videos: shaolin on national geographic

a group of Shaolin monks visited my school several weeks ago, and gave a public demonstration during the lunch hour. in addition, they took additional time to provide a question-and-answer session to anybody in attendance.

i was so impressed that i did some additional research about them, and i found this series of videos from National Geographic:

1. Part 1 of 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpn7gUSUQK8
2. Part 2 of 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s1G1Qp1MoM
3. Part 3 of 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky2FIbF12m8
4. Part 4 of 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkog5AYoxmE
5. Part 5 of 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bprZHMSZG6w
   

my comments on these videos and on the Shaolin monks i saw are as follows:

• the martial arts styles i am learning are NOT like anything in these videos. a lot of the kung fu shown in these videos are very forceful, very physical forms. what i am learning (bagua) is a less forceful, less physical form based more on the idea of redirecting opponents' force, and is derived from Taoist principles (for the uninitiated, know that Taoism is NOT Buddhism). however, i find it interesting to compare training methods and styles, just to get a point of reference and for cultural awareness.
  
• the perception of monks spending their entire existence practicing their martial arts skills appears to be somewhat of a misnomer. the senior priest leading the monks at the lunch hour exhibition at my school pointed out (via translation) that Shaolin is first and foremost a Buddhist temple, and the monks are expected to be Buddhist monks. as a result, he said they actually engage in physical training only 2-3 hours per day, and the rest of the days are devoted to studying, praying, meditation, and performing chores...of course, 2-3 hours per day is a whole lot more than most people.
• Shaolin monks are still human beings. during the lunch hour exhibition, some of the younger monks had to admit their inability to answer sophisticated questions from the audience about Buddhism (what do you expect, some of the audience were professors and graduate students), and had to rely on the senior priest for support. in addition, they appeared to be as interested in iPods and cell phones just as much as the Western students were.
  
• these videos are interesting because they show parts of the daily life of Shaolin monks, particularly those of child adepts
  
• the videos discuss the connection between Buddhist principles and martial arts, which is something i think is ignored by most Western fans of Shaolin

there has been so much misinformation, misunderstanding, and misstatements of truth over so many years about Shaolin that it has almost become a joke or source of derision with many Westerners i know--either as something that is pure myth, hucksterism, or at best showmanship. and i think it doesn't help that the modern Shaolin seems to have fallen for modern methods of marketing and self-promotion, which do little to instill a reputation of honor.

the few Westerners who do perceive Shaolin as having some basis in fact are too often faced with the challenge of determining fact from fiction, and are too often left sorting out some kernel of truth from the overwhelming supply of useless or baseless chaff.

i figure National Geographic has a decent enough reputation as a respected and honorable source that people can at least have some belief that something it says might be true. and i figure that videos of National Geographic can thereby also be trusted as having something that might be true...although, i concede that it is entirely possible that National Geographic may have been given a snow job, just like any other barbarian Western tourist bumbling along in China.