The Shaolin Workout by Shi Yan Ming

[Brad]

Are they really Chan Buddhist Monks?

I'm pretty sure Shi Guolin was a monk before setting foot in Shaolin.

[GeneChing]

Well, there's the rub. Shaolin has a special category of monks known as wuseng. A wuseng is a warrior monk. He doesn't necessarily take all the vows of a regular Buddhist monk, specifically abstenance from liquor or meat eating, but he is still supposed to be chaste. The wuseng is a very grey area for Shaolin, because it's very difficult to determine who actually certifies a wuseng. Typically, it's master/student as tradition demands, but there are a lot of masters at Shaolin, hundreds with genuine connections to the temple lineage, and thousands more who were either imported or raised in Dengfeng. It's very complicated, and it has been so for centuries. You can find historical records that complain about the behavior of fangtouseng (subsidiary shrine monks) not meeting up to Buddhist standards, just like the people complaining about Shi Yanming here.

I wrote this cover story for our 2004 Shaolin Special, specifically to address this FAQ, and in it, I didn't even touch on the fangtouseng issue.

[richard sloan]

Sad but true, and the "Buddhist" wushu disciples actually think they're getting something more or different.

What did you "hear" about "it" to "know?"

Lok- while things are confusing to those outside, the transmission of Dharma is unbroken from pre Shi You San attack to now...particularly amongst the Cao Dong monks within Su Xi's family.

So yes they are monks, are as Ricky likes to put it, "monks."

[Lokhopkuen]

Thanks guys I appreciate the education on the subject!

I'm gonna go teach someone something gung fu related.

Peace

[Brad]

Well, there's the rub. Shaolin has a special category of monks known as wuseng. A wuseng is a warrior monk. He doesn't necessarily take all the vows of a regular Buddhist monk, specifically abstenance from liquor or meat eating, but he is still supposed to be chaste.

Has it allways been like this, or is the special category a more recent development?

[DoGcHoW108]

Is it as much by chance that this special category of monks exists in shaolin as it is by chance that the noble buddhist-yet-warrior shaolin monk image happens to be an extremely marketable and prophitable one?

Also,


Lokhopkuen:

"Also I love the guys who spend a few months or a year at one of the Shaolin schools and come back here a Master of martial arts. That is a cool phenom 4 real.

Peace"

Lokhopkuen:

"Thanks guys I appreciate the education on the subject!

I'm gonna go teach someone something gung fu related.

Peace"


Dogchow108: rofl



On a related note, from Gene's article:

"Almost all Shaolin demonstration teams will don robes and shave their heads, whether they are monks or not. Some might even go on international demonstration tours posing as monks.

This is where what is real and what is "fake" becomes grey as a disciple robe."

I am of the opinion that the reasons or this grey zone are not only new, but extremely money-oriented. Besides, since when is the Abbot of shaolin supposed to be a rich, money-grubbing government drone?

This is the kind of thing that leads to Damasco-style "Shaolin".


Again, i think this whole grey zone thing only comes about because we allow it to. I think that these guys know **** well what westerners think they are and that they are smart enough to capitalize off it. When they do that, we apologize for them. Seriously, how many glamour-shots does it take for one to get the picture?

I'm cursing at myself right now that i cant find that one with the kid being all sad about the dead bunny. anyone seen that one?

[GeneChing]

That's a key question and I'm surprised it took so long for some one to ask it. According to popular legend, the creation of the wuseng class of monk is attributed to the first Tang Emperor, Li Shinmen (aka Taizong born 599 CE, reigned 626-649 CE). Taizong's stele still stands at Shaolin Temple and is one of the most important pieces in Shaolin's vast stele holdings. It was erected in 728 and contains seven separate texts recounting heroism of the Shaolin monks and the Emperor's decree. No where in that stele is there a discussion of wuseng, meat eating or liquor drinking. It's more likely that the association of Li Shinmen with the creation of a carnivous liquor-imbibing class of Shaolin monk is fictional - it's very prominent in Jet Li's debut film Shaolin Temple.

To be honest, I'm not sure exactly when the term wuseng arises. It may indeed be a modern term. However, it's worthy of note that fangtouseng has a historical basis and the same criticisms levelled at wuseng were levelled at fangtouseng. In essence, the terms are parallel. Fangtouseng is just less flattering. One thing is for certain. Yanming's lack of dietary abstainences are not unprecedented in the Shaolin order. In fact, it has an extensive history that dates back even earlier than Li Shinmen. For the details, please consult our e-zine article Meat, Wine, and Fighting Monks: Did Shaolin Monks breach Buddhist Dietary Regulations? by Dr. Meir Shahar.

[GeneChing]

All I can say is that The Shaolin Workout will definitely add to the controversies surrounding Yanming and all the power to him for doing that. It's like throwing gasoline on the fire. And it's coming from Rodale, which is the kicker. If you know anything about the publishing world, you know the power of Rodale. Few martial arts books have been published on this level. Most of our books are either vanity published or small publishers like North Atlantic, Ohara, Unique, et. al. I'm very excited for Yanming. I expect this thread will light up again when the book is released and the rest of you get a chance to review it.

[GeneChing]

As I mentioned before, Rodale is a serious publisher. Few martial arts books have been published on this level and it's to Yanming's credit. I imagine there will be increased focus on our Manhatten Shaolin rep, so as to not clutter to forum up too much, I'm going to collate any new articles here, whether or not they are directly linked to the book.

This Monk Is a Boldface Name
By PETER RITTER
Published: May 14, 2006

As a young monk in the legendary Shaolin Temple in China, Sifu Shi Yan Ming learned to break rocks with his skull, deflect blades with his skin, sleep while hanging upside down from a tree branch, and dangle a 50-pound weight from his scrotum.

He was thus ideally prepared for the rigors of Manhattan living.

Since opening the U.S.A. Shaolin Temple in Greenwich Village in 1996, Yan Ming has given the 1,500-year-old martial order of Shaolin an American makeover, attracting numerous celebrity disciples and writing a workout book. With plans to expand the franchise, Yan Ming is having a party on Saturday to raise money for a new, larger temple in upstate New York.

"I want to bring all the traditions and training of Shaolin into the 21st century," Yan Ming, who is 42, said one afternoon before leading a class of orange-uniformed followers through a grueling kung fu workout of leaps, punches and whirling-dervish kicks.

An expansive man with a shaved head and a smile as quick as his fists, Yan Ming has taken to his role as Shaolin's leading advocate with gusto. He greets his students by yelling "Merry Christmas!" "I am the most handsome monk in the world," he likes to say. "I want everybody to be like so-good-looking Sifu."

The walls of the U.S.A. Shaolin Temple, which occupies a high-ceilinged loft in a nondescript building on Lower Broadway, are covered with photos of Yan Ming with his many famous admirers.

He has trained the actors Wesley Snipes, Rosie Perez and Bokeem Woodbine. RZA, a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, whose affection for kung fu movies is well documented, calls Yan Ming "master." Another friend, the movie director Jim Jarmusch, gave the monk a small part in his 1999 film, "Ghost Dog."

"Lots of fun," Yan Ming said of his screen debut. "They said, 'Like this, like that.' I said, 'No problem.' "

Yan Ming, who defected to the United States in 1992 while performing with a troupe of Shaolin kung fu experts, is hardly a typical Buddhist warrior monk. He eats meat, for instance, and he enjoys Champagne, which he calls "very special French water."

Yan Ming, who has two children with his partner, Sophia Chang, a music promoter and the temple's manager, also disregards the monk's traditional vow of celibacy. "I'm too handsome for that," he explained.

Yan Ming said he decided to leave Shaolin in part because he felt stifled by the monastery's strictures. "In the temple," he said, "monks have 250 rules. Two hundred fifty! Just think of that! You cannot drink. You cannot eat spices. You cannot drink bottled water. You cannot look at a woman. That's just crazy. It's the 21st century, you know?

"I had American dreams," he added. "In China, there are too many limitations. Here, you can do a lot of things if you have the ability. You can express yourself. That's why everybody loves the United States."

If Yan Ming's lifestyle raises eyebrows among more conservative monks, his students speak of him with the reverence reserved for a sage. Nor do Shaolin's American adherents seem bothered by Yan Ming's celebrity cachet. After kung fu class, a student approached the monk and handed him a screenplay titled "Bionic Monk."

"Very good," Yan Ming said, beaming.

[shaolinboxer]

All of these articles are the same. The old boy still says the same buzz lines.

[richard sloan]

I have learned a lot about the press over the years.

I'll just leave it at that, lol...

I got my hands on a copy of the book sent to the temple the other day. It is tight with a capital T.

What we were really hoping to get out of this NYT piece was a mention for the fundraiser this weekend at Pier 63...and a focus on the Capital Campaign and upcoming seminar series in Mexico.

[GeneChing]

....sounds like you wanted some free advertising. That's the other side of the sword with the press. Speaking as a press person, we make our living through advertising. People often come to me with something they want to promote. In fact, someone (Kris) invited me to your fundraiser, which I really wish I could attend, but it's the other side of the country and I'm already booked. Typically, there's nothing in it for us (the press) so in this case, I wouldn't fault Ritter. There was nothing in it for him to promote your event, and the story of Yanming was probably a fun write for him, so he went where most others went with it. His only error is that he didn't really research Yanming and just reiterated previous articles, so for us it all looks like rehash. Anyway, we hope to give you some coverage for the event. Kris said he'll supply us with some exclusive press release after it happens. Best of luck with the fundraiser.

The coverage/promotion issue is always a challenge, especially in the martial world where everyone has something to promote. I might venture so far to say that I've personally given Yanming a lot of coverage. I think he's a fascinating one, and would give him even more if it was copesetic. But I don't even see any reprints of my work for him on his website archives. What's more, the articles that are reprinted ther from our publication are reprinted without permission. Typically, for web reprints, you need to request permission of the publisher, and we would happily grant that as long as a crediting copyright hyperlink is posted. It would be polite etiquette if this was rectified.

[richard sloan]

well Gene that is easy enough to rectify. In fact I thought permission had been granted...? But I don't know, there have been a lot of hands through the years working on that as it is always a labor of love and volunteers.

What's missing article wise? You know we'd have no problem linking you with bells and whistles.

What you say is exactly what I think happened with Ritter and a few other writers. It's a fun story for them, so they run with the fun stuff. Especially since he is so different from their first perception. I mean if that were my beat I sure as hell would do the same thing, and since he is a natural ham it's easy. I used to work for a large suburban newspaper and that was always the case, even when there might actually be a bigger story or something different going on. I don't fault the press at all, you just have to realize how it works. Like when film crews come- some of the really great stuff hits the cutting room floor for whatever reason, never makes it to the screen, and you know people who see the end result always assume like the temple is the won doing the edit!! Like Yan Ming knows final cut, lol...

Too bad you can't make it! I am going to be dropping some hot tunes right from jamdung. I think I broke Baby Cham's Ghetto Story at Shifu's last birthday party, lol...it was great, nobody even knew the song but I played it like 5 times, no joke.

[GeneChing]

Well, now you're talking. Yeah, it sounds like a lot of fun. Sorry I can't be there. Actually, it's been years since I spent any time in NYC. The closest I get there now is passing through JFK on my way to the Zhang San Feng Festival.

As for updating the links, let's take that up on email and not clutter the forum with it.

[GeneChing]

One of my good friends who works at Bookshop Santa Cruz tells me they just received two copies of Yanming's book. It does not have a street release date, so I imagine they will be showing up at your local bookstore as soon as the retailers start shelving them.