For Shaolin Trips: The Abbot’s 2023 Trip to America (Part 1 of this tetralogy) click here.

For Shaolin Trips: The Abbot's 2023 Trip to the SF Bay Area (part 2 of this tetralogy click here.

For Shaolin Trips: The Abbot’s 2023 Trip to the City of Angels (part 3 of this tetralogy) click here.

It’s Showtime!

On Sunday morning, I was up early to catch a ride from Sky Fung, our showrunner, to downtown LA’s historic Million Dollar theater for Immortal Shaolin: The Past, Present and Future of Kung Fu. What began as a dream of Payhuan Shiao’s back in San Diego was about to manifest into reality. We aspired to do something greater than the usual martial arts demonstration. Beyond just showcasing incredible feats of Kung Fu, we hoped to put more context behind the art, to share the culture in a way that the audience would be inspired. Payhuan called it an ‘activation.’

Upon arrival, I was thrilled by the magnificence of the historic venue. Built in 1918, the Million Dollar Theater was the very first movie house built by the legendary theater impresario, Sid Grauman (Grauman also built the two most iconic Hollywood landmarks, the Chinese Theater and Egyptian Theater). The Million Dollar Theater once one of the largest movie palaces in the United States, full of that majestic architectural grandeur of an era gone by. Now it is in the long process of restoration, having reopened to special events like Immortal Shaolin in 2008. I love old theaters, so it was a treat to be able to explore the nooks and crannies of such a venerated house. But after having spent a late night practicing our zuiquan with Dieter, I took a short nap on a lobby bench before things started to get rolling.

Payhuan envisioned a high production performance that not only showcased the Abbot, the Shaolin warrior monks, and the newly crowned champions of the North American Shaolin Kung Fu Games, but also told a deeper story of Kung Fu, Wuxia, and of course, his Wuxia-driven company Immortal Studios. To produce the show, he assembled a team of show people – movers and shakers of the entertainment industry – professionals who weren’t accustomed to the last-minute chaotic scramble that comes with any martial arts demonstration. They were aghast that there was to be no full rehearsal run through. I tried to soften the expectations during some early production meetings, but I could only do so much. The way things work in the Wulin is hard to explain to those outside of the Wulin.

The show was in the early afternoon, so it was morning melee as we all struggled to tie up all the loose ends before the curtain rose. My Bak Sil Lum cousin, Sifu Kisu, was featured in one of the acts. As the choreographer of Avatar: The Last Airbender, his contribution to the exposure of traditional Kung Fu to pop culture is immeasurable. And it struck exactly the right note when it came to Payhuan’s underlying message of Wuxia, authentic Kung Fu representation, and pop culture. It's always a blast hanging out with Kisu.  And like so many others I met over the weekend, we hadn’t spent any significant time together since before the pandemic. It was another delightful reunion, full of mischievous fun.

My role was dubious. Payhuan wanted someone to explain the legend of Bodhidharma, and to narrate the forms that the Shaolin monks were demonstrating to give the performance more gravitas and make it more understandable. I’ve done some Wulin MC work for the Tiger Claw Elite Championships including our 25^th Anniversary show Grandmasters LIVE!. I was happy to contribute and had written some potential narration in an early draft of the show, hoping someone else would be the narrator.

My main trepidation was that I had no idea what the Shaolin Warrior monks were going to perform. I had already witnessed 4 performances of the monks, three in the SF Bay Area (Meta, the Welcoming Banquet, and Shi Yanran’s school blessing), and one more at the Welcoming Banquet on Friday night. While monks demonstrated many of the same forms, there was enough variation that I couldn’t be sure what they would show. And I didn’t want to be caught by something I didn’t recognize. For example, at the Meta performance, one monk demonstrated Dahongquan, a form that I used to know. However, he demonstrated the third road. Dahongquan has three parts. I only learned the first road. Had that one come up, it would take me too long to recognize it. I’d be lucky to get the title ‘Dahongquan’ out before it finished.

A form demonstration only lasts a minute or so, so it wasn’t much time to recognize the form and say something intelligent about it. I had begged for a list of what forms they might do, but I soon realized that the monks do what they please when they perform. They go where the qi takes them. I was never going to get a list. All I was told was there were to be four sections, but I never even figured out what those four were (in retrospect, my guess is that they meant traditional forms, imitative boxing, Tongzigong, and weapons).

As showtime crept closer, there were a few pre-show freakouts, the sort expected of any live performance I imagine. I found myself hustling to solve various obstacles, like getting the music from some of the school performers and directing performers to the right staging areas, whilst trying to stay calm myself and most of all, remain present. I had told Anthony (Nino) Mayo, our music and vibe director, that he should listen to ‘Shaolin, Shaolin’, the ballad from the 1982 movie Shaolin Temple. Anyone who knows Shaolin, knows how anthemic this song is. But he didn’t get it, which is totally understandable because it’s a Wulin thing. Fortunately two of the demonstrating schools used it because I personally felt our show would be incomplete without it.

To find my center on that hallowed theater floor, I recited my Baduanjin beforehand, tucked in a dark corner backstage. I managed to cajole Shi Yanli, who would lead a short discussion of Chan Buddhism in the show,  into committing to helping me with the names of the forms as the Shaolin Warrior monks performed them. I was still skeptical that would actually happen but was eager for any back up I could get.

Immortal Shaolin: The Past, Present and Future of Kung Fu

Ultimately the show was a smashing success. It was an exceptional performance, not just another martial arts demo, but a showcase of Shaolin culture. Shi Yanxu got everyone to follow him through Baduanjin. There were some fine video accompaniments on the backdrop screen. Kisu demonstrated Lianbuquan with his signature flair. The Southern California Shaolin Chan Kung Fu Academy, Kung Fu Dragon USA, the Shaolin Warrior Academy, and the Los Angeles Shaolin Cultural Center all delivered wonderful performances. The champions showed off their skills one last time for an adoring crowd. The Abbot gave his blessing and Warrior monks gave another impressive show like always.

However, my parts were all messed up.

My first part was a segment about the Legend of Bodhidharma. I said what needed to be said, and towards the end I turned around to check out the amazing video they had prepared for my backdrop only to see a blank screen. The video missed its cue. I had been visualizing this dramatic video commanding the audience’s attention but no. It was just me babbling about Bodhidharma in front of a blank screen. I made a quick comment saying that there was supposed to be something going on behind me which drew a few laughs. It was a fair recovery, but I imagine my genuine dismay made it funnier.

When the Shaolin Warrior monks began, Yanli was standing next to me. The first form was Tongbiquan. I recognized it immediately just Yanli said it with a dismissive glance. Then he walked away. Freaking Tongbiquan. It was haunting me for this entire trip.

I was never too fond of Tongbiquan. There’s some question about its authenticity as a traditional Shaolin form, but even if it is a recent add to the curriculum, I don’t really care. I used to be attached to such ideas of ‘original Shaolin,’ but now I just enjoy any form that is practical and fun. I first learned Tongbiquan in the fields of the Shi Xiaolong Martial Arts school in Dengfeng in 2003. My master, Shi Decheng, was abroad when I visited Shaolin that year, so I was taught it all in one afternoon. A year later, I learned it again in another one-day session from Decheng when he visited California. It never really stuck. However, a few years ago, I brought it back into my weekly regimen because I was thinking about teaching again, and Tongbi is a good introductory form. Now, in retrospect, the lesson I’ve gleaned from this Shaolin Zone is that I need to pay more attention to Tongbi.

But back to my Immortal Shaolin narration, I recognized all the rest of the empty-hand forms by myself (thankfully since Yanli abandoned me).  I got plenty of compliments about my narration afterwards, even though I was just free riffing and can’t quite remember what I said now. I was in the moment.

The Warrior monks were supposed to perform again towards the end of the show for a climactic finale, but the Tongzigong demonstration mistook a queue and went on early. I rushed to find a mic and start talking. Fortunately, Tongzigong is slow, so I had plenty of time to say something, whatever it was I said. The final Shaolin Warrior monk part came later, on cue when it was supposed to, and that was weapons which were easy for me to narrate.

Later, I found myself standing next to Yanli as the 8–9-year-old champion, Eugene Ho, was performing. I had taken his abandonment of me as a lesson too, a way of him saying that there was no reason for me to be so clingy to the order of forms and just do what I do, which is exactly what I did. Yanli watched Ho’s demo and commented “he’s strong.” Without missing a beat, I said “Eugenes are strong”. I’m not sure he got that Eugene is my full name, but one of the Immortal crew caught it and giggled.

In the end, show went off with the usual number of hitches, almost all the big ones during my sections, but not my fault. Sky looked exasperated. Herding martial artists is worse than herding cats. I pulled her aside and told her it went very well for a martial arts demonstration, which was the truth. She did an amazing job, as did the rest of the crew.

“Nobody got stabbed” I said.

Immortal Studios succeeded in producing a groundbreaking activation, whether the audience realized it or not. It brought together pop culture elements like never before, and with the support of the Abbot of Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin. Immortal Shaolin: The Past, Present and Future of Kung Fu was not about raising money by putting on a show. It was about sharing the Shaolin culture and the Shaolin experience. The activation launched an initiative “Empowering Angels” that invited single mothers, inner-city youths, artists affected by industry strikes, emerging cultural creators and formerly incarcerated to be their guests at an afternoon that will start with a special Shaolin blessing and ceremony aimed at bringing positivity, healing, and empowerment to the “Cities of Angels” community. “LA has been through a lot in these past period, and we just wanted people to know that we want to offer some palpable support to people who are having a hard time. In Zen everything starts with the mind, and through this event we want to share some ‘peace of mind’ with all who are seeking it in a uniquely Kung Fu kind of way,” said Payhuan.

That’s extraordinary, especially for a comic book publisher.

The Second Shaolin Duanpin and the Shaolin North American Association Meeting

Whilst I was at the Million Dollar Theater, more Shaolin activities were going on back at the Sheraton San Gabriel. Unfortunately, I only have backstage photos of Immortal Shaolin because that’s where I was. But I got reports from Jonny, Gigi, and Dieter about how the rest went.

It’s secondhand news so I don’t have too much to say about those proceedings. I’m told the Duanpin went well, and many instructors enrolled in the program. I missed the first North American Duanpin at TCEC because I gassed out, so missing the second one seemed like the start of some personal tradition. I’ve been if I’ll register and participate. Probably not. I do support the idea, it’s just if I participate, it’s harder for me to report on it. Just like with our Immortal Shaolin show, I have limited bandwidth. At least, that’s my excuse for now.

I’m told the Shaolin North American Association Meeting went well too. The most notable outcome for us was that our own Gigi Oh, KungFuMagazine.com’s Publisher Emeritus, was elected as Secretary General of this fledgling organization. I’ve taken to calling her Secretary General at every opportunity ever since (although in future I may switch to the Mandarin ‘Mishu Zhang’ because it’s less syllables but I’m sure she’ll mock my horrid pronounciation).

I heard Yanfan caused some commotion at the meeting and called out Kung Fu Tai Chi for never putting him on the cover, which is exactly the kind of attitude that kept him off the cover. He caused some ruckus at Immortal Shaolin too, stealing the stage to demonstrate a form at one point. Backstage, the Shaolin monks were livid (I didn’t know why at the time). They demanded that the house music be cut, and he be kicked off stage, but it was over before that could happen. Shaolin forms are short. It wouldn’t be Shaolin if there wasn’t some conflict.

Like I said before, at least no one got stabbed.

After a ten-year absence, it was wonderful to see the Abbot again. He looked good, almost younger. He’s known for his stoic Buddhist abbot expression, but he was more gleeful than ever, smiling warmly at the young Shaolin students (he remained stoic for most of the adults). I’m genuinely grateful that I could attend this series of events. It was so wonderful to reunite with so many old friends and make some new ones. It was an honor to be a part of Immortal Shaolin. I’ve been working for Immortal Studios since the pandemic broke out, and it has taught me to respect Payhuan’s vision.

I can hardly wait until my next Shaolin Trip. Until then, I’ll be practicing my Tongbi.

Amituofo

Stay tuned for our exclusive interview with Venerable Shi Yongxin, Abbot of Shaolin Temple from Gigi and me.