The Shaolin Workout by Shi Yan Ming

[GeneChing]

I just received an uncorrected proof of Yanming's new book, The Shaolin Workout. It's being published by Rodale, a major publisher in the world of health publications. They do the magazines Prevention, Men's Health, Runner's World, Women's Health, Organic Gardening, Backpacker, Best Life, Bicycling and Mountain Bike. Will Yanming be on one of those covers next? Rodale also published several New York Times Bestsellers like Martha Stewart's The Martha Rules, Bill Maher's New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer, as well as The South Beach Diet and The Abs Diet franchises. Most martial arts books are published through small publishers or vanity published. Rodale is a whole new level for a Shaolin book.

The Shaolin Workout is well marketed - just what you might expect from Rodale. It's subtitled "28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior Way". I haven't had a chance to do more than skim it, but it looks like a general outline of Shaolin basics - mostly stretching and warm ups, basic stances and kicks. The presentation is very clean and professional. It's slated for release on June 2006. It's be hardcover, 7 1/2" x 9 1/8", retailing at $29.95.

[Shaolinlueb]

interesting, ill probably check it out.

[David Jamieson]

I already do a shaolin workout.

that's probably gonna sell well though.

[Shaolindynasty]

You can say what you want about Yan Ming but he is doing allot to not only make kungfu mainstream but also make it cool

[GeneChing]

I've always thought that of all the monks that have immigrated to America, Yanming had the kind of charisma that could lend itself to exactly this kind of project. I spent a week with him back in '99 and his enthusiasm on the training floor is contagious, like Billy Blanks pushing TaeBo, or any workout guru. He inspired you to put out more, not to hold back, which was great for jibengong. The Shaolin jibengong by itself is a great workout. You just need to add music. Wonder if RZA can handle workout music?

[Shaolindynasty]

I remember a demo by Yan Ming for a show on TNT. He used the wutang's shame on a n**** beat. It seemed to get the audience pumped up.

I always thought about using RZA beats especially the ones with the shaw brothers samples when doing demos for non martial artist/non Chinese groups. I don't know what the effect the wong fei hung music would have on people who aren't "in the know".


I wonder if a workout series ala "taebo" would be considered after the book release. I also wonder how it would be recieved by martial artists. I know taebo wasn't particularly well recieved by most. Billy Blanks lost me when during the infomercial the soccer moms said they could "kick butt" and defend themselves because of taebo. Would Yan Ming run into the same critisism?

[GeneChing]

Could you get a better punchline set up than that?

[rickyscaggs]

I thought Shi Yan Ming was extremely against learning from books and videos. What is this all about now? It's going to be funny to see all the McDojo's with a new crappy workout routine. Way to go Yan Ming!

[Banjos_dad]

The trend seems to be that the temple is discovering its economic power as a "brand," and finding ways to apply it. Can you blame them? That's the impression I formed anyway.
I will probably buy a copy as well, but like DJ i am doing a shaolin workout already anyway and will have time to wait until i can buy one here in softcover.

[TaichiMantis]

Could you get a better punchline set up than that?

Hey! I'm an original!

Jackie
(soccer player 30+yrs, mom 14+ years, Shaolin arts 2+ yrs)

[GeneChing]

TaichiMantis, you could start a trend - a massive legions of Shaolin soccer moms. Just imagine. It would be glorious.

Banjos_dad, you shouldn't make the mistake of confusing what individual monks are doing with 'the temple'. Yanming is independant of the temple, as are most of the monks that have immigrated out of China. They all retain ties to the temple and various Shaolin masters in Dengfeng, but they are not 'official' representatives. Shaolin Temple is a huge organization, a tradition with 1500 years of history. Throughout that history, there have always been splinter factions. In short, I doubt that any of the profit from this book will go back to the temple, nor was the temple consulted on it at all. That's why the abbot is trying to trademark the Shaolin 'brand', but at this point, you might as well try to trademark 'zen'.

rickyscaggs, I wouldn't call Shaolin jibengong a crappy workout routine. Quite the opposite. And if all the McDojos started doing it, that would be fantastic. It'd be like all the McDonalds offering choice prime rib.

I've always thought a good Shaolin jibengong program was in order. Guolin's Fundementals of Shaolin is the only one readily available and that doesn't cover a lot of it. Yanming's new book doesn't cover all of it either, but in all fairness, he's writing to a different audience and this is only the first in what could be a potential series. Jibengong is where it's at. That's the foundation. All the forms videos that everyone else put out are useless without basics.

[Shaolindynasty]

I would rather see people doing shaolin basics as a workout routine than taebo/cardio kickboxing.

If kungfu basics became a popular workout routine then it would be a good way to bring more intrest to TCMA. That means more places would be interested in having classes, more people training, more opportunity to get the word out about your style etc. Of course there also may be an influx of hot gym chicks in your school. Now would that be so bad?

[rickyscaggs]

rickyscaggs, I wouldn't call Shaolin jibengong a crappy workout routine. Quite the opposite. And if all the McDojos started doing it, that would be fantastic. It'd be like all the McDonalds offering choice prime rib.

I've always thought a good Shaolin jibengong program was in order. Guolin's Fundementals of Shaolin is the only one readily available and that doesn't cover a lot of it. Yanming's new book doesn't cover all of it either, but in all fairness, he's writing to a different audience and this is only the first in what could be a potential series. Jibengong is where it's at. That's the foundation. All the forms videos that everyone else put out are useless without basics.

I wouldn't call it a crappy workout either. I'm talking about how the McDojo sensei's will learn it from a book and teach it like crap and depending on how much SYM talks on it they'll be missing a lot. What good does it do? Basics are also useless if learned from a book!

What audience is he writing to? I've always heard he was extremely against learning from books and videos. Now he's writing a book of his own to teach it? What a money loving hypocrite. He's no different than the rest of 'em. You know he loves money. Monk? My @$$. He's milking that thing for all it's worth!!

[Chief Fox]

I wouldn't call it a crappy workout either. I'm talking about how the McDojo sensei's will learn it from a book and teach it like crap and depending on how much SYM talks on it they'll be missing a lot. What good does it do? Basics are also useless if learned from a book!

What audience is he writing to? I've always heard he was extremely against learning from books and videos. Now he's writing a book of his own to teach it? What a money loving hypocrite. He's no different than the rest of 'em. You know he loves money. Monk? My @$$. He's milking that thing for all it's worth!!

Really? So you know all the in's and out's of his financial situation or are you just assuming?

[Shaolindynasty]

rickyscaggs- I think it is hypocritical for us to question monks morals and motives with money. Not because they are above question but because we are beneath that kind of questioning. Everyone here is living a pretty materialistic life. I don't feel it's my buisness to question his personal life due to the fact that I don't belong to his order.


But your comments pose an interesting question- I also don't really think you can learn from a book. I personally feel direct instruction is the only way to go. Yet recently I've been working on some articles. Now the question is that if yan ming is against learning from written materials/videos etc. then why does he have several articles and a video published? Why, if I am not for learning from video/books am I working on articles?

I wonder if I am slightly hypocritical in my stance. Was YM already a hypocrite to make a stance against indirect learning, then publish articles? What is the cut off? Is an article ok but a book isn't? That wouldn't make sense. Is it the motive behind it? Most articles are soley for informational purposes. If a book is written in the same spirit is it then ok?

So then is it only "unethical" to publish material if you give the impression that you can learn from it without assistance?

Or is it the fact that YM is a "monk" that makes it worng for him to be successful?