Do the Shaolin Monks still tour?

[GeneChing]

...sometimes they even forget who they took as disciples. Remember my publisher's corner in the last issue? One of my disciple brothers disappeared. When I asked Decheng to list his American disciples, he forgot him too. I reminded him and he just looked at me like 'hmm, forgot about him' but since he disappeared, Decheng wasn't attached.

So no, there are no records of disciples. I wonder if there are decent records of wuseng.

I just heard that there's a Union City Chinese New Year Celebration on Feb 8 featuring Ben's Shaolin Kung Fu & O-Mei Kung Fu Academy. Like I said, we're lousy with monks.

[GeneChing]

"30 men revered as the true disciples of the Shaolin Temple" That seems a little shy. The last interview I had with Abbot Yongxin put the number at 280 monks and 20 nuns.

COMMUNITY SPORTS: Monks from Shaolin Temple show off martial arts skills
By John Raifsnider - For The North County Times | Sunday, February 1, 2009 5:07 PM PST ∞

ENCINITAS ---- Among the 1.3 billion residents of China are 30 men revered as the true disciples of the Shaolin Temple, Buddhist monks who are royal masters of the ancient martial art of kung fu. Fewer than half of those masters have attained the title of "warrior of the temple," guardians of the abbot where the monks reside.

Four of those warriors arrived Friday afternoon in Southern California to begin a month-long tour of the state. The monks plan to conduct more than 50 performances of their craft for audiences that have already included wide-eyed students at a martial arts studios and curious gamblers at a nearby casino.

According to Giuseppe Alliota, operator of an Encinitas-based martial arts studio where the monks performed Friday evening, the Shaolin Temple is held in the highest regard by its followers, and the warriors are its elite defenders.

"The Shaolin Temple in China is to ... martial arts (what) the Vatican is to the Catholic Church," Alliota said.

"The (Shaolin) Temple has a 1,500-year history and is (considered) the birthplace of martial arts and Zen meditation. The Shaolin warrior monks are well-known for their physical and spiritual mastery of the martial arts."

Alliota said kung fu was first developed in northern China more than 1,500 years ago, and that the region is still home to hundreds of martial arts schools.

"In the northern area of China, martial arts is similar to what surfing is to Encinitas," said Alliota, who has visited China four times.

"In this city everybody surfs. Over there everyone is into martial arts. Only for them, it's not a pastime or a hobby, it's their lifestyle."

Shi Yan Hui, the monks' spokesman, says the group embarked on the trip to "spread to America our art and culture."

"We want to bring to this country our ways of life and to support marital arts all over the world," said Hui, after two performances by the group at Harrah's casino on Saturday night.

"We are happy to be here and glad to see the high level of interest by the young people in America in our art," he said.

The monks visited Disneyland on Sunday and will hold a final North County performance today at Alliota's 4S Ranch studio.

At Friday's performance, more than 200 people were "crammed like sardines" into Alliota's small strip-mall studio. Today the monks will have room to move about freely at his 4,000-square-foot facility in 4S Ranch.

"It's a lot bigger place and we won't be near as jammed together," Alliota said.

"Friday night there were a lot more people there than I thought there was going to be. Monday night, it won't be so hectic and people won't be sitting on top of each other. It will be a much more enjoyable experience for everyone."

Today's performance by the Shaolin Temple monks begins at 4 p.m. at 10890-B Thornmint Road in 4S Ranch. For more information call (858) 451-5425.

[GeneChing]

If you read The Temple and the Auto Shop in our previous issue, the 2009 January/February Shaolin Special, you should have expected this one. I was just setting it all up with the Yanhui/Bruce Wen news bits.

China Songshan Shaolin Temple Day - March 21st, 2009 - Union Square, San Francisco, CA.

[Songshan]

Oh man! I wished I could be there

[GeneChing]

Come on, Songshan. To quote the venerable master Foghorn Leghorn "I keep throwin' 'em, you keep missin' 'em"

I have confirmation from Shaolin that Abbot Yongxin will be present. This will be his 6th trip to America.

[GeneChing]

What I like about this promo is that they state specifically "disciples of the Shaolin schools" and not monks.

Bardavon sets comedy, music and martial arts shows

Shaolin Warriors are set to perform Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Kingston.
Performed by disciples of the Shaolin schools, known throughout the world
for their disciplined and deadly martial-arts prowess, the performers bring skill, stunning movement and spectacular imagery to the stage. These Kung Fu
masters have trained from a very young age in mental and physical
disciplines, which allow them to perform feats one thought only possible in
the movies. Tickets are $37, adults; $32, members; $25, children 12 and under.

[GeneChing]

I'm extremely skeptical about this Shaolin troupe. Tai An is in Shandong, which has a very rich martial tradition and a massive community of practitioners. Provinces generally don't cooperate to produce circus acts like this. They cull from within their own neighborhood.

Review: The Chinese State Circus at Princes Park
Published Date: 07 August 2009
By Tony Flood
THE CHINESE State Circus brought a new vibrant spectacle to Princes Park, Eastbourne.
Great feats were performed by top acrobatics, gymnasts and martial artists, but the stars for me were the Aerial Silks, two youngsters who pulled off daring tricks while soaring high in the air, supported only by one of them holding two long lengths of silk.
The show combined the skills – and strength – of the famous Shaolin Wu-Shu Warriors with those of the Tai An Acrobatic Troupe.
It made for an entertaining show for the whole family and my four-year-old grand-daughter Gabrielle Antonia loved it. The only thing missing was humour and it was a pity the narrator, folklore character The Monkey King, did not take on a true comic role.
The Tai An Troupe showed amazing versatility in swinging from pole to pole, plate-spinning, hat juggling, lion dancing and trick cycling, with seven girls and a boy on one bike! There was also back-flipping acrobats spiralling through rotating hoops.
The Shaolin Warriors didn't impress as much with their fight sequences as they did with their feats of strength. They had bricks smashed on their head with a hammer and then used their heads to break metal bars.
And teenage trainee Ban Lu Yang demonstrated his ability by balancing in mid air on the tips of spears.
More variety came from candelabra-balancing contortionists Li Ya Tian and Zheng Miao Miao.
There was an Olympic finale featuring potential future medal-winning gymnasts and a colourful cast of fabled characters.

• The Chinese Circus continues at Princes Park until Tuesday August 11, with performances at: 3pm and 7.45pm on Saturday and Monday and at 2pm and 5pm on Sunday and Tuesday. Tickets from Box Office on site 9am to 9pm or Ticketmaster at 0844 576 5506.

[GeneChing]

This could be anything, even a local school. It just struck me as funny. It reminds me of that line: "If I’ve told them once, I’ve told them a hundred times. First, Puppet Show; then, Spinal Tap."

Buzz in the sky for bees, blueberry festival
Published: August 06, 2009 1:00 PM
Updated: August 06, 2009 1:07 PM

Honeyland Canada in Pitt Meadows is taking honeybee education to new heights.

The 5th annual Bees and Blueberry Festival on Aug. 15 will feature a skydiving performance mimicking two honeybees uniting.

In addition to the skydiving performance, there will be a petting zoo, bouncy castle and beeswax candle making stations for children. The festival will also feature a magic show by Norden the Magician, a performance by Shaolin Kung Fu Institute, a dance competition and blueberry ice cream feeding contest.

Secure bike parking will be provided by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition’s Great Rides.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Honeyland Canada, located at 17617 Ford Rd.

[TaichiMantis]

This could be anything, even a local school. It just struck me as funny. It reminds me of that line: "If I’ve told them once, I’ve told them a hundred times. First, Puppet Show; then, Spinal Tap."

It's this guy, Ken Low's Shaoling Kung Fu in Vancouver

[GeneChing]

This one sounds pretty good. I love rudimentary drumming. It's the most martial modern music form.

28 August 2009, 12:38
Shaolin monks to participate in the Kremlin festival

Moscow, August 28, Interfax – Sixty monks from the renowned Shaolin Monastery will participate in the international military-musical festival Spasskaya Bashnya, which is to be held from September 5 to September 10 at Red Square in Moscow.

They will demonstrate martial arts techniques in noncontact variant to the accompaniment of three drums of a two-meter diameter each, head of the military orchestra service of the Russian Armed Forces and chief military conductor Major General Valery Khalilov told journalists.

About thousand musicians and honor guards from nine countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel, India, Italy, China, Finland and France will also participate in the event.

French singer Mireille Mathieu will be an honorary guest of the festival. She will sing three songs with consolidated orchestra of more than 800 musicians.

Musical program will represent national diversity of the orchestras participating in the festival. Besides, some surprises are in store for spectators, for example, an orchestra from Great Britain with bagpipers who use improvisations of the Beatles songs.

[GeneChing]

The famous Jilin Shaolin temple - nice spin why the circus is good for monks...

Chinese State Circus comes to Weymouth
10:12am Friday 4th September 2009
By Laura Kitching

FEATS of daring and expertise by Shaolin Wu-Shu Warriors, acrobats and dancers are being performed in Weymouth.

The Chinese State Circus has pitched its big top at Lodmoor Country Park and, until Sunday, the troupe will be wowing crowds with stunts that have taken years of training to perfect.

Circus spokesman Lori Zloteanu said: “All of the artists started training at three or four years old and they train every single day for about three hours.

“We come to Weymouth every two or three years but it’s a totally new production.

“This is the first time it’s been seen in this town.”

Five members of Shaolin monastery from the Ji Lin province of China will be putting their martial arts expertise to the test.

Two contortionist women from the Tai An province will use their gymnastic training to bend and balance on top of each other while supporting a crystal ornament in the air.

Among the spectacles taking place are the traditional Chinese Lion Dance and a performance by a Monkey King character, swinging poles, tricks with diabolos and plate spinning – accompanied by balancing acts.

Lori, who worked as a dancer with the circus before taking over the marketing role, added: “The Shaolin monks live in temples and for them this is a chance to experience travelling and to see if they like this kind of life – making money – or to stay as proper monks.

“Most of the Shaolin do go back to be proper monks but the circus is a good experience for them.

“The acrobats usually become teachers when they retire and teach others their skills.

“They have quite a full life when you think about it.”

[GeneChing]

Unfortunately, this is not a text file so I couldn't do the ol' cut & paste.

Pop Stars, Shaolin Monks to open cricket gala

[GeneChing]

Shaggy and Shaolin - how could I miss that?

Shaggy, Chaka, shaolin monks in CL opening ceremony
STAFF WRITER 16:49 HRS IST

Bangalore, Oct 6 (PTI) Renowned Reggae singer Shaggy, Grammy winner Chaka Khan, British pop star Jamelia and shaolin monks from China will set alight the star-studded opening ceremony of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here tomorrow.

The proceeding would start in all seriousness with captains of the 12 participating teams exchanging flags and taking the "MCC - Spirit of Cricket" before leaving their hand prints in clay, as an attestation to play the game within the spirit of cricket.

After that, it would be high-voltage entertainment.

Twelve world-renowned Japanese drummers would take the centrestage then, followed by international dancers in Michelle Ferranti costumes.

American R&B singer-songwriter Yvette Marie Stevens, better known as Chaka Khan, would then take over to entertain the crowd with her hit single "I Feel For You"

Shaggy, Jamelia to perform at Champions League T20 Opening Ceremony
Tuesday, 06 October 2009 16:26 Arjun Wadhwa

The Garden City of Bengaluru will be the epicentre of cricket fans as the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 kicks-off this week. The cricketing quotient aside, fans will be treated to an eye-catching line-up of entertainers at the Grand Opening Ceremony at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Opening Ceremony promises to be a breath-taking visual extravaganza which will showcase world-class international acts and the global nature of the tournament. Just prior to the commencement of the Opening Ceremony, the 12 team captains participating in the inaugural edition of the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 will exchange team flags and take the "MCC - Spirit of Cricket" oath to respect their opponents, their teams and their umpires. The captains will then leave their handprints in clay, as an attestation to play the game within the spirit of cricket. Meanwhile 200 school children will perform a choreographed sequence to the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 theme song before revealing the team logos and releasing balloons.

The Opening Ceremony's entertainment will then kick-off in earnest with 12 world-renowned Japanese drummers electrifying the atmosphere within Chinnaswamy Stadium. This will be followed by international dancers in "Michelle Ferranti's" costumes.

Legendary Grammy award winner CHAKA KHAN will then take centre stage to entertain the crowd and viewing audience with her hit single "I FEEL FOR YOU".

Chaka Khan will be followed by the acrobatic Cube Artists. Next on from China, will be a choreographed group of Shaolin Monks displaying Tai Chi, Kung Fu and powerful Chi Kung movements in an adrenalin-packed sequence, surrounded by the agile Kalaripayattu Artists using an ancient South Indian art form. The weaponry, choreography and fast-paced techniques by these Indo-Chinese performers will leave the audience spellbound as it will depict the aggression and spirit with which the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 will be played.

World renowned reggae artist and Grammy Award winner SHAGGY will then perform his hit single "FEEL THE RUSH", accompanied by a multi-coloured laser show which will encase the entire stadium. To complement this, eight wind dancers will engulf the stadium to give fans a surreal effect.

British pop star JAMELIA will then take over with her international super hit song "SUPERSTAR".

For the grand finale, all the artists, including the children, will converge onto the field to a synchronized segment of lights, laser, concert sound and a display of fireworks that will come together to make for a spectacular climax.

[GeneChing]

No, not Feiyues.

China Cultural Tour 2011 launched in Shaolin Temple
* Source: Xinhua
* [09:27 January 02 2011]


A Kungfu student performs at the inauguration ceremony of China Cultural Tour 2011 in Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 1, 2011. Theming Travel in China, Explore the Culture, the China Cultural Tour 2011 was launched by the National Tourism Administration on Saturday in an effort to promote Chinese culture and enhance marketing on tourist destinations around the country. Photo: Xinhua


Monks perform Chinese Kungfu to greet guests coming for the inauguration ceremony of China Cultural Tour 2011 in Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 1, 2011. Theming Travel in China, Explore the Culture, the China Cultural Tour 2011 was launched by the National Tourism Administration on Saturday in an effort to promote Chinese culture and enhance marketing on tourist destinations around the country. Photo: Xinhua


Monks perform Chinese Kungfu to greet guests coming for the inauguration ceremony of China Cultural Tour 2011 in Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 1, 2011. Theming Travel in China, Explore the Culture, the China Cultural Tour 2011 was launched by the National Tourism Administration on Saturday in an effort to promote Chinese culture and enhance marketing on tourist destinations around the country. Photo: Xinhua

[curenado]

This thread def needs the Harlem GlobeTrotter theme playing in the background! Lol!