Shaolin's kung fu masters perform fabulous movement

By Rika Saraswati

SEMARANG (JP): A Buddhist monk moved his hand gently, yet the effect was tremendous. The several small needles which were thrown were able to penetrate a 1 cm thick plate of glass and to pop a balloon hanging behind it.

This was achieved with the combination of movement, speed, inner energy and accuracy for throwing piauw (secret weapons) as demonstrated by a kung fu master from the Shaolin temple at Semarang's Jatigiri Sports event last week. What a fantastic martial art!

Thirty-four kung fu masters from the Shaolin temple in the Shongsan Mountains of Zhengshu village in the Henan province of China, are touring for one month as part of the Real Shaolin Kung-Fu show. The tour kicked off in Semarang from June 30 to July 2, and performs in Surabaya from July 3 to July 6, the Plenary Hall in Jakarta from July 13 to July 16, Bandung from July 20 to July 23 and ends in Medan from July 27 to July 30.

During the show in Semarang, the kung fu masters demonstrated that they were not harmed when they were kicked or hit. Even a spear could not penetrate their neck, and their hands and legs seemed as strong as iron when they were struck with a log. They did it for real. This was not a trick like in the movies.

About 2,000 spectators were stunned every time the kung fu masters demonstrated their skills. They could make their body as light as a feather or as strong as iron. They were also experts in using the weapons and they had good acrobatic skills.

In one scene, a monk demonstrated a frog leap. He jumped high and then landed with his hands first. Then he kicked from the back with an elegant movement. Like a frog, he moved his head to the right and left.

And then there was the monkey impersonation. Holding a long stick, a monk acted like a monkey, jumping in the air and kicking or climbing the stick.

They also demonstrated their expertise in using various kinds of weapons from swords, machetes and knives, to sticks, whips, chains, three-point daggers and two-headed spears.

The hum of the chain when it was swung, to the beating of the sticks, the crack of the whip, and the sound of swords and knives clashing were all combined with the difficult technique of the masters rotating in the air, which dominated the show. The stage had a background of Shaolin temples which gave a suitable atmosphere.

The masters' strength was demonstrated in various ways. For example, two spears were pointed at the neck of a monk. He moved, pushing one of the spears forward. Strangely, the spear could not penetrate his neck -- the sharp weapon was bent.

Another strange thing happened when a monk, using a wooden bar, hit a piece of iron that was put on his head. The wooden bar was broken, as was the iron.

The promoter of this event, Kahn Warsah, said the show was held to answer Indonesians' curiosity about the fabulous Chinese martial art.

"Everything is done without any tricks like in the movies. You can see it is all for real. And the monks are really from the Shaolin temple," he said.

The Shaolin temple institute was established in 479 and developed rapidly under emperor Wen Di from the Sui Dynasty, who gave 1,648 hectares of land for temple expansion.

How about the response from the Indonesian martial art experts?

"We are happy with their visit here. We can exchange our experiences. This is in accordance with our program as we also plan to open a school of pencak silat (Indonesian traditional martial art) in China," said Roestadi Effendi, the chairman of the Indonesian Pencak Silat Association.

What is for certain is that the presence of the kung fu masters from the Shaolin temple is evidence that there is an openness in Chinese arts and culture, which was oppressed by the Soeharto regime for over 32 years.