TAKE ME THERE CHINA: Kung-Fu Ben Schuetz, Kelsee Hankins, Grant Goshorn Length: 25 minutes Setting: Shaolin temple Characters: Langdon (Goes by Lang): Outwardly energetic Kung-fu student filled with cocky arrogance. Lynn (or Lin): Nerdy, bookish Shaolin student looking for inner peace, world peace. Visitors: Tourists at the Shaolin temple looking to become kung-fu students. Lang exits side door of Immersion space room to sound of Shaolin music/gong. The audience can hear him saying yi, er, san, si, and see him practicing a basic kung-fu kick. Midway through the stage he notices the visitors gathering to watch. Lang: Oh, Ni hao. I mean hello. Ni hao is how to say hello in China. See if your Mandarin is better than mine. Can you say Ni hao? (Ni hao!) Pretty good! Don t mind me, I was just practicing before doing some Kung-Fu martial arts exercises. There are some very important Americans coming later to see a demonstration of Shaolin Kung-fu and I do not want to let down my teacher, Master Yan-ti. He is a Shaolin Monk who has spent a lifetime learning kung-fu. But I have been doing the same move over and over for the whole six months I have been here. I really came here to the Shaolin Temple, to learn to walk up the side of buildings and fly through the trees like in the movies! (Stands on bench or stone doing an over the top pose). You know I am pretty awesome. I could teach you some of the secrets I ve learned so far. Shaolin Kung-fu is a mysterious discipline, shrouded in. Lynn: Lang! (Lynn exits from the Shaolin temple, while a shocked Lang tumbles from his pose) Lang: (rolling his eyes) Ohh it s Lynn, my very knowledgeable classmate. Lynn: What are you doing? You know very well that the martial arts of the Shaolin are no secret! This temple welcomes thousands of visitors each year, many of whom learn martial arts, but others learn Shaolin medicine, Buddhism, and meditation as well. You know the mind is the most important part of Kung-fu. Lang: What! No way. Everyone knows that you can t do Kung-fu without your arms and legs. Your body is the most important part of Kung-Fu. Going up to a child with a ticket. Sir/ Madam- Stand and do a Kung-fu pose without your hands or feet. Without waiting. See it can t be done. Lynn: Going up to another child with a ticket. Sir/Madam Do a kung-fu move without having your mind tell your hands and feet what to do. Without waiting. See it can t be done. Lang: mockingly. It can t be done. Well let s go to Master Yan Ti and see what he says is more important to kung-fu, the body or mind. Takes two steps towards door, and then turns to second child. Well, aren t you coming? I am going to prove I am right. Lynn: Why don t we all go? Maybe Master Yan-ti would teach our friends some kung-fu movements. Lang: Yes! And then they can stick around for the kung-fu demonstration!
Lynn: Good idea! Why don t you go inside and make sure everything is ready. To audience: Those of you with the tickets to tour the Shaolin Temple bring them up to me. The rest of you stick around. Right here in about 20 minutes we will be back for the Kung-fu demonstration. Lynn takes tickets while Lang helps visitors find their seats inside. Lynn follows the last person into the temple and shuts the door. Lynn:(to Lang once everyone is seated) Where is Master Yan-ti? Lang: I don t know. He s probably out practicing his gung-fu. Lynn: Which gung-fu would that be? Lang: I don t know. Calligraphy writing, gardening, tea making Yan-ti has so many talents that could be considered his gung-fu. Lynn: I am sorry my friends. Kung-Fu is how people from the West misheard Gung-fu. Gung-fu, in China, means skilled effort, and is much more than martial arts. What do you think skilled effort means?(takes answers) Lang: Yes, gung-fu is anything that that requires time, energy, and patience to master. It could be calligraphy writing, knitting, hula hooping. What are some activities that you do that requires time, energy, and patience? (takes answers) All these could be considered your gung-fu. Lynn: Hey Lang, I have an idea, why don t you go look for Master Yan-ti and I will introduce our guests to the Shaolin Temple. Lang: I know, I will go look in the garden. (Exits through sliding door) Lynn:(Looking over his/her shoulder) Now that Lang is gone I can tell you the true story of the Shaolin Kung-fu, without all of his macho stuff. It is all about the mind. As you can tell (pointing to the large gold Buddha) the Shaolin Temple is a Buddhist Monastery, a place where monks and nuns live, dating back 1500 years. History was made here in the early 500 s when a Buddhist Monk from India named Bodhidharma arrived. The monk sought refuge in a cave near the Shaolin Temple and meditated for nine years focusing his mind. This impressed the monks at the temple so much that they invited Bodhidharma to live with them and adopted his form of Buddhism which emphasized meditation. This became known as Chan Buddhism in China, but the world knows it as Zen Buddhism. So you are sitting in the birthplace of Zen Buddhism! (places a statue of a meditating monk next to Bodhidharma statue) During both meditation and kung-fu, monks clear their minds and focus on their inner nature. What are some things that you do that helps clears your mind and helps you focus on the moment? (takes answers from audience) What helps the Shaolin monks meditate is breathing. Simple breathing! Try some breathing techniques with me. Stand and take some slow(voice get slower), gentle deep breathes with me. Breathe in through your nose so it can filter the air. Feel your lungs filling with air.(use arms motions to show where the air is going) Now exhale slowly. Let s try it again. Let the body and mind relax. (Slow, gentle breath.) (pause)feel the energy coming up into your chest. Now exhale the air and feel the energy
leaving your body. Did you feel that energy? Kung-fu is about the mind channeling that energy through your body. Lang: (entering through door next to Panda Reserve) Lynn, I could not find him meditating in the garden, studying in the Library or eating in the mess hall. And they were serving his favorite meal lentil soup. Lynn: Okay, well I will go look for him in his room. (Exits behind gold curtain) Lang: (Looking over her shoulder) Now that Lynn is gone I can tell you about the true meaning of Shaolin kung-fu. It s all in the body. Did Lynn tell you about Shaolin Temple being the birthplace of something special? What was it? (Listens to audience) Zen Buddhism? Zen Buddhism! I mean you are right. But it is also the birthplace of kung-fu. You see there was this monk named Bodhidharma. Have you ever heard of him? You have! Oh, Lynn probably told about how Bodhidharma focused his mind in meditation. Well the he is also credited with developing kung-fu. When he was invited back into the Shaolin Temple, Bodhidharma found that the monks were physically too weak from studying to properly meditate for long periods. So he introduced kung-fu as a way to exercise. Because in the 500s the Shaolin Temple was in the wilderness filled with lions and tigers and bears (pause) I know! He taught them some moves that were part yoga, part self defense. Even Bodhidharma knew the impact the body had over the mind. (places a statue of a monk practicing kung-fu next to Bodhidharma statue) He taught the early monks stances based on animals in nature. The one that I have practiced the whole six months I have been at Shaolin is called Ma-bu. Ma-bu mean horse stance. (demonstrates Ma-bu stance) Why do you think this is called Ma-bu? Yeah. It looks like I am riding a horse. Bet you can t do the ma-bu stance better than me. Stand and put your feet about shoulder width apart. Place your fists along your sides and bend your knees, keeping your back straight. Wow, that s
pretty good. Now stand for a long time. Do you feel the burn? This stance is taught to build strength and endurance, the same strength and endurance you would need to meditate for a long time. That is why your body is so important to Zen Buddhism and kung-fu. Lynn: (comes back from behind gold curtain) Lang, I could not find Master Yang-ti anywhere. He was not in his room practicing calligraphy, not making tea, and not playing cards games. Lang: (cues cellphone) Well I don t know where else to look. (Lynn s phone rings) Lynn: It s from Yan-ti s iphone! Lang: Well answer it! And put it on video phone! Does everyone remember how to say Ni hao? Let s try it once together (everyone) Ni hao! Lynn answers cell phone. Yang-ti s video is cued by either Lynn or Lang. Yan-ti (a recording): Ni hao my students. But who are these other people? Lynn: Those are some friends from America. Yan-ti: Welcome my friends from America. Have my students treated you well? Lynn: I have taught them the breathing techniques focusing the mind which is so important to Kung-fu. Lang: And I have taught them the Ma-bu stance with foot and hand placements since this is the most important part of Kung-fu. Yan-ti: Now my students, you know body and mind are both very important to Shaolin monks. Meditation and kung-fu are both a part of our life. Meditation makes us calm and kung-fu makes us energetic. But do not forget about the most important part of Kung-fu, your heart. When you do kung-fu movements, your heart is your heart, and your mind is your mind. They never move. That is why we always say move your body, don't move your heart. Lynn: Move your body, don't move your heart? Yan-ti: Yes, move your body, don't move your heart. Now my students, I must apologize. I will not be able to make it to the demonstration this afternoon. But maybe our friends from America could help with the demonstration? They know a simple stance, they know how to breathe, and they know to move their body, not their heart. The two of you can teach our friends how to put this together into kung-fu movements. Lynn and Lang: We can try! Yan-ti: Good! I see they do not have the robes. Be sure our friends wear the same orange robes worn by Shaolin monks and students. Not the yellow robes, this is for praying. The orange robes will allow everyone to know they are studying Shaolin kung-fu. Now all of my students please remember you will not learn everything in one day. Kung-fu takes time, energy, and patience to master. Lang: (quickly) I already taught them that Master Yan-ti!
Yan-ti:(sighs) Very good my student. Zai Jian. Bye-bye. Lynn: Zai Jian. (to Lang) What do you think Yan-ti meant by move your body, not your heart? Lang: Yeah, I was confused by that. (to audience) What do you think Yan-ti meant by move your body, not your heart? (listen to responses) Does this mean the body or the mind is more important to Kung-fu? (A prompt if no one is answering) Lynn: Ohhhh, You mean it doesn t matter what you do with your mind or body, you must start with good intentions in your heart first! Lang: Now I know why Yan-ti made you Shaolin students. Lynn: Speaking of which, why don t you go and get the robes? Everyone else, stand up and make three lines over here. Lang: Grown-ups, I bet you can do better kung-fu moves then your kids! Lynn helps organize the class, making sure there is space between everyone. Both Lynn and Lang help get people fitted into the robes. While they do this they discuss the different colors of robes used at the Shaolin Temple. Lynn teaches them how to bow, with a fist onto a palm. She alludes that this fist and palm gestures will be important in later movements. Lang reminds everyone how to get into the ma-bu stance. He then teaches them how to punch with a fist. Lang instructs everyone on how to count to four in Mandarin. They will punch and count in Mandarin yi, er, san, si, through 4 repetitions. Lynn goes around reminds everyone to properly breathe. Lynn picks a volunteer to help demonstrate with Lang.
Lynn instructs them to punch with the palm. Lang goes around reminding everyone to move with their body, not with their heart. They will punch and count in Mandarin yi, er, san, si, through 4 repetitions. Lang picks a volunteer to help demonstrate with Lynn. Lynn: It is almost time for the demonstration for the American tourists. We are going to follow Lang out into the courtyard in our lines. Lynn explains what will happen outside. (While everyone is looking at Lynn, Lang cues the music in the courtyard.) Lang: My friends please follow me! Lang leads everyone back into the courtyard. He gets the Shaolin students lined up and ready while the music plays. Lang: (to the gallery) Those tourists from America here for the Kung-fu demonstration please come up to the courtyard and have a seat around the sides. We will be getting started here in just a moment. Lynn: (to the audience once everyone has gathered) You must be the American tourists here for the Shaolin kung-fu demonstration. Well I am Lynn and this is Lang and we have been kung-fu students here at the Shaolin Temple for the last six months, working on the same basic stance.
Lang: Yes, we came to the Shaolin Temple to learn kung-fu at its birthplace. Unfortunately, Master Yan-ti, our teacher, could not make it. Lynn: But he encouraged this group of tourists to become Shaolin students and demonstrate some basic kung-fu movements for you today. Please pay close attention because you will get a chance to practice these kung-fu movements also. Lynn and Lang lead the Shaolin students through the routine (bow, ma-bu stance, fist punchx4, palm punch x4, toe up kick x 4, toe out kick x 4) Lang: Great job everyone! (looking to Lynn) You know a very smart person once reminded me of the importance of a clear mind in kung-fu. Lynn: And a very talented person reminded me of the importance of a strong body to Kung-fu. Lang: But my friends here (gestures to Shaolin Students) explained to us the importance of heart in kung-fu. Yan-ti reminded us to move our body, not our heart. This means it doesn t matter what you do with your mind or body, you must start with good intentions in your heart first! Lynn: So my friends, please move your bodies up here with us to practice some Shaolin kung-fu movements, but keep your heart set in a good place. Encourage visitors to stand between the students in the saffron robes and go through the routine one more time. Lynn: Xie, Xie. Thank you for being such great kung-fu students and teachers. Lang: Yes, be sure to keep practicing at home, but remember that kung-fu takes time, energy, and patience to master. Lynn: Now go and practice other activities that also take time, energy, and patience. You can pour the perfect cup of tea in the tea house, write a well balanced Chinese character in the calligraphy store, or make a scrumptious meal in the restaurant. Zai Jian! Lang: Bye-bye!