Shaolin

[Xue Sheng]

I once had the opportunity, many years ago, to see a person that trained a Shaolin do a demonstration. This was not a Shaolin monk, but the 7-year or is it 6-year version.

What I saw impressed me greatly; he was incredibly fast and powerful. His punches, kicks, bocks were high, low, medium, incredibly powerful and all lightning fast.

Now this was a person that was born in China and went to Shaolin school to study for a short time by comparison to the monks. I couldn't help but wonder, if this is what happens from a short time, how fast and powerful is a true Shaolin monk. I also had the thought that how could anyone that trains martial arts in the West that had to go to school, later get a job and then a family ever hope to achieve that level.

I was just wondering what other peoples thought were on this?

 

[clfsean]

I've seen them in China in Dengfeng at Liang's school. Impressive. The forms people (saying this for a reason) were everything you described, but lacked the focus & intent to hit somebody. His san shou people were not people I'd step into a ring with.

Then I saw the kids at one of the wushu schools at the temple prior to decimation of the village. Same as above. I saw kids at Taguo. Same as above.

They were all Chinese & all trained all the time. The fighters were not people I'd trifle with & the forms people I couldn't hold a candle to. That's Shaolin today. We have no idea of how old Shaolin was except they did fight pretty good but even they caved into to shear numbers for assaults or technology in warfare.

I say train hard in what you're doing, get your hands as good as you can make them & go. The Shaolin kids are looking for a way for that to be a new life. They're fighting, but not the same kind of battles anymore.

 

[AceHBK]

The Shaolin kids are looking for a way for that to be a new life. They're fighting, but not the same kind of battles anymore.

Very well put. I try and hope to do the samething.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I had not considered the socio-economic reasons for going to Shaolin in China, but it makes sense.

I hope to get a chance to go see Shaolin Temple soon, if not this next trip to China the one after.

I just can't get over how fast, powerful and dead on the guy I saw was. His form was as close to perfect as I have ever seen. But then again I suppose that is not much of a statement because I had not seen that form before, but it was very impressive.

And I do not doubt there are Martial Artists in other countries that are equally as good at their chosen style.