Dvivid wrote:To keep this series on track with YMAA's mission of preserving the arts, I want to be sure that the forms included are traditional, and in some sort of sequence that pertains to how they were developed / the order in which students learn. Any help in researching this ancient history is appreciated.
Vajra and Lohan are both old forms and advanced. Yang family spear is from the Northern Song so again very old. I think all of the forms above are advanced skills forms. Lohan may be the easier of the above to begin due to its direct nature.
I think much of current academic thinking points towards the famous fist styles emerging during the Ming or at least late Song.
Shaolin Staff was famous from before the Song but I don't know the current version that best reflects the ancient form. You could look at the 少林棍法闡宗 (Shao-Lin Gun-Fa Can-Zong) written in the Ming by by 程宗猷 (Cheng Zong You) to look for similarities. It was the style used to fight the Japanese pirates so it has a nice historical handle and seems suitable for beginners.
http://www.chineselongsword.com/ sell the translation of the historical manual.
Animal styles seem to be traditional and 5 animals perhaps the most ancient and maybe a good set for starting practice. Eagles claw supposedly also dates from the Song and may be approachable for beginners. The modern Shaolin Tiger form may not be that old.
General Qi Jiguang commander of the anti japanese pirate Ming army mentions Eagles claw, Yang family spear and Shaolin staff fighting as being among the famous styles of his day. He had his men trained in the Shaolin staff (initially by monks) and 32 posture boxing combined from boxing styles of his day (this may be the origin of the Tai Chi postures of the Chen family). Cheng Zong You mentioned above was one of his instructors (or may have been the son of his instructor but I forget).
I think Lohan/Vagra must be the oldest fist forms
practiced at Shaolin/adopted by Shaolin and in terms of development the Shaolin staff is the oldest original Shaolin fighting skill and is talked about hundreds of years prior to Shaolin boxing is ever mentioned.