Cheng Zongyou 程宗猷 (1561-1636) was a Chinese

martial artist Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

. He is noted for his publication ''Shaolin Gunfa Changzong'' or ''Elucidation of Shaolin Staff Techniques'', as well as the ''Gengyu Shengji'' (''Skills Beyond Farming'') which described various other weapons systems, including Japanese

kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of ...

. Little is known of Cheng's life. He was born in Xiuning County into an upper-class family, and as such had a literary upbringing instead of the military (or criminal) childhood that was more common among professional martial artists of his era. He spent around a decade studying at the

Shaolin Monastery Shaolin Monastery (少林寺 ''Shàolínsì''), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a renowned monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the So ...

, and described his training in some of his works. He also learned Japanese kenjutsu techniques from Liu Yunfeng, who had studied under various Japanese masters of the sword. His ''Shaolin Gunfa Changzong'' was the first documented explanation of Shaolin methods, which had previously been transmitted only orally. Mao Yuanyi, the editor of the '' Wubei Zhi'', was sufficiently impressed with this work that he incorporated it virtually wholesale into his own treatise.

References

Chinese male martial artists 1561 births Martial arts writers 1636 deaths {{PRChina-martialart-bio-stub