Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu vs. Thai Kick-Boxing Competition

From Tianya (1 & 2):

November 24, Beijing Time, the Chinese Kung Fu [功夫, gong fu] vs. Professional Thai Kick-boxing Competition Organizing Committee issued a public announcement: The 2009 Chinese Kung Fu vs. Professional Thai Kick-boxing Competition will be held in 2009 December at Foshan in Guangdong. The competition will use Chinese wushu rules as a foundation, integrated with a portion of Thai Kick-boxing rules, allowing the two opposing combatants to use elbows and knee techniques to attack their opponent, with every match having five rounds and each round being three minutes.

Although this news should cause a lot of Kung Fu vs. Muay Thai discussion, many Chinese netizens are using this opportunity to express their criticism of the current and controversial Shaolin Temple leader, Abbot Shi Yongxin, aka “CEO Monk”.

From the 一个心灵需要自由的人 Tianya blog:

Recently, Thai boxing champions have become crazy, wanting to challenge the Shaolin Temple, even spreading around that they want to beat the Abbot Shi Yongxin onto his knees. The five champions of Thai Kick-boxing are: “神目杀” [shen mu sha], “鬼见膝” [ gui jian xi], “魔术锥” [mo shu zhui], “拳灭风” [quan mie feng], “屠龙肘” [tu long zhou]. This time, all five champions will appear, with their original motivation being to “destroy Shaolin”. When a journalist asked whether “destroy Shaolin” was putting things arrogantly, the boxing champion 考克莱 [kao ke lai] waved his right fist disdainfully saying: “Tell Shi Yongxin to come to the ring and then see!”

There was even a Thai kick-boxing champion yelling: “Even my woman can defeat Chinese kung fu!” Why did he say this? Apparently, there was an amazingly beautiful Vietnamese girl who had previously fought against Chinese kung fu, and that this Miss Ruan just so happens to be the girlfriend of one of the Thai kick-boxing champions organized to come challenge [the Shaolin Temple], thus explaining this kind of talk.

Shi Yongxin is the Shaolin chairman/director, Director Shi for short, and normally occupied with important matters, like being busy having meetings, driving BMWs, making mobile phone calls (very niubi, using both China Mobile and China Unicom), using the computer…though I’m not sure whether or not he still eats meat? …anyway, [he] is skilled in various kinds of combat, and I hear his “internal force” is strong, a master who does not reveal his abilities, and we can now finally witness his power!

What is Thai kick-boxing? I’ve never even heard of it before! Whereas Shaolin kung fu has, through movies, television, songs, etc. been indoctrinated into our heads, as amazing and awe-inspiring? What is worth celebrating is Director Shi finally stepping up, expressing official acceptance of the Thailand boxing champions’ challenge, holding a competition in Foshan of Guangdong in December. We believe that mystical Director Shi, who does not usually fight, will defeat the five big Thai boxing champions, beating them onto their knees the moment he does!

In addition, the five big Thai boxing champions originally wanted to go to Shaolin Temple to make their challenge because Thailand is a Buddhist country, where everyone believes and respects Buddhism. “But, we heard from our Chinese friends that many temples and monasteries in China have all been developed by ruthless businessmen into tools to make money from the ordinary common people and believers/followers. [They] are even forced to make purchases in the temple and monasteries, here fees must be paid just for taking photos. Especially that so-called originators of kung-fu Shaolin Temple. It is said that they can even make commercial investments, this is unbelievable. We originally wanted to go tell them to stop using so-called kung fu to deceive Buddhist believers.” Now upon hearing that the China competition is confirmed to be in Foshan of Guandong, there is some regret…[that it is not at the Shaolin Temple itself]

Here, the five big Thai boxing champions even insinuate that our Director Shi is a ruthless businessman! This truly is “if this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated?” (I remember posting yesterday that I could not tolerate anymore, yet I still tolerated)! Director Shi, please, flaunt your muscles, show off your kung fu, beat these arrogant people onto their knees, in defense of China, and for the glory of the people!

It is said that Director Shi is a master who does not reveal his abilities, but there is nothing in heaven or earth he cannot do:

Comments on the 一个心灵需要自由的人 Tianya blog:

天涯网友(游客):

Chinese kung-fu is world-famous, and Shaolin Temple martial arts is number one in China. Jia you, China, jia you, Shi Yongxin.

天涯网友(游客):

Destroy the Shaolin, I’ll be happy! Scum of the Buddhist world.

易心易:

As a religion representing peace, Buddhism must also adapt to the development of society. Commercialization itself is no cause for criticism, but the method of commercialization is arguable.

nov1984:

I truly hope
Thai boxing will defeat our Shaolin boxing.
It is not that I am unkind,
but with people like Shi Yongxin,
a beating would be good.

guanxui:

Our wushu is for health/keeping fit. We can compete in life longevity.

红太阳帽:

If the Thai boxing champions beat Shi Yongxin to death, then that would be getting rid of Buddhist scum for Buddhism! And ridding the people of an evil!!

有故事D人:

How many monks these days still know kung fu? Even if they do, they are still only for show, only going through the motions, and they may not even necessarily win if they ran into a country woman who does farm work. A while ago while watching the sports channel there was a program called Red Fist Competition or something, and after watching less than a minute, I could no longer continue watching. If that similar to Mongolian wrestling yet not as interesting as Mongolian wrestling is the so-called Chinese kung fu, then I would rather not watch, because I really cannot see how their fighting is any different from when I was small and fighting with the little kids next door. So might as well not watch and at least then Chinese kung fu could maintain some mystery in my heart. Otherwise, a good thing would probably just become bad.

不要骂我哟:

Blog owner, you are truly truly hilarious.

QQ785987977:

I saw the news report before, and in summary, if you invite Shaolin Temple to go participate in the performance, Shi Yongxin says, “Our Shaolin kung fu is not used for performances, it is used to defeat opponents”, but when our countrymen request the Shaolin Temple to go fight in the arena, Shi Yongxin once again changes his words and says, “Our Shaolin wushu is used for strengthening the body and health, to raise individual’s characters…over and over like this. There is definitely too much business/commercialism, making people suspicious.

水平天远1979:

This requires seeing where the fight will take place and fighting who. I have always been convinced that, on a bed, Director Shi as one person against several is not a problem.

我家可乐:

Defeat the Thai transvestites, stand up for the Chinese people; [though if] Director Shi were to fall, a fake Buddhist monk would be removed. Either way, a good thing will happen!

2009 December 5 UPDATE: “Thai Boxers PK Chinese Martial Artists” (EastSouthWestNorth)