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> I put years of effort into learning Shaolin kung fu and understanding its culture, but no, I was definitely not waking up at 4:30 AM in the barracks each morn

> I put years of effort into learning Shaolin kung fu and understanding its culture, but no, I was definitely not waking up at 4:30 AM in the barracks each morning for a jog up the mountain. Really? The author learned Chinese, studied kung fu for years, then traveled to China to train -- only to decide that getting up early was simply too much effort? I found this article informative (if someone erratic), but this part truly baffled me. Still, it's very interesting that a fifth century temple is still operating -- and making money! -- today.

com2kid 8y ago
Especially considering that early morning workouts are not all that uncommon in the hardcore American fitness community... Heck lots of celebrities get up at that time to do physical training for conditioning for movie roles. I also want to know the material of that glass and needle... NM, yt vid of an American magician doing it. https://youtu.be/F7268AaP9Ok?t=98 https://youtu.be/F7268AaP9Ok?t=98
- mikestew 8y ago
  Kind of my first thought, and why it seemed out of character with the rest. Because it isn't uncommon for me to get up an hour later at 5:30 to go for a run, and I'm friggin' lazy. Learn a new language and travel to a foreign country? Hell, yeah, I'll go to bed an hour earlier for that morning run.
- irrational 8y ago
  I saw a video the other day with Mark Wahlberg's daily schedule. The dude goes to bed at 7:30pm and gets up at 2:30 am to workout. That's insane!
girzel 8y ago
The writing is a little ambiguous, but I read that more as saying that, as a foreigner, he simply wasn't part of the "real monks'" training regimen. He doesn't say if he tried to get in and wasn't welcome, or preferred to stay on the tourist side of things, but I didn't interpret it as saying that _because_ of the early wakeup times, he wasn't doing the real training.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
dssu 8y ago
Waking up early is just the beginning. There are also heavy chore responsibilities, 10+ hr full day of training, frequent beatings. And the physical disciplinary punishments are brutal. Oh and you have to keep this up for 5-10 years. Very reasonable to see why someone would not want to commit to this. Many of the warrior monks were trained as very young children so they had not much say in the situation and just had to deal with it.
- hangonhn 8y ago
  The literal translation of "kung fu" means skill through effort. In fact in some parts of China, the words "kung fu" is used to mean skill in general. To say a practitioner of some art has "no kung fu" means he or she is lacking in practice/skill. The more correct term for Chinese martial arts is "wu shu" -- "military/martial" and "art". This idea of skill through practice is one of those values that I am very grateful for because it was sort of drilled into my head at an early age and has been enormous beneficial to me throughout my life. It's become more valuable now that I'm older and don't absorb new information as quickly or easily.
  - kinleyd 8y ago
    Thanks. "Skill through effort" is wonderfully worded - a perfect value to pass on to the young ones.
- scythe 8y ago
  Tõzan came to study with Unmon. Unmon asked, "Where are you from?" "From Sato," Tõzan replied. "Where were you during the summer?" "Well, I was at the monastery of Hõzu, south of the lake." "When did you leave there," Unmon asked. "On August 25" was Tõzan's reply. "I spare you sixty blows," Unmon said. The next day Tõzan came to Unmon and said, "Yesterday you said you spared me sixty blows. I beg to ask you, where was I at fault?" "Oh, you rice bag!" shouted Unmon. "What makes you wander about, now west of the river, now south of the lake?" Tõzan thereupon came to a mighty enlightenment experience.
  - diegoperini 8y ago
nabla9 8y ago
Especially when "kung fu" literally means something like "skill from effort" (as opposite of magic, praying, good genes etc). Kung = skillful work or hard training, Fu = time spent. It's mean pushing yourself to improve. If we can trust Wikipedia: > In its original meaning, kung fu can refer to any discipline or skill achieved through hard work and practice, not necessarily martial arts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_fu_(term) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_fu_(term)
- hangonhn 8y ago
  I can verify that as the correct translation and people in fact do use "kung fu" to mean a skill or an art you achieve through practice. In the part of China where my family is from, people do say "have no kung fu" to mean some practitioner is bad at what he or she does.
  - bfung 8y ago
    Another common usage is like with cooks - they're cooking, say, some dish with a wok start tossing it - it's good "cooking" kung fu. ex: https://youtu.be/yKvTC_N23gs?t=23 https://youtu.be/yKvTC_N23gs?t=23
avip 8y ago
I read it as he was not invited. Some shrines in Asia have an "open zone", where people can hang out, take photos, etc. Then there's an inner zone for real devotees who live there, which the others cannot enter (not saying this is the case with Shaulin but it well could be).
watwut 8y ago
The difference was not just waking up in the morning. It is also "foreign students come out in the afternoon". It makes sense to me. Going easier foreigner program was the plan the whole time. Just because you put a lot into training and commitment does not mean there is no line and you will put in infinite amount of all that. He wanted quality training, he did not wanted to become lifetime monk.

com2kid 8y ago

Especially considering that early morning workouts are not all that uncommon in the hardcore American fitness community... Heck lots of celebrities get up at that time to do physical training for conditioning for movie roles. I also want to know the material of that glass and needle... NM, yt vid of an American magician doing it. https://youtu.be/F7268AaP9Ok?t=98 https://youtu.be/F7268AaP9Ok?t=98

mikestew 8y ago
Kind of my first thought, and why it seemed out of character with the rest. Because it isn't uncommon for me to get up an hour later at 5:30 to go for a run, and I'm friggin' lazy. Learn a new language and travel to a foreign country? Hell, yeah, I'll go to bed an hour earlier for that morning run.
irrational 8y ago
I saw a video the other day with Mark Wahlberg's daily schedule. The dude goes to bed at 7:30pm and gets up at 2:30 am to workout. That's insane!

girzel 8y ago

The writing is a little ambiguous, but I read that more as saying that, as a foreigner, he simply wasn't part of the "real monks'" training regimen. He doesn't say if he tried to get in and wasn't welcome, or preferred to stay on the tourist side of things, but I didn't interpret it as saying that _because_ of the early wakeup times, he wasn't doing the real training.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

dssu 8y ago

Waking up early is just the beginning. There are also heavy chore responsibilities, 10+ hr full day of training, frequent beatings. And the physical disciplinary punishments are brutal. Oh and you have to keep this up for 5-10 years. Very reasonable to see why someone would not want to commit to this. Many of the warrior monks were trained as very young children so they had not much say in the situation and just had to deal with it.

hangonhn 8y ago
The literal translation of "kung fu" means skill through effort. In fact in some parts of China, the words "kung fu" is used to mean skill in general. To say a practitioner of some art has "no kung fu" means he or she is lacking in practice/skill. The more correct term for Chinese martial arts is "wu shu" -- "military/martial" and "art". This idea of skill through practice is one of those values that I am very grateful for because it was sort of drilled into my head at an early age and has been enormous beneficial to me throughout my life. It's become more valuable now that I'm older and don't absorb new information as quickly or easily.
- kinleyd 8y ago
  Thanks. "Skill through effort" is wonderfully worded - a perfect value to pass on to the young ones.
scythe 8y ago
Tõzan came to study with Unmon. Unmon asked, "Where are you from?" "From Sato," Tõzan replied. "Where were you during the summer?" "Well, I was at the monastery of Hõzu, south of the lake." "When did you leave there," Unmon asked. "On August 25" was Tõzan's reply. "I spare you sixty blows," Unmon said. The next day Tõzan came to Unmon and said, "Yesterday you said you spared me sixty blows. I beg to ask you, where was I at fault?" "Oh, you rice bag!" shouted Unmon. "What makes you wander about, now west of the river, now south of the lake?" Tõzan thereupon came to a mighty enlightenment experience.
- diegoperini 8y ago

nabla9 8y ago

Especially when "kung fu" literally means something like "skill from effort" (as opposite of magic, praying, good genes etc). Kung = skillful work or hard training, Fu = time spent. It's mean pushing yourself to improve. If we can trust Wikipedia: > In its original meaning, kung fu can refer to any discipline or skill achieved through hard work and practice, not necessarily martial arts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_fu_(term) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_fu_(term)

hangonhn 8y ago
I can verify that as the correct translation and people in fact do use "kung fu" to mean a skill or an art you achieve through practice. In the part of China where my family is from, people do say "have no kung fu" to mean some practitioner is bad at what he or she does.
- bfung 8y ago
  Another common usage is like with cooks - they're cooking, say, some dish with a wok start tossing it - it's good "cooking" kung fu. ex: https://youtu.be/yKvTC_N23gs?t=23 https://youtu.be/yKvTC_N23gs?t=23

avip 8y ago

I read it as he was not invited. Some shrines in Asia have an "open zone", where people can hang out, take photos, etc. Then there's an inner zone for real devotees who live there, which the others cannot enter (not saying this is the case with Shaulin but it well could be).

watwut 8y ago

The difference was not just waking up in the morning. It is also "foreign students come out in the afternoon". It makes sense to me. Going easier foreigner program was the plan the whole time. Just because you put a lot into training and commitment does not mean there is no line and you will put in infinite amount of all that. He wanted quality training, he did not wanted to become lifetime monk.