For those who've spent time with the Shaolin monks

[jimbob]

Just a question for those people who've spent time at Shaolin or been around the Shaolin complex/village practitioners.

How do they view other martial arts?

Are they at all interested in them - the differences, the similarities etc?

Do they just not care?

Do they consider them poor excuses for Chinese martial art?

I'd be interested to know. I know the travelling troupes perform often at venues that feature other martial artists, that there have been challengers at Shaolin from other places and of course, the world is getting smaller and smaller and even the people in rural China have a better idea of what's happening outside their immediate area these days.

thanks in advance for any enlightenment!

[ShaolinDan]

I'm sure the opinions run the full gamut--they're people, after all. I suspect the tendency is toward open-mindedness though, since the Shaolin cannon itself is composed of numerous different styles.
I've spent enough time with two Shaolin monks to know how they feel. Both love martial arts in general and respect anyone with skill. One of them told me sanda was his favorite style, the other one loves them all, but especially seven star mantis. The maintenance man at the Kunming Shaolin Temples (not a monk) was an expert in Bagua. Martial Brotherhood and all that jazz.
But there are always going to be narrow-minded people who believe their way is THE way. Everywhere.

[GeneChing]

...but I''l address this, just for fun



How do they view other martial arts?

Shaolin Temple is a martial arts mecca. Practitioners and pilgrims from all styles visit and pay homage. Consequently, there is tremendous respect for other styles. It's rooted in the traditional martial world where braggadocio gets your ass handed to you on a platter pretty quickly.



Are they at all interested in them - the differences, the similarities etc?

All styles are practiced in the various private schools, not just traditional Shaolin, modern Shaolin, modern wushu and sanda. I've seen Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, and Cardio-Kickboxing practiced there. Plus there's some obscure styles of Kung Fu, even the Daoist and Hui styles. I hear there's some MMA there now too. It's a huge place.



Do they just not care?

Tens of thousands of people practice and compete in a small town. There are street fights. So they care. If you live there for a little while, you do too.



Do they consider them poor excuses for Chinese martial art?

:rolleyes:

[jimbob]

Thank you for the replies guys.

In reading my first post, I can understand how narrow minded it must have sounded. I was prompted because i was rewatching video of a large demo involving all manner of participants, and the monks were looking on at the aikido demos, the kali demos and the hapkido demos and so on, and i was wondering what they must have been thinking of what they were seeing.

I appreciate the replies.

[Hebrew Hammer]

Dear Jimbob,

Many of your questions can be answered more in-depth and interestingly by reading Gene's book Shaolin Trips. I just picked it up a week ago and have found it fascinating. He gives a good review of the evolution of Shaolin Kung Fu and to the traveling Monk troupes that you are referring to. I was also skeptical of the flashy stage act that these troupes perform and there is a reason for its evolution...much of it having to do with the rebirth of Shaolin and modern Wushu post Mao and the cultural revolution.

Check it out...a worthy investment.

[LFJ]

I've seen people in Shaolin learn Wing Chun off videos, then turn around and teach it as part of their school's curriculum... :rolleyes:

[rett2]

I've seen people in Shaolin learn Wing Chun off videos, then turn around and teach it as part of their school's curriculum... :rolleyes:

Any scam you can think of has been tried in and around Deng Feng. The phonies/scammers are probably in the majority there. But there are sincere practitioners as well. Kind of like in most areas of life. just 2¢

[GeneChing]

Dear Jimbob,

Many of your questions can be answered more in-depth and interestingly by reading Gene's book Shaolin Trips. I just picked it up a week ago and have found it fascinating. He gives a good review of the evolution of Shaolin Kung Fu and to the traveling Monk troupes that you are referring to. I was also skeptical of the flashy stage act that these troupes perform and there is a reason for its evolution...much of it having to do with the rebirth of Shaolin and modern Wushu post Mao and the cultural revolution.

Check it out...a worthy investment.
Thanks for the plug, HH! For more, see Shaolin Trips by Gene Ching (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?57311-Shaolin-Trips-by-Gene-Ching). Or just order it here (http://www.martialartsmart.com/btc-gc01.html). :cool:



Any scam you can think of has been tried in and around Deng Feng. The phonies/scammers are probably in the majority there. But there are sincere practitioners as well. Kind of like in most areas of life. just 2¢
When you get a martial community that dense, anything and everything is used and there are an insane amount of scams, particularly directed at tourists, just like in any tourist town. But at the same time, there's a lot of genuine stuff too. These schools fight each other to survive, and I mean that in a very literal sense.

[jimbob]

Thanks Hebrew Hammer.