Who said downtown Los Angeles gets crowded only when the Lakers are playing? Last week, the only game in the town was the Shaolin Temple Cultural Festival in this City. There was nothing like it.
On any given schedule, parking lots around burst with cars and revelers to catch a glimpse of the venerable Abbot of Shaolin Shi Yong Xin. The Abbot is representative of the National’s People Congress, who inspired and led the proliferation of Shaolin traditions and culture for 80 million Shaolin students worldwide. They practiced this ancient martial arts through discipline, teaching and the philosophies, and how it affects the body and mind, that focused on exploring the past, present and the future Shaolin culture. This includes shock techniques such as shouting, beating and using irrational retorts to startle their students into realization. Teachers have the traditional stick with them during formal ceremonies as a symbol of authority. The loud belly yell is known as Katsu in its literary aspect, temples began emphasizing labor and humility, an aspect of a life of humility, a life of labor, a life of service, prayer and gratitude, meditation. The Chinese Chan master Baizhang left the most famous saying, a guiding principle in life, “A day without work, is a day without food!” The abbots and monks all perform mundane tasks.
The highlight of the festival gala and Kung Fu performance of the Shaolin Kung Fu that featured the Seraphim Symphony Orchestra was an exhibition of fighting styles. These have developed over centuries whose genesis has been attributed to the need for self defense, hunting techniques and military training in ancient China.
It was an extravaganza of physical and mental exercise involving animal mimicry and training methods inspired by Chinese philosophies, religion and legends, techniques and ideas. This reminds is of Kung Fu movies, wildly popular in the 1970s and 1980s, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Reign of Assasins. We all thought the stunts were camera tricks. But somehow watching them on stage, was another thing. The fast and powerful kicks, high jumps and generally fluid and rapid movement, the strong arm and hand techniques, the stable, immovable stances and fast foot work, combative techniques that came from stretching meditation, striking, throwing, or jumping, with practiced strong and flexible muscles are gained through meditation.
Picture the venerable Abbot. He is recognizable from across the room, and across the years with his vast plans to lead his flock. The theme of the press conference, held with California State Senator Leland Yee, who hosted the abbot in Los Angeles, was “share, learn, exchange.”
Amid flashes form the Chinese and LA media photographers, Sen. Yee sauntered into the convention center all combed up and elegantly donned in a midnight blue suit and an intense necktie. He smiled and waving at the crowd despite a hectic schedule that could break the back of a two hundred pound truck driver. The Senator brought spots of color, in the huge Concourse Hall, of professionals, the ordinary laymen, the poor and the wealthy, including the known and the obscure, the subtle and the mediocre, beaming at everyone who met his gaze. He attracted a record number of registrants, attendees and spectation from the Chinese Community and those from North America; and the Filipino American Community, especially.
The Shaolin Temple Cultural Festival’s premier forum, focused on exploring the past, present and future of Shaolin’s culture. At a late dinner later that day at the Mayflower, after the big production, the Senator took time to celebrate with the reunion of Project of Filipinos based here, that needless to say, thrilled to his, sincere easy, unassuming ways. If political life is a melody, the Senator only needs to hum the tune.
