Shaolin Warriors show

[7kicks]

For those of you in the new england area the Shaolin Warriors will be performing at the orpheum theatre in Boston Nov 4, Start time is 8:00 P.M. tickets are available thru ticket master.

[Terry]

For those of you in the New Jersey area, the Shaolin Warriors from the Republic of China will be performing on Friday, 11/10, 8 P.M. at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton (Box Ofc: 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 609 258-2787). See website for more info - www.mccarter.org (http://www.mccarter.org)

[Grays Anatomy]

Terry - the McCarter show is sold out.

They are playing this Firday NIght at the Beacon Theatre in NYC.

[Nards]

Anyone else in Houston seen this? The Society of Performing Arts is putting it on Oct 27-28 at Jones Hall here in Houston. Anyone know anything about it?

http://www.spahouston.org/CalendarList.aspx?series=0

[DMK]

Helllo Nards,
This is the first I have heard ,we will have keeep posting

[Pk_StyLeZ]

wow another shaolin show?
but aww...dat on halloween weekend...that when i usually go to austin....grrrrrr

[SunBeam]

First I've seen of it. I might try to go.

[DMK]

Many of you already know there will be a Shaolin Tour in Houston.
It will be Oct 27-28 at Jones Hall.
Any planning to go?

[GeneChing]

You mean this (http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org/en/cev/?2213)? That's the same show that's coming here to the S.F. area (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=796652&postcount=79). I've seen an earlier version of this, but the 007 tour is probably updated. I'm sure it has a slightly different cast. The casts tend to rotate for each tour.

[Pk_StyLeZ]

i plan to go
but thats halloween weekend
and i plan to go to austin to party also
so i probably wont go to this show
unless i am not in austin
=)

[Immortal_Dragon]

Spend time with your family.
or go to Austin to party.
Theres been a lot of Shaolin shows in Houston
most of them are the same.
:D

[xcakid]

Anyone know if they are coming to Dallas since they are going to be here in TX anyways?

[sha0lin1]

Not sure about Dallas but they will be in San Antonio on Oct. 24th at 7:30pm.

[DMK]

Yes Gene this is the same show . I didnt know there was a shaolin tour until I saw it here and to be honest I hardly ever see martial arts related events in Houston . Outside the loop toward bellaire yes there are numerous schools, but inside the loop there are Tai chi for health, differnt off springs of Yang style, and I believe one chen style and one contemporary wushu and one very traditional school.

[Pk_StyLeZ]

Learn Kung Fu from the Shaolin Monks of China!

Shaolin Warriors
Martial Arts Master Class
FREE
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 27
Melcher Gymnasium
University of Houston
3855 Holman

i saw that on this site http://www.spahouston.org/CalendarDetail.aspx?event=56#tickets
so.....the monks are going to be giving a free class??
or is this some other teacher giving a free class??
anyone in houston know anything about this??

[Nards]

I just saw that class at UH also. It sounds like the monks are doing a free class, so I'm planning on going to that and the show at Jones Hall, but ****... I think I'll be sitting in the nosebleeds. It's pretty expensive!

[Pk_StyLeZ]

I just saw that class at UH also. It sounds like the monks are doing a free class, so I'm planning on going to that and the show at Jones Hall, but ****... I think I'll be sitting in the nosebleeds. It's pretty expensive!

u saw it at UH??u saw it on campus??
where did u see it on campus??

[GeneChing]

Check out this article from Cal State Long Beach
Shaolin warriors bring Ancient art of 'Wushu' (http://media.www.daily49er.com/media/storage/paper1042/news/2007/10/18/Diversions/Shaolin.Warriors.Bring.Ancient.Art.Of.wushu-3041104.shtml)
Misako Miyagawa
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Diversions

Ancient tradition met with martial arts extravaganza as the Shaolin Warriors performed Saturday afternoon at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.

The crowd of more than 600 was treated to a stunning display of martial arts prowess involving hand-to-hand and traditional weapon combat.

But the Shaolin Warriors are no ordinary performers. They are Buddhist monks, most in their 20s, whose combination of rigorous fighting strength and peaceful contemplation makes for an intriguing paradox.

Popularized in such movies as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the image of the gentle yet formidable warrior monk has entertained, if not mystified, audiences around the world.

But beyond its entertainment value, explanation of the true meaning behind Chinese "kung fu" rarely reaches western shores.

Adorned in bright saffron-orange attire, the Shaolin Warriors captured the audience with movements of potent grace and exhilarating athleticism known as "wushu." Even the sound of the term seems to embody what it does: humans hurling through space with extraordinary speed, elegance and power.

In Chinese, the word "wushu" is composed of two written characters: "wu," meaning military, and "shu," referring to art. Together, the term literally means "the art of war," or martial arts, said Eric Chen, head instructor of the National Wushu Training Center in Southern California, and one of the first Americans trained by Chinese wushu teams in the early '80s.

But far from a prescription for glorified aggression, closer inspection of the same two characters reveals a more philosophical meaning. "Wu" has the appearance of a knife and "shu" can be seen to signify "stop," or the art of not fighting, Chen said.

An even more esoteric connotation of "wu" is written differently in ancient Chinese. But because it sounds the same, it can be defined as "dancing," Chen explained, while others interpret it as "flowering hand."

The heart of wushu thus embraces the integration of intensity and fluid aesthetic form based on Buddhist principles of peace, restraint, humility and respect.

Just so, the Shaolin Warriors demonstrated gentle, meditative formations blended with stylized flurries of weapons such as the sword, spear, three-part-staff, trident and halberd.

Many wushu styles are also inspired by the natural world. The Shaolin Warriors delighted Saturday's audience with movements unmistakable for their tiger, monkey, crane, frog and scorpion origins, as well as the mythic dragon.

[GeneChing]

continued (http://media.www.daily49er.com/media/storage/paper1042/news/2007/10/18/Diversions/Shaolin.Warriors.Bring.Ancient.Art.Of.wushu-3041104-page2.shtml)
The performance was accompanied by traditional Chinese music and backdrops of towering Buddha figures and mist-filled scenic terrains, giving the audience a view into another time and place.

Wushu can be seen in films such as "Hero," "Fearless," "Shanghai Noon" and "Kung Fu Hustle." It also inspired the martial arts sequences in "The Matrix."

Wushu, however, is not a particular style, but an umbrella term that encompasses all Chinese martial arts and thus accounts for its rich variety of forms, Chen said.

And contrary to popular Western notions, kung fu literally means excellence or mastery in any endeavor, Chen clarified. For example, it can be said that one's cooking, drawing or basketball "kung fu" is very good. But in the martial arts, the term kung fu tends to reference the traditional and non-contemporary combat version of wushu, Chen said.

It is said that wushu dates back many centuries, to the monks at the legendary Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, China. Wushu was meant to fortify the body in balance with the monks' long hours of seated meditation, said a representative of the Shaolin Warriors group in an e-mailed statement.

"It evolved into a fighting art later, when the monks needed to defend themselves [against bandits] in war-torn feudal China," the representative said.

The Shaolin Monastery eventually fell into neglect and was all but abandoned during the early years of the communist Chinese revolution.

According to Chen, it was the 1982 film "Shaolin Temple," starring action-movie icon and wushu champion Jet Li, that single-handedly revived interest in the monastery. The temple is now a popular tourist attraction.

Based on standards established by the Chinese government in the late '50s, modern wushu is a competitive but largely non-combative performance sport, according to Chen.

But wushu is also an everyday part of life in China. It is practiced by school children nationwide, with a slower tai-chi wushu form commonly practiced among older adults.

Globally, wushu will gain wider exposure in a non-medal competition in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, according to the official Olympics web site.

Whether monk, movie star or amateur, the art and discipline of wushu fosters flexibility, endurance and a calm mind and spirit, in forms at once ancient yet timeless, powerful yet beautiful.

We should rename this thread Shaolin Warriors when the tour is done. Or maybe I'll just merge it to the original 2000 thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1953s).

[Nards]

u saw it at UH??u saw it on campus??
where did u see it on campus??

i mean i just saw on spahouston.org the free class at UH listed.

i just looked and they have a list of performers. anyone recognize any of them:

Performers
Pengfei Chen, Haohao Song, Qinpei Shi, Long Yuan, Tao Hao, Changbao Feng, Yanfei Zhang, Jie Zhao, Chenxi Wang, Chunpei Song, Kunkun Cao, Zhuo Chen, Hao Lu, Weixiao Ma, Long Chen, Dawei Zhai, Chuanqiang Yuan, Xianwei Liu, Xingchao Fan, Husile Wu, Tiancheng Zhao, Xin Liu

[Pk_StyLeZ]

i mean i just saw on spahouston.org the free class at UH listed.

i just looked and they have a list of performers. anyone recognize any of them:

Performers
Pengfei Chen, Haohao Song, Qinpei Shi, Long Yuan, Tao Hao, Changbao Feng, Yanfei Zhang, Jie Zhao, Chenxi Wang, Chunpei Song, Kunkun Cao, Zhuo Chen, Hao Lu, Weixiao Ma, Long Chen, Dawei Zhai, Chuanqiang Yuan, Xianwei Liu, Xingchao Fan, Husile Wu, Tiancheng Zhao, Xin Liu

look like i seen tht list somewhere before...haha
then again..i dont know chinese..they all look sound alike...haha...

[GeneChing]

...but it's notable that they are all using common names and not Shaolin disciple names. ;)

[DRAGONSIHING]

This show is going to be a t McFarlin Auditorium on SMU Campus on 10-25 & 26th. Have heard nothing else about any other appearances or trainings while their here. I will be there Fri. nite,26th.

[xcakid]

This show is going to be a t McFarlin Auditorium on SMU Campus on 10-25 & 26th. Have heard nothing else about any other appearances or trainings while their here. I will be there Fri. nite,26th.

Awesome. Thanks for the info

[GeneChing]

I'm retitling this thread Shaolin Warriors, since it's a national tour. Houston is just the starting point of this discussion. I've also merged it with the original Shaolin Warriors thread, from back in 2000.

Zen Philosophy Meets Martial Arts in the Shaolin Warriors (http://www.buffalo.edu/news/8921)
Release Date
10/23/07

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present Shaolin Warriors at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19 in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. The performance is sponsored in part by the UB Students Association.

In a fully choreographed theatrical production, the Shaolin Warriors bring the remarkable skill, stunning movement and spectacular imagery of Kung Fu to stages throughout the world. The show is performed by disciples of the Shaolin schools, known internationally for their disciplined and deadly martial-arts prowess. These Kung Fu masters have trained from a very young age in mental and physical disciplines, which allow them to perform feats one thought only possible in the movies. The production features many forms of Shaolin Kung Fu, as well as a look at the daily life of the warriors and their Zen philosophy.

In 525 A.D., when a Buddhist monk from India, Ta Mo, founded the Shaolin Monestery, he probably had no idea that nearly 1,500 years later, the monks of Shaolin would still be held in great reverence while demonstrating their remarkable skill and stunning movement to audiences throughout modern-day China and around the world. The early Shaolin monks embarked on a long process to develop a system of defense by meditating on the attack and defense movements of animals, called wushu, that lived near their monastery. However, even with all of their remarkable fighting abilities, the Shaolin monk's skills are never put to aggressive use.

Tickets for Shaolin Warriors are $22 general admission and $10 for students. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location. Students (of any school) must present valid student ID at the Center Box Office to receive discount.

[Shaolinlueb]

Nov 27th. the Tuesday After Thanksgiving they are coming to UMASS AMherst. I plan on going with a bunch of students to support them. Plus its gonna be fun.

[GeneChing]

Xinghao comments :cool:

Oct. 25, 2007, 6:20PM
Shaolin Warriors take art to new level (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/arts/theater/5246742.html)
By NANCY WOZNY
For The Chronicle

It's best not to enter into a squabble with a Shaolin monk. Although Buddhism espouses a philosophy of nonviolence, the Shaolin Temple is famous for its style of martial arts.

The monks developed their fighting skills as a way to survive the perils of feudal China, when many monasteries were, like their European counterparts, landed estates that required protection.

"Shaolin was developed with many influences, including earlier forms of kung fu, yoga and other martial arts," said Zhan Yucheng, manager of the Shaolin Warriors, a 21-member troupe that will perform at Jones Hall this weekend.

Shaolin kung fu can be slow and fluid one moment, explosive the next. Every lightning-fast move happens in real time.

"Americans are surprised that the things they see in the show can be done without tricks or special effects," Zhan said.

The movements themselves imitate animals and other natural phenomena. "The frog teaches jumping, the monkey teaches flipping, the tiger strikes with power, and the scorpion with cunning and speed," Zhan said. "All of these things are important in kung fu."

The use of weapons — about 20 types — is also a distinct characteristic of Shaolin kung fu.

"Each performer has special strengths and must train to become an expert with one traditional weapon," Zhan said.

The performance is a highly theatrical version of the monks' daily life, practices and philosophy. The stage features painted backdrops of the temple and its surroundings. The choreography is flashy but authentic and is accompanied by a dramatic score.

Shi Xing Hao, who owns Shaolin Kung Fu Academy in southwest Houston, trained at the Shaolin Temple from age 13 to 25. He says the values of Shaolin martial arts remain relevant in the often-harried pace of modern life.

"It's a philosophy of art that builds self-confidence and motivation," Shi Xing Hao said.

The monks of Shaolin Warriors train specifically for the show, but their rigorous regimen also includes slower moments.

"They spend hours meditating and practicing kung fu," Zhan said. "They have a diet rich in rice and spend as much time outdoors as possible."

"A monk trains his mind perhaps more than his body. Strong mental as well as physical discipline is required," Zhan said. "Without concentration, physical strength is nothing."

[Pk_StyLeZ]

who going to the free classs at UH tommarow??
i will be on campus already doing a project
so i ama drop by that area and chek itout
wont be going to da show
weeeeeeee

[Nards]

I am. You going Mark?

[sha0lin1]

Ryan,

Did you end up going to the class and how was it? I brought a contingent of students down Saturday from Austin to train with our Sifu. I asked him about going to check that class out and he said he thought it would be just the basics since it was open to the public so we didn't go since my students are already pretty well versed in the basics.

[Pk_StyLeZ]

Ryan,

Did you end up going to the class and how was it? I brought a contingent of students down Saturday from Austin to train with our Sifu. I asked him about going to check that class out and he said he thought it would be just the basics since it was open to the public so we didn't go since my students are already pretty well versed in the basics.

me and ryan both went
there was 3 different groups
one group that had kung fu experience
one group that had martial art expereince
one group that never trained in anything
the kung fu group learned seven star form
the martial art group learned some form and part of lin huan chang
the group with no experience was learning tai chi??i couldnt really see, didnt pay attention either
it was just mostly form teaching...and some applications....

[sha0lin1]

me and ryan both went
there was 3 different groups
one group that had kung fu experience
one group that had martial art expereince
one group that never trained in anything
the kung fu group learned seven star form
the martial art group learned some form and part of lin huan chang
the group with no experience was learning tai chi??i couldnt really see, didnt pay attention either
it was just mostly form teaching...and some applications....

Thanks for letting us know PK. Sounds cool, I already have learned Seven Star and my students that came down all know Lian Huan Quan but it sounds like if we went it would have been pretty cool to see if there were any variations or different applications outside what Shi Xing Ying teaches.

[Pk_StyLeZ]

Thanks for letting us know PK. Sounds cool, I already have learned Seven Star and my students that came down all know Lian Huan Quan but it sounds like if we went it would have been pretty cool to see if there were any variations or different applications outside what Shi Xing Ying teaches.

i learned 7star from sifu xing ying before and it was different.(well not really but some part was different, just some hand position was in different spots)
i dont think he(the guy at the class teaching) finished teaching the form...but he did demonstrate it at the very beginning before the classes.
lin huan chang was a little bit different though

[Nards]

Hey Scott. Like Mark said, we both went to the UH class. It was pretty cool. There were 3 monks there. They came out and each did a form. One did a Hsing-I form, one did some Chen Tai Chi form, and another did 7 Star Fist form like Mark said. Then they broke everyone into the 3 groups. The monk teaching our group only finished teaching 7 Star to the first kick, so he didn't get all that far in it. Xing Hao was there too going around explaining things.

I went to the Jones Hall show on Sunday too and it was pretty cool too, but I liked the Tennessee show more.

[GeneChing]

...did Xinghao know those monks?

[Pk_StyLeZ]

...did Xinghao know those monks?

i didnt ask...i wanted to...but xing hao was busy talking to everyone else...i didnt have time to sit and wait to talk to him after the class....i was on campus already working on a project and just took a break to go see the class

[sha0lin1]

...did Xinghao know those monks?


I asked Xing Ying and he said he did not know any of these monks. I am assuming that they were all probably Yan generation so Yan Feng may have known them but I guess he wasn't there.

[GeneChing]

They might be different generations, but they were on many of the same tours and trained together extensively. Yanfeng was the kid monk back when Xinghao was one of the star performers. Deshan and Xingying were also in that group. So they probably know the same circles, more or less. I hung out with Xinghao back when he was at Shaolin in '95 a lot. I knew Yanfeng and Xingying too, but not as well. I didn't know Deshan - may have met him there and just forgot.

[Pk_StyLeZ]

I asked Xing Ying and he said he did not know any of these monks. I am assuming that they were all probably Yan generation so Yan Feng may have known them but I guess he wasn't there.

ya yan feng trained with xing hao, xing ying, de shan, xing wei, li peng, xing hong, de cheng and etc.
IMO this was the best tour group and most skilled of all i seen

[GeneChing]

... but I'm biased since I know most of the best (and one is my shifu ;))

They worked together the longest and formed the first major international tours, paving the way for those that followed. They were really the avant garde. They were there as Shaolin was first rising, so many of them saw Shaolin when it was a lot harder. The following generations lived in more luxury. I think some of the following tours were flashy, better shows even, but those first tours were much tighter in a martial way, especially with their sparring forms. The first group had to do it all - teach, perform, defend - it's like comparing football players of old (when there was no separation between offense and defense) and today's player, who has a lot of technology to rely upon.

[Pk_StyLeZ]

... but I'm biased since I know most of the best (and one is my shifu ;))

They worked together the longest and formed the first major international tours, paving the way for those that followed. They were really the avant garde. They were there as Shaolin was first rising, so many of them saw Shaolin when it was a lot harder. The following generations lived in more luxury. I think some of the following tours were flashy, better shows even, but those first tours were much tighter in a martial way, especially with their sparring forms. The first group had to do it all - teach, perform, defend - it's like comparing football players of old (when there was no separation between offense and defense) and today's player, who has a lot of technology to rely upon.

yeah i guess u can call me bias too...since i know most of the one i just named also and trained with 4 of them.....
but its true, the new generations are living much more luxury than the older generation.

[GeneChing]

When we say luxury, the bulk of Shaolin students are still crapping in trenches that are emptied manually. That's got to be one of the worst jobs in the world - 3rd world sewage management. But I don't think they're eating as many rats as before. Did you catch the section in Matt Polly's American Shaolin (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26966) where Xinghong discusses that?

[sha0lin1]

They might be different generations, but they were on many of the same tours and trained together extensively. Yanfeng was the kid monk back when Xinghao was one of the star performers. Deshan and Xingying were also in that group. So they probably know the same circles, more or less. I hung out with Xinghao back when he was at Shaolin in '95 a lot. I knew Yanfeng and Xingying too, but not as well. I didn't know Deshan - may have met him there and just forgot.


When Nards and I went to Tennessee with Xing Ying and Yan Feng to see that group perform. All of those guys with the exception of the young ones were Yan Feng's classmates. It was funny, Yan Feng was upset because when he was at Shaolin he was taller than all of them and now they are all taller than him. That performance was called Hui Guang, it was the story about a group of bandits that attacked a mother and her infant son to rob them, mother and son get separated during the attack, a group of Monks happen to stumble upon the turmoil and save the baby, and raise him up at the temple. Well you know the rest. That show was really good, we were talking to the promoters and they may tour it next year, we'll see.

Xing Hao is really a cool guy. I don't know De Shan that well, never was formally introduced, but when we perform at various festivals we often cross paths. Wish we all could collaborate more together but the Houston Shaolin are very independent of each other. My master would like to have one school with four masters, I think that that would be awesome but will probably never happen.

[GeneChing]

When I first met Yanfeng, he was training at the wushuguan under all the monks above. There were other kids, not many, Yanfeng was in a class by himself. I had never seen a kid that motivated and focused before. He was constantly training (and he was really young back then - we're talking '95). I'm now wondering if Yanfeng's classmates on this tour were from that period. I'm wondering if they were all wushuguan students.

I also recant the comment I made earlier about Yanfeng being in the same circles as Xinghao, Xingying, Deshan, et.al. They were all training together, but Yanfeng was a kid and the others were adults (actually Xingying was a teen, but still more adult that Yanfeng). Their age would have certainly had an effect on the social circles and their memories. I can't remember a lot of the kids and junior students that I taught and trained with back in my Lam Kwoon days. I really only remember those that were adults, and even they are a little sketchy.

Didn't realize Shaolin Warriors had progressed that much with the plot of their show. That stands to reason, in retrospect. The original was fairly abstract, based on the seasons, but really minimal in terms of storyline.

[GeneChing]

This sounds more like the tour I saw so long ago - the four scenes, the four seasons. I remember a shami being involved (a shami is always involved - that was Yanfeng's role as a child) but I don't remember an infant. Can anyone clarify this?

Shaolin Warriors At The Belk Theater (http://www.wsoctv.com/charlotteevents/14447379/detail.html)
WHAT:
“…I felt like I had stumbled upon some secret place, a place where extraordinary men challenge the limits of the human condition.” –The Greenville News

Shaolin Warriors is more than a Kung Fu show. The four scenes of summer, autumn, winter and spring depict the philosophical theory of the cycle in Buddhism. The unique artistic conception of summer, spring, autumn and winter vividly shows the rarely-seen temple life of the Shaolin monks: their Buddhist meditation, as well as their martial arts training during the coldest and hottest times of the year. In addition to the breath-taking Kung Fu display, an attentive audience will gain some understanding of the pride of Chinese Buddhism, the doctrine of “Unity of Zen and Martial Arts.”

[Pk_StyLeZ]

here some sample clips from the show
found it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6y8LHVk9hs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJRyJEkdQww

[scholar]

I recently saw the Shaolin Tour. It was definitely worth it. Besides some hokey music and the demo weapons, the forms were good, the performers serious and the presentation respectful.

If this one comes to town, people should see it, even if they don't train Shaolin.

[scholar]

http://www.beat.com.au/article.php?id=631

[GeneChing]

The nice thing about this article is it gives the official website - http://www.cpaap.com/shaolin.htm

Strength and grace: Shaolin Warriors bring their brand of martial arts to the Z (http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071122/ENTERTAIN/711220333)
November 22, 2007 6:00 AM

The Shaolin Warriors bring the remarkable skill, stunning movement, and spectacular imagery of Kung Fu to the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Friday in a performance that's sure to dazzle the audience.

The Masters of Shaolin — known throughout the world for their disciplined spirituality and lethal martial-arts prowess developed from a very young age — showcase many forms of Shaolin Kung Fu in this spectacularly choreographed theatrical production. They also provide a glimpse into the daily life of the Warriors.

According to The Washington Post, "They combine the agility and grace of gymnasts with the showmanship of Cirque du Soleil performers."

Or, as TimeOut magazine in New York put it, "Not many people would ever think of hitting a holy man, but just in case you're ever tempted, you should know that the Shaolin Buddhist monks of China could kick your ass from here to nirvana."

Located in the Henan province of central China, the Shaolin Temple was founded in 525 AD by a Buddhist monk from India named Ta Mo. He laid the foundation for the martial arts out a commitment to enhancing harmony between mind, body and spirit through Ch'an (Zen), an intense form of meditation.

Today, 23 monks from that same temple travel the world as the Shaolin Warriors performing a re-creation of a "day" at the temple — the serenity of morning meditation, the stunning physicality of daily exercises, and amazingly choreographed scenes of ritual combat.

"In addition to the breath-taking kung fu show, an attentive audience will gain some understanding of the profoundness of Chinese Buddhism, the Doctrine of 'Unity of Zen and Martial Arts' in particular," states their Web site, www.cpaap.com/shaolin.htm

The monks train for several hours daily to perfect the art of hand-to-hand and weapons combat. Each of them is required to reach high proficiency in the temple's 18 traditional weapons and become the master of one. These weapons include the common ax, cudgel, spear, halberd, sword and broadsword, three-section staff, dart, dagger, black tiger hammer, tiger hooks and more.

Buddhism and Buddhist monks espouse a philosophy of non-violence and non-aggression, but the practices of the Shaolin Warriors are not at odds with these tenets. Their goal is not violence and bloodshed, but rather what is referred to as "stillness in movement," the reward of a serene mind, cultivated through meditation.

After seeing Friday's performance, audience members will no doubt agree with The Orange County Register that the Shaolin Warriors are —¦ so good at what they do, it almost looks like animation."

Tickets are $48, $45, $40 for all reserved seats. Tickets are available by calling the Z box office at (508) 994-2900 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, online at www.zeiterion.org; or at the box office, 684 Purchase St., New Bedford.

Group sales tickets are available by calling (508) 997-5664 Ext. 16. The venue is handicapped accessible.

Convenient parking is available in the adjacent garage for $2

[quddha]

i mean i just saw on spahouston.org the free class at UH listed.

i just looked and they have a list of performers. anyone recognize any of them:

Performers
Pengfei Chen, Haohao Song, Qinpei Shi, Long Yuan, Tao Hao, Changbao Feng, Yanfei Zhang, Jie Zhao, Chenxi Wang, Chunpei Song, Kunkun Cao, Zhuo Chen, Hao Lu, Weixiao Ma, Long Chen, Dawei Zhai, Chuanqiang Yuan, Xianwei Liu, Xingchao Fan, Husile Wu, Tiancheng Zhao, Xin Liu

Most of them were casted from the Beijing area. I recognized some of the faces from the Shaolin school I was training at this summer in Fangshan Beijing.

Ma Weixiao is a friend of mine I met during the summer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqgaJYQ8NtM

He did the double whipchains during the show. Another one who did a lot of the Qi Gong stuff, I call "mean coach" because I saw him break a staff on a student's butt when he was misbehaving, and he used to throw stuff at his students.

Xingchao Fan.... left the tour, he's now my coach. lol.