Shaolin Journeys

[GeneChing]

What he needs is to condition his hands with vinegar, rusty nails and urine.

[Orion Paximus]

What he needs is to condition his hands with vinegar, rusty nails and urine.

I'm pretty sure no one mention urine, man lol. I refuse to ever speak the horrors that my iron palm teacher inflected upon me. Somethings are better left unsaid.

[GeneChing]

I seldom have to make things up around here.

[GeneChing]

Sort of a future Shaolin journey, sort of Shaolin child abuse...

More pix and a vid if you follow the link...

Posted on 13 Mar 2013
Kungfu baby stands on one leg and performs other stunts -- with dad's help
This article is contributed by the STOMP Team.

The baby in this video may only be a year old, but he is already being trained in kungfu by his dad.

In the video, which was shot in Guangdong Province, the man can be seen tossing and flipping his son about in a series of complicated acrobatic moves.

At one point, the baby even stands unsupported on his father's hand.

The man, who hopes his son will be a martial arts star, has been training the boy since he was 8 months old and plans on sending him to the Shaolin Monastery.

There were several positive comments accompanying the video.

One person observed that the baby was was clapping his hands when he was standing on one leg and he couldn't be happier, while another wrote that "the baby doesn't seem to be in any pain, in fact he seems to be going along with it all just fine."

[GeneChing]

This article showcases Omar Samra's diverse travels. I only clipped the Shaolin part. Follow the link if you want to read the rest. It's not about Shaolin, but interesting as a travel log.

Following the trail of inspiration
Thoraia Abou Bakr / March 21, 2013
Omar Samra shares what drives him and inspires others



Omar Samra pauses for breath on the summit of mount Everest

...

Omar shared one of his best travel experiences. It was the only time his face changed and he started to show some emotion, smiling as he recounted the tale, as if he was reliving it. “I remember being in China in the Shaolin Monastery, the Shaolin monks are known as the forefathers of Kung Fu thousands of years ago. There is a temple in central China in a province called Henan Province, in a town called Shaolinsi. It is a very small town; they basically have one street, one temple and a school. I went there many years ago. I never practiced martial arts, but I have always been fascinated by it. I went there with a Chinese friend and we went to that one street, which has two or three restaurants, and the other shops sell weapons for the students to train with.”

“The kids get admitted at age two or three and they stay there until their seventies or eighties,” Omar continued. “It is like a different world, you see kids doing somersaults and back flips as if it is normal. So, I was in this restaurant eating with my friend, the restaurant owner was sitting next to us and he was staring at me, in China it is not considered rude to stare, and he would say something to my friend, so I asked: what is he saying? She responded he is asking where you are from, he is asking what are you doing here, he is asking why did you come all this way, et cetera. We finished eating and we were about to pay and then my friend looks at me and said: he wants to arm wrestle you for the bill. I thought she was joking but he looked at me very seriously, which was really weird. I am in this really remote place in China and I am basically arm wrestling this guy over a chicken. I was sitting there, arm wrestling this guy and it lasted about 30 seconds. I was really intense and you could see all my veins, and he looked really calm as if he was not maing any effort at all. He was obviously some Kung Fu guy when he was younger. I ended up beating him but decided to pay for the chicken regardless. ”
...

[GeneChing]

China Travelogue by Bad Ass Bunny was included in our free DVD insert with our Shaolin Special 2012. We are releasing it in honor of our Shaolin Special 2013 which arrives on the newsstands today.

[GeneChing]

Strongman contestants visit Shaolin Temple
Chinadaily.com.cn, July 8, 2013

Competitors in the 2013 China World Strongman Championship visited the Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Sunday afternoon to study Chinese martial arts with monks.


Shaolin monks perform kung fu for visiting competitors in the 2013 China World Strongman Championship on Sunday.

The contestants said it was a good opportunity to learn about Chinese martial arts and culture.

China's Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of kung fu and a central location of many martial arts films.

The monks from Shaolin Temple demonstrated their skills and then taught the contenders some movements.

One participant, Zydrunas Savickas from Lithuania, who is 1.91 meters tall and weighs 170 kg, said, "I first learned of the Shaolin Temple on television when I was 18 years old. This is the first time I have witnessed it. It is really very big."

He added, "It is really interesting to get close to Chinese kung fu, which is more powerful than I saw on TV or in film."

Rob Frampton, a 40-year-old contestant from England, told China Daily, "Both China and the UK have a very long history. I am very interested in Chinese culture." He added it was a good opportunity to experience and understand Chinese culture and kung fu.

He already knew the Shaolin Temple was the birthplace of kung fu and had some knowledge of Buddhism.

He enjoyed the visit very much, saying it was relaxing and helped him recover faster and prepare for the next day's matches.

The 2013 China World Strongman Championship began in Zhendong New District of Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province, on Friday.

Thirty-two contestants from 31 countries, including China, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Morocco, will compete until Wednesday for the championship.

This contest is the largest such in terms of scale, and attracts the most contestants.

All contestants are winners of strongman contests in their home countries. They are also ranked in the top 100 World Hercules Union, including former champion Savickas.

One Chinese competitor, Zhang Jianjun from Hebei province, won China's strongman contest in 2012. Another competitor Zhou Rong is from Zhengzhou, Henan province.

The contest will include lifting dumbbells with one hand, pulling aircraft and holding huge stone balls, with some Chinese traditional elements thrown in.


Strongman contestants learn Chinese martial arts at Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Sunday afternoon.


A contestant in the 2013 China World Strongman Championship reads China Daily on Sunday.

Ever seen a strongman competition?

[ShaolinDan]

Just went and visited the Shaolin Temple a couple of days ago. Fantastic trip for me.

Shaolin Temple was pretty touristy (no surprise), but it was also very cool for me to be there. The price of admission includes a short gong fu show, which was fun, and for me walking the grounds there was a little bit like a pilgrimage. Saw so many things I've only seen pictures of or heard about before. But it got better.

I guess my visit to Shaolin was karmically aligned or something, because I had two fantastic surprises while I was there.

Walking through the temple, I eventually arrived at the abbot's residence. There was some kind of a press conference going on and for a minute or two I was able to catch some glimpses of Shi Yongxin through the crowd. After a very short time, the Abbot and those people with press passes disappeared into his chambers and I moved on with my tour.
Attachment 7633

Maybe half an hour later, I heard a commotion and turned around to see the Abbot walking in my direction! He was giving some kind of a tour to the press and lead them right past me. When he saw me, he smiled, we did the whole prayer hands and 'Amitoufo' thing, and he asked where I was from. Love him or hate him, this was still super cool for me.
Attachment 7634


That in itself would have been enough to make my visit to Shaolin, but I had another surprise in store. When I stopped by a stand selling the stuff they sell there to ask directions to Damo's cave (got confused because it's labeled as 'Dharma Cave'), two of the monks operating the stand said (in Chinese of course), "Hey, you're the guy from Kunming who trained at Guandu Shaolin Temple and wrote the article on Shi Yanbei!" I did a major double-take and lo and behold, these two guys I just happened to ask directions from were monks who had been stationed at the Guandu Shaolin Temple while I was there. Totally amazing.

I know a lot of people who go to visit the Shaolin Temple end up feeling let down, but I was not. I'm even considering paying the (relatively) high cost to train there, just so I can hang out on the grounds for a few days. I don't know if I'll do it though--I got spoiled in Kunming training with Shaolin monks for free (well, for work exchange). I'll certainly go back to visit one more time though before I leave Dengfeng.

[ShaolinDan]

Nice! Good place to plug the article.

Thanks for that, Gene.

[GeneChing]

For more on Vidyut, see C, C2 & BR.

Vidyut Jammwal visits Shaolin temple in China
PTI : Mumbai, Wed Aug 21 2013, 10:07 hrs


Vidyut Jammwal has trained in Kalaripayattu in Kerala since the age of three.

Commando actor Vidyut Jammwal, a martial arts enthusiast, visited the Shaolin Temple, on Mount Song, in China recently and spent a few days there.

Vidyut, who has trained in Kalaripayattu in Kerala since the age of three, visited the temple to commemorate and salute Bodhidharma, the great master of Kalaripayattu, who is believed to have taken the art from India to China.

The actor also managed to spend a week training as part of a very closed door martial arts camp at the temple which is meant only for martial arts experts and not novices.

The camp covers aspects of attack, combat, self defense and even protection and healing spanning various martial art forms.

[GeneChing]

Charlie Hunnam's 'Fifty Shades' workout may include martial arts
'Pacific Rim' actor is already in phenomenal shape to tackle the coveted role of Christian Grey in the upcoming erotic drama.
Tue, Sep 03 2013 at 12:03 PM

Creative Commons
Charlie Hunnam, the British actor who rose to fame as Jax Teller on the hit FX series "Sons of Anarchy," has just landed one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood. As announced by "Fifty Shades of Grey" author E.L. James this morning, the 33-year-old actor will appear in the upcoming film version of the hit novel as the billionaire industralist Christian Grey. "21 Jump Street" actress Dakota Johnson will play the role of Anastasia Steele.

For those familiar with Hunnam's work on "Sons of Anarchy," it's easy to see why producers selected him for the role of Grey. Unlike other actors that transform their bodies for specific roles, Hunnam consistently hits the gym - telling Men's Fitness that for him, staying in shape has benefits way beyond the physical.

“The benefit of working out is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” he says. “I feel better — like that I have more energy. But the mental side is an extraordinary benefit. I’m happier, more confident, and more positive when I work out. And I feel like I’m a better actor because of the clarity it gives me.”

While it's unclear whether he'll be assigned a personal trainer for "Fifty Shades," it's evident Hunnam doesn't really need one. Pull-ups, dips, swimming, bodyweight moves, and other intense routines are all squeezed daily into what can sometimes be 15-hour workdays.

"Being an actor is fantastic because you get to live your dreams and all of that, but I always think it's slightly irritating when you hear from the outside world and people are like, 'Yeah, well if I was an actor and all I had to do was look good, I could be that ripped too.' Well I've got news for you, man! I work 15 hours a day and still go to the gym," he tells GQ. "Most people work eight hours a day and say 'I haven't got time to work out.' Bulls***! If you want to be super-fit and look ripped then you find the time no matter what."

More recently, Hunnam started including Bartendaz workouts into his routine; which mixes up acrobatic moves with martial arts and other physical movements. Up until his casting in the recent scifi film "Pacific Rim," the actor also had plans to travel to China to study Wing Chun kung fu in the famed Shaolin Temple.

"I still actually intend to do that, although I'm not sure if I'm going to go to China; I might actually go to Thailand and do a month-long intensive Muay Thai academy," he says.

Check out Hunnam performing some of his workouts for Men's Fitness below. "Fifty Shades of Grey' will be released by Focus Features on August 1, 2014.

Traveling to Shaolin to study Wing Chun, eh? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

[Matthew]

Traveling to Shaolin to study Wing Chun, eh?

He must have seen the Kung Fu Magazine.com Front Page Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s-dc...2B154D13318924

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Come on isn't it KFM promoting "Shaolin Wing Chun" Videos?

[GeneChing]

But hey, if Charlie's watching - call me. I'll put ya on the cover!

[Lucas]

i would wager a guess the wing chun comes off of robert downing jr's coat tails.

someone should just show that acter the wing chun forum here, he'll do the right thing.

[GeneChing]

What with all the Ip Man flicks too, you'd think Wing Chun would be trending even more. It's really a shame that the Wing Chun clans aren't really seizing the opportunity. They had a chance in the wake of Bruce Lee. Now, they have another chance.

Actually, you could find Wing Chun at Shaolin Temple, at least, the Siping one. See Shaolin Training in China: From Expectation to Reality by Clemente Liberto. There might even be some at Songshan. It's just funny to hear Hunnam make that statement so. We here all know why.