Press Release: “SHAOLIN LEGEND” THE LIVE KUNG-FU SPECTACULAR

DVD TO BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 30, 2007
MILAN ENTERTAINMENT
BRINGS YOU
“SHAOLIN LEGEND”
THE LIVE KUNG-FU SPECTACULAR

SHAOLIN LEGEND captures the energy of the kung-fu stage show recorded live on February 8, 2006 at the Olympia Hall in Paris. With daunting stunts, the monks display their resistance to pain and their ability to control body and mind. They break wooden poles and iron bars over
each other’s heads, crush Chinese bowls with their bare fingers, and pierce glass plates with a
single needle. With breathtaking speed and agility, the monks display their mastery of sword and pole fights, their sense of balance and physical as well as mental endurance.

Born more than 1500 years ago, Shaolin kung-fu has laid out the foundations for all martial arts.

The Shaolin monks question common assumptions about pain and resistance to pain. This
alternative approach to body and mind is based on the four elements of Shaolin doctrine: selfcontrol, resistance, power, and stances. Initially developed for combat purposes, defensive as well as offensive, it is nowadays a very popular form of personal training and lifestyle. Schools
and academies have appeared across the US and created a following.

The art of Shaolin was more specifically developed at the Shaolin Temple, which lies at the foot
of Mount Song (Songshan), one of the five sacred mountains of China, in Henan province. The
temple was originally founded in 495 AD by Buddhist monk Batuo with the help of Emperor Wei Xiao Wen. The Northern Wei Dynasty had been dedicated to the Buddhist cause in China for
quite some time and has supported and protected it on many occasions.

Three decades later, legend has it that Buddhist monk Bodhidharma was refused admission to
the temple. He retreated to a nearby cave where he spent nine years contemplating and facing
the cave wall. After nine years, the Shaolin monks finally agreed to let him enter the temple and
become their teacher. He quickly became aware that the monks had been strengthening their
minds but had completely neglected to strengthen their bodies. They were frail and weak. He
decided to start a rigorous training of martial art exercises, which would become the foundation
of Shaolin kung-fu.

At its prime, over 1500 monks lived at the temple. Over the years, the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt many times. In 1732, the Qing government suspected anti-Qing activities and destroyed the temple. The monks fled and helped spread martial art techniques all over China. Many fictionalized and historical accounts have depicted this incident and its outcome. Some historians argue, however, that this story is likely fictional, and that if a temple was destroyed, it was probably the Shaolin temple in the Fujian Province, and not the original one in the Henan Province. Today, approximately 100 monks live at the temple, 30 of which are trained in martial arts.

For several years, the monks trained in martial arts have been traveling the world performing their breathtaking show in western cities. At each venue, they attract a crowd of self-defense enthusiasts, martial arts fans and live show aficionados. SHAOLIN LEGEND is a recorded testimony of their talent and ability to perform without a safety net or special effects. Every stunt is 100% real!!