A Great Look Inside The Shaolin Temple!
Walter Morton | Venice, CA, United States | 10/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Suitable for viewing by beginners and advanced martial artists alike. The producers definitely got a look inside the temple and the training that goes on there -- a look that is rarely given to outsiders. While this well-produced documentary gives a brief and skimpy outline of the history of Shaolin & martial arts in China, what it does best is show what the current state of training is like at the temple. Typically, boys enter the temple training at age 4 or 5 and within 5 years of training (at the most flexible, adaptable age) are already incredibly skilled. Also clear is the Chinese professional sports approach -- also adopted in their olympic and other sports programs -- of starting with thousands of applicants and winnowing it down to the best performers. From this DVD you get a good look at basic training, and could even try to learn some of the basic forms (which are presented VERY quickly) of Shaolin, which are difficult to find from authentic sources elsewhere. Fun to watch, well done, and a good martial arts documentary."
