Those intrigued by the secrets of Shaolin kung fu now have the opportunity to study its mysteries in the comfort of their own home.
The US Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama, has been working with the Shaolin Temple in China’s Henan Province to develop a course on the 1,500-year history and philosophy of Shaolin.
Shaolin Temple Abbot Shi Yongxin gave his blessing to the course during a more than three-hour meeting in Dengfeng, Henan Province, with academy vice president T.J. Rosandich and Shaolin Temple general manager Qian Daliang.
The online, continuing education course — “The Philosophy of Shaolin Kung Fu” — derives its core text from a newly translated English version of a Chinese manuscript, Shaolin Kung Fu Secrets, which the abbot presented to the academy during a visit in November 2006 to receive an honorary doctorate.
Also drawing on five books on Chan Buddhist teachings provided by the abbot, who is vice chairman of the Buddhist Association of China and a representative of China’s Ninth National People’s Congress, the academy has developed an online format to present key tenets of Shaolin philosophy.
The course, which costs US$200, offers students who finish it a certificate of completion signed by Shi and academy president Thomas P. Rosandich. The course covers qigong, meditation, Chinese medicine, martial art practice and strengthening exercises, as well as spirituality and history. It also touches on the effect the political situation in China has had on the development of the Shaolin Temple and its philosophy.
For more information, visit the academy’s Web site, www.ussa.edu, or e-mail admissions@ussa.edu.
MEDVEDEV AWAITS: The world No. 1 Spainiard said that he is ‘finding the right shots’ as he pushed his record so far this year to 16 victories and no losses Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday extended his unbeaten season and got revenge over Cameron Norrie to reach the semi-finals at Indian Wells for a fifth straight year. The world No. 1 from Spain emerged from a see-saw battle with 29th-ranked Norrie with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. In the semis tomorrow, he faces Russian Daniil Medvedev, who pushed his own ATP winning streak to eight matches with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over defending champion Jack Draper. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner powered past Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2 to line up a semi-final with fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Arthur Fils. Alcaraz, 22, became
West Ham United on Monday advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win against Brentford, who paid the price for Dango Ouattara’s spot-kick blunder. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side twice blew the lead as Jarrod Bowen’s double was canceled out by an Igor Thiago brace to force extra-time in the 2-2 draw at the London Stadium, but in the shoot-out, Brentford winger Ouattara attempted a chipped Panenka penalty, but his woeful effort was straight at West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. It was an awful mistake by the Burkina Faso international and West Ham took full advantage. Bowen, Valentin Castellanos, Callum
Thanks to Italy beating Mexico on Wednesday, the US get another chance in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). What looked like a potentially disastrous early exit for US manager Mark DeRosa and his team turned out to be nothing more than substantial worry and significant embarrassment for about 24 hours. It remains to be seen whether the US really want to win badly enough for the reprieve to matter, as if it is just a switch they can flick, but there is little reason for their fans to be optimistic. The team’s attitude and behavior have been all over the place when
Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s consecutive RBI singles proved to be the difference in the US’ 5-3 win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarterfinal on Friday night in Houston. The US faces the Dominican Republic, which crushed South Korea 10-0 in seven innings in its quarter-final, in a semifinal Sunday in Miami for a spot in Tuesday’s championship. The Dominican team has won all five games in this WBC by a combined margin of 51-10. It appeared the US squad was headed toward a cozy victory when it built a 5-0 lead by the sixth inning. A first-inning RBI groundout
RSS