You can't just walk into Henan temple quarters that I was in. I was there as an invited guest, thank you kindly. Before you request, I was there because I was invited along with the other teachers who attended the Beijing Educational board presentation. I work as a school teacher here in Japan.
The monks don't train in front of tourists. You are thinking of the government gimmick they have going on, where they put on flashy shows and travel around the world. They state they from the Shaolin temple and then do all these fanciful tricks.
Yeah, wrong guys.
But, I'm sure you knew that already.

Being a school teacher in Japan has nothing to do with Shaolin Monks. Please don't fall into the trap of appeal to authority. Did you train with the monks?

I'll see if I can find an article of a friend who trained with "the real" shaolin monks.

I was there because I was invited along with the other teachers who attended the Beijing Educational board presentation. I work as a school teacher here in Japan.



How is a teacher who went to a convention make you more qualified to judge than a tourist. And what is the difference between a tourist on an educational board trip and say a tourist on a family trip?

I think, what he is trying to imply, is he saw monks training. There are two groups of monks but, there is more involved than a simple dismissal.

Now, they are working back to full on fighting and training, BJJ, MT, TKD, and styles of kung fu. They have brought in Sanda coaches and we have MMA springing up in Shaolin.

This does not suddenly negate decades of BS. It just means they are starting to get it right again.

I think, what he is trying to imply, is he saw monks training. There are two groups of monks but, there is more involved than a simple dismissal.

Now, they are working back to full on fighting and training, BJJ, MT, TKD, and styles of kung fu. They have brought in Sanda coaches and we have MMA springing up in Shaolin.

This does not suddenly negate decades of BS. It just means they are starting to get it right again.


I'd have to say that's pretty much correct.

How is a teacher who went to a convention make you more qualified to judge than a tourist. And what is the difference between a tourist on an educational board trip and say a tourist on a family trip?

We went to talk with the abbots at the local temples. They help run schools in the area where it's too rural or too poor. Being invited by the Government doesn't make you a tourist. You are there on business, not to take photographs of your children in front of some building while wearing a pair of khaki shorts.
Not trying to pick a fight with you, just answering your question is all.

Cool, I would like to see some shaolin MMA fights!

We went to talk with the abbots at the local temples. They help run schools in the area where it's too rural or too poor. Being invited by the Government doesn't make you a tourist. You are there on business, not to take photographs of your children in front of some building while wearing a pair of khaki shorts.
Not trying to pick a fight with you, just answering your question is all.

So, you didn't train there right?
The same government that put together the touring monks invited you to see "real monks?"

You do see the problem right?

We went to talk with the abbots at the local temples. They help run schools in the area where it's too rural or too poor. Being invited by the Government doesn't make you a tourist. You are there on business, not to take photographs of your children in front of some building while wearing a pair of khaki shorts.
Not trying to pick a fight with you, just answering your question is all.

Just sounds like a PR stunt to me.

Just sounds like a PR stunt to me.

It's a little bit of both, the same way we all suddenly become busy when the owner of the business is in the building. :P

Or like we give a little more punch into our strikes during sparring when some parent brings their kids to the dojo.

I have no doubt they train this way. I question the intensity when the "guests" aren't around. :eng101:

I have no doubt they train this way. I question the intensity when the "guests" aren't around. :eng101:..and that is what my friend noted.

Maybe I'm a dumbass for saying this, but I think exploiting physics is very important to fighting well.

Especially the "How to fake extrordinary strength", where the "trick" to it is applying pressure to the weak point.

Especially the "How to fake extrordinary strength", where the "trick" to it is applying pressure to the weak point.

Sure, so long as it's presented that way, rather than as a magical power developed by deep qi cultivation.

Sure, so long as it's presented that way, rather than as a magical power developed by deep qi cultivation.Beat me to the punch. Most videos you find, with these acts, are one off tricks to imply strength and mysticism.

Unless you have a good teacher, you rarely learn these feats as applications to fighting.

Good arts have this as an inherent action that, doesn't need to be separated to advertise an art.

true that, dudes.

Kyokushin uses it as a test of power and skill. It's like saying "Why punch a punching bag/sand bag?". For Kyokushin and the traditional Okinawan Karateka they view it as a type of punching bag.
For CMA, I think it depends on the style your speaking of. Shaolin breaks bricks and cement slabs as a way of conditioning the body.

I think you're muddling two concepts. Conditioning is not the same as testing. Hitting the sandbag develops punching ability. Breaking a brick just tests to see if you can break a brick. I've done it. I wouldn't call it conditioning.

Obviously, I can't speak for what KKers or Okinawans do, but if they're conditioning by breaking bricks, they're either breaking their hands regularly or going through an awful lot of bricks for little gain.

Obviously, I can't speak for what KKers or Okinawans do, but if they're conditioning by breaking bricks, they're either breaking their hands regularly or going through an awful lot of bricks for little gain.

Yes, I've done conditioning via knuckle push-ups and holding in push-up position while my time in NWP and Ashihara.

Presently, work-in-progress, with single hand, 3-rear knuckle, push-up for conditioning of WC/taichi (sun) punch.