Rating:

Aka: SHAOLIN KUNG FU

Stars: Jet Li, Shaolin monks

Director: -

1994, China

 

Very good documentary (very interesting) on the Shaolin monks and Jet Li.

Jet demonstrates some forms, Wu Tang drunken swordplay, Shaolin Long Fist etc. and some other training, and when he was little doing wushu (he was excellent).

The Shaolin monks show some interesting training, Iron Fist, Hard Skull, Horse Stance (with a bamboo stick on the ground and a bowl on the head, like "Drunken Master"), Reptile Skill, Groin Skill-Iron Armour, Iron Throat, Buddha Overhung Skill ("Drunken Master" again), Shaolin Belt Skill, Bodybuilding and much much more. They also show Monkey style, Leopard, Praying Mantis and lots of weapon, Iron Fan, Flute, Meridian Ring, Ta-Mo Cane, Tiger Hooks etc. Monk Shi De Yang (the little monk who uses fist armour and smashes ceramic jars) is truly excellent with forms and everything; I have another documentary with him where he's great too.

 

Some stuff seems prearranged and faked, for ex when these guys are trying to pull the bowl from the monk’s stomach they fall pretty easy after failing. In one scene a monk wrestles a cow (I thought they were supposed to be nice to animals) and then the scene is cut and the monk has beaten the cow. Many times they say things like "Look how beautiful Chinese kung Fu is"; It’s like an advertising movie on the Shaolin Monks.

I don’t think there is another video that shows so much of the Shaolin monks training and life.

Some recognizable monks from the shaolin monks show on Eurosport. A must buy Shaolin kung fu fans.

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