Shaolin Journeys

[GeneChing]

I'm seeing more and more of these, so I thought they might deserve their own thread


December 23, 2007
In search of China's Shaolin soul (http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/article3082266.ece)
Shaolin monks are the stuff of martial-arts legend, but, says Peter Owen Jones, they’re also the most contented people on earth
Peter Owen Jones

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, the philosopher said. The same is true of crossing the road in Beijing. But it can be surpassingly difficult to make that step as a city in perpetual rush hour flings itself past your nose. Eventually, the pavement fills, a white-clad traffic warden waves a red flag and blows a whistle, and the population of a small town – all of whom are talking on mobile phones - sets off for the other side, sloshing into another river of humanity moving in the opposite direction.

I had come to this city of relentless energy in search of peace. To find it, I’d need to journey further - to Dengfeng, about 450 miles southwest of Beijing. Here, in a cave under the summit of Mount Song, a man once sat crosslegged facing the wall – and he sat there for nine years trying to untangle truth from illusion. This was the 6th-century Buddhist monk Bodhidharma, founder of Zen.

Intense meditation can be exhausting, and the monks who followed Bodhidharma’s teaching took to exercising between bouts of profound thought. Legend has it that their exertions flowered into the martial arts – the spiritual home of which is the Shaolin Temple, squatting in its valley beneath Bodhidharma’s cave.

Here you won’t find a terracotta army – this is the real thing, alive and kicking. But I had heard about a small group of monks living just beyond Shaolin, 5,500ft up on the edge of a rock face overlooking a remote valley. I was told that here I would find the true embodiment of Shaolin spirituality.

The Shaolin Buddhist tradition was nearly lost: the grey men of the Cultural Revolution did not encourage its saffron-shoed monks to hone their skills. But new China takes a much more relaxed approach, and the Chinese are re-exploring their national identity as something separate from The Party. The warrior monks who crushed the ruthless with grace, who leapt walls and healed children with herbs, are potent heroes of the past, much more vivid than Mao.

The ticket to travel 400 miles, the first part of my journey to the temple, cost just £6. The big blue train must have been more than a quarter-mile long, and its seats were surprisingly soft. Harder to endure was an endless agony of music piped through the carriages. Most of the Chinese are prepared for this, and sit meditating on either their love life or sudoku, while listening to their own choice of music, piped through some of the world’s cheapest earpieces.

After half an hour, I felt like I’d been incarcerated in a room full of static electricity with a woman who was having the same argument over and over again. This argument was constantly interrupted by a steady stream of shouting shopkeepers, pushing their trolleys up and down the aisle, selling leeches, mangoes, sour prunes, sunflower seeds and pot noodles.

Through the windows of the train, all I could see was mile upon mile of food – sand-coloured grain, butter-coloured maize – drying in strips along the road margins. Occasionally, there was an old bow-roofed farmhouse, the tiles on the corner sections facing upwards.

Five hours after leaving Beijing, the train crossed the Yellow River, which is more brown than anything else, and pulled into Zhengzhou. It was then a bus ride along an almost empty motorway to Dengfeng, the nearest city to Mount Song and the Shaolin Temple.

Until recently, the car was a luxury item, so desolate retail parks have not yet spilt over from the West. The backstreets of provincial cities hum with endeavour. There are cobblers, sugar-cane vendors and fortune-tellers with their red mats laid out before them. Carts are loaded with Chinese dates, crisp as apples, and polished orange persimmon fruits. Scooters, cars and Rotavators are in various stages of rebirth.

In the town centre, you’ll find shops that sell nothing but tea sets or cigarettes – there are more than 300m smokers in China. In the markets, there are laughing butchers, live crayfish and carp, and crates full of nervous-looking chickens. You can have anything made and anything mended. The flies on my only pair of trousers had given up, so I made for an alley billowing steam, where six tailors sat under torn umbrellas.

One of them looked at my trousers and winced. I’m not sure what he was thinking. He pulled out a box of offcuts and invited me to sit down beneath the umbrella. Twenty minutes later, he had mended my trousers, and for this he charged me 10p. The temptation is to offer more. I did and he gracefully refused – and in so doing reminded me about the nature of dignity, which is so different from pride.

The dignity of the Shaolin Temple, which is a 15-minute taxi ride from Dengfeng, has almost been consumed by pride. Shaolin tradition says that if a monk should wish to leave the temple, he has to fight his way out; today, you have to fight your way in.

The complex has become a Buddhism theme park, complete with a huge television screen, a tour office, shops selling swords, spears, peanuts and gum, timetabled martial-arts displays and ordered rows of notice boards sporting pictures of President Putin’s visit and what appeared to be a faded collection of all the Miss World contestants from the late 1980s.

The Shaolin brand extends to the Tagou martial-arts school, built around two campuses nurturing 15,000 students. The school takes children as young as four, and by the time they reach 14, they can fly through the air and break your neck in seconds. You can smell the testosterone here. I was staying in the international section, attempting to get fitter before heading into the heart of the mountains. My room was ensuite and the bed was comfortable enough, but you don’t get much sleep because the first siren sounds at 5.15am. The daily routine is punishing. Like everyone else, I started at 5.30am with a run, followed by two hours’ martial-arts practice, then breakfast, then another two-hour practice session, then lunch – which is followed by lessons and a final practice session in the late afternoon.

I should really have taken Mr Ching-du’s advice. He was keen to practise his English, and tagged along as I limped back from a session. Between telling me how much he liked Portsmouth, he advised me that men of my age should not take up kung fu. T’ai chi would be much more beneficial. He was right: after three days I could barely walk, having had my body contorted into configurations that would confuse putty. To the amusement of my fellow students, I became so stiff that even the act of sitting down had to be done in stages.

But every one of the students, without exception, was kind and courteous, and the spectacle of the practice sessions and the experience of the temple in the rain, with its ranks of tourists carrying muted pastel umbrellas, far outweighed the discomfort. On busy weekends, Shaolin teems with more than 20,000 visitors, and the delicate architecture and the peace of the place are overwhelmed. True peace was still a day’s walk away, where I hoped that everything I’d heard about the living embodiments of this tradition would turn out to be true.

You can take a cable car into the mountains, which carries you above some of the crags, but you still need to be moderately fit to get there. The path was completed in 1992 and it’s a masterpiece of engineering, winding through gullies and valleys. Some sections are clamped to the sides of enormous rock faces sprouting horizontal trees. At various corners along the route you can buy calcified mushrooms, ginseng tubers, soft drinks and catapults, and I encountered butterflies, the occasional coughing raven and a 6in grey-and-yellow millipede. In the distance, the San Huang stronghold melted into the rock, almost perfectly camouflaged, and when I arrived it was like walking into a page of a fairy tale – somewhere that should only be visible when there’s a full moon.

Until 15 years ago, this was home to just two Buddhist nuns, and they are still there – one in her nineties, the other in her seventies. They lived on a purely vegetarian diet, which they grew on a terrace hewn out of the mountain. Everything changed with the arrival of a charismatic Shaolin Buddhist master called Shidejian, who now oversees a community of some 20 monks. I have never encountered such contentment, such generosity of spirit. Here are the inheritors of the true Shaolin tradition, where every task is an exercise in awakening.

Seen in that light, sweeping the terraces is a pleasure, and standing on them overlooking miles of unbroken forest is a privilege I shall never forget. After four days or so, I began to decongest mentally, to let go of apparent imperatives and needs, which for the most part, I learnt, are illusions created by weaknesses – vanities.

The truth is that once I detached myself from a bath, a bowl was fine; once I let go of wine, I could taste the water. On my last evening, Shidejian kindly invited me to his one-bedroom garret, and we sat drinking green tea in the tiny garden up there on his own small summit. He asked me what had been the hardest thing about my journey. I think I spluttered that at the age of 48, the martial arts didn’t really agree with my bones. What I couldn’t tell him at the time was that while the San Huang stronghold may not be the easiest place to get to, I found it even harder to leave it behind.

[GeneChing]

This truly is a Shaolin food article, not a 'journey', but this thread is dying on the vine, and this article is so odd, so ttt.

Eight months at Shaolin and he never figured out where he could go to get some sinews flesh? Anyone know this guy?


Rose Bar Gatekeeper Nur Khan Likes Meat and Martial Arts (http://nymag.com/daily/food/2008/05/rose_bar_gatekeeper_nur_khan_l_1.html)

On the Gramercy Park Hotel's roof.Photo: Melissa Hom
You need an iron constitution to be the moat minder of one of the city’s most-sought-after rooms — Rose Bar creative director Nur Khan wakes up at 10 a.m. and usually attends to his loyal customers till at least 3 a.m., five or six nights a week. To stay strong, he eats steak — and a lot of it! He also practices martial arts — several years ago, when he spent eight months training at Shaolin Temple, he had to forgo meat and found he wasn’t a big fan of a vegetarian diet. Anyway, who wants to be a vegetarian when you’re buddies with the maître d’ at Waverly Inn and can eat there a few times a week?

Saturday, May 24
I stayed in town for the long holiday weekend to avoid the hustle and bustle of the Hamptons. I had a late brunch at home — a cup of tea, a bowl of fresh fruit, cantaloupe and strawberries, and a cheese omelette.

I had dinner with friends at Keens Steakhouse, a sort of undiscovered New York gem that has a great old-English-pub vibe. I don’t think the people that frequent Rose Bar go there — there’s no scene up there. I had a salad, creamed spinach, New York sirloin, lamb chops, and a nice bottle of wine.

Sunday, May 25
I had a late lunch with friends at Bar Pitti before I went to the Murakami exhibit. We had spinach, spaghetti Bolognese, and a bottle of water.

For dinner I went to Omen. It’s really private and discreet. I had edamame, an avocado salad, shrimp and vegetable tempura, assorted sushi, and, of course, sliced sirloin steak. I have steak practically every night for dinner —my body just craves meat. Anything that had hoofs on it at one point makes me happy.

Monday, May 26
I usually have breakfast at home. I had my cup of tea and bowl of Cheerios.

During the weekdays I usually have lunch at Rose Bar. Monday I had a bowl of chicken soup and water. My lunches during the day are typically fairly light. I like to dine in between meetings. I have a lunch menu for the Rose Bar — we serve it from noon to 3 p.m. It’s pretty mellow during the days — I start to see people coming in later in the afternoon, around 4 p.m. From 4:30 p.m. straight through evening we’re pretty busy.

I usually have a late dinner, like 9:45ish, then come straight [back] to the Rose Bar after. I had friends in from out of town — I had a very light dinner at Mezzogiorno, which consisted of a salad of mushrooms, tomatoes, mozzarella, and bottle of water and bottle of red wine.

I try not to eat late after work. If I’m having a craving, we have some really good Kobe-beef burgers, which I’ll nosh on from time to time.

Tuesday, May 27
I had a cup of tea, fresh assorted fruit, and a bowl of Cheerios.

For lunch, a bowl of tomato soup and bottle of water at the Rose Bar. I carried on with meetings.

Dinner at the Waverly Inn was a salad with fresh green peas, sirloin steak, a bottle of red wine, and a nice glass of cognac. I’m at the Waverly at least twice a week — Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson are my former partners. I’m fortunate to say I don’t have a problem getting a table there. It’s a very social scene — it’s basically my crowd here at Rose Bar pre-****tail time. Everyone has dinner there and then they come over to me. There’s a lot of table-hopping.

It’s funny because the maître d’ Emil [Varda] is a very good friend of mine; we go way back. He was asking me, “I have so many people calling me from London to get into the Rose Bar. I can’t give your phone number out, can I?” I said, “No, you know the situation…”

Wednesday, May 28
Breakfast at the house was a cup of tea and a cantaloupe

Lunch at Rose Bar was fresh minestrone soup and a bottle of water.

I had a nice dinner before I went to the Hilfiger sessions at Webster Hall. I went to Raoul’s, which is probably one of my favorite restaurants in New York. I had a salad, artichoke, spinach, the old standby steak au poivre (it’s one of my favorites — they do a really nice job with the sauce, and it’s a good cut of meat), and a nice bottle of red wine. It’s unpretentious — you can hide away in the back.

One of my favorite casual places is Serge Becker’s La Esquina. It’s really laid-back and you can kind of vanish there. It was more sceney when they opened, but everyone’s so cool there that it’s very easy.

[GeneChing]

It's a little better than the NBC (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=879423&postcount=237)one.
Click for vid. I like "Show-lin" ;)

Shaolin temple is the birthplace of Kung Fu (http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8887866)
Updated: Aug 22, 2008 07:44 PM
Scott Swan/Eyewitness News

Many Chinese children watch martial arts movies and dream of becoming a grand master in Kung Fu. In one town, there are 65 schools that teach the art - it is known as the birthplace of Kung Fu.

If you spend any time in China and you'll find yourself at a temple. For hundreds of years, they've provided a peaceful retreat, a place to worship, a spot to reflect. But head to the mountains in central China and you'll find why one temple is different.

"Shaolin Temple is the birthplace for Zen Buddhism," said General Grand Master Warrior Monk Shi Yan Xiu. "And for Shaolin Kung Fu."

The breathtaking fighting skills of the Shaolin monks lure 1.5 million visitors every year. The monks perform with swords, spears and sticks.

Shaolin Kung Fu dates back to the 6th Century, inspired by a monk who began exercising during meditation. Today, 80 Buddhist monks live at the Shaolin Temple. Their dorms are simple, but say their lives are fulfilling. They burn incense candles to continue a long tradition of worshipping Buddha.

"All the monks must have prayer, to pray in morning and night," Shi Yan Xiu said. "This makes religion, discipline and training work together."

The intense training of 200 warrior monks is something most tourists don't see.

"As a warrior monk, we ask them to practice as much as possible," Shi Yan Xiu said.

Some warrior monks will stay here all their lives. Others will leave after several years of training. A few of the monks will set their sights on the highest goal at Shaolin.

"When you grow up, you can decide if it's the life you want. If you want to become a real Buddhist monk," said Shi Yan Da, a Buddhist monk.

Dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master begin at an early age in China. Thousands of students at the 65 Kung Fu schools learn various forms of Shaolin.

Seventeen-year-old Wu Yang became hooked as a boy.

"At a young age, I watched too many Kung Fu movies and was influenced by the movie stars," he said.

Now, he's one of thousands of young Chinese enrolled in private Kung Fu school. The children spend three hours a day in school and four hours training.

"The environment of the school is very good and I like to study Shaolin Kung Fu," said Li Cong Ying.

School leaders say only three percent of their students have a realistic chance of becoming a master. Only a few have ever been selected to become a warrior monk.

"Real Shaolin Kung Fu is from hard work. You must practice for a long time and then you can get the real Shaolin Kung Fu," said Buddhist monk Shi Yan Da.

Kung Fu may be the stuff of Hollywood lore, but the roots of the ancient martial arts run deep in the temple's hallowed ground.

[Kevin Huang]

The traditional kung fu arts are very much out there.

However, one's perception of what a traditional kung fu art is will influence the direction in which one travels in order to find it.

There's a certain type of practitioner who is so convinced that the answer MUST lie elsewhere that he refuses to acknowledge that what he seeks is right at his doorstep.

[GeneChing]

Check out Will the Real Kung Fu Please Stand Up (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=788) by Jonathan Poston.

[Kevin Huang]

In that article, Jonathan Poston wrote "It was the traditional training like in the Matrix or Karate Kid that intrigued me".

With that kind of preconceived notion, it would be very hard to find a real life school that teaches that way. That's because Matrix and Karate Kid are MOVIES with IMAGINARY training scenarios.

Real life kung fu is nothing like movie fu, in training or application.

[Songshan]

In depth articles about shaolin kung fu. Though it seems that newer authors are discovering Shaolin. Yes, traditional shaolin kung fu is out there....it does exist.

[iron_silk]

I enjoyed reading the article partly because I take genuine interest in hard work training. Something I have yet to accomplish.

Thanks for sharing Jonathon Poston.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Most people that go looking for "shaolin" based on what they saw in the movies will find just that and be very disappointed.
Serves them right too.
As for training like in the movies...well, one really needs to ask themselves WHY they would want that, I mean, the elite of thew physical activities world, ie: Oympic and pro athletes, don't do that to themselves, why should some "recreational MA" ?

[GeneChing]

My Time in China (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=798)by Stephan Kaliss
And don't forget, our 10th annual Shaolin Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=797) is still on the newsstands. If you want to know the latest on Shaolin, be sure to pick one up.

[GeneChing]

Shaolin has inspired some great travel writing. American Shaolin by Matt Polly (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26966) is a perfect example. Over the years, we've amassed many Shaolin journey articles on our e-zine beyond the contributions of Jonathan Poston (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=885692&postcount=5) and Stephan Kaliss (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=905025&postcount=10) mentioned above.

First, here are mine (and that's just because I'm doing this alphabetically ;)):
Shaolin Trips - Episode One: Open Two Doors (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=469)
Shaolin Trips - Episode Two: Reigning in at the Brink of the Precipice (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=468)
Shaolin Trips - Episode Three: Resting on a Pillow (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=522)
Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Chapter One: To Journey to Zhengzhou, Get Past Cerberus (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=576)
Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Chapter Two: Xingqiliu (Saturday): The Opening Ceremony & Gala Night (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=580)
Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Chapter Three: Xingqitian (Sunday): A Shaolin Welcome, Body-Building, Wushu Champions, and a Modern Chinese Ballet Nitecap (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=583)
Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Chapter Four: Xingqiyi (Monday): Shaolin Revisited, the First and Second Generals, and - oh yes - the Tournament (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=586)
Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Chapter Five: Xingqier (Tuesday): My Master, Some Scholars and More Tournament (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=588)
Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Chapter Six: Xingqisan (Wednesday): Tournament, Fish Head Hot Pot and Duck Tongues with the Little Dragon's Dad and the Purgatory of Gold Mountain. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=593)
Shaolin Trips: Episode 4 - A Hero Watching the Formation: Epilogue: My Master's Pilgrimage to Gold Mountain and the Bu Hao Mao (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=595)
Wu-Tang Enters Wudang (1 of 7): Travels through Shaolin with RZA (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=5)

And here are some of our other contributors:
Antonio Graceffo
The Monk From Brooklyn: An American at the Shaolin Temple Part 1 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=411)
The Monk From Brooklyn: An American at the Shaolin Temple Part 2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=424)
Note that Antonio Graceffo developed a book from his story - see Monk From Brooklyn. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39176)

John Greenhow
Where I Am, and What I Am Doing: A Shaolin Diary - Part One (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=417)
Where I Am, and What I Am Doing: A Shaolin Diary - Part Two (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=428)

[UK MONK]

a great article mate!. brings back some good memories :D

i was reading it and thinking i was having a bad case of daysavoo then i realized who was writing it lol :D. im now back at epo. i will be here for a couple more months.

its been a while since i last spoke to you. i hope all is well. stay safe and keep writing!!!

Daniel.

P.S happy chinese new year

[Chief_Suicide]

You mentioned Matthew Polly, that was a great book.
Mark Salzman's Iron and Silk was good too, even though he didn't go to Shaolin. It was still a CMA journey of sorts.

There is also Steve Demasco's An American's Journey to the Shaolin Temple. I have never read the book, but it is out there.

The one I just got done reading was Me, Chi, and Bruce Lee by Brian Preston. If you like American Shaolin, I think you'll like it too.

The next one on my list will probably be 'Monk from Brooklyn' that you mentioned above. For some reason my local library or Border's doesn't have it, so I'll have to get that on from Amazon.

I don't suppose I'll ever go to China, so I think that is why reading these articles and books is so important to me.

[KWUsCRD]

a great article mate!. brings back some good memories :D

i was reading it and thinking i was having a bad case of daysavoo then i realized who was writing it lol :D. im now back at epo. i will be here for a couple more months.

its been a while since i last spoke to you. i hope all is well. stay safe and keep writing!!!

Daniel.

P.S happy chinese new year

Hey Dan, how's things mate?

Good to hear from you! It has been awhile since we were buying turtles and England shirts, cleaning training rooms and running injured. I miss Epo a lot, I had a great time. Still training with the same teachers?

I talked to Fabian on Skype about a year ago. He was in the new dorms. How are they? I heard they have Western toilets and their own showers? Is this true?

I'd be interested to hear some of the changes since I've been, and I'd imagine your styles and technique are really strong by now, you've been there awhile.

I hope all is well. If any of the old gang remains, tell them I said hi. Happy Chinese New Years my friend.

[UK MONK]

after i left dengfeng i went back home for 6 months and then i was in shanghai for a year doing some gracie jiujitsu. but apart from that i havnt really been training like we used to.

martin is still at epo and christean and panda have gone back to korean for chinese new year. they should be coming back soon. taiwan is in wudang. he's been there for about 1 year now. i also went wudang for 1 months just to check the place out. its really beautiful. max is studying in taiwan and bazdi was in shanghai studying aswell. but i think hes back in london at the moment.

[KWUsCRD]

I'm glad to hear you're doing well.

I think they should name a wing after Martin AKA The Dirtiest Ninja and I miss both Panda and his sister. Taiwan should be in Wu Dang and I'm glad to hear he is. His sword forms were always incredible and when I got a chance to stay there and watch them practice on the top of the mountain he was the first person I thought about.

Man, that kids style is sharp. I just hope he's not having any more wrist problems.

Glad to hear Sebastian and Max are doing well, although I heard through the Shaolin grapevine our Chelsea brother left with a less than graceful exit. But all in all it sounds like things are well.

Punch Fabian in chest for me.

Cheers mate.

[GeneChing]

Wow, the Russian (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43170) girls at Shaolin.... :eek:

Interviewing "friendly" foreigners at Shaolin temple: by Murray Walker (http://www.cctv.com/program/rediscoveringchina/20090706/107729.shtml)
2009-07-06 15:44 BJT

Before arriving at the Shaolin Temple in Henan I had envisioned a white-bearded Shaolin octogenarian monk imparting wisdom and Shaolin secrets to students on a misty mountaintop. Maybe that image is a little embellished, I have still got scenes from Kill Bill and Karate Kid swimming around in my head. Still though, I was hoping to be romanced just a little bit by the Shaolin mystique. Suffice it to say, it didn’t work out that way. In short, no old guy, no mountain and no mist.

This program was a little different because we had no director calling the shots. It was just the cameraman, Mr. Lee, an assistant, Xiao Wei and yours truly. The show was meant to be solely interview based. The plan was this: find a bunch of foreigners training Shaolin kungfu and bullet them with questions re their experience. So, we headed off to the foreigner-training center just near the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng. I had been told to expect about a hundred friendly foreign faces. There weren’t that many, in fact not even close. There were only ten! Okay, not a train-smash. From them I reckoned we could get six maybe seven four-minute interviews, throw in a couple stand ups and shots of scenery and program done. Only one problem, well three actually. Three of the interviewees are kids and don’t have all that much to say, the Spanish guy doesn’t speak a lick of English and the two Russian girls refuse to be interviewed. Now, we can prep the kids beforehand to get more details out of them, not much we can do about the Spanish guy but we can at least get him training. And finally, I can hopefully coerce the Russian girls to give us a few words. Perhaps.

The following is pretty much verbatim the exchange I had with the one Russian girl.

“Hi there, I’m with CCTV9 and we’re making a show about how foreigners view Shaolin kungfu. Do you mind if I interview you guys?”
“Do you want us to take off our clothes now?”
“Ah, what? (then trying to play along with what I think is some kind of weird Russian sense of humor) No, we’re not making that kind of show.”
“We not like media.”
“Um, it’s just a few questions. Just wanna know why you guys like Shaolin.”
“No.”
“I see. Is it okay if we film you training?”
“No.”

Perhaps not. Now I’ve met some disagreeable people in my time but these girls were positively misanthropic. I can handle people not wanting to be interviewed but let’s at least keep things cordial. So, what were we left with? Four adults, three kids. That would never be enough to make our program. Time for a change of plan.

Fortunately, the Tagou students were competing in Sanda bouts as well as doing form demonstrations outside. We got some good footage of them and then we got our foreign students to compete as well. The four adults said some good stuff, the kids were entertaining and the trainers chipped in with their Shaolin experience. Then we relocated to the Shaolin Temple and accosted tourists determined to glean interesting Shaolin anecdotes from them. This was a mixed bag, most people had just arrived and had nothing much to say about Shaolin kungfu. Then we got a couple shots of this pagoda forest called Talin. This was really cool, each pagoda is basically a tomb stone for a renowned Shaolin monk. They date back at least a thousand years.

What else could we film? Not much. So we bundled up our tapes and returned to Beijing all the while hoping that our 200 minutes of footage would be enough for a 25-minute program. Personally, I think if it’s not enough, we just throw in some Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon so our audience can see how it’s really done. Or maybe we can use footage from an old show. Or maybe I can show off my Shaolin moves by beating up a shop-window mannequin or one of those giant Hello Kitty dolls. Who knows? We’ll just have to wait and see.

[sha0lin1]

Well it's too bad that they weren't there when we were. We would have demonstrated for them and interviewd without taking our clothes off. I sure would have liked to have met those Russion girls though.

[GeneChing]

Almost put this on the Shaq (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53936) thread....

Sunday August 2, 2009
Henan highlights (http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/8/2/lifetravel/4416848&sec=lifetravel)

IT was evening when our bus inched up the road to the Shaolin Temple nestled in the hills of Song Mountain and it appeared to be down time for these ascetic youngsters. But all around the large compound, busloads of tourists were still pouring in to these sacred grounds that have been put on the map by Jet Li. His series of Shaolin movies, starting with his hit debut in 1982, Shaolin Temple, has brought worldwide fame to the address (the guides will readily point out a foot imprint in one of the halls apparently left by the Chinese action star during filming).

Three weeks ago, the temple received a huge boost when NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal came a-calling. The 37-year-old American, an avowed practitioner of Shaolin kung fu, hopes to study at the temple when he retires. If he does, he will join the tens of thousands of students (numbering 30,000 to 50,000 at any time) enrolled in various schools in the vicinity.

Shaolin Temple, established in 495AD, is a historically significant institution of China. In 527, the Indian monk Bodhidharma arrived and spent the next nine years meditating in a cave and spreading Zen Buddhism. The temple also received royal recognition for having rescued the Tang Emperor Li Shimin, and another monarch in the later Song Dynasty. Indeed, the confluence of martial arts and Chan Buddhism is what gives Shaolin Temple its distinctive identity that has endured time, disaster (fires) and the repressive Cultural Revolution.

Adjacent to the temple complex is the Forest of Pagodas, a “mausoleum” of 232 stupas – the largest of its kind in China – that houses the remains of eminent monks from different periods.

[GeneChing]

...but here's some shaolin kung fu on TMZ! Like that has anything to do with anything. We've all seen this type of photo a bazillion times. But still, the comments are funny. Follow the link.


Shaolin Monk Goes Head Over Heels (http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/20/shaolin-monk-goes-head-over-heels/)
Posted Aug 20th 2009 4:49PM by TMZ Staff

This monk showed off his superior balance skills by practicing Shaolin Kung Fu
in China this week.

Somebody get him some maximum strength Excedrin stat!

[GeneChing]

Follow the link. You won't be sorry.

Miss Tourism Queen International 2009 Visits Shaolin Temple (http://www.chinahush.com/2009/08/24/miss-tourism-queen-international-2009-visits-shaolin-temple/)
August 24th, 2009 by Key »

Miss Tourism Queen International 2009 is held in Zhengzhou, Henan province in China from August 7th to August 30th. 110 beauties around the world traveled to China, where they compete as tourism ambassadresses for their respective countries. On August 23rd, 2009 Miss Tourism Queen International came to Shaolin Temple in Henan, beauties around the world praised the wonderful Shaolin martial art performance and the profound cultural heritage.

Here's the contestant pics on the official site (http://www.misstqi.com/contestants_2009.php).

[iron_leg_dave]

I haven't visited the forums in a very long time, and I am happy to have come across this thread. Very cool.

[GeneChing]

...I can't think of a more pathetic follow up.


Halter Meets With Chinese Commerce Officials (http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0809/653473.html)
posted 08/26/09 3:21 pm

Beijing, China - With a population nearly eight times that of the state of Arkansas, the Chinese capital of Beijing alone offers “tremendous economic opportunities” for Arkansas businesses provided they can access the market, Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter said Wednesday.

Halter is in China this week as part of economic development mission arranged by the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA). He has spent Sunday through Wednesday in Beijing, a city of an estimated 20 million residents.

On Thursday, the NLGA contingent will fly to Zhengzhou, a city of more than 7 million south of the Yellow River in east-Central China. (Arkansas’ population is an estimated 2.86 million.)

“Today was a very busy day in Beijing,” Halter said, speaking from a hotel room overlooking just a portion of the Beijing skyline. “We started with a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce, which is the equivalent of our federal Department of Commerce. We met with the assistant minister (Wang Chao), who is responsible for the U.S.-China economic relationship.

“I expressed my concerns about the current ban on poultry produced in Arkansas in China as well as our desire to export rice to China, the world’s largest consumer of rice.”

The Lieutenant Governor raised this same concern Tuesday, while speaking with the Chinese vice minister of foreign affairs.

Halter and six other lieutenant governors also visited Beijing’s Dashanzi Art District, a bustling artist community situated among decommissioned military factory buildings. Later, they toured Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

On Thursday, the lieutenant governors are schedule to visit the Industrial Zone of Zhengzhou, formerly a regional agricultural center whose industrial base has expanded considerably over the past 60 years. Also planned is a visit to the Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist monastery best known to the Western world for its association with Chinese martial arts, particularly Shaolin Kung Fu.

[GeneChing]

Living like a monk means eating coleslaw in silence before sunrise?

Manalapan High School students make 'indescribable' journey to China (http://www.app.com/article/20090831/NEWS/908310347/1004/NEWS01/Manalapan+High+School+students+make++indescribable ++journey+to+China)
By Joshua Riley • FREEHOLD BUREAU • August 31, 2009

MANALAPAN — A Manalapan High School teacher had two days before spring break to find four student adventurers to take along on a trip to China.
Advertisement

"Hi. You don't know me, and I don't know you, but can I take your kid to China?" was her rendition of the calls she made to parents.

And on Aug. 1, teacher Heather Sullivan and students Cory Bolotsky, Kim Gennaro, Caitlin Silk and Drew Regino, all rising seniors, were whisked away to Beijing.

Following their recent return, the students said they had still had difficulty describing the journey that took them to the Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium and Water Cube, hiking along the Great Wall and visiting the home of the warrior monks, the Shaolin Temple.

But Bolotsky gave it his best shot.

"(It was) an indescribable, unique, once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and every day was filled with infinite cultural paradigm shifts and remarkable experiences," he said.

The experiences were as daring as eating duck brains and as culturally eye-opening as visiting a Chinese home where design and customs are tied to feng shui beliefs.

Being chosen for the trip was a tremendous stroke of luck. Ten teachers choosing four students each were selected from schools across the country to pilot Discovery Student Adventures, run by the Discovery Communications' education division. The Discovery Channel is one of its products.

The trips sent students and teachers to Australia, South Africa and China free of charge to help promote the paid trips in the future.

Every minute of every day they spent in China was packed with learning experiences, the students said.

They visited the Urban Planning Center that contains models of cityscapes. Each building has symbolic meaning, they learned. One building is shaped like a dragon, and another, a microchip.

While in Beijing, they learned to cook Chinese dishes with a chef and visited the Forbidden City and campus of last summer's Olympic games. They camped out next to the Great Wall and hiked it for six hours the next day.

Before returning home, the group spent four days in the Shaolin Temple kung fu school and spent a day living like a monk, waking up before sunrise to eat a silent, coleslaw-like breakfast.

Along the way, adventurers blogged and used Twitter to log their experiences. The writings are still available on http://dsachina.blogspot.com, and more information about the pilot trips and organization is available at http://discoverystudentadventures.com.
I didn't chase down the blogs.

[GeneChing]

Still haven't got to those blogs

Adventures in China remain with students (http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2009/0902/front_page/004.html)
BY DEVIN ALESSIO Staff Writer
Four Manalapan High School students and science teacher Heather Sullivan have returned from a 15-day trip to China, where they studied kung fu at a martial arts school, rode in rickshaws, and scaled the Great Wall of China.

CORY KEY Science teacher Heather Sullivan (l) was joined on a trip to China by Manalapan High School students (l-r) Cory Bolotsky, Caitlyn Silk, Kim Gennaro and Drew Regino.

The all-expense paid trip was organized by Discovery Student Adventures, the Discovery Channel's new division that coordinates international travel for students in grades 5-12.

Sullivan and two other teachers were chosen from more than 170 educator applicants nationwide to pilot the program's excursion to China. Each teacher was asked to select four students to experience the adventure as well.

Sullivan chose students Cory Bolotsky, 17, Kim Gennaro, 17, Caitlyn Silk, 17, and Drew Regino, 16. The other two teachers and eight students were from Wisconsin and California.

The Manalapan students are all starting their senior year of high school this week.

Sullivan applied for the trip because of her involvement in the Discovery Educator Network, which connects teachers who are passionate about integrating technology into the classroom to other educators.

"I never believed I would get picked to go abroad," Sullivan said. "I didn't tell anyone else that I applied for the trip either. Once I found out we were picked in March, things started happening very quickly. I had to choose which students I wanted to bring, ask their parents' permission, and secure our passports and visas."

Sullivan said Bolotsky, Gennaro, Silk and Regino were selected because they are good ambassadors for Manalapan and for America. They are confident, well-spoken, and able to absorb and communicate their cultural experiences with others, she said.

As part of the pilot program, the students were required to use the Internet to write daily about their activities, using blogs and Twitter, a microblogging service.

Silk blogged, " … We made dumplings in different shapes … I can't wait to show everyone my cooking skills when I get home!"

The students' blogs and tweets can still be read at http://dsachina.blogspot.com.

Bolotsky concurred, saying, "Chinese food in China is nothing like Chinese food in America."

The students said their most memorable moments including sampling duck brain and scorpion.

"Scorpion tastes like a crunchy french fry," Regino reminisced.

Other culturally enlightening experiences included visiting the "Bird's Nest," which was the Olympic Stadium that played host to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; experiencing a day in the life of a Shaolin monk; and visiting the home of a Chinese family to learn about culture and calligraphy.

The students also learned how to sing the song "Shaolin, Shaolin" in Chinese and presented it to their kung fu instructors and warrior monks.

The guests from the United States were surprised as to how different the Chinese education system is from the American education system. After visiting a school, the Americans learned that most Chinese students attend boarding school year-round and only return home for a spring holiday.

"I feel really grateful for my education … that I get such a good education," Silk said.

Bags have been unpacked and passports have been put away, but the students said their experiences in the Far East will stay with them forever.

Their teacher, Sullivan, said, "I have much more legitimacy when teaching 21st century skills in my classes. Anywhere you can go outside of your own comfort zone helps you. When you understand more, you can share better."

Gennaro agreed with Sullivan, saying, "I appreciate everything I have more now. I'm much more culturally aware."

The students want to share their enthusiasm about their trip and Chinese culture with others. They encourage any school or group that is interested in hearing about their trip to contact Sullivan at hsullivan@frhsd.com to schedule a presentation.

Sullivan said, "We want people to know that if you keep connections with others who are excited about the same things you are, you can go far."

[Lucas]

So this isnt a travel article, more of a petition for advice/tips, etc. But I figured as this involves traveling to Shaolin, this is a good place for it.

I've confirmed ill be traveling throughout Northern China next year, and of course I have to visit Shaolin. Giving myself a year to beef up my rough basic language skills is about all I have planned other than Beijing, Shanghai and Shaolin/Songshan Mountains.

This will be my first trip, so any tips or must see/do advice would be great as I set about to have a rough frame work of a plan for travel.

Such as, in someones opinion/experience, is there and if so where is the best city to visit the Great Wall? Other famous must see tourist spots, as well as some must see nonfamous nontourist spots.

thanks!

[GeneChing]

Abbot Shi Yan Zhang?

Shaolin disciple dreams up a kung fu school (http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1075958&lang=eng_news)
Central News Agency
2009-10-07 10:37 AM
By Flor Wang CNA staff writer

When Chang Ching-kuo dropped out of school and occasionally ran away from home at the age of nine, his future looked bleak.

Then, inspired by the films of Ashton Chen, a child kung fu star of the early 1990s, the Keelung native successfully begged his father to send him to the Songshan Shaolin Temple Film and TV Kungfu Academy in China's Henan province.

The move saved Chang's life, and now he harbors the dream of using martial arts training to help troubled youths, just as the Shaolin academy helped him.

"My biggest dream is to set up a nine-year martial arts school to help kids and teenagers who have lost their way to lead normal lives and build up their moral integrity," Chang says.

The idea crosses the 27-year-old's mind every time he sees children or teenage wasting their times in the streets or in Internet cafes.

"Seeing this always makes me feel that a kung fu school would be good for helping those kids get back on the right life path, " he says.

"Learning martial arts such as kung fu is really tiring and requires single-mindedness, but my personal experience is that kids like to spend some time studying after completing their kung fu practice for the day." Chang speaks from experience. His parents were divorced when he was only two years old, leaving his grandmother to look after him.

But she was too old to properly care for him, and he started running away from home and regularly missing classes after entering elementary school.

"Every member of my family thought I was hopeless, " he recalls ruefully.

In 1990, he entered the Songshan Shaolin Temple Film and TV Kungfu Academy -- an umbrella facility authorized by the Chinese government to teach children basic martial arts. There, Chang studied kung fu for five years.

"Those days were beset with difficulties, and it took me several years to adapt to the extremely restrictive and disciplined environment," he recalls.

"Apart from getting only bland meals, we had to get up at 4: 50 a.m. every day and start our training routine by running around the base of two nearby mountains. With senior students chasing us with whips, we had to run faster than rabbits," Chang says.

The students were also subjected to physical discipline by older students when their kung fu movements did not measure up.

"Our thighs often bore bruises, " Chang remembers, and resting in the dormitory often provided little respite from the daily hardships.

"During the night, more than 20 people would sleep on a two-level bed in a dormitory of about 100 square meters, " Chang says. "During the summer, we had to endure temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius without air conditioners or fans, while in the winter, we faced temperatures below zero while meditating." After five years of basic training at the academy, it was recommended that Chang attend the Songshan Shaolin Temple Monks Training Base Mission in 1994 and he became the first disciple from Taiwan of the Shaolin Temple at a time when relations across the Taiwan Strait were still sensitive.

He then was allowed to take part in a warrior monk group and performed around China in the following years until he returned to Taiwan in 2000 to serve his mandatory military service.

That, however, marked the start of a fresh setback in his private life. With just an elementary school education, he had trouble finding a well-paid job in Taiwan despite his martial arts mastery and ended up working in odd jobs as a construction worker, private security guard and waiter.

Not until he appeared on a local TV show in 2007 did he achieve some level of recognition, but even then, he was criticized for "fishing for fame." In the face of the mounting criticism, Hua Lin, secretary-general of the Taiwan Zen Buddhist Association, came to Chang's defense, praising his martial arts skills as a genuine accomplishment.

"Chang's hard qigong, such as punching, flying kicks, swordplay, iron head and weapon wielding, is really amazing and is evidence that Chang has mastered the techniques of the so-called 18 types of Chinese martial arts," Hua said.

The association now frequently invites Chang to teach Shaolin martial arts in different regions of the country. He also returns to the Songshan Shaolin Temple every year or two to perfect his techniques.

Speaking of the years he spent mastering kung fu in China, Chang attributes everything to destiny.

"I do not regret all the years I spent learning kung fu in China, even if I missed the chance to go to college in Taiwan, because it taught me to be a righteous man." Passionate about contributing to society, Chang regularly shows his concern for the underprivileged, visiting the Taichung Drug Abuse Treatment Center in central Taiwan to help addicts with their rehabilitation.

He also stages qigong performances for charity at nursery schools and institutions for the mentally challenged.

Establishing a kung fu school, though, remains Chang's major pursuit.

"Learning kung fu can help kids achieve a healthy state, both mentally and physically," he says. "As Abbot Shi Yan Zhang told me, a kung fu practitioner is nothing without a strong sense of morals. The main tenet of kung fu is to cultivate one's moral character." Hearing that the Miaoli County government is planning to establish a kung fu school next year, Chang wonders when his chance will come, acknowledging that his goal remains no more than a distant dream hindered by stiff challenges.

"Lacking support from the government or the private sector, it is a very difficult task," he laments.

Chang says, however, that he will not be deterred from his goal because he really wants to do something for troubled and temperamental children.

"My experience in Shaolin Temple made me aware that adults must find an appropriate method to educate this kind of hyperactive child, who can easily become a good for nothing by missing school or running away from home."

[GeneChing]

Love the 'foreign student' pic.

Kungfu and animal attraction (http://www.cctv.com/english/special/news/20091012/103211.shtml)
2009-10-12 14:56 BJT

Master Zhang Shengli believes kungfu frees the body and mind - and could eventually bring world peace.

To find the true heart of traditional kungfu, you need only look as far as the secluded hutongs behind the ever-crowded Wangfujing shopping area.

Here can be found a dozen teachers and students all displaying varying techniques and styles: from the energetic art of Shaolin kungfu to the explosive attacking xingyiquan, which imitates the various movement of animals.

Movements of the monkey, snake, hawk, dragon, **** and bear can be copied and have a powerful impact on your opponent. There is also the peaceful taijiquan, which is centered on breathing contol and internal strength.

"Martial arts are not just for the Chinese people to enjoy, but everyone in the world," said master Zhang, who started learning kungfu more than 30 years ago. He has studied at the famous Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain and performed for the United Nations.

In 2002, he founded the Beijing Milun School of Traditional Kungfu and, today, it has more than 30 students and five teachers. "Here, everyone is welcome," said Sabrina, a student of Zhang's since 1997. "It is very difficult to find a good martial arts teacher if you are a foreigner and do not speak Chinese. It is very limited for outsiders, so the focus here has been to give more foreign students the opportunity to learn traditional kungfu."

Students from beginner to advanced levels can start at any time.

"Students come and go, especially if they are traveling a lot between Beijing and their home countries, but we want them to feel they learn something here that they would not learn anywhere else," he said.

Kungfu does not just offer strength, concentration and coordination, it also holds the key to many facets of Chinese culture and history, and the costumes and ancient weaponry that decorate the school help to give students a more rounded education of martial arts, he said.

Zhang wants his top students to take the skills and messages of kungfu around the globe, and believes teaching is not just a job, but his duty. Kungfu, after all, could bring world peace.

"Martial arts is not just about kicking and punching, or being big and strong. It is about changing your thought process," said Zhang. "What's the point of practicing martial arts if your mind is not right?

"Martial makes you become a more beautiful person from the inside and makes bad energy disappear."

[GeneChing]

This is part of Global News Day for Children (http://www.chinaview.cn/ucd2009/). Click for 10 pics.

Kung Fu child and his Shaolin dream (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/13/content_12449636.htm)
www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-13 14:51:47

He Minxian, a 9-year-old kid, bellows to lend impetus and strength during a team training class in the Shaolin Tagou Kung Fu (Martial Art) Institute at the foot of Mountain Song in Dengfeng, a city of central China's Henan Province, Oct. 12, 2009.
Little He Minxian, a common student of this private-running school, renowned as the "No.1 Shaolin Kung Fu Institute of China", was sent here 5 years ago due to his awkward temper by his parents, who run clothing business in Shanghai. After being separated with his parents, He Minxian devoted his whole childhood to the exercise room of this school.
It was a long and harsh period of time for little He Minxian. Some 5 years passed, this unbending and lovely boy, by means of his great interest, strong comprehension and huge willpower, has become a skilled "kid of Shaolin", performing an outstanding martial art. He ever took part in the performance of some crucial activities like the opening ceremony for the 2008 Paralympics and the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China last October.In the Shaolin Tagou Kung Fu Institute, around 24,000 students like He Minxian learn Chinese Kung Fu. The school opened courses including Kung Fu patterns, free boxing, boxing, taekwondo, and Kung Fu performance. Besides, an integrated education system has been formed at the institute, containing full-time nursery, primary school, secondary school and college. A large number of children presented themselves an enriched and happy childhood. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

[GeneChing]

Shi Yonghan celebrates his 80th!

Former martial monk recalls his Kungfu days at Shaolin Temple (http://www.cctv.com/english/special/news/20100111/103239.shtml)
2010-01-11 15:37 BJT

He left home at 6 years old to become a monk and returned to a secular life at the age of 20. Having participated in a lot of national competitions and performances and received a number of awards, he is famous as "one of 18 Shaolin boxers". He set up the first martial arts school in Dengfeng, and has cultivated batches of martial arts and professional talents. He has gone abroad many times and helped promote the Shaolin martial arts in the world. He is Shi Yonghan, one of thirty third-generation monks who had resumed a secular life. On January 7, he shared stories of his early life as a monk with our reporter and revealed his wish to reunite with the monks who underwent the training with him at his 80th birthday celebration.

Many years of habit

Up at dawn to exercise and recite scripture

Shi Yonghan’s secular name is Mao Wenhua, and is also known as Mao Yonghan. He was born on January 26, 1930 and he lives in Xindian Village, Zhongyue Sub-district in Dengfeng. On January 7, our reporters got a glance of Shi at the Ganlutai in the west of the Shaolin Temple doing exercises, which included large flood boxing, small flood boxing, cannon boxing, long and broad sword, long spear, and tree stump training (using breathing techniques to hit the stump with every part of the body).

He squatted and stretched his fists horizontally while holding his breath in his stomach before suddenly pushing himself onto a big poplar, which shook drastically, with branches rustling and leaves falling. Shi remained calm and was at peace before he concluded with an easy countenance, and nothing revealed that he was 80.

Shi told our reporter that the secret of his health was that he still follows the habits he developed when he was at the Shaolin Temple. He would get up at 4:00 am, run a lap around the village road, and then go into the forest of poplars to do basic exercises.

After the exercises, our reporter followed him to his house. There was a hall for worshipping the Buddha on the second floor, and just like the monks in the temple, he burned incenses, read scripture and tapped the wooden fish lightly. After all was done, he shared with the reporter the memories deeply-embedded in his heart.

Left home to become a monk

He was “sold” to the Temple because of family poverty

According to Shi, he was the third eldest of 6 children in his very poor family. His parents called him Wenhua (Chinese for "culture"). In 1936, when he was 6 years old, a great drought hit Dengfeng between summer and autumn, leaving no harvest. His family decided to flee from the famine to Shaanxi and with their fates uncertain, his parents, baring the pain, reluctantly sold him to Xuantian Temple which was affiliated with the Shaolin Temple to be a monk. Holding him in her arms, his mother cried, "Wenhua, you must be strong. If we cannot return home in the future, you must learn wisdom and martial arts." His family received some corn from the temple as traveling expense in exchange and headed for Shaanxi.

He was picked among many to become an elite martial monk

After converting to a monk, his name was changed to Shi Yonghan. He became a disciple of Master Shi Hangchao in the Xuntian Temple. Later due to his hard work and martial arts talent, he was taken in by Master Shen Gen as a disciple, before becoming the last disciple of Master Ke Zhu.

"At that time, there were 109 monks in Shaolin Temple altogether. Although most monks took training exercises, there were only 18 temple protection monks, which were referred to as Eighteen Disciples of the Buddha. During that time, the warrior monks were called temple protection monks, and not all monks in the Shaolin Temple could become warrior monks." In recollection, Shi said that, whether a monk would be chosen as a warrior monk depended on the identification of his master and his talent in martial arts. It was a very strict process, almost one out of a hundred.

Once a monk became a warrior monk, his top priority was to train and his second priority was studying scripture.

Shi at 6 years-old, bore in mind his mother's instructions. Every day he would get up at 3:00 am, run to the mountain behind the Shaolin Temple and back, before doing body exercises in a quiet place. According to Shi, this was called"meng gong," meaning exercising Kung fu in solitude. Almost everybody was engaged in this kind of exercises then.

The time came for group training, and his peers gathered in Ganlutai to the west of the Shaolin Temple to do exercises.

Shi stayed at the Shaolin Temple for 14 years, and became a master of all kinds of martial arts, such as light skills, mastery skills, Shaolin boxing and apparatus. He was referred to as "fleet feet," and his skills with a double-bladed sword were an especially special skill in Shaolin martial arts. When he was training with double blades, he was so proficient that not even water would penetrate through the blades.

Shi was also good at bell lifting. In refection, the bell in the Shaolin Temple was 200 kilograms in weight. In the beginning, he could only lift the bell slightly from the earth, but he gradually lifted it higher and higher, and in the end, he could lift it to the chest. He lifted the bell 50 times daily. He had immense arm power, and was claimed as an iron-armed monk.

After he had made some achievement, just as other warrior monks, he advanced to the Temple of One Thousand Buddha to do set pattern at first. "one of the swales made on the earth of the temple was made by me." According to him, with the skill enhanced everyday, he start to learn stump beating and lifting in order to make himself an iron body.

[GeneChing]

..from above


The pictures of training when he was a child are still vivid for Shi, just as if it happened yesterday.

Shi said that in training, three layers of sweat needed to be shed. The first layer was called sweat of confusion, the second was sticky sweat, and the third was cool sweat. Sweat of confusion came out earlier during the training that was of no use. The second layer came out when the training was improved and the third layer was between sweat and oil could only be shed by people who had achieved a high enough level of kung fu and was entitled the right to sleep.

Then monks usually slept in a shared bed, and the temple protection monks slept on benches that were a little bit wider than the current benches. It was about 40 centimeters wide, fit for one body and one turn would result in falling to the ground.

Things were better in summer. In winter, the Shaolin Temple was extremely cold. According to him, he shared a thin quilt with three little monks, and they slept on the benches with mats on it. It was too cold for the little monks to fall asleep and they went to the depositary of Buddhist texts to train, and the sounds sometimes woke the master, who would come and give instructions.

Shi said at that time, the method and postures adopted in training were primitive and dangerous. Because of this, quite a few temple protection monks quit.

Regulations and commandments

When going out, monks must wear a long gown and a hat

The temple is very strict with warrior monks. For instance, when going out for a fair, all the monks are required to wear a long gown and hat, and monks’ clothing is forbidden. This regulation is not only to prevent the outside world’s interference with the monks, but also to stop outsiders from coming to the Shaolin Temple in case a monk stirs up trouble.

At the age of 16, Shi missed his family very much, so he begged his master to let him visit his relatives who left for Shaanxi province. Only after giving him several strict rules to observe during his journey did his Master allow Shi to go.

Shi said that he still clearly remembers his master's instructions. First, stay at an inn for the night after dark, and set out late in the morning. Second, do not disturb others and stay out of trouble. Third, never mention that he is from the Shaolin Temple or who his master is. Fourth, never show off his martial arts and fifth, be cautious and alert.

While recalling the story, Shi said he arrived in Lingbao Country by noon on the third day of his travels. When he was about to eat lunch at a restaurant, he suddenly heard a lot of people crying behind him, "Watch out! That horse is startled. Get away!"

Looking over his shoulders, Shi saw a big black horse running frantically while dragging a plough behind. In a blink, the horse dashed towards Shi and with no time for thinking, Shi turned around and jumped to the sky. Grabbing the horse's neck, he leaped on its back, and held the startled horse down tightly to the ground with his martial arts. Instantly, the plough flew over his head.

The startled horse was finally subdued, yet the crowd had not yet recovered from astonishment. Shi stood up, dusted his clothes, and strode away, leaving the amazed audience behind, which were saying, "He must be from the Shaolin Temple."

Practice Kung fu even on the Chinese New Year Day

The sun was already well up in the sky after the monks finished practicing Kung fu. They began to eat their breakfast of steamed millet and sweet potatoes. The lunch is relatively richer. Six monks sat around a table occupied by three dishes and one bowl of soup, namely radish, Chinese cabbage, bean curd, and a bowl of millet soup. Every monk had corn cake as their staple food and they ate noodles for supper.

A monk named Yong Han said that the temple provides relatively better food on the first and fifteenth days of every month, allowing monks a meal of bean curd, vermicelli and flour slices. In addition, on August 15, the temple provides cakes made from Chinese dates taking the place of moon cakes.

On New Year’s Eve, monks will read Buddhist scriptures from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. On the first day of the Chinese New Year, monks will first set off firecrackers and then read Buddhist scripture. At 7:00 am, they eat dumplings filled with bean curd, vermicelli and radish. After breakfast, they begin to read Buddhist scriptures and they present tributes to every sacred statue and do not stop reading Buddhist scriptures until noon. In the afternoon, they will be free and some young monks will go play in the mountains. However, they must still practice Kung fu in the evening. All monks will go to bed at 10:00 pm.

Those who doze off during schooling were slapped on the hand

Apart from martial arts, Shi said that little monks who just entered the Shaolin Temple also received regular schooling, mainly learning four courses, Chinese, common knowledge, math and history. At that time, the little monks always had classes in the Temple together with the neighborhood children.

Because Shi had to get up in the early morning to practice martial arts, he always dozed off during afternoon classes. As a result, Shi was always punished physically by the teacher. After the punishment, the teacher would asked him what he would do in the future, and of course he answered that he would correct himself next time. Then he followed the teacher and read aloud, "Watch new books that include both text and pictures."

New Year's wish

Spend his 80th birthday with his fellow monks

In 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded. At that time, the government required that all monks who were sold to the Shaolin Temple before the PRC was founded to be allowed to resume secular life and go home. Consequently, Shi left the Shaolin Temple, and returned home to farm. He named himself Mao Yonghan, and was given a job as a cook in a state-owned forest farm within Dengfeng. He spent his spare time teaching others martial arts. In the 1980s, the film "Shaolin Temple" was widely broadcasted, and Shaolin Kung fu became famous both at home and abroad. Shi was always invited to attend competitions and give performances and won many awards at home and abroad, thus becoming one of the 18 renowned Shaolin boxing masters. After Shi retired, he opened the first martial arts school in Dengfeng, the Shaolin Martial Arts School.

In 1987, Henan TV broadcasted the feature "Shaolin Monk – Mao Yonghan" during primetime. The feature was the first to deal with Shaolin martial arts since the reform and opening-up policy was launched, which played an important role in passing down and promoting the Shaolin martial arts.

With time elapsing, 60 years have passed. The place where the monks lived has been changed into a vegetarian restaurant, the guest room into the abbot’s room, the place where the abbot lived into the place where Buddhism is practiced, and the classroom into storage for books and pictures.

Shi recalled that at that time, half of the monks who protected the temple were locals, and half were people from other places. Senior and junior fellow apprentices included Chang Qing, Su Lai, Xing Dao, Ying Fang, and Ying Chang. Chang Qing and Su Lai joined the army and went to Beijing after PRC was founded in 1949. Now 60 years have passed, and monks who protected the temple at that time are already in their eighties or nineties. Maybe only a few are still alive.

Shi said that elderly people always want to recall things that happened in the past, and he now misses his senior and junior fellow apprentices very much. "Dozens of years have passed, and I do not know how they are. I am eager to see them again." Shi's 80th birthday is coming, and seeing his senior and junior fellow apprentices is the gift that will make him the happiest.

I've never met Mao Yonghan, but I'd love to now.

[GeneChing]

I almost put this in our Bollywood Kung-Fu!! thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48576), but had a last minute change of heart.


Gong-fu with Kanishka Sharma (http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_gong-fu-with-kanishka-sharma_1365571)
Soumyadipta Banerjee / DNA
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 10:59 IST

Mumbai: Remember the 36 Chambers of Shaolin? The Hollywood blockbuster showed what rigorous disciplines the monks of the Shaolin Temple go through to become a warrior monk. Well, now Mumbai will soon have its own Shaolin Monk to teach them the ancient art of Gong Fu. And who else can better do it than the first and the best Indian Shaolin Monk? Meet Kanishka Sharma, who is always on call for top Bollywood stars like John Abraham, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra et al whenever they have to get kicking on the screen.

“I am working towards opening an academy in Mumbai where I can teach martial arts to the citizens of Mumbai. I haven’t finalised the location yet but in all probability, it will come up in Andheri west,” says Kanishka Sharma, the first Indian graduate of the original Shaolin Temple in Beijing.

“My teacher Xian Ji is the disciple of the first main guru of the Shaolin temple. I also had to go through numerous rigorous exercises to graduate from the temple. For example, I had to squat on a horse for hours together. At the end of the programme, I got a Chinese name too, it was Shiyong Xin. I want to impart the same quality of education in India,” says Kanishka, who also taught Akshay Kumar the Seven Deadly Arts in an international television reality show.

Sources also say that the school might also be used as training ground for Army commandoes though Kanishka remains mum for it. “All I can tell you is that I’m already a consultant with the Indian army and the patramilitary forces and I teach them martial arts. I also specialise in Pekidi-tirsia-kali, (a high-risk combat art that aims at killing your opponent),” he says, adding that he has also joined the special Indian Government cell that aims at countering terrorist attacks.

36 Chambers of Shaolin a Hollywood blockbuster?
Original Shaolin Temple in Beijing?
Shiyong Xin?
:rolleyes:

[David Jamieson]

I almost put this in our Bollywood Kung-Fu!! thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48576), but had a last minute change of heart.


36 Chambers of Shaolin a Hollywood blockbuster?
Original Shaolin Temple in Beijing?
Shiyong Xin?
:rolleyes:

Maybe he should call the Order of Chan and get them to help him with that...:rolleyes:


:D

[GeneChing]

My dentist is a kung fu guy - an eagle claw specialist - good for pulling teeth.

Kung fu gold for Castle Hill dentist (http://hills-shire-times.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/kung-fu-gold-for-castle-hill-dentist/)
05 Apr 10 @ 03:43pm by BRIAN KARLOVSKY

CASTLE Hill resident Michael Fong is not your average dentist.

Take one look at him performing his spinning-thunder-kick and you will understand why.

The former world martial arts champion (2000) is an expert in kung fu and recently won two gold medals at the legendary Shaolin temple in Quangzhou, China.

He won first place in the weapons category (using a broad sword) and a first prize in the Mens Wu Chu open Form.

Fong, 37, who was first taught by his father when he was four years old said: “Kung fu just runs in the blood for my family.”

Fong teaches a class of 50 every Friday at Baulkam Hills Community Hall and has won over 35 international, national and state martial arts tournaments.

He claims to be able hold down an opponent with only two fingers, using inner energy called “fung” and said his sifu, or teacher James Chee,50, could make a person faint without even touching them using the next level of energy called “chee”.

“It might sound incredible,” he said. “When I first started I thought this can’t be real but it is, if you find a genuine master.”

Fong told The Hills Shire Times he was personally selected by the late Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong to teach the “Open Mountain” kung fu form back to the chief instructor of the southern Shaolin Temple in Quanzhou, China. Originally from Shaolin, the “Open Mountain” form was one of many disciplines lost when the southern Shaolin temple was razed by Qing dynasty warlords.

After practising a traditional sytle of kung fu called Shaolin Wu Chuan for over 20-years, Fong hopes to one day be able to move his opponent by “chee” alone - like his master. Fong said disciples of kung fu get stronger as they get older and he said he looks forward to moving an opponent without touching him.

[GeneChing]

New on our ezine: A Shaolin Summer (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=896) by Leila Dehghan, just in time for our Shaolin Special 2010 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56633).

[GeneChing]

Now there's a great pic.
http://www.thesweetscience.com/images/17392/get_attachment_aspx_240x230_20100513.jpg


TSS Q n A: Evander Holyfield, Part III (http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/8022/tss-evander-holyfield-part-iii/)
By Zhenyu Li

"God give you the opportunity. You can't choose your beginning, but you can choose the end on how you want to end." —— Evander Holyfield

In the previous two episode of this interview, Holyfield talked with me about his seemingly endless inspiration, how he was influenced by the world-renowned Chinese Kung Fu master Bruce Lee, his perspective on China, and his bond with this oriental nation.

Putting the last stroke on Holyfield's "China Journey" in this episode, the ring legend revealed how he benefited from the legendary Chinese Shaolin training program, his take on the connection between Kung Fu and boxing, and some secrets of his training regimen.


Zhenyu Li: So you came down here for the purpose of scouting some fighters. What've you gotten so far?

Holyfield: I got the opportunity to meet the head monk (of Shaolin Temple). He taught me about what he teaches young people. You know, he got 60 million followers. And I'd like to say, wow, what people have in common. I think the same way! I learned that, for the winner, winning a competition is more than just ego. It's about how you've been taught. You learned it. You didn't forget it and you passed it on. You keep passing it on and this is how this country (China, with a 5000-year history) keeps getting better and better and better. Then, I complimented his program.

And you know, being taught is different from being trained. At this school (Shaolin Temple), they train people. What they do in training is that you speak and you make sure that they do it. So this is training. I am a fighter, so I know what it means to be trained. They tell you what to do and make sure you do it. And they know you can do it.

When you teach a person, you don't know whether he can apply (it or not). You just give him the knowledge and he goes home and says I know it, then you'll wonder why is it that person doesn't prosper in life, 'cause that person didn't apply what he knew. He can take it in, but he is lazy, he is not accustomed to applying it. You know, people got different attitudes and all that.

When you do get disappointment, what are you going to do? In this same program, they teach these kids to be able to concentrate, in a time of difficulty. What they were teaching these kids was to be able to concentrate when things were hard, and be willing to stand up and counter. I was VERY impressed.

So I kinda felt that this program will change a LOT of lives. All my life as a kid, we were taught that Kung Fu is the best thing you can do. All the kids, they started young and they all wanted to do Kung Fu. The reason is that Kung Fu is structured; it's technically-sound; you have to be good to go through a lot of different tests.

To be a street fighter, you just go out and do what you do. But for Kung Fu guys, you have to get the techniques, and you have to be judged in your forms.

Zhenyu Li: You've been such a great achiever in boxing and in the addition learned something from the Chinese Shaolin training program. From a professional's prospective, what do you see in the traditional art of Chinese Kung Fu, and the connection between the Mixed Martial Art and boxing?

Holyfield: Boxing is not self-defense. You have to be aggressive. You have to attack all the time. So in that sense, it allows you to have a different attitude than in Kung Fu.

So unless you want both of them to be successful, if you always defend yourself all the time and not to attack, finally you'll find yourself get knocked out. If you’re just being passive, your opponent will push you back and you'll end up losing your ground.

You got this big old country, if you are too passive, then somebody will move to your country, and then push you out of the country. So, you know, you cannot be too passive. You gotta have both and to stand strong.

Zhenyu Li: MMA is becoming huge in America and some top-tier pro boxers have expressed their interest in MMA. What's your opinion about it?

Holyfield: I've never fought with a Kung Fu guy. My whole experience is in boxing. For Kung Fu, you have to be a lot more dedicated, flexible and all that. (It requires) a LOT of discipline and patience. It takes time to do it. As a young kid, I just wanted to do something; I didn't want to take pains and time to grasp a complicated technique, you know, because at the time I didn't understand what that was for. All I wanted to do is to be better than somebody else. So when you get into martial art, you have to be able to concentrate and do all of those great things, but when I was a kid, I didn't understand all these. I just wanted to make it work on somebody; I wanted to do it on somebody; I wanted to do the things that really work.

I learned that Kung Fu is not meant to take advantage of somebody, but to protect oneself.

Zhenyu Li: One of the advantages that some Chinese boxers have is that they were once Kung Fu practitioners, which is good for their balance, dexterity and so forth. Shiming Zou is a good example. He is a two-time world champion and a hot favorite for an Olympic gold. Have you ever heard of him?

Holyfield: He's a lightweight.

Zhenyu Li: Yeah, light flyweight.

Holyfield: Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I was once trying to sign him. But you know, there are about four or five people out of America trying to get him. Hehehe, oh, my. who wouldn't want to have him?

Realistically, you know, I'd LOVE to have him. Because people (here in China with a number of over 1.3 billion) would love me.

People would think, if I am great, whom I am with is supposed to be great too. With him, he has already done this by himself. So there will be a bigger promotion and all this, which would be good for him. It won't depend on who his manager is and how they want to do it.

I have a game plan to take advantage of... you know, people like me. Then I could help promote somebody's product here. You know, this country will be the number one power in the future. You know, America is going down like this. It's gonna be China that will be the high power.

Zhenyu Li: I've been curious about the fact that you look fabulous for your age, both inside and outside the ring. Are there any hidden secrets in your training regimen? What's your typical day like, when you are in training?

Holyfield: You know, that depends. When I am at home, I train like five days a week. You are not supposed to get out of shape. But it's not the shape you build up that leads you to winning a fight. When I prepare for a fight, I train six days a week; twice a day.

When I was younger, I used to train a lot harder. I always wanted to do more than my opponent. I could remind myself that, you know what, I do some that he doesn't do. That should be the driving force. But when I got older, I found that, you know what, your body couldn't do that, 'cause your body easily got tired. Now instead of running everyday, I run every other day.

When your body gets too tired, you have to pull back, because when you are older, your body takes a little more time to recover, so you can't do the things that will burn yourself out. It'll wear your body out, like this. So when I was young, I was able to recover my body in ten minutes, like, I am ready to go again. But when you get older, when your body gets tired, it takes time to recuperate, and you don't have much time to recuperate when you are in a fight.

You know, I learned a LOT of things when I reached the age of 30. When you want to do something physically, your body will say OK do it, but you'll pay afterwards. So I had to learn to make adjustments.

So that's what I found that I was doing. At the last phase of my career, I was just... you know, my body is trying to make me lazy.

Zhenyu Li: I heard that you were planning to claim the world heavyweight title for the fifth time, right?

Holyfield: One more time, one more time. I need to finish it.

Life is about how you finish. Regardless of how much money you earned in your life time, if you die broke, you are a broke man. It's how you end that defines you, not how you came up. God gave you the opportunity. You can't choose your beginning, but you can choose how you want to end.

Zhenyu Li: Perfect. I truly wish you success. Thank you very much for your time, Evander.

Holyfield: Thank you. Any time.

[GeneChing]

Shi Yan...haaaaaa, like that tells you who it is...:rolleyes:

Kung Fu Kids (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kung-fu-kids/635871/)
Posted: Sat Jun 19 2010, 05:32 hrs

City children return from China with training in martial art

Their classmates may be making most of the summer holidays watching remake of the 80s classic 'The Karate Kids' running successfully in theatres, but this group of seven middle school students are back from China with lessons in Kung Fu from the Shaolin school. “It was a three-day training in the martial art and we learned some wonderful things,” chirps an excited Samyak Jain, class VII student of The Millennium School. “The Kung Fu discipline is based on the characteristics of five animals—monkey, crane, snake, tiger and mantis an insect that hops,” he adds.

“We went to Dang Feng, where Epo College of the famous Shaolin chambers is located and trained under Shi Yan, the shifu, or the master, who was with us for three days, teaching us the finer points,” said Sami Chowdhry of Class VIII, adding that they were all awarded certificates at the end of the programme stating that they were eligible now to graduate from the college.

And would they give it a serious thought in future? “Of course,” says Sami.

“Kung Fu was developed by Buddhist monks for self-defence and it is a practice that requires deep concentration. In that respect, the experience was extremely enriching and we would be applying the rules in everything we do,” says Swati Kulkarni, who was promoted to class VII this year. The students volunteered for a trip organised by Terra, a Delhi-based agency, to go to China for the crash course and also do some sight seeing. Good, they had been prepared beforehand with a practical knowledge of Cantonese to take care of the communication.

“Besides Dang Feng (it means 'small forest') where we were trained, we also went to Beijing and Shanghai...the buildings, infrastructure, etc were amazing,” gushes Vriddhi Jhunjhunwala. The kids were impressed by the practice of riding bicycles and habit of taking public transport among the Chinese citizens, instead of moving in private petrol/diesel-driven vehicles. “It contributes majorly to curbing pollution, despite the largest population in the world,” says Suyash Tiwari. “The children had given a Kung Fu performance during our annual day and that is where we got the idea to send them for hands on training in the martial art to China,” says sports teacher of the school, Deepak Rajput. “Good to see, they are all kicked about the trip.”

[GeneChing]

Kalari (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=514)seems on the rise. Remember Holy Mountain (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55137)?

India-China martial arts meet at Shaolin temple (http://sify.com/news/india-china-martial-arts-meet-at-shaolin-temple-news-international-kgvgkcigbbc.html)
2010-06-21 06:10:00

Martial arts experts from China and India met at the Shaolin Temple, famous as one of the holy sites of the art of Kung fu, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Twelve Indian martial arts experts from the Nithya Chaithanya Kalari Indian martial arts training centre, founded in 1993 by Murugan Gurakal, performed Kalaripayattu Sunday alongside monks of the Shaolin Temple, who performed Kung fu.

'Shaolin Kung fu is the father of Chinese martial arts and Kalari is the mother of Indian martial arts,' Murugan Gurakal, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Gurakal hoped his countrymen could learn a lot from Shaolin Kung fu.

The Indian experts performed Kalarippayattu styles like long stick fighting, knife fighting, sword, shield and flexible swords, while the Shaolin monks performed Kung fu including Tung Chi Gong, Er-zhi-zen and Eighteen Weapons.

Shi Yanhao, a monk who performed Tiger Fist, said he was 'happy to see the mysterious Indian martial arts'.

[GeneChing]

It beats camp rock, I suppose

Overseas Chinese youth learn Kung Fu in Shaolin Temple (http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/7087735.html)
16:43, July 30, 2010

A group of foreign youth of Chinese origin learned Chinese Kung Fu from monks in Shaolin Temple in China's Henan Province on July 29, according to Chinanews.com.

As a part of their trip to seek roots in China, the 50 youths from seven countries, including America, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden, participated in the "Kung Fu Camp."

The summer camp for foreign youths of Chinese origin was co-organized by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government, enabling a total of 2,100 youngsters of Chinese ancestry to seek their roots in China.

By Ye Xin,People's Daily Online
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/mediafile/201007/30/P201007301644335980325128.jpg

[GeneChing]

I'm glad he had a good time. :cool:

Local Trains At Shaolin Temple (http://www.theeveningleader.com/content/view/260755/1/)
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
http://www.theeveningleader.com/images/stories/10-10-11%20china%20trip.jpg
Photo provided: Dave Weaver, far right, recently returned from a trip to China to study different forms of martial arts. Weaver is the co-owner of Iron Bear Martial Arts in Celina.

By MICHELLE STEIN
Staff Writer
CELINA — Martial arts instructor Dave Weaver recently returned from the trip of a lifetime. Weaver spent six days training at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province, China. The trip lasted from Sept. 3-17, which included seven days of training, as well as time for sight seeing.
“A guy I train with had been urging me to go with him — he had made several trips to China — so I finally told him I would,” Weaver said.
Weaver said he trained each day with eight other students between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., took a break for lunch, and then went back for more training from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“The training was extremely rigorous,“ he said. “It was pretty incredible, the area where we were staying was about a mile, maybe a mile and a half down a real steep hill.”
The group learned two traditional Shaolin Shou Gong forms as well as kung fu exercises, he said. On the seventh and last day of training, the nine students took and passed a test over the skills they had learned. All of them received a certificate from the Shaolin Temple. In the general area, Weaver said there are 45,000 kung fu students. What struck Weaver the most about the people he encountered in Henan province was their dedication to the martial arts, he said.
“They are the most dedicated trained people I’ve ever seen and I’ve been in the martial arts since 1981,” Weaver said. “They start training at sun-up and you’ll see them training at 10 at night. They train all day. I’ve never seen anything like it. They are unbelievable. I’m 48 now, so I still work out hard, but it’s just truly amazing that they’re just always training. That explains why they’re able to do just some incredible feats.”
During his seven days of training, Weaver said he roomed with a well-known tae kwan do master, Phil Cunningham.
“My roommate was basically a tae kwan do legend,” Weaver said. “He actually is considered the founder of tae kwan do in Afghanistan. My initial martial art that I started in was tae kwan do, so it was really cool to be with him. He’s an incredible fighter. It was sure an honor to room with him and train with him.”
Cunningham has trained and promoted over 900 black belts, Weaver said. He was a well-known tournament fighter in the 1970s.
“The other really incredible thing was we actually met the head abbot of the Shaolin Temple,“ Weaver said. “The abbot is equivalent to basically the pope, or the Dalai Llama.”
Weaver stressed how rare this opportunity was to meet Head Abbot Shi Yongxin as typically people such as presidents or prime ministers have this honor.
“People that go there to train, really, don’t get a chance to meet the abbot,“ he said. “We actually sat down in his chambers and talked about the history of martial arts. So it was a real opportunity and it was so nice to meet him. We spoke through a translator, but the translator was very fluent in English.”
In addition to meeting a couple of well-known figures in the world of martial arts, Weaver said he was able to experience Chinese cuisine while in Henan province.
“The food was rather unique, to say the least,” he said. “They had some strange dishes. One they kept bringing to us was this chicken soup, but it had like the whole rooster head in it, and like the talons would be sticking out of the soup.”
Despite being apprehensive about the food, Weaver said he would take the opportunity to train at the Shaolin Temple again in a heartbeat.
“Without a doubt, I would definitely like to try to do that again,” he said. “It was incredible, you know. It was a trip of a lifetime and I saw some wild things. I do know one thing, I’ll probably try to pack my own food when I go.”
Weaver is a co-owner of Iron Bear Martial Arts, which holds classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings at the YMCA in Celina. Among the martial arts taught by Iron Bear are tae kwon do, ryu kyu kempo and jujitsu.

[GeneChing]

Shaolin Training in China: From Expectation to Reality (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=931) by Clemente Liberto

[GeneChing]

Odd indeed. If his bride was smoking hot, we would all have to kowtow to him.

Shaolin master, 98, marries bride, 43 (http://life.globaltimes.cn/odd/2010-11/597619.html)
* Source: Global Times
* [08:48 November 30 2010]

http://www.globaltimes.cn/attachment/101130/443425b851.gif

A simple but special wedding with a big red "Xi"(double happiness) character hanging behind three party tables marked the first marriage of 98-year-old Shaolin master, Fang Taishan, and his 43-year-old bride, Yang, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province on November 24.

Yang said, "He is a hero. To marry him was my idea, my good luck and my happiness. I am willing to accompany him on the last trip of his life." Fang has a led a legendary life. He learned Thai martial arts in Guangdong at age 9, and two years later he went to practice martial arts at the Shaolin Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. In 1946, Fang joined in the revolutionary army and in 1950 became the bodyguard for famed general Ye Jianying. Today Fang has more than 3,000 disciples.

"At first, we didn't believe this wedding would come true," said an adopted son of Fang's. "But he was serious about this."

[GeneChing]

06. 12. 10. - 14:00
No Fu like an old Fu (http://austriantimes.at/news/Around_the_World/2010-12-06/28897/No_Fu_like_an_old_Fu_)

Great-gran Zhao Yufang has amazed fitness fans with her astonishing feats of kung-fu - at the age of 82.

Yufang - a master in Shaolin kung fu and T'ai Chi - has also studied yoga for more than 70 years and performs her eye-watering feats of flexibility every day in a park near her home in the Chinese capital Beijing.

"I have always led a simple life. I gave up eating meat so long ago I cannot remember what it tastes like and I exercise for three hours a day," she explained.

"When I was a girl no master would teach me kung fu so I taught myself - and then I went back to the school and beat the master until he apologised," she added.

http://austriantimes.at/picture/21dfao5k.jpg/
http://austriantimes.at/picture/45mztcxt.jpg/
http://austriantimes.at/picture/0q3gvnfw.jpg/
The older I get, the more respect I have for elderly tongizgong practitioners.

[GeneChing]

This one doesn't say Shaolin as overtly. The photos say it all.


82-year-old woman creates herself unique body exercise (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2010-12/05/c_13635621.htm)
English.news.cn 2010-12-05 10:33:09

Eighty-two-year-old Zhao Yufang stretches her leg in the residential compound she lives in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 4, 2010. Zhao created herself a unique body exercise combining Yoga, Wushu or martial arts, and Qigong or breathing exercise in her sixties, and three hours of daily practice over years has granted her with good fitness. (Xinhua/Liu Yu)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2010-12/05/13635621_41n.jpg
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2010-12/05/13635621_51n.jpg
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2010-12/05/13635621_71n.jpg

[GeneChing]

This guy is local to me. Interesting...

Mill Valley Director Makes Splash with ‘Piano Fingers’ (http://millvalley.patch.com/articles/mill-valley-director-makes-splash-with-piano-fingers)
By Atissa Manshouri | April 11, 2011

During the six months he spent holed up in a Shaolin monastery in Northeastern China studying martial arts, Mill Valley native Nicholas Carmen hardly could have imagined that his first widely-screened film would deal with the thoroughly un-exotic subject of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Indeed, a love story set among the ruins of such emotional devastation is an unlikely subject for any young filmmaker to tackle, but tackle it he did, with enough skill, compassion and flair to garner recognition and awards along the film festival circuit.

The film has its Northern California premiere tonight at the Tiburon International Film Festival, where it screens as part of the “Marin Filmmakers” spotlight.

Carmen, a 1994 graduate of Tam High, co-wrote and directed the 25-minute film with two longtime friends and fellow Tam High grads, co-writer/actress Ava Bogle and tech specialist Marc Steinberg. All three participated in Tam’s Conservatory Theatre Ensemble (CTE) program, which Carmen describes as very influential in his decision to pursue filmmaking as a career.

Piano Fingers is the story of Howard and May, an aging couple who enjoyed minor celebrity in the 1950s as jingle-composers for cigarette commercials. As May’s memory fails and Howard struggles to hold onto her, the couple entomb themselves in an apartment piled with relics from their lives and careers, the TV tuned permanently to an unending loop of infomercials. Though their decline is heartbreaking and inevitable, the shared musical memories of their jingle-writing days remain intact and manage to keep them connected.

Carmen says the story is loosely based on his great-aunt and uncle, and her struggle with Alzheimer’s. He says that even as her memory faded, she was still able to recall the piano pieces she learned to play as a child.

“It became a story I wanted to tell… I felt it was an issue that more people should be aware of, though I’m very conscious that I’m in a different demographic from most of the people who deal wit it,” Carmen said in a telephone interview.

As he co-wrote the script with Bogle, he says, “the story really took shape when we added the '50s aspect. It really helped to add specificity.” It also gave production designer Justin Benjamin an entire world to dive into and re-imagine. The flotsam and jetsam of Howard and May’s shared past, piled all around them, play an important role in creating both the nostalgic and suffocating feelings evoked in the film.

That such a touching and insightful meditation on aging could spring forth from three 20-something filmmakers is a testament to their dedication to this story. Carmen and Steinberg have been friends since their middle school days in Mill Valley, and met Bogle in high school.

“The three of us made films in high school our senior year, and we’d shoot films every summer during college,” said Carmen. Their Tam High roots played a strong enough role that for a film that they shot after their first year out of high school, they cast CTE teachers in the main roles.

Carmen cites another Mill Valley-rooted, source of inspiration for his filmmaking career: his interest in martial arts. A black belt in Tae Kwan Do (earned right here at West America), Carmen’s curiosity took him all the way to Ji Lin Province in China’s Northeast to spend six months studying in a Shaolin monastery.

“At the time, my interests in film and martial arts were very intertwined. I do think it inspired me to move towards filmmaking as a career.”

Besides the “fantastic” physical training, his time spent in China also helped him form a worldview.

“Here I was, watching this culture caught between communism and capitalism, a whole generation living between the two. It taught me to look more critically at the world around me.”

Carmen attended UCLA, as did Steinberg and Bogle. As an undergraduate in the World Arts and Cultures program, he spent a semester absorbing European film culture at Prague’s FAMU (Academy of Film and Television), and back in Los Angeles worked on making films on his own time -- and dollar -- which completing his studies.

He and Steinberg made a short film, Pictures of You, during their senior year at UCLA, but spent a full two years in post-production before completing it. The reason for the delay ended up being fortuitous: after graduation, the two friends formed a post-production company, Radiant Images, and capitalized on rapidly changing digital technology to find a technical niche that needed filling.

Their success and hands-on experience were invaluable. “When we finally finished Pictures of You,” Carmen says, “we knew that [it] would not be anything like what it is now if we hadn’t gained that real-life experience.”

Parlaying that experience into a full-fledged filmmaking career is next on Carmen's agenda, and he'll have some serious momentum from Piano Fingers to help him along: so far, the film has won several awards, including an Audience Award at Dances With Films Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at the Hollyshorts Festival. It continues to screen at festivals both domestic and international.

For now, Carmen is happy to soak up Los Angeles' under-appreciated cultural scene while he continues to balance commercial film work with his aspirations as a writer-director.

"At the moment," he says, "the joy of making the finished product is enough to make me want to spend all my nights and weekends doing it."

Lucky enough to have made some actual money doing commercial work, Carmen's best advice for other young filmmakers is to "learn a skill.... The reason I've been able to do this is because I've made enough money in the film business by learning a technical skill."

His other parting advice: "You have to make sure you can find self worth in other areas that aren't professional. Because this business can eat you alive."

Fortunately for Carmen, Steinberg and Bogle, Piano Fingers may just be their ticket out of the shark tank.

The 411: Piano Fingers screens tonight at 7:00pm at the Tiburon International Film Festival as part of the "Marin Filmmakers" spotlight.

Jilin Province would have been Siping City Shao Lin Martial Arts Academy (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49658), I imagine.

[GeneChing]

Kung Fu Training in China: Pursuit of a Dream (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=957) by Clemente Liberto...in honor of our Shaolin Special 2011 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1088339).

[LoneTiger108]

Kung Fu Training in China: Pursuit of a Dream (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=957) by Clemente Liberto...in honor of our Shaolin Special 2011 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1088339).

Interesting to see the mainland Wushu schools capitalizing on Wing Chun by offering tuition originating from 'Cen Neng' (??) paired with Bajiiquan.

Gene, can you confirm that this name is the same as 'Sum Nung'? :confused:

[GeneChing]

I didn't put that together. Let me see if I can get the Chinese characters from the author. Can you post the Chinese characters for Sum Nung?

[LoneTiger108]

http://www.wingchunkuen.com/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=89

I just checked Renes site and it does look like it IS Sum Nung lineage ;) but if you could confirm that would be great.

[David Jamieson]

wow! that old lady doing the virgin work is outstanding!

[GeneChing]

nice perspective.

Life
Shaolin's kungfu strikes some as commercialized, but I get a kick out of it (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-06/16/content_12708487.htm)
By Karl Arney (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-16 08:09

China's vast assortment of historic temples is enough to impress just about anyone, but Westerners in particular are often drawn to them for the simple fact that we have nothing like them back home.

That said, though, it's understandable that after seeing a few and spending enough time in China, the magic of new temple experiences can sometimes fade. Beautiful as many are, once the initial exotic novelty wears off, so too can the excitement.

As it happens, one of the country's most famous and divisive, Dengfeng's Shaolin Temple, is located in my backyard. Having been there twice now, I've had a chance to experience it with the wide eyes of a new temple-goer and the more jaded eyes of someone two years into his China stay.

Shaolin is many things to many people in the West, but its original role as the early center of Chinese kungfu remains its greatest claim to fame across the world.

In spite of this, I've heard a number of critics dismiss the 5th-century landmark as having been "Disney-fied", which is to say it has been changed and commercialized to cash in on its famous name.

Going there today, these dueling reputations are on full display before you even step foot on the temple grounds.

Shaolin's kungfu strikes some as commercialized, but I get a kick out of it

Driving into Dengfeng, you get the feeling that the city is one immense training ground for some kind of kungfu army. Martial arts schools line the roads and seem to always have students practicing their craft in the yards, which makes for interesting sightseeing.

On reaching the outside of Shaolin Temple, however, you're greeted by a giant electronic billboard advertising what waits inside, followed by a massive stretch of merchandise shops. This is not something one expects to see when visiting an ancient kungfu temple. Even on my first visit, this struck me as strange.

Were this another temple, that kind of commercialism might validate the critics. But Shaolin has a few things working in its favor that help transcend their complaints.

In terms of what is actually there, the temple grounds have some excellent kungfu displays and performances.

On a given day, a visitor can see people balancing on spears, throwing needles through glass and into balloons, breaking metal bars over their heads, and much more, as well as some fun combat reenactments and weapons displays.

But Shaolin truly has a special place in the heart of many Americans because of its long-standing place in our cult-culture, having enthralled multiple generations with its legend.

A big part of that comes from a 1970s TV show called, simply, Kung Fu.

It focused on a Shaolin monk roaming around the US' West of the 1800s, solving problems and imparting Eastern philosophy to those he encountered. If the plot sounds a bit silly, the show itself was done quite well, and many - from my dad to my college roommate - remember it fondly.

Shaolin was tied to another generation of American culture in the 1990s when it was championed by the massively successful New York hip-hop group the Wu Tang Clan.

Wu Tang comprised nine rappers who shared a love of old Shaolin kungfu movies and often began their hard-edged songs with spoken clips from those films. To many of my generation, Wu Tang and all things Shaolin are almost synonymous.

Devoid of certain context, the Shaolin Temple could arguably be seen as a tourist trap with some fun kungfu shows and not much else to distinguish it from the many others scattered across China.

But for my money, any place I can visit that can turn both my Dad and arguably the greatest rap collective of the '90s green with envy is always going to be a winner.

[GeneChing]

There's a dozen pix on xinhuanet about this. Some amusing photos. Follow the link.

U.S. kungfu fans visit Shaolin Temple in Henan Province (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-06/29/c_13957140.htm)
English.news.cn 2011-06-29 19:54:38

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-06/29/13957140_11n.jpg
A monk performs kungfu for the visiting U.S. martial art fans and other tourists in the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City of central China's Henan Province, June 29, 2011. A group of more than 70 Shaolin kungfu fans from a U.S. Shaolin kungfu center on Wednesday visited the Shaolin Temple, the ancient Chinese monastery famed for its Buddhist traditions and kungfu. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-06/29/13957140_111n.jpg

[Brule]

quick, take a picture.

shaolin d'oh?

[GeneChing]

...but the political implications are fascinating.


Mozambique president calls for co-op with central China province on agriculture, trade (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-08/15/c_131050126.htm)
English.news.cn 2011-08-15 14:22:39

ZHENGZHOU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique is willing to promote cooperation with China's Henan Province on agriculture and trade , said Mozambique President Armando Emilio Guebuza during his visit to Henan.

Guebuza arrived in the most populous province in central China on Saturday and met with Governor Guo Gengmao and Vice Governor Shi Jichun.

During his visit, Guebuza attended the business seminar on economic and trade cooperation between China (Henan) and Mozambique, and visited an agricultural research and development center.

He also visited the Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist monastery well known for its martial arts school, or Shaolin Kung Fu, where he watched the performance of Shaolin Kung Fu by Shaolin monks.

During his stay in China, he had talks with President Hu Jintao, and also met with top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao, respectively.

Guebuza also flew to China's southern city of Shenzhen to attend the opening ceremony of the 26th Summer Universiade on Friday.

After the visit to Henan, Guebuza returned to Beijing on Monday morning.

[GeneChing]

I suppose this could go in our Celebrities studying martial arts? thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41233), but I'm always partial to our Shaolin forum here.


Charlie Hunnam `to live at the Shaolin Temple` (http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1663066.php/Charlie-Hunnam-to-live-at-the-Shaolin-Temple)
By Lee Brown Sep 15, 2011, 4:37 GMT

'Sons of Anarchy' star Charlie Hunnam spotted out at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. He was walking into the 'Bing' bar to meet reported girlfriend Liv Tyler who was inside. - Splash News

'Sons of Anarchy' star Charlie Hunnam spotted out at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. He was walking into the 'Bing' bar to meet reported girlfriend Liv Tyler who was inside. - Splash News

Actor Charlie Hunnam is taking a break from acting to live at the Shaolin Temple.

Despite his best success ever with TV hit The Sons Of Anarchy, fitness fanatic Charlie is packing his bags and heading to the mountains in China.

'There are four hours of silent meditation a day and eight hours of kung fu and weapons training,' he told Men's Fitness magazine, appearing shirtless on the cover.

'I want to switch my mind off for a while and get centered.'

Charlie - who admits to keeping a machete in his office - revealed that he had first turned to martial arts, learning boxing as a kid, after getting 'a couple of really good beatings' growing up in England.

Having moved from Newcastle to the Lake District early in his childhood when his parents split, the 31-year-old says, 'I was a city kid in a country environment, and I got a couple of real good beatings. Five or six guys just slamming me.'

[GeneChing]

I'm posting this here as it has some travel info at the end.

The Irish Times - Saturday, September 24, 2011 (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2011/0924/1224304637674.html)
Kung fu temple is a big hit in China
CLIFFORD COONAN

YOUNG MEN spring through the air, performing elegant punches and kicks, while others bound across the dirt, swords flashing through the misty air. This is the Shaolin temple where kung fu was born 1,500 years ago, in the Songshang Mountains of central China.

In one ancient tree in the temple there are dozens of small dents, where warrior monks practiced finger punches over the centuries. Now it is a place of pilgrimage for martial arts enthusiasts and Zen Buddhists, and thousands of young people who study kung fu, or wushu as it is known in China, in schools around the temple.

The commercial success of the temple has some monks shaking their heads, as they believe the commercial success of Shaolin threatens its spiritual peace. One monk said he was leaving after decades at the temple to take up life as a hermit in the mountains of eastern China.

“There are internal conflicts here, and it’s complicated. When I came here it was very shabby, and it has improved a lot. But I don’t think this is a place for religion anymore,” he says.

Many others are inspired by the Shaolin kung fu tradition. Kung fu is the epitome of martial arts, and practitioners say other fighting arts – including karate – originated from kung fu. It is hugely popular here and abroad – there are more than a million students of Shaolin kung fu around the world and many centres of Shaolin culture globally.

For the 60,000 young would-be kung fu stars kicking and punching away at the schools around the temple, Shaolin kung fu offers a way out of poverty.

Wu Zhiqiang comes from near the Henan capital of Zhengzhou. He is 17 years old and has been in Shaolin for four years. There are 4,000 students at his school, including some girls.

“I’ve been practicing since 5am,” he says, still brandishing a spear at lunchtime. “We practice outside in the morning, then study in the classroom. My aim is to go to physical education college in Zhengzhou. But some of my friends want to be coaches. And of course some of us want to be in the movies.”

Built in 495, kung fu owes its existence to an Indian monk, Bodhi Dharma, who began to preach Zen Buddhism in the temple and started its martial arts tradition. The Shaolin style was expanded over the years from 72 basic fighting movements to 170 moves, divided into five styles named after the animal the movements were supposed to resemble: tiger, leopard, snake, dragon and crane.

Of course, anyone familiar with Kung Fu Panda will know these animals, as they are the Furious Five who help the good-natured, portly Dragon Warrior on his quest.

For some people the temple has become too commercial, a victim of its own success. It is true that the sight of telephone kiosks with Buddhas on top is jarring – you wonder if it’s a direct line to the Buddha himself.

Qian Daliang, general manager of the Henan Shaolin Temple Development Company, says that to say Shaolin had become too commercial was a misunderstanding.

“Our aim is to protect Shaolin, and maintain the real Shaolin,” he says in an interview. “We have a good name but people here and overseas use the name to make money and in some cases ruin the name of Shaolin. We have to protect ourselves, and our intellectual property,” he says.

There are thousands of tourists in Shaolin, but it retains a sense of what it is all about.

The 1,200-year-old Pagoda Forest has featured in many a kung fu epic and its 228 brick pagodas survived the Cultural Revolution, when Red Guards marauded across China destroying religious sites as one of the “Four Olds” that had to be smashed. Their status as burial sites saved the pagodas, although the monks in Shaolin were forced to drink alcohol and eat meat by the Red Guards.

They remember this still, and they have a saying: “Alcohol and meat only pass through your digestive system, but Buddha is within.” The Red Guards flogged them and paraded them through town.

Reform and opening up in China has seen a revival in the temple’s fortunes. In the temple’s offices there are photographs of famous visitors, including Vladimir Putin and former leader Jiang Zemin.

The indignities of the Cultural Revolution were only the latest major setback for the temple. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times during its history, including once in the 17th century by rebels for its support of the Ming emperor. In 1928 it was largely burned down by the warlord Shi Yousan over a three-month period, and its manuscripts destroyed.

At the back of the temple complex you come to two buildings which each played a major role in Shaolin’s rebirth. Hong Kong was key in reviving Shaolin’s fortunes, as the wild interest in martial arts movies during the 1970s saw a host of movies featuring Shaolin-style kung fu.

The building at the very back of the complex was used in one of the most famous of these, a ground-breaking martial arts epic The Shaolin Temple in 1982 which featured Jet Li and led to a surge of interest in matters martial.

Of course, the success of The Shaolin Temple built on another, earlier TV show featuring the monastery, familiar to anyone who watched British TV in Ireland on Saturday evenings in the 1970s. Shaolin is where Kwai Chang “Grasshopper” Caine (played by actor David Carradine) learns his kung fu in the TV show of the same name. Caine trudged his way across 19th century America, having surreal adventures that always ended in some ace martial arts and contained a fairly heavy dose of mysticism from his teachers Master Po and Master Kan, whose gasps of “Grasshopper” punctuated the action.

A new movie Shaolin , which features Hong Kong heart-throb Andy Lau and action hero Jackie Chan, is on DVD release in Ireland and director Benny Chan is a huge fan of kung fu. “Like many of my peers who were starting out in the film industry in the early 1980s, I was influenced and inspired by the original Shaolin Temple. I mean, wow, there was Jet Li executing the most perfect of 360-degree roundhouse kicks in mid-air. It was both stunning and riveting. Don’t forget The Shaolin Temple was made before China opened up – it was such a rarity,” he says.

He believes his Shaolin is the first officially sanctioned by Shi Yongxin, the abbot who is largely credited as the architect of Shaolin’s revival. A farmer’s son from nearby Anhui, Shi became abbot in 1999. He is known for his business-minded approach to transforming the temple and promoting Buddhism throughout the world over the past two decades.

Since 1986, he has led Shaolin monk delegations across China and abroad to perform Shaolin martial arts shows. In 1994, he registered the trademark of the names Shaolin and Shaolin Temple.

He demanded an official apology from an online commentator who dared to say Shaolin monks had once been beaten in unarmed combat by Japanese ninja warriors. At the same time, Shi was criticised for accepting the gift of a luxury sports car from local authorities, and many monks did not like the decision to host its own martial arts reality TV show.

But Daliang insists the temple needs a commercial aspect to ensure its survival. “The Shaolin monastery has had its ups and downs. At one point there were over 2,000 monks here, but after the Cultural Revolution, there were only 15 monks left. But the spirit of Shaolin never stops, and that’s what we are aiming to continuously deliver,” says Qian.

Get there

Shaolin Temple is 13km from Dengfeng city, which is 96km west of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province in central China. Fly to Zhengzhou from Beijing or Shanghai, then take an express bus to Shaolin from Zhengzhou bus station, opposite Zhengzhou railway station. Or hire a car from Zhengzhou for around €90.

Shaolin where to . . .

Stay

The Zen International Hotel is not far from the temple area and has a Zen Buddhist theme, while others include the Shaolin International Hotel, the Tianzhong Hotel and the Fengyuan Hotel.

Eat

Inside the temple complex there are several eating options, including the Joy vegetarian restaurant, which prepares food in tune with Buddhist philosophy. Kung fu noodles are also recommended.

Local snacks are also available, such as the egg pei with vegetables, which is a kind of pancake that is delicious. Strict vegetarians, and even some confirmed carnivores, might want to avoid the local pancake with donkey meat.

Temple access

Admission is 100 yuan (€11.60) and the temple is open from 8am till 5.30pm. If you want to sign up for a day – or longer – of martial arts training, this is also possible at one of the schools near the temple.

Around the temple

The temple can be a full-on experience in terms of tourists, so heading to the mountains nearby is a good idea. Paths to the side of the Shaolin temple lead up to Wuru Peak, while you can also climb up the Shaoshi Shan mountain, or visit the Rope Bridge.

When to visit

The ideal season to take advantage of Shaolin’s charms is autumn, between October and November, when the maple leaves change colour and the mountains turn red.

[GeneChing]

There's a slideshow if you follow the link.


Inside the kung fu temple (http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/26/inside-the-kung-fu-temple)
Shaolin a fascinating glimpse into ancient Chinese culture
By Jenny Yuen ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Sunday, October 02, 2011 12:00 AM EDT

DENGFENG, China -- It's the setting of Jackie Chan's latest film (Shaolin) and Chinese movie star Jet Li's first film (1982's Shaolin Temple).

Featured in dozens of other productions, it's nothing like what you see in the many martial arts films produced by Shaw Brothers Studios either.

The moment you enter Shaolin Temple, an unspoken air of respect shadows you. A calming sense lingers as you walk along stone-tiled paths that lead up to the monasteries, soaking up thousands of years of tradition.

This is the place where Zen Buddhism was born and where kung-fu masters are trained.

Tourists are ushered into a darkened theatre, where half a dozen monks demonstrate kung-fu skills: Leaning their body weight on spears positioned at their throats; using a pin to break a pane of glass and burst a balloon on the other side.

There are 60 martial arts schools in Dengfeng with more than 10,000 students enrolled in the largest one. Children begin training as young as three or four years of age.

"Most of the martial arts students are coming from the rural area, and they come here to learn kung-fu from the kung-fu masters," our tour guide Helen Huang explained.

Think your normal nine-to-five work grind sounds bad? Imagine the typical regimen of a Shaolin student. They wake up at 5:30 a.m. and start training immediately -- before breakfast. Throughout the day, they continue to train and have classes, only breaking for meals. The day lasts until around 8:30 p.m., rain, snow or shine.

The training is fierce, extremely consistent and progressive. There are no days off or breaks to watch TV or hang out for drinks with friends.

After years of body conditioning and meditation, the monks are able to move themselves in ways that seem almost superhuman, control extreme pain and endure almost anything -- mainly because they practice daily and with fortitude.

Today, trees surrounding the courtyard bear witness to the force of the monks: Holes dot the bark where students have practiced their finger-punching techniques.

"Here, we have a chance to appreciate the real martial arts by the martial monks in the Shaolin monastery," Huang said.

Originally built in AD 495 during the Northern Wei dynasty, the temple has become a major tourist attraction. It's a bit of a shame that giant video screens clutter the entranceway and detract slightly from the "Zen" of it all.

The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. In 1641, the troops of rebel Li Zicheng destroyed the monastery because the powerful monks supported Ming and posed a possible threat to insurgents.

Because "Shao" refers to "Mount Shaoshi," a mountain in the Songshan mountain range and "lin" means forest, it makes sense to have both life and death bound to the monastery. On the 16-hectare site, the Pagoda Forest houses 240 tomb for eminent monks and abbots. These were built during different dynasties and believed to serve as portals into the afterlife.

Shaolin Monastery and its famed Pagoda Forest were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng."

Famous people who have visited Shaolin Temple include former Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2006 and basketball star Shaquille O'Neal three years later.

Showtime in Shaolina

When the sun sets, Shaolin shines.

The Zen Music Shaolin Grand Ceremony began in 2007 as a way to integrate Chinese theatre with martial arts and traditional music, and promote tourism in Henan Province. It is truly a unique theatrical production on a scale completely foreign to North American theatre.

Two mountains in Daxian Valley -- a south suburb of Dengfeng City and 7 km from Shaolin Temple -- serve as a powerful backdrop to the scenes that unfold during the hour-long show. The multi-platform stage is in a 1-km-long valley with near, middle and far settings comprised of brooks, forests and bridges.

More than 800 musicians, dancers, villagers and monks star in this incredible show. The monks run all over the set with ease and precision, balancing buckets of water. Buddhist stone figures and pagodas, accented by different coloured floodlights, create a sense of archaic peace. Some of the older monks stand stock still and meditate through the entire production, which is truly impressive especially in the spring when temperatures dip below 10 C.

Spectators can sit on prayer mats around the brook or in the auditorium. If it gets too chilly, visitors can rent "blankets," which are actually Chinese military coats, to wear or drape over their knees.

Music -- with lyrics sung in Mandarin and dark eerie chanting by the monks -- is integrated with sounds of nature, like water splashing in a pond, and instruments such as hanging chimes, xylophones, drums and reverberation from gongs. Everything is synchronized through several acts in the show.

At one point, lambs and goats run around the stage in a song-and-dance number with one of the actors. In another act, yellow-robed monks demonstrate their martial arts skills using wooden staffs.

The producers use every opportunity to use lighting to their advantage. Monks scurry in lines carrying lanterns so all the audience sees are hundreds of glowing lights moving to a drum beat.

Music and art direction are by composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero) and the Oscar and Grammy winner's skills are not wasted. Under a white LED full moon, breathtaking LED-lit men appear and disappear, flying through the air on wires and dueling with swords to a soundtrack of sorrowful cellos.

A special guest makes an appearance towards the end -- all you have to do is look up.

IF YOU GO TO CHINA

SHOW TICKETS

Tickets are 161 yuan (about $25) per person. The outdoor show runs nightly from March to November.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

For more on travel in China, call the China National Tour Office at 416-599-6636 or toll-free 1-866-599-6636, or visit tourismchina-ca.com.

GETTING THERE

Hainan Airlines has daily flights between Toronto to Beijing. Return economy fares start around $950. See global.hnair.com.

[GeneChing]

Putin says continues to learn skating and envies Shaolin martial arts masters (http://en.ria.ru/russia/20111011/167587400.html)
Topic: Putin visits China
22:07 11/10/2011
BEIJING, October 11 (RIA Novosti)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told Chinese journalists on Tuesday that he continues to learn to skate and envies skills of Shaolin martial arts masters.

The journalists praised Putin's interests varying from judo and skiing to diving and bomber jet flights but the judo black belt said there was nothing special about it.

"Honestly, I do not see anything special about this. Hundreds of thousands people are taking judo and other martial arts. Scores of people fly jets and even more practice diving," the prime minister said.

Putin, 59, known for his macho man image said he liked learning something new.

"This process gives me pleasure," he said.

"But obviously, I am doing this first of all to attract attention to the necessity of healthy way of life and to raise interest in sports and physical culture," Putin added.

In February 2011, Putin promised to learn to skate during a video conference with young Russian sportsmen and participated in an informal game of ice-hockey already in April.

He also said that he was impressed by martial arts at the Shaolin temple during one of his previous visits to China.

"I remember how I was watching brilliant performances of martial arts masters and envied them. I cannot do this," Putin said.

The Russian prime minister is a former judo champion in his home city, St Petersburg, and the author of the book "Judo with Vladimir Putin." But how many Shaolin masters fly jets? ;)

[Foiling Fist]

I use Buddhist meditation for Qigong, Internal Iron Shirt, and Internal Iron Palm;
some of them are detailed in my book.

Does anyone care to elaborate on any of the other Shaolin Buddhist meditation of spiritual practices?

****
"Intense meditation can be exhausting, and the monks who followed Bodhidharma’s teaching took to exercising between bouts of profound thought. Legend has it that their exertions flowered into the martial arts – the spiritual home of which is the Shaolin Temple, squatting in its valley beneath Bodhidharma’s cave.

Here you won’t find a terracotta army – this is the real thing, alive and kicking. But I had heard about a small group of monks living just beyond Shaolin, 5,500ft up on the edge of a rock face overlooking a remote valley. I was told that here I would find the true embodiment of Shaolin spirituality.

The Shaolin Buddhist tradition was nearly lost: the grey men of the Cultural Revolution did not encourage its saffron-shoed monks to hone their skills. But new China takes a much more relaxed approach, and the Chinese are re-exploring their national identity as something separate from The Party. The warrior monks who crushed the ruthless with grace, who leapt walls and healed children with herbs, are potent heroes of the past, much more vivid than Mao."

[Scott R. Brown]

A certain person asked Master K'o [Hui k'o]: "How can one become a sage?"

Answer: "All common men and sages are create by the calculations of false thought."

Another question: "Since they are false thought, how does one cultivate the path?

Answer: "What sort of thing is the path you want to cultivate it? Dharmas are not characterized as high or low; dharmas are not characterized as coming or going."

From Master Yuan a contemporary of Hui k'o:

...Question: "What is the path?"

Answer: "When you desire to produce the thought of moving toward the path, crafty ingenuity will arise, and you will fall into having mind. If you desire to give rise to the path, ingenious artifice with arise. If you have devices in your mind, crafty artifice with always arise."

Also from Master Yuan:

Question:"What is demon mind?"

Answer: "Closing the eyes [in the cross-legged sitting posture] and entering samadhi."

Question: "[What if] I gather the mind into dhyana so that it does not move?"

Answer: "This is bondage samadhi. It is useless. This holds even for the four dhyanas, each of which is merely one stage of quiescence from which you will return to disturbance again. They are not to be valued. These are created dharmas, dharmas that will be destroyed again, not the ultimate Dharma. If you can understand that there is neither quiescence or disturbance, then you will be able to exist of yourself. The one who is not drawn into quiescence or disturbance is the man of spirit."

Further: "If one is capable of not seizing on interpretations, not creating the mind of delusion, and not esteeming profound knowledge, then he will be a peaceful person. If there is one dharma to be esteemed or valued, this dharma will be the one most capable of binding and killing you, and you will fall into having mind. This is an unreliable state of affairs. There are innumerable common men throughout the world who are bound by terminology and the written word."

[GeneChing]

Thai job suits pro fighter James (http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/local-headlines/thai_job_suits_pro_fighter_james_1_1930915)
James Allan, Thai Boxer.
Published on Thursday 27 October 2011 13:54

http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/webimage/sbsr_james_allan_thai_b_2_1_1930913!image/3467109718.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_215/3467109718.jpg

THERE are tough jobs and there are really tough jobs – and then there’s being a full-time professional boxer in Thailand’s brutal national sport.

Known as Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), it is also known as the ‘Art of Eight Limbs’ – so called because practitioners makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight points of contact.

The life of a professional Muay Thai fighter or ‘nak muay’ – is far from easy. Yet Ancrum joiner James Allan has now spent over a year living, training and fighting in the country’s biggest training camp, Tiger Muay Thai, in Bangkok.

Passionate about martial arts from a young age, James, now 27, even spent five months living and training at the Shaolin Temple in China prior to heading to Thailand.

There, he learned kung fu, tai chi and kickboxing from the world-famous Shaolin monks. Moving on to Bangkok in October 2009, he only returned to the Borders at the start of this summer – after nearly 20 months in the Far East – to visit family.

And this week he begins the long journey back to Thailand and the world of the professional fighter. Before he left, however, former Jedburgh Grammar pupil James spoke to TheSouthern about his chosen way of life.

“My first taste of the martial arts was a karate class. I moved on to classes in Lau Gar Kung Fu and kickboxing in Jedburgh and Hawick.

“What I love most is the actual training - learning new things and seeing myself get better.”

Now one of Tiger Muay Thai’s 10 sponsored fighters, he previously won national martial arts competitions at Scottish and British level, took gold in two separate weight divisions in a major Swiss event, trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with the world-famous Rick Young gym in Edinburgh, and spent time in western boxing and tae kwon-do, all to improve his fighting skills.

“But although I was training in all these martial arts, I really missed the traditional kung fu and it was that which led me to travel to China and Shaolin,” he told us.

James’ descriptions of the harsh training regime he encountered in China would put most people off emulating his adventure, but James loved it.

“It was really hard training. Each day, we always started with tai chi for 45 minutes, then standing or sitting qigong exercises, then breakfast, which was always boiled eggs and warm milk.

“They we would have room inspection. The monks believe that a tidy mind is reflected in your kung fu and mental discipline.

“Then it was Shaolin kung fu which included horse stance training with weights on your legs and if you collapsed you’d get cracked with a stick.

“Then maybe we’d do forms or acrobatics like cartwheels and backflips, butterfly kicks and jumping tornado kicks. It was then a 15-minute break. followed by an hour-and-a-half of forms and applications.

“By lunchtime we were usually wiped out, so we got to sleep for a while before kickboxing and power training. Exercises would include getting a partner and doing wheelbarrows round a massive sandpit the size of half a football pitch about six times. If you collapsed that was another crack with a stick.”

One of a number of foreigners at Shaolin, James had originally intended only staying for three months, but managed to stretch that out to five.

“I just wanted to go and sample it. And you do learn a lot because all you do is train. One important thing I learned is the importance of training your mind, realising you can train when you think you can’t because you have some niggle or ache.”

It was then on to Thailand where, again, James only planned to stay for several months, but ending up remaining for over a year. Eventually, girlfriend Anna Galbraith flew out to join James and she now has a job as a personal trainer in the Thai capital.

With 14 fights to his name, including 10 wins, James is one of a handful of fighters sponsored by the Tiger Muay Thai gym – not bad when something like 200 fighters train there each week.

“You only get £150 per fight, but in Thailand that lasts a long time. My mum – my folks moved to Switzerland for my dad’s work – is always petrified when she knows I have a fight.

“In fact, in the minibus on the way back after every fight I have to text her to let her know I am ok.”

So far, the worst injuries suffered by James was a cut above his eye that had to be stitched up at the ringside and a broken bone in his hand.

“I enjoy the fights – they’re fun – but it’s really the training and lifestyle of a fighter that I love. It’s like being a member of a big family – you get really well looked after.”

By the time Southern readers read this, James – complete with suitcase stuffed full of sports nutrition products courtesy of Nutrition X in Galashiels’ Huddersfield Street – will be back to training twice a day and getting ready for his next fight, which should be some time before Christmas.

As for the future, James plans to continue his pro career as a Thai boxer in Bangkok. “We have visas for another year, so we’ll see. Ultimately, we’d both like to come back to the Borders and do something together, like start our own gym. I’d love to come back and be able to make a career out of teaching martial arts in the Borders.”

z Part of his sponsorship deal with Tiger Muay Thai means James has to start blogging regularly and TheSouthern intends carrying regular reports from James on his fighter’s life in the Far East.
Look forward to the blog

[GeneChing]

Anyone ever watch Getaway?

Aussie black-belt hosts travel show (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-11/29/c_131275865.htm)
English.news.cn 2011-11-29 09:14:14 FeedbackPrintRSS
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-11/29/131275865_11n.jpg
Australian Cameron Andersen (center) takes rigid trainings at Shaolin Temple in Henan Province.

by Xu Wei

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- In 2008 Australian Cameron Andersen was practicing international law in Shanghai when he was spotted as a TV natural by the producer of "Getaway." He was then invited as a guest for the 30-minute travel show on International Channel Shanghai, or ICS, which is seen nationwide and overseas.

Not only was he funny, smart, versatile and poised, he also spoke fluent Mandarin and Shanghainese, and that clinched it. He sings and raps in Chinese and does break-dancing and free-style Latin dance, but not on the show. He's also a martial arts practitioner, and viewers can sometimes watch him demonstrating his skills on the travel show.

Today Andersen, 29, is still the regular host of "Getaway."

"TV was absolutely a big decision for me, a huge departure from my former profession and life. But I am a person who love to succeed at the many things I dream of," he says.

Andersen quit the law and got some practical TV training. The global financial crisis hit in 2008 but Andersen says that's not the reason he left law (he worked at a local firm), though many foreign firms reduced staff or packed up and left. He left for the opportunity and challenge, and the crisis confirmed he had made the right decision.

Many of his screen journeys are fun and inspiring adventures, offering both expats and Chinese some fresh perspectives.

Andersen, who has lived in Shanghai for six years, has given himself a Chinese name - An Long - An from his surname, and Long meaning dragon.

Born on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Andersen graduated from Bond University with a bachelor's degree in law, a degree in law practice and a master's in Chinese studies.

His first visited China and Shanghai in 2004 as an exchange student and that's when he really felt an affinity with the country.

"I bought nuchucks (a weapon made of two sticks connected with a short chain) at the Yuyuan Garden, carried them with me and worked them on the Bund," Andersen recalls. "But now when I think back, I realize that if I did that, I was probably attracting police attention."

He likes the fast pace in Shanghai.

"Normally, I'm a very fast-paced person with a quick response time and this is the first city where I thought I couldn't keep up with the pace. That's cool," he says.

One year later, in 2005, he was hired by a local law firm in Shanghai, where he worked for three years.

"Getaway" is his first show which usually takes five days to film one episode.

To improve his knowledge of TV, Andersen took an online course on TV production, learning about directing and filming as well as hosting. He watched a lot of travel programs on the Discovery Channel to develop his skills.

His style is easygoing, energetic and interactive.

"The more relaxed you are, the more professional you are," he says. He doesn't totally rely on the script. "It's not about how much you can memorize. I like the camera. I don't treat the camera as a camera. I treat the camera as my travel friend."

As a travel host, he does a lot of hiking, climbing and even swimming and he's gotten a lot healthier and is back to bulking up. After three years as a sedentary lawyer, he lost 10 kilos of muscle mass.

One of his favorite places is Yangshuo, an ancient town near Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China.

"When I floated down the tranquil and picturesque Li River, I really felt that time had been preserved there," he says. "Even if you spotted a dinosaur, it wouldn't be strange."

He also enjoys Harbin in Heilongjiang Province in the northeast, appreciating its classic European architecture on Central Street.

Of course, he's visited Shaolin Temple in Henan Province and met the kung fu monks; he has visited twice.

[Blacktiger]

yes - but have not seen this???

[GeneChing]

Looks like you can still train at Taguo (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62419).


Foreign pupils at Shaolin temple (http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/7683871.html)
(ecns.cn)
15:56, December 21, 2011
An 18-year-old French girl plays sword among the ancient pagodas at Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, central China's Henan Province, on the early morning of December 20, 2011. Every year, nearly 1,000 foreign learners take short-term training sessions at the Tagou Martial Arts School, one of the 50 organizations of this kind in the Songshan Mountain, said a staff member. (CNS Photo/Wang Zhongju)
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/mediafile/201112/21/F201112211557221710119475.jpg
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/mediafile/201112/21/F201112211557221617831818.jpg
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/mediafile/201112/21/F201112211557221101202132.jpg

[webcastGreg]

Soon I will be there. But I don't have my red silk uniform.

[GeneChing]

There's a feature on him in the Sept 2011 issue of FHM India title How to Become a Shaolin Warrior Monk. It has a pic of my coach, Yan Fei, which I'm forwarding to him now.

Here's the link to the Zinio preview http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416188195&o=int&prev=si&p=105

[GeneChing]

Despite incredible stories of men breaking 6-inch marble slabs over their heads, and him spending days punching trees to harden his bones, Neville’s approach to Kung Fu is centred in his pacifist philosophy. Comparing the two main Eastern philosophies, he explains:

“Confucianism is very hierarchical and very structured. Daoism is exactly the opposite. It’s not chaos, because there is an order, but it’s an order that grows organically from the bottom up. The idea that things flourish best when they’re left on their own.

“Daoism, uniquely unlike any philosophy I’ve ever come across, eastern or western, is a philosophy that is expressed not just verbally or written but can be expressed in any form. Essentially Wing Chun is Daoism in motion.”

With an air of gravitas, he quotes Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon.

“When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when there is an opportunity… I do not hit… it hits all by itself.”

“That’s very much the whole of Wing Chun. We never meet force with force; we absorb and reflect back all the time. You don’t have to be strong because you’re deflecting.”

He seems to take both comfort and perspective from his philosophy. It is the reasoning behind his teaching, and the goal to which it strives. Growing up in such an unbalanced society, it appears that the harmony one must seek in Daoism gives an attractive structure and meaning to his life.

“In the universe, nothing matters, and at the same time everything matters. Nothing matters because, in the greater scheme, what we do in our insignificant lifetime is meaningless, but at the same time everything matters. If a butterfly flaps its wings in Japan it causes a hurricane in America. So everything we do matters. How we further the Dao matters. When I die, whatever I have taught to my students, they are going to carry on, and at least one of them I hope will start their own school and add their own teachings, much like I can trace my own lineage back to the founder, who couldn’t possibly have known that in a few hundred years time, I would be here teaching what they originally taught, to a whole new generation.”

More information on Neville’s Wing Chun Martial Arts Academy can be found at www.wingchunmah.co.uk. Classes are £6, every Tuesday 6-7.30pm, with the first two lessons free. I suppose I could have posted this in the WC forum...

[GeneChing]

A Little Trouble in Big China (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1041) by Greg Lynch Jr. in honor of our Shaolin Special 2012. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1036)

[sanjuro_ronin]

I suppose I could have posted this in the WC forum...

DON'T DO IT !!!
You'll cause 100 pages of flame wars arguing if he has the real authentic WC !!!

[GeneChing]

This is so random. I had to post it here.

Emergency staff punished for driving to tourism resort (http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-05/16/content_15313265.htm)
Updated: 2012-05-16 19:38
By An Baijie (chinadaily.com.cn)

Three staff members from an emergency medical center in East China's Zhejiang province were punished after they have driven an ambulance to a tourism resort in Central China's Henan province while they were transferring a patient.

The punishment came in response to public anger that arose after netizens posted photos to the Internet showing an ambulance near a scenic spot in Henan province, China News Agency reported.

The three staff members — two drivers and a doctor from the Ningbo Emergency Medical Center — started at about 6 pm on May 2 on a trip to take a patient from Ningbo, Zhejiang province, to Dengzhou No 3 People's Hospital in Henan province, said Ge Lin, director of the Ningbo center, who was in charge of investigating the case.

They arrived at the hospital on the morning of May 3 after driving for 13 hours without taking a rest. The drivers were so exhausted after the 1,138-kilometer trip that they lost their way on their return, Ge said.

Even though they recognized their mistake, they continued to drive in the wrong direction, deciding to take in the sights at the Shaolin Temple, China's most famous Buddhist temple, Ge said.

They parked the ambulance in front of a police station in Dengfeng city, about 13 kilometers away from the temple. They then ate a meal in a nearby restaurant and drove back after two hours, Ge said.

The three people said they avoided going to the Shaolin Temple because they were afraid they would be associated with the ambulance.

Judging by toll receipts provided by the three workers, they had not had enough time to visit scenic spots, according to Ge.

The two drivers and the doctor were unavailable to comment.

Because the three workers had originally wanted to go sightseeing during business hours, their bonuses were confiscated, Ge said.

[GeneChing]

20 September 2012 | last updated at 11:15PM
The Shaolin way (http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/holiday/the-shaolin-way-1.145856)
By Wong Wai Hoong | traveltimes@nstp.com.my

The search for balance in his life takes Wong Wai Hoong to Maling Mountain, China to learn the martial arts

“FASTER! Harder!” shouts Master Xu, a former Shaolin monk, as we repeat the same movements many times until many of us break down with exhaustion. Always armed with either a stick or bamboo, the 19-year-old kung fu master doesn’t hesitate to confront and beat us if we are lazy.

Xu is one of the martial arts trainers in Malingshan Shaolin Kungfu Academy in Xinyi, China, where I’m learning Chinese martial arts. He is a tough master. Having spent his youth undergoing rigorous training at Shaolin Temple, he is a strict and temperamental instructor. Always demanding, impatient and serious during training, he applies the same training methods to all his students. Whether you are a foreigner or a local Chinese, you quickly learn not to give any excuses or complain.

Acrobatics was a class I struggled with at first and I always got my share of beatings in this class for “wrong footing” and “not turning fast enough”. The master’s voice shouting “totally wrong!” still rings in my ear. And the fear I might land on my neck or twist my spine caused me much anxiety.

The class is normally conducted outdoors with only mats and plenty of sun. This is the nice thing about it. But the classes always make me feel so frustrated. During one training session, I drank three cups of black coffee with the hope of getting the “extra kick”. It didn’t really work. And whenever it was my turn to perform difficult acrobatic movements, I would shout “Baka!” or “Wo lai laaaa!” which means “I’m coming!”. Surprisingly, doing this worked.

Funnily, another student, Cory, did the haka dance (the war dance of the Maori of New Zealand) to break his mental barrier in performing the front flips. It worked!

The academy students come from the US, Australia, Europe and Asia. There’s a mix of males and females. Each and every one of us is of different built, fitness levels, skills and experiences and is at the academy with different goals. Some are eager to learn authentic Chinese martial arts, some want to lose weight, kick a bad habit, and some, like I, are searching for something deeper. But all are aware of one common element — this is certainly not a place for a relaxing vacation.

THE RIGHT ACADEMY

Martial arts has always been an important element in my life. It’s more than just winning tournaments. It’s about personal development. The more I learn various disciplines of martial arts, the more I discover the need to be well-rounded.

To be a complete martial art exponent, one must harmonise the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of oneself. Only when one is balanced, can one effectively apply oneself well in one’s daily activities and occupation.

Before joining the academy, I was searching for something that could give me this “balance”. My initial quest was to pursue monk training in Thailand. I was close to going ahead until I visited Shanghai in China. My Thai roommate Ming suggested that I try Chinese martial arts instead. At that very moment, everything just clicked!

When I returned from Shanghai, I did research. Searching for a suitable Chinese martial arts academy was like searching for a needle in the haystack. Not knowing the country well was one thing, but to look for an academy that suited my needs was another altogether. With so many academies around, some more commercial than others, I was hoping to find one with the right location, authentic training methods, affordable fees and with Shaolin masters who taught in simple and basic living facilities. I finally decided on Malingshan Shaolin Kungfu Academy. I took care of my responsibilities at home, wrote my will, paid a kind soul to take care of my dog and said goodbye.

MAKING THE JOURNEY

I take a midnight flight to Shanghai from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and arrive the next morning at Shanghai International Airport. Transport in Shanghai is easy and getting around is a breeze, especially on the MRT. At Shanghai Hongqiao Station, I buy a bullet train ticket that will take me straight to Xuzhou in three hours. I was told earlier that someone from the academy would meet me at Xuzhou station.

There, a lean man of medium height and with shaven head approaches and asks for my identity. I thought he is an illegal taxi driver until he shows me a photocopy of my Malingshan Shaolin Kungfu Academy registration form. He turns out to be Master Bao KangJian, the headmaster of the academy. I apologise quickly in Mandarin and just to break the ice, I mention that our jackets look the same. The master just nods and leads me to his car.

The drive to the academy takes two hours and we strike up a good conversation about training, business, China, cultures, food and how the master spent his youth almost entirely at the Shaolin Temple.

The academy was established a few years ago by Bao, who belonged to the 32nd generation of Shaolin warrior monks. I look at him with much admiration as he goes on to talk about Xinyi. His academy is situated in the suburb of Xinyi at northern Jiangsu province that’s sandwiched between Beijing and Shanghai. Although remote, Xinyi has a population of close to one million and is a fast developing city. It has inter-city bus and trains stations from which thousands of people go in and out of Xinyi. I am thinking that if the academy life doesn’t suit me, I can easily sneak out at night and take a train out of there.

As if he can read my mind, Bao tells me there’s no way for anyone to run away from the hard training at the academy because its location is so remote. “They’ll get lost instead,” he says with a straight face.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Malingshan Shaolin 24 tai qi forms. ;)


MALINGSHAN SHAOLIN
KUNGFU ACADEMY

As we approach the road to the academy, I can see that the area is surrounded by rice fields and tea plantations. The greenery is soothing. But nearer the academy, I notice pockets of huge barren lands and leafless trees that remind me of Tim Burton’s movie Sweeney Todd. At that moment, I feel almost depressed to be in the middle of nowhere.

To make it worse, the weather is cold. The temperature hovers at 10°C and lower. I am not used to such cold weather and this depresses me further.

The only building within sight from the academy is the house of a Chinese medicine woman. Located less than 1km away from the academy, her house later becomes a place I frequent during my stay. It’s where I get treatment for colds and exhaustion.

I hate the cold. I have to put on triple layers of clothing just to keep warm. It rains occasionally and the days are often dull and grey.

However, there’s an interesting aspect of the academy’s location. It’s within the Maling Mountain Scenic Zone, ranked one of the 4-AAAA tourist attractions in China. (There are five Tourist Attraction Rating Categories in China, ranging from 1-A, the lowest, to 5-AAAAA, the highest).

The beauty of the Maling Mountain area is legendary. It was honoured as the First Scenery by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. Unearthed archaeological evidences confirmed that the land was once a habitat for early human beings, dating back to the Paleolithic period of some 100,000 years ago. The ancient people made tools and hunted. Later, it became a historical battlefield, where enemies fought to seize control of the land. Eventually, history and legends blended together to give the place its own unique allure.

Setting foot on the grounds of the academy, I receive a warm welcomed by Lisa, Bao’s wife and academy’s translator. She shows me to my bedroom which I share with David, a former British marine. The room is humble, with very basic furniture. Each of us has a bed but we have to share a cupboard and a writing table.

Three meals per day are provided. Bao’s parents are the cooks and we eat almost the same food every day during the three months of our stay. Breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal, a bun and an egg. Lunch and dinner consist of vegetable dishes with very little meat and rice, and some tea, which tastes very nice. Sometimes, we get fried rice or dumplings. It’s important not to be late for meals as there’s always a possibility that there won’t be much food left.

Life here is simple. I get to appreciate the little things in life... watching the sunrise and sunset, sleeping on the grass, enjoying the natural views, swimming in the lake and just letting myself “go”. I needn’t have to impress anyone. However, the place does have Internet facility, so it’s not that bad — we can still get connected to the outside world.

The daily routine is set. We wake up at 7am for breakfast. The few of us who choose to do tai qi wake up earlier, at 6am. Kung fu training doesn’t start till 8.30am. From then on, it’s “train, eat, rest, train, eat, rest”. It’s lights out at 9.30pm. We repeat this routine five days a week.

We get the weekend off and we spend the time mainly on grocery shopping or going to the nearby cities for Dico’s (China’s fast food equivalent of KFC). How we long for something different to eat. Chinese la mien (pulled noodles), dumplings, fried rice and skewered barbecue meat are also the common favourites on such outings.

EXHAUSTIVE TRAINING

Repetition is the key and one can get a good workout without having to buy any expensive gadgets at all. I lost 3kg in two months.

The training consists of traditional kung fu forms, sanda kickboxing, acrobatics, conditioning, qigong, tai qi and stretching exercises. There isn’t really an easy training session. Even in stretching classes, we get sat on and are “pulled” in different directions till our bodies contort weirdly. However, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The instructors are friendly and this makes the hard training fun and tolerable.

We understand that our kung fu teachers are not looking for perfection. They simply demand the warrior spirit of conquering and pushing ourselves.

When we have completed 24 tai qi forms, we are told there are another 48 to learn. On top of that, there are different forms which require the use of weapons. It seems that one can never complete the lessons here.

Each master has his own ways and methods of teaching. Some who have been teaching mainly local Chinese are more militant and unforgiving compared to those who teach both local and international students. However, all of them share the same principle: “To push yourself until you can’t push anymore and then some.”

It doesn’t matter if one is slow, out of shape or uncoordinated. Every newcomer starts from the basics and progresses at his or her own pace. The master teaches the trade, while the perfection of skills depends entirely on the student. Then there are other “unexpected” lessons like brushing teeth and breathing the correct way.

I learn that martial arts is not only a form of exercise. It is a way of life. Every day, we should invest some time in ourselves and develop the habit of exercising. The form of exercise does not matter. Our body is our tool. My experiences over the years have taught me not to take our bodies for granted. It’s our responsibility to take care of our body.

OUTSIDE TRAINING HOURS

Aside from training, there’s little else to do. There’s hardly any entertainment. Most of us will just watch downloaded films, go online, listen to music or read. Some, like David and I, take up photography. Quite often, a few of my fellow trainees get bored and play Dungeon & Dragons while listening to elves’ music. They can’t do this for long though as Bao will come around and stop them from playing beyond sleeping time.

Outside of training, Bao comes across as shy and gentlemanly. But it’d be unwise to be fooled by this demeanour. I had a shock during one training session when he switched to Nazi-like mode. We were asked to do high kicks repeatedly non-stop for over five minutes and I seriously thought my legs and back were going to break at any time. That class was one of the toughest.

Bao started learning traditional Chinese martial arts when he was 7. He is now 27. At 12, he went to Shaolin Temple and stayed there until 19. He had the great honour of being a disciple of Shaolin Master Shi De Qian, who was both nationally and internationally renowned and highly praised by the fraternity. From Master Shi, Bao learnt not only traditional Shaolin martial arts and different styles of qiqong, but also traditional Chinese medicine. Due to his excellent performance, he was invited to live with Shi’s family.

As head of the academy, Bao helps to address our concerns and makes sure we enjoy our stay despite the tough training.

On my last day at the academy, I reflect on my journey here and how much it has impacted my life. Have I found the “balance” I was looking for? To a large extent, yes, for I have found a greater inner peace and satisfaction but I know I have a lot more of the Shaolin principles to learn. Most of all, my experience at the academy has left me with many good memories... the people I met, the arduous training, the lessons I learnt, our trips to the original Shaolin Temple, night outings and just getting around China have made this journey a highly interesting one and educational as well. I will return for I hold strongly to the saying: “It’s never too old, never too late to learn”.


How to get there

Malingshan Shaolin Kungfu Academy is in Xinyi, 2,021km from Beijing and 1,416km from Shanghai. Details at www.shaolin-kungfu.com, email: info@shaolin-kungfu.com or call +86-516-887 307 77.

By Train
1. Train 1502/1503 departs Beijing West Station at 9.43am and arrives at Xinyi Train Station about 12½ hours later. Ticket cost: Hard seat ticket costs 106 yuan (RM51) for hard seat and 208 yuan for a hard sleeper.
2. Train K8356/K8357 departs Shanghai Train Station at 6.57pm and arrives at Xinyi Train Station about 13 hours later on the next day. Ticket: 191 yuan (hard sleeper), 275 yuan (soft sleeper).

By Flight
1. Air China CA1849 departs Beijing International Airport at 6.25pm and arrives at Xuzhou Guanyin Airport at 7.50pm. The fare is 690 yuan.
2. Shanghai Airlines FM9241 departs Shanghai Hongqiao Airport at 8.25am and arrives at Xuzhou Guanyin Airport at 9.30am. The fare is 600 yuan.
Fares are subject to change.

[GeneChing]

I regret not doing that now as this would have been an excellent post to add there. There's a vid if you follow the link.

China's self-billed No 1 environmentalist gives away fresh air (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/31/china-smog-environmentalist-fresh-air-stunt)

Multimillionaire entrepreneur Chen Guangbiao's latest stunt is to raise awareness of severe pollution in Beijing and beyond

Tania Branigan in Beijing
The Guardian, Thursday 31 January 2013 13.17 EST

Link to video: Chen Guangbiao: 'Come on, two cans for one – free fresh air'

Even through the soupy Beijing smog, it is impossible to mistake the ebullient figure shaking hands, signing autographs and barking at startled passersby: "Come on, two cans for each one – free fresh air. Open it and drink it and breathe it! It keeps you fresh the whole day!"

It is the kind of offer that has made Chen Guangbiao a household name in China: giving away thousands of tins of air to raise awareness of China's pollution. "If we don't act in the next 10 years, our descendants will have to carry oxygen tanks and wear masks all the time," he says.

It is the latest wheeze from Chen Guangbiao, 44, a multimillionaire entrepreneur who bills himself as the country's number one philanthropist and environmentalist. Last month, he lay under a sheet of wood and steel while two cars drove over him, to demonstrate that the world would be better without cars.

He plans to give away 1.5 million yuan to young entrepreneurs in the next weeks. His dilemma: whether to stack the cash in the shape of the Diaoyu islands – currently at the heart of the territorial row with Japan – or in the form of the Great Wall. He smashed up a Mercedes Benz, in another comment on the drawbacks of motoring. He put an advert in the New York Times proclaiming the disputed Diaoyu isles to be Chinese, and announced he was giving new cars to drivers whose vehicles were destroyed in anti-Japanese protests – while simultaneously promoting a cycling initiative.

But he is best known for his personal deliveries to the victims of natural disasters. He arrived in Sichuan with a fleet of heavy machinery after the earthquake in 2008 and, he said, carried children's bodies from the wreckage. When the tsunami struck Japan, he flew over with cash and goods.

In short, Chen makes Kim Kardashian look like Howard Hughes. The back cover of his book, Chen Guangbiao: As He Tells It, depicts him cradling a baby, fending off a media scrum and, for reasons less immediately obvious, serenading a herd of beribboned goats.

"I want to record the name of Chen Guangbiao in Chinese history," he says.

He has the apparently unsinkable self-belief of Donald Trump, the publicity flair of Richard Branson and teeth as strong as the Bond villain Jaws: his party trick, demonstrated this morning, is to lift a bike using his teeth and spin it around in the air. The crowd grins. The cyclist looks furious.

It is, says Chen, all down to kungfu training at the famous Shaolin temple.

"If you put a brick on my head and break it, I will be fine," he assures us.

Chen grew up in the countryside near Nanjing, in such poverty that two of his siblings starved to death. He earned his first cash – around 40p – carrying water from a well to villagers one summer, and used some of the money to help pay for a neighbour's schooling. In recognition of his good deed, a teacher pasted a red star on his face.

"I ran around the classes ... Every student wanted to learn from me and do good things," he explained.

So the difference now is really one of scale: "If there are 100bn yuan of donations each year, 60% of them were influenced by Chen Guangbiao," he says.

He made his fortune recycling materials from demolished buildings and has vowed to give it all away before his death. Already, he says, he has made donations worth 1.73bn yuan. Others rank far ahead of him in independent lists of charitable donors and sceptics say it is hard to assess the real value of his gifts since they are often in kind. He counters that other philanthropists give to charities in the sectors they work in, with the hope of commercial returns.

Chen makes no bones about his high-profile tactics, which he has dubbed "violent philanthropy". He says: "My individual power is limited. I want to use my high-profile way to wake people up to take action together to do good things. I can only awake them with my performance art and creativity."

In a country where most rich people prefer to keep their heads down, this is highly unusual. "If you do a survey of all the ordinary people asking who they like – it must be Chen Guangbiao," he added. "But in China there are some big entrepreneurs and some mayors and officials who are more opposed to me." He claims his willingness to offend powerful interests has resulted in two kidnaps and two mysterious car crashes, but declines to offer further details. "If my wisdom could get support from officials, I think society would move forward 20 years," he says. "Chinese society does not make good use of my wisdom – [if they did] my spirit would influence the whole world, not only China."

That does not appear to have set back his financial fortunes: the Hurun rich list estimated his worth at $740m last year. He told the Guardian he had 3bn yuan in assets and commercial properties worth 7 to 9bn registered via other parties.

A few years ago, some Chinese reports suggested he faced heavy debts. Chen said he had never borrowed money and that the stories were planted by rivals. He had, he added, "a heart full of sunshine", that could not be unsettled by detractors.

Admirers point out that most millionaires are doing little for their fellows. And Chen's stunts have, as he predicted, got people talking about philanthropy and the environment. "We need these kind of people to tell us that if you want to help people you need to take responsibility," says Wang Lanjun, pausing to have her photo taken with him. "He's great!" enthused another passing pedestrian. "He said I'm great," Chen points out. "You see? Ordinary people love me."

[GeneChing]

But it's Monday after Chinese New Years and I'm slow about getting this week started...:o


Ray Chen Is ON OUR RADAR: The Carnegie-Bound Violinist Talks Boxing, Nicki Minaj And The Dog Days Of College (PHOTOS) (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/10/ray-chen-is-on-our-radar-violinist-has-carnegie-debut_n_2474501.html)

The Huffington Post | By Katherine Brooks Posted: 02/10/2013 9:21 am EST | Updated: 02/11/2013 10:32 am EST

Anyone can tell you who's already made it, but HuffPost Arts & Culture's On Our Radar series is here to tell you who's about to blow up -- and, in some cases, go pop.

Ray Chen is only 23 years old, but on February 15 the young violinist will tackle the storied stage at Carnegie Hall, a fete envied by musicians of much older ages. A prodigious music student at heart, he's used to the challenge, having become the youngest soloist to perform at the Nobel Prize concert last year. Now, after playing with orchestras in Germany, Sweden, Israel and beyond, NPR has dubbed him "the finest current violinist you don't yet know." It's a superlative with an air of mystery, almost daring the instrumental genius to show us his stuff.

In the run-up to his Carnegie debut, we spoke with Chen about his upcoming milestone, his career lows and his life outside the bounds of classical music:
ray chen violinist carnegie

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/944359/thumbs/o-RAY-CHEN-VIOLINIST-CARNEGIE-570.jpg?6
Violinist Ray Chen. Credit: CAMI Music

HP: Why does this project matter?

It reminds me of that old joke: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? And the answer is practice, practice, practice. I think if it's not the most sought after concert hall that it's certainly in the top. Another might be the Berlin Philharmonic, but it is more associated with the orchestra. Carnegie in itself is legendary so for a musician, when you play there, it’s like you’ve reached a certain point in your career. It's like reaching the top of Mt. Everest. There’s still a long way to go for me, but it's always been my dream to play there.

HP: Who or what was an early influence on your work?

I grew up in Australia and I started playing the violin when I was four years old. I was taught by a family of violin teachers -- a mother, daughter, and husband -- and they would hold lessons every week and open their home to tons of kids. Everyone would travel there for different sessions and we would all play for each other. It was so enjoyable and it’s really what inspired me to become a performing artist. Every week I would try to show off, try to memorize pieces and perform every week. The first piece that comes to mind, is from the Suzuki method, called "Happy Farmer". It symbolizes the attitude I had back in those days. Just a happy farmer.

HP: What were the lowest and highest points in your career so far?

An eye and ear-opening experience was when I first moved to the States and got into Curtis [Institute of Music in Philadelphia]. I was 15 when I auditioned, and at that time, it was kind of like I was on top of the world, especially coming form Australia. I was a big fish in a small pond. But I think everybody there was a kind of star in their hometown, and then they get to Curtis and experience this major setback all of a sudden. Your mind opens up and you realize what the level is out there. It took like two years for me to get over that. In our bios, we all list the competitions we've won, but during those years I didn’t win a single one. It wasn't until April of 2008 that I broke through the wall and won my first competition and finally had some momentum. Curtis is very small and it will make or break you.

The high point though is definitely Carnegie hall. I can’t think of many other things to top that. Last year, I played in the Nobel Prize concert, and that was an experience too, meeting the Nobel Prize winners and laureates. Before I had no idea who they were, but after meeting them I was so impressed.

HP: What are you obsessed with right now?

I recently got into boxing. I had a friend who was a competitive fighter and later decided to become a violist, and ever since I was a kid I wanted to learn martial arts. Then last year I met some Shaolin monks on a cruise where I was performing and they ended up inviting me to China, to Hunan, to train with them. Unfortunately that never happened, but I thought later that I should do something, so I started boxing.

I'm also into other genres of music. I love to go dancing -- not like ballroom dancing, but club dancing, with house or electronic music. I love Daft Punk and LMFAO. Or Nicki Minaj. At first I really didn’t like her, but now it kind of grows on me. My life is so engrossed in classical music, so I definitely try to schedule some time away from that.

HP: How would your childhood music theater teacher describe you?

Back then, she would say that I was a very talkative person. I was always the kid in class that couldn’t shut up. Always talking to my neighbor and full of energy and very happy. [Laughs] She did have a lot of hope in me.

Ray Chen will perform at Carnegie Hall with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra on Friday, February 15, 2013 at 7pm.

[Orion Paximus]

Man, if I made my living with my hands, like as a surgeon or A ****ING VIOLINIST, I would NOT still be doing martial arts. My hands are so busted from my years of Kung Fu training.

[GeneChing]

What he needs is to condition his hands with vinegar, rusty nails and urine (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65268). :eek:

[Orion Paximus]

What he needs is to condition his hands with vinegar, rusty nails and urine (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65268). :eek:

I'm pretty sure no one mention urine, man lol. I refuse to ever speak the horrors that my iron palm teacher inflected upon me. Somethings are better left unsaid.

[GeneChing]

I seldom have to make things up around here. ;)

[GeneChing]

Sort of a future Shaolin journey, sort of Shaolin child abuse...:rolleyes:

More pix and a vid if you follow the link...

Posted on 13 Mar 2013
Kungfu baby stands on one leg and performs other stunts -- with dad's help (http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/1647610/china_dad_flips_baby_around_to_train_him_in_shaoli n_kungfu.html)
This article is contributed by the STOMP Team.
http://static.stomp.com.sg/site/servlet/linkableblob/stomp/1647610/thumbnail/china_dad_flips_baby_around_to_train_him_in_shaoli n_kungfu-thumbnail.jpg
The baby in this video may only be a year old, but he is already being trained in kungfu by his dad.

In the video, which was shot in Guangdong Province, the man can be seen tossing and flipping his son about in a series of complicated acrobatic moves.

At one point, the baby even stands unsupported on his father's hand.

The man, who hopes his son will be a martial arts star, has been training the boy since he was 8 months old and plans on sending him to the Shaolin Monastery.

There were several positive comments accompanying the video.

One person observed that the baby was was clapping his hands when he was standing on one leg and he couldn't be happier, while another wrote that "the baby doesn't seem to be in any pain, in fact he seems to be going along with it all just fine."

[GeneChing]

This article showcases Omar Samra's diverse travels. I only clipped the Shaolin part. Follow the link if you want to read the rest. It's not about Shaolin, but interesting as a travel log.

Following the trail of inspiration (http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/03/21/following-the-trail-of-inspiration/)
Thoraia Abou Bakr / March 21, 2013
Omar Samra shares what drives him and inspires others

http://i1.wp.com/www.dailynewsegypt.com/beta/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/4-1-1-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%82%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AAOmar-Samra-on-top-of-Everst-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225

Omar Samra pauses for breath on the summit of mount Everest

...

Omar shared one of his best travel experiences. It was the only time his face changed and he started to show some emotion, smiling as he recounted the tale, as if he was reliving it. “I remember being in China in the Shaolin Monastery, the Shaolin monks are known as the forefathers of Kung Fu thousands of years ago. There is a temple in central China in a province called Henan Province, in a town called Shaolinsi. It is a very small town; they basically have one street, one temple and a school. I went there many years ago. I never practiced martial arts, but I have always been fascinated by it. I went there with a Chinese friend and we went to that one street, which has two or three restaurants, and the other shops sell weapons for the students to train with.”

“The kids get admitted at age two or three and they stay there until their seventies or eighties,” Omar continued. “It is like a different world, you see kids doing somersaults and back flips as if it is normal. So, I was in this restaurant eating with my friend, the restaurant owner was sitting next to us and he was staring at me, in China it is not considered rude to stare, and he would say something to my friend, so I asked: what is he saying? She responded he is asking where you are from, he is asking what are you doing here, he is asking why did you come all this way, et cetera. We finished eating and we were about to pay and then my friend looks at me and said: he wants to arm wrestle you for the bill. I thought she was joking but he looked at me very seriously, which was really weird. I am in this really remote place in China and I am basically arm wrestling this guy over a chicken. I was sitting there, arm wrestling this guy and it lasted about 30 seconds. I was really intense and you could see all my veins, and he looked really calm as if he was not maing any effort at all. He was obviously some Kung Fu guy when he was younger. I ended up beating him but decided to pay for the chicken regardless. ”
...

[GeneChing]

China Travelogue (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bgFd0Si88o) by Bad Ass Bunny was included in our free DVD insert with our Shaolin Special 2012 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1036). We are releasing it in honor of our Shaolin Special 2013 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1088) which arrives on the newsstands today.

[GeneChing]

Strongman contestants visit Shaolin Temple (http://www.china.org.cn/china/2013-07/08/content_29353008.htm)
Chinadaily.com.cn, July 8, 2013

Competitors in the 2013 China World Strongman Championship visited the Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Sunday afternoon to study Chinese martial arts with monks.

http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20130708/7427ea210acc1344591d13.jpg
Shaolin monks perform kung fu for visiting competitors in the 2013 China World Strongman Championship on Sunday.

The contestants said it was a good opportunity to learn about Chinese martial arts and culture.

China's Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of kung fu and a central location of many martial arts films.

The monks from Shaolin Temple demonstrated their skills and then taught the contenders some movements.

One participant, Zydrunas Savickas from Lithuania, who is 1.91 meters tall and weighs 170 kg, said, "I first learned of the Shaolin Temple on television when I was 18 years old. This is the first time I have witnessed it. It is really very big."

He added, "It is really interesting to get close to Chinese kung fu, which is more powerful than I saw on TV or in film."

Rob Frampton, a 40-year-old contestant from England, told China Daily, "Both China and the UK have a very long history. I am very interested in Chinese culture." He added it was a good opportunity to experience and understand Chinese culture and kung fu.

He already knew the Shaolin Temple was the birthplace of kung fu and had some knowledge of Buddhism.

He enjoyed the visit very much, saying it was relaxing and helped him recover faster and prepare for the next day's matches.

The 2013 China World Strongman Championship began in Zhendong New District of Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province, on Friday.

Thirty-two contestants from 31 countries, including China, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Morocco, will compete until Wednesday for the championship.

This contest is the largest such in terms of scale, and attracts the most contestants.

All contestants are winners of strongman contests in their home countries. They are also ranked in the top 100 World Hercules Union, including former champion Savickas.

One Chinese competitor, Zhang Jianjun from Hebei province, won China's strongman contest in 2012. Another competitor Zhou Rong is from Zhengzhou, Henan province.

The contest will include lifting dumbbells with one hand, pulling aircraft and holding huge stone balls, with some Chinese traditional elements thrown in.

http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20130708/7427ea210acc1344594a15.jpg
Strongman contestants learn Chinese martial arts at Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Sunday afternoon.

http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20130708/7427ea210acc1344596f16.jpg
A contestant in the 2013 China World Strongman Championship reads China Daily on Sunday.
Ever seen a strongman competition (http://www.martialartsmart.com/dvd-wctv001.html)?

[ShaolinDan]

Just went and visited the Shaolin Temple a couple of days ago. Fantastic trip for me.

Shaolin Temple was pretty touristy (no surprise), but it was also very cool for me to be there. The price of admission includes a short gong fu show, which was fun, and for me walking the grounds there was a little bit like a pilgrimage. Saw so many things I've only seen pictures of or heard about before. But it got better.

I guess my visit to Shaolin was karmically aligned or something, because I had two fantastic surprises while I was there.

Walking through the temple, I eventually arrived at the abbot's residence. There was some kind of a press conference going on and for a minute or two I was able to catch some glimpses of Shi Yongxin through the crowd. After a very short time, the Abbot and those people with press passes disappeared into his chambers and I moved on with my tour.
7633

Maybe half an hour later, I heard a commotion and turned around to see the Abbot walking in my direction! He was giving some kind of a tour to the press and lead them right past me. When he saw me, he smiled, we did the whole prayer hands and 'Amitoufo' thing, and he asked where I was from. Love him or hate him, this was still super cool for me. :D
7634


That in itself would have been enough to make my visit to Shaolin, but I had another surprise in store. When I stopped by a stand selling the stuff they sell there to ask directions to Damo's cave (got confused because it's labeled as 'Dharma Cave'), two of the monks operating the stand said (in Chinese of course), "Hey, you're the guy from Kunming who trained at Guandu Shaolin Temple and wrote the article on Shi Yanbei!" I did a major double-take and lo and behold, these two guys I just happened to ask directions from were monks who had been stationed at the Guandu Shaolin Temple while I was there. Totally amazing.

I know a lot of people who go to visit the Shaolin Temple end up feeling let down, but I was not. I'm even considering paying the (relatively) high cost to train there, just so I can hang out on the grounds for a few days. I don't know if I'll do it though--I got spoiled in Kunming training with Shaolin monks for free (well, for work exchange). I'll certainly go back to visit one more time though before I leave Dengfeng.

[ShaolinDan]

Nice! Good place to plug the article (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1092). ;)

Thanks for that, Gene. :)

[GeneChing]

For more on Vidyut, see C (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65174), C2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65816) & BR (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65832).


Vidyut Jammwal visits Shaolin temple in China (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/vidyut-jammwal-visits-shaolin-temple-in-china/1157997/)
PTI : Mumbai, Wed Aug 21 2013, 10:07 hrs

http://static.indianexpress.com/m-images/Wed%20Aug%2021%202013,%2010:07%20hrs/M_Id_411954_Vidyut_Jammwal.jpg
Vidyut Jammwal has trained in Kalaripayattu in Kerala since the age of three.

Commando actor Vidyut Jammwal, a martial arts enthusiast, visited the Shaolin Temple, on Mount Song, in China recently and spent a few days there.

Vidyut, who has trained in Kalaripayattu in Kerala since the age of three, visited the temple to commemorate and salute Bodhidharma, the great master of Kalaripayattu, who is believed to have taken the art from India to China.

The actor also managed to spend a week training as part of a very closed door martial arts camp at the temple which is meant only for martial arts experts and not novices.

The camp covers aspects of attack, combat, self defense and even protection and healing spanning various martial art forms.

[GeneChing]

Charlie Hunnam's 'Fifty Shades' workout may include martial arts (http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/charlie-hunnams-fifty-shades-workout-may-include-martial-arts)
'Pacific Rim' actor is already in phenomenal shape to tackle the coveted role of Christian Grey in the upcoming erotic drama.
Tue, Sep 03 2013 at 12:03 PM
http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/char-mnn_1.jpg
Creative Commons
Charlie Hunnam, the British actor who rose to fame as Jax Teller on the hit FX series "Sons of Anarchy," has just landed one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood. As announced by "Fifty Shades of Grey" author E.L. James this morning, the 33-year-old actor will appear in the upcoming film version of the hit novel as the billionaire industralist Christian Grey. "21 Jump Street" actress Dakota Johnson will play the role of Anastasia Steele.

For those familiar with Hunnam's work on "Sons of Anarchy," it's easy to see why producers selected him for the role of Grey. Unlike other actors that transform their bodies for specific roles, Hunnam consistently hits the gym - telling Men's Fitness that for him, staying in shape has benefits way beyond the physical.

“The benefit of working out is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” he says. “I feel better — like that I have more energy. But the mental side is an extraordinary benefit. I’m happier, more confident, and more positive when I work out. And I feel like I’m a better actor because of the clarity it gives me.”

While it's unclear whether he'll be assigned a personal trainer for "Fifty Shades," it's evident Hunnam doesn't really need one. Pull-ups, dips, swimming, bodyweight moves, and other intense routines are all squeezed daily into what can sometimes be 15-hour workdays.

"Being an actor is fantastic because you get to live your dreams and all of that, but I always think it's slightly irritating when you hear from the outside world and people are like, 'Yeah, well if I was an actor and all I had to do was look good, I could be that ripped too.' Well I've got news for you, man! I work 15 hours a day and still go to the gym," he tells GQ. "Most people work eight hours a day and say 'I haven't got time to work out.' Bulls***! If you want to be super-fit and look ripped then you find the time no matter what."

More recently, Hunnam started including Bartendaz workouts into his routine; which mixes up acrobatic moves with martial arts and other physical movements. Up until his casting in the recent scifi film "Pacific Rim," the actor also had plans to travel to China to study Wing Chun kung fu in the famed Shaolin Temple.

"I still actually intend to do that, although I'm not sure if I'm going to go to China; I might actually go to Thailand and do a month-long intensive Muay Thai academy," he says.

Check out Hunnam performing some of his workouts for Men's Fitness below. "Fifty Shades of Grey' will be released by Focus Features on August 1, 2014. Traveling to Shaolin to study Wing Chun, eh? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. :rolleyes:

[Matthew]

Traveling to Shaolin to study Wing Chun, eh?

He must have seen the Kung Fu Magazine.com Front Page Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s-dcrS-4xE&list=PL4E2B154D13318924


Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. :rolleyes:
Come on isn't it KFM promoting "Shaolin Wing Chun" Videos? :p

[GeneChing]

But hey, if Charlie's watching - call me. I'll put ya on the cover! ;)

[Lucas]

i would wager a guess the wing chun comes off of robert downing jr's coat tails.

someone should just show that acter the wing chun forum here, he'll do the right thing.

[GeneChing]

What with all the Ip Man flicks too, you'd think Wing Chun would be trending even more. It's really a shame that the Wing Chun clans aren't really seizing the opportunity. They had a chance in the wake of Bruce Lee. Now, they have another chance.

Actually, you could find Wing Chun at Shaolin Temple, at least, the Siping one. See Shaolin Training in China: From Expectation to Reality (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=931) by Clemente Liberto. There might even be some at Songshan. It's just funny to hear Hunnam make that statement so. We here all know why. ;)

[LFJ]

There might even be some at Songshan.

Sometimes, but not by the monks. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnTd7Xr79bQ

If you compare the activity on the Shaolin and Wing Chun forums here, you'll find most discussion on the Shaolin forum, when it happens, is about history and playing forms (or philosophy, politics, recent events, etc. anything but fighting), whereas on the Wing Chun forum it's all about fighting methods and training to fight.

The same is true elsewhere online. Everyday on Facebook I see snazzy poses and forms from one group, and clips of at least partner drills and fight training from the other. You can guess which is which.

This Hunnam guy sounds interested in fighting, having also mentioned going to Thailand for a month-long intensive Muay Thai training. He'd be much better off doing that or going to Hong Kong for some Wing Chun. There's only one way to find good traditional fight training in Shaolin, and it's not going to the monastery as a celebrity looking for Wing Chun.

[GeneChing]

This Hunnam guy sounds interested in fighting, He's an actor. He's not *that* interested in fighting. You think he wants to risk his moneymaker face doing Muay Thai? It's just stuff for the press. That was my point with the initial post. If he was really interested in this stuff, he wouldn't have made such a poser gaffe.

Nevertheless, I hope he does go to Shaolin. Regardless of the Wing Chun, it would be a great press op for both him and Shaolin, especially if he does it while promoting 50 Shades. ;)

[LFJ]

I honestly have no idea who the guy is, but if he says he wants to go do a month of Muay Thai in Thailand I take it that's what he wants to do. Plenty of actors are serious martial artists.

[GeneChing]

Published: Wednesday September 11, 2013 MYT 9:22:00 AM
Updated: Wednesday September 11, 2013 MYT 10:06:08 AM
Shaolin sojourn (http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Online-Exclusive/The-Gratitudist/Profile/Articles/2013/09/11/learning-shaolin-kungfu.aspx)
By DAVINA GOH

http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/Images/TSOL/Photos-Gallery/Nation/2013/09/11/davina.ashx?w=620&h=413&crop=1&
The writer outside the gates of the shaolin academy


BY the time anyone reads this, I would have spent a month and a week at the Maling Shaolin Kungfu Academy in Jiangsu Province, China.

I took an overnight train to get here, propped upright on the hardest chair imaginable for twelve hours straight and receiving looks of fascination from the five other people at my booth. The school is situated about a half-hour bus ride away from the nearest city centre of Xinyi. The setting is rustic; training takes place five days a week in a reasonably-sized backyard, or on top of a small, breezy hill nearby.

Since I have been here, the weather has drastically changed from 40-degree heat and unbearable humidity to dry, chilly air. I will be here until winter, when I will be living in minus 10-degree weather – and snow! - for the very first time.

Before this, I had an amazing boss who understood and supported my burgeoning acting career. But working in her event management company for nine years had me yearning for change. I didn't know what that change was going to be, but I knew it had to be big.

The thought of signing up for kungfu school had been swimming around my head for about three years. A good friend proposed it as an interesting alternative to a post-grad education after I failed to raise enough funds for a Masters degree in Theatre.

I had a dream to pursue martial arts as a teenager, but my father at the time didn't encourage it. I've finally figured that at 30 years, I'm as old as I’ll ever be, but I’m also as young as I’ll ever get. And something as physically insane as Shaolin kungfu isn't exactly an idea that should be sat on for too long.

Right now, I am nursing a sprained toe, a weak knee, a pulled hamstring, sore hip flexors and more bruises than I can count. I punch trees and beat myself with bamboo sticks. I do wheelbarrows on pavement so hot that it makes my palms blister. I am pushed to my limits and I hide the agony until it escapes my lips in a guttural roar. If my mother were to witness what I am actually putting myself though, she would demand for me to take the first flight home.

But this is a golden moment for me, while my body is still able, to experience what regular people in a conventional urban environment would never think of putting themselves through.

My repressed tomboy adolescence is out in full swing. In kungfu school, there are no such thing as boys or girls– just a bunch of people eager for self-punishment.

My classmates are from the world over, mainly Europe. They work hard and play hard, and together we create a home away from home. Their company forms one of the most extraordinary parts of this choice of education. Some students stay for a month, others a year. The number of students is small enough for us to feel a huge difference in group dynamics whenever someone comes in or leaves.

Each of us made a decision to dedicate a speck of our lifetime to abandoning our comfort zone and escape to a random corner of the world to try something new. The chances of a kungfu school being our meeting place, only to have us eventually leave and probably never see each other again (together at least), must be truly minimal. It makes every one of these relationships unique and precious.

After my job resignation, I received two very distinct responses to my intentions of going to China. One was the gobsmacked disbelief, quickly followed by “Why?!” The other was the knowing smile and something along the lines of “That is so 'you'!” I acknowledge either reaction, grateful to have managed to establish myself as someone who does not hold back – the 'random' sort of person whom you get warned about making friends with.

Adrenaline kicks aside, the daunting process of learning new things is also a process of humility.... Of constantly breaking down and reconstructing one's reality to make way for new knowledge and ways of being. I can give a dozen reasons as to why I have taken up Shaolin kungfu, and boy, have I given my dozen.

But my main motivation is honoring the fact that at any age, we are all beginners at life. If you think about it, it is how much we embrace this advantage that defines how we will be remembered.

Profile
http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/Images/TSOL/Website/Columnists/col_DavinaGoh.ashx?h=140&w=140
Davina is a Malaysian performer in theatre, musicals, film, TV, voiceovers and spoken word. She embraces human connections and simple pleasures. She asks: What are you grateful for today? Follow her at @duuuhvina.
All aspiring actresses should train in Kung Fu. :)

[wenshu]

He's an actor. He's not *that* interested in fighting. You think he wants to risk his moneymaker face doing Muay Thai?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kZDTJeYa43E/TNv5gnSvrgI/AAAAAAAAG6U/Y2oqNxzi5bE/s1600/mickey-12.jpg



Mickey Rourke's amateur boxing record was 27 wins and 3 losses. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Rourke#Amateur_boxing_record)

http://abcnews.go.com/images/Entertainment/nm_mickey_rourke_100223_mn.jpg

[GeneChing]

Might I even say it was 'earnest (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1247887#post1247887)'?

To be honest, I don't really know Hunnam's work in Anarchy. He was in Pacific Rim (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1100), but I didn't really make note of his performance there. It was obscured by giant monsters and robots. I suppose I'm pretty jaded after charting our Celebrities studying martial arts? thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41233) for so long. So many actors will mention their martial arts practice like dropping a famous director's name, mostly to generate buzz on how hard they are working on the film. While it's great that they are endorsing martial arts (nothing beats a celebrity endorsement) they are essentially getting paid to practice and usually only maintain it for a few months during pre-production. That leaves me pretty skeptical. I should give Hunnam the benefit of the doubt, I suppose. However, if I just landed the lead role in 50 Shades, my thoughts would be towards a totally different kind of discipline.
Amazon MOther's Day Commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK8Lr_HL3eY) (I would have posted the official SNL site vid (http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/), but it seems to be offline at the moment).

I'll add the next article that mentions Hunnam's martial inclinations on that celeb thread, and eagerly await to hear about his burgeoning amateur fight record. ;)

[Alex Córdoba]

For more on Vidyut, see C (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65174), C2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65816) & BR (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65832).

Ah yes, I like going commando, I feel superlative.

[JamesC]

Wasn't Hunnam a star on Queer as Folk before he was famous?

I think he's confused...

[GeneChing]

Luv the name "Shaolin Wushu Vocational Institute" This is wrong however: "And the Shaolin Wushu trained Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li."


Dispatches from China: At a Kung Fu school, the greatest show on Earth (http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/11/dispatches_from_china_at_a_kong_fu_school_the_grea test_show_on_earth.html)
http://imgick.syracuse.com/home/syr-media/width620/img/news/photo/2013/11/gaspforbiddenjpg-a5f78ec670faeba7.jpg
Jamesville-DeWitt Principal Paul Gasparini poses in Beijing's Forbidden City. He is nearing the end of his weeklong journey in China. (Submitted photo)
Paul Riede | priede@syracuse.com By Paul Riede | priede@syracuse.com
on November 14, 2013 at 9:02 AM, updated November 14, 2013 at 9:04 AM

Paul Gasparini, principal of Jamesville-DeWitt High School and 2012 New York State high school principal of the year, is in China with other American educators. He has been sending dispatches back to The Post-Standard throughout his week-long trip.

By Paul Gasparini

Outside of Zhengzhou, in the mountain town of Dengfeng, sit the sprawling campuses of the Shaolin Wushu Vocational Institute. "Vocational institute" connotes a school for career training, and indeed this school does train its students. The training is not in auto technology or the culinary arts, however. It is in the martial art of Kung Fu.

Devotees of Kung Fu will recognize the name Shaolin. The Shaolin Temple is the spiritual home of Zen Buddhism. Think of it as the Buddhist Vatican. Kung Fu is the martial art that reflects the intellectual and physical discipline that Buddhism promotes. Shaolin Temple is also the name of a series of well-known Kung Fu movies. And the Shaolin Wushu trained Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

The Shaolin Wushu Vocational Institute is the single largest Kung Fu campus in the world. Boys and girls from ages 6 to university age stay in dormitories on campus and study academic subjects. But the focus of their education is the art of Kung Fu and all of their other subjects are subordinate to it.

When our tour bus pulled through the campus gates we saw hundreds of students in the training yards working through their drills. All of the students wore red warm-up jackets with Shaolin Institute written on the back and black sweat pants. Close to 300 students in a dozen or more groups were practicing different moves. All of them could do scissor flips! Imagine being at a school of more than 5,000 students in which doing a scissor flip was so routine it was unremarkable. For our group, that was the most remarkable thing about the school.

Down the road from the Wushu, which is the largest campus in the world, is the oldest Kung Fu campus in the world. That's the Shaolin Monastery Traditional Arts School. It has not been updated over time. The buildings are old and look like the tenements in a Jacob Riis photograph.

We walked through doorways that led to courtyards which were similar to the hutongs, or old and rundown alleys, that are off the side streets in Beijing. Our group was hustled into a performance hall that seemed makeshift. Our hosts announced that we would have a student demonstration. I can say with complete honesty that the demonstration was the most impressive show I have ever seen.

I have seen great opera, Broadway shows, and exciting concerts. This show was better, much better, than any of these shows, and it is no contest.

It was hard to get back to regular school mode after that astonishing day in the Shonsang Mountains outside of Zhengzhou. However, we did, and my final post will discuss that experience.

[GeneChing]

More of a travel brochure than a journey, but this is People's Daily. :rolleyes:


Shaolin: Fists of fame (http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/n/2014/0728/c90882-8761555.html)
(China Daily) 09:17, July 28, 2014

http://www.people.com.cn/mediafile/pic/20140728/26/877347195259418478.jpg
Canadian Cale Klesko stretches and warms up his muscles with help from his friends before a kung fu class in the 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple in Henan province. ZHANG LEILONG / CHINA DAILY

Ancient temple riding a wave of global interest in its style of kung fu, report Hou Liqiang and Qi Xin in Dengfeng, Henan province.
University student Maxim Kojevnikoff is visiting Shaolin Temple for the fourth time.
He had planned to join his friends in Wutaishan Mountain in Shanxi province, but decided to return to the renowned 1,500-year-old temple in Dengfeng city of Henan province.
"For me, learning kung fu in Shaolin is like lying on the beach and enjoying the sunshine," the 22-year-old Kojevnikoff said.
"Every time I return to Moscow from Shaolin, I feel rejuvenated."
The journalism major at Russian State Social University teaches Shaolin kung fu at a martial arts center in Moscow. He is still deciding between a career in journalism and martial arts. But he is sure he wants to continue teaching kung fu part time after he graduates.
Kojevnikoff is one of more than 2,000 foreigners who head to Shaolin Temple every year to learn kung fu. The number of visitors usually peaks during the summer vacation.
"Many come as a group. There are more than 20 groups every summer," said the temple's abbot, Shi Yongxin.
"A lot more come in twos or threes. There are such foreigners almost every day."
The abbot said many of the visitors also learn kung fu in the training schools nearby.
The visitors cite many reasons for going to Shaolin. Kojevnikoff said he heard about the temple and fell in love with martial arts after his parents sent him for classes when he was a child. His teacher later took him to Shaolin.
Canadian Cale Klesko said he goes to Shaolin to practice kung fu and Chinese culture, as he is dealing with an increasing number of Chinese companies in his work as an engineer in management consulting.
Kung fu also helps him keep "a balance between the body and the mind", the 30-year-old said.
Virginia Suen from Hong Kong said she learns kung fu to strengthen her body.
"I feel I am in good spirits after practicing kung fu," the 42-year-old assistant in an investment company said.
Many of the visitors also said they developed an interest in kung fu after watching movies about Shaolin as children. These include the 1982 movie, The Shaolin Temple, starring Jet Li.
Since 2001, Damo, a center for martial arts studies established in Russia, has organized kung fu students to Shaolin Temple every year. Rogov Viaches Lav, the chairman of the center, said at least 300 people studying in the center have visited Shaolin. The 46-year-old also said the center has trained more than 1,000 people in Shaolin kung fu.
Authorized by Shaolin, the center is now building a Shaolin-style complex in Russia.
"There will be Buddhism halls, training rooms, meditation rooms and a healthcare center," he said.
The facility will be built in line with Chinese feng shui geomancy concepts, he said.
The Russian said he developed an interest in kung fu after watching Chinese martial arts movies as a boy.
"Kung fu does not solely belong to China. It belongs to the world. It offers us opportunities to know each other. We should thank kung fu," he said.
The Damo center in Russia is one of the dozens of overseas centers authorized by Shaolin. According to Wang Yumin of the foreign affairs office of Shaolin Temple, there are now more than 40 such centers worldwide.
Shi Yongxin said there are hundreds or even thousands of Shaolin centers around the world, if "unauthorized ones set up by Shaolin's disciples and students are included".

Going abroad
More Shaolin monks are also going overseas to take part in cultural exchanges.
"About 400 Shaolin monks go abroad every year," Shi Yongxin said.
"In these cultural exchanges, we usually organize sessions to pray for global peace, cultural exchange forums, photo exhibitions and kaogong, a kung fu contest," he said.
Other activities include the annual California Songshan Shaolin Temple Day, which has been held for 10 years, and the Shaolin Culture Festival, which was launched in 2012 in Europe.
Shi Yanjia, a kung fu master at Shaolin Temple, began to take part in overseas activities in 2000 and has been to more than 10 countries.
"It's common to see some kung fu master going abroad for more than five times a year," the 32-year-old said.
Shi Yanjia is now able to carry on simple conversations with foreigners.
"I can manage simple exchanges in English," he said.
There are also English classes in the temple for monks once a week.

http://www.people.com.cn/mediafile/pic/20140728/89/8266702312144025909.jpg
Cale Klesko, a Canadian citizen, helps his friend warm up before a kung fu session in Shaolin Temple on July 3.

http://www.people.com.cn/mediafile/pic/20140728/71/8787745366438181535.jpg
Russian kung fu practitioner Maxim Kojevnikoff warms up in Shaolin Temple on July 3. (PHOTOS BY HOU LIQIANG / CHINA DAILY)
"No matter where you go, there are translators. But for simple daily expression, the monks can manage on their own," said Shi Yongxin.
"Shaolin Temple has emphasized exchanges with different cultures in its 1,500 years and held on to the belief that only communication can result in development," he said.
Liu Yi, deputy dean of the physical culture institute at Hubei University, said people can learn Shaolin kung fu in many training schools, but the temple is the most attractive place for foreigners and visitors because of the culture it represents.
"In Shaolin Temple, kung fu is combined with Chan Buddhism. It includes many aspects of traditional Chinese culture, such as having a strong sense of justice and being ready to help the weak," Liu said.
Many foreigners go to Shaolin not to learn kung fu to fight or defend themselves, but to learn more about these aspects of traditional Chinese culture, Liu said.
Hong Hao, head of the department of physical education at Henan University, said that Shaolin kung fu's combination with Chan Buddhism, which emphasizes meditation, can also make it popular in the West.
Shaolin kung fu can help people in the West who suffer from the fast pace of a competitive society by taking it slow to contemplate life and the value of their existence, he said.
Practicing the martial art can also help foreigners understand Chinese culture better through body language and physical expressions, Hong said.
But the temple needs to continue improving itself, he said. Many people teach its kung fu but there is no uniform standard. That may hinder its popularization, he said.
There are also no specialized teachers of the martial art. The monks are good at kung fu but they might not know how to teach it systematically. The temple also needs to pay more attention to the theoretical study of kung fu, he said.

[GeneChing]

"the first international participant to join the masters in front of hundreds of spectators" ha. been there, done that, wrote the book (http://www.amazon.com/Shaolin-Trips-Gene-Ching/dp/1424308976/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276188031&sr=1-1) even. :cool:

21 hours ago
Aurora martial artist makes history with pilgrimage to China (http://www.yorkregion.com/sports-story/4800425-aurora-martial-artist-makes-history-with-pilgrimage-to-china/)

http://media.zuza.com/e/3/e3a2488a-7b4a-48c5-b6d5-632cf1ee84e7/A-N-Tim_Wakefield-Supplied___Content.jpg
Pilgrimage
Tim Wakefield (left) visited the Shaolin Temple in China’s Henan Province, considered to be the birthplace of modern martial arts, and trained under Sifu Lian-Fu Hou.

By John Cudmore

Tim Wakefield’s summer vacation was much more than a sightseeing tour or beach getaway.

The owner of Canada’s Black Belt Martial Arts Centre in Aurora strayed from the usual vacation plan in favour of a chance to visit the Shaolin Temple in China’s Henan Province.

It was a rare holiday stop, indeed, but one Wakefield, 41, told himself was long overdue. The timing was ideal, given commitments of other family members.

“As a professional in martial arts, I felt it was almost an obligation that this was at least something once in a lifetime to do and this was a perfect fit,” explained the eighth degree black belt in Shaolin kempo karate, whose visit included eight days on the temple’s grounds. “This was a deviation from the norm, as I was on my own.

“I wasn’t going to prove anything, but to learn what they could teach me to be better at it. It was a martial arts pilgrimage to visit the Shaolin Temple.”

The temple was constructed in 495 AD as a gift from Emperor Hsiao-Wei and intended to be the central temple in China to spread Buddhist teachings. Considered ground zero for modern-day martial arts, the complex attracts martial arts students from around the world for training sessions.

Participants are put through two, four-hour training sessions per day.

For his training, Wakefield was assigned to Sifu Lian-Fu Hou, a temple master, and was introduced to seven star boxing method. Later, he moved on to work with a chopping spear (long-handle broadsword), an apparatus with which he excelled enough to be invited to join the daily performances of masters and senior disciples of the temple.

He was later informed he was the first international participant to join the masters in front of hundreds of spectators.

“It was so cool, so awesome,” said the Newmarket resident. “There was a rise that came out of the crowd. At first, it was like, ‘What’s he doing here?’ The room sort of swelled. It was exhilarating.”

He was later asked to perform in two more shows. Only later did he learn of his exalted status in an email from Sifu Hou.

“I knew it was a rare honour, but to be the first (international) is an exhilarating, illuminating experience across the board,” said Wakefield.

[GeneChing]

Read From Shaolin Temple to DIE FIGHTING: An Interview with Fabien Garcia (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1209) by Corey Danna

[GeneChing]

Fighting to get in (http://www.scmp.com/presented/topics/go-china-zhengzhou/article/1802908/fighting-get)

Martial arts centre welcomes students who research their disciplines and are prepared to wait for a master. Reports by Sascha Matuszak
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 26 May, 2015, 10:47am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 26 May, 2015, 12:29pm
Sascha Matuszak

http://cdn1.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/2015/05/19/hs_20130704_06504_49510303.jpg?itok=rUdlbSuq
Foreign students make a gesture of respect during a graduation ceremony at Shaolin Temple on Mount Songshan in Dengfeng, Zhengzhou. Photo: ImagineChina

Shaolin Temple is arguably the most famous martial arts temple and training facility in the world. Dozens of movies, books, stories and legends surround the temple and the Buddhist monks, who have lived, worked and trained here for the past 1,500 years.

Legends aside, it is possible to learn kung fu at Shaolin Temple. There is a difference, however, between kung fu, wushu and sanda - three variations of Chinese martial arts that are distinct from each other.

Kung fu is best described as the all-round Chinese traditional martial art that incorporates fighting techniques, correct breathing and qigong techniques, and dance-like movements and routines that help students to memorise their techniques. Sanda is a combat sport that uses throws, strikes and some grappling, and stems from traditional kung fu. Wushu is performance art, basically martial arts dancing, that also stems from kung fu. All three can be studied in or around the Shaolin Temple.

Within the temple, wushu is the primary art taught to foreign and Chinese students. Wushu is a martial art, but more to do with performances than with fighting. Sanda is taught outside of the temple in martial arts schools - known as wushu academies - several dozen of which have sprung up around the temple in the city of Dengfeng. The largest and most well-known of these schools is Tagou Wushu Academy, which has about 35,000 students and is located right next to the Shaolin Temple.

Traditional kung fu is more difficult, as students must find a master and become his or her disciple. Those masters exist in and around the temple but, in order to meet them and learn from them, it is best to travel to the temple and enrol in either wushu or sanda, and slowly get to know the surroundings, the people, and take your time choosing a kung fu master.

That is not to say that the people teaching sanda and wushu are not kung fu masters. Some of them are, others are sports coaches. There is a difference between a coach and master in that a coach will teach fundamentals based upon competition, and the requirements of a sanda match, or a wushu performance. A kung fu master will instead pass on his knowledge of martial arts, usually with philosophy and culture included.

Students thinking of training at the temple, or in one of the nearby wushu academies, should read American Shaolin, which describes author Matthew Polly's wushu and kung fu studies there. The book is dated but still relevant, as there is still a lot of bureaucracy - fees have only risen, and the same confusion persists on what one learns and from whom.

There are hundreds more wushu academies scattered across China and the world that will claim some connection to Shaolin martial arts and the temple itself. So, potential students should see the school and its environment for themselves.







Coming out of the shadows (http://www.scmp.com/presented/topics/go-china-zhengzhou/article/1802921/coming-out-shadows)

City grows in popularity thanks to its collection of cultural sights. Reports by Sascha Matuszak
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 26 May, 2015, 10:47am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 26 May, 2015, 12:29pm

Sascha Matuszak

http://cdn4.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/2015/05/19/hs_pau891808_01_49510285.jpg?itok=8MoO8hkD
Shaolin Temple has significantly contributed to Zhengzhou's success as a tourist destination.

Zhengzhou is an emerging tourist city, one of the oldest inhabited areas in China and surrounded by living reminders of the world's oldest continuous civilisation. After years of playing second fiddle to other more famous areas of the mainland, Zhengzhou is finally coming into its own. It boasts the deep martial arts legacy of the Shaolin Temple and the ancient roots of Chinese civilisation in the Shang ruins and the Yellow Emperor. It also acts as custodian for the Yellow River, the heart of China.

Zhengzhou's newfound success can be attributed in part to the re-emergence of the Shaolin Temple as a cultural force and major exporter of Chinese culture. Although the temple has always been well-known, it is only in recent years that the tourism and training aspects of the temple have become seamlessly fused with the cultural and historical foundations of the area.

Economics and logistics are other factors. Zhengzhou has become a major rail hub in central China, attracting more investment from outside Henan province and giving the local government the ability to spruce up the city and add amenities and services. The first wave of development on the mainland skipped over cities such as Zhengzhou, but now the waves are crashing all around the city, leading to a renaissance that is bringing in visitors.

Zhengzhou was once the centre of Chinese civilisation, as the Shang dynasty and Yin ruins testify. These ruins were considered the stuff of legend until they were unearthed, revealing the deep historic roots and great sophistication of the political entities that ruled the regions between the Yellow and Yangtze rivers almost 5,000 years ago. Several other ruins and relics dot the landscape around Zhengzhou, including one of the most influential schools of ancient China, Songyuan Academy, and Song dynasty tombs.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Emperor, also known as Xuanyuan, has become an ever-more-revered figure in the city of Xinzheng, just outside Zhengzhou. Xuanyuan Temple in Xinzheng pays homage to the emperor and his contributions to Chinese civilisation. Combined with an annual ceremony that attracts crowds, the Yellow Emperor's hometown is becoming a popular cultural attraction.

Henan Provincial Museum is still a must-see destination in Zhengzhou. All the historical sites around the city are put into context there, and a wealth of information is provided on the earliest Chinese civilisations that flourished in the area. Two Tang dynasty pagodas across from the museum, accessible to the public, are a beautiful and fitting reminder of Zhengzhou's long and illustrious history.

The city is changing rapidly. A few years ago, this provincial capital would have had little to offer international tourists, but today it has a flourishing bar and nightclub scene featuring an attractive and diverse cast of people and locations.

The city and its inhabitants have also changed with the times, become more open and communicative with people from outside the province. Zhengzhou is modernising and globalising itself, and the feeling is palpable as the new meets the old.




More from Sascha here: New-Masters-Documentary-MMA-and-Kungfu-in-China (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68245-New-Masters-Documentary-MMA-and-Kungfu-in-China)

[GeneChing]

....and really tragic :(


China teen who drowned in Orchard hotel pool could not swim (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/china-teen-who-drowned-in/1998118.html)
The Coroner's Court hears that Wu Jintang, 15, had sneaked out with other students for a dip at Orchard Parade Hotel's swimming pool. He never surfaced after jumping into the deep end.
By Kyle Malinda
POSTED: 21 Jul 2015 22:17

SINGAPORE: A teenager from China who was found to have drowned in a Orchard hotel swimming pool in February did so after sneaking out of his hotel room with other students in a trip, the Coroner's Court heard on Tuesday (Jul 21).

Wu Jintang, 15, arrived in Singapore on Feb 12 on a cultural exchange trip with 26 other students and two trainers from the Shaolin Wushu Wenhu School at the time.

Investigation officer Senior Staff Sergeant Wong Yasong told the court that after a brieifing by trainers on the next day's itinerary, the students were to stay in their rooms at the Orchard Parade Hotel at night.

However, Wu sneaked out with several other students sometime after 9pm to go to the swimming pool at the sixth floor of the hotel. Closed-circuit television footage showed most of the students standing in the shallow end of the pool which was 1.2 metres-deep.

After changing into swimming trunks, Wu - who did not know how to swim - jumped into the deepest part of the pool which was 3 metres-deep. Brief ripples were seen afterwards, but Wu never surfaced and no lifeguard was present.

Wu's friends did not realise he had gone missing until 10 minutes later, when a fellow student brought him up from the pool bed. He was unconscious and as the students did not know how to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), hotel staff were alerted. While waiting for paramedics, hotel staff performed CPR on Wu but were unsuccessful in reviving him.

Paramedics arrived at the scene within 10 minutes, at about 10.20pm and administered the use of an automated external defibrillator. Wu was sent to the KK Women's and Children's Hospital with zero pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure. He was pronounced dead at 11.10pm.

A post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as drowning. No foul play was suspected.

Wu was also found to not have been suffering from any medical complications prior to the incident.

The court was told that there were signs indicating various depths of the pool at the side and that the pool slopes gradually. A line was hung across the pool separating the shallow end from the deeper side. Following the incident, the hotel has placed a lifeguard on duty at the pool from 7am to 10pm, with a security guard taking over after. A life-saving pole and hook have also been installed at the side of the pool.

Wu's father and the People's Republic of China embassy were notified of the Coroner's Court hearing but representatives were not present.

In a separate incident, a 12-year-old China national drowned on the same day Wu did at Hotel Royal in Newton. The boy who was in Singapore for a summer camp with other students, was found to have drowned at a part of the pool where the pool bed dropped to a deeper depth.

The case has been adjourned to Aug 11 in the Coroner's Court.

- CNA/eg

[GeneChing]

Not Dengfeng but still counts...


Shaolin Summer: In Search of Confucius (http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/21/shaolin-summer-in-search-of-confucius/)
Posted by Intelligent Travel in Travel with Heart on July 21, 2015

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/files/2015/07/shaolin-warrior-590-590x416.jpg
Bamboo frames a Shaolin warrior monk practicing kung fu moves. (Photograph by Justin Guariglia)

By Kaylie Jones

We’re standing in a row like soldiers at attention. It’s the mandatory lineup, 8:30 a.m., in a steaming concrete courtyard at the Qufu Shaolin Kung Fu School. I can’t quite believe I’m here, in China, 330 miles south of Beijing.

The only time I remember feeling this anxious and uncertain was on my first day of preschool. Then, as now, I had no social or cultural reference for what was about to take place.

I look around for my 15-year-old daughter, Eyrna, but can’t see her. We’ve been assigned to different groups, which probably is good. I won’t be able to focus on her, which will make me focus on myself—something I both want and don’t want to do.

This adventure was her idea; she has been studying Chinese history, including the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, an advocate of self-cultivation who was born in the adjacent city of Qufu. I’m realizing I’ll need a lot of Confucianism to propel me through what lies ahead: four weeks of intense training under the tutelage of Shaolin warrior monks.

Sweat trickles down my arms, legs, and back. At 52, I’m the oldest student by at least a decade. The people near me, martial arts enthusiasts from around the world, appear lean and very fit, well prepared for the upcoming rigors. They’re not even sweating.

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/files/2015/07/qufu-city-walls.jpg
Gates punctuate Qufu’s old city walls. (Photograph by Robert Harding Picture LIbrary, LTD/Alamy)

What in the world was I thinking?

Eyrna and I have been on our own for months, since my husband, her father, was hospitalized for treatment-resistant depression. Looking back on this cataclysm in our family life, I feel now that we were standing on the deck of a sturdy ship that slowly was sinking—and even as the floor tilted beneath my feet, I refused to see it. In the end, I had two choices: go down with the ship or grab Eyrna and run.

We’ve run, thousands of miles from home and all that is familiar. Shipwrecked and clinging to each other on our little desert island, the two of us need both distance from our immediate reality and a goal, a new direction, to aim for. Pondering this, a wave of panic washes over me. Our sole connection to the place we’ve traveled to is our passion for martial arts, which Eyrna and I have studied for more than ten years.

If there is one thing the martial arts have taught us it’s that when you’re knocked down, you get up. Almost as important to me lately has been an accompanying maxim: There is no shame in getting knocked down. No shame. Still, a feeling of guilt, of wanting to delete the previous year of tumult from my daughter’s life, has plagued me. That is about to change.

Shaolin kung fu is the archetypal martial art of China, developed by monks at the first Shaolin Temple, established in the fifth century in neighboring Henan Province. It also is one of the most difficult martial arts to master. Shaolin monks begin training at age eight and practice eight hours a day for at least ten years.

This first week will be hugely challenging for me, but, with my years of training and the wisdom of Confucius’s teachings, not impossible. Still standing at attention, I repeat to myself, this was a good idea. Our shifu (master), a 34th-generation Shaolin warrior monk in his 30s, paces before us, assessing what he has to work with. Then he spreads his arms and shouts, “Go, go!”

Everyone takes off, sprinting through the gold-and-crimson gates of the school’s white-walled compound and into the surrounding Shimen Forest National Park. We’re running? I’m appalled. I haven’t run since college. Plus, my new Feiyue training shoes have no cushion in the soles, and I didn’t bring running shoes. I don’t own running shoes. How far are we running?

You can do this, I goad myself. You kickboxed six days a week to get into shape. You’re in shape.

The strongest students, whose bodies ripple with muscle, lope ahead like gazelles. They’ll be back at the school before the rest of us have reached the halfway point.

Local farmers and workers pause by the side of the road to watch the spectacle of panting foreigners stagger by. Their eyes linger longest on me. Or am I imagining that?

I’m not. Look, they’re laughing. It must be because of my age. In traditional Chinese society, I’m meant to be a grandmother, not a kung fu student. Then I recall a line in Confucius’s Analects: “At 40, I had no more doubts.” I’ll show them.

I pick up the pace. Green fields of corn on either side of the narrow road undulate in the summer heat. Sweat gushes off me. I feel ready to collapse, but my mind refuses to let my body stop. By the time I reenter the school’s gates, I’ve resolved to buy whatever running shoes I can find.

“How far did we run?” I ask Kiah, a 19-year-old Australian who is dressed in a collared shirt and long black shorts, like a proper schoolgirl. I barely get the words out between breaths.

“Two kilometers,” she replies. About a mile. “We run three times a day. That was the warm-up; now the training begins.”

My class is held in an enormous hall that feels like a steam bath. I’ll be observed, and judgments about my abilities will be passed. I spot Eyrna through a window; her group is practicing outside under a blazing sun. She moves with no hesitation, her kicks rising high above her head. She looks positively elegant—elegant, sweat free, in the prime of her youth. And happy. The sight energizes me.

Class starts with kicks and punches—straight-legged, bent-kneed, jumping—back and forth. I’m keeping up, though I’m leaving puddles everywhere. Push, I tell myself. Then a sabotage thought tiptoes in: Why? For what?

My father’s voice enters my head. A Golden Gloves boxer, gruff veteran of the Battle of Guadalcanal, and author of the 1951 war novel From Here to Eternity, James Jones, my dad, died at 55 of congestive heart failure.

I flash back to the time he stood in front of my eighth-grade English class and was asked, “Why do you write?” He answered with the story of British climber George Mallory, who, when asked why he needed to climb Mount Everest, answered—my father told the class of 13-year-olds, tears streaming from his eyes—“Because it is there.”

Well, I am here—and unlike Mallory, who didn’t make it down Everest (his remains were recovered only in 1999, by National Geographic grantee Conrad Anker), I’m going to finish this. Sometimes we have to travel halfway around the world to repair our souls.

To be up at 6 a.m. for tai chi, I go to bed at 8 p.m. Not Eyrna. My teen hangs out happily with the 20-year-olds, playing video games and watching movies. I had wanted this to be our shared experience, but she’s going her own way. As days pass, I barely catch sight of her. This makes me feel surprisingly alone but I leave her be, focusing on our upcoming visit to Qufu, just to the south, where I hope Confucian wisdom will rub off on us.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/files/2015/07/cemetery-of-confucius-480x300.jpg
Temple and Cemetery of Confucius (Photograph by kjmagnuson, Flickr)

Five other students, Eyrna, and I share a taxi van to town. The road is jammed with mopeds, overburdened trucks, and every imaginable type of claptrap car, all honking. A few shiny sedans with tinted windows speed past. Roadside stalls sell fruits and vegetables, of which only watermelon looks familiar.

Confucius lived 500 years before Christ; his philosophies, formed during a time of political turmoil, have shaped Chinese culture and thought for more than two millennia. Confucianism is based on ren, a principle of self-discipline and loving others while striving to better one’s mind and body. Paramount is developing a clear head, devoid of anxious thought. Nothing could sound better right now.

We begin our explorations at what some consider the end: the Cemetery of Confucius, outside Qufu’s ancient city wall. A walk on a cypress-lined avenue, filled with excited Chinese visitors, brings us through a blue gate filigreed with gold Chinese script.

We have entered a World Heritage area where, for more than 2,400 years, Confucius’s descendants—some 100,000 so far—have been interred with the pomp accorded the most honored heads of state. My eyes take in burial mounds and stone stelae as plentiful as the cypress and pine trees that form a vast green parasol (one tree is planted for every grave). Statues of officials and animals stand guard. Only the buzz of cicadas and electric tour buses ****zing by disturbs the silence.

Following the surging crowd, we arrive at Confucius’s tomb, a large burial mound covered with flowers and offerings, and fronted by an incense burner and a stela carved with Chinese characters. A feeling of reverence, as I have in cathedrals, floats with the incense smoke on the still air. I watch a Chinese man bow over and over. I imagine he, like me, has aspirations to overcome adversity with a lucid Confucian mind.

The Confucian golden rule states that one must never impose on others what one would not impose on oneself. This gives me pause: I’ve been imposing harsh judgments and demands on myself that I would never impose upon others. Except, maybe, I demand too much of my daughter. I buy a stick of incense and light it. Please help me give myself and Eyrna a break.

A break of sorts comes one morning when my shifu, Shi Xing Lin, tells me—through his translator, Cindy—that I’m doing well for my age. So well that he allows me to skip “power training” to study bagua with Master Wu.

An “internal” style of kung fu, bagua is softer on the joints and can be practiced into old age. Wu Shifu, 69, is a baguazhang master. I respond that I have no intention of skipping anything. My shifu smiles. In that moment I realize he understands I aim to do my very best and know my only enemy is myself.

What he doesn’t know is I’m here for a powerful reason: to come to terms with mistakes I’ve made, the most important of which now is my daughter being without her father.

The minute my daughter was born, I vowed to give her a safe and consistent childhood, perhaps to compensate for my own. My parents were huge drinkers; most nights, it seemed, they were out at a party or brought the party to our house. They probably should not have had children, though I know my father was thrilled when I came along. Still, having grown up during the Great Depression, he didn’t believe in coddling. He did offer help and advice when I asked for it, but that didn’t happen often because he was so busy writing.

There was one thing he enjoyed teaching me, beginning when I was five: how to box. Jab, cross, hook. Jab, cross, hook. He was pleased with my hand-eye coordination. When I took up kickboxing decades later, his instructions came right back to me.

In a way, I’ve brought Eyrna here to learn her own version of jab, cross, hook—as survival skills. It doesn’t escape me that, in Eastern cultures, one’s children are an extension of oneself. In taking on this difficult, ancient martial art, she and I are shaking our fists at recent events in our family life.

Two weeks have passed, and I’ve learned only the first four moves of the tai chi 24-step form, another kung fu discipline. A fundamental move—circling my arms in the correct direction—eludes me. Every morning when I wake, I consider quitting. This must be showing.

“Shifu says when he was a boy, he was very angry to have tai chi practice because it was so slow and boring,” Cindy tells me. “But it became very helpful to him.”

I confide I don’t know why tai chi is so difficult for me.

“Shifu says don’t think, just focus on your qi. Stay only with the first moves,” she advises.

I used to believe “qi,” or life force, was a myth, some kind of legerdemain. But last week, I watched my shifu press the tip of a sharpened spear to the soft space between his collarbones and push his entire weight against it, forcing the wooden shaft to bow to the ground. The spear did not penetrate his skin.

I start my form over, doing my best to empty my mind—which right now is reminding me to get some new running shoes—and think only about breathing into my lower abdomen. I step out with my left leg, bend my knees, bend my arms, circling, not thinking. The movements flow like water. I feel no fear, no regret, no shame, no guilt. I am practicing tai chi. I am here.

“Yeessss,” my shifu says to me in English. I break into a smile and bow to him.

Ancient pine trees tower above the Temple of Confucius, a complex of courtyards and red-walled buildings near Qufu’s center constituting the oldest and largest site dedicated to the thinker. Eyrna and I, nearing the end of our time in China, have come to connect with the man as he was when he was alive.

We make our way through three courtyards to Dacheng Hall, the central edifice, where towering sticks of incense burn in a gigantic cauldron. The pagoda-style roofs glint with touches of gilt. Visitors, mostly Chinese, mill around taking pictures, bowing heads, lighting incense, praying to their ancestors.

My thoughts return to my father, who died before I grew up. What would he have thought of my failures? I know he would have been proud that he raised a fighter.

During my last training session, my shifu instructed each of us students to find a corner in the garden and practice qigong movements. I did, and with time left, stood in a breathing meditation, my palms pressed to my abdomen. Slowly, inexorably, something rose within me, then broke loose. Sobs wracked my being. I was struggling to compose myself—I wasn’t sure what this was about—when I saw the shifu approach with Cindy.

“Shifu says,” Cindy warned me gently, “that you must not go straight from qigong to static meditation. Next time, you must try active meditation. Hold the ball of energy in your hands. Shifu says in a few minutes you will be all right.”

That was grief, I wanted to tell him. But mindful of the need for self-discipline, I didn’t say a word, thanked him, and bowed. Grief—undisciplined, unbalancing—is not the kind of thing you share with your shifu.

Now Eyrna and I sit silently across from Dacheng Hall, on the steps of a building lined with red pillars. A hot breeze whispers past, and red prayer tablets near us jingle like wind chimes.

“I want to come back next summer,” Eyrna says quietly.

I choke up for some reason, and tell her I’m proud of her.

She has had a good time on this journey. She was treated as an adult, pushed to her limits, and judged only on her practice. No one knew about our calamity. Here, she was free.

“You should come back, too,” she says.

“Hmmm.” I want to tell her I understand now why people sell their belongings and join ashrams and monasteries; a life of extreme exercise and meditation looks good to me. I’ve never been in better shape. But in the quiet of this moment, I realize I no longer wish I’d handled anything in the past year differently, or had a different year. My work here, toward Shaolin strength and Confucian calm, is, for now at least, done. I no longer need those running shoes, because I no longer need to run.

Kaylie Jones is the author of several books, including the novel The Anger Meridian. This feature appeared in the August/September 2015 issue of Traveler magazine

> Read It, Do It:

The Qufu Shaolin Kung Fu School located in Shimen Forest National Park 20 miles north of Qufu city—known for its Temple and Cemetery of Confucius World Heritage sites—offers courses in martial arts.
Another good option: the new Heze Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu School, where shifu Shi Xing Lin now teaches, a hundred miles west of Qufu.

Anyone here ever study in Qufu? My first trip to China was to Shandong, but we didn't make it to Qufu.

[GeneChing]

The initial post on this is here (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys&p=1285297#post1285297).


Hotels ‘must improve pool safety standards, designs’ (http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/hotels-must-improve-pool-safety-standards-designs?singlepage=true)
NEA has issued recommended guidelines on safety features in hotel pool design

BY KELLY NG
kellyng@mediacorp.com.sg PUBLISHED: 10:41 PM, AUGUST 11, 2015

SINGAPORE — Strong parallels between two unrelated cases of teenagers drowning in hotel swimming pools have prompted the State Coroner to call for hotels to improve safety standards and designs of their pools.

Noting that such drownings are “inherently preventable”, Mr Marvin Bay today (Aug 11) said hotels should look to public swimming pools as the “gold standard” for water safety, and have features such as automated external defibrillators on the ready.

The State Coroner’s comments came as he recorded the drownings of Yao Junjie, 12, and Wu Jintang, 15, as “tragic misadventures”.

In both cases, which happened at Hotel Royal and Orchard Parade Hotel, respectively, there were neither lifeguards on duty nor notices on the pool’s depth, he noted. Resuscitation equipment was also absent, he added.

Given that Singapore’s hotels see a sizeable number of foreign students — many of whom, said Mr Bay, are weak- or non-swimmers — the State Coroner said the set of safety messages put out by the National Water Safety Council may not be familiar to visitors.

Following the drowning cases, Hotel Royal said it plans to set up notice boards indicating pool depths and the possible risks of drowning, while ensuring at least one hotel staff who is a competent swimmer is on each of its shifts. The management of Orchard Parade Hotel also told investigators that it started assigning lifeguards by its pool between 7am and 10pm daily since April 13.

The Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Hotel Association could not respond to TODAY’s queries by press time.

But the National Environment Agency has issued suggested guidelines on safety features in pool design and landscape which call on architects or professional engineers to include water-depth markings at the shallow and deep ends of pools, and at the transition points.

Yao and Wu were in Singapore on separate school trips when they drowned. Yao, a non-swimmer, arrived on Jan 31 for a summer camp with 14 classmates and a teacher.

The students were given a “large measure of free time and free use of (Hotel Royal’s) amenities”, the court was told.

At about 8.20pm on Feb 3, the 1.62m-tall boy jumped into the centre of the hotel’s pool, which was between 1.2m and 2m deep. Within minutes, he was seen struggling. Although Yao’s classmates threw rescue buoys and plastic chairs into the pool to try to help him, they were unsuccessful.

The hotel’s receptionist managed to pull him out of the pool at 8.26pm, but Yao was unresponsive to cardiopulmonary resuscitation by then. He was sent to the hospital that night and pronounced dead nine days later.

In the second case, Wu visited Singapore on a cultural exchange programme with 26 students and two trainers from the Shaolin Wushu Wenwu School on Feb 12.

After a briefing at around 9pm, the students were told to stay in their rooms, but Wu and a few others disregarded instructions and wandered to the hotel’s pool.

Wu jumped into the deepest end of the pool — about 3m-deep — and never surfaced, but was discovered lying motionless on the pool bed only more than 10 minutes later.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 11.10pm the same day. Wu’s classmates testified that they had never learnt swimming or been in a pool, and were “excited to see a pool in Singapore”.

[GeneChing]

We've been covering the Abbot scandals here (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?42909-Abbot-scandals&p=1285447#post1285447).


Foreigners pay tribute to Shaolin Temple (http://www.china.org.cn/photos/2015-08/12/content_36286594.htm)
China.org.cn, August 12, 2015

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Foreign disciples from more than 20 countries make pilgrimages to the Shaolin Temple at Songshan Mountain, Henan Province in central China on Aug 11, 2015, to pay tribute to Shaolin abbot Shi Yongxin, who has recently been the subject of a lot of rumors and controversy. [Photo/Shaolin.org.cn]

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Around 100 foreign disciples from more than 20 countries around the world visited the Shaolin Temple on Tuesday, Shaolin.org.cn reported. It is also confirmed that Shi Yongxin, the Shaolin abbot who has recently been the subject of a lot of rumors and controversy, attended the ceremony. The foreign disciples bowed down in front of him, waiting for his instruction. [Photo/Shaolin.org.cn]

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At the pilgrimage ceremony, the foreign disciples put their palms together devoutly, and paid tribute to Abbot Shi Yongxin. [Photo/Shaolin.org.cn]

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[GeneChing]

Well, alright then....;)


What It's Like to Be a Female Bounty Hunter in Las Vegas (http://www.vice.com/read/what-its-like-to-be-a-female-bounty-hunter-in-las-vegas-666)
September 21, 2015
by Samantha Rea

https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images-crops/2015/09/15/the-most-notorious-female-bounty-hunter-in-las-vegas-666-body-image-1442332126-size_1000.jpg
Uyen Vu

If you get arrested and charged with a crime in America, a judge will generally set your bail—the amount of money you can put down to stay out of jail until your trial. Many people can't afford bail, a situation which has led to some calls for reform, but it's generally possible to get a bondsman to put up bail for you. If you don't show up for court, a warrant will be issued for your arrest and the court sends a notice to the bondsman saying they have 180 days to produce you or forfeit the full bail amount.

That's where Uyen Vu comes in.

Vu is a Las Vegas-based bounty hunter who says she's been shooting guns since she was three and says she got her second-degree black belt from the Shaolin Temple in China; according to her, she's the only active female bounty hunter with a license in the state of Nevada. Bondsmen hire her to bring in the criminals who've skipped bail and sometimes left town.

In the past, she's chased sex workers across state lines in the company of their pimp, and once witnessed an elderly lady scale a six-foot wall. We caught up with her to discuss the ins and outs of her odd career.

VICE: How did you become a bounty hunter?
Uyen Vu: I grew up watching Bruce Lee movies and I became a martial arts instructor—I owned my own school. After I sold it, I was looking for a change. My friends in law enforcement suggested I try working with them, but I didn't want to wear a uniform, drive a cruiser, or work my way up.

I have a hard time taking orders from people, especially if they're dumber than me. I've been shooting a gun since I was three years old, so they said: "Have you ever thought about being a bounty hunter?" I did some ride-alongs with bounty hunters I got connected with to get the feel of it—and I was hooked!

How do you become licensed as a bounty hunter?
In Nevada it's an 80-hour course. It's eight hours a day, until the hours are up—no days off. There's a lecture part that lasts three or four days, covering criminal law, how bonds work, and how to work with bail bond agents. Then there's training in firearms and hand to hand combat. I went on to become the instructor for those classes.

How did you start building a name for yourself in this profession?
When I first started, I went around the bondsmen's offices and they gave me the cases they'd given up on. It was no risk to them—if I didn't solve the case, I wouldn't get paid. So I worked the cases no one else wanted to work anymore and I produced results. That weeds out a lot of people getting into the industry because they can't afford to spend their own time and gas money working these cases. There's a big portion of people who don't make it.

Do any of your past cases stand out as especially interesting?
There was a prostitute from Reno who skipped bail on a $10,000 bond. I called the guy who'd put up her bail. The file said he was her boyfriend, but I said to him: "Let's be real—you were her pimp." He didn't want to help me find her, but I said, "Right now, you're on the hook for $10,000—just for the bond. I haven't even given you a bill for my services yet." When I investigate people, I charge by the hour—the longer I spend looking for her, the more my fees are going to rack up.

He agreed to help me look for her. I drove six hours to Reno to pick him up from his mother's house. I was wearing my badge, with my gun on a holster. We drove to San Francisco but when we got there, we heard she'd moved on to Santa Maria in California. We drove another six hours. I was tired but it wasn't like I could say, "Hey, you mind taking the wheel for a minute?"

As we were getting to Santa Maria, I started getting frustrated and began wishing to myself: Dear Lord, please, I just want to get there and see her walking around! The funny thing is, a block from the exit, the pimp saw her. We drove towards her, but she saw the pimp and started running. We began to chase her and then the police stopped the car. I told 'em I'm a bounty hunter and I showed them the case file. They said, "You know the rules, you're meant to call us when you're coming into town." I said I just got off the exit and they let us carry on.

So I'm back on the chase and I saw her running ahead. She hops into some random stranger's truck and the pimp says, "What do we do now?" I say, "Dude, she's hopped in some random guy's truck, what's she going to do?" He goes, "She'll probably offer him some services."

The pimp said the girls use a website when they work where they post their pictures, what area they're in, and their rates. So we went to the motel she was staying at and waited for her to show up. Forty minutes later, the truck pulls into the motel. I speak to the motel owner and show him my badge and my case file and ask if this girl was renting a room from him. He points to her room and I said, "I need the keys. If you don't give me the keys, I'm gonna kick your door down and you're gonna have to repair it, so which one d'you want?" The owner's like, "Here's the keys!"

So I go to the door and listen to her talking the guy through her rates. I wait 'til she's into the act, 'cause that way she can't run as fast—then I open the door. She's on her knees and I say, "This is not a good day for you." Then I say to the guy, "Sorry bro but you ain't getting what you think you're getting!"

Are there any other cases you won't forget?
I had a traffic warrant for a 60-something-year-old lady. She didn't stop at a stop sign, she made an illegal lane change—basic stuff. So we go to this lady's house and I told my partner to cover the back. There's a brick wall at the back of her garden and my partner says, "She's in her 60s and this wall's six feet tall—where's she gonna go?"

So we both go to the front and knock on the door. There's movement in the house—I see the blinds moving. We get into the house but she's run out the back, jumping the six-foot wall. Why would a 63-year-old lady run away from some traffic warrants?

We search the house and upstairs we found a sealed off room where she was growing weed inside. The police confiscated all the weed; she could have avoided that if she didn't hop a wall.

How do you charge for what you do?
I can charge by the hour, plus a flat rate of $350, or 10 percent of the bond—whichever's greater. As you build up your clientele, you can negotiate your fees. I send an itemized list of my expenses and when I travel out of state, my rate automatically doubles.

Once the defendant is in custody, my payment is due on demand. My clients know I get results. They put a blank check in the mail when I take on a case. If I have a new client, I tell them, "You gotta have the cash when I show up with the defendant in cuffs. If you don't have my money, I turn around and cut 'em loose." I set the tone. Some clients ask me to send a picture, to show I've caught 'em, and I'll say no, they can see them when we physically get there. I'm not here to take pictures for you to post on Facebook.

How do defendants react when you catch up with them?
They all put on a hard exterior, at first, but the longer the ride to the detention center, the more they simmer down. I've had people crying. I ignore 'em; I don't care. "You want a napkin?" I've had people kneel on the ground and grab me by my leg, begging me. But it would have been easier if you went to court, that's all you had to do.

How do you feel about working in such a male-dominated industry?
When I first started doing ride-alongs to learn about catching defendants who'd skipped bail, the male bounty hunters would try to spook me out. They'd always tell me to take the back of houses we'd be searching for people, so I'd be stuck in the dark, in the middle of the night every time. They were trying to scare me off and they got kicks out of it. But I dealt with it and I earned their respect. I don't shy away from challenges.

Are the people you go after surprised to meet a female bounty hunter?
Yes, and that works for me. In the beginning, I would knock on the door and go, "Hey, I'm the girl from the office—they sent me to get some paperwork signed." They'd open the door and then I'd say, "Right, I need you to turn round and put your hands behind your back!"

People underestimate me, but that can be good for my job. I've been told my tattoos make me look intimidating and that's not just for show. If you try me, you'll find it's real. I've told guys before: "This is your first warning, it's also your last. You want to mouth off and be a jerk to me, I'm gonna Taser you. **** you *****—I warned you!" I don't mess around. I'm not there to play games.

What's your plan for the future?
I just opened up a bail bonds [office], so now I don't just take people to jail, I get 'em out, too. In the future I'd like to open offices in other states. I've kind of got this industry covered.

Follow Samantha Rea on Twitter.

[GeneChing]

This must have been particularly hard with the rain.


The worship journey to Shaolin Temple (1/3) (http://www.ecns.cn/visual/hd/2015/10-26/79136.shtml)
2015-10-26 10:11 Ecns.cn Editor:Yao Lan

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Monks and Buddhist devotees prostrate themselves on the ground and move forward slowly, following every three steps with a kowtow in Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan province. This is the way to express their honest hearts to the Buddha, as they walked from their temple in the province’s Xuchang to Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou. The journey took them five days to arrive the Shaolin temple. (Photo/CFP)



It's over 70 miles from Xuchang to Shaolin. That's 14-mile days. They must have been sprinting to make that while observing a 3 steps, 1 bow ritual.

[GeneChing]

This DVD has been pushed hard in the U.K. lately. Plus the article is one of those tourism pieces. And for the record, female monks = nuns (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?47834-Kung-Fu-Nuns-amp-Shaolin-Nuns) :rolleyes:


Get to grips with Kung Fu and Shaolin Monks on an action-packed, twin-centre holiday to China (http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/grips-kung-fu-shaolin-monks-6948824)
17:17, 10 DEC 2015 BY JESSICA MELLOR

Treat yourself to a taste of the ancient and modern wonders of the world on a tour of China

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The female monk stood only six feet away, perfectly still with a steely gaze. And this being the birthplace of Kung Fu, I was a bit worried.

I was at Songshan *mountain, in China’s Hunan province, and watching the Shaolin monks show off their world-famous fighting skills.

But though they could part me from my breath with a swift, elegant chop, their Kung Fu was beautiful.

China is a country steeped in mysticism and takes its *traditions seriously. It’s also cheap by our standards and very welcoming.

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Hungry: Jessica Mellor enjoyed the food on her visit

China is also home to the Shaolin Monks. Recently back from a a summer season at Butlin's and a sellout run at Pea**** Theatre in London where they showed off their incredible skills in a stage show tracing the origins of Shaolin Kung-Fu, the monks are happy to perform for tourists.

Shaolin, their first DVD release in ten years, is out now and it also charts their intriguing journey.

An even better place to see China’s most famous martial art is at the Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng.

A Unesco site, the temple is home to mostly *orphaned children who go through their fierce, gravity-defying *routines without putting a slippered foot wrong.

And just a walk away from the flying fists you can experience a deep peace in the Pagoda Forest. It features a cluster of tombs rising from the earth, some 20ft high. They’re the resting place of the monks’ most *respected abbots and masters.

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Acrobatic: One of the monks in action

Songshan is also called Zhong Yue (middle mountain) and is one of the Five Mountains of China. It’s a sacred peak and has been a site of pilgrimage for thousands of years. It also boasts spectacular views of the forests below so a trip skywards in a cable car is a must.

My day of culture in Dengfeng was made *complete by a visit to a restaurant in Dayu Road where I feasted on delicious steamed pork buns, green beans and sweetcorn.

For the Hunan leg of my trip I stayed at the reasonably priced but luxurious Jinpeng Ecology Hotel.

It’s firmly aimed at the tourist trade with English-speaking staff and a Western restaurant serving its own take on European dishes.

But if bird’s nest soup is more your thing head to the hotel’s other, more traditional, eatery.

And for breakfast you don’t need to choose – the vast buffet serves bacon and eggs, rice and tofu and almost everything in-between.

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Young: Shaolin monks start training when they are very young

After waving goodbye to the mountains of Hunan I set off north for China’s capital, Beijing.

With its booming economy the city and surrounding area has gone from famine to feast with *construction going on everywhere.

Beijing was full of tourists but most are from China. New-found wealth and mobility – and possibly a pride in the nation’s growing *influence – means provincial Chinese are eager to see the epicentre of their country’s modernisation.

But I was more interested in low-priced bargains so it was a trip to Ladies’ Street, or Lai Tai, for me.

More than 700 stalls are laden down with clothes, shoes, bags, electronics and costume jewellery.

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Training: Jessica is put through her paces

The stall-holders are game for a bit of bartering too so there’s every chance you’ll get the prices down. Once your bags are full Lai Tai has nail bars and stalls where you can get a shoulder massage.

An exciting way to see Beijing is on a night tour that takes in the ruined city walls and a sunset view of the Forbidden City.

You’ll also see the Donghuamen Night Market. At first glance the neat stalls seem to be selling fruit, but look closer and you’ll see the *specialities include scorpions, frogs, worms, snake and squid.

The sellers will try to tempt you into having a taste and it would be almost rude to say no. But if insect on a stick is all too much you can sample the fruit as you watch the frantic selling going on all around.

More touristy goods are sold in the shops beside the market – such as good quality toys, Chinese-style clothes and trinkets. The stores stay open late but beware pickpockets.

A daytime visit to the Forbidden City is another must. Surrounded by a wide moat and wall, 26 emperors called it home from the Ming dynasty in 1420 until 1912.

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New: New film celebrating the skills of the Shaolin Monks

It’s open to *tourists from Tuesday to Sunday and entry costs just £5 (kids go free). Bring your passport to buy tickets and go early to avoid the crowds – it opens at 8am.

My room at the Marriott Northeast was a bargain too. You could get lost in the bathroom and the bed was wide enough for a family.

My Chinese trip showed me some wonders of the world.

But my biggest wonder was about how it can stay so cheap.

Go there soon.

SHAOLIN from the Shaolin Monks is out now DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download.

FACTFILE: Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast, deluxe room, £109 a night, marriott.com. Jinpeng Ecology Hotel, deluxe *doubles from £52 a night

jinpengecologyhotel.com/en/index.asp . Air China flies to Beijing from the UK from £530 return, airchina.com . For details on the Shaolin temple, visit * shaolin.org.cn/en/index.aspx . For the Beijing night tour see tour-beijing.com/night_tour .

[GeneChing]

Actress Elizabeth Lazan stays focused with Shaolin gongfu (http://health.asiaone.com/health/body-mind/actress-elizabeth-lazan-stays-focused-shaolin-gongfu)

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Photo: Sharon Leisinger

Ms Lazan took ballet lessons when she was young and participated in various sports in school. At CHIJ (Katong) Primary, she ran for the school team. She also played netball for CHIJ Katong Convent. "I would train about three times a week after school," she said. "Sports was my favourite escape from studying."

She has tried Muay Thai and is now into Shaolin gongfu. A Singaporean of mixed parentage, she moved to Los Angeles about a year ago and returns here for various projects. The Fly Entertainment artist is married to Mr Ivan Lee Mora, a glass artist and designer.

Q. How important is it for you to keep up with your fitness routine?
A. It is really necessary for me, not just physically, but because I also do get impatient or restless when I have too long a lull period. I hike in a park or nature reserve as I enjoy exercising outdoors.
My fitness gear goes with me wherever I travel. I will always find a way to squeeze in a morning run or do some toning repetitions.

Q. What do you like about Shaolin gongfu?
A. I picked it up in Los Angeles, California, about a year ago and I train one-on-one with a teacher at an outdoor park.
The thing I love about it is that it combines mental and physical well-being. You learn how to stay focused and disciplined, while simultaneously training for overall health, flexibility and stamina.

Q. What is your secret to looking fabulous?
A. I truly believe that by maintaining a balanced lifestyle and healthy mind, you will have a healthy body and a healthy glow.

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Photo sources: The Straits Times, My Paper, Sharon Leisinger

Q. Has there ever been a time when you were not fit and fab?
A. During my university days in Australia, I regularly ate unhealthy or fast food including pizza and pastries. Naturally, I put on weight.
I had a reality check when I returned to Singapore. I realised I had to take better care of my body and health.

Q. What is your diet like?
A. I'm always hungry. So I take many small meals throughout the day to keep my hunger in check.
I also limit my carbohydrate intake to only one meal a day as well as abstain from eating meat twice a week.
And once a week, I give myself a cheat day and have my favourite ice cream.

Q. What are your indulgences?
A. My kryptonite is definitely chocolates and cookies.

Q. How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?
A. I go to the beach, listen to live music, binge on Netflix or go on a hike.

I find it therapeutic to be active and be surrounded by nature. No matter how busy I get, I will always find a way to wind down with one of these activities.
Q. What are the three most important things in your life?
A. Family, friends and travelling.

Q. What's your favourite part of your body?
A. It's hard to compliment yourself but people say I have nice arms and I have to say that they are also my favourite.
My least favourite would be my ears because they stick out.

No idea who she is but IMDB says she was in Shinobi Girl, which I keep meaning to watch.

[GeneChing]

Read Living as a Foreign Disciple in the Mountains of Songshan Shaolin (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1299) by Chris Friedman.

[GeneChing]

What is it with NBA players and Shaolin?


NBA star Dwyane Wade visits Shaolin Temple, learns Kung Fu (http://english.cri.cn/12394/2016/07/19/3561s934814.htm)
2016-07-19 17:46:35 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Min Rui

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NBA star Dwyane Wade on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 visited the Shaolin Temple in central China, which is considered the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu. Wade has also picked up some Kung Fu skills from a master. [Photo courtesy of Zhang Mengke]

NBA star Dwyane Wade visited Shaolin Temple, the cradle of Chinese Kungfu in central China, and learned a kind of Shaolin Kungfu on Tuesday.

After enjoying a Kungfu Show, Wade was invited to the stage to learn a kind of Shaolin Kungfu named "Eagle Fist" , which imitated eagle's action.

Following a martial arts coach, Wade imitated seriously and ended to applause and cheers.

Zhengzhou, a city of central China, was the second stop of 2016 Wade China Tour after the 34-year-old visited Shanghai. Afterwards, he will go to Shijiazhuang in Hebei province and the Chinese capital Beijing.

12-time All-Star Wade will play in Chicago next season after 13 seasons with three-time NBA champion Miami.

Shaolin Temple, located on Songshan Mountain in Zhengzhou in central China's Henan Province, is a 1,500-year-old temple regarded as the cradle of Chinese Kungfu.



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NBA star Dwyane Wade on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 visited the Shaolin Temple in central China. [Photo courtesy of Zhang Mengke]

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NBA star Dwyane Wade on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 visited the Shaolin Temple in central China, which is considered the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu. Wade has also picked up some Kung Fu skills from a master. [Photo courtesy of Zhang Mengke]

[GeneChing]

The Head and the Heart’s Kenny Hensley Went to China to Study Kung Fu and Got His A** Kicked (http://radio.com/2016/07/19/the-head-and-the-heart-kenny-hensley-kung-fu/)
"We stayed for a month out in the country at this little school and just got our asses kicked every day."
July 19, 2016 8:55 AM
Filed Under: the head and the heart

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(Jay Tilles/Radio.com)

By Radio.com Staff

After a long and successful tour promoting their 2013 album, Let’s Be Still, The Head and the Heart members opted to take some much needed time off—nearly a year. While guitarist Jonathan Russell was on a charitable trip to Haiti and bassist Chris Zasche toured the Pacific Northwest in a camper van, pianist Kenny Hensley jumped at the chance to fulfill a childhood dream of studying Kung Fu in China. But unlike his dream, he found his limits tested while training a grueling twelve hours a day, thousands of miles from home.

“My good friend and high school buddy, Kurt, had always talked about going to China and living at a Kung Fu school just doing it for the experience.” Just before Hensley left for the trip his friend jumped on board. Hensley describes breaking boards and bricks with his bare hands. “We stayed for a month out in the country at this little school and just got our asses kicked every day. It sucked.”

Then, as if learning a skill in a foreign country wasn’t enough, Hensley returned to Los Angeles to earn his pilot’s license.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMOGNBPc12s

The Head and the Heart’s new album Signs of Light is set for release Sept 9. Watch the band perform live in the Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ today (July 19) at 2:00pm PT.

I don't really know this band. Should I?

[GeneChing]

I was going to comment on the original post (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys&p=1294969#post1294969) that the 'monks' didn't look like official Shaolin reps, but it's been a long time since I've been there, so I refrained. Looks like some things haven't changed. :rolleyes:


Dwyane Wade was escorted around Shaolin Temple by fake Shaolin monks (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/07/26/dwyane_wade_shaolin_months_fake.php)

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China runs rampant with fakes, a fact that Dwyane Wade should be aware of as he embarks on his latest collaboration with Li-Ning. On his China tour to promote his new "Way of Wade" brand, Wade was given a first-hand lesson in this during his stop at the world-famous Shaolin Temple, where he was escorted around by a pair of fake monks.
During his time at Shaolin, Wade and his wife was photographed burning incense and learning kung fu with the help of his wise monk guides. But after further inspection of those photos, it turns out that the "monks" weren't wearing the correct clothing and weren't from Shaolin. Furthermore, the temple has denied that it ever organized a tour for the visiting NBA superstar.
In a statement, Shaolin Temple detailed how the publicity behind the illegitimate event had "confused netizens and negatively impacted Shaolin Temple's reputation." The 1,500 year old temple that is considered to be the birthplace of kung fu, has also threatened legal action against the individuals who damaged their sterling reputation.

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Along with the statement, the temple attached some pictures, pointing out how the man in the orange robe wasn't dressed properly for a monk and that none of the Shaolin monks recognize the man. Although it isn't clear if Wade's guides were monks or not, they definitely did not come from Shaolin.

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Well, it's no wonder that he was so bad at kung fu then! Seriously, though, how weird is this?
By Sarah Lin
[Images via People's Daily / Shaolin Temple]

[GeneChing]

How I Lived As A Buddhist Monk Learning Kung Fu From Shaolin Masters And How You Can Too (https://steemit.com/travel/@wmeara/how-i-lived-as-a-buddhist-monk-learning-kung-fu-from-shaolin-masters-and-how-you-can-too)
3 days ago by wmeara50 in travel

We’ve all seen the Kung Fu movies of Ip Man, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or Hero to name a few. Years growing up watching the Big Big Movie on Saturday nights entailed parking up on the couch with popcorn wincing at Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee tore through foes. I always found myself fascinated by martial arts and put myself in imaginary fight situations where I was a bad ass Kung Fu master taking names and kicking ass.

However, now I’m a person who has found an addiction to breathwork and meditation. In my search for meditation, Zen and similar retreats in China, I spoke to anyone who would listen to see if they knew anything. After reaching out to several temples, monasteries and even monks on LinkedIn (Yup, even they're on it), all my leads led to dead ends. Eventually, a tip off from a fellow traveller of a monastery high in the mountains near the Ancient Town of Dali in South West China that takes pupils came across my path. I looked into it and found another traveller who had blogged his experience here and it seemed right up my alley.

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Things you need know before you go to Wu Wei Si:

*Go on Friday evening to get the start of the training week which begins on Saturday morning.
*The cost is 500 Yuan for the week, non refundable if you feel you can’t hack it and want to wimp out.
*Lights out is 9:30pm so that means you are in bed at that time and not getting ready for bed.
*You’ll need a scarf or towel for balancing boulders on your head. It’ll be rather painful without one.
*You have the option of Tai Chi or Kung Fu. One in internal and one is external. DO NOT mistake Tai Chi as the easy option.
*Do your laundry before as hot water isn’t really available in large amounts. You’ll also use most of your free time sleeping.
*Have good shoes for training as the training field can get rather slippery when it rains.
*Bring plenty of toilet paper, you’re going to need it.
*It’s colder up in the mountains than below in Dali so bring some warmer clothes.
*Unless you really want to test your dietary discipline, bring some dried fruit, nuts and biscuits in a hard lunchbox for snacking on.
*There is a small library here but bring your own as you’ll have a few breaks to fill.
*There is no fruit served so vitamin intake is low. Bring a few multivitamins.
*There is no washing machine so all washing is done by hand. Have plenty of socks with you.
*If you want to sleep through morning prayer and the night time prayer closing the day, I advise bringing some ear plugs. I actually liked the singing so usually stayed up to listen to it but it’s not for everyone.
*Bring a torch. Dear god bring one, moving about in the dark is treacherous. Each doorway has a lip at the bottom that *I fell over a few times. Luckily avoiding anyone catching this rather embarrassing debacle.
*Bring some tea bags, at night before bed you can enjoy a hot cuppa before hitting bed. Go for herbal teas though. *Caffeine will keep you awake and when you’re up at 5:30am every morning to the sounds of bells, singing, gongs, bowls and drums, you’ll really need every bit of sleep you can get.

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While in Yangshou cycling through the thundering rains in nothing but a sweat vest and a pair of swimming shorts (it really was that rainy, imagine brown river water bursting its banks and cycling knee deep through water hoping you are on a path and you are somewhere close), I slipped from my bike landing onto my camera smashing its lens and putting my back into serious disarray. When I arrived in Dali, I contemplated giving up on my dream of finding this temple in the clouds to let my shoulder heal. Not to be beaten, I waited 7 days in the old town with no improvement yet deciding to make my way up the mountain anyway. Upon packing up my bag and saying goodbye to my new found friends, I started on my way.

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I arrived into a gravelled area with a small monk, wearing a jade encrusted garment and prayer beads, with a whispy black beard crawling out from his chin, standing at the top of an immaculately clean footpath. Confused as to whether I walked up further towards the large leering Buddhas or otherwise, I approached the monk and said Wu Wei Si while making some “Kung Fu Gestures”. I now realise how ridiculous that was as this was the Shifu (master). I walked down the path that was lined with flowers, giant trees, squirrels and bamboo to arrive in a courtyard that hosted a small group of Chinese people sheltering under a tree. I wandered around the temple grounds, through the various chambers for anyone who would see me and know why I was there. Eventually, I approached one of the group who miraculously spoke very broken english. She went wandering for me only to return with the message “Not today, you come back tomorrow”. Disheartened I waited for another two hours until I turned tail and headed back to town.

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I woke up at 4:30am next morning, brought my friend Anja with me and made my way back up to the monastery. This time I could hear the thump of drums banging, gongs roaring and bells ringing in the distance. Following the noise, we stumbled upon a Ukrainian man who beckoned us in and told us that the person we needed to talk to would be along any minute. After the formalities of passport checking, I was asked as to whether or not I wanted to do Tai Chi or Kung Fu. I went for Tai Chi or ‘internal Kung Fu’ to further my meditative research.

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Before beginning, I was made read two sheets of rules that I was to abide by. Failure to comply with these rules as set out by the master would result in being expelled. You can see the rules below which are a little outdated the schedule has seemingly changed a lot.

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My room was a small 3×5 meter space with two wooden beds. I scavenged a few blankets, pillows and other pieces from nearby empty rooms to make a comfortable nest. I noticed a rat running out the door as I began putting my sheets on. This wasn’t the first time Speedy Gonzales made himself known to me or his many brothers and sisters. In the middle of the night when the scrabble and squeaking would begin I’d sit bolt upright and begin clapping like a mad man to scare them away and let them know I was watching. I’m sure the monks and my neighbours thought I was mad. I did learn however that you dare not leave anything edible in your room and if you did, leave it in plain sight….if it’s in your bag, that’s the fastest way to put a hole in it.

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My room with a view. You can see my food bowl and chop sticks. A bigger bowl is used on days where we were served noodles. There is no power or light in any of the rooms.
Some times I’d return from training to find a few solid raisin looking pieces of rat **** on my bed. You simply flick it off and go to sleep. Monk life! Each day went as follows:

5:30am

One of the monks (with a lovely voice mind you), begins singing prayer and slamming a bell larger than a Ford Fiesta with a very large log. Every part of your body wants to stay in your wooden monastic bed, but when this bell is merely 10 meters from your ear, you’re soon lying there wide awake staring in the dark. Oh that’s right, no electricity and no light. I fell in love with the singing and the bell really helps you focus your way into the day. Click below to hear him in action.

6:00am

Prayer in the temple begins. I have no idea what they are saying as I haven’t a word of Chinese but I kneel there facing large painted statues of Buddha while my hands stay in prayer position and I try and stay awake. Now and again, I follow suit and bow down or walking in a conga line like fashion while everyone else chants the prayers. You hear the prayers so much that after a while you almost learn the words, but yet you’ve no idea what they mean. Kind of like learning essays for leaving cert Irish.

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continued next post

[GeneChing]

7:00am

I gather with the other pupils and take a short run around the mountain to the river where we pick a stone, place it on our head and go back to the monastery. The view over the valley is amazing. Every day when you wake up and your back is aching, as soon as you put that boulder on your head and your posture straightens up, you’re ready for the day of training ahead. Each day, I tried to get a bigger and bigger rock. Being slightly competitive, I try to get back first. As you walk back, as with the buddhist way, you walk left around things including statues and staircases. Making your way round the mountain and down the 100 or so steps past a 1200 year old tree, older than any of the buildings that have been ravaged by communist bandits or warring states, you get a real sense of ancient wisdom in this place.

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Getting back quicker gives me time to practice my form and do some stretching before training starts.

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Tai Chi is essentially the art of squatting. Everything we did involved moving from squat to squat, stretching in squats and holding positions in squats…often as punishment. The ****ing burn can kill and then you’ll hear… “lower….LOWER”. With so much squatting it’s important to stretch and lord god did we stretch and then stretch some more.

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8:00am

The clanging bell rings out over the training fields. This bell is not like the others and it’s a bell tone I fell in love with. It means food. In this case it’s breakfast. More often than not it’s rice noodles, wheat noodles or stuffed buns that all comes with a large bowl of rice porridge. It may not sound glorious when I’m explaining it here but trust me, hunger is the best sauce. Everything is vegetarian here and the old women who work there honestly make eating vegetarian an absolute joy. I’d nearly go as far as to say it’s the highlight of the place and that’s saying a lot. So you get a bowl and chopsticks. These are yours for the entire time you are here. You clean them and keep them safe in your room. When walking into the dining hall, it is mandatory to approach the table where the master sits and to say “Amitofu”. It took me four days before I realised what it actually meant. It basically means a multitude of things, depending on how it is used. It can be a greeting, a salutation, a blessing, or it can mean “please”. When the master chanted Amitofu, we held a silence with hands together until he ate. When he did, we dived in. There are chop sticks on the table for putting food into your bowl but you daren’t eat with these….you have your own. Eating is done in silence and you are to sit up straight to work on your posture. Eating is seen as a meditative exercise almost. When you leave your table you leave your bowl and chopsticks down, greet every table with Amitofu in 2’s or 3’s and then grab your **** and leave. The master usually left before me but he had a special cushion, towel for his face and a large black bowl (ours was the size of a small white sugar bowl).

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Afterwards, the master and a few others gather in the courtyard and practice prayers with the master correcting the monks and others on how they are sung, to what rhythm and the pace. I sit in the outer circle listening but more watching how the master is. On one occasion he answered his phone mid practice and on another occasion he saw someone he recognised and started shouting to them across the courtyard while the rest were still singing. Not sure how mindful he was but he was certainly an entertaining character to witness. It turns out that the director of Kung Fu Panda spent some time here for inspiration…

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9:00am

Training starts. That’s right, more stretching, holding kung fu poses and stretching each other. We spend 20 minutes massaging the muscle in each others backs and ripping the arms off each other. After this is done, we gather in groups of threes. To rip the legs off each other. This is painful but I learnt to love it as I became more flexible than I have ever been before. They show no mercy.

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Next, now that our legs feel like jelly we move onto the basics. These are the movements that make up the forms of Tai Chi. They are simple but to get them right with breathing I had sweat beating down my face. Even in the rain we would continue training. After running through the basics we would add new parts to our form. To those of you who aren’t too familiar with Tai Chi, to the untrained eye it looks like a slow dance but in actuality you are fighting multiple opponents in very slow motion. There is theory to the movement and there is a lot to be learnt from every stroke of your hand or lift of your leg.

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12:00pm

After three hours of training, the bell for lunch rings out again. This time, we’re ravenous. Usually after finishing everything on our table, the left overs from other tables that the deciples or monks haven’t finished get moved to our table where we sit like vultures waiting for the scraps to land. Again the monks gather to pray and sing in the courtyard. I went the first few days.

12:30pm

This is the free time we have for the day between training session. At the beginning, I would spend every minute of it sleeping setting my alarm to get up and begin the grind all over again. Then I moved to exploring the grounds, speed reading through books with a focus I’ve never had before and discovering the other areas of the monastery. Wandering and climbing behind the walls of the temple I found a lonely grave. No idea who it belonged to but it seemed rather important.

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I also found a walkway up the mountain to a new temple they were building that was to become a meditation centre. Insanely huge and impressive, you are left jaw dropped when looking around. It was very clear that there is money coming into this place. I was told before coming to the monastery by some practicing buddhists who have had some experience to be wary of temples charging lots of money for training etc. However, in the time I was there I did see people counting bags of money by candle light on the floor in one room on enight, special guests who would attend dinner with the master and other ways they seemed to raise funds. They seemed to be expanding and adding to the monastery all the time. Either way, the place looked very impressive and it worked out €75/week including all meals (three per day), accommodation and training so I was pretty delighted with myself.

4:00pm

Training resumed with more leg ripping torture, practicing form and going over the basics.

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continued next post

[GeneChing]

6:00pm

Dinner with all the usual bells and whistles. As was normal, not a scrap was left on the table. Anything that fell from your bowl had to be eaten. There were occasions where a scrap of spinach or a few grains of rice would fall from my bowl and I’d have to pick it up with my chop sticks and shove it down. Eating had to be done with the bowl in your hand and even if you are spoken to by another person at your table, you most definitely should not reply. Now, I’m a chatter box so I nearly broke this rule all the time. That didn’t go down to well. There are a few people who have been there a while either teaching or staying there who make a good deal to point out if you do anything wrong at dinner time. Almost to show you how in tune with monastery life they are. When really, others and often the master doesn’t mind all that much. We were told that we can fill our bowls but not eat before the master gives his blessing. As I began to do so, one woman began in a loud voice that it was only rice that this was allowed for only for her to be shushed by the master and for her to blush. Now these are really really lovely people and I miss them all but it’s just interesting to witness.

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7:00pm

Evening prayer begins with a large smack of the bell and everyone making their way to the temple. After trying this out a few times, I decided to stop attending and using the free time to practice my form, do some breathing exercises and chat with the other pupils. While it’s still bright and before I’m left feeling my way around in the dark, I try to get my teeth washed and fill my food bowl with hot water to clean myself with an old t-shirt. I soon learnt there were showers I could use. After seeing the showers, I continued to use my bowl and even found a basin after a few days.

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Their new meditation centre higher up the mountain isn’t open to outsiders yet as far as I know but you can catch a glimpse of the beauty. I snook around to get a glimpse through a gap in the door. Simply stunning
On one occasion I was sitting in a pagoda in my evening free time just outside the temple doing some stretches and breath-work on my own when three Chinese tourists popped along. As is usual, they all wanted pictures…something you get rather used to in China. If you say no, they take them anyway so you just get used to being pleasant about it. Two wandered away and one woman asked could she copy what I was doing. I started doing my breathing exercises and when finished she was about to go on her merry way when the Master came out of the side entrance making an angry face and shouting at me. I never understand what he’s saying so I do the usual “Amitofu” you have to say every time you see him. He walks around storms up the steps and begins shouting at me in Chinese. Still confused I just stand there with a smacked look on my face. The woman begins saying sorry and starts trying to get my WeChat details while at the same time he begins dragging me back into the temple courtyard.

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A few moments later, I’m joined by my English speaking trainer (who is absolutely incredible) who essentially says that I shouldn’t have been alone with a woman. You see, the accommodation there is split into female/male and never the two shall meet. A man and woman can’t be alone together but I think what really irked him was the fact I was doing Pranayama with the woman, something the temple doesn’t teach and was possibly and embarrassment for monastery? I don’t know really. I found the whole thing rather entertaining but I was told that if anything like that happened again (sitting with a woman), that I’d be kicked out for good. Apparently this is the first time this had happened with the master in the entire 2.5 years my English speaking trainer had been there. Typical.

9:00pm

You can gather some hot water in a thermos for your room. A bell sounds and the singing begins again just as it did in the morning with the clambering and chanting. You can wander around a little but it’s so dark you won’t even see the statues of Buddha you are to bow to. I try get to the spring that gives water from the mountain. All natural springs have been privatised in China so this is the last one and often there are cars that pull up to the two bamboo pipes that peep out from a rock engraved with Chinese characters, filling huge containers and every bottle they have in their possession. I drank mountain water everyday, sometimes with grit in it but man it was fresh and cooling.

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9:30pm

Lights out and everyone is to make their way to bed. Pitch black, complete silence and the muscles aching in every part of your body make a great tonic for sleep. If in the middle of the night you need to go to the toilet, you are in for a real treat. If you are lucky enough to have any battery in your phone for torch or a light source, good for you. Mine had all gone so I was left playing the role of a blind man leaving the temple and walking down the path to the toilet building. I say toilet but I really mean, gutter. You squat over a tiled gutter, do your business and make your way back. With literally no light, you can imagine how much of a nightmare this was. Close your eyes….do it, right now and keep them closed….now imagine going to the toilet with ease. Exactly…

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If you want to try this out for yourself, tweet me @happiness_ie and I'll tell you everything you need to know about getting to this once in a lifetime place.

We haven't discussed Wu Wei Si much here. It's hard to search for beyond searching for Dali. I'm copying this to our short Wu Wei Si thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?53430-Wu-Wei-Si) too.

[GeneChing]

Ever dream of going to Shaolin? Read The Shaolin Experience (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1330) by Chris Friedman

[Hebrew Hammer]

This book is a cat magnet...every time I'm trying to read it, she flops her big butt right in the middle of the page and starts purring. First world problems.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCP8u2t6tw0

[GeneChing]

It's more than walking rice paper and grabbing pebbles. Read Shaolin: Legend Meets Reality (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1345) by Chris Friedman

[GeneChing]

https://www.thebeijinger.com/sites/default/files/thebeijinger/blog-images/345221/img_0960_0.jpg

The Story of One Beijing Expat's Successful Shaolin Kung Fu Odyssey (https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2017/06/20/beijing-expats-shaolin-kung-fu-odyssey-nigula-babayeva)
Kyle Mullin | Jun 20, 2017 11:30 am

When most foreigners think about kung fu, the last thing to likely cross their minds would be a petite, glamorous redhead from Azerbaijan.
And yet Nigula Babayeva – an undeniably badass wushu devotee who finished third at the annual Shaolin temple kung fu championship earlier this month – is boldly defying any such narrow-minded assumptions with her tireless dedication and mastery of the discipline.

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Babayeva may be best known in Beijing circles as the PR and social media manager at Glo Kitchen and Fitness (stylized as GLO), helping to promote the venue’s healthy eats and meal plans that they coordinate with their CrossFit gyms. And while she enjoys partaking in CrossFit with Glo colleagues and patrons, she has been practicing the wushu martial art as a hobby for her “own personal growth” since long before that.
Through her wushu classes Babayeva befriended an employee at the Beijing Shaolin Martial Art school, who was finalizing promotion for their children’s martial arts program. When Babayeva offered up a bit of advice and PR know-how to help her friend with the program’s posters their bond grew stronger, and that continued as Babayeva stuck with her demanding kung fu classes. This eventually lead to Babayeva getting an invitation from the school to participate in the annual International Kung Fu Championship.

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Babayeva is deeply honored to have legendary master Shifu Fu Biao, pictured on the right, as her mentor

“I agreed to meet with the President of the Kung Fu Federation and the Kung Fu school, Shifu Fu Biao, who warmly welcomed me and tested my skills,” Babayeva recalls of meeting the famous master who is also a UN Friendly Messenger and well acquainted with diplomats and world leaders like Kofi Annan.
“I know that sounds like a chapter from an adventure book, but miracles do happen in real life as well!” Babayeva enthuses.
Though she strove to be very competitive at the event organized by her friend at Beijing Shaolin Martial Art School, Babayeva wasn’t sure how well she’d fare given the range of talented participants from across China. And, besides, she got more than enough fulfillment out of the preparation alone.
Babayeva recalls how her invitation to partake in the championship came a mere 10 days before the event kicked off. I was worried because I knew how hard it is to train for this kind of championship," she says. "My thought was not to take place too highly, but at least to perform at a high level. Thus I partook in an intensive four-hour coaching session to get up to the fitness level needed for the championship."
Thanks to her recent CrossFit workouts, Babayeva found she had the endurance to keep up with the formidable training, though her prior experience in wushu and gymnastics also certainly didn't hurt. And in the end, it more than paid off – by training in wushu Babayeva says she is deeply honored to have learned “and practice the skills from people who mastered different fighting styles for decades. Imagine the inner fire you feel while watching movies by Marvel about superheroes. I was talking and practicing with real life superheroes and representatives of Chinese heritage.”

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At the championship in early June, Babayeva fought hard and placed third by competing in the style of wushu taolu. She recalls how the championship was “very interactive, covering different styles of martial arts. I also enjoyed the networking; it was lovely because I was able to meet and talk with the other masters. Due to fact that none of them could speak English, it was a great opportunity to practice my knowledge of Chinese too.”
She likens her success to a steep and steady climb, adding: “I have learned to be patient and believe in something that seems impossible. Because if you believe in yourself and run at the obstacles, you may find that you end up crashing through them.”
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
WeChat: 13263495040
Photos courtesy of Nigula Babayeva

We know Fu Biao here - we've done some coverage on him before but I can't search out the sources or remember exactly where right now.

[GeneChing]

Looks like Shaolin Temple matches somewhere in South America.


If You Could Dig a Hole Through The Earth, Here’s Where You’d Pop Out (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2017/07/20/hole-in-the-earth-map-antipodes/#.WXIWxYjyuUm)
By Nathaniel Scharping | July 20, 2017 2:46 pm

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(Credit: imgur)

A map showing the Earth’s antipodes — the places where you’d appear on the other side if you dug straight down. Most are in the middle of the ocean. (Credit: imgur)

Almost every child, shovel in hand, is struck by a tempting thought. What if I just kept digging and popped out on the other side of the world? The imagination conjures a muddy face emerging in the middle of a Shaolin temple or some such, China being the nominal “other side of the world” to Americans.

That image is wrong, unfortunately, as a map showing the Earthly antipodes makes clear. Antipodes on a sphere are the pair of points furthest away from each other, and on Earth, most of them are in the oceans. Start digging in the continental U.S. and you’ll find yourself smack dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean. There are actually very few places on Earth where you could start digging on land and emerge dry. Greenland to Antarctica might be your best bet, but you could also make a trip from Argentina to China or Spain to New Zealand.


This is all because Earth is a sphere, of course, meaning that if you dig straight down in the northern hemisphere you’ll end up just as far from the equator in the southern hemisphere. Going from here to China would require digging at an angle. You can check where you’d end up if you bored through the planet with this handy interactive antipodes map (it’s apparently popular, and the query limit has been getting maxed out lately).

Tunneling through the Earth is obviously a fantasy though, given the thousand of miles of molten rock that lie between us and the other side of the world. The furthest humans have ever gotten is the tip of the Kola Superdeep Borehole in northwestern Russia, which reaches a mere 7.5 miles beneath the ground. Even so, it took almost 25 years and ended when temperatures of over 350 degrees Fahrenheit made drilling impossible. The hole didn’t even come near to penetrating the continental crust though — the thin shell of rock that sits atop the rest of the planet.

So, we’d never actually make it through, but for the sake of argument, let’s say we did. If we had a tunnel that could somehow withstand the heat, how long would it take us to reach the other side if we jumped in? First off, this question assumes a few things. Even if we could withstand the heat, the atmospheric pressure on the way down becomes crushingly intense, reaching levels similar to the bottom of the ocean after only 30 miles. You’d also be smashed against the wall of the tunnel, a result of the fact that you’re rotating faster at the surface of the Earth than in the interior.

These considerations aside, calculations taking into account the variable densities of material you’d encounter on the way down put your trip through the Earth at about 38 minutes if you’re falling in a vacuum. If you forgot to hang on once you got there, you’d simply fall back to the other side, yo-yoing back and forth eternally.

Although, put the hole in the wrong place, and you’d just fall in the ocean.

[GeneChing]

Trio visit China on kung fu pilgrimage (http://www.totnes-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=107225&headline=Trio%20visit%20China%20on%20kung%20fu%20p ilgrimage&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017)
Wednesday, 23 August 2017 By Toby Leigh in Local People

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Matt Bindon training at a Chinese temple
Martial arts instructor Matt Bindon has travelled hundreds of miles across China and climbed a 4,000ft mountain in the 1,600-year-old *footsteps of a Shaolin warrior.
Matt, who runs a martial arts school in Totnes, made the three-week trip with his partner Kim-Leng Hills and
19-year-old daughter Esme as an act of respect to the “roots” of Shaolin kung fu.
All three climbed Mount Song in China’s Henan province to the temple cave of Bodhidharma, or Damo, the fifth-century Buddhist monk credited with founding Shaolin kung fu.
Esme, who is a kickboxing champion, stopped off at a kung fu school to train with Chinese experts, while Matt and King-Leng travelled around a dozen Shaolin temples throughout China.
Matt, 47, said they had travelled to China “to pay respect to the roots of Shaolin kung fu, which I teach”.
He continued: “We went to China to train and pay homage by climbing one of the highest peaks in China to pay our respects at one of the most important temples up the mountain as a respectful connection to our school in Totnes.
“In each temple we were accepted. We did some training and joined in with some of the meditations. We were really made welcome, I think because we were Westerners appreciating their ancient arts.
“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for some time.”
Mount Song is one of the most sacred Taoist mountains and is considered to be the birthplace of Zen Buddhism.
Matt said it took them several hours in temperatures of 40 degrees to climb to the cave temple, where they were blessed.
“It was a real honour,” he said. “Travelling and training in the *mountains in China is a special *experience, as it is where Chinese martial arts originated.”
Matt teaches Shaolin kung fu, qigong and tai chi all within a Zen tradition and philosophy at classes that are all held at the Hu Long Temple in Totnes.
He said he is now looking to set up a permanent training centre in Totnes to help keep the tradition alive and to help others in the community by way of offering classes to “help people develop authentic training for health, self defence and to produce a strong and healthy mind and body”.

'travelled around a dozen Shaolin temples throughout China.' Hmm, wonder if they really got to some of the other temples or if this is a reporter misinterpretation.

[GeneChing]

Schwab: Gift of a Shaolin priest provides lesson in humility (http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/schwab-gift-of-a-shaolin-priest-provides-lesson-in-humility/)
A post-surgery gift from a kung fu master at first seemed like an extravagance of little use.

Saturday, September 23, 2017 1:30am OPINION COLUMNIST

By Sid Schwab

Editor’s note: Today’s column is from Schwab’s Surgeonsblog on blogspot.com.

Somewhere in my home is a letter I received from a Shaolin priest, at the time one of five (so I was told) highest grand masters of the martial art of kung fu on the planet. The letter is embossed with the gold seal of the temple of which he was the head (if that’s the word). With its beautiful calligraphy and that timeless seal, I should have had it framed. Sadly, at the moment it’s missing in inaction.

The master came to me from another country, requesting that I — and only I — might operate upon him. (To put it a little more dramatically than circumstances might warrant.) According to the man who sent him to me, he taught very few select pupils, and demonstrated his skills only in private. The referring person, a student of kung fu (but not of the master), had had the opportunity to witness the man’s ability to toss a group of attackers like Pike Place fish, and other unearthly wonders. The priest was in his 60s, as I recall.

I’m not sure what I expected. A spectral aura? Levitation? A shimmering cone of calm? Surely, though, were I to give satisfactory care, I’d be granted some sort of special status, maybe presented with a holy relic, invited to the temple for a secret ceremony rooted in ages past. I let myself imagine wondrous things. Truths revealed. Powers conferred.

He arrived in my office dressed like a Florida retiree. Age-appropriately fit, but appearing neither athletic nor powerful, he was of unimposing stature. Less surprised than embarrassed for my silliness, I put aside my fantasies and proceeded into my usual doctor/patient partnership, treated him like everyone else, operated in due course and saw to his recovery, after which he returned to his homeland.

The letter, which lavishly compared my commitment and work to that of great artists, was accompanied by a package. The elegance (and flattery) of the letter was more than enough; but, once again, I unloosed my imagination, now at what might be in the box, which I opened with partially contained expectation.

It was a Montblanc fountain pen.

I’d not heard of them. Very expensive for a pen, I discovered, and quite beautiful. A nice gesture, no doubt, but of not much use to me. A little too showy, it was also impossible to use for writing orders at the hospital, because (before computerized records) I needed to push hard enough for several copies. Nor was I interested in lugging a bottle of ink on rounds. I confess to being disappointed. It seemed so impractical, so materialistic, so … unlike a Shaolin priest. Not that I had any information other than a TV show.

In its elegant box, the pen sat on my bedside table for a decade or more, alongside its exotic and suggestively erotic ink bottle. Then I wrote a book, found an actual publisher, gave some readings, did book signings. And it occurred to me: it was karma, or whatever kung fu masters believe in. He foresaw this moment, it was perfect, meaning and purpose of the gift revealed.

I took it to my first reading. With its elegant, filigreed gold nib, its meaty heft, its unmistakable emblem, the silky lines of ink it imparted to the page, it’d be perfect for a signature and a few well-chosen words. Testimony to a writer of distinction.

On stage, I read choice bits and answered questions. Humbly, I say my readings were mutual fun. I’m enough of a ham to enjoy it and get plenty of laughs. That first one was at “Wordstock,” a book fair of some renown in Portland. My presentation, in a small side room, was at the same time as Gore Vidal’s, in an appropriately huge one. “This is my first reading of my first book,” I told the audience, “So I’m looking forward to hearing what I have to say.”

When I finished, by then an old pro, sitting at a table stacked with books ready to be signed and inscribed for purchasers, I took up that auriferous pen as if having it were normal as breathing.

It leaked all over my hands. The first book I signed was so smudged I had to throw it away.

Email Sid Schwab at columnsid@gmail.com.

Weird story. It would help if he remembered this alleged Shaolin Priest's name... :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

American Kungfu enthusiasts perform martial arts with local monks at Shaolin Temple (http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/01/c_137293916.htm)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-01 21:29:30|Editor: Yurou

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CHINA-HENAN-AMERICAN KUNGFU ENTHUSIASTS-PERFORMANCE (CN)
American Kungfu enthusiasts perform martial arts at Shaolin Temple on the Mount Songshan, central China's Henan Province, July 1, 2018. Over 200 Kungfu enthusiasts from America made a trip to the Shaolin Temple and performed martial arts with local monks. (Xinhua/Li An)

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/01/137293916_15304517031671n.jpg
A monk performs martial arts at Shaolin Temple on the Mount Songshan, central China's Henan Province, July 1, 2018. Over 200 Kungfu enthusiasts from America made a trip to the Shaolin Temple and performed martial arts with local monks. (Xinhua/Li An)

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THREADS:
Shaolin Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)
USSD (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?475-Ussd)

[GeneChing]

American Students Show Off Their Kung Fu Skills at Shaolin Temple in China (https://nextshark.com/students-kung-fu-shaolin-temple-pilgrimage/)
by Bryan Ke 17 hours ago

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About 230 American disciples of the United Studios of Self Defense went on a pilgrimage to the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, Henan Province, China, to commemorate the martial arts school’s 50th anniversary.

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Led by USSD founder Charles Mattera, also known as Yandeng, the disciples received a warm welcome from Shaolin monks as well as the current abbot and 13th successor Shi Yongxin at around 9 a.m. on July 1, according to Shaolin.org.cn.

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“Today is a sunny day and welcome you to the Shaolin Temple. The United Studio of Self Defense aims to promote Chinese culture and has made unremitting efforts for the public health from all walks of life. USSD has become the largest Shaolin martial arts hall alliance recognized by the United States,” Abbot Yongxin said in his speech after paying tribute to Patriarch Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of the Chinese zen lineage.

“Yandeng had led overseas disciples to pilgrimage the Shaolin Temple for many times since 1997. He also invited Shaolin warriors to the US for performance and communication, carefully translated the Shaolin martial arts Cheats and has been enthusiastic about public welfare. Yandeng contributed to the development of the Shaolin culture overseas,” he continued.

“Shaolin Kongfu is the crystallization of the study by Shaolin monks of all generations, is the crystallization of oriental philosophy and culture and is also the eternal home of Shaolin disciples around the world. Welcome back home and hope you could be comfortable and peaceful in the Shaolin Temple,” Abbot Yongxin said in his closing remarks.

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The disciples showcased the martial arts they learned in front of Abbot Yongxin and the other monks of the temple.

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Some of their routines involved Shaolin boxing, weapon usage, kung fu pair practicing, and others.

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“Shaolin Temple is our home and we haven’t been home for some time,” said Mattera, who received the dharma name Yandeng when he was adopted by the Head Abbot of the Shaolin Temple back in 2001. “Today I led the US Shaolin disciples to pilgrimage, have fulfilled our long-cherished wish and thanks very much for Shaolin monks’ warm reception.”

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The monks of the temple also demonstrated their routines to the students.

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Abbot Yonxing then presented a Guanyin statue to the USSD and praised them for the school’s determination as they continue to promote and spread Shaolin culture overseas.

Images via youth.cn
The author bailed out on spelling the Abbot's name at the end. :rolleyes:


THREADS:
Shaolin Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)
USSD (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?475-Ussd)

[GeneChing]

Henan Province Tourism Administration invites American travel experts to a fantastic Kung Fu journey through Henan (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/henan-province-tourism-administration-invites-american-travel-experts-to-a-fantastic-kung-fu-journey-through-henan-300676835.html)
NEWS PROVIDED BY

Henan Provincial Tourism Administration
Jul 05, 2018, 21:38 ET

BEIJING, July 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent years, the Tourism Administration of Henan Province has been engaged in promotional projects designed to effectively enhance the visibility and interest of Henan tourism in North America. These projects include social media promotion across Henan Tourism's social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube), project planning, and online and offline theme promotion activities and are aimed at improving the awareness and fan base of Henan tourism in North America and building up the Henan Tourism brand. At the end of June, the O2O integrated marketing promotional activity with the theme of "Origins of Kung Fu -King of Kung Fu PK Contest" was officially started. The activity invited two highly-influential social media celebrities from North America - Musician Adan Kohnhorst and Travel Expert Rebbeca Vorisek, to travel in Henan and experience the two Kung Fu styles, "Shaolin" and "Tai Chi". The trip had the Kung Fu experience, apprenticeship, and study as its core themes so as to inherit, carry forward, and promote the culture of Kung Fu. It also aimed to promote the images of Henan's profound culture and beautiful natural scenery on various social media platforms overseas through creative video and promotional activities.

This activity followed Adan and Becca on their journey to "Trace the Origin of Kung Fu" and filmed the process of the two travel experts learning Kung Fu from the masters in the Shaolin Temple Wushu Training Center and Chenjiagou Village of Wenxian County. Adan learned the exquisite skill of Shaolin Boxing, while Becca studied Tai Chi Kung Fu, which couples hardness with softness. The pair followed the roots of Kung Fu as they sought a master to train under and practiced their martial arts in preparation for the PK Contest. In addition, Adan and Becca also visited the Longmen Grottoes, Luoyi City, Shaolin Temple, Yuntai Mountain, Kaifeng, and many other famous attractions in the various cities of Henan. The project team recorded their journey and introduced Henan landscapes, delicacies, and highlights from multiple angles.

Every day, the fantastic travel moments of Adan and Becca were published on @Discover Henan, the overseas social platform of Henan Tourism. Overseas fans could follow Adan and Becca on their journey through these posts. At the same time, they two shared and promoted Henan tourism through photos and videos on their private accounts, telling the story of their unique Kung Fu-themed travel experience in Henan. A video of Adan street dancing during a storm on Yuntai Mountain gained nearly a thousand online interactions. As the activity ended, a creative video about the adventure of the two social media celebrities was released on the @Discover Henan Facebook page. Fans were invited to vote for their "King of Kung Fu", cementing the experience in the minds of the fans and inviting them to join Henan Tourism's extensive base of fans.


Training for the Tourist Administration - Good gig if you can get it. :cool:

[GeneChing]

This article needs a photo. :o


Foreign martial arts fans celebrate their Kung Fu roots at Shaolin Temple (http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/15/c_137325849.htm)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-15 15:42:19|Editor: zh

ZHENGZHOU, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Since the beginning of summer, domestic tourists can sometimes find themselves greatly outnumbered by foreign visitors clad in Shaolin-logo T-shirts or monk uniforms in front of a cluster of elegantly painted wooden houses situated at the foot of Song Mountain which is known as the fabled home of Kung Fu.

It is estimated that every year, tens of thousands foreign martial art aficionados make pilgrimages to Shaolin Temple, the most sought-after attraction for the growing legions of Kung Fu fans across the globe, seeking to experience the authentic Shaolin culture and hone their skills in the martial arts.

In lieu of the serenity and solemnity many have come to expect at Buddhist temples, this ancient institution often seems to bask in the atmosphere of jubilation and give off a cosmopolitan vibe with groups of visiting foreign practitioners putting on displays of martial routines at the invitation of the temple.

On Saturday evening, more than 120 Kung Fu fans from 20 countries and regions gathered in the sacred meditation hall and put on a diverse selection of performances to celebrate their Shaolin roots in the presence of the abbot Shi Yongxin.

Apart from showcasing traditional martial arts prowess through punching, kicking, cudgel bashing and tumbling on the stage, performers from Africa, Europe, and America pulled out all the stops to integrate the elements of their own cultures into Shaolin Kung Fu.

The most mesmerizing segments of the evening gala included a group of grey-robed Africans singing and dancing to the beats of the djembe, American students' stunning display of acrobatics, athleticism, and agility, and a musical about seeking the truth of Shaolin culture in the birthplace of Kung Fu put on by a group of Russians. The zealous audience went wild with most rising to their feet and in thundering applause.

This celebratory event is a microcosm of what Shaolin Temple is hoping to achieve on the global stage in the future and a part of its attempt to broaden its appeal to foreign audiences.

Shi said that Shaolin Temple has been striving to transform Shaolin culture into a lifestyle and make it more integral to people's everyday lives through cultural exchange programs connecting with people from all parts of the world. He said he also hopes that the Shaolin culture can open a gateway for people to better understand Chinese culture.

With its own unique cultural appeal, Shaolin Temple has established more than 40 cultural institutions overseas with more than 300 Shaolin practitioners stationed abroad and teaching martial art to locals.

[GeneChing]

https://cdnfr2.img.sputniknews.com/images/103948/53/1039485335.jpg
Les révélations sur son stage de kung-fu à Shaolin coûtent cher à Brune Poirson (https://fr.sputniknews.com/france/201901071039555499-brune-poirson-stage-shaolin/)© AFP 2018 ludovic MARIN
FRANCE
14:30 07.01.2019URL courte719
Brune Poirson, la secrétaire d’État auprès du ministre de la Transition écologique a révélé avoir fait un stage de kung-fu à Shaolin, en Chine, une expérience qui l’aide au quotidien en politique. En dépit de tous les mérites d'une telle philosophie, le Net lui a montré en réponse son visage satirique…

Dans une interview accordée à Libération le 4 janvier, la secrétaire d'État auprès du ministre de la Transition écologique, Brune Poirson, a annoncé avoir fait un stage de kung-fu à Shaolin, ce qu'elle considère comme un atout dans sa carrière politique.

«Le kung-fu, c'est apprendre à faire un geste parfait en totale harmonie avec son esprit. Et l'autodéfense en politique, ça peut servir, surtout contre la misogynie et l'arrogance technocratique», conclut-elle.

Cette expérience lui a permis de perdre «neuf kilos» plaisante-t-elle, mais lui a surtout appris «l'endurance et la rigueur».

Cette interview n'est pas passée inaperçue du grand public d'Internet. De nombreux internautes n'ont pas manqué l'occasion de plaisanter:

Auparavant, Mme Poirson avait découvert une photo d'elle sur un profil de l'application de rencontres Tinder et annoncé via Twitter qu'elle allait «engager une procédure judiciaire» pour usurpation d'identité.

googtrans (I didn't copy&paste all the comments)

Revelations about his kung fu training at Shaolin are expensive at Brune Poirson © AFP 2018 MARINE ludovic
LA FRANCE
14:30 07.01.2019Short URL719
Brown Poirson, the Secretary of State for the Minister of Ecological Transition, said she did a kung fu internship in Shaolin, China, an experience that helps her on a daily basis in politics. Despite all the merits of such a philosophy, the Net has shown him in response his satirical face ...

In an interview with Libération on Jan. 4, Secretary of State for the Minister of Environmental Transition, Brune Poirson, announced she had done a kung fu training in Shaolin, which she sees as an asset in her career. policy.

"Kung-fu is learning to make a perfect gesture in total harmony with one's mind. And self-defense in politics can be useful, especially against misogyny and technocratic arrogance, "she concludes.

This experience allowed her to lose "nine kilos" she jokes, but mostly taught her "endurance and rigor".

This interview did not go unnoticed by the general public of the Internet. Many Internet users have not missed the opportunity to joke:

Previously, Ms. Poirson had discovered a picture of her on a Tinder dating app profile and announced via Twitter that she was going to "sue" for impersonation.


THREADS:
Martial Arts Politicians (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65916-Martial-Arts-Politicians)
Shaolin Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)

[GeneChing]

srlsy. wth?

When did Hidqi enter the nomenclature of Shaolin monastic names? :rolleyes:


Female guide wanted for Shaolin Master to travel together (https://www.thelocal.se/noticeboard/67535/)
Ad type: Wanted
Location: Other
Date added: 04 Jan 2019
Hidgi is a Shaolin monk, he is an activist that travels in the world to do humanitarian actions although he is blind.
We, his friends and students in Berlin, are looking for a female companion to be his guide in his journeys. It must be a woman. In the past he tried with men but it was always a problem to be accepted by associations and also to understand each other.

He is very kind, funny and honest. He looks for a woman to rely on and in whom he can trust.

He masters different disciplines like Martial Arts, Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan, Kung-fu, Meditation, etc. He is also a psychologist and osteopath. He speaks 12 different languages (french, english, italian ....). He has knowledge about astrophysics and neurosciences too. He is always ready to teach high knowledge for free, to help people to evolve and rise up, being able to help themselves and the others.

He does a lot of missions on Work-away and other humanitarian websites therefore he knows by experience that 2 men together are refused, but a couple is always accepted. You don't have to be a real couple, but the profile man - woman is important to be accepted by most of the associations.

Salary: - learning from/with him the things that interests you
- traveling in the world with everything paid
- plus 500€/month

Your dutys: - guiding him and organizing the journeys together
- help him about the details of his life that he cannot face without his eyes

Next destinations are: Sicily, Sardinia and Lampedusa. Later on South Spain, France, Scotland...

Testimony last guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFHWzfRcihw

Contact Hidgi: AUDIO-MESSAGE because he is BLIND.
On Whatsapp or Telegram: +33 769 96 99 95

THREADS
Shaolin Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)
Blind Masters (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69153-Blind-Masters)

[GeneChing]

I'm posting this in our Transformers thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?47070-Transformers), and copying it to our Shaolin Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys) thread (wasn't really sure where to place this on the Shaolin sub-forum but it had to be there somewhere...)


Transformers in kung fu moves at Shaolin Temple(1/5) (http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2019-02-12/detail-ifzekwei6641035.shtml)
2019-02-12 11:20:08Ecns.cn Editor :Li Yan

http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2019/02/12/a741a20a51394f00a7ad3b74b0cb3667.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2019/02/12/6f2ca5fdc18c4847941b1ecc4ba83d0f.jpghttp://www.ecns.cn/hd/2019/02/12/bd345f08f7f34c3099b268f40c6a074c.jpghttp://www.ecns.cn/hd/2019/02/12/2c69e88e091c49e19a2d6be6c2102ce5.jpghttp://www.ecns.cn/hd/2019/02/12/2d56c9f283214dc48d6cde2b0541617e.jpg


Students of kung fu at Shaolin Temple pose with Transformer-like statues in Dengfeng City, Central China's Henan Province, Feb. 7, 2019, as many tourists visit the famed Buddhist temple during the Lunar New Year holiday. (Photo: China News Service/Wang Zhongju)

[GeneChing]

Not quite a journey to Shaolin - wasn't sure where else to post this however. :o


Fit in my 40s: will Shaolin training bring me calm?

(https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/01/fit-in-my-40s-shaolin-training)I’m sitting in a carpeted temple-ish space, with three Buddhas looking down peaceably

• Fitness tips: three key Shaolin moves

Zoe Williams
@zoesqwilliams
Sat 1 Jun 2019 02.01 EDT

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/6eaf1cb4d7858ff10c5f6799997a1b3f78cc33a3/0_507_3389_2678/master/3389.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&
Zoe Williams doing a side plank on one finger

‘According to Shaolin, we are all made of the elements fire, water, earth and air.’ Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian. Clothes: My Gym Wardrobe. Hair and makeup: Sarah Cherry using Mac cosmetics
I wasn’t sure I’d recognise the whereabouts of the Shaolin monk in north London, but the martial arts temple was bedecked with a splashy red arch. Heng Dao is not a monk; he is a practiser of Shaolin, an ancient combination of Zen Buddhism and martial arts. What is this place, anyway? On one side, a long boxing gym: very Fight Club. In another, a room with a sprung floor and a kung fu class. Heng Dao and I sit in a windowless, carpeted temple-ish space, with loads of fruit and three Buddhas looking down on us peaceably.

According to Shaolin, we are all made of the elements fire, water, earth and air, and they have to be in balance. I find these ideas quite calming. I don’t fully understand, because I’ll never understand, and I can’t leave because someone is talking to me. This is as close to letting go and inhabiting the moment as I will ever get.

Except, wait: there is concrete activity attached to these elements. Fire is kung fu, physical movement, the life of the muscles. A lot of it is punching, slowly, then faster, with one arm, then with two. “You do this a lot,” says Heng Dao, “and it’s good for stamina, strength, relaxation – and also you get good at punching.” The surprise element is the relaxation: like sewing, colouring in or cutting out pastry, a punch is at exactly the pitch of repetitiveness and concentration that engrosses your mind without depleting it.

Water is qi gong, which is sometimes called Chinese yoga. I can see similarities in the battle poses. This is the stuff people who look like your aunt do in a park, poses and movements with symbolic foundations: pulling an imaginary arrow; pouring water over yourself, beatifically, like the lady in that shampoo ad. Is the symbolism secondary to the summoning of your inner energy? Or is that how it’s summoned, and glute strength is really a side-issue? I don’t think these are the right questions; I think you have to wait for your body to deliver you an answer.

Earth is meditation and you start with this: sitting cross-legged, connecting with each muscle one by one, just to check it’s still there. I wonder if this is a ruse to keep your mind present, but it works.

Finally air is (tell me if I am stating the obvious) breathing: noisy and demonstrative, again like yoga breathing; huffing, holding, gasping. The sequencing and the emphasis change as you get older, although you always start at earth. The water sequence becomes the most important as our bodies get harder with age (Ha! Try telling that to my body) because water embodies softness. We are in the territory of metaphor. The complexity of it, its unfamiliarity, demands a concentration so deep it is effectively mindful. It works, in other words, though a tough crossword might too.


• Heng Dao teaches across the UK; shihengdao.com

What I learned
When punching, keep your active fist fast and your non-active one pinned tight to your rib cage.


Fitness tips: three key Shaolin moves (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/01/fitness-tips-three-key-shaolin-moves)
Learn to strengthen and relax body and mind

• Fit in my 40s: ‘I’m as close to inhabiting the moment as I’ll ever get’

Shifu Shi Heng Dao
Sat 1 Jun 2019 02.01 EDT

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/32d4c3e08b9936bfd5c016523c8aae868d5ea301/327_67_660_396/master/660.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&
Heng Dao is a 35th-generation Shaolin disciple.

Push the sky
Stand comfortably. Focus on relaxing each part of your body, head to toe. Bring hands together in front of belly, loosely linking fingers. Take three deep breaths through nose. Raise arms as you inhale, until fingers point above you. Tilt head to look up at the sky. Breathe for four counts. Bring arms slowly down as you exhale. Hold for five to 10 seconds; shake arms and legs.

Mabu punches
Stand with legs about a metre apart. Squat slightly, make hands into fists and place on hips. Slowly bring elbows back towards each other so your chest puffs out. Exhale as you slowly punch right fist forwards. Hold. Inhale as you punch left fist while bringing right fist back to hip. Alternate arms for eight sets.

Tan Tui with punches
Begin in the same position as Mabu, hands on hips. Bring right hand out to the side with palm pushing forward. Twist to right while moving the fist on left hip up in a punch. At the same time, return right hand to hip in a fist. Now punch right arm out and kick the left leg simultaneously. Repeat on left.

• Heng Dao is a 35th-generation Shaolin disciple

As told to Emma Irving

[GeneChing]

https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SEI_70614138.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0px%2C254px%2C2001px%2C1126px&resize=1325%2C746

Strong Women: ‘I have dedicated my life to martial arts and I have no regrets’ (https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/01/strong-women-i-have-dedicated-my-life-to-martial-arts-and-i-have-no-regrets-9763621/)
By Natalie Morris, Senior lifestyle reporter Saturday 1 Jun 2019 10:00 am

So many women are put off from sport and physical activity because they don’t look a certain way. In fact, a study by Sport England found that 75% of women avoid being active due to a fear of judgement. Strong Women is a weekly series that aims to normalise diversity in the world of sport and fitness and reaffirm the idea that women of any age, size, race and ability can be fit, strong and love their bodies. By showcasing the wide range of different women who are achieving incredible things, we hope to empower and inspire underrepresented women. Martine Niven is a Shaolin kung fu disciple – it is something she does full time and she has dedicated her life to the practice.

https://i1.wp.com/metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Martine-performing-spear-at-Chinese-New-Year-Celebrations-Southampton-2018-7981-e1559312786591.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=768%2C512&ssl=1
Martine performing at Chinese New Year Celebrations in Southampton (Picture: Martine Niven)

Tell us about your relationship with martial arts I became a Shaolin Kung Fu disciple in 2012 after training with my teacher, Shi Yan Ming 34th Shaolin Warrior from Shaolin Temple in China, for four years in the UK. When I met my Kung Fu Master – ‘Shifu’ in Chinese, which means ‘a great master with expert and skillful knowledge’ – I hadn’t practiced martial arts for a while. In my late teenage years and twenties, while most young people were out clubbing and getting careers and families I was inside the kung fu hall, sweating and training, constantly feeling the pain. My teachers expressed daily ‘no pain, no gain!’ – at that time it felt more like pain than gain. I have no regrets from my path. I feel nothing but respect, great honour and privilege to have had the opportunity to train with many great masters, teachers and friends, who were so kind to me and had the patience and time to guide me on this path. What does it actually mean to be a disciple? Being a disciple means you have made a commitment to dedicate your life to the martial arts practice. You have made a commitment to master the skill and to share this knowledge with future generations. I always felt there was something missing from the other marital arts that I had previously studied, this I realised later was the internal aspects which help to balance the body, mind and spirit. I was introduced to practices like Meditation, Qi Gong and Tai Chi as well as continuing to practice the more external martial arts like san da (Chinese kickboxing), kung fu and weapons, this was a great balance.

https://i2.wp.com/metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Martine-Discipleship-in-China-with-her-master-Shifu-Shi-Yan-Ming-60d2-e1559312901853.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=768%2C785&ssl=1
Martine with her master Shifu Shi Yan Ming (Picture: Martine Niven)

Later on in my thirties I went on to specialise in Traditional Shaolin kung fu. Sometimes the paths you take uncannily lead you back to where you started. Being a woman and training, you can be faced with a number of extra challenges. You are always carefully balancing your body’s needs, losing energy every month and then having to build it back up, the process of progression can take longer and for me personally has been extremely frustrating. I have had to learn to be patient with myself and to accept what and who I am. Life is smoother when you’re not always fighting to be something else or trying to prove you are someone else. It can take courage to follow a difficult path but the rewards can be greater in the end. It takes great strength of mind to choose to face yourself with acceptance and love. How does martial arts help your mental health? Your mind is an extremely important part of the martial arts development. Having a positive mind effects everything you do. I learnt this the hard way and in my early training years I was very self-critical. I would chastise myself daily for not achieving what I wanted, but I slowly realised this was unproductive and futile. The process of martial arts is gradual, a difficult concept to accept in a world of rapid results and instant gratification.

https://i1.wp.com/metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/UKST-Kung-Fu-Shoots-08-ef75-e1559313022197.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=768%2C508&ssl=1
(Picture: Martine Niven)

I see this a lot in my younger students when they don’t see instant results. They want to give up. We live in interesting times with our youth. They face so many difficult challenges with social media pressures and many device distractions, they need something like martial arts and its underlying philosophies more than ever. This fast-paced lifestyle is not helpful for our self-development, it is short-lived, temporary and eventually unrewarding. It bypasses important life lessons and learnings. Struggles and difficulties are important in life, to feel hardship can in some instances actually be a good thing. The Chinese have a saying ‘to eat bitter’, which means at the time it is not pleasant, like a bitter taste in the mouth, but the bitter taste in Chinese medicine is said to help strengthen the heart. So this is how we learn, grow and gain wisdom. If everything is fast and easy we are missing out on important realisations and deeper understandings. Martial arts helps to gain deeper awareness of the body and mind to feel disharmony and then to have the knowledge and strength to make changes. Experiencing all of these benefits, how could I not want that for others? What does training bring to your life? When I first started learning martial arts, I loved how confident it made me feel. I felt strong and able to defend myself. I loved the culture and learning about the deep underlying philosophies. Everything was new and exciting. Over the years, your awareness changes, your wisdom grows, you face more interesting challenges. You learn about yourself and others. You hit many walls. And every time this happens your awareness deepens and the practice becomes you. You are not separate from it. It is you. Through this you develop a great gratitude and compassion for yourself and others. The self-discovery is profound and life changing.

https://i2.wp.com/metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Martine-with-her-master-Shifu-Shi-Yan-Ming-1b3e-e1559313107879.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=768%2C512&ssl=1
‘The best way to see if you will like something is to be brave and try it’ (Picture: Martine Niven)

When I am training I lose all sense of self, any ideas of image, gender, ability, race, all seem to vanish. I have no concept of these things, my focus and attention is solely on the movements I am trying to do. It is a combination of breathing, movement and intention. All time stands still and the body and mind come to a single focus point. For that moment I am free, connected and peaceful. The realisation is greatly rewarding. I spent many years trying to find the wise master to show me the way, but realised it is you who has to become the master of yourself. Why should more women get involved in martial arts? Working in schools and universities with young women, I have noticed there are many pressures and stresses that they find difficult to express and deal with. What we teach is a way to help them to balance their lives. The underlying philosophies that come out of the training helps them to become more self-aware, confident, relaxed, centred and balanced. They are slowly able to let go of stresses and strains of everyday life and be at ease with themselves and others. Most people/women come to martial arts because they want to learn how to defend themselves and of course this is the main function, but through this practice you develop so many other skills, developing strength of body, mind and spirit. What would you say to a woman who might be intimidated by the idea of fighting? A lot of women feel put off because they may feel the classes are mainly attended by men, but this is not the case we have a great mix of students. When looking for a class and teacher, do your research. Do not be fooled by appearances, finding a good teacher can be tricky.

https://i2.wp.com/metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Martine-in-Song-Shan-Mountains-in-China-2041.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=720%2C480&ssl=1
Martine in the Song Shan Mountains in China (Picture: Martine Niven)

Some teachers are great for some people but not for others, it’s a personal experience, so be brave, try a class and if it doesn’t feel right go try out another until you find a place you feel comfortable. I think a good teacher needs to be patient and tolerant, knowledgeable, humble, and kind hearted. The best way to see if you will like something is to be brave and try it. It can be a bit intimidating and sometimes scary trying out something new but it builds great strength of character and it could be the start of an amazing journey.

This is not the Shi Yan Ming that was on our cover with the RZA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1195).

[GeneChing]

I'm sharing this on our Shaolin Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys) thread and our Beat n Path (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70593-Beat-n-Path) thread.


Lupe Fiasco Grew Up With Martial Arts — Then Went To China To ‘Study With The Masters’ (https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/lupe-fiasco-explores-china-in-new-docuseries/b7d90c57-f042-4c83-b284-b577d60714a7)
Arionne Nettles
July 2, 2019
3 MIN

https://api.wbez.org/v2/images/152289ce-3023-4cc3-9918-26ec98985d54.jpg?width=640&height=312&mode=FILL&threshold=0
Arionne Nettles/WBEZ

Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco stands in the Stony Island Arts Bank before screening his new docu-series, "Beat N' Path," on Tuesday.

Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco is going global in a new way — film.

Fiasco, whose real name is Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, said he learned martial arts from his father. Now, after a recent trip to China, he’s releasing a new docu-series and supporting a new cultural program right here in Chicago to honor his family’s legacy.

In China, he visited the Shaolin Temple, learned traditional Chinese martial arts, watched Sichuan face-changing opera — which he described as a mix of “kung fu meets performance arts meets ballet.” He even worked with a sword maker to create traditional Chinese weaponry.

Fiasco’s new docu-series, Beat N’ Path, follows his exploration of China’s culture and history. He screened the series Tuesday for friends and family at the Stony Island Arts Bank, which is next to where his father’s martial arts school stood in the 1980s and ’90s.

“Try and study with the masters”

Beat N’ Path pays homage to his father, Gregory Jaco, who did martial arts for more than 40 years.

“[My father] said if we ever get the opportunity, go back to the countries of origin where these martial arts started,” he said. “Try and study with the masters … at the schools where these things originated.”

Fiasco, 37, and his sister, Ayesha Jaco, grew up in their father’s school, absorbing all the learning and culture that came along with it. He said the trip was like coming full circle.

“It literally started here,” he said of the block where the Stony Island Arts Bank now stands. “My martial arts tradition started here right next door, and this bank was a part of it.”

"Make your community better than you found it"

Although the docu-series celebrates the exploration of Chinese culture, the Beat N’ Path project also serves as the launch of an arts and culture programming here at home. The project partnered with Rebuild Foundation, which runs Stony Island Arts Bank and reopened the former bank building as a neighborhood space in 2015. Proceeds from his newly released song, “Air China,” will help fund that programming.

“We were born into the martial arts ... we were babies born into it — at the karate class, at the dojo, running around,” Fiasco said. “And so this area, in this community, is like the epicenter for me. My first memories are of this of this place.”

His sister, who is Rebuild Foundation’s 2019 dancer in residence, said that work in the community is an important part of upholding their father’s legacy. The project is in partnership with the second phase of her Rebuild fellowship, called “Black Samurai.”

“He told us your role, no matter what it is that you do, is to make your community better than you found it,” she said. “And so for Lupe, he chose music and philanthropy. … For me, it was dance.”

Lupe Fiasco produced Beat N’ Path with Hong Kong-based Studio SV, which he created with his partner, Bonnie Chan Woo. Simon Yin directed the series, which can be streamed at lupefiascobnp.com.

Arionne Nettles is a digital producer at WBEZ covering arts and culture. Follow her on Twitter at @arionnenettles.

[GeneChing]

Kazakh students visited Shaolin monastery (https://kazakh-tv.kz/en/view/society/page_205864_kazakh-students-visited-shaolin-monastery)
27.09.2019 17:41 67


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ8W3twmHFc

The famous temple is located in Song Shan Mountain in central China. The temple was established back in 495 AD with support of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. To date, it is a place of pilgrimage for tourists. Kazakh students were very impressed by discovering Shaolin and Chinese culture. They have witnessed the Buddhist monastery which they knew only from films. The temple made a huge impression on Kazakh students. They learned a lot about teachings of Buddha and lit candles and made a wish along with other visitors. The students said that such journeys contribute to expansion of their worldview and to thorough understanding of the world. “My point of view on China has changed. This trip exceeded my expectations about the country. I’ve learned a lot about myself, China, culture, mentality and traditions,” said student, Dilnaz Tokybayeva. After paying a visit to the Shaolin Buddhist temple, Kazakh students visited a school of martial arts. The students were delighted by the colorful presentation. As part of the Youth Year, the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan organized the cultural journey specially for the students who learn Chinese. During the week-long tour, the students visited four cities and discovered the unique Chinese culture. Photo: fishki.net

Kinda random, but there you have it.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLENOkVsrr4

[GeneChing]

1981 precedes Shaolin Temple (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?44939-Shaolin-Temple-(1982)-the-original-film), the film that changed Shaolin history.


Reminiscing Shaolin (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201910/21/WS5dad1970a310cf3e35571a0a.html)
By Laurence Brahm | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-10-21 10:35

http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201910/21/5dad1970a310cf3e97a22e3e.jpeg
The author returns to Shaolin after 38 years. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Though it was over 30 years ago, I still remember the first time I came here. In 1981, I was a student at Nankai University in Tianjin. It was late August, and together with some classmates, we began our journey with a long train ride to Loyang. A rickety bus up a long, winding dirt road, mud-soaked from summer rains, brought us the rest of the way to a legendary temple called Shaolin at the sacred Mount Songshan.

We arrived at the iconic Shaolin Temple gate. Having grown up in America with the television series “Kung Fu” starring Keith Caradinne, and as a practicing martial artist immersed in Bruce Lee books and movies, arrival at the gate of the iconic Shaolin Temple was both personal and powerful. Clouds drifted above misty waters like an unmistakably classic Chinese painting. What we would find inside would further awaken the mind, suspended still in a dreamlike astonishment.

Climbing the steps past ancient steles, we arrived at the Great Hall, the ultimate training room for Shaolin’s martial arts monks. There was hardly anything in the room, only a rack of ancient rusted martial arts weapons leaning confidently against the wall. I never forgot the haunting power of this room, marked by large indentations in the stone floor from years of monks practicing their martial arts.

http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201910/21/5dad1970a310cf3e97a22e40.jpeg
Master De Yang (Left), 31st Lineage Holder of Shaolin, greets the author in Shaolin Temple. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Those imprints in stone, worn over centuries by monks repeatedly practicing the same kungfu forms in unison to work towards achieving their perfection, revealed a lot to me about a value called perseverance. Expressed as “ren” in Chinese, the character is formed by two other characters, “dao” above “xin” meaning a knife pressing on one’s heart, with an additional line that symbolizes a drop of blood. The character conveys that perseverance is a task requiring what we in the West call “blood, sweat and tears.” Perseverance represents the reason for China’s economic success over these past four decades. And that requires another word “Kungfu,” which in Chinese really just means time. One must devote time and patience to achieve a goal. Perseverance is the key. Kungfu is the result.

At the entrance to Shaolin, Master De Yang greets me. A quiet, humble monk, De Yang is actually the 31st Lineage Holder of Shaolin. He points to stone tablets, steles raised over decades and even centuries by martial arts associations from all over the world recognizing Shaolin Temple as the source of their own lineage. There are even carvings and records cast in iron on ancient bells, and writings on the stone tablets recalling earlier times when Japanese monks came to Shaolin to study Kungfu, the origin of Karate, even a thousand years ago. Climbing the stairs 38 years later, once again I am in the Grand Hall where the monks of past centuries practiced martial arts. “This is the source of Kungfu,” explains Master De Yang pointing to the almost surreal indentations in the stone floor.

http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201910/21/5dad1970a310cf3e97a22e42.jpeg
Master De Yang shows engraving on stone of a Yuan Dynasty stupa, records of Japanese monks studying at Shaolin. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In another hallway Master De Yang shows me a mural dating back to the Ming Dynasty, with an array of monks practicing different Kungfu styles on the grounds of Shaolin. In the mural I see different forms, the embodiment of various martial arts styles. “Shaolin has been recognized as the source of Kungfu by many schools from Karate, Aikido, Tai Kuan Do, and even Ninjitsu,” explains De Yang.

“But there is a common misunderstanding in the world,” he adds. “Many people think Kung Fu is about fighting. Actually, it is about self-cultivation. Making yourself a better person. Real Kungfu practitioners follow a strict code of self-conduct and discipline. Kungfu is to cultivate the body, mind and spirit. However, in history there have been exceptional situations, the stories become legends and even movies.”

He then pointed to another mural of Shaolin monks riding horses to protect the emperor during the Tang Dynasty when their martial arts skills were sought by the emperor as a last ditch effort to save the dynasty from invaders. The monks agreed and the Tang survived and thrived. The movie “Shaolin Monastery” is based on the story recorded in this mural.

I was then received by Abbot Shi Yongxin himself, who had just returned the night before from New York City, where he had presented a call for world peace before the United Nations General Assembly.

My return to Shaolin after nearly four decades made me think about the inter-connected matrix of all things. During ancient times, Shaolin monks were called out from their meditation and practices to save the nation. Maybe they are being called out once again - only this time, to help save the world.

The author is the founding director of the Himalayan Consensus and a senior international fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.

[GeneChing]

Around the Island Race: rowing and Zen Buddhism are the perfect match for Booth, after Shaolin Temple training (https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3036923/around-island-race-rowing-and-zen-buddhism-are-perfect)
Rowing has all of the ingredients of ancient mind-body arts, and gives the American the edge in competition
BY MARK AGNEW
8 NOV 2019

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/landscape/public/d8/images/methode/2019/11/08/86894290-013a-11ea-ab68-c2fa11fa07a6_image_hires_162346.JPG?itok=3UdTDrMB&v=1573201432

Rowing and ancient mind-body arts are natural partners, according to one of the top coastal rowers in the US, Ben Booth. He is in Hong Kong this weekend to take part in the Around the Island Race.

Booth has been on a 16-year journey, exploring the power of the mind and how it relates to his sport. He was beating people in competition he knew he could not beat in training, and questioned what role the mind was playing in his performances. So, in 2003 and moved to China to study in a Shaolin Temple for a year and has been continuously learning since.

“Rowing has all the same recipes as all the mind-body arts,” Booth, 42, said. “It's repetitive, you're in nature, you have to step away from yourself and into a bigger space of this water. Coastal rowing in particular exemplifies that as every stroke is the same but different. Because the water is always moving, you are always adapting to your environment.”

“When you stop thinking you are more effective, because you can't out think the tumultuous movement of the water, you just have to be there, response and join that space,” he said.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/11/08/86516cbc-013a-11ea-ab68-c2fa11fa07a6_972x_162346.JPG
Ben Booth spent a year in a Shaolin Temple and says rowing and mind-arts an natural bedfellows.

Day to day life in the temple was “just nuts”, Booth said. “There was no real logic to it either. We weren't following this progressive training programme. From day one you were just full on.”

They’d wake at sunrise and run a marathon. A teacher would chase them on an old rusty bike, whipping them with a stick to keep them going. They’d then mediate and work on their inner energy. They’d next do high energy exercises, like jumping and sprinting, before lunch. After their meal, they’d have fighting practice, sparring, hitting bags. In total, there were 10 hours of work a day.

“It's super physical,” he said. “The mental aspect of it is really getting through a day, day after day.”

The 45km Around the Island Race, organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, is accepting solo rowers this year for the first time.

“Anything that was considered too far and too dangerous previously sounds right up my alley,” Booth said.

Last weekend, Hong Kong hosted the World Rowing Coastal Championships. Booth opted against taking part in both. He thought he had not trained for the speed of the shorter distance.

“I'm pretty competitive. It wouldn't be fun coming to the race and not be racing for a top 10 position,” he said.

“If you're doing it for the sake of it you, don't get that personal growth,” Booth said. “If you have a bad race you have to examine why, was it mental, was it physical, what were the factors that weren’t in place? You have this arbitrary date in the future and on that date you have to be at your peak. For me, it's a fascinating process and puzzle to work out.”

Since starting his spiritual journey, Booth has lived on the top of a mountain in Vermont for six months and spent three months in a cabin with no heater during winter in the wilderness, among other adventures. He now runs a non-profit organisation teaching tai chi, meditation and rowing.

Within a few months of starting meditation and mindful practices, Booth noticed a difference.

“There was just more clarity. It wasn't a revelation, but it was a gradual unfolding,” Booth said. “After a number of months of feeling more mentally cohesive, and it wasn't like I wasn't cohesive before, I just noticed everything was more heightened. Everything improved.”

Wonder what he studied at Shaolin...

[GeneChing]

Over 100 Foreign Teenagers Experience Chinese Kungfu in Zhengzhou, China (https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/over-100-foreign-teenagers-experience-chinese-kungfu-in-zhengzhou-china-1028702290)
PRESS RELEASE PR Newswire
Nov. 19, 2019, 08:16 PM

https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1031788/Kungfu_Shaolin_Martial_Arts.jpg

ZHENGZHOU, China, Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- From October 21 to November 1, 2019, the final rounds of the 12th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students took place in central China's Zhengzhou City, the birthplace of Chinese Kungfu. During the competition, more than 120 contestants from 105 countries visited Shaolin Temple and experienced the unique charm of Shaolin Kungfu.

"My biggest wish to come to China this time is to see the real Chinese Kungfu," said Lu Jingmao from New Zealand. On Oct. 25, he came to Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Chinese martial arts, as he wished. Together with other competitors, Lu watched exciting Kungfu performances, listened to the legend of Shaolin Temple, and appreciated the long-standing Shaolin culture.

Vigorous and powerful Shaolin boxing, exciting Shaolin Hard Qigong, various forms of weapons in 18 kinds, splendid Shaolin martial arts won great admiration from the contestants. They took photos one after another, some even imitated the movements on the spot.

In addition to visiting the world-famous Shaolin Temple, the contestants also visited other local spots. In Zhengzhou Yellow River Scenic Area, the youngsters paid homage to the statues of Emperors Yan and Huang, and overlooked the magnificent scene of Yellow River. While in Sandu Camping Park, they put on Chinese traditional Hanfu clothing, and experience China's ancient method of woodcut painting and papermaking. By visiting Zhengzhou Garden Expo Park, contestants realized the beauty of Chinese landscape gardens.

The colorful Chinese culture ignite competitors' passion. "Chinese language makes me see the diversity of culture and the vastness of the world," said Ma Hongbo, a 17-year-old Hungarian.

According to Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, member of the Preparatory Committee of the 12th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students, Zhengzhou is one of the eight ancient capitals of China and the birthplace of Chinese civilization. With profound culture, beautiful landscape and developed transportation network, Zhengzhou has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, attracting global tourists to explore China's past, present and future.

As a large-scale international Chinese competition, it has attracted more than 1.4 million teenagers from more than 150 countries to participate since 2002.

Image Attachments Links: https://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=351302

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/over-100-foreign-teenagers-experience-chinese-kungfu-in-zhengzhou-china-300961508.html

SOURCE Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Wonder what they win?

[GeneChing]

Feature: When a street kid from Yaounde discovers Kungfu (http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-01/05/c_138679762.htm)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-05 17:48:56|Editor: zh
By Qiao Benxiao

YAOUNDE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At the top of Nkol-Nyada hill, the Yaounde Conference Center was built in the 1980s as a China-aid project, and remains to this day one of the landmark buildings in Cameroon. The story of Fabrice Mba, a Shaolin disciple, started there.

Little Mba grew up on the street. He had no dad, his mom could not take care of every child because there are so many. In 1987, at the age of eight, he left his home in the southern town of Sangmelima with his elder sister to settle in the capital. They lived not far from the Yaounde Conference Center.

Every morning, little Mba saw a Chinese man making movements on the square of the Conference Center. He and his friends, all barefoot and T-shirts torn, looked at the foreigner and imitated him. "It was very beautiful," recalled Mba.

One day, the Chinese called them and asked them to take a posture, with knees slightly bent as if holding a tree in the arms. "We stood facing the wall. It hurted in feet, shoulders and arms so much that my friends fled, and I was left alone," said Mba.

This posture which is called "zhan zhuang" is in fact a basic training method of the Chinese martial arts. The man who "mistreated" little Mba was a Chinese technician assigned to Cameroon to maintain the Conference Center, and the "very beautiful" movements that the Chinese made was obviously Kungfu.

Since then, little Mba came every morning to learn Kungfu. "He was very thin, but at the same time very strong," remembered Mba of his teacher, without being able to say his name is Zhang or Jiang.

A year later, little Mba returned to Sangmelima. His big brother was a projectionist, little Mba often helped him sweep the movie theater. For the first time, he saw the Shaolin monks on the screen. "It spoke to me very loudly."

After studies, Mba returned to Yaounde to make a living. Life has hurt him more than the posture of zhan zhuang. Each job did not last long, and he did not know what to do to eat. His friend, who worked as a guardian of a bakery, sometimes kept breadcrumbs for him. "I had it on my hands, face and in my nostrils."

"I don't drink, I don't smoke, Kungfu is all I have," said Mba, who continued to practice martial arts by learning from videos. To find inner peace, he trained in the morning in front of Conference Center, as his Chinese teacher once did.

In 2011, a professor from the Confucius Institute encountered Mba while he was playing Kungfu. After short exchanges, Mba was invited to visit this establishment for teaching the Chinese language and culture. In a very short time, he made close friends with Chinese teachers who believed in him a lot. "I finally had the feeling of becoming me."

Four years later, after a selection of profiles by the Confucius Institute, Mba obtained a scholarship to be trained in China in martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine at the Shaolin temple.

"It was just like what I saw in the movies," said Mba, only this time he was on the other side of the screen. "The great masters of Shaolin really edified and enlightened me."

Between 2015 and 2019, Mba went to Shaolin temple three times for training. Back to Yaounde, he became a physiotherapist, and gradually, he has constant income. When he is not busy with his patients, he teaches for free Kungfu fundamentals at the Confucius Institute and in several schools in Yaounde.

For many Africans, Kungfu is presented only as a combat system, however, "by embracing the Chinese martial arts, I discovered their virtue," he said.

"What Kungfu basically teaches is the production of a man of morality. When a man is rich in moral values, it is easier for him to be surrounded by people who love him and to have advancements in life," said Mba.

He managed to convey this message to young Kungfu enthusiasts. "He teaches us to be a man of integrity, hardworking and respectful. If you have a problem with your friend, you have to keep cool and take a step back," said Emmanuel Ze, a student of Mba.

In his collection of poems published in 2017 entitled "Breach in a stone wall", Mba saw his difficult years as a wall of despair. If he was finally able to break a breach, it is due to China.

"I come with a story, which is more and more similar to that of a million Africans, to whom China opens its doors, to whom China changes (their) destiny," he wrote in this autobiographical anthology.

Growing up on the street, Mba knows that many young Africans need help to break a hole in the wall of their lives. He is currently preparing a program to offer short-term training in physiotherapy and others to disadvantaged young people free of charge so that they can find work.

"Be your own boss" is the slogan of his program named "Lotus and Water Lily", because "these are the only flowers that are able to grow in a polluted environment, and succeed in producing white flowers," he explained.

"I was a street kid, destined to be a bandit or a robber, but I discovered Kungfu which teaches me to become a man of moral excellence even if I had no money", he said.

"All these children who are in difficulty like once I was, who are destined for a bad life, can become lotuses and water lilies if they are given the opportunities."

THREADS
Shaolin Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)
Confucius Institutes (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70862-Confucius-Institutes)
Shaolin's African Disciples (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?66870-Shaolin-s-African-Disciples)

[GeneChing]

I had a blissful life transformation at the Shaolin temple (https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2021/01/07/i-had-a-blissful-life-transformation-at-the-shaolin-temple.html)
By Harsh Verma January 17, 2021 18:22

https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/cover/images/2021/1/7/50-harsh.jpg

I had a very interesting, blessed and blissful life transformation at the Shaolin temple. In 2014, I had knee surgery, but my recovery was not good. As I was a professional football player, it was difficult for me to stay away from physical activities. So, I did some research on the Chinese acupuncture therapy and got in touch with representatives of the Shaolin temple. They invited me to the temple and asked me to carry all my medical records.

Initially I had to face several challenges at the temple. Shaolin is an isolated monastery located on top of a mountain in a village where no one spoke English. Getting used to the food was another problem. But I knew I was at the right place to do the right thing and I did not want to give up. My first three months were spent undergoing acupuncture therapy for my right knee, combined with a little bit of strength training. Gradually, I started feeling a lot better.

The temple was filled with so much of knowledge and there was always so much more to learn. I decided to learn Mandarin. I ordered some books to study and I observed and listened when others around me spoke in Chinese. Studying around 20 to 30 new words every day from my dictionary made me feel confident. People in the temple, including my master, told me that I was putting more and more effort every day by not only doing physical training but also learning the local culture.

We had several duties and services to perform, like cleaning our rooms and the training and dining halls. My concentration, focus and commitment became much stronger after the training I received at the Shaolin temple. I got a new family by helping foreign students with translations, by learning medicine, philosophy and martial arts and by performing various other duties and services. Learning about the culture and history of the temple brought so much meaning to my life.

Everything in the Shaolin temple comes from India. I want to introduce the Shaolin culture in India when the time is right.

Verma is the first Indian to be part of the Shaolin performing monks’ team.
Everything in the Shaolin temple does NOT comes from India.

[GeneChing]

The cure to my quarter life crisis (https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2021/01/07/the-cure-to-my-quarter-life-crisis.html)By Medha Jaishankar January 17, 2021 18:10 IST
https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/cover/images/2021/1/7/54-medha3.jpg
Medha and fellow students with actor Jason Scott Lee (standing second from left), when he visited Shaolin temple

The year was 2012. I was in my late 20s, recently single, jobless, and in general having what many would consider a quarter life crisis. So I did what I thought was the most sensible thing I could do. I decided to go study kung fu.

I knew nothing about martial arts at the time. I had somewhat experimented with Thai boxing, though I had barely set foot in a gym. I spoke no Chinese. I had seen one or two Bruce Lee films. That was essentially all the prep I did before I bought my train ticket and headed to Zhengzhou, eventually making my way to Shaolin.

https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/cover/images/2021/1/7/54-medha.jpg

Arriving at the temple, I was extremely intimidated by all the young children I saw, doing flips in the air and a variety of movie-like stunts. These children (mostly boys) were probably around seven or eight years. They were doing repeated rounds of various moves that made them look like they were literally flying! But after practice, these young lads immediately chilled out on their practice mats, chatted with each other, and pulled out their phones and started playing video games. Despite their fancy moves, I was put at ease, knowing that they were just like any other kid their age.

https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/cover/images/2021/1/7/54-medha2.jpg.jpg
Medha performing basic kung fu stancesMedha performing basic kung fu stances

I was enrolled in a class with a group of Russian students as all the foreigners at the temple trained under an English-speaking monk/teacher. Our teacher would make us train for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. Much of our practice consisted of lots of jumps and basic kung fu stances.

My fellow Russian students were definitely more agile than me, though by the end of my ten days I was able to do much better than I thought I would!

I was extremely sore after the first day. But luckily everyone in the community—from our teacher-monks, to my fellow students, to the locals working and residing in the area—was very encouraging of a new student like myself. A man I met while walking to class felt obliged to show off his moves!

The Shaolin temple was not just about exercise. They also had an onsite acupuncturist, who persuaded me to do a therapy that involved running an electric current between needles. And with all my sore muscles I was offered a massage that involved burning a towel on my back.

Our class had the honour of meeting Jason Scott Lee, who had portrayed Bruce Lee in the 1993 film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. Although he was at the temple to shoot a documentary, he also took time to learn from our teacher/monk.

By the end of training, I was lighter, quicker and fitter than I had ever been. But more importantly, I learned to truly embrace new experiences, no matter how intimidating they may initially seem! And by the end of my stay at the Shaolin temple, I was finally cured of my quarter life crisis.

The author is a senior producer at a digital media and entertainment company.

The Week is doing a lot of Shaolin coverage lately.

[YinOrYan]

Everything in the Shaolin temple does NOT comes from India.

You can't expect an actor, or a researcher for the movies to be close to historically accurate. Even academics doing text analysis are going to be off a good percentage of what is Indian and Chinese, epecially when its around 80 or 90%.

Even for something like sets of the Shaolin Temple for the original Kung Fu TV Series (which BTW are gathering dust in a warehouse) are just an approximation of what the temple looked like only a couple hundred years ago...

[GeneChing]

You can't expect an actor, or a researcher for the movies to be close to historically accurate. .
True, but I can endeavor to make corrections here. If anything, KFM members should know (along with supporting our sponsor MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/)).

[GeneChing]

More on Verma here (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys&p=1320084#post1320084). Maybe he needs his own thread?


Dharana at Shillim announces the Shaolin Retreat (https://www.hotelierindia.com/business/18659-dharana-at-shillim-announces-the-shaolin-retreat)
The three-day retreat from 3rd to 5th December 2021 has packages beginning at INR 48,000 for single occupancy and INR 61,000 for double occupancy, excluding taxes
27 Nov 2021
https://www.hotelierindia.com/s3/files/styles/full_img/public/images/2021/11/27/kingdharanapoolvillahiltonshillim_1.jpg?itok=f19o7 h7D
Dharana at Shillim is encouraging guests to embark on a journey to find peace and experience healthy living through a 3-day Shaolin Retreat at its property. It will be conducted by Harsh Verma, the first Indian to be absorbed by the Shaolin Temple as the warrior monk.

The three-day retreat from 3rd to 5th December 2021 has packages beginning at INR 48,000 for single occupancy and INR 61,000 for double occupancy, excluding taxes. It includes all meals and accommodation.

Located in the lap of the Shillim valley of the Sahyadris, Dharana at Shillim is an ideal eco-wellness retreat to channel one’s inner warrior monk. The estate is a short 2.5-hour drive from Mumbai and a 2-hour drive from Pune by road. The Shaolin Retreat helps them discover the ancient philosophies of the Shaolin Temple. Indulge in self immersive healing through meditation, and achieve conscious wellness.

The Shaolin Lifestyle is believed to support individuals and help them become a better version of themselves by learning to nurture the mind and body to be parallel through the daily practice of Zen. Harsh Verma (Shifu) is the only one to have studied the principles of Shaolin Culture in Mandarin. The retreat has been designed to give a walk one through the basics of Shaolin Kung Fu and introduction to Shaolin Kung inclusive of Soft Kung F, Qi Gong and Ba-Duan Jin.

Guests can dive into their wellness journey starting with an arrival consultation with a doctor. Guests would receive a personalized holistic wellness itinerary that would also include meals from the wellness cuisine and everything Shaolin Retreat has to offer. The retreat would conclude leaving them with a calm mind and mesmerized with the beauty of the wilderness surrounding the property.

The ancient art of Shaolin Culture in harmony with the spiritually artistic wisdom of Dharana Wellness Retreat unveils compassion, humility, and moderation in oneself. With its deeply Indian-rooted philosophies, Art of Shaolin Culture is aligned perfectly with the philosophies of Dharana at Shillim.

[GeneChing]

The Swansea Wind Street bouncer who went to train at the Shaolin Temple in China and is now a shaman (https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/shaolin-temple-james-waters-bouncer-22449035)
James Waters spent ten years working on the doors of Wind Street, but then decided he wanted to change his life and headed to one of the most prestigious training institutions in the world

ByDemi Roberts
05:00, 19 DEC 2021
https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article22493692.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_DRR_WO_13122021_JamesShaolin5.jpg
James teaching students after his training (Image: James Waters)
Want the latest news from Swansea sent straight to your inbox?

James Waters has lived a life that most of us have only seen on TV.

Most days, you'll find him teaching martial arts such as Tai Chi or Kung Fu to a cohort of eager students, and on one special day of the month, you'll find him in his woodland back garden near Penllergaer woods guiding guests through an intense shamanic breath work ceremony.

While James' days are colourful and unique today, his day-to-day life twelve years ago looked somewhat different.

Before attending the Shaolin Academy and the Shaolin Temple in 2012 - some of the most prestigious training institutions in the world - James worked a more innocuous job: he manned the doors of various Wind Street pubs and clubs as a bouncer. You can read more Swansea stories here.

James initially got into martial arts as a teenager, which is what attracted him to the job in the first place.

He said: "I started doing martial arts as a teenager - I started with a Korean style of martial arts and it just hooked me. I loved exploring the different ways to use the body to generate power. I was asthmatic as a child so I wasn't particularly fit - I couldn't run around on a football pitch for 90 minutes, but short, sharp bursts of exercise worked really well for me. I really enjoyed it.

"I worked as a bouncer on Wind Street for about 10 years, and did the odd private security job in Primark and various other places. It flew past, and it was martial arts that actually led me to work on the doors. One of my instructors used to be a doorman and he told me that I had a good temperament for it.

"I loved it - I loved working with the boys and the comradeship that comes with it. I still keep in touch with a lot of them, but I just wanted to spend my time doing different things."

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James working on the doors of Wind Street in his bouncer days (Image: James Waters)
James, now 36, moved back to Swansea aged 19 after living in Surrey for some years. When he first came back, he studied American Kickboxing before going on to study the ancient art of Aikido.

He said: "When I moved back to Swansea, I did a bit of American Kickboxing. I was training with one guy who was brilliant - a tough guy, cauliflower ears, the lot - but I didn’t want to be that type of fighter. I wanted to be able to do more than just take hits to the face. I went on to do some freestyle karate and kickboxing before doing on to Aikido, which is a beautiful art that's about body manipulation - manipulating the attacker's body, manipulating the power coming in."

The Welsh Shaolin

"During training, somebody lent me a book called 'The American Shaolin', which was about the first westerner to train at the Shaolin temple in the early 1990s. I read this book and I just thought: that's what I have to do. I put some extra hours in on the door to save up enough money to go, and then I went out to China for the most part of 2012."

Inspired by the book, James jetted off to Shandong to study at the Shaolin Academy, and later to the Shaolin Temple in Henan.

He said: "It was a shock to the system in many regards. I first went in January and I didn't expect it to be as cold as it was. It was minus 10 Celsius, and we were at the top of the mountain. I remember waking up in the middle of the night once for a drink of water and a lump of ice just hit me in the teeth.

"The training was as mental as it was physical. We'd have to sweep every day. If was raining, we'd sweep the puddles. If it was snowing, we'd sweep the snow, and if it was windy, we'd sweep the leaves. It was a huge mental exercise - an exercise in futility in some ways, but I could feel it changing me as a person from the inside."

https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article22451097.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_DRR_WO_13122021_JamesShaolin.jpg
James during his Shaolin training (Image: James Waters)
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James, right, pictured with his master, left, while training in China (Image: James Waters)
"In the Shaolin Academy we did two hours of meditation every day. I did a bit of meditation when I was younger, but not on this scale. It was the middle of January and we'd be standing there with our arms out in the freezing weather, just breathing. All the other students would be there looking serene, and I'd look at the clock and think wow, I still have 50 minutes left.

"It felt like an eternity, but then, after two weeks, I felt this bolt of energy between my hands while meditating, a feeling like two magnets. I just stood there and played with that feeling, and the time just flew past."

This 'bolt' of energy that James felt is often referred to as the 'qi' - pronounced 'chi' - in Eastern philosophy.

"I didn't actually believe in [Qi Gong], until I felt it myself. After getting that feeling, I turned my studies to Qi Gong, which means 'life force'. It was a big moment in my life because I had to ask myself, 'what else don't I believe in that might be real?' In that moment, energy became tangible."

For James, being a good martial artist is about much more than fighting: for James, it's as internal as it's physical.

He said: "In China, my master was a doctor of Chinese medicine, and when giving a lecture one day he said, 'a good martial artist is also a good doctor'. What this means is that you have to strike a balance between the yin and the yang - the harsh energy with the soft energy - to maintain balance within the body. The goal is never to present yourself as a 'hard' person who fights - it's about being somebody who helps other people, too."

Shamanic breath work

James said: "I first came across shamanic breath work when travelling to India. It's a certain way of breathing that sends you on a deep journey within yourself, and the goal is to release emotions that get trapped in the body. We've all had that feeling where you want to cry, and you swallow that lump in your throat. That stays within the body, trauma can stay in the body, so the breath work is really about releasing that.

"I trained with a shaman in India who taught me how to bring that experience to others. It's a special practice that can be utterly life-changing for people."
https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article22451171.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_DRR_WO_13122021_JamesShaolin3.jpg
James holds his shamanic breath work sessions every month from the comfort of his garden (Image: James Waters)
https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article22451173.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_DRR_WO_13122021_JamesShaolin7.jpg
James performing reflexology - a holistic therapy that brings relaxation and healing to the body (Image: James Waters)
James added: "I compare martial arts to being a musician. You don't just play a guitar to make noise - you practise so that with time, it makes beautiful music. Similarly, when you train the body and practise over time with martial arts, you can do beautiful things with it. Martial arts can defend you if needed, but it's about more than that - it's about infusing the body with positive energy so that you can have a long, healthy and happy life. A Shaolin Shaman, eh?

[GeneChing]

Denmark’s TV2 orders Shaolin Monk adventure format from Metronome (https://tbivision.com/2022/01/27/denmarks-tv2-orders-shaolin-monk-adventure-format-from-metronome/)
By Richard Middleton 6 days ago

https://tbivision.com/files/2022/01/image0022.png
Shaolin Heroes

TV2 in Denmark has partnered with Banijay-owned Danish label Metronome on a new adventure series that will focus on the Shaolin Warrior Monk community in China.

Shaolin Heroes will test celebrities as they embark on a life-changing journey to master the ancient martial art of the Shaolin Warrior Monks.

Each contestant will receive training to improve their physical attributes, as well as learning the Shaolin philosophy to confront their deepest fears and develop as a person. The format will be sold via Banijay Rights.

Peter Hansen, chief creative officer at Banijay Nordic, said: “I have always loved karate, and together with Henrik Rasmussen, the head of programmes at Metronome, we developed the idea of celebrities being trained by real-life Grandmasters into an ambitious new adventure reality format, and this show is set to be a high-end offering for Danish audiences.”

Tina Chistensen, MD at Metronome, added that the format would offer “epic cinematic production values” and the potential for international remakes.

Dorthe Thirstrup, channel controller at TV 2, said: “In addition to offering tremendous production values, we also believe that the programme can inspire us all to cut off unnecessary noise, find peace and our inner strength.”

Metronome is behind dating format Alone Together, as well as relationship show Fabulous Dads. It also produces long-running unscripted series including The Island, MasterChef, Taskmaster, The Block and Ex On The Beach.


threads
Shaolin Heroes for Denmark TV (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72257-Shaolin-Heroes-for-Denmark-TV2)
Shaolin-Journeys (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)

[GeneChing]

NOVEMBER 10, 2022
An epic ‘gap decade’ (https://news.stanford.edu/report/2022/11/10/stanford-students-epic-gap-decade/)
Anna Mattinger spent her 20s traveling the world, living in the wilderness, training under a Shaolin monk, and creating pyrotechnics at Burning Man – among other adventures – before enrolling at Stanford this fall to study computer science and artificial intelligence.
BY ALEX KEKAUOHA
Growing up in the suburbs of Silicon Valley, Anna Mattinger felt like an aberration. She said she was a “problem kid” who was often restless, belligerent, and rebellious.

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Anna Mattinger took a “gap decade” before enrolling at Stanford this fall. (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

“In Cupertino, that made me stick out like a sore thumb because I was surrounded by a bunch of really good kids,” she said, adding that although she enjoyed learning and performed well academically, she didn’t like the structure of traditional school. “I felt very much in a bubble, and I really wanted to get out and see the world.”

After completing high school through concurrent enrollment at a community college, she continued to take classes but eventually burned out. “I didn’t really know why I was there, what I was doing, or what I was trying to prove,” she said. “And that’s when I left.”

At 19, Mattinger signed up for the Back Country Trails Program. For five months she lived and worked off-the-grid under grueling conditions in the wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park where she built hiking trails. She planned to use the time to clear her head before returning to school, but by the end of the program, she decided to change course.

“After that, I was like, ‘I think I want to keep going!’ ” she recalled. “And that turned into 10 years of globetrotting and doing a bunch of different things.”

Mattinger said that a whirlwind of experiences around the country and the world gave her greater perspective and purpose and made her better prepared for a formal college experience and the rigors of Stanford. “I’m really happy with the way I spent the early part of my adulthood,” she said. “I really needed the whole gap decade to get to where I am now.”

Globetrotting

Mattinger’s travels have taken her to Europe, Africa, South America, Oceania, and Asia. In 2017, her interest in martial arts took her to rural northwestern China to train under a Shaolin monk. His school, located in a cornfield between the Siberian and North Korean borders, accepts about 10 students at a time. During each of the three visits, Mattinger underwent intense training for 40 hours a week.

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Mattinger training under a Shaolin monk in China. (Image credit: Courtesy Anna Mattinger)

“I would go for a couple of months at a time and when I was finished, all of my joints were falling apart,” she said.

Her love of martial arts also took her to Thailand to learn Muay Thai. In 2018, she joined a gym and by the end of her first week, the head trainer and gym owner asked if she’d compete in a paid fight. Mattinger agreed and they ramped up her training.

“I lost that first fight, but I think I learned more from the loss than I would’ve from a win,” she said.

Mattinger said that one of her more memorable experiences was her four-month solo bike trip from Key West, Florida, to Bar Harbor, Maine, in 2015. She said the experience was one of the best things she’s ever done with her life because of the physical challenge, long stretches of solitude, and some harrowing moments, like getting lost and even getting hit by a car.

“Getting myself through those moments really enhanced my trust in myself and my sense of competence and stability,” she said.

Throughout her 20s, Mattinger worked various seasonal jobs to pay for her travels, including as a farm hand and a ski instructor at resorts in Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain. She also worked as a freelance writer and model for small artists and designers. But it was her years working at Burning Man – the annual weeklong art event in Black Rock Desert, Nevada – where she learned to play with fire.

Burning Man

In 2012, Mattinger landed a gig as a golf cart mechanic at Burning Man. There, she also joined a team that built a full-scale replica of a Spanish galleon ship crashed into a pier. The event was an experience she has never forgotten, because of the artwork and the unique social dynamics.

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Mattinger canoeing in Bergen, Norway. (Image credit: Courtesy Anna Mattinger)

“Burning Man provides a weird alternate context,” she said. “Everyone is confronted with the bodily realities of being literally ‘out of our element’ in an alkaline lakebed, often in extreme dust and heat. A lot of societal pretense and niceties go away in that environment, and people are often compelled to try on different ways of presenting and being themselves.”

She returned to Burning Man in subsequent years to join teams constructing large art installations, which allowed her to learn carpentry and pyrotechnics. In 2013, she plumbed propane “poofers” that shot 30-foot fireballs from the top of The Control Tower, a six-story bamboo structure covered in interactive LED lights.

For the 2014 event, she spent six months helping build an installation called Embrace, a seven-story structure shaped like the torsos of two people hugging. “Inside were mechanical beating hearts and spiral staircases to the heads, where you could look out the eye sockets,” she said. “It was the tallest thing out there that year.”

Mattinger’s travels continued, including to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, where she attended regional “burns” inspired by Burning Man.

She noted that her gap decade was a contemplative experience that gave her time to consider various social, economic, environmental, and technological challenges.

“All industries, and the solving of most problems, are becoming increasingly entangled with computing and engineering. Computing, in particular, will increasingly have more power and reach when it comes to making things better—or worse—than anything else,” she said, adding that her intellectual curiosities reignited her interest in academics. “I’d been toying with the idea of eventually going back to school, and then the pandemic hit and my life was cancelled so I thought, ‘Well, there’s no better time than now!'”

Becoming a Cardinal

In 2020, Mattinger returned to California and enrolled at De Anza College to take classes online – mostly STEM courses. It was also the first time she’d ever signed a lease.

“Being domestic did feel like a novelty, but I was surprised by how easily I adjusted,” she said. “It helped that I was really into what I was studying. It felt really fulfilling.”

She applied to several schools but said that participating in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Community Research Experience cemented her interest in Stanford. Since enrolling this fall, she’s also enjoyed the nostalgia of being on the Farm; she spent much of her childhood here while her father was a Stanford graduate student. Although she hasn’t declared a major, she intends to study computer science and artificial intelligence.

Mattinger said there’s still much more she’d like to experience, but she is glad to be a student again and eager to see what Stanford has to offer. “I’m happy that I waited to go back to school because now it feels right,” she said. “I have a purpose and I actually want to be here.”

When asked where she sees herself in ten years, she said she doesn’t believe in making long-term plans.

“If you’re living life correctly, then in two or five or ten years you will know more, have greater perspective, and will be able to make better decisions about what you do next,” she said. “Right now, I’m just excited to be here.”
Shaolin to Burning Man...:rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

Shaolin Temple student stars in Netflix’s new Enola Holmes movie (https://islingtonnow.co.uk/shaolin-temple-student-stars-in-netflixs-new-enola-holmes-movie/)
By Maanya Sachdeva - 1st December 2022
https://islingtonnow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Serrana-696x522.jpg
Serrana Su-Ling Bliss
A student at Junction Road’s Shaolin Temple has earned new fame with her breakout role in Netflix’s Enola Holmes 2 starring Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill.

The film’s cast also includes Harry Potter stars Helena Bonham Carter and David Thewlis, as well as Sam Claflin and Louis Partridge.

Serrana Su-Ling Bliss plays Bessie Chapman, a factory girl who approaches young Enola played by Brown, to help find her missing sister Sarah, played by Hannah Dodd.

“During filming, [Brown] had her pet rabbit and poodle in her tent, and I would play with them. Her boyfriend Jake [Bongiovi] was also there a lot, and we sometimes played UNO together,” Bliss said.

In an interview with Islington Now, the young actor recalled meeting “these huge stars” on set, adding that she “loved hanging out with” Brown.

Bliss recounted other memorable moments from her time filming Enola Holmes 2, including speaking to Cavill about his costumes in The Witcher, and getting acting tips from Thewlis.

“I also had my 12th birthday on set,” she said, adding, “It was so much fun, and they sang me ‘Happy Birthday’ on set.”

Bliss, who lives in Haringay with her family, has been training at the UK’s only Shaolin Chan Buddhist Temple, near Tufnell Park station, for nearly seven years.

“Actually, the reason I started kung-fu was because I saw the animated film Kung-Fu Panda, and I loved how Master Shifu made the flower blossom,” Bliss said.

“I said to my mom, I want to learn kung-fu so I can make a flower bloom.”

Bliss told Islington Now that she got her first acting gig – in a commercial for Lawn Tennis Association – through doing martial arts.

“In the advertisement, I start out playing tennis but then transform into a ninja with a tennis racquet and do some martial arts moves,” she said.

Bliss, now 13, said she feels “very lucky to be able to train” at the Temple, with Grandmaster Shifu Yanzi.

“I think it’s a very unique, rare community. It’s given me so much confidence, and the instructors have been such amazing?mentors,” she added.

Bliss made her acting debut as Sharon Nicholas in Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-nominated Belfast, which was released last year.

She is also part of the child dance ensemble cast in Matilda the Movie, which released in UK cinemas on 25 November.

Enola-Holmes (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71858-Enola-Holmes)
Shaolin-Temple-UK (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41808-Shaolin-Temple-UK)
Shaolin-Journeys (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)

BTW, I watched S2 of Enola and enjoyed it more than S1. Maybe I'll review it here someday...:rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

23:10, 09-May-2023
The modern Shaolin, the kung fu mom and the young warrior: London's kung fu family (https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-09/The-modern-Shaolin-the-kung-fu-mom-and-the-young-warrior-1jFyUpceVBS/index.html)
Updated 19:45, 10-May-2023
Yubin Du

A small town just north of London might not be somewhere you would expect to find a Shaolin temple. And Matt Jane might not be your typical kung fu warrior. But the 35-year-old has established one of Europe's foremost centers for the ancient martial art.

In Cheshunt, a town of 45,000 people a dozen miles north of London's city center, there is a Chinese-style temple for people who love practicing martial arts. The owner is Jane, a Londoner who went to China at 16 years to train for five years as a Shaolin warrior in the mountains of central China's Henan Province.

Jane – also known as MJ, or 'The Modern Shaolin' – and his wife Chun, 'The Kung Fu Mom,' have won international renown through appearances on blockbuster TV shows such as America's Got Talent and its British equivalent.

In addition, they have gathered millions of fans around the world through social media videos featuring jaw-dropping feats like standing on iron rods or cracking bricks on a bare head.

"The world is so much more open given social media, and the power and wisdom of kung fu can be spread across the world," MJ tells CGTN Europe. "I'm very happy to be one of the individuals to help spread this culture, which has helped change my life and in turn can help change other people's lives too."

The show that changed his life forever

MJ's passion for martial arts began with movies he watched as a small child – "I had posters all over my walls of Jet Li, Jackie Chen and Bruce Lee" – but it was a non-fiction presentation that really caught his imagination.

"It wasn't until I was 11 years old that I saw a show called The Wheel of Life, about Shaolin monks practicing kung fu," recalls MJ. "They were touring the world, and this was the first time I'd seen kung fu live on stage in front of me.

"I saw things like finger handstands, iron bars being broken across the head, flying in acrobatic movements – things I thought were not real from the movies. And now seeing them first-hand, it gave me a dream – to become a Shaolin warrior."

https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-09/The-modern-Shaolin-the-kung-fu-mom-and-the-young-warrior-1jFyUpceVBS/img/7d7765e961e447408c8b9d8d83b679f9/7d7765e961e447408c8b9d8d83b679f9.jpeg
Outside the Cheshunt temple. /MJ

At 16, having struggled through the British education system, he decided he needed a new focus in his life and traveled to China.

"I went to a Shaolin temple where I trained and lived like a Shaolin warrior, waking up every day in the early hours of the morning, running up mountains, crawling back down on my hands and knees, doing headstands on concrete for hours and hours," he says.

"I learned a lot about becoming an adult whilst living at the temple. The very simple, basic day-to-day routines really touched me and gave me a new insight into how life could be and essentially should be."

Ten years after he first watched The Wheel of Life, MJ became the first and only non-Chinese Shaolin warrior to be part of the show.

"My dream had come true, and I found myself touring the world with the Shaolin monks," he says. "It was incredible."

The making of the kung fu family

MJ met his future wife Chun in a restaurant in Dengfeng, Henan Province. She was immediately attracted to him – and didn't realize he had a linguistic advantage.

"I encountered Matt when I was just 18 years old," Chun says. "I told my friend in Chinese 'He's got beautiful eyes' – but I didn't realize he understood Chinese, and his face turned red."

The attraction was mutual, and MJ set about impressing some very important people.

"He danced for my mom and sang for my mom – so my mom fell in love with him straightaway," Chun laughs. "He looks after my little brother like a father, and I thought 'He's very much good husband material.'"

https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-09/The-modern-Shaolin-the-kung-fu-mom-and-the-young-warrior-1jFyUpceVBS/img/a33d62de0734426399c39ca4718165f7/a33d62de0734426399c39ca4718165f7.jpeg
The family members now pass on what they have learnt. /MJ

When she was 19, Chun discovered she was pregnant. The young couple decided to get married and move to the UK. Setting up home in Cheshunt, they started the temple to offer local youngsters martial arts classes and a taste of Chinese philosophy.

In the same year, their son Xiao Tian was born. He grew up alongside their new venture, practicing kung fu from his first years. Now nicknamed the Young Warrior, he is the proud holder of an Official Guinness World Record for performing backward handsprings on a platform supported by his colleagues.



The value of martial arts

MJ teaches his students and followers not only the physical skills of kung fu but also the philosophy behind Chinese martial arts. The gestures used by warriors often have significance behind them – for instance, the greeting formed by placing one palm on the other fist, which is a call "to stop the fight."

MJ says kung fu has helped him find happiness and a better way to live – and his mission now is to enable others to follow the same path.

"All the virtue of martial arts is finding the perfect blend between positive and negative, yin and yang," he says. "Through meditation and physical martial arts training, you can find balance."

In the modern world, where young people can easily become disenchanted and distracted, learning how to direct the power of mind and body can be the solution to avoiding conflict, he believes.

"To be honest, it wasn't just about kung fu – it was a way of life which I'd never seen before," he admits. "Growing up in London, I had quite a big ego and didn't have a wide opinion of the world, because I hadn't seen much.

"Going to China, I learned a lot about myself. Kung fu wasn't just about learning to fight. Instead, it was about learning to live."
There's a video too...

[GeneChing]

Exclusive: Pawan Kalyan is level-headed, calm and clear, reveals co-star Shaolin Warrior Monk Harrsh Verma (https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/south/exclusive-pawan-kalyan-is-level-headed-calm-and-clear-reveals-co-star-shaolin-warrior-monk-harrsh-verma-1241876)
The first Indian to be adopted into the Shaolin Temple, is currently working with Pawan Kalyan in his Telugu film debut, and he has nothing but praises about the veteran

Written by S Devasankar Updated on Sep 08, 2023 | 08:30 PM IST | 71.9K

https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2023-09/1287974672_exclusive_-pawan-kalyan-and-harsh-verma-1.jpg
Pawan Kalyan is level-headed, calm and clear, says martial artist and trainer Harsh Verma (PC: Harsh Verma Instagram and Pawan Kalyan FC)

Pawan Kalyan is one of the biggest names when it comes to the Telugu film industry. The veteran actor’s next film is an action flick titled Hari Hara Veera Mallu, directed by Krish Jagarlamudi.

The film also features the likes of Bobby Deol, Nargis Fakhri, Nidhi Agarwal, and the debutant actor, Harsh Verma. Verma is one of the most sought-after celebrity martial arts coaches in the country, training the likes of Vicky Kaushal, Sara Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon and more

In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, the martial artist said that he got to be Pawan Kalyan’s martial arts trainer and action designer for the film, all thanks to Shyam Kaushal, the veteran stunt director.

But what started off as training quickly built the bond between them, as Pawan Kalyan himself is a trained martial artist. Verma also stated what an opportunity it was to be working with the Bheemla Nayak actor, who was ecstatic to be working with India’s first shaolin warrior monk.

Commenting about the veteran actor’s working, the shaolin warrior said that Pawan Kalyan is one of the easiest celebrities he had worked with, also stating that the actor had a profound mental balance.

“He is just so level-headed, he is just so calm… And he is just so clear. His vision is just so straight. He is not black or white, he is just straight.” Verma said in the interview.

Watch the full interview below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U_q9XZJaKQ

The martial artist also said that the Gopala Gopala was calm and composed, giving inputs when necessary, without hesitation. Above all, the thing that stood out for Harsh Verma was the fact that in spite of being such a huge star in the industry, the actor-turned-politician was so down to earth. In fact, it was Pawan Kalyan who made way for the martial artist to make his Telugu debut, when he expressed his interest in becoming an actor.

More about the Movie

Hari Hara Veera Mallu is in its final stages of production with one schedule still left to be shot. The final leg of shooting will begin soon, once Pawan Kalyan is done with his political commitments.

You can even hear the entire podcast on the following channels:

You can hear the entire podcast on our channels - Google Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podcast Index, RSS community, and Listen Notes.

Hari Hara Veera Mallu (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72591-Hari-Hara-Veera-Mallu)
Shaolin-Journeys (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)
Harsh-Verma (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72590-Harsh-Verma)

[GeneChing]

Shaolin pivots to a future beyond kung fu (https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202403/19/WS65f8bfaba31082fc043bd4dd_1.html)
While mountain temple is globally famous, other cultural attractions are also gaining foothold
By Wu Yanbo in Dengfeng, Henan | China Daily | Updated: 2024-03-19 06:26
https://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/202403/19/65f8bfaba31082fc2b6aa984.png
The heads of the St. Petersburg Shaolin Culture Center practice their moves in the Russian city. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Fourteen years ago, Australian cancer sufferer David Ian Burn visited Songshan Mountain in Henan province to learn Zen techniques to try and improve his chances of beating the disease.

While the area is famous around the world for Shaolin Kung Fu, it is also becoming known for other cultural aspects including Chan Wu Yi, which combines Zen meditation, kung fu and traditional Chinese medicine, and has been promoted by Master Shi Dejian for 30 years.

In 2010, Burn stayed for two weeks on the steep mountain and learned about Chan Wu Yi from the master.

"This time was really important to my recovery," said the Australian, now aged 72. "His (Shi Dejian's) counsel and support enabled me to go into the hospital well-prepared, confident and relaxed. He also provided me with some herbal medicine, which was very useful to me after the surgery."

Since then, Burn has continued to live as a vegetarian, and still practices Chan Wu Yi.

"Practicing internal cultivation has become a normal part of our lives, and it can be said that Chan Wu Yi is our basic way of life. I am grateful for the connection with the masters and their continuous kindness," he said, adding that he is writing a book to provide an understanding of Chan Wu Yi culture to more Westerners.

Stretching from east to west for over 60 kilometers, Songshan Mountain is eulogized in folklore as the "origin of all mountains "and according to ancient script has "72 peaks on the mountains and 72 temples below".

Its spectacular, well-preserved angular rock shapes were formed by three violent movements in the earth's crust, the most recent 570 million years ago, when the Himalayas and the entire Qinling Range were submerged under the sea.

However, it is the 1,529-year-old Shaolin Temple, nestled in a mountain forest near Dengfeng, and its style of kung fu that has left the biggest impression on the world. Today, 162 Shaolin cultural centers have been established in over 50 countries and regions, while the Shaolin Temple attracts nearly 7 million Chinese and international tourists and martial arts enthusiasts every year.

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A view of Songshan Buddhist Academy in Henan province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

But located 8 km from the temple is Songshan Buddhist Academy, the main practice center for Chan Wu Yi. Chan means Zen, Wu means kung fu, while Yi means medicine.

In 1994, Master Shi Dejian, under the guidance of his mentor, initiated the restoration of the academy's dilapidated buildings to help promote Chan Wu Yi. Eleven years later, the Songshan Chan Wu Yi Research Institute was established near Songshan Buddhist Academy, with Shi Dejian serving as its director.

Shi Xingjia, a disciple of Shi Dejian, said the institute also operates an official website to provide free public education on Chan Wu Yi culture, which has attracted nearly 1 million followers.

Chen Ruiyan, a professor and clinical psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who specializes in the brain and nervous system, is one of Master Shi Dejian's disciples. She has set up a research team that has found indications that practicing dan tian breathing enhances brain function, and eases emotional, sleep and gastrointestinal problems.

"The practice of dan tian breathing is the foundation of Songshan internal cultivation, the basic method of Shaolin Chan practice, and is also a good way to improve people's psychological and physical condition," Chen said.

She has been practicing Chan Wu Yi for over 10 years, and her research results have been published in several international academic journals. Chen has also written two books on the subject — The Way of Mind Peace and Dejian Mind-Body Therapy.

Songshan Buddhist Academy has established an ecological health culture base at Lingnan Chan Temple in Luhe county, Shanwei, Guangdong province, to provide information on Chan Wu Yi culture to the public.

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A performer demonstrates moves at the Shaolin Zen Music Ritual performance. [Photo by Lu Ping/China Daily]

Largest live stage

Every evening from late February to early December, in Daixiangou, 7 km from Shaolin Temple, a large-scale live-action performance captivates thousands of tourists from home and abroad.

The Shaolin Zen Music Ritual performance takes place deep in a canyon surrounded by slopes, streams, waterfalls, bridges, boulders, trees and temples.

The performance area covers nearly 3 square km — with the highest point 1,400 meters above sea level — making it one of the largest live stages in the world. The audience members sit on 3,000 cushions provided for them.

The show mainly focuses on Shaolin history, culture and martial arts, and incorporates traditional Chinese music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Eighty-eight traditional zithers are used in the show and nearly 600 martial artists participate. The performance depicts the seasonal changes of spring, summer, autumn and winter, to the accompaniment of Buddhist music.

"We need to find a new way to showcase the charm of Songshan Mountain to the world, breaking away from the monotonous tourism concept of 'climbing mountains and visiting temples'," said Zhou Dingjun, the deputy general manager of the show.

Most of the performers are students from martial arts schools and professional dancers from art schools, along with some local theater troupes and part-time actors. continued next post

[GeneChing]

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Two students practice martial arts at Chanxinju Homestay. [Photo by Lu Ping/China Daily]

Homestay havens

In Yangjiamen village, 5 km from Shaolin Temple, residential courtyards with old brick and mud walls, small bridges, flowing water, and scattered rocks, trees and fields create a picturesque rural landscape.

In 2018, Yangjiamen was listed in the fifth group of China's traditional villages.

Much of the village is now Chanxinju Homestay, or Zen Mind Homestay. Chanxinju has established a traditional cultural study center that integrates food and lodging, Shaolin Kung Fu and a rural lifestyle. It has also co-founded the Qingnong School (Songshan Mountain) Rural Development Research Institute in conjunction with Tsinghua University.

Liu Shaoli, manager of Chanxinju, said before 2011 it was a desolate and abandoned village. Due to its location in a hollow of the mountain and inconvenient transportation access, the villagers had gradually moved out and left behind the dilapidated old buildings.

The founder of Chanxinju, Lu Hailong, is from a rural family in Liyang, Jiangsu. Lu spent over 10 years repairing the old village houses with the idea of preserving the past for future generations to enjoy.

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Two students practice martial arts at Chanxinju Homestay. [Photo by Lu Ping/China Daily]

The first completed courtyard, Chongshan Academy, began operations in 2014, offering enrollments to students from Lu's martial arts school and organizing a series of traditional cultural experience courses and summer and winter study programs. The renovated buildings opened in 2018, with 13 guest rooms for visitors.

"The interiors feature simple Zen-style modern facilities, along with a vegetarian restaurant, a cafe, and a camping and barbecue area, attracting many young people from nearby cities such as Zhengzhou and Luoyang to visit, take photos, experience nature, and enjoy the quiet and old-style rural life," said Liu, the manager.

Historically, the village was an important stop on the way to Shaolin Temple and Luoyang, she added. "The village has a long history, and there are many ancient trees and buildings around it worth exploring. It is even more beautiful on rainy days when the mountain villages are shrouded in clouds, it's like a fairyland," Liu said.

During long holidays like Spring Festival, Chanxinju receives many tourists from across the country. Every summer, Lu Hailong's foreign martial arts disciples bring their friends who love Shaolin Kung Fu to study in the village, said the founder.

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[Photo by Lu Ping/China Daily]

Russian disciples

While changes are happening on the ground, Shaolin culture is also strengthening its foothold overseas.

In January, Russian Oleg Gizatullin, or Shi Yanfu by his monastic name, returned to Shaolin Temple to participate in a Shaolin Kung Fu examination. The 56-year-old has practiced kung fu for more than 30 years.

Gizatullin was accompanied by his 36-year-old wife Svetlana Vsemirnova, or Shi Yanbin, who has practiced Shaolin Kung Fu for 13 years. The pair have established the St. Petersburg Shaolin Culture Center at a sports school in St. Petersburg, which currently has over 30 students.

"Every morning we practice Shaolin Kung Fu by the banks of the Volga River, starting with qigong and meditation," Gizatullin said.

Vsemirnova, who spent four years studying at the Harbin Institute of Technology and is fluent in Chinese, said Shaolin Kung Fu culture has helped her spiritual cultivation. She said everyone encounters different issues and finds their own way to heal themselves.

"Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, practicing qigong regularly has been greatly beneficial in improving our lung and heart functions, enhancing our immunity and alleviating anxiety caused by the pandemic," Vsemirnova said.

"Now, every friend around us has been influenced by Shaolin culture. They come to us for help when facing problems, and we teach them qigong to relieve depression and stress, promoting self-cultivation."

She said she hoped to eventually live in Dengfeng for a lengthy period and further her studies of Shaolin culture.

I reported on Shi Dejian in our May+June 2005 issue (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/index.php?p=magazine&article=590) cover story: Shaolin Trinity: Shaolin Monk Shi Dejian Discusses the 3 Treasures (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=589)

Shaolin-Journeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49520-Shaolin-Journeys)
may-june-05 (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?36010-may-june-05)