Shaolin vs. Wudan

[blackmantis]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering if there is any truth behind the alleged rivalry between the Shaolin temple and the Wudan temple. Have there ever been any battles or famous matches between the two schools? What are the main differences of style?

Many thanks,

S

[richard sloan]

just the other day, on Extreme Challenge, they had Taoist Priests vs Shaolin Monks. They fought on raised pedestals while space robots pelted them with giant foam boulders.

Beneath them gigantic monsters hurled themselves into the pedestals, keeping them unstable.

It was amazing to watch, and the hosts, decked out in Flash Gordon Ming the Merciless Couture Collection had many dubbed comments to make.

It was an even draw if you can imagine that.

[Shaolinlueb]

Originally posted by richard sloan
just the other day, on Extreme Challenge, they had Taoist Priests vs Shaolin Monks. They fought on raised pedestals while space robots pelted them with giant foam boulders.

Beneath them gigantic monsters hurled themselves into the pedestals, keeping them unstable.

It was amazing to watch, and the hosts, decked out in Flash Gordon Ming the Merciless Couture Collection had many dubbed comments to make.

It was an even draw if you can imagine that.


I believe that is the msot famous battle out there. :D

[GeneChing]

I asked that very question to Wudang's Chief Preist Zhong Yunlong (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=377) - he said no. We published his reply on page 26 of that cover story, but that was a sidebar that we didn't run in the e-zine, just the print magazine. (http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/kf200118.html) He also discussed the Qimenpai Wulin Dahui, a gathering of all the martial "mountains", Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Hua, Kunlun, Kongdong and Tibet.

I've never asked Shaolin's abbot (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=397) about this, but I'm sure he would answer diplomatically. ;)

[norther practitioner]

I remember that piece (less than a year ago?) That was a good interview.

I was actually thinking about doing that trip sometime.

Is it easier to get to wudan or shaolin from Beijing?

[jun_erh]

there is a new photo book of China, lik a coffee table book that has some Wudang photos (none of shaolin) some action some not, but it said that in the most recent contest wudang defated shaolin 6 to 0 but I have no idea the nature of the event.

[GeneChing]

Shaolin is near Zhengzhou, which is a major railway hub. Also the schools and temple are more centralized. Wudang is pretty spread out. Not many schools, and you have to drive lots of windy roads, or hike for miles to get to see anything. However, Wudang is very beautiful, perhaps because it is more isolated.

jun_erh, can you give us a little more info on that please?

[sakko]

That would've been the bomb if your turned to page 26, and all he had to say was "No."

Sorry, just thought that'd be funny..

[jun_erh]

says he lived on Wudang for 6 months.

I remember 2 pictures. One was a guy with his feet on two bamboo trees, suspending himself like with shaolin sneakers no less. Another was of a wondering taoist guy who told taoist legends. The book is dope.

click "view as html" under the description (http://search.yahoo.com/search?va=Yann+Layma+wudang&n=20&fl=0)

[johngreenhow]

Not long after I left Shaolin to travel around China I found myself on my way to Wudan - some kind of weird rebound thing, I guess. Just a few more months, I thought, just to get the flavour, just to see what it was about...

On the way, during an overnight, "hard seat" train journey I was chatting to a few fellow passengers. One looked at my hands and asked if I trained in kungfu? Well, yes, as it happens, a little - and I let it go, moving on.

A bit later, returning from a toilet break I was confronted by a mass of people around an old man sat near me. Apparently he was an old Wudan master, and he had some performance photos to prove it. Then one guy, and I'm sure you all know the type - skinny, ill fitting clothes, a big mouth and an inexplicable desire to cause trouble - remembered me. Hey, the foreigner does kungfu too. What style? Shaolin? Grins all round as the old man virtually spits "Shaolin? Pah". He's not a fan, and I get alternatively lectured and mocked until Skinny pipes up, "At the next station, let's see what they've got! Shaolin vs. Wudan, Chinese vs. Laowai"... Oh, gee, thanks. Make me fight an old man - worse, an old man who'll probably kick my arse.

I had only one hope - that by 8am when the train pulled in, they'd all be asleep. They all were, short of the old man, who shook my hand now the need for bravado was gone.

I also wandered into a school in Wudan, just to watch. Not long after I was drinking tea with the Sifu and watching morning JiBenGong. I asked my questions and he asked his. Then the students were coerced into a display form. You could kind of see Shaolin in it, but it was more sinuous, more flowing. Then they asked to see some Shaolin. Stood in jeans in on the mat, I did TongBiQUan to that usual polite applause that tells you nothing about your performance. And again, I was lectured - look at the differences, compare our moves to yours.

What I'm getting at is just that Wudan as the lesser known little brother seems to have a bit of a complex. But who cares. Wudan is a magical place, so understated, so much less attitude than Shaolin, so less taken with it's own reputation. And the Taoist priests - they're the best.

I saw an amazing and rare Tiger form performed there, the match of anything I'd seen in Shaolin. I also, worryingly, heard that a big Shaolin school was buying up interests in Wudan. This could spell an end to Wudan as it is now, which is sad for me but probably what they want - after all, we've all seen how much money is in Shaolin.

Anyway, I've forgotten what I whatever point I started out trying to make, so I'm off. Bye.

[GeneChing]

Now that's a funny tale, John. Lucky you survived. :p ;) You get that kiind of bravado between any styles tho, within China or in the 'old outside", anywhere. I'm mean come on, we're fighters. And of course we all take pride in our own personal style.

Wudang is beautiful. I didn't spend much time there myself, and didn't get to train. I always wonder what more that mountain has to hide.

[jun_erh]

I actually called in to this radio show a while ago that was about kabalah. I had been interested in the weirder taoist stuff like the wudang backwards running, the horse tail sword, and also two bizarre movies "Na Cha the Great" starring Alexander Fu heng and "the legend f Wong Tai Sin" starring Lam Ching ying. The guy said something about tai chi and that some of the original translators of the I Ching in the west were also involved in mystical stuff they were talking about. Alistair Crowlwy and stuff like that.