A Trip to Shaolin

July 10, 2023 Mark Warner Commentary 0

A Trip To Shaolin

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime.” Mark Twain

I’ve been to Shaolin several times traveling with Sifu Scott Jefferey and the journey is always full of surprises. Going to a foreign country is never what you expect. When I first got off the plane I was expecting armed guards everywhere. What I found was many friendly people, (many of whom spoke English) all ready to help a foreigner out. From plane to bullet train our adventure continued. Once on the train, it was another 1 and a 1/2 hour drive to our final destination of Defeng City and one of the many schools of Shaolin which surrounds the temple itself. The accommodations were quite basic but that was OK because we had come to train, and train we did.

Our teacher Shirfu She DeCheng had us up and at it very early the next morning. The first session of the first day of training was rough to say the least. We were running on about 2 hours of sleep, and it was showing. After out initial hour long warmup it took us 45 minutes to get one basic move up to our instructor’s expectations. Well, we survived that one, time to get some food and relax. The dining facility could be very entertaining and you really wanted to get in before the younger students arrived. The food was excellent, and all vegetarian. They always had a delicious tomato and egg dish which was my definite go to every meal. That, along with a healthy portion of other veggies and rice would prepare you for the morning of afternoon training. But first, a nap, needed desperately and just in the nick of time.

Rested and fed it was time for round two. After the hour-long warm up it was time to dive into our form. This trip was Plum Flowers Saber. For a Shaolin form, reasonably simple, however, when you’re standing in front of a Shaolin monk, performing one of the treasures of his temple it can be fairly intimidating.

After training, the evening consisted of eating, relaxing, and shopping, martial arts style. In the city of Defeng are numerous Shaolin schools, the largest having close to 20,000 students. How’s that for a big school! Sooo most of the shops around the schools are dedicated to martial arts supplies. Can you say Kung Fu weapons, everything you could ask to equip yourself and all your friends? I was in paradise. Broadswords, straight swords, Pu Dao, Kwan Dao, anything a Shaolin Practitioner could ask for. I even found a pair of Southern-style butterfly swords which I picked up. And all the prices were very reasonable.

Scattered in amongst the training we also took day trips. Of course, the most amazing of all was our trip to the temple itself. Because She DeCheng is so well known at the temple, we were able to go early and get in before the tourists. The temple is as amazing as you can imagine; the statues, the pagoda gardens, and even the room where Boddiharma slept. Now we have all heard the stories of Damo’s cave, where he lived and meditated for 9 years. However, I’m more of the inclination that he stayed at the temple and climbed Song Mountain every day to meditate, and then climb down at the end of the day. The cave is there. it is real. It is at the top of Song Mountain. Every day the young monks will run up to the cave, give their Bai Sum and then run back down to start their workout. Some have wondered if they get a good workout from this. Yup! I walked up and yes you get cardio, leg strengthening, and need a lot of intestinal fortitude. It used to be easier. There was a winding path you could go up. Now there are just stairs, after stairs after stairs. Everyone should try it at least once. I will link a video of myself and others at Damo’s cave and on top of Mount Song.

We settled into our training routine of 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, trying to perfect our basics and honing our forms. One thing that amazed me about the Chinese students was their fortitude. They started their training before we were awake, and finished long after we were done. Many of these students will go on to be bodyguards of high-ranking people or movie stars. Some will even become stars themselves.



Who would have thought, Shaolin Kung Fu students can fight? I guess that 8 hours a day doe’s something for you. Not a bad way to live.

 

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About Mark Warner 30 Articles
Tashi Mark Warner has trained in the martial arts for almost 50 years. In the early 70s, inspired by the likes of Bruce Lee, Tashi Mark started in Kenpo Karate under Richard Ladow. After serving in the US Army, traveling twice to Korea and once to Germany, Tashi Mark found inspiration in the JCVD movie Bloodsport and decided to one day open his own school. On April 8th 1998, his passion project was finally achieved and the doors finally opened. As Tashi Mark likes to say, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." Also in 1998, Tashi Mark started training Northern Mantis Kung Fu and Shaolin Kung Fu with Sifu Scott Jeffery. In 1999 Tashi Deborah Mahoney, training with Tashi Mark, became the Black Belt Hall of Fame recipient for the KRANE rating to include all of New England. Since 2007, Tashi Mark has furthered his training, adding Dekiti Tirsia Siradas Kali with Grandmaster Jerson "Nene" Tortal, as well as Baringin Sakti Silat with Grandmaster Edward Lebe. Tashi Mark is a full-time martial artist. "One of the greatest things in the martial arts is the transmission of knowledge to the next generation." - Tashi Mark Warner

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