What does the Shaolin temple think of Bruce Lee?

[Erasmus Lightstone]

Now if this isn't an article that should be run in a future issue of "Inside Kung Fu" or similar mag--I don't know what is!! Get interviews from monks and grandmaster's in the REAL Shaolin
temple(s) and ask their honest-no b.s opinions on Lee, his Jeet Kune Do and wether or not they agree or disagree with his philosophies and why. It would be a sellout issue!!

[8stepsifu]

both shaolin and bruce are dead. Move on

If your not bleeding, your not having enough fun.

[Kristoffer]

....just out of curiosity (sp?), have you ever been to the Shaolin temple? As I heard there are alot of 'fake' monks there.. the grandmaster sure is. But In the backyards and in the shaolin village there are REAL kung fu sifus. They have a few schools wich are quite large.

So I don't think that the temple is dead. Who cares if they have 'traditional' training at the temple... They still train for like, 4 hours a day. (something that I doubt that many in the west does)

just a thought.
~K~
:cool:

[Kristoffer]

and i don't really care so much for Bruce..
come on man, may he rest in peace all ready!

[reemul]

Well some have survived, they're just relocated outside China.

As to what the Shaoin think of Bruce, they don't.
By western standards, bruce was ahead of his time with regard to the martial art conditioning, but in comparison to Shaolin masters he was out of his league.

[8stepsifu]

I believe that good Shaolin practitioners took off and preserved it. What was in China was either too amateur to bother with or was executed. The "Shaolin" I'm talkin about is the kind of crap that produces Shi Yan Ming.....Did you see his blackbelt article? What kind of a kung fu practitioner that talks about chi kung goes around with his abs flexed. His article exposed him as a know nothing pretty wushu boy with no real kung fu. I agree, Bruce was awesome for the USA in the 70's but has nothing on a Shaolin Master. How could he? He was limited to his own experience. Shaolin has a thousand year old history. The Shaolin Temple no longer produces the best kung fu fighters, private kwoons around the world do. And bruce Lee is dead and he wasn't spectacular to begin with, we just didn't know any better.

If your not bleeding, your not having enough fun.

[loki]

"WHO CARES ?!"

NO ROAD IS AS LONG OR FILLED WITH AS MANY OBSTACLES AS THE ONE TRAVELLED BY THE CHINESE BOXER. FEW ATTEMPT TO TAKE IT . THOSE THAT REACH IT'S END ARE EVEN FEWER.

[old jong]

Shaolin is today a tourisme industry and Bruce Lee is a dead movie star so...

C'est la vie!

[fiercest tiger]

ive been there 4 times, and i can tell you that its all wushu and NO ONE their knows real kung fu.
i have been there to buy weapons and to see china and to train in the south but went there to see and experience the temple. i even done a demo for the monks there.

the so called monks put a demo on for me and about 10 other people that where there, much like the travelling monks that are putting on shows around the world. it is wushu nothing more nothing less, and the iron palm monks that breaks the bricks, the bricks where very poor because i went behind the temple where the bricks were keeped that they use for the show and i picked it and punched it in half it was like sand.

hey these guys are good a wushu but its not real kung fu when they use fake props to make themselves look good.

all in all it is a beautiful temple and china is awsome. the weapons are so cheap, uniforms and painting etc. i will go back with my students on a trip again one day. :D

peace

bakmeimonk@hotmail.com

[reemul]

yep, I believe in another thread I posted something to the effect of the Shaolin masters leaving between 1928-1933. It is hard to come by, but it is out there, however most of the systems have died. If you do find it, no one will believe you anyway. Just so we are clear I am no fan of Shi Yan Ming or the crap coming out of Shaolin temple.

[reemul]

Bruce Lee did encounter a real Shaolin master, interresting story.

[NorthernMantis]

To tell the truth I don't even think they ever heard of bruce lee.

"Always be ready"

[NorthernMantis]

To tell the truth I don't even think they ever heard of bruce lee or his art.

"Always be ready"

[Brad]

Just about every Shaolin Monk I've ever seen has been a wushu athlete who couldn't make it on to a pro level team. The forms I've seen are usually modern routines muddied up to look more traditional. At least that's what I've seen in every documentary I've watched. Also occasionaly a Pro team member will shave their head and go to the temple to teach the monks for a while. This may not be the case anymore since there's a much larger student base now than there was when the temple was 1st renovated.

Anyway, back to the topic, I remember reading an article where a former monk said something about Bruce Lee being one of his idols. So I asume they know about him :)

[HuangKaiVun]

Ask the Shaolin monks directly.

I'm sure that they would answer.