on, the 108 Wooden Man Hall (Yībǎibā Mù Rén Xiàng 一百八木人巷 ) and the famous branding of a monk's forearms with the image of a tiger and a dragon. Such fantastic lore certainly fires the imagination and inspires the soul. Nevertheless, it leads one to question if such narratives have any basis in fact or if they're simply myth.

Variations of a Single Theme
Some claim, according to legend, the final exam for a Shaolin monk could easily cost his life. Each candidate must defend himself while passing through a labyrinth filled with mechanized wooden men, spears, darts, buckets of acid, and other various traps. The wooden men were designed to deliver brutal blows from a variety of angles. At the end of this labyrinth was an exit, blocked by a 300 pound brazier, filled with burning coals, emblazoned with a dragon and a tiger on opposite sides. The candidate must lift the cauldron using only his forearms to move it aside and clear the exit. Thus branding the dragon and tiger on his forearms, forever marking the monk as Shaolin Master. Often, one need only reveal these brands to make enemies flee in fear.

Some claim that Shaolin warrior monks were not allowed to officially leave the temple until they achieved a certain level of competency in Wǔgōng (武功 ). To prove that level of competency, he must navigate his way through a labyrinth while defending himself against 108 of his fellow warrior monks. At the end of this labyrinth, the only exit was blocked by a cauldron, filled with burning coals. The monk must lift this cauldron, embossed with the image of a dragon on one side and a tiger on the other, using only his forearms to move it aside and clear the exit. Thus branding the images of a dragon and a tiger on his forearms, forever marking him as Shaolin Wǔsēng.

Some claim that prior to the Qīng dynasty (清朝 ), Wǔsēng who wished to leave the temple must pass five tests. The first test was to defeat the Luóhàn Táng (罗汉堂 ). According to this tale, the Luóhàn Táng were eighteen of the best fighters from the Five Chán Families (Wǔ Chán Jiā 五禅家 ). The departing disciple would have to face and defeat each of these eighteen fighters.

Upon defeating the Luóhàn Táng, the departee would face the Dámó Yuàn (達摩院 ). These were four fighting monks charged with protecting the abbot. After defeating the Dámó Yuàn, the departee would face the Sān Jīng Guǎn (三经馆 ). These were three fighting monks chosen to defend the library of manuscripts preserved at Shaolin.

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