Shaolin Monks Bring Eastern Traditions to the West Coast

by Ray Hughey staff writer - Thousand Oaks Star

Caption: Dr. John Chiu of Thousand Oaks invited some friends to his home earlier this month, to dine and visit with 15 Shaolin monks on a tour from China. Above, one of the monks demonstrates in Chiu’s front yard on posts designed for martial arts training.

East met West over barbecued chicken, potato salad and Oriental noodles recently, when an exotic entourage visited the Conejo Valley.

The visitors were 15 monks from the Shaolin Temple deep in China, famed for its instruction in the martial arts and acrobatics. The monks called on Thousand Oaks neurosurgeon John C. Chiu, also a practitioner of the martial arts and author of books on the subject.

The monks are touring North America, demonstrating their art and skills, as part of a cultural exchange program. When they reached the Los Angeles area, they contacted Chiu, who travels to China every two years to stay and study at their temple.

Chiu hosted them at a dinner and reception Aug. 7 at his Lynn Ranch home; about 35 friends and associates attended.

The visitors presented their Conejo friend with a gilded sword and scabbard.

Led by the temple’s director and head coach, Jiao Hong Bo, the party of 15 monks ranged in age from 7 to 78. The Shaolin Temple, started in the fifth century, is located about 40 miles north of Luoyang in the Henan province.

About 80 monks, 30 of them martial arts masters, live and study at the temple, Jiao Hong Bo said. A student may begin his studies as young as 7 or 8 years.

The Shaolin styles of martial arts practiced by the visitors have been popularized by the David Carradine Television series, "Kung Fu" and "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues."

A brief history of Shaolin fighting described how two Shaolin styles evolved through the ages.

The Southern style developed in the warm, southern regions of China, where the ground is soft and often muddy, emphasizes higher stances and hand techniques. A Southern Shaolin practitioner waits patiently for an attack, then quickly blocks and counters the opponent’s strikes.

The Northern Shaolin style developed in the colder northern regions where the hard ground allowed more stability in kicking and stepping. The Northern style emphasizes kicking and long-range acrobatic and ground-fighting techniques.

The visitors also treated their host and his guests to a brief demonstration of their martial arts and acrobatic skills.

Twenty-two-year-old Shi Xing Hong quickly scaled the martial arts practice posts that serve as a sculpture in Chiu’s front yard. He capped his climb with a high leap from the 12-foot-high tallest post, tumbling smoothly into a forward somersault as his feet touched the ground.

She Wan Heng, 78, who has studied 70 years as a Shaolin monk, demonstrated a limberness incredible for any age.

Greetings From The Top Of The World--Tibet