Shaolin Kung Fu - National Geographic Channel

[AnonymousOne]

Did anyone see that program on the National Geographic channel recently called:

"Myth and Logic of Kung Fu"

It was about the Shaolin Temple training in mainland China

I saw it and wasnt impressed at all.

They kept going on about how many hours per day they do certain techniques etc and I lost count at 19 hours. No one trains that much.

In watching the techniques and forms I have to question the effectiveness and practicality of it in real combat.

I can see what Bruce Lee meant when he referred to some traditional martial arts as "a classical mess".

My "question" comes about from the use of certain flips, jumps, stances, and striking techniques that werent employed "in that documentary".

Certainly to someone that has never done any form of MA or boxing etc, it looks very impressive.

I also object to the statement made it it "You cannot become a master of the martial arts, unless you also master buddism".

It seemed to me that the documentary, scripted by a Chinese person, endeavoured to promote a shroud of mystery over the art and that there was some big internal secret that could only be revealed by practising this art and the philosophy of buddism.

[Muaythaiboxer]

Shaolin Gung-fu is very effective, twice Shaolin monks have won national San Shao compitioins in china and some have defeated Thaiboxers under thai rules. (although rarely)

i believe that in order to master the martial arts you must master yourself and in my experience the best way to do this is threw Buddhism, although there are other ways

in regaurds to your post that it is not practicle the forms are not how they fight in fact how thay fight resembles Muay Thai in many respects.

[ninjanurse]

i believe that in order to master the martial arts you must master yourself and in my experience the best way to do this is threw Buddhism, although there are other ways

My thoughts exactly Muaythaiboxer. I think the dicumentary was coming from a cultural perspective and that's what they believe.

[monkeygirl]

I'm going to move this to the Chinese Martial Arts forum. Please keep this discussion respectful: I believe the topic is about the actual show and the way it represented its subject matter, and not necessarily a criticism of Shaoling Kung Fu.

[scottnshelly]

I downloaded and watched the special. I was impressed with a lot of it, because I've always been so interested in Shaolin - among other monasteries. I agree though, there were a few things that I found hard to swallow.

I thought it was funny how they never told us a complete training schedule, but every time they showed a training session said that everyone did that for X number of hours everyday. The time totaled up to more than a day though. They also said that a Master watches over each group all of the time. It later said that there are only two Masters at the whole monastery.

The things that it showed were very fun to watch, but I didn’t agree with most of the things that the narrator said. I still want to go see this place first hand though.

[stonecrusher69]

does anyone know if what the monks where trainning the traditional forms or morden wu shu stuff? I don't think the traditional forms are being taught anymore wu shu is so poplor now.

[mrbigmuscles]

Don't forget that the National Geographic Channel is very much in the business of making money. To this end they tend to make their 'documentaries' in a voice of astonishment and mystique, so much so that the reality of what they are talking about is blurred to the point where the whole thing is a bunch of gibberish.

Don't forget that according to the conventional wisdom Shaolin Kung Fu began as a physical conditioning method for the pathetically weak Shaolin Temple monks first, and then became a fighting art. This may account for some of the 'unrealistic' forms and techniques.

Again, remember that the NGC is very sensationalist and rooted in the European colonialist perspective, and tries to appeal to those sensibilities. They couldn't do a documentary on PB&J sandwiches without injecting 4.5 hours of "OMG THE MYSTERY OF THE SANDWICH YOU MUST MASTER [iNSERT PHILOSOPHY] IN ORDER TO TRULY MAKE ONE".

sorry for the vitriol but I really hate the NGC[/i]

[JKDkid2]

i didnt see this documentary but i will download it but have any of u seen the other documentary called Extreme Martial Arts it shows martial arts more on the competition side and it seems pretty cool

[andynis]

hi.guys. I have to say there are some misunderstandings. As long as i know, the real shaolin kungfu is never taught unless you cut your hair and be a monk. And I am so suprised that it is shown to a whole USA. Shaolin School is another thing, it is usually built under a big name, master somebody, and teaches stuff to make some good money. People learn kungfu there, but not real shaolin kungfu. Anyway it is good enough and there is enough to learn for the first say 10 years

About winning some fights. I find it is really funny to compare to Shaolin kung fu with other martial arts Take 2 finger zen in the show for example, a monk will make some holes in the opponent if he is not specially trained. Eagle claw too, it will break the tendon of the opponent once its wrist is grabbed. Shaolin kungfu is developped all the way against other kungfu, and some skills of it had become deadly, and some training are practical though seems useless.

With all the respect to all kinds of martial arts. i'd like to talk with you guys

[ovine king]

and what do you define as real shaolin kung fu?