Decent story, Just do some research
This is a nice story by a writer who is a respected martial artist.
There are a few things that caught my attention. If referencing Shaolin beliefs, Ch’an is the preferred term for their Buddhism, and not Zen. Zen is the Japanese translation of Ch’an.
Terminology isn’t such a huge problem but recommending the DVD that the author did is. (Shaolin Wheel of Life) These are not the Shaolin monks of legend, instead they are a creation of the People’s Republic of China. In 1931, ALL of the Shaolin grandmasters emigrated to the United States to avoid death and persecution. What we have today in China at the government renovated temples, are practitioners of Wushu. Wushu as defined by these practitioners does not refer to combat martial arts, but a sport that Chairman Mao and his committees devised for a non-combat demonstration sport. The entire point to these performers is to trade on the Shaolin name, and increase China’s burgeoning tourist industry.
Shaolin Monks believe that any martial art should be practical and usable in a life or death situation. These performers are talented, but please think of them more as Cirque De’ Soleil rather than Bruce Lee. The performances are beautiful to watch, but please remember that by buying a DVD or watching a live performance by these artists , you support the Chinese government. If this doesn’t bother you, by all means, enjoy the show. just be educated about what you actually support.
