Fighting to get in
Martial arts centre welcomes students who research their disciplines and are prepared to wait for a master. Reports by Sascha Matuszak
Shaolin Temple is arguably the most famous martial arts temple and training facility in the world. Dozens of movies, books, stories and legends surround the temple and the Buddhist monks, who have lived, worked and trained here for the past 1,500 years.
Legends aside, it is possible to learn kung fu at Shaolin Temple. There is a difference, however, between kung fu, wushu and sanda - three variations of Chinese martial arts that are distinct from each other.
Kung fu is best described as the all-round Chinese traditional martial art that incorporates fighting techniques, correct breathing and qigong techniques, and dance-like movements and routines that help students to memorise their techniques. Sanda is a combat sport that uses throws, strikes and some grappling, and stems from traditional kung fu. Wushu is performance art, basically martial arts dancing, that also stems from kung fu. All three can be studied in or around the Shaolin Temple.
Within the temple, wushu is the primary art taught to foreign and Chinese students. Wushu is a martial art, but more to do with performances than with fighting. Sanda is taught outside of the temple in martial arts schools - known as wushu academies - several dozen of which have sprung up around the temple in the city of Dengfeng. The largest and most well-known of these schools is Tagou Wushu Academy, which has about 35,000 students and is located right next to the Shaolin Temple.
Traditional kung fu is more difficult, as students must find a master and become his or her disciple. Those masters exist in and around the temple but, in order to meet them and learn from them, it is best to travel to the temple and enrol in either wushu or sanda, and slowly get to know the surroundings, the people, and take your time choosing a kung fu master.
That is not to say that the people teaching sanda and wushu are not kung fu masters. Some of them are, others are sports coaches. There is a difference between a coach and master in that a coach will teach fundamentals based upon competition, and the requirements of a sanda match, or a wushu performance. A kung fu master will instead pass on his knowledge of martial arts, usually with philosophy and culture included.
Students thinking of training at the temple, or in one of the nearby wushu academies, should read American Shaolin, which describes author Matthew Polly's wushu and kung fu studies there. The book is dated but still relevant, as there is still a lot of bureaucracy - fees have only risen, and the same confusion persists on what one learns and from whom.
There are hundreds more wushu academies scattered across China and the world that will claim some connection to Shaolin martial arts and the temple itself. So, potential students should see the school and its environment for themselves.
