1992 Shaolin Festival

Here's some more 1992 [apologies for the poor quality] footage of my 2nd visit to the Shaolin Temple; This was the 1st ever international celebration of the 1500 Year Anniversary of monastery .... I was so proud to be representing the IRKRS and the visit was an indelible experience.

To date, it remains the single most memorable martial arts experience enjoyed in China ... Dengfeng was transformed into a bustling metropolis, the stadium [built to host the event] was packed to capacity [more than 50,000 people], the sheer volume of demonstrators alone was staggering and I can't even imagine what kind of organizational effort went into it. The 2-day tournament was also another remarkable attraction; Bringing together all the different types of martial arts [i.e. north/south, internal/external, hard/soft & classical/contemporary, etc.], it was not just a chance to test my skills but a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and learn more. The event was preceded by a weeklong training symposium [seminars, lectures, site-seeing, etc.], and I learned so much and made many friends. Of course, the best part [for me] was actually being at the monastery itself; The cultural heritage and historical significance is unmatched! Watching the Buddhist activities, listening to the many legends, studying calligraphy, learning about the remaining original murals and going through the many halls and courtyards lets the mind wander as if to be transported to earlier times. Mt. Songshan, Bodhidharma's Cave and the Pagoda Forest were even more compelling. However, receiving hands-on instruction from Shi Yanpu [then the chief instructor], meeting Liang Yiquan [historian in charge of archives], and receiving a blessing from Shi Yongxin/释永信, [Chief Abbot in charge of Buddhism] was the most memorable.

Here are some more photos from the visit; https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...