Can You Learn Kung Fu In Two Weeks?

Shaolin Kung Fu King of the fighting Arts [Music] deadly and mysterious its reputation was forged on the battlefields of ancient China but born in the Cradle of Zen Buddhism Shaolin Temple to discover the secrets behind the spiritual art of combat I'll have to infiltrate its rank this is where the term boot camp would really apply I'm Jason Scott Lee Hollywood actor and student of Bruce Lee's martial art Jeet kundo for 20 years for two weeks I'll be eating sleeping and breathing Kung Fu on the shaolin's reigning Masters and I'll be tested to my limits every day failed and I'll be thrown out of kung fu boot camp succeed and I will earn my place in this Elite institution and learn what it takes to be a Shaolin Warrior [Music] we're on the road we're driving up to the mythical Shaolin Temple challenging template for martial artists around the world it's sort of a Mecca a place where you almost need to make a pilgrimage too because of its history of 1500 years of these Warrior monks that have protected and defended peace and China and Emperors and they have such a royal bearing within the martial arts community [Music] Shaolin Temple for me goes back a long ways my father used to take us to all these old kung fu movies proud you're just fascinated by the Kung Fu and the flying they could do and almost x-men-like powers that they've had and it's always been a fantasy of mine to see what that's all about you can say that Shaolin Temple is every Kung Fu student's dream rite of passage my 20 years of training in Bruce Lee's ji kundo and my experience as an instructor in the art have prepared me for acceptance into the temple I don't know what to expect to come all this way and possibly be turned away I don't know uh I'm looking for Yang Chen Shifu I am Master Yan Chan if you want to learn Xiaolin Kung Fu I must bring you to meet the habit but the Abbott is willing to accept you as his disciple I can start to teach you Shaolin Kung Fu come with me wow I can't believe I'm here this place feels amazing Shaolin Temple was built in the 5th Century amongst the Lush Forest of Mount song over the Millennia the world heritage site has been attacked by Bandits sacked by Rebel armies and rebuilt many times its scars are deep you can't deny the incredible Aura it still exudes we're heading to the heart of the temple the main prayer Hall [Music] the hall can fit around 100 monks and is used for a variety of activities from daily prayers to Big celebrations today it hosts the Abbott who will judge if I'm worthy to be a student of Xiaolin only a gentleman can become a disciple so you should do it well before I can make you a disciple I have a few questions to ask you do you have your parents consent to become a disciple of the Shaolin Temple yes do you have unsettled lawsuits on hand no do you have any unpaid debts no are you over 18 years old 45 well I was kind of confused with the questions that you know how personal some were and uh I wasn't quite sure which way to go whether my answers were going to be correct or not or if they weren't were going to kick me out I wasn't sure I think that's an intro [Music] or the big screen all for free no subscription required foreign [Music] you meet the requirements you can become a disciple try to stay along the lines of you know something that I thought would suit my choice for being there and I think it all worked out fine congratulations congratulations on becoming a disciple we're going to shave your head to be like us Shaolin Monks shave their heads as a show of Devotion to Buddha it also signifies a cleansing process so this is shaving off all my worldly desires to achieve enlightenment letting go of material things [Music] seems like you really have an affinity with Buddha a shaved head suit to you who feels good with the ceremonies out of the way it's time to kick off my training yanchen sifu gives me a taste of what Xiaolin kung fu is all about the fellow seniors who will be PR alright everyone let's win look Jason this is double whips double whips emphasizes on the speed and the strength of the wrist [Music] the first day I met the monks they came off very jovial but when they were put to the test with their skills you could see the fierceness you see the mental focus the contradiction into what you think a Shaolin Warrior Monk Is was kind of unfolding right before my eyes it looks like the most impressive weapon you know the big question that people want to know as well and Jason Scott Lee beat a Shaolin monk I think about it and I think why would I want to pick a fight with a Shaolin monk anyway the monks prove my point spectacularly with a display of their incredible defense against the sharpest weapons you try it me yeah yes as it turns out it's also a rite of passage for the Freshman of the team oh yeah I'm in trouble now lately lately lately lately that's good in Shaolin before you can train Qigong or even handle a weapon you have to master hand-to-hand combat today I will be learning shaolin's famous Seven Star fist one of its most ancient Kung Fu forms in a few days I will be tested on the accuracy of my moves and if I fail I will be shown the door before you learn the stands Allah song demonstrated to you demonstrated once Legend has it that movements in the Seven Star fists are actually inspired by the Big Dipper constellation it's designed for close quarter combat and can be applied by smaller size Fighters against larger opponents making even a tiny fighter like Sao song a tricky adversary pretty amazing for a six-year-old good boy you gradually be able to fight as well and as fluidly as us as I have mentioned the motion of the body flows naturally after a thousand punches it doesn't look like it's that hard but it is very hard and I've been having a lot of problem wrapping my head around it there's so much detail involved almost every move is designed to either strike or deflect or protect what's up that'll work okay when you're doing The Stance apply the hand grip a hand grip you understand when you apply the pressure on the arm it locks my hand and it it locks my shoulder and then with the kick he just punishes you to the ground he can also apply it as a throw so there's a lot of applications you have to be flexible in deciding how to execute a move this is how the move is done but you have to think about how to improvise and apply to various situations understand this is meditation in motion there is a relaxed quality to it but there's also an explosion of chi I don't know when those moments are so I I'm going blind trying to learn the moves this is a lot to take in just one day but I haven't got a lot of time to feel sorry for myself [Music] it's 5 a.m in the morning and we're taking breakfast this is one of the first times in a long time that I've gotten dressed up so nicely for breakfast this is a groupie and Gathering of the monks outside of the of the dining hall to go in all together for breakfast it's all part of their meditation and their Zen this is a breakfast Shaolin Style sure that these monks go through to me it looks like it allows them a certain degree of mindfulness which is what you would need to achieve Zen I'm looking forward to the next two weeks but I'm not so sure if I'm gonna feel happy about all this ritual it's definitely going to be a challenge in itself just to maintain that quality seems to follow these monks wherever they go as part of the Shaolin Kung Fu team I have to train three hours in the morning and two and a half hours in the afternoon over the next two weeks my teammates do it year in and year out [Music] there's a wonderful Brotherhood that happens when you're doing really difficult practices there is that trust that you have to have almost like falling backwards and then you know knowing that someone's gonna be there to catch you each training session is preceded by extreme stretching exercises that enhance your flexibility Jason after stretching your thighs well you will be able to stretch your lower leg then you are able to kick your leg higher than your waist and head so make sure you stretch well oh that's it this is gonna be really embarrassing I had seen all these monks just snapping these kicks pulling their foot over their head now I'm going to be revealed my my weaknesses are going to be shown can you do that stretch properly this is my first failure I was quite embarrassed your next challenge is very important if your legs are not flexible you will face a lot of difficulty in your training let me show you what Kung Fu style you can learn when you have Master stretching come here foreign monk performing the stretching exercise it's not what you would think Shaolin Kung Fu is you think boxer Shaolin you know throwing kicks and breaking material things but as I watched it I thought wow that's a facet of Shaolin Kung Fu that you don't often see that would be more akin to yoga or ayurvedic yogic practice with the breathing and the contortion and the immense amount of flexibility from what I observed he's going through a meditation he and in this meditation he gets into different contorted positions says that that's all about meditation that's what integral part of Shaolin Kung Fu which is completely brand new to me because I had never been introduced to that side and um I was completely fascinated to be there and experience something like that makes it a very unique experience for me because of coming in with no real expectations but coming out seeing an amazing kaleidoscope and amazing multi-faceted methods of training that these you have to practice hard understand everyone off to the next location hurry up my lack of flexibility has shot my confidence to pieces I need to pull myself together at Yen Chen sifu has the perfect motivator the centuries-old Hall of a thousand Buddhas also known as the Kung Fu Training hall this structure in the Shaolin Temple and inside there are 48 small depressions in the floor Legend has it that they are formed by hundreds of years of kung fu training as the monks Channel their Chi through their feet striking the ground with Incredible Force this depression on the ground is the evidence of a kind of spirit that exists here this is the Shaolin Spirit which can be expressed by the saying Rome is not built in a day cannot simply be acquired overnight a pit like this can only be achieved over a certain period of time and sweat nowadays most monks do not get the chance to practice their martial arts here but today I especially brought a few monks here to train with you you must treasure this opportunity do not disappoint me go yinching go sifu brought me to the Kung Fu Hall to inspire me and and get me pumped up so that I can train really hard to learn the seven star fish I think in a way I I felt very small firstly who am I I mean and here am I at this amazing Place training in this historical Hall and I thought I'm just like one generation I'm a little blipped in the time frame and the scale of history in hundreds of years of practitioners cultivating their Chi really putting their whole life into their Kung Fu okay like this good in a way I don't feel up to par but I'm trying my best to you know make it work remember the moves and perform them well like that feel it stretch your legs lean to the left side okay ancient sifu said that it takes thousands of hours to remember these things and I as a beginner I tend to agree because you really have to get into your body it has to become a natural reflex and as a beginner it's not quite there yet it's more like piecing together a puzzle and I'm still that puzzle is just not quite fitting and that's the struggle when you first start off a kick is just a kick and a punch is just a punch when you start getting into the training a punch is no longer a punch and kick is no longer kick once you've gone through the training you come out the other end a kick is just a kick and a punch it's just a punch so it's that idea that you go through a mechanical stage [Music] day four of my Shaolin Kung Fu training the entire team is going to be tested on our Mastery of the Seven Star fist judging us is a senior monk of Shaolin Temple Yanti sifu foreign needs to perform well understand understood first group there can be no mistakes and if I do make one it's hasta la vista baby no more Kung Fu boot camp all I can do is pray and try my very best I'm feeling a bit uh apprehensive a bit nervous I think there's a lot of pressure on me to perform well and I am the outsider coming in so I I really have to [ __ ] up and try to lock into the rhythms and the timing of the other monks you go aside I can see this is going to be difficult and failure will be punishing because I'm watching the monks before ahead of me I've seen some monks that are not doing so well you know losing the timing losing the routine I see that those are the ones that are picked out and put to the side and put in a horse stand so I'm pretty nervous at this point you know watching how it's all going down [Music] what what whoops it wasn't quite right I was a little bit slow on the draw I was a little bit my timing was a bit off I think oh that's it that's the end of the road for me here in Shaolin Temple [Music] Jason demonstrate the Seven Star boxing move now you want to see if you're able to execute the moves properly I have to show off two moves that's a part of the Seven Star fist and those two moves will be done when being attacked so I thought okay here's my chance I better try and put this guy down or show some Flair when I'm using these techniques [Music] [Music] senior what do you think [Music] good you can continue to learn something new now but you still need to build a stronger foundation for seven star boxing go over there I'm relieved in the end that it worked out for me I felt that I barely got through and this is just my first test I don't have long to get over my shaky start it's time to enter the next stage of my training oh he just used his fingers everything they do they have preparation it's like this mental focus Jason today I will teach you the horse dance these stilts are made by our own monks in the shape of a plum blossom flower what do you work on these thoughts we work on the flexibility and stability of the body this training requires utmost Focus one careless step will lead to a painful fall what this is foundational work any foundational work is usually the hardest stuff to do physically I'm looking at the buckets of water that they have I know it has something to do with my torture here turns out that my first challenge is to hold the buckets of water in a horse stance for at least three minutes and it's easier said than done on one foot while you perform horse stance on both feet whoever loses will do 100 push-ups as punishment again physically this is where the term boot camp would really apply you have to sustain uh your muscles over a long period of time foreign you have one you will have to do 100 push-ups as well if you had lost understand practice your horse stance well foreign you need to train hard if you train well you will be able to hold the horse stance for 10 or even 30 minutes if you do not train hard today there will be no lunch for you continue your training the door what Shaolin Kung Fu isn't just about hand to hand fighting centuries of innovation gave birth to over a hundred varieties of Shaolin weapons in ancient times the Monk's skill with these deadly devices was so renowned that China's imperial Court often sent their generals to learn from them my next challenge is to master one of these famous weapons having come so far it would be a disaster if I fail and get booted out around every corner it's been a surprise for me and this one's no less exciting and apprehensive as well it was also the factor of fear but I think I've always had the character wanting to confront fear fear is why I'm doing it from among all these weapons choose one that you like it would be more interesting if you train with a weapon you like and this is a safe bet like this yeah okay well maybe I won't hurt myself challenge stuff pretty good choice this is an iconic weapon of the Shaolin Temple in ancient times 13 monks saved the Imperial heir of the Tang Dynasty Li shiming with the Shaolin staff once you have mastered this weapon you can use it to fight any other weapons without any problem Shaolin weapons training often involves performing with a partner it aids in memorization and also enhances the speed of your moves the danger though is that one misstep and it's a finger gone or gash on the head I've been paired with an opponent wielding double broadswords I will demonstrate it to you once watch carefully that's full-on man the full speed is going hard did you see that [Laughter] you make it look easy now it's my turn and I soon find out how complex this can be it would be too slow if you make this step you want to come feel my heart beating you have to have total focus and that total focus you get fatigue and what happens when you fatigue is your timing is off and then then you start reverting back to survival nature again and you're not quite in the moment I think one of the toughest challenges is the fear of getting tagged if I don't get that staff up I'm on the gun like they have to Flinch and get myself out of the way or get my hand smashed if it's in the wrong position you'll get slashed easily if you hold it this way hold the staff with your hands wider this way sometimes I can see um the disappointment on my opponent's face like you forgot again you know it's like how many times have you done this I'm still struggling with how to hold the staff I think there's a certain expectation like hey don't waste my time and uh I'm trying not to located at the foot of Mount Zion in henan Province Shaolin Temple is surrounded by more than 30 Peaks which formed a virtually impenetrable barrier in ancient times the same Peaks were also a magnet for Buddhists and Taoist devotees who held them as sacred ground often climbing them as part of their pilgrimage or for quiet contemplation this morning I'm following their lead climbing Mount sung to pay our respects to Bodhi Dharma the founder of Shaolin Kung Fu who is believed to have meditated in a nearby cave for an incredible nine years everyone start running you know that I know that this time it's sort of a exercise in itself like everything these Shaolin Monks do it combines exercise and training in this case running a nearly vertical stairwells to the top of this mountain foreign as we're running up the mountains I feel I'm gaining insight into what Xiaolin Zen is all about it's acceptance of obstacles acceptance of pain and I think that was a brilliant insight as I was panting and crawling up the mountain for a bit Jason this is the Cave of the body Dharma and enshrined within is a statue of him [Music] Odie Dharma sailed across the ocean from India to China to impart Zen in his teachings the foreign language wasn't an issue as he adapted various methods to teach Zen to different people during the time where he'd meditated while fixing the wall he developed the now famous manuals called the muscle and tendon changing classic and the eighth section Brocade there's five Peaks on this area of this mountain this cave is situated in the middle Peak so it's got to be a fairly auspicious place and has good feng shui there's something pretty mystical about this area as the the winds are blowing the Mist the mountain face the cicadas are chirping I could imagine what it was like back then [Music] hurry up hurry up catch up be careful when descending the mountain quick quick quick so once again on our descent it's another training session it's another exercise everything we do is part of this effort to better ourselves towards child and grumpu we are training for strength and body agility today understand understood that's I'm really getting worried it looks really difficult it looks really steep it looks like I could miss a step with my hand fatigue you know my muscles give out and I start planting my forehead into the concrete stairs no come on as I started doing I thought not bad I'm just saying I think I'm doing okay because I'm keeping up with the monks they're not too far ahead of me another challenge occurs I have to catch up to Samsung and actually I'm thinking to myself I want to beat this kid you know it's like beating me in all these like challenges hurry up hurry up keep your body steady foreign it's been a tough morning and it's about to get tougher in the past few days I've been training hard to master the legendary Shaolin staff wielded properly it's a phenomenal weapon that can deliver long-range strikes from multiple directions used poorly and it's a dangerous handicap oh this afternoon I joined the rest of my team to undergo a test to show if we've perfected our weapons of choice only a convincing performance will ensure I move into the final stage of my training judging us is a 20-year Kung Fu veteran of Shaolin Temple Master yen chuang he has this Burly disposition it doesn't show much emotions Sasha Nasser how's this performance yes [Music] I'm standing there waiting for my turn to perform and and I'm watching the other monks I'm just blown away these guys are almost Perfection you know they're getting the confirmation from Master ciao yes I'm still like kind of holding my bottom going okay I'm feeling a little more confident I know my moves but there's still that piece of uh the puzzle that's still not there [Music] hopefully there's no serious reprimanding if I lose I just might get tossed out of the temple anything can happen [ __ ] Shake [Music] [Music] what is your videos good from now on go over there now yes that was pretty close just made it by the skin of my teeth I'm pretty relieved I had a good partner he had good timing I had pretty good timing Master Chao was very gracious with me I know there are some things that are probably not perfect probably not exact but I think the more I work on it the better I can get and the more precise I can be [Music] oh just 300 meters west of Shaolin Temple is a thousand-year-old cemetery known as the Pagoda Forest the 200 stunning stone structures housed the remains of shaolin's deceased abbots sacred reminders of their contribution to Zen Buddhism and the temple oldest and most impressive Pagoda was built as far back as the Tang Dynasty around 700 A.D for the monks the Pagoda Forest isn't just a place of prayer and quiet contemplation it's also a training ground my next challenge at Shaolin Temple is to learn what is possibly the toughest skill of all hard style Qigong a type of breathing exercise that focuses the mind and is meant to give you power over your Chi or Life Energy once mastered you can literally transform into a human shield this is what I'm expected to perform for my final test as my teammates lay on knives and Nails I lie on top supporting a 33 pound concrete block on my chest before a sledgehammer smashes it to pieces oh [ __ ] they're gonna make me do that that's crazy [Music] stuck whoa that's gnarly man what the hell so I'm standing there and I'm watching this demonstration and I'm thinking these people have trained hard they've made commitments to this effort they understand the metaphysical side of this practice how to apply it this is scientific they've done it to a point where they can do it without injury it's achievable probably within time but as of right now I'm not that confident up to this point I've never felt that there was anything I couldn't achieve with hard work and a little luck but there's a real danger here that I just can't shake off can I really learn to transfer my chi at will in a single day and can I survive a direct hit try foreign focus on your lower abdomen concentrate and keep your heart away from distraction come let's do a half squat position relax your elbows and focus on the lower abdomen concentrate and keep away from any distraction Can You Feel The channeling of chi good anyhow now channel your Chi I will use two poles to hit you let's see if you are able to channel your cheat to resist these strikes foreign two three [Music] [Music] you have applied what I taught you do you feel the pain not bad not bad you have done well looks like you have put your heart into training during this period [Music] tense that's intense there's some pain involved that I felt but not enough to like injure me I feel weirdly centered I got a little bruise it's raised it's a bit um looks like a pretty good lump but when the pole broke on my shoulder it deflected and bounced off my wrist so that's a really clear indication where your Chi was focused because I don't have any pain or anything of where the stick actually broke so makes me a believer [Music] it's my last day at Shaolin Temple and I'm facing my ultimate Challenge in hard style Qigong the dangerous move known simply as the mountain of knives and bed of nails judging my performance again is Master yen chuang here Jason this test involves a sledgehammer involves a slate concrete on my body that is going to be smashed a bit with two other monks under me one of them on knives and one of them on a better nails this is the higher level of the Qigong practice and I'm scared as to what if something goes wrong somebody's timing's off well if it doesn't go well the stakes are high and uh I'm hoping not to bust any ribs or or get in my my larynx crushed or anything so we'll see one two three thank you thank you one two bam so right after the contact I'm thinking am I okay I'll move a little bit no pain and that's the biggest relief and Jason perform today [Music] um has praised you from now on make good use of your Chi and always learn earnestly oh that was amazing what a rush let's go let's go with my final test complete my journey at Xiaolin has come to an end it's hard to believe that I've Got to Now say goodbye I would cherish this experience for the rest of my life Abbott's handwritten calligraphy originally I came here with the idea of fulfilling a childhood dream of being a Shaolin Warrior among but after my experience here and getting to know the lifestyle and getting to know the people getting a better understanding of what Shaolin Kung Fu actually is in my mind is not what I was actually projecting [Music] I'm walking away with something greater something I was completely unexpected one of those things is Friends one of those things is Qigong for my health and knowing that there's real people there and that they they work hard they sacrifice a lot those are all things I didn't foresee going into the picture I'm walking out of it somewhat enlightened about the dream itself if I really think about it and I go deep into myself and I wonder if Sheldon Temple Will Survive into the future into the 21st century I think it will have have strength it will have the power to sustain itself [Music] I like the diversity that Shaolin Temple brings I like the inner strength that has nothing to do with technology they all start from being at peace with yourself and that is the only way you have peace in the world it's a very strong message that Shaolin Temple brings and you don't find it in many places [Music]

Channel: TRACKS - Travel Documentaries

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Keywords: travel documentaries, tracks travel, tracks, beautiful travel, full travel documentary, full documentary 2021, tv shows - topic, culture, travel, tourism, Documentary movies - topic

Id: cr_0nMYVOGE

Length: 46min 37sec (2797 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 28 2023