Shaolin Trips: Interview with Abbot Shi Yongxin at the World Shaolin Kung F

By Gene Ching

On July 12th, 2024, during the World Shaolin Kung Fu Games, we were invited into the Abbot’s audience chambers for a private interview with and Abbot Shi Yongxin. It was a short interview because the Abbot was very busy overseeing the proceedings of the games, but he referred us to various resources to expand upon some of the topics he covered. KungFuMagazine.com was grateful that the Abbot could grant us the audience during such a busy period and share some tea.

Both Kung Fu Tai Chi Publisher Emeritus Gigi Oh and Philip Sahagun were present and assisted with translations.

GC: How are the World Shaolin Kung Fu Games going so far?

Abbot: It’s the first time so the experience is not enough. This is on such a big scale and there’s nothing to compare. The meaning for the event is much more, actually. It’s all over the world. The disciples and students come and can get together one time.

GC: Yes, it’s very beautiful.

Abbot: Originally, we set on August but because of the feedback from our meeting, the first meeting, the people from the United States felt like that’s when school starts. This is hard to get people out. But we still have 400 people from Europe coming later. So this time, we had much less from Europe, but in August, we’ll have at least 400 more people.

GC: Based on the success of the Games so far, what is planned for the future?

Abbot: We don’t know when is the next Games yet because there’s a lot of things involved. [Since this interview, there has been discussion about making the World Shaolin Kung Fu Games a biannual event, but at this writing, it has still yet to be established. – GC]

GC: Last time I was at Shaolin Temple was 20 years ago. And I barely recognize it now. So many new trees. It’s so beautiful.

Abbot: We got all the small schools out. Then the trees have room to start growing. I think we like this way. We like it more green.

GC: How has the response to these changes been from the world?

Abbot: Everybody has a positive response. The Shaolin Temple was originally the spiritual garden for the whole world. So we should go back to the original way it was.

In the deep mountains, temples were hidden. There’s a river that protects it. This is how it like in historical times. We want to bring back that beauty in this modern environment. That’s what it should be like here.

GC: And Dengfeng has grown. It’s much nicer. The hotel is grand. Is it meeting your expectations?

Abbot: I still think it’s too many buildings. It’s less green. So maybe after a few years, after more trees grow up, maybe it will be better.

Gigi: I do have a lot of Zen feelings here so I slept very well last night.

Abbot: [laughs]

GC: What do you hope will come out of the World Shaolin Kung Fu Games?

Abbot: I just hope to see everybody getting together, to know each other. And then we recognize each other and respect each other. That’s it.

GC: What happens next?

Abbot: Europe is planning to erect a new stele. There are 21 countries from Europe. And 84 individual groups. The calligraphy [for this stele] was done by a principal of Beijing University, a calligraphy master. So August 15th, we will have a ceremony to erect this stele and the 400 Europeans are coming. [ The abbot had some of his monks show us the plans for the stele, presented on large sheets of parchment. - GC ]

GC: What do the Americas have to do to erect one of these?

Gigi: We have to group the people and I think we’d need a certain amount of tribute.

GC: What can we look forward to next for Shaolin?

Abbot: These last few years, we’ve spent a lot of time studying on how to put our medicine and Zen knowledge together and organize our curriculum. So there are a lot of things and we are moving forward step-by-step. There’s a lot to come. It’s not quite finalized yet because it includes Zen studies and martial arts studies and medicine studies.

In the next year, we hope to come out with the long staff and short staff combat techniques. Outside, there’s boxing, shuai jiao, sanda, too many already. We’ve already started to come out with staff combat competition. We have standardized the long staff, the short staff, and protective gear for competitive sparring.

Gigi: Maybe Tiger Claw can help sell these.

Everyone: [laughs]

Abbot: I’ve looked at the market. There’s already a lot of barehanded combat sports. There’s already sword sparring sports. When you practice, you use different methods and forms. But when you do combat, it’s different.

At this point, the Abbot was called away to other obligations regarding the World Shaolin Kung Fu Games, but he left us with references for the new Shaolin staff combat program and gifted us autographed editions of his latest book, ShaoLin Ch’anGong. These represent the three new competitive disciplines that Shaolin is beginning to promote. Changong (禪弓‘Zen archery), Changgun (长棍 ‘long stick’), and Duangun (短棍 ‘short stick’) are the formal names of these three disciplines.

The Abbot’s latest work, ShaoLin Ch’anGong, is a 160 book that goes into great detail about the history, practice and regulations of Shaolin chan archery. The book project coincided with the Second Shaolin Changong Competition of 2018, held at Zhangbi Castle in Shanxi Province. Its first printing was 2020. A designated archery range for Shaolin Changong has been established at Shangke Tang (上客堂 ’Upper Guest Hall’) which is a courtyard 200 meters east of Shaolin Temple.

According to its back cover blurb: “Shaolin Ch’angong is a sport and a culture that integrates Ch’an culture into Chinese traditional archer. It is the physical and mental training menthods ground in the use of bow to attain Ch’an and releasing arrow to seek the Buddhist teachings. Shaolin ch’angong is the enrichments and supplement of Shaolin culture. It is an innovative sport that Shaolin Temple has launched in time to adapt to the development of the times.”

In the 2024 Shaolin Games Book, Changgun is described as follows: “The competitive sparring project, conducted within a designated area, involves opponents engaging in combat using semi-flexible staffs, with scores determining the winner. The competition rules are rigorous, adopting a best-of-three system, with each round lasting three minutes, uninterrupted by the clock. Athletes utilize two-meter-long, semi-flexible staffs and wear protective gear during sparring in a circular arena with a diameter of ten meters. Matches are categorized based on age and weight groups, with a point awarded for hitting valid scoring zones, two points for knocking the opponent to the ground and warnings or cautions issued for fouls according to the specific situation. The head referee and the side referees work in tandem to ensure a fair and impartial match.”

Duangun is similar to Changgun. It is described as follows: “Competitors wield a shorts staff approximately one meter in length, constructed from cut-resistant Oxford cloth, and wear protective gear while sparring in a circular arena with a diameter of ten meters. Matches follow a best-of-three format, with each round lasting three minutes, with no clock stoppage between rounds.”

Demonstration matches of Changgun and Duangun were exhibited at the World Shaolin Kung Fu Games and representatives of the burgeoning sport were available to let participants examine the weapons and protective gear prototypes. At this writing, none of these three Shaolin sports have progressed significantly beyond China. Nevertheless, many Shaolin practitioners have been introduced to Changong and instruction is actively propounded at Shaolin Temple. It may be only a matter of time before these new sports find their way into the Shaolin Kung Fu Games.

What happens in the next chapter? I have one more chapter about my China trip - Shaolin Trips: 2024 Shaolin Kung Fu Intangible Heritage Transmission and Innovation Conference. However before that, I’m going to interrupt my China flow with USA trip - Shaolin Trips: USA Shaolin Open & Traditional Kung Fu Team Trials in Houston, Texas.

About author:

Gene Ching is the Publisher of KungFuMagazine.com and the author of Shaolin Trips.

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