Read Shaolin versus Shaolin: Choosing Your Shaolin Experience by Daniel Chase. In honor of our Shaolin Special 2014.
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Read Shaolin versus Shaolin: Choosing Your Shaolin Experience by Daniel Chase. In honor of our Shaolin Special 2014.
An excellent thread. Perhaps training in Guandu will feature exceptional leg work and distance running capability, owing to the trotting distance between it's halls? :)
This was good:
"While Dengfeng in Henan Province is the center of the Kung Fu universe.."
and "The only thing truly special about Dengfeng is that it’s crawling with Kung Fu students and teachers. It’s a wonderful place to buy weapons, training gear, and Kung Fu uniforms."
And it is! I like the uniforms and service in Dengfeng. They got my business, extra shipping time and all.
Thanks! :)
I'm back! :)
Just vacation this time. Been hanging in Kunming the past week. Tomorrow I head for Guilin and Yangshuo for a week, then back to Kunming.
Met with Shi Yan Bei (acting abbot at Guandu Shaolin) today and he agreed to do another interview for the magazine. So hopefully I'll have a full report for you all in time for the next Shaolin Special. :D
No idea why picture is sideways. Forgive me. :D
It must be those shaolin DO fools. hahahaha
Just to clarify, for anyone else who can't be bothered to read, I said "acting" abbot because Shi Yongxin sent Shi Yan Bei down to Kunming to run the temples for the duration of their 20 year contract with Shaolin Temple. ;)
So. It's been awhile since I read anything about Abbot Yongxin's troubles. I had thought they had blown over, but apparently the investigation continues.
Shi Yanbei does not want to do the interview until things have returned to normal with Shaolin. Right now their public image has been damaged, it's not the best time to answer questions about spreading Shaolin culture in Kunming. He (and my translator) have my questions and my email, hopefully they will be answered at some point. Not holding my breath.
The good news is, after giving the bad news, I was invited to stay and train that day. Couldn't refuse. Late in the day a familiar face appeared. We were both delighted and very surprised. It was Shi Hengbo, one of my old teachers when I was there a few years ago. I'd thought he'd returned to Songshan. He called it "fate," but, of course, all the monks say that. ;)
It was great to see him again. And train with him again. When I get back from Dali, I will head to the temple one last time to train with him again. :)
Tomorrow I leave Kunming. And China. Have a few days in Bangkok and a few in Bali. Then go home.
Spent most of the last two days at Shaolin Temple. Training with Shi Hengbo was once again a wonderful experience. He's an excellent teacher. And generous. When he teaches the children he pushes them hard, but also plays and makes them laugh.
With me he his totally hands on. Once again we trained real gong fu. Not taolu, not sanda. Striking and qinna and transitions between them. He gave me a lot to work on/think about. Hopefully I can refine it not forget it over the next few years...it will likely be that long before I come back. Sad once more to leave. A month in China went by so fast. But I know I will be back. Do you know they're giving Americans a 10 year visa now?! :D
So I was just poking around on the internet feeling nostalgic and I thought I'd look up the Kunming Shaolin Temple and see what's been going on there. A lot apparently:
https://shaolintemple.com/
Seems like they've really expanded and changed their marketing approach (by actually having one, besides asking me to bring people by :p). Looks like lots of offerings and lots of foreign students. Wish going back for a follow up article was in the cards... maybe next decade :(
Hope everyone is holding up ok these days.