Shaolin Temple Fights for its Soul: ThingsAsian
[...]
To be sure, what some schools are teaching and what
tourists are treated to in some performances isn't just a sleight of
hand, however. If nothing else, it¡¯s extremely high level acrobatics.
"These kids spend their whole lives training for this," says a German
student who's lived at Shaolin for the past six years. He goes by the
Chinese name of Shan Li, and is featured in almost all of the brochures
and videos produced by Shaolin.
"To find a true kung fu teacher," he says, "you
have to be extremely lucky. It may take more than one lifetime. Out of
a thousand people in this temple, maybe one is actually a real master.
In kung fu, your heart is the most important thing. No true master is
going to give you knowledge that can be used to kill people unless your
heart is absolutely pure. And who can say they are pure? Not me."
Backstage pass
Many people say that's a cop-out, however,
including a lot of the students who pay exorbitant tuitions, expecting
to learn real kung fu, and end up leaving very disappointed. Shan Li
says he's aware of the mounting criticisms, but doesn't worry about the
temple's reputation. "I think Shaolin is actually getting better," he
says. "There are a few people here, including myself, who are trying to
bring the original spirit back. You have to see beyond the surface of
Shaolin. But it is happening, just very slowly."
[...]