Basic teaching criteria for world-famous Shaolin Kung-fu have
been compiled into a brand new textbook.
The 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City, in central
China's Henan Province, is China's most renowned home of Zen
Buddhism and martial arts.
However, very few of the 50,000 Kung-fu pilgrims that gather
there from home and abroad to are "lucky" enough to be admitted to
study in the temple, which offers classic Shaolin Kung-fu teaching.
Most of them are enrolled in some of the city's 80 martial art
schools.
The illustrated textbook published by the Dengfeng Sports
Administrative Bureau comprises the basic physical exercises of
Shaolin Kung-fu, 24 series of Shaolin boxing exercises and Shaolin
club training practices.
Over 500 Shaolin Kung-fu textbooks were freely distributed to
126 government departments and companies in Dengfeng on Wednesday.
The bureau said that all martial art schools in the city will be
urged to use the textbooks for teaching from next year onwards.
Shaolin Temple attracts about two million visitors a year. It is
said that over 30 foreign disciples have been admitted to the
temple in recent years.
In addition to attracting martial art fans from around the
world, Shaolin Kung-fu is a compulsory course for local primary and
high school students. The bureau estimates that there are over
200,000 local Kung-fu practitioners in Dengfeng.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2006)