Time：20:00, November 3, 2006
20:00, November 4, 2006
18:00, November 5, 2006
Place：The South Africa State Theatre
Time：20:00, November 9, 2006
20:00, November 10, 2006
Place：ARTSCAPE Theatre Centre, Cape Town
Program:
Shaolin Wind
Shaolin Muyu Kungfu
Shaolin Virgin Boy Kungfu
Shaolin Iron Head Kungfu
Shaolin Taiji Kungfu
Breaking Armor Plate with One’s Head
The 18 Martial Arts of Shaolin
Shaolin Fire Wand
Shaolin Golden Bell
Shaolin Overlord Spear
Four Spears Thrust One's Body
The Arhat Battle Array
Take a Break
Shaolin Baduanjin
Lying on Iron Forks with One's Abdomen
Shaolin Escort the Temple Kungfu
Shaolin Weapon Versus-fight
Shaolin Nine- loop Sword
Lying on Nail Bed
Shaolin Quintuplet Versus-fight
The Spear Sticks One's Throat
Shaolin Flying Needle
Shaolin Dragon Sword
Shaolin Drunken Boxing, Drunken Sword, Drunken Wand
Adsorb Bowls with One’s Abdomen
Shaolin Twin-finger Kungfu
The Work of God's Image Quincuncial Pile
Shaolin Pictographic Boxings
Shaolin Soul
Brief Introduction of Shaolin Kungfu
Shaolin Kungfu has originated in the particular Buddhist cultural environment in the Shaolin Temple of Mountain Songshan over a long history. It is one of the ways the monks in the Shaolin Temple practice the Chan Buddhism. The soul of the Shaolin Kungfu is rooted in the wisdom of Chan Buddhism which reflects a thorough understanding of the life.
Shaolin Kungfu is the one school among a myriad of Chinese martial arts schools, which enjoys the longest history, the most complete and the largest system. The design and the arrangement of Shaolin Kungfu movements are based on the medical knowledge of ancient China. Those movements fit the natural structure of the human body and give full play to the potential of the human body．
Being the outstanding example of ancient Chinese martial arts culture, Shaolin Kungfu is very popular in many countries with different cultures. It is a vivid legend in the history of the civilization. Shaolin Kungfu has already become the important spiritual asset of the Chinese people and the precious cultural inheritance owned by all the people in the world.
Brief Introduction of Program
Shaolin Virgin Boy Kungfu is one of the major exercises of Shaolin KungFu. It combines the basic martial art skills and the internal practice, which can prevent aging and keep the practitioner youthful and vigorous.
The 18 Martial Arts of Shaolin include spear, sword, lance, shield, axe, whip and hand-to-hand wrestle. In fact, they are only a glimpse of the whole picture. The ancient Chinese martial arts and weapons had many more varieties than those listed above. Today, "the eighteen martial arts" has become a set phrase. It is an official program in martial art competition.
Shaolin Golden Bell is the Shaolin rigid Qigong that practices bodily defense. As it is integrated with the essence of rigid Qigong, practitioners can stand kicking, boxing, and even strikes of sticks. It can therefore boast the top martial art in defensive rigid Qigong.
Shaolin Arhat battle array
There is a rule in Shaolin Temple, saying that if a person who learned Shaolin martial art wants to leave the temple, he must outfight the monks who keep the gate. This is called “Fight at the gate of the mountain”. Those who are not able to beat the gate keepers cannot leave the temple. This array is grand and spectacular and is practiced by many people.
Shaolin Flying Needle is among the 72 tour de forces of Shaolin Temple. It requires good hand power in channeling Qi(breathes) to the needle in your hand and combining your inner energy with the outer weapon. Only then could you thrust the needles through the glass. This is a very rare art in the Chinese martial art circle.
Adsorb Bowls with One's Abdomen is among the 72 Shaolin tour de forces. The practitioner channels Qi(breathes) to the cinnabar field and swells the belly to suck the bowls tightly on it. Several people could not pull the bowls off the belly.
Shaolin Twin-finger Kungfu. It combines the bone-strengthening practice and the internal practice and integrates the body, the mind, and the Chi. It is also one of the methods of Zen meditation of Shaolin martial monks.
Shaolin Pictographic Boxing is developed by Shaolin martial monks through the combination of Zen and boxing. The base of the boxing art is the survival skills of animals. During the practices of martial arts, Shaolin monks observed the movements and actions of birds, beasts, fish and insects, digested and summarized the essentials from them, and created a number of pictographic boxing actions. For example, Shaolin monkey boxing, dragon boxing, tiger boxing, leopard boxing, crane boxing, snake boxing and rearhorse boxing etc. are all well-known Shaolin pictographic boxing.
Organizers:
The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China
Department of Arts & Culture of the Republic of South Africa
Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of South Africa
(China.org.cn October 27, 2006)
