Okay, I got the clip of Shi Yan Ming, the USA SHaolin Temple dude in NYC. This is from a Discovery Show program called Secrets of the Warrior.
http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2O025MU962YA02JSBDAHI9MG7F
Discuss.
looks like wushu to me, but since i’m a southern stylist, i can’t be sure.
wasn’t there another bit on the tape where he’s doing some form? i think it was near the beginning of the show, when they were doing the overview.
that form should tell you more.
i see what looks like a decent water strike from his students in that clip, but little else i recognise.
I would have to go back and look. I can take clips of all the people profiled for discussion if there is interest.
Okay. Is this the form you are thinking about?
http://s39.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2RD3LCA32G1P71GA6954H57NQ6
that’s it… does that look like northern shaolin or wushu? it doesn’t look like southern shaolin to me.
i think breaking down the show into the individual parts would be great, by the way.
I’ve been exposed to what I think is Northern Shaolin, (but I really don’t know) and 5 family staff work.
The clip is so short it’s hard to really judge it. I can tell you what I would expect to see, but don’t in the clip.
I would expect slipping hand movement on the staff much more. I would expect to see feet firmly planted before throwing a strike. I would expect to see a clear target on an application.
That jumping move he does and then thrashes the staff back and forth looks bogus to me.
film clip
l have never done wu shu but have several videos of wu shu competition in china . looks like wu shu to me . one reason is hes gripping the pole at times in the middle. l was always taught that this was a great way to get your fingers broken. also what you said mr mantis about slipping the pole. in my style we have a saying the side breaks the end kills so we dont do any of thatslapping motions with the hands in the middle. the pole was designed to fight a opponenet with a weapon holding it in the middle puts you closer not further away. youd lose the advantage.
whu shu or shaolin
l have two videos from china l could take some clips from it (they are hours long ) it looks as if its the same thing . what l have is has both wu shu and traditional . for what its worth l have a freind learning wing chun in china he said theres just a few monks left in china and they are old. these young ones he thinks they are novices . hes living there and sometimes he can check out credentials for me. l would need a adress to send a clip to .
how many people here work with the size of pole he is using (looks to be a standard 6 ft waxwood or rattan pole.)
although we added a double-ended pole form to our style for tournament use (we borrowed it from a village hung style) the “proper” pole is an 8ft rattan pole that is quite thick and heavy. i am wondering how many other southern shaolin derived styles use the longer heavier pole.
it seems that the 6 ft version might be a more modern wushu adaptation.
not to dreail the thread, but this might be relevant when looking at his form.
pole
l do three one from lung ying and its a 6ft. two from my style one is eyebrow length and the other is abput 7ft and qall the moves are done from the end no holding in the middle slapping .
Yes. Makes sense that it would be wu shu if he did come out of the modern day shaolin, I’d expect him to do wu shu, and not have any idea how to effectively use the weapon.
Ming: I use a 6 foot 1 1/4-1/2 diameter hardwood (oak) staff.
I can help you get clips posted lee, just pm me if I can help.
I think that we could probably expect that any place that calls itself a “Shaolin Temple” is going to be modern day wu shu gymnastics.
What more do we want to do on the NY monks? Ming, any suggestions? Do you want to send someone in to interview him/them?
video
mantis not to change the subject just to let you know l am working on getting the video done lee
Thank you lee.
i don’t know what we can “do” about them now. i was looking to see if what i had heard was true and for the most part it seems to be the case.
i think that it’s too bad that there is no real shaolin left.
I wouldn’t say that.
Yeah. It is just hard to find. I’ve read interviews of old monks saying it is in the hills. That all the current monks, Shi Yang Ming and such, are Modern Wushu players.
I feel much of it exists as seprate styles taught by families and certain teachers.
re monks
l have a freind whos working in china. hes built a kwoon from a house for wing chun . also l did business at one time in china from what l was told theres no real monks left. its a communist country they dont believe in religions . according to his research on the subject the government put the whole program to-gether for u.s. dollars. they wouldnt support any religeon. so these are just wu shu players according to him . also most of the good teachers fled china during the revolution to taiwan . he agreed that if any are left they are as it was said headed for the hills . its a shame as china lost so much of its history now is trying to get it back most is probably lost . with the exception of some quaulified outside of china. back in the 70s they had to go outside of china when it was obvious that in a lot of cases they couldnt remember how a lot of it worked. this is the information l got from my freind whos living there.
Yeah this is the same thing I heard. Reason why I stayed in McDojo so long.
All the real teachers left, hid or were killed. I agree that many of the styles are lost.
Although I think there are quite a few gems still out. Like Dai style xingyi finally coming out.