The 10th Shaolin Warriors Meet,San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA’s annual signature event was held on Dec.12, 2020 online with great success. Over US$10,000 in scholarships, more than 60 trophies and 200 medals were awarded to winners to commend their Shaolin Warrior Spirit and encourage them to reach for higher achievements in their Shaolin Kung Fu studies.
Shaolin Warriors Meet is San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA’s annual intramural Kung Fu competition. Every year in December, multi-ethnic participants from San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA’s Culture Centers and Stanford University Shaolin Kung Fu Class congregate to engage in Shaolin Kung Fu contest, to assess their training results of the past year, and to usher in the new year with new vigor.
This year’s Meet was held at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that seriously threatened the health and life of the American people, but arose a vibrant, fruitful and inspiring event.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, as a result of the meticulous planning and creative programming by the Shifus and staff, the first ever online Kung Fu competition hosted by San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA was met with enthusiastic responses and active participation by the students and their families.
On the day of competition, “Shaolin Warriors” from San Francisco, Fremont, CA, Herndon, VA Shaolin Culture Centers and Stanford University Shaolin Kung Fu Class met in the cloud virtual arena and participated in more than 60 individual and group events in 3 virtual competition rings. They accepted the judges’ scoring of their pre-recorded performance videos, and received awards in a unique, formal virtual ceremony.
With geographically diverse contestants from both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States and a trans-Pacific judges panel, online real-time interaction was lively and warm as though everyone were gathering under the same roof.
The judges panel — Shifus Hengwu, Hengyuan, Hengxiu, Hengyue, Hengti from three Shaolin Culture Centers in the United States, and Shifus Hengxiang and Henghu from the Shaolin Culture Center in Shijiazhuang, China comprised a fair and balanced team.
Online Prayer Ceremony & Blessings from Abbot Yongxin
The opening ceremony started with a Buddhist blessing ceremony presided by Master Yanran, Executive Director of San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA, who led the Shifus, students, parents and online audience to pray for an imminent end of the pandemic, good health for everyone, and harmony and peace on earth.
Venerable Shi Yongxin, Abbot of China Songshan Shaolin Temple sent his blessings on video to everyone at the 2020 Shaolin Warriors Meet.
“Dear Friend and Students at the Shaolin Warriors Meet, greetings from Shaolin Temple of China! This year, we are holding the Shaolin Warriors Meet Intramural Games online. I hereby sincerely wish the Games a great success! Through these Games we get to know Shaolin culture and Shaolin Kung Fu. Through Shaolin culture and Shaolin Kung Fu everyone is elevated, purified, and benefits both physically and spiritually. During the pandemic, please wash hands frequently, mask up and stay home. We sincerely pray for the imminent ending of the pandemic. We also pray for all of you a healthier body and mind to embrace life and the future. With the advent of Christmas and New Year. I wish you all a very happy holiday season, a happy family and good health. Be auspicious always! Amituofo!”
Honored guest Bryant Fong, Founder of the Chinese Martial Arts Tournament (CMAT) at UC Berkeley, Director & Chief Instructor of the UC Chinese Martial Arts Program spoke to his cloud audiences and emphasized the significance of this event:
"Thank you for inviting me. I am happy to be here. On behalf of UC Berkeley, the Chinese Martial Arts Tournament and CAL Wushu Team, we send you our greetings. We wish you a very good day of competition. Of course we want to praise all the young warrior for attending this event. It’s one way to keep our community together, to be both spiritually as well as physically healthy, and it’s very important at these times, because it’s not very easy for anyone, so for you to keep up your practice and take up competition, that’s a great way to meet the challenges of COVID. So the most important thing right now, keep healthy, wash your hands, wear your mask, stay at home. We’ll get over this, and I’ll see you again at CMAT28, I hope in a short time. Thank you very much. Thank you for attending this event. Thank you.”
Message from Master Yanran
Executive Director, San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA
“Good morning everyone. This has been a very challenging year. In early March, the government issued a stay at home order the closed all non-essential businesses. Our schools’ regular classes were affected and came to a screeching halt. Out of concern that the interruption will cause the students’ Kung Fu skills to regress, I immediately called a staff meeting to discuss ways to offer classes online in a speedy fashion. Thanks to everybody’s hard work, we pulled off the online classes within 3 days. During the past nine months, while the whole world was faced with layer upon layer of difficulties, we demonstrated the Shaolin Warrior’s courageous and tenacious spirit. We never stop improving the class quality and trying new offerings. We cultivate our mind with Chan, or Zen, and exercise our body with Kung Fu. Good physical and mental health help boost our immunity to fend off the pandemic. I must commend the students and parents for their perseverance in their training online. Your wise choice not only helps with your own health but also supports our school. In today’s games, we are about to witness the students’ performance and the result of our collective efforts. Finally I want to once again express my sincere gratitude to our supportive students and families. Let’s hope for a speedy return to normalcy in 2021. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”
Team Placard bearers:
San Francisco: Stephen T Delaney ? Fremont, CA: Rishitha Sivaprabhu
Herndon, VA: Eugene Ho ? Stanford: Allis Chien
As Master Yanran declared the 2020 Shaolin Warriors Meet officially open, accompanied by the Olympics theme music, student representatives from San Francisco, Fremont, Herndon and Stanford held up their team placards in their homes simulating the parade of the athletes. Members of the judges panel: Shifus from the Shaolin Culture Centers in the US and China were introduced. The athlete’s oath and judge’s oath were solemnly delivered.
? Vitality, Energy and Spirit ?
Individual Kung Fu and Wellness Qigong competitions were held concurrently at Rings 1 and 2, while other traditional fist and weapon events, Shaolin Family Cup, and school team competition were held at Ring 3. The judges watched and scored the participating videos live online.
As the competition videos played one after another online, the agility, vitality and spirit of the Shaolin disciples were vividly displayed. Competition was fierce in every event, and the overall results revealed that the students have reached a higher level of achievement in their Kung Fu training than previous years.
There were more than 60 individual events, as well as group events such as “Happy Shaolin Family Cup” parent-child performance, school team competition, etc., in this year’s Meet, as well as contests for the Advanced Division 5-Event All-Around champion, Intermediate and Beginner Divisions 3-Event All-Around scholarships.
Participating videos were required to meet strict rules and video specifications to ensure a fair competition.
Individual events scoring were based on the assessment of the participant’s Kung Fu basics and performance of traditional fist and weapon forms in Shaolin Temple USA’s 18-level curriculum. Group events scoring criteria included program design, creativity, team spirit and performance. In both individual and group events, the unique characteristics, essence and spirit of Shaolin Kung Fu are emphasized.
? Individual Events ?
The judges scored Alan Tong’s “Double Hammers” online live for the Other Traditional Weapons event.
Participants recorded their videos in their homes, backyards, parks,
and the outdoor area of the Fremont Center.
Grand Champions of the Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner Divisions were born based on their aggregate scores of individual events. Students from all three culture centers shared the top three places in these contests. The nine all-around champions were each awarded a scholarship to advance their Kung Fu studies, with the top winner receiving a scholarship of US$1,500.
? School Team Competition ?
The highly anticipated school team competition was especially exciting. Undaunted by the challenges and constraints posed by the pandemic, the team members found creative ways to choreograph and produce their programs. Segments of their videos were recorded online or in open spaces, mixing in music and employing special effects that enhanced the rhythm and mood without overtaking the essence of martial arts. The audience and judges alike were amazed by the results. In the end, the Fremont and San Francisco School Teams tied for first place and was each awarded a $500 team building scholarship, The Fremont Junior Team also received high marks and a $500 scholarship. When the new school year starts in 2021, the teams can apply these scholarships to enhance their training and strengthen teamwork.
The San Francisco School Team produced part of its competition video online.
The Fremont Youth Team and Fremont Junior Team recorded parts of their videos
at the outdoor area of the Fremont Center.
? Shaolin Family Cup ?
The “Shaolin Family Cup” event was created at the 2014 Shaolin Warriors Meet to encourage families to partake in activities that benefit their bodies and mind. It has since become a popular event and a heart-warming highlight of the Meet. This year, seven families—parents, children and siblings, demonstrated the fun and spirit of a harmonious Kung Fu family in self-produced videos. Their performances brought warmth, smiles and joy to everyone. All participating families each received a scholarship of US$200 to recognize their efforts and as models of family members pursuing good health together.
Concise, Versatile and Efficient:
The Wisdom of Shaolin Kung Fu
The success of the 2020 Shaolin Warriors Meet, and the students’ overall achievements in the competition was an inevitable result when Shaolin disciples carried forward the Shaolin Warrior spirit to bravely overcome adversity. With positive energy, they have created a virtuous cycle of wellness for themselves, their families, friends and community.
Since the San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA’s Kung Fu classes went online in March 2020, the students’ response to the new class format quickly changed from “can’t get used to it,” “don’t like it,” “no room at home to do it,” to finding the knack for martial arts distance learning, having adapted to it and really liking it. They have become more focused in class and practice harder at home. They actively participate in special training programs, take belt tests more frequently and advance more quickly to higher levels and new syllabus. Their hard work combined with the Shifus’ tireless efforts in improving the techniques of teaching Shaolin Kung Fu online all paid off.
These results attest to the wisdom, flexibility and unique characteristics of Shaolin Kung Fu to overcome constraints and maximize impact. The Shifus and students successfully applied the principles of Shaolin Kung Fu and the spirit of Chan in liberating their own potentials to bravely overcome the challenges with tenacity and ingenuity.
San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA’S online lessons have garnered high marks from the students. Srinivas Kadaba of the Fremont Center offered his kudos: “The quality of online Kung Fu classes far exceeded my expectations. I feel that I am learning more from the Shifus, and my Kung Fu has really improved. I feel great! We are lucky to have the best instructors teaching us. They adapt quickly from teaching in-person classes to online classes, and the methods are becoming more and more sophisticated and thorough. I look forward to taking classes again in-person at the culture center. I believe that the experience and techniques they have accumulated from online teaching can be well applied to physical classes.”
On the first virtual Shaolin Warriors Meet in which Srini was a top contenders in the 5-event all-around championship contest, “It was great! Everything was well planned and well executed. Instructions for this new competition format are thorough and well presented. This Meet gives students a goal and motivates them to be more focused on their training and do well in the competition. I’m glad this annual tradition prevailed over the pandemic, thanks to everyone’s hard work at San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA.”
Virtual Award Ceremony: A Grand Finale
The grand finale of this special Shaolin Warriors Meet was a carefully designed, creative and formal virtual award ceremony. The Shifus presented medals, trophies and scholarship certificates virtually to every single winner, while the prizes could be picked up at the culture centers in the following week. After the ceremony, many students and families stayed behind to rejoice at their experience at this extraordinary occasion.
Advanced Division 5-Event All-Around Grand Champions:
1st Place: Richard Chin ($1,500 Scholarship)
2nd Place: Sahil Puranik ($800 Scholarship)
3rd Place: Alan Tong ($600 Scholarship)
Intermediate Division 3-Event All-Around Grand Champions:
1st Place: Jason Lewis; 2nd Place: Eugene Ho; 3rd Place: Arya Brooke
Beginner Division 3-Event All-Around Grand Champions:
1st Place: Aurora Le; 2nd Place: Rui Bing Zheng; 3rd Place: Perry Zemblidge
More Individual Event Winners
Each family participating in the “Shaolin Family Cup” received a $200 scholarship.
Hello 2021!
The 2020 Shaolin Warriors Meet has successfully concluded. Besides the long range benefits of such an event, the most urgent objective that students and their families stay active to keep a healthy body and a good spirit during these challenging times has been met. At the same time, San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA has launched a powerful platform with a wider audience to promote Shaolin culture, and a stronger team to offer programs in step with the times.
In 2021, San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA will introduce a series of new programs tailored for different age groups and interests, and continue to join forces with other organizations to promote health and wellness for everyone. The first major event that San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA will participate in is the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade. Ranked one of the world's top ten, the Chinese Parade holds its first virtual New Year parade to be broadcast on TV networks, social media and other online platforms. San Francisco Shaolin Temple USA is in the process of producing an exciting video showcasing Shaolin Kung Fu to celebrate Chinese New Year with millions of audiences around the world and transmit the positive energy of Shaolin Kung Fu.
Report by: Taian
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Thoughts on the 2020 Shaolin Warriors Meet
Union of Chan and Kung Fu: Integration of Wisdom and the Art of Movement
I had the good fortune of participating in the 2020 Shaolin Warriors Meet. In fact, the event has engendered in me more feelings and thoughts than expected. To me, this is not merely a martial arts event, but a manifestation of Shaolin culture under the specific circumstances of a raging pandemic. The students participated by recording their Kung Fu performance on videos in advance. While watching these videos, I can feel their love for Kung Fu. They were all dressed in Lohan frocks, like free and elegant martial artists in ancient times. Eastern beauty is revealed despite the different skin tones. The music mixed into some of the videos has quite the traditional oriental charm. Carried away by the melodious tunes, I relished the dynamic beauty of the art of Kung Fu. Along with the intense rhythm, I felt the power of the union of the Fist and Chan. These were crystals of wisdom and the art of movement. While observing these works, I could vaguely feel the classic mystical chivalry in the mist. The Meet also included a very moving component in the program—the Kung Fu family show. While showing off their Kung Fu and taking selfies practicing together, or mixing in their favorite music, the young and the old enjoyed themselves in body and mind according to their own interpretation of Kung Fu and Shaolin culture in their heart.
The role of Shaolin Culture in Today’s World
The 2020 Shaolin Warriors Meet successfully concluded after a day of lively real-time interaction online. The Kung Fu family performances were especially touching. There are many ways to experience culture and different perspectives from which to interpret it. An environment that is open, inclusive and diverse is essential for all these to happen. This special Shaolin Warriors Meet has offered such a milieu and perfectly reflected the role of Shaolin culture in today’s world. Shaolin culture embodies universal values that cross all borders. The tolerant and inclusive nature of the Dharma, and the practice of Chan and Kung Fu as a unified form of personal cultivation, empower us to meet challenges and embrace the future with courage and ease in the midst of a ferocious pandemic.
Let us pray for peace, tranquility and joy on earth. Amituofo!
By: Hengxiang (Zhao Gangqiang)
Coach, Shaolin Culture Center, Shijiazhuang, China
Master’s Degree from Xi’an Physical Education University, Wushu Department
