The crane cast an ivory-hued shadow as it alighted its sleek, yet powerful, form in the obscured clearing on the mountain summit. As it folded its weary wings, an enormous ape unexpectedly appeared and cornered the bird in what, at least outwardly, appeared to be a mismatch in physical abilities. And so it was.
At the precise instant the ape lunged forward and grabbed the crane's neck, the bird's sharp and forceful beak lashed out in a swift retaliatory strike that immediately broke his astounded enemy's grasp.
As the ape persisted in its unprovoked attacks upon the crane, the bird remarkably and expertly managed to elude them. Eyeing each other with contempt, the two animals continued to battle until, ultimately, the crane elected to end the quarrel and, with one quick and incisive strike, plucked out one of his assailant's eyes. Shrieking in agony and clearly defeated, the ape retreated in pain, one hand covering the bloody cavity where his eye had been just seconds before.
The preceding story is the traditional legend recounting the basis for the powerful system of kung fu known as Tibetan white crane. Originally, the system is said to have been founded by a scholarly Buddhist monk by the name of Or Da Tor (Sanskrit to English translation) during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China. Or Da Tor was initially from the territory of Ching Hoy, which is not far from Tibet. During the course of his early years, his family moved to the southwest, setting in the region north of the Himalayas known as Tibet.
Culturally, most Tibetans adhere to the philosophy and religion of Buddhism, and Or Da Tor subsequently became a monk, taking discipleship under the great dharma master, Gong Gut. A large part of his education the monastery devoted to intensive meditation. Being as the mountains possessed the peacefulness and quiet solitude conducive to his numerous visits there, the wildlife became accustomed to his presence. The mountain animals carried on their usual activities without fear, which gave Or Da Tor the opportunity to witness the famous battle between the crane and ape that ultimately formed the foundation for the Tibetan white crane kung fu system.
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