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Thread: Shaolin Soccer for real

  1. #1
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    REAL Shaolin Soccer

    Shaolin Soccer Live!

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

    --Keep talking and I'm gonna serve you dinner...by opening up a can of "whoop-ass" and for dessert, a slice of Lama Pai!

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  2. #2
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    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.

  3. #3
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    Shaolin Soccer for real

    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  4. #4
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    Silly monks! You hit the ball with your laces not your toes
    "The true meaning of a given movement in a form is not its application, but rather the unlimited potential of the mind to provide muscular and skeletal support for that movement." Gregory Fong

  5. #5
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    Invited by FIFA

    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #6
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    thats right get kids playing as young as possible. shaolin kids!!!!! take the football world by storm!
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  7. #7
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    I've always thought if I had started kung fu earlier in my soccer career I would have been a much better player....
    "The true meaning of a given movement in a form is not its application, but rather the unlimited potential of the mind to provide muscular and skeletal support for that movement." Gregory Fong

  8. #8
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    I had a feeling this might go viral

    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  9. #9
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    Made the Ghana news

    Funny to watch how this gets passed on virally, yes?
    Kung fu football school to improve China's soccer performance
    Last Updated: Monday, 28 March 2011, 5:30 GMT Previous Page



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

    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 footballers.

    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 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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  10. #10
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    The Women did it first!

    I still like the Adidas commercial that has the chinese women's team throwing down a tai chi inspired soccer ball challenge in a park
    "The true meaning of a given movement in a form is not its application, but rather the unlimited potential of the mind to provide muscular and skeletal support for that movement." Gregory Fong

  11. #11
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    Ah yes, that was a great one, TaichiMantis

    But I'd argue that it was in the wake of Shaolin Soccer, which was 2001. That FIFA ad was 2003.

    It all starts at Shaolin.

    Here's another news story. It's great to watch the slow viral spread of this. What amazes me is that they keep getting new pix. There's some savvy marketing with this particular Shaolin school for sure.

    Martial arts monks trained at football
    By ALEX WEST
    Published: Today

    IT'S Kung Futball! A monk from the famous Shaolin Temple martial arts centre performs a stunning overhead kick during a soccer match.

    The Chinese hope to turn their national team into world beaters by training the acrobatic monks to play.

    Maybe some will end up playing for Inter the Dragon Milan...

    Great ball of China ... monk takes a shot, left, and goalie clears it off the line

    Pass master ... controlling ball with chest
    Kung fu football
    29 March 2011

    A school in China is combining football with kung fu.

    Shaolin monks are opening the new training quarters to train youngsters under the supervision of martial arts experts and former international footballers to try and enhance the nation's poor performance in the sport.

    It is thought the martial arts training will improve their skills on the pitch.

    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.

    Organiser Shi 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.

    "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."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #12
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    this virus keeps spreading

    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?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #13
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    a successful team wont sprout right away, but i think this has a lot of potential
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  14. #14
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    Major buzzkill

    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?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  15. #15
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    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?
    "The true meaning of a given movement in a form is not its application, but rather the unlimited potential of the mind to provide muscular and skeletal support for that movement." Gregory Fong

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