Shaolin Interview

The Shaolin Monks of Studio 5
---An Interview with Shi ChangQiang and Shi ChangJun---

Sitting in folding chairs in Studio 5 one afternoon before rehearsal, under a bright wash of sunlight from the huge windows overlooking Market Street, Shaolin monks ChangQiang and ChangJun are by turns shy and eager to talk about their training in the temple on Mt. Songshan and their recent experiences collaborating with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet in San Francisco.  They talk as though they are living simultaneously in two or three different worlds, trying to create a sense of home through their martial arts practice and the support of a small community of friends.  Before last year, the monks would not have counted a choreographer, a ballet master, several costume designers, and a company of contemporary ballet dancers as an integral part of this community of friends; now, relaxing in the empty studio, it seems quite natural to them to lean their swords against the ballet barres stacked against the wall, and to leave their street clothes by the box of rosin used for pointe shoes.

Now in their twenties, ChangQiang and ChangJun have pursued specializations in different areas of Shaolin martial arts: ChangQiang is an expert in Seven Star Boxing and the Nine-Jointed Whip, whereas ChangJun excels in Red Boxing and Shaolin Sword-Technique.  They studied at the Shaolin temple in China for more than a decade before arriving in the US, and although they estimate that each specialization requires four or five years of intensive training, ChangQiang says, “to master something is infinite.”  Each isolated movement in each sequence—for example, the action of pointing a sword, or of turning on the left foot—is given a full week of study and practice.  The oldest monk in the group, Master Shi YongYao, is seventy years old and still actively practicing Shaolin martial arts.

Both of the monks studied with Shi Fu at the temple on Mt. Songshan, and he directed them towards the specializations that would best suit their temperament and physique.  ChangQiang describes Seven Star Boxing as a sequence based on astronomy—each movement point corresponds to a star in the Big Dipper constellation.  ChangJun notes that Red Boxing is one of the original teachings of Damo (the Buddhist monk from India who created Shaolin kung fu), and therefore one of the oldest sequences known to the Shaolin temple.  Sword technique, which can be practiced with a single sword, double swords, or special long sword, involves composed series of movements such as: point, pierce forward, slash upwards, slash sideways, hook, and rotating the wrist in a figure-eight shape.  The Nine-Jointed Whip is a technique using two whips, one held in each hand, spun at such high velocity that even drops of water cannot penetrate them.  ChangQiang has vivid memories of his early practice sessions with the Nine-Jointed whip; “each end of the whip is quite sharp,” he says ruefully, “and when you are first learning, there are a lot of wounds and bruises.” 

The three ten-year-olds (Shi BaoHu, Shi HuHu, and Shi LongHu), all brothers, who are the youngest members of the group, are still considered to be at the learning stage.  However, they are perfectly at home with back-flips onto the tops of their heads, falling into full splits from a standing position, and full sequences like the one known as “Monkey Sequence.”  ChangJun explains that traditional Shaolin boxing draws on different styles of kung fu, incorporating movements from Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Crane, and Leopard styles.  The Monkey sequence, although not part of the traditional Shaolin repertoire, is taught to young students because it is “fun,” as ChangJun says with a smile, as he mimes the signature paw-scratching-behind-the-ear movement of the sequence.  Since the ten-year-olds appear to have endless amounts of energy—racing suddenly into Studio 5, one wearing a T-shirt that reads “If it weren’t for videogames, I’d never get out of bed,” they grab their practice sticks and a bag of potato chips and head into Studio 6 to rehearse—the Monkey sequence suits their playful, inquisitive, cheerful personalities.  The sticks are the first level of Shaolin weaponry, followed by knives and finally swords and whips.

It is clear that the triplets’ training here in the U.S. will not be exactly the same as ChangJun and ChangQiang’s, although the whole group is committed to maintaining the traditions and principles of Shaolin Buddhist life at the temple.  The triplets are quickly learning English, and the monks now own a cell phone, which they all share.  ChangQiang describes a typical day at the Shaolin temple, which is located on the top of thickly-forested Mt. Songshan, surrounded by other mountain peaks: “You wake up at 5 a.m. in the summer, maybe 6 a.m. in the winter, and study Buddhist scriptures.  Then there is morning kung fu—we are a little different from other monks at the temple, we specialize in martial arts and so we don’t study quite as much Buddhism as they do—and then we clean up and have breakfast.  Then we read more Buddhism, and in the afternoon we practice kung fu again.  In back of the temple there is a giant statue of the Buddha.  We run up there, which takes about half an hour, since it’s very steep, and then we pray at the top; to descend, we crawl down again… then perhaps we have a nap, and at night we meditate.” 

At this point ChangQiang exchanges glances with ChangJun, and they admit that now they don’t meditate as often, because they cook dinner for BaoHu, HuHu, and LongHu; the triplets’ cheerful clamor is not as conducive to silent meditation as the peace of the temple on the mountaintop.  The monks say they are happy to live in the Bay Area now—“San Francisco is very pretty! And the weather is good!” they agree—but they would like to have a space of their own in which to practice Shaolin kung fu.  Currently, they practice in public parks or empty fields, where the early spring soil can be muddy and they are subject to the curious stares of passers-by.  They hope to expand the Shaolin temple by creating a place here where they can share their martial arts practice and beliefs with more people, and teach their culture and history.  This group of monks is the only one authorized by the Shaolin temple to represent Shaolin traditions outside of China.

They emphasize that their collaboration with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet is something completely new to them, unlike any project or idea of movement they have experienced before. 

“Alonzo is very humorous,” they say, nodding at the same time, “and very gentle.”  ChangQiang explains that, “it was difficult at the beginning; this is the first time we have ever tried ballet, and we were not used to it.  But when you learn at the temple, there are times when you get disciplined by the teacher—when it is necessary.” 

“Yes,” ChangJun adds, “for example, if a monk doesn’t practice, maybe as a punishment he will sit in a crouch like this”—as he demonstrates a crouch resembling a deep plié in second position—“in the courtyard of the temple, for the length of one incense burning, maybe two… about an hour.” 

“Alonzo is very gentle,” ChangQiang says again.

The door to Studio 5 opens, and BaoHu shoots into the room, followed by three of the LINES Ballet dancers carrying water bottles and their ballet slippers.  The dancers wave hello to ChangQiang and ChangJun.  Arturo Fernandez, the ballet master, arrives with a video-camera and a CD of the music for today, and Alonzo’s voice can be heard as he is coming down the hall from his office.  BaoHu puts his practice stick down carefully against the wall.  “Time for rehearsal!” ChangQiang says, standing up, and BaoHu smiles. 

          --Interview by Selby Schwartz, Company Manager
       With the generous assistance of Evelyn Wu, Translator