Shaolin Soccer for real

[GreenCloudCLF]

Shaolin Soccer Live!

Brought to you by my friends at collegehumor.com...that means NSW ads people...and b00bs...

[shaolinboxer]

LOL

I've actually seen that happen. Of course the one kid in highschool who could do that trick was showing it off in the gym and he nailed some poor kid in the head.

The school nurse must have had a heart attack.

[GeneChing]

I posted this initially on the Shaolin Soccer thread in the Media forum, but the story is still percolating so I'm posting it here now. Even Shaolin gets in on the World Cup action.

Shaolin Soccer – kung fu monks take on brewery
By Malcolm Moore World Last updated: July 13th, 2010

At 5.30pm on Sunday, just a few hours before the World Cup final, eleven teenage Shaolin monks took to a field in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, for their first-ever football match.

“The boys, who are training in kung fu, came up with the idea of setting up a team,” said Feng Weifeng, a spokesman for the Shaolin Temple’s Tagou Martial Arts School. “They are all mad about football. They have been watching the World Cup in their dorms every night. They all have their own team, and they tend to like Brazil and Argentina. Messi is their favourite,” he added.

Knowledge of the game, however, was limited. “Some of them had never touched a football before, and they kept using their hands,” said Mr Feng.

On the pitch, however, the athletic monks were a blur, entertaining the crowd with an array of flips, somersault and overhead kicks.

They were such a blur, in fact that no one is quite sure who won the match. According to Tsingtao, they triumphed by a modest 15 goals to 8. The Shaolin Temple, meanwhile, feels that it won 10 to 8. “It was hard to say,” said one commentator. “Most of the goals from both sides were offside.”

Unlike Holland, the monks did not rack up any yellow or red cards. Not because they did not foul, but because the referee did not have any cards. “Offsides, corner kicks, fouls and handballs were all overlooked,” reported one newspaper in Henan.

Anyone who has watched Shaolin Soccer, the film by Steven Chow which imagines a possible union between kung fu and football will be entertained to know that Wang Pengyu, the Shaolin goalie, managed to puncture a new ball by kicking it too hard.

“The ball did not fly through the air, but stuck on the end of the keeper’s toe,” said the newspaper. “They have Shaolin Kung Fu and strong legs,” remarked one fan.

“We have no plans for another match yet,” said Mr Feng. “The students are very busy and we are just having fun, not playing for a crowd”.

Kung football: Shaolin monk students show Holland's Nigel de Jong how it's really done
Last updated at 2:54 PM on 13th July 2010

High kicks and brightly coloured outfits, these Shaolin students at a Chinese monastery have a lot in common with Holland’s footballers.

But unlike the fiery World Cup finalists, these yellow-robed youngsters know their martial arts from their two-footed tackles.

Kung flew: A Shaolin student delivers a flying football kick while practising at Tagou Wushu School in China

Their soccer efforts certainly outshine Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong’s astonishing challenge on Spain’s Xabi Alonso in Sunday’s tempestuous tie.

And unlike Holland’s hotheads, students at Tagou Wushu School in Dengfeng, central China, prefer to keep cool - and achieve this by meditating while balancing the ball.

They even laughed it off when an overly enthusiastic ‘tackle’ burst the ball, bringing an end to the team’s training session in the tranquil foothills of Mount Song.

The school is linked to the Shaolin Monastery in the Henan province, which was founded in the fifth century.

The students have just formed their football team and will be looking to take on fellow martial arts experts.

Let’s just hope messrs de Jong and co don’t get any new ideas.

On me 'ead..
13/07/2010

Eat your heart out Nigel De Jong. When it comes to football high kicks you're Sunday pub league next to this lot.

Holland hardman De Jong was yellow carded for karate kicking opponent Xabi Alonso in the World Cup final.

But if he faced one of these martial art ****kids even De Jong would be likely to pull out of the tackle. The apprentice Shaolin monks showed off their amazing skills at Dengfeng, in China's Henan province, where a football school has recently been established.

Wearing bright robes, the students practised karate kicks and headstands while controlling the ball with ease.

Perhaps butterfingers England keeper Robert Green could pop in for a lesson.

[TaichiMantis]

Silly monks! You hit the ball with your laces not your toes

[GeneChing]

The meetings with IOC leaders Rogge & Samaranch have little to do with this soccer angle, but the FIFA bit is amusing. Don't forget - we have the Shaolin Special 2011 coming at you - we're shipping them out to subscribers right now.

Shaolin monks do soccer


The Shaolin monks are famous worldwide for their impressive kung fu styling and recognisable yellow robes, but it seems that David Beckham and Lionel Messi had better look out. After bringing you something reminiscent of a scene from Shaolin Soccer back in July last year it seems Shaolin monks are intent on taking over the (footballing) world.

The Shaolin monks of Henan province have set up a football academy, which is quickly gaining support from the entire footballing community. The monks have been invited by FIFA to take part in the opening ceremony of the Germany Women’s 2011 world cup and have met with many influential sporting figures such as Jacques Rogge and Juan Antonio Samaranch, heads of the International Olympic Committee. They have also played against some big named players from the international football circuit and have made headlines worldwide.

Founder of the School Yan Lu explains that “the academy was born out of his passion for the sport and that of the students and that then there came a need for proper coaching and the coach for the Cameroon team got involved.” (“培养兴趣”，待这一步完成之后，接下来就是“拔高”，“从中选出有足球天赋，对足球喜爱的学生，成立足 球队。提供更好的条件和专门的教练”) He also , à la Shaolin Soccer believes that thousands of years of Shaolin history and the modern game of football are a perfect fit and the skills needed for both kong fu and football are very similar. There is apparently a lot of talent and potential in the team, whose ages range from 4 to 20 and the training they learn here could help with future careers involving all sorts of sport related teaching.

The reaction of people across China has been mixed, the vice president of Henan provinces football league has deemed the project useful and innovative although does have a few concerns. The primary one being that the team doesn’t have a pitch and is practising on a bricked surface, which could easily cause injuries.

Die hard football fans deem the project silly and perhaps just a publicity stunt. They don’t think there is any quick solution to Chinas football problem and think it needs to be handled like it is in Europe and Brazil; get children playing football as young as possible. However, given Chinas current success rate in the "beautiful game", they really need all the help they can get. Perhaps they could learn something from Shaolin soccer.

[Lucas]

thats right get kids playing as young as possible. shaolin kids!!!!! take the football world by storm!

[TaichiMantis]

I've always thought if I had started kung fu earlier in my soccer career I would have been a much better player....

[GeneChing]

20 stories on the newsfeed today. I cherrypicked a few for y'all here.

Can Shaolin Temple save Chinese football?
(AFP) – 11 hours ago


BEIJING — China's celebrated Shaolin Temple is training young kungfu disciples to play football in the far-off hope of reversing the flagging fortunes of the national team, state media reported.

In a case of life imitates art the initiative will likely draw comparisons with hit 2001 Hong Kong comedy "Shaolin Soccer" about a group of washed-up monks from the temple who apply their superhuman moves on the soccer pitch.

The temple, in central China's Henan province, which is famed for the acrobatic exploits of its warrior monks, opened a soccer training centre in October that has more than 40 martial arts students learning the "beautiful game," the official Xinhua news agency said late Thursday.

Shi Yanlu, head coach at the training base, said the discipline and ethos of kungfu can translate into effective football.

"Chinese football is in the doldrums, and when some elements of Shaolin kungfu, particularly its spirit, are integrated into soccer, we hope it will help improve the training level of football," he said in the report.

The legwork and physical coordination of kungfu could also help future Chinese footballers, he added.

China's national football team is a laughing-stock at home and a source of anguish for fans frustrated by the inability of the world's most populous country to succeed in the world's most popular sport.

China failed to qualify for last year's World Cup, has performed poorly in the Olympic Games and recently failed to reach the Asian Cup's knockout stages.

China's pro league also is reeling from a match-fixing, gambling and graft scandal that has resulted in the arrests of two former national football association heads and a number of lower-level officials.

The young recruits at the temple's training centre -- all around 10 years old -- are being coached by Alphonse Tchami, a retired Cameroonian national footballer, the report said.

The temple plans to attract more recruits among the 2,000 disciples who train at Shaolin, it added.

Shaolin Temple opens soccer school
16:56, March 25, 2011

The brilliant Brazilian and Argentine national soccer teams are often referred to as the "samba kings" and "tango group" on the world soccer stage. A "kung Fu" group will possibly emerge on China's soccer stage in the future.

The Shaolin Temple Buddhist Warrior Training Base recently opened a Shaolin Temple Youth Soccer School, hoping to integrate Shaolin kung fu with soccer.

When reporters visited the Shaolin Temple Buddhist Warrior Training Base, a plaque reading "Shaolin Temple Youth Soccer School" was already put up on the front gate. Scores of primary school students around the age of 10 were training on the playground under the instruction of a coach from Cameroon.

Although these boys appeared not to be professional, the coach, a former player on the Cameroon national soccer team, spoke highly of them, "They have excellent physical quality and good playing skills and have learnt quickly."

"There are similarities in many aspects between Chinese martial arts and soccer. Despite the current downturn in China's soccer sector, we seek to integrate some elements of Shaolin martial arts into soccer in hopes of enhancing the level of soccer training in China," said Shi Yanlu, head coach of the Shaolin Temple Buddhist Warrior Training Base.

The Shaolin Temple Buddhist Warrior Training Base established the youth soccer school from in 2010 with support from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The CFA donated 1,000 soccer balls to the school half a month ago.

[GeneChing]

There's a vid - follow the link - but just a slideshow of more pix.

Shaolin monks show Rooney how it's done
Yahoo!Xtra Sport March 30, 2011, 11:04 pm


Shaolin monks show Rooney how it s done

They may be the subject of many a spoof, but it seems these shaolin monks are turning fiction into reality performing acrobatics on the football pitch that would leave Wayne Rooney and Nigel De Jong's high-kicking efforts for dust.

Apparently monks at the world famous Shaolin Temple are aiming to improve China's poor performance on the football pitch.

Despite having one of the world's biggest populations China have made it to just one World Cup, and were recently held to a 1-1 draw against the All Whites on home soil.

This has prompted the monks to come up with the novel idea of combining football with the age old art of kung fu.

Leading the initiative is Shi Yanlu, who believes the disciplines of kung fu will benefit young footballers.

Fourty young monks have now been selected to train at the school under martial arts experts and former international footballers.

“Right now, China's football performance is really disappointing. We hope by combining kung fu elements and spirit, Chinese football can perform better.” Yanlu is quoted in British newspaper the Daily Mail.

The kids here all have a spirit of hard-work. We will invite some outstanding coaches to teach them.

"Hopefully we can have several international football stars of the future here."

The Shaolin Monk Football Training Base is being backed by the China Football Association which has provided equipment, including 1,000 footballs.

It now plans to build more pitches for students to play on.
Football and kung fu a match made in heaven or a high-kicking disaster waiting to happen?

[Lucas]

a successful team wont sprout right away, but i think this has a lot of potential

[GeneChing]

Shaolin Temple denies it is training soccer players
China Daily, April 11, 2011

The Shaolin Temple in Henan province, which is renowned for its unique practice of kungfu, has refuted a claim that it was offering training in "kungfu soccer".


"Kungfu soccer"[File photo]

The temple said in a statement on its official website that no warrior monks have been sent out to coach students in soccer schools that had claimed they had hired kungfu masters from Shaolin.

The temple also said it never authorized training centers that claimed to offer courses in Shaolin martial arts.

The monastery said its reputation has long suffered from illegal acts of deception committed under the name of Shaolin.

Oh well. It's not all about the 'official' Shaolin. If we were limited to that, we'd never get anywhere. Our annual Shaolin Special isn't official (btw, Shaolin Special #12 is on stands now!) We do receive the Abbot's blessing in that he always graces us with an exclusive interview, but we're not official by any means.

Anyone have a contact for Shi Yanlu?

[TaichiMantis]

Hmmm...I'm guessing the monks play a good game of pick-up ball, and probably tune in for the big competitions like world cup. Or was that a movie?

[GeneChing]

The morning briefing ... the lighter side of sports
Range.co.uk, McClatchy-Tribune April 24, 2011

haolin monks are hoping to improve China's poor football performance with a new training school that combines soccer with kung fu.

haolin monks are hoping to improve China's poor football performance with a new training school that combines soccer with kung fu.

S Shi Yanlu, head of the venture at the world famous Shaolin Temple, says he believes the disciplines of kung fu will benefit young footballers.

He has selected 40 young monks to train at the school under the supervision of martial arts experts and former international soccer players.

Yanlu said: "Right now, China's football performance is really disappointing. We hope by combining kung fu elements and spirit, Chinese football can perform better."

As well as regular football training, the monks focus on aspects of the martial art, such as balance and leg strength, which will make them better footballers.

"They have superb physical qualities, and they are learning things very quickly. We will try to meld the kung fu into the football training, hopefully improving the level of Chinese football," added Yanlu.

"The kids here all have a spirit of hardwork. We will invite some outstanding coaches to teach them. Hopefully we can have several international football stars of the future here."

The Shaolin Monk Football Training Base is being backed by the China Football Association, which has provided equipment, including 1,000 soccer balls. It plans to build more pitches for students.

Here's the disclaimer on the official Shaolin Temple website.

Fake Shaolin Organization & Individual Scams and Misguiding Publicity
Release Date：2011-03-29
For years, there have been different fake or fraudulent “Shaolin Temple”, "Shaolin Kungfu Monk Corps”, "Shaolin Kungfu Monks”, and “Shaolin Masters” that are established and operating at home and abroad. Those organizations and individuals use Shaolin name to sell bogus drugs and swindle money from the mass, perform in fighting program and Kungfu shows, and even assault police, which have severely harmed the public interest and undermined the reputation of Shaolin Temple.

Recent days have seen continuous reports about Shaolin’s opening football school. Some report also made use of Abbot Yongxin’s supporting remarks on Chinese football, and made propaganda. Even worse, without sending the temple any confirmation inquiry into the case, most medias released false reports that Shaolin Temple had engaged in social work and set up social organizations. Shaolin Temple is in support of martial arts schools and students’ endeavors to develop football sports, and encouraging Shaolin lay disciples to utilize Shaolin Kungfu philosophy in the sports and push forward China’s football game. However, Shaolin Temple is a Buddhist monastery and all its activities involved in social work should go through a rigid application procedure. Any organization, individual or media that would make use of that case for propaganda purpose is not only against the religious community and also infringes related Chinese laws and regulations.

Shaolin Temple hereby makes the following statements:

1). Any football school, martial arts school, vocational school etc. that has opened with the name of Shaolin Temple, Shaolin Kungfu Monk Corps, Shaolin Monks or Kungfu Monks and is independent legal entity or not, ‘has no connection’ with China Songshan Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Temple has never dispatched any monk to teach in suchlike public or private schools.

2）The Sangha of Shaolin Temple is the bearer of Shaolin cultural inheritance. No public or private school has so far been entrusted to representing Shaolin Temple and taking on ‘the services of teaching, performing, visiting and promoting Shaolin Chan and Kungfu culture, as well as training talents’, and nor is accurate with the claim of ‘mainly composed of Shaolin Kungfu monks in its group’.

3). To report any suspicious organization, activity and performance’s use of names like “Shaolin Temple”, "Shaolin Kungfu Monk Corps”, "Shaolin Monks”, and “Shaolin Kungfu Monks” from home and abroad, please contact by phone 0371—62749305 or email us at shaolin.org@gmail.com. Religious events or activities that the monastic attend outside the temple will be announced in the official website of Shaolin Temple (www.shaolin.org.cn) in advance.

[GeneChing]

Now it's Shandong, not Shaolin...

Some Chinese sport schools to boost soccer with traditional Kungfu
2011-06-21

JINAN: Some Chinese sport schools are attempting to combine soccer with the traditional Chinese kungfu in Shangdong province which draws support from Chinese soccer officials.

Since last year, Shangdong sport bureau has started to launch a campaign of developing soccer in local kungfu schools.

"Students like it very much. Playing soccer is much more fun than the daily kungfu exercises," a representative from Shandong Yuncheng Songjiang kungfu school was quoted as saying by local newspaper Qilu Evening News on Sunday.

Another representative from Shangdong Laizhou kungfu school said they would have a standard soccer field built up in the coming months and "hopefully we can reap some good results in five years".

As China is striving to lift the popular sport into a new level, the measure won applause from Chinese Football Association chief Wei Di.

"It is a creative measure and needs more attention," he said while visiting Shandong during the weekend.

Shandong is the place where Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh, one of the four great Chinese classics, set its background in the southern Song Dynasty period. Song Jiang is the head of a group of outlaws who fought against the governments' tyranny but eventually surrendered.

Editor: Wang Jingjing

Source: Xinhua

China’s latest fad — Kungfootballers
Indo-Asian News Service
Beijing, June 22, 2011
First Published: 00:08 IST(22/6/2011)
Last Updated: 00:11 IST(22/6/2011)

Some Chinese sport schools are attempting to combine soccer with the traditional Chinese kungfu. “Students like it very much. Playing soccer is much more fun than the daily kungfu exercises,” a representative from Shandong Yuncheng Songjiang kungfu school was quoted as saying. Another repre
sentative said they would have a standard soccer field built in the coming months and “hopefully we can reap some good results in five years”.

The move won approval from Chinese Football Association chief Wei Di. “It is a creative measure and needs attention,” he said.

Forty young monks from the world famous Shaolin Temple have also been selected to train at a training school known as the Shaolin monk football training base where the hope is that the incredible balance and leg strength of kungfu disciples will lead to them becoming top class footballers.

Future rivals of the Chinese team should think twice before committing a foul against any of this lot.

[GeneChing]

not much news, but still making it...

Shaolin Soccer school set up
By Isaac Ashe on May 4, 12 11:35 AM in Oddballs


THE blockbuster mega hit movie that was Shaolin Soccer has become a reality!
Finally!
Kung fu mecca The Shaolin Temple in China has established a kung fu soccer school, and a group of 40 monks are being taught to combine football with the ancient martial art by a group of retired Chinese pros.
Head of training Shi Yanlu said: "Kung Fu has a lot of similarities with football.
"Right now China's football performance is really disappointing. We hope by combining Kung Fu elements and spirit Chinese football can perform better."
Rumours Nigel De Jong has signed up have yet to be confirmed.