I've only heard this story in the Shaolin-Do book. Never heard it mentioned anywhere else. I sincerely doubt he tells this story everywhere he goes. I've never heard it in the two lengthy lectures I heard him give (one via video afterwards). I'm sure the makers of the book just really liked that story, plus, they were telling the story of GM Sin--and since, I dare say--his life probably wasn't as action packed as John McLane's, a little action and martial play in the story helps keep you interested, and shows you he can handle himself, and has some kind of handle on Chinese meds.
He seems like a humble guy to me. Just ltwo weeks ago, I was invited by one of my friends, Richie, from that Longfist school I used to go to. He has a cousin staying with him this month who was going to show him an Emei Snake routine , and he knew I really wanted to learn a little snake, so he invited me. I went, and sucked at it (wushu is really friggin' hard), and he's supposed to show us the rest today, if I can make it. I ordered the HElen Liang DVD of it off MartialArtsMart, so I could practice in between lessons. Anyways, we were talking all that evening while learning, and I was relating some of the movements to stuff I'd seen at CSC. They were familiar with the controversies, but were surprised I knew as much about the body mechanics, techniques, applications, etc., that go along with CMA. They started in on meditation and such, and I mentioned some stuff I'd learned about Hou Tien Chi at green sash in the internal division of CSC, and they were surprised I knew about some of that. They said they'd had to spend years in service of their teacher before he was willing to teach this or that technique, this or that meditation technique, or this or that form.
--oops...edit--not meditation, they're not into that.....just the breathing and chi stuff.....
GM The' is humble enough to teach it to those who are willing without demanding anything but hard work and dedication, and standard prices, where martial arts are concerned. As far as I see it, he's one of those humble teachers CMA students are always trying to find, and complain about not having.
Happy to oblige. He's never claimed to be Grandmaster of all of China's Shaolin Temples. Neither did GGM Ie, nor did GGGM Su Kong. That's a misinterpretation taken by some outsiders, who read a couple of sensationalized statements, and figure we think we're a part of the Shaolin Temple govt in service today. He's the Grandmaster of the Shaolin-Do system, which draws from the martial knowledge of all the Shaolin temples. But GM SIn has no authority or ranking privelges at any of the Shaolin temples. He is not abbot, nor has he ever claimed to be. When he visited the Henan or Fujien temple, he was a tourist like anyone else. He wore street clothes, somtimes his gi (I've only seen pics), and his ubiquitous fanny pack (not poking fun, it's just he needs it 'cuz his gi doesn't have pockets) and probably had a camera, too. Su Kong was not an abbot, nor did he ever claim to be. Su Kong helped run the martial arts activities of the Southern Temple at Fujien as a secular monk (and there were plenty of those in the temples---criminals claiming assylum, and those deemed unfit for religious service [i.e.--not everyone's cut out for chastity, pacifism, and endless meditation---I certainly wouldn't be...hahaha....])
He probably doesn't care. He gave what information he had, and as far as I know, he's never changed the story. Some people don't like it, so they bicker. What can he offer that will end the bickering?
Nothing.
If he pulled off this little miracle and proved without a shadow of a doubt that Shaolin-Do was pure shaolin, people would still say: "But it still looks like karate, so it sucks." or "Why are you wearing gi's then?" or "Then why isn't Su Kong listed on the temple records?"
It's the same reason almost every lineage on this forum, and in the chinese martial arts world, is subject to debate.