Wu-Tang Manual (rap group) Shaolin related

[Shaolindynasty]

Anybody read this? (Gene I'm lookin mostly in your direction). It was written by the groups "leader" the Rza. He talked and had allot of pictures with his Sifu, Shi Yan Ming. He also mentions how much impact his trip to shaolin and wudang temple had on him.

The largest section of the book was dedicated to the philosophy of the group which is a combination of different religions, Islam (mostly from the 5% nation), Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity etc.

You get the idea that Rza is interested in martial arts from his music but it seems based in movies. This book gives the impression that he started out only knowing about kungfu from movies but now is more into the real thing(like most of us). Interesting to note that Rza, Gza and Ghostface began studing Qigong with Shi Yan Ming before martial arts.

Good read for anybody interested in the group.

[Mortal1]

None of them study, practice or train martial arts with him. Rza is his best friend. He is into the philosophy of it. Maybe a little chi gung once. I am a first hand source believe me.

[Shaolindynasty]

You must be a student of Yan Ming then.

That's interesting, because the book gave the impression that they did(mostly rza)

[Mortal1]

I was a student for three years. Hung out with them here and there. He says a lot of celebs train with him who don't. He has pics of him and rosie perez holding staffs. She never swung a staff in her life. The best part is I was there that day and right before the pic was taken she was on the floor gasping for air after a moderate workout. And by the way if anyone else did that they would be thrown out of the school. Double standards like that is why I don't train there anymore.
Just want people to know the truth.

[GeneChing]

I was on that trip. I remember when most of the pics in that book were taken.

Yan Ming definitely liked to hang out with the celeb set. I never saw any of said celebs train, but I only visited his school a few times and could have easily missed that. Most celebs will take private lessons; at least that's how it is at other schools I did meet Rosie Perez through Yan Ming, as well as a few other celebs. I don't remember RZA training on that trip, but then again, I was only with them for the Wudang portion and no one really trained for that (unless you count climbing mountains). We were just being tourists.

[Shaolindynasty]

Rza said he met Shi Yan Ming and began training (in qigong) around '95. I believe he probally did, although he's probally not the normal several day a week student.

Gene, wasn't it one of your articles where rza said 5 elements fist was his favorite set?