The many legends of the now touring Shaolin Monks may be tangled and sometimes conflicting, but could it be that the tales of their supernatural powers are exaggerated? The Big List went to find out. A hypermodern Waterfront Hall couldn't be further from the original Chinese theatres where the skills of Shaolin originated. The first of many tensions is that this hallowed art isn't cheapened by the less than reverential context. Shaolin Kung Fu dates back to 527, but it depends what unverifiable source you choose to believe. There are many writings on the monk's legendary exploits, most notably for the century wide gaps between them. What is known, however, is that the monks are probably the highest trained proponents of any particular thing in the world. Their life-long, punishing training is at first used to vault these supermen about the stage at freakish elevations, only to land on the hardwood with feather on sponge grace. Throaty Chinese exclamatory howls shock the air before the boom of the immense ceremonial drums plunge the auditorium almost convincingly into an ancient era. The stage show gives loose glimpses into the temple's history. Featuring bona fide ordained Soldier Monks of the Shaolin Temple and authorised by first abbot, the Venerable Shi Yong Xin, the commitment and devotion to their vocation is written in the intensity of each disciplined movement. Even the child soldiers are fearsome in their explosiveness and conviction. To demonstrate this fully, all the young children in the audience are pulled up for a quick lesson in one of the sequences, and the contrast between these awkward lambs and the proven warriors is unquantifiable. The show then steps up a notch in speed and gasp inducing danger. The crescendo is built wonderfully, beginning with a demonstration in each of the famous Shaolin seven animal forms, from monkey to the vicious dragon form, performed by a particularly formidable bearded brute. A spectacular weapons demonstration is the first moment to draw spontaneous cheers, as cracking whips and stupefying poi stunts literally drop jaws. This section is permeated with a number of stunts, such as the smashing of a concrete block on the stomach of someone lying on two swords, and a 'planking' move, where a monk is held overhead using only several sharp looking spears. In truth, despite the sincere scale of the feats being undertaken, there is a sense that this may be an off night for the travelling performers, and the half-full, applause-shy crowd don't really help. But the magnificence of the feats being undertaken can't be diminished. In fact the most impressive thing about the night is that these monks probably still have plenty more up their orange sleeve. (DW)
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