The Shaolin Monks, capable of superseding physical laws by means of intense concentration and breathing which allows them to carry out extraordinary tasks, will be performing in Malta next month.
During a short but powerful demonstration by the group yesterday, members of the press were able to get a notion of the bodymind in action. The speed of movement is explosive and always exceptionally synchronised.
The upcoming show is surely a unique experience to watch the skilful monks whose culture has given shape to today’s martial arts.
The monks of Shaolin Kung Fu are masters in controlling their Chi, the body’s inner energy, which enables them to become temporarily insensitive to pain.
Years of meditation and rigorous exercises have taught them to direct their Chi to any desired part of the body. The monks can endure incredible strokes of wooden sticks and iron bars without physically hurting themselves. At close glance, one can see that the monks get no physical wounds, or at least sore skin.
An incredible exercise is the throwing of a needle through a glass pane. If thrown at the right angle it leaves a clean small hole and it is said that the needle reaches a speed of 200 to 220 kilometres per hour.
Mr Herbert Fechter, the producer and manager of The Mystical Powers of the Shaolin Kung Fu said that these exercises are not an end in themselves, but a means of proving mastery of their art and complete control of the body.
Zen Buddhism, which the Indian monk Tamo founded over 1,500 years ago, focuses on the union between body and mind rather having classical teachings at the centre. The monks started to acquire Wushu, a perfect control of the body through meditation and imitation of animal movements.
The Shaolin Monks start training at the age of five and must choose whether to dedicate their lives to the art by the age of 18. The daily physical training starts with meditation two hours before sunrise followed by a run to a cave situated 300 metres high up above the school in the mountainous district of Henan.
A routine of breathing and rigorous exercises follows. The monks eat twice a day, with the last meal at noon and are only allowed to eat food from their garden. Outside the monastery, monks can enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle and their families.
The monks’ traditional exercises have been newly adapted in a breathtaking two-hour show. The external power resulting from the inner calmness and perfect execution of the exercises has captivated millions during over 2,000 performances worldwide.
In the more than 1,500 years of history, the Shaolin monastery had its trying times but the monks were always committed to defend the Empire. The basic principle of the soldier monks was not aggression but self-defense. Over the years, the region around Shaolin became the spiritual centre of China with more than 70 monasteries in the area.
The Shaolin show is characterised by a combination of exercises by the seven-year-old monk apprentice and the 85-year-old grand master Shi Wancheng, who is an example of the dignity and wisdom acquired in a life dedicated to Kung Fu. “Control of the body is not a question of age, if one only practices consistently”, the Shaolin monks say.
The Shaolin Monks will be giving their fifth and most recent performance at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on Saturday 17 May at 8pm and on Sunday 18 May at 6.30pm.