A group of 17 monks will demonstrate the art of Kung Fu from next week
Monks from one of the most mysterious and thrilling assets of the East, the Shaolin Temple, are about to bring their philosophy to Bulgaria.
A group of 17 kung fu fighters will arrive in Varna on July 25, and will astound the seaside tourists with their first demonstration on Bulgarian soil in the Palace of Culture and Sports of the Black Sea city. People in Sofia will have the chance to see them on July 29. A spectacular show will be carried out in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture (NDK).
The group of agile monks coming from Shaolin (Mandarin for young forest) consists of one 11-year-old boy, 15 senior fighters and one monk-teacher. They will show the art of hand-to-hand combat and their mastery of basic weapons.
“This is the first event of that kind to take place in Eastern Europe,” said Tatyana Kolarova, spokesperson of the Edita production company, which organized the visit. The slogan of the demonstrations will be “The young people are for a healthy way of living. Without drugs!”
The group of Shaolin monks was formed in 1978. Its purpose is to travel around the world and reveal the real war art (wushu), not only as a demonstration of superior control over the body but also as a philosophy emanating deep spirituality and wisdom.
The Shaolin Temple, dating back to 300 AD, represents not only a tradition or a spiritual refuge but also a real art. In the beginning, a monk called Bodhidharma sought shelter in the ancient monastery. What struck him most there was the fact that the other monks were too feeble and lacked the stamina to perform the most basic Buddhist meditation practices. Bodhidharma decided to counter this weakness by teaching them moving exercises designed to both enhance their ch’i (breath) flow and build strength.
He taught them drills based on Indian yoga practices which resembled the movements of the 18 main animals in the Indo-Chinese iconography, such as tiger, deer, leopard, cobra, snake and dragon. These elements were implemented into traditional Chinese martial arts and thus over 50 distinct Shaolin fighting styles, known as kung fu or wushu, were developed.
What is peculiar about these martial arts, however, is that the Shaolin practitioner is never the attacker in a conflict, because the study of kung fu aims at a better understanding of violence and consequently its rejection.
The characteristic weapon of the Shaolin monks, which will be presented in the demonstrations, is the cudgel. Initially, it was the only weapon used in training, but nowadays their armoury has diversified with over 20 weapons such as the axe, spear, halberd, sword, dart, dagger, tiger hooks and plum-blossom broadsword. The four major weapons that are mastered by the monks are the cudgel, spear, sword and broadsword – however many other short weapons (e.g. fan, flute) are hidden wittily in the clothes.
The monks from the monastery of the young forest are going to display for an hour and a half a breathtaking concoction of martial arts, Eastern philosophy, and complete harmony between mind and body. Ninety minutes is all that’s needed to look beyond daily troubles and immerse oneself into a world where anything is possible for the human body.
A group of 17 kung fu fighters will arrive in Varna on July 25, and will astound the seaside tourists with their first demonstration on Bulgarian soil in the Palace of Culture and Sports of the Black Sea city. People in Sofia will have the chance to see them on July 29. A spectacular show will be carried out in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture (NDK).
The group of agile monks coming from Shaolin (Mandarin for young forest) consists of one 11-year-old boy, 15 senior fighters and one monk-teacher. They will show the art of hand-to-hand combat and their mastery of basic weapons.
“This is the first event of that kind to take place in Eastern Europe,” said Tatyana Kolarova, spokesperson of the Edita production company, which organized the visit. The slogan of the demonstrations will be “The young people are for a healthy way of living. Without drugs!”
The group of Shaolin monks was formed in 1978. Its purpose is to travel around the world and reveal the real war art (wushu), not only as a demonstration of superior control over the body but also as a philosophy emanating deep spirituality and wisdom.
The Shaolin Temple, dating back to 300 AD, represents not only a tradition or a spiritual refuge but also a real art. In the beginning, a monk called Bodhidharma sought shelter in the ancient monastery. What struck him most there was the fact that the other monks were too feeble and lacked the stamina to perform the most basic Buddhist meditation practices. Bodhidharma decided to counter this weakness by teaching them moving exercises designed to both enhance their ch’i (breath) flow and build strength.
He taught them drills based on Indian yoga practices which resembled the movements of the 18 main animals in the Indo-Chinese iconography, such as tiger, deer, leopard, cobra, snake and dragon. These elements were implemented into traditional Chinese martial arts and thus over 50 distinct Shaolin fighting styles, known as kung fu or wushu, were developed.
What is peculiar about these martial arts, however, is that the Shaolin practitioner is never the attacker in a conflict, because the study of kung fu aims at a better understanding of violence and consequently its rejection.
The characteristic weapon of the Shaolin monks, which will be presented in the demonstrations, is the cudgel. Initially, it was the only weapon used in training, but nowadays their armoury has diversified with over 20 weapons such as the axe, spear, halberd, sword, dart, dagger, tiger hooks and plum-blossom broadsword. The four major weapons that are mastered by the monks are the cudgel, spear, sword and broadsword – however many other short weapons (e.g. fan, flute) are hidden wittily in the clothes.
The monks from the monastery of the young forest are going to display for an hour and a half a breathtaking concoction of martial arts, Eastern philosophy, and complete harmony between mind and body. Ninety minutes is all that’s needed to look beyond daily troubles and immerse oneself into a world where anything is possible for the human body.
