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Diary entry thirty-eight
 
The amazing tourist industry that is Shaolin
 
We just watched that CURSED Nationla Geographic documentary about the
shaolin, but this time we were a lot more sceptical and informed. So much of that
seemed to us to be untrue and over the top. I mean, just the putting on the orange robes every day for a start,
it looks like they just did it for the cameras.
 
What else?
 
Yeah, a load of the exercises were said to be done for 2 hours a day, or
something. Like punching a load of paper against a wall for two hours
straight. and standing with bowls of water on your head and arms, which of
course break as soon as they fall. It would be so amazingly impractical to
do that every day.
 
You'd waste a lot of money buying replacement bowls, for
one- And the fact that you don't actually need bowls. I know that this is a
bad example, but it just stands out to me.
 
My point is that they exaggerated
some of the training and placed as many gimmicks as possible.
There's a load of schools in Hunan (Or Henan, I forget) that advertise
shaolin training, but there aren't any official monks like most people seem
to believe.
 
All 'monks' have been somewhat watered down, the images of
amazingly spiritual and invincible fighters just isn't right. Or maybe it's
because they don't walk around in robes with shaved heads 24/7, or anything.
Note how Che's website refers to them all as 'Laymen monks', to cover his
back if the tourists get upset.
 
Basically they're a lot more human then I used to think back when I was in
England. They occasionally make mistakes and laugh and Andrew farting just
like everyone else. (Again, that example just stood out.) This isn't a bad
thing at all.
 
I don't think I would have any better training just from
somebody in an orange robe that doesn't eat meat or drink, although the
idiot in me would like to have that just to feel good, because I'm as
shallow as spit.
 
A load of people at the old academy talked about going to 'the real shaolin'
after they were finished there. Why? I'm afraid that the training is a real
as you can get, if you ever find a place like that the only difference will
be that you'll have gimmicks and principals all around you, the training
itself will stay the same.
 
I've said it before (I hope.) That you don't have to go anywhere to get
good, really. If one person trained in their bedroom for a year and one
person trained in China for one year, I'd have no idea who'd be better. I'm
here because I wanted to check it out, not that I believe that it's the only
route to proper training. I think more personal responsibility is needed for
people that come to China expecting it to change them.
 
EG. ME- I expected coming here to completely change me; my habits, my
attitude, etc. But I just became lazy. I'm slowly getting back into the
swing of things, but slowly. VERY SLOWLY.
Ah well
 
-Jim the friendly mouse

 

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