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Thread: Yanfan (Franco Testini)

  1. #16
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    The sub temple and cultural center sections are referring to the same thing; The Shaolin Temple Cultural Center.


    I believe he is misrepresenting himself as a Shaolin warrior monk.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by wenshu View Post
    The sub temple and cultural center sections are referring to the same thing; The Shaolin Temple Cultural Center.
    that doesnt seem to make any sense.

    those listed in the overseas cultural centers section are not found on the sub-temples section, nor vice-versa.

    one is also called "Shaolin Temple Cultural Center LA", as it is.

    and the other is called "Shaolin Temple Los Angeles", as it is.

    I believe he is misrepresenting himself as a Shaolin warrior monk.
    based on what?

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by shaolinseeker11 View Post
    Shi Yan Fan the only Western (or non-Chinese) Shaolin Warrior Monk to be ordained into the tradition (the Jieba Ceremony).
    Ahahah, Never trust anyone who says that. I know at least 12 people personally who make that claim and another load I have heard of. Hell I've done the whole ceremony several times, with monks who were in Shaolin in the 60's and 70's and consider themselves above the authority of the new abbott when it comes to shaolin lineage (something most old/good masters agree on). I had to do it just to train with one of them....

    Ni bu neng chi roe, neng chi bao? Neng Chiiiiiiiiiiii.

    The only western guy who can claim that he is a shaolin monk is a guy called Shan Li who has been here in shaolin 13 years, and has actually left home and lives the ascetic lifestyle. But he doesn't claim to be a shaolin monk. Its a really Douchebag thing to do.

  4. #19
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    hmmm...Southern Lion Dance, two handed "Bagua dao", a girl doing Lien Bo Ch'uan, a guy doing the same three moves with the dan-dao..looks like a hodgepodge taken frm videos...
    "My Gung-Fu may not be Your Gung-Fu.
    Gwok-Si, Gwok-Faht"

    "I will not be part of the generation
    that killed Kung-Fu."

    ....step.

  5. #20
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    A retraction

    For the record
    June 26, 2010

    Shaolin Temple: An article in the June 19 LATExtra section about the Shaolin Buddhist Temple in Sherman Oaks said that it was the only temple in Los Angeles listed on the official website of the Shaolin Temple in China and that the website described it as "the first official branch organization in North America." However, there is another Southern California temple listed on the site, in Temple City. A representative of the Shaolin Temple in China confirmed that the Sherman Oaks temple is recognized by the official temple in China, but said that the temple in China does not want to recognize "any temple as the first in North America."
    I'm changing the title of this thread from "Is YanFei from the new issue the same dude..." to "Yanfan (Franco Testini)" as my coach is named Yan Fei and I don't want there to be any confusion. It makes MK's initial post a little odd, but if readers get this far, they'll understand it.
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  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by RenDaHai View Post
    Ahahah, Never trust anyone who says that. I know at least 12 people personally who make that claim and another load I have heard of. Hell I've done the whole ceremony several times, with monks who were in Shaolin in the 60's and 70's and consider themselves above the authority of the new abbott when it comes to shaolin lineage (something most old/good masters agree on). I had to do it just to train with one of them....

    Ni bu neng chi roe, neng chi bao? Neng Chiiiiiiiiiiii.

    The only western guy who can claim that he is a shaolin monk is a guy called Shan Li who has been here in shaolin 13 years, and has actually left home and lives the ascetic lifestyle. But he doesn't claim to be a shaolin monk. Its a really Douchebag thing to do.
    There is a brief video documentary of him receiving the Jieba on Youtube:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPqF08tNjsw

    The whole event was attended by Chinese government officials no less. I think its a slap to the face of Buddhism for Shaolin to allow such a thing to happen. I'm an atheist, but I respect all religions. Shaolin obviously had ulterior motives, like trying to attract more westerners to the temple so they would shell out big bucks to learn kung fu. If the guy truly wanted to be a Buddhist monk, he could have gone to any number of places to gain his ordination. I'm sure there are thousands of westerners so caught up in "Shaolin culture" that they would love to become monks. I doubt religion has anything to do with it. Its all about Kung fu and that is sad.

    The person who posted the video is not allowing any nasty comments (such as the one I left).

  7. #22
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    Apparently the divisions go like this:

    Religious Monk
    Warrior Monk
    Fake Monk
    and
    Douchebag Monk (these are they who aren't really monks and are being douchebags about it.)

    that's certainly clear enough for me!
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  8. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    Apparently the divisions go like this:

    Religious Monk
    Warrior Monk
    Fake Monk
    and
    Douchebag Monk (these are they who aren't really monks and are being douchebags about it.)

    that's certainly clear enough for me!
    so where does Shawn Liu fit into that hierarchy?

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by ghostexorcist View Post
    The whole event was attended by Chinese government officials no less.
    I think its a slap to the face of Buddhism for Shaolin to allow such a thing to happen.
    This may amount to nothing more than wild speculation on my part, but it appears likely to me that this was a taking refuge ceremony and not an ordination, or maybe even a taking of the bodhisattva precepts. I'm pretty sure anybody can show up, pay a fee, buy some robes and take part. In fact I think there is another such mass ceremony taking place soon or has already taken place. I'm sure shaolin is not the only temple that practices this.

    I don't think Buddhism cares if government officials attend ceremonies or laowai take and uphold precepts.

    Quote Originally Posted by ghostexorcist View Post
    I'm an atheist, but I respect all religions. Shaolin obviously had ulterior motives, like trying to attract more westerners to the temple so they would shell out big bucks to learn kung fu.
    Yeah, cause Shaolin Si really needs the $$!

    Quote Originally Posted by ghostexorcist View Post
    If the guy truly wanted to be a Buddhist monk, he could have gone to any number of places to gain his ordination. I'm sure there are thousands of westerners so caught up in "Shaolin culture" that they would love to become monks. I doubt religion has anything to do with it. Its all about Kung fu and that is sad.

    There is definitely a western fetishization of Shaolin monkhood at work here; the tendency to mystify the life of a monk, shaolin or otherwise conveniently disregards the extreme hardships of leaving home. Karmic reconciliation through means of enduring hardships is no weekend retreat.

    I myself have taken refuge, follow the five precepts and practice traditional shaolin culture, but I know better then to lie to myself by thinking i could withstand for one day the hardships of life as a Shaolin monk. I probably wouldn't make it a day in chan monastery without the gong fu.

  10. #25
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    Shaolin obviously had ulterior motives, like trying to attract more westerners to the temple so they would shell out big bucks to learn kung fu.
    Except that whenyou go there to train you never make make your payment to "the shaolin temple"
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  11. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by ghostexorcist View Post
    If the guy truly wanted to be a Buddhist monk, he could have gone to any number of places to gain his ordination.
    he was apparently ordained at chi ri monastery nearby kyung ju in south korea at the age of 21.

    http://www.shaolintemplela.org/pages/shiyanfan_biography.php

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by wenshu View Post
    This may amount to nothing more than wild speculation on my part, but it appears likely to me that this was a taking refuge ceremony and not an ordination, or maybe even a taking of the bodhisattva precepts. I'm pretty sure anybody can show up, pay a fee, buy some robes and take part. In fact I think there is another such mass ceremony taking place soon or has already taken place. I'm sure shaolin is not the only temple that practices this.
    jieba means 'precepts scars', and are taken on the head only by the fully ordained in chinese monasticism as a part of taking bodhisattva precepts. chinese monasticism is a two-part ordination combining the bhikshu/ni upasampada and bodhisattva precepts- making one a bodhisattva bhikshu/ni (bodhisattva monk/nun). if laity receive precept scars it is usually done on the arm or wrist.

    the ceremonies that took place recently were a full ordination ceremony and a bodhisattva precepts transmission ceremony for laity. these ceremonies were held at the site of shaolin monastery, but conducted and participated in by followers from all over.

  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post
    so where does Shawn Liu fit into that hierarchy?
    Who's Shawn Liu?
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  14. #29

    Shi Miao Zun - Sam Dyson Warrior Monk UK

    www.fightschool.co.uk

    Here is another genuine shaolin warrior monk..one of only handfull westerners to become fully ordained
    Kune Belay Sau

  15. #30
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    Le Fujun is another

    Le claims he's part of the Shaolin Warrior Monk Reserve Team
    Le Fujun & Shaolin Chan City

    Should we change the title of this thread to non-Chinese warrior monks? There are more. I'd just have to dig them up.

    We've discussed Matthew Ahmet a little already on the Shaolin on Superstars of Dance thread.
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