Shaolin's kung fu masters perform fabulous movement<\/p>\n
By Rika Saraswati<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): A Buddhist monk moved his hand gently, yet the
\neffect was tremendous. The several small needles which were
\nthrown were able to penetrate a 1 cm thick plate of glass and to
\npop a balloon hanging behind it.<\/p>\n
This was achieved with the combination of movement, speed,
\ninner energy and accuracy for throwing piauw (secret weapons) as
\ndemonstrated by a kung fu master from the Shaolin temple at
\nSemarang's Jatigiri Sports event last week. What a fantastic
\nmartial art!<\/p>\n
Thirty-four kung fu masters from the Shaolin temple in the
\nShongsan Mountains of Zhengshu village in the Henan province of
\nChina, are touring for one month as part of the Real Shaolin
\nKung-Fu show. The tour kicked off in Semarang from June 30 to
\nJuly 2, and performs in Surabaya from July 3 to July 6, the
\nPlenary Hall in Jakarta from July 13 to July 16, Bandung from
\nJuly 20 to July 23 and ends in Medan from July 27 to July 30.<\/p>\n
During the show in Semarang, the kung fu masters demonstrated
\nthat they were not harmed when they were kicked or hit. Even a
\nspear could not penetrate their neck, and their hands and legs
\nseemed as strong as iron when they were struck with a log. They
\ndid it for real. This was not a trick like in the movies.<\/p>\n
About 2,000 spectators were stunned every time the kung fu
\nmasters demonstrated their skills. They could make their body as
\nlight as a feather or as strong as iron. They were also experts
\nin using the weapons and they had good acrobatic skills.<\/p>\n
In one scene, a monk demonstrated a frog leap. He jumped high
\nand then landed with his hands first. Then he kicked from the
\nback with an elegant movement. Like a frog, he moved his head to
\nthe right and left.<\/p>\n
And then there was the monkey impersonation. Holding a long
\nstick, a monk acted like a monkey, jumping in the air and kicking
\nor climbing the stick.<\/p>\n
They also demonstrated their expertise in using various kinds
\nof weapons from swords, machetes and knives, to sticks, whips,
\nchains, three-point daggers and two-headed spears.<\/p>\n
The hum of the chain when it was swung, to the beating of the
\nsticks, the crack of the whip, and the sound of swords and knives
\nclashing were all combined with the difficult technique of the
\nmasters rotating in the air, which dominated the show. The stage
\nhad a background of Shaolin temples which gave a suitable
\natmosphere.<\/p>\n
The masters' strength was demonstrated in various ways. For
\nexample, two spears were pointed at the neck of a monk. He moved,
\npushing one of the spears forward. Strangely, the spear could not
\npenetrate his neck -- the sharp weapon was bent.<\/p>\n
Another strange thing happened when a monk, using a wooden
\nbar, hit a piece of iron that was put on his head. The wooden bar
\nwas broken, as was the iron.<\/p>\n
The promoter of this event, Kahn Warsah, said the show was
\nheld to answer Indonesians' curiosity about the fabulous Chinese
\nmartial art.<\/p>\n
\"Everything is done without any tricks like in the movies. You
\ncan see it is all for real. And the monks are really from the
\nShaolin temple,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Shaolin temple institute was established in 479 and
\ndeveloped rapidly under emperor Wen Di from the Sui Dynasty, who
\ngave 1,648 hectares of land for temple expansion.<\/p>\n
How about the response from the Indonesian martial art
\nexperts?<\/p>\n
\"We are happy with their visit here. We can exchange our
\nexperiences. This is in accordance with our program as we also
\nplan to open a school of pencak silat (Indonesian traditional
\nmartial art) in China,\" said Roestadi Effendi, the chairman of
\nthe Indonesian Pencak Silat Association.<\/p>\n
What is for certain is that the presence of the kung fu
\nmasters from the Shaolin temple is evidence that there is an
\nopenness in Chinese arts and culture, which was oppressed by the
\nSoeharto regime for over 32 years.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/shaolins-kung-fu-masters-perform-fabulous-movement-1447893297",
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