What does the Shaolin temple think of Bruce Lee?

[Erasmus Lightstone]

"Shaolin is a tourism industry and Bruce Lee is a dead movie star" so C'est La Vie.

This statement needs to be commented on. First of all, Bruce was a martial artist FIRST and a movie actor SECOND! MOST kung fu founders of the original styleS are DEAD...does that mean that the martial arts community says "Sorry-we can't study the style--nor can we comment on the founder or the system--just because..they're dead"? No-of course not!! Other people remarked that Bruce Lee couldn't hold a candle to a shaolin monk..I assume you mean that he would get his ass kicked eh? I wasn't asking that either. I asked rather rhetorically if anyone agreed that it would be an interesting feature story.

[reemul]

Don't look to the Temple for Shaolin kung fu.

Some buisness men of a Tong brought Bruce into the catacombs of San Francisco, Where he was introduced to Master Lo (last of the White eyebrow masters) and another master who will remain nameless.

[Erasmus Lightstone]

Thanks for your input-but please explain how him being introduced to a White Eyebrow master relates to what Shaolin(the temple) or Shaolin(as in the remaining genuine monks and not impostors) has to say about him and JKD?

[reemul]

You asked what the Shaolin thought of Bruce,

My response was that they thought nothing of him.

He was basically to impatient to study the so called "traditional" systems. They were not impressed by his ability because in their eyes he was a novice.

The Shaolin temple has been void of Shaolin monks for 70 years. Having left the monastary and China they ceased being monks and those with the information of the shaolin systems do not call themselves monks.

As for the current Shaolin practioners, some like his movies, some don't, and pretty much none aspire to be like him, they're seeking what is far beyond what he was capable of.

If you don't see the relevance of Bruce meeting a Shaolin master and what traspired, not correlating
to your question, you are beyond my help.

[Kristoffer]

I read in a article about the authors trip to the shaolin temple. He made it clear that most of the 'kung fu' that were trained there was modern wushu. BUT,,, there was the real deal too! It was just very hard to find becouse every 'monk' were the same funny looking robes :D But after he talked and trained to alot of monks, he stumbeld across a chinese who did traditional kung fu. The author was pretty sure that this man came from the shaolin village....

In the article, he writes that in the shaolin village there are strictly traditional schools of kung fu.
He also writes that alot of people look down on the temple just becouse they are not what they used to be, but the training there is very extreme , so does it really matter when u are getting the work out of a life time :D ??

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

soooo, about the village???? Is that true??? :confused:

~K~
the super-duper supreme

[WongFeHung]

someone posted, "go ask the monks"
hhhmmmm, okie-dokie, lemmie just fire up the ol' ouija board, light some candles and see if I can scare up a monk,.....okay...wait a minute, something's comming through....."Girl? What you do to yo' hair?!" "Why it's Autumn Sunrise, do you like it?"

[Braden]

Yeah, you can tell that Bruce was a martial artist first and an actor second by how he cut his acting studies short to go train.

No, wait a second...

[Erasmus Lightstone]

Reemul

I'm not beyond your help because I don't know the story!! All you said was that he met a shaolin monk. OK? AND? Then what?

[reemul]

I did say that, they didn't think much of him one way or the other.

Here is what happened anyway(not much):Some buisiness men who belonged to a Tong brought Bruce
to where the Shaolin masters "hung out". The buisness guys were impressed cause he basically made it in terms of Chinese Actors. As I said he met Master Lo of the White eyebrow clan and another master. Bruce got cocky and wanted to display his abillities and called upon the "un-named " master to go a couple of rounds. He said ok. As
bruce started squareing off, the master just stood there. Bruced told him to put his guard up and I believe the master replied something to the effect of "my chi will be my guard" and just stood there.
To cut it short Bruce backed down. It is just as well, the master in question had approximately 170 fights in a year and these were underground fights
,not in a ring.

But as I said they didn't think much of him one way or the other, the only KF guys that got upset
when Bruce started teaching were the Wing Chun people

[Erasmus Lightstone]

Thanks for Clarifying Reemul,

That is an interesting story. As much a fan of Bruce that I am--I will be the first to admit that he was cocky. I can only speculate based on logic alone that as the years went on(assuming he had lived) he would have matured enough to know that it was best not to brag needlessly. Have you or anyone else on this bulletin board seen the movie "Dragon" with Jason Scott Lee? I can't say for certain what style the other kung fu stylist with the long hair was using. It was definitely Tiger based of some sort(Hung Gar?)..but there was a scene where he(the opponent) did a Phoenix eye fist move and a Flying Side kick(Tae Kwon Do?)at the end of the first fight. Do you know what style it was? Nice chatting :)

[DreamLover]

they tried to make it bak mei mix with northern. But considering it should have been purely Northern Wong Jack Man I do not understand!!!

[HuangKaiVun]

I hated that "Dragon" movie.

I thought it was an insult to JKD and to Bruce Lee - having a prettyboy get up there and act like the quintessential arrogant martial arts bully that Bruce Lee so obviously WASN'T.

As far as the speculation about how he did in fights goes, none of us were there so none of us really know.

Nor should we care.

[origenx]

reemul - are you making that up? i have never heard of underground shaolin msaters living in San Francisco. Never heard that story basically. you got reliable source?

[Kristoffer]

theres a jkd forum for u bruce lovers.... Maaaaybe u should bring this up over there?

just a though :D

~K~
the super-duper supreme

[Dragon Warrior]

To all of you who doubt Shi Yan Ming, he has come to my school and done some seminars and I know one thing: he will kick all your asses. He does not just teach Wu Shu because he taught us some traditional forms and a few techniques. Jealosy is the only reason you people talk crap about the monks. Everytime I see them do something, whether it be Wu Shu or not it is amazing. If you really doubt Shi Yan Ming and think he only does Modern WuShu then go to his school and tell him to his face. You dont have build your ego on the net, just go to his school, you could show his students that his training isnt traditional.

Temptation tempts my victim to proceed,
forward ignorence wouldn't allow retreat,
you'd rather pursue death than admit defeat (Masta Killa: Wu Tang Clan)

Chris V.