Yi Long (一龙) - First Warrior Monk of ShaolinOriginal Chinese Language Article by: Yang Donghua [杨东华] Henan Business Daily
(Translated by Adrian Chan-Wyles PhD) 
Translator’s Note: The man known as ‘One Dragon’ (一龙 – Yi Long) is also described as the ‘First Warrior Monk of Shaolin’ (少林第一武僧 – Shao Lin Di Yi Wu Seng) and the above picture shows him at the peak of his powers. This English translation of an original Chinese language article explores Yi Long’s presence in the modern boxing ring, and considers the implications this might have for Chinese marital acts. Yi Long has very good martial arts skills that have earned a number of high profile victories, but in his first appearance in the West – he was knocked-out after dominating the fight. This event caused much consternation in China, and led to a number of bizarre racially motivated attacks against Chinese martial arts and Chinese culture emanating from Western martial arts forums and even reputable magazines. The point is that this ignorance does not even penetrate the surface of the rich cultural tapestry that is Chinese martial arts, and despite the shock defeat of Yi Long, he would go on to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the Shaolin martial arts even when used in a sporting capacity. Many of his victories have been stunning and his presence in the West has led to a re-examination and re-invigoration of interest in traditional Chinese martial arts the world over. Racism and martial arts are incompatible. Yi Long has tremendous courage to travel to the West and take on and beat some of its best fighters. However, as the article stipulates there is a distinction to be made between sporting martial arts (defined through the rules that limit their use), and the truly spiritual martial arts that are methods forged in war to kill the enemy quickly, and which are used to develop the mind and body, build health and prolong life. Having paid my respects to Yi Long, I must also point-out that as remarkable as his skills seem in the West, within China they are viewed as only being very ‘basic’ and of the lower levels of attainment. This is not a harsh judgement as Yi Long makes no claims to being special, but it should demonstrate to all practitioners in the UK of Ch’an Dao, that the mark for progression within authentic Chinese martial is very high indeed, and that greater efforts must be made to progress.
ACW 23.10.15 Yi Long is Knocked-out Yi Long has recently attracted negative attention from his participation in a full contact mixed martial arts competition in Las Vegas (USA) where he was knocked-out by his American opponent in just 44 seconds of the 2nd round with a lacklustre left hook to the chin – despite having technically dominated the bout throughout. When the video of this match went viral on the internet it caused an immediate controversy in China and throughout the Chinese diaspora. Questions began to be asked; who is this Mainland Chinese martial artist and is he really an ordained Shaolin Warrior Monk? Is the spectacle of an apparent ‘Shaolin’ monk fighting and losing in a Western boxing ring indicative of the demise of authentic Shaolin Temple Boxing? Are Chinese martial arts on the decline? The fight in question happened on November 13th, 2010, at the famous Harris Hotel Casino, and was billed as the ‘Martial Arts Battle of Las Vegas’. The Chinese fighter was introduced as ‘Yi Long’ and described as a Shaolin Fighting Monk, and that this was his first appearance in the West. The internet was abuzz with posts sharing the video variously entitled ‘Shaolin Monk KO’, and ‘Henan Martial Arts’, asking people to watch and pass it on. People flocked to watch this martial arts tournament that pitted US fighters against Chinese fighters – a tournament incidentally that the Chinese contingent won over-all 5:3 in a nine-bout competition. As it was filmed by Henan TV the results were immediately available in China. Generally speaking, the Shaolin Tradition of Warrior Monks is greatly respected, but some foreign martial arts have no respect for it, and many US fighters in the past have turned-down the opportunity of competing with its practitioners, but this was not the case with American Adrian Grotte, who bravely stepped-forward to face Yi Long. Adrian Grotte was introduced as a US Police Officer, and former US Marine. After the introductions, there was a display of Chinese martial arts by four men who escorted Yi Long into the ring. These men were dressed as Shaolin Monks and this gave the impression that they were representing the Shaolin Temple – which it turns-out was incorrect. Yi Long dictated from the start, throwing a dazzling array of kicks and punches all of which found their mark. The US fighter found it very difficult to defend himself, and was repeatedly tripped and thrown to the ground. However, as Yi Long moved in to land a combination of kicks and punches – the desperate Grotte tentatively threw-out a left jab/hook which seemed to have no power behind it. It made contact with the point of Yi Long’s chin and he immediately fell backwards onto the floor with his arms and legs spread. He was unconscious for a couple of minutes and the Chinese support in the crowd was stunned into silence. Yi Long eventually recovered and graciously congratulated his opponent. Is there a problem with Shaolin martial arts? When martial arts are used just for sport there will always be a winner and a loser because that is the limited nature of the game. This type of competition has little relevance or meaning for self-development, and once the Las Vegas tournament was over, the events contained therein should have gone into memory and become a thing of the past. Who could have envisioned that a month later the video of Yi Long’s defeat would become world famous? In Youku the video quickly amassed 40 million views and attracted numerous comments. Many people were strongly concerned because this episode appeared to involve the Shaolin Temple and reflect badly upon its martial arts and monks. In 1982, the movie entitled ‘Shaolin Temple’ propelled its star – Jet Li (李连杰 – Li Lianjie) – to international fame. The Shaolin Temple became world-famous and the fact that it is one of the most important centres for martial arts practice in China became well-known. Although competitive martial arts tournaments are a common-place occurrence in China, many people expressed concern about the Shaolin Temple actively appearing to participate in such contests when their monks were supposed to be studying not only advanced (and secretive) martial arts, but also seated meditation away from the world. On the June 19, 2010, Yi Long took on a Thai Boxing Champion in Thailand and narrowly won the fight on points, but was covered in blood by the end. In that fight Yi Long was announced as being a ‘Shaolin Temple Warrior Monk’. After this Yi Long had one easy victory after another, taking on all comers and either beating them easily on points, or knocking them out with a single kick or punch. He has set a very good example for Shaolin Temple martial arts and has done much good for the reputation of Chinese martial arts abroad. Then suddenly this ‘First Warrior Monk of Shaolin’ was knocked-out himself in the USA, what went wrong? One comment typical of many stated that ‘The US fighter was quite ordinary and was being beaten in all areas – even his punches and kicks seemed to lack power. How could he have beaten a Shaolin fighter like this?’ Others thought it was a disgrace of a Shaolin fighter to lose in any manner, and some even questioned the integrity and effectiveness of Shaolin martial arts. The Shaolin Temple in Henan, China It transpires that Yi Long is not an ordained Buddhist warrior monk at the Shaolin Temple in Henan. His recent defeat has drawn attention to the Shaolin Temple and questions have been asked. Why is Yi Long referred to as a ‘Shaolin Warrior Monk’, and where did he learn his Shaolin martial arts? On the 24th of December, 2010, an official at the Shaolin Temple, after viewing the video of Yi Long’s defeat, issued an internet statement confirming that ‘Yi Long is not an ordain Ch’an Buddhist monk at the Shaolin Temple, and has not been granted the designation of First Warrior Monk of Shaolin by anyone in authority at the Shaolin Temple of Henan.’ Later, an official at the Shaolin Temple spoke to the Henan Business Daily stating that ‘Any claims that Yi Long is officially associated with the ordained monks of the Shaolin Temple are obviously false.’ He added ‘The notion that Yi Long has any ordained association with the Shaolin Temple is untrue, and allegations of this kind have the potential to adversely affect the good reputation the Shaolin Temple possesses.’ However, he added that ‘It seems Yi Long is not guilty of lying, or making any untruthful statements. The reality seems to be that he has been erroneously described as an ‘ordained‘ Shaolin Monk by the organisers of the fight events that he has participated within. Although not an ordained Ch’an Buddhist monk at the Shaolin Temple, it could well be that Yi Long is a lay disciple of one of the many outreach programmes in Buddhist studies and martial arts practice that the Shaolin Temple provides throughout China. Anyone can join these programmes and correctly associate themselves as a lay-disciple of the Shaolin Temple and a lay-practitioner of Shaolin martial arts. If this is the case, than Yi Long has not committed a crime, but has been misrepresented by those who perhaps do not fully understand traditional Chinese culture.’ He finished by saying that even in the West there are many lay-disciples of the Shaolin Temple, and that this whole affair is probably a misunderstanding. Who is Yi Long? Yi Long has made the following public statement: ‘I can categorically confirm that I am not an ordained Shaolin Buddhist monk, but that I am a lay-Buddhist disciple of the Shaolin Temple.’ So who is Yi Long and where is he from? An insider has said that Yi Long is 24 years old and his real name is Liu Xingjun (刘星军). He is from Dezhou City in northwestern Shandong province, but has spent most of his recent life training in the Shaolin Schools around Zhengzhou City in Henan – not far from the Shaolin Temple itself. This is where he has gained his skills in Shaolin martial arts. When explaining his recent defeat, Yi Long explained to the Henan Business Daily that his opponent was bigger in stature and had a longer reach, and that he lost because although Yi Long technically dominated throughout, he misjudged the rhythm of the fight at a crucial single moment, and that this lapse in concentration allowed his opponent to land a lucky shot that caught him off-balance. In fact Yi Long further explained ‘I fell back onto the floor completely relaxed and totally aware of what was happening. However, when I got back-up, the American referee would not listen to me when I said I was alright and able to continue. He stopped the fight to protect my US opponent from the defeat he was undoubtedly heading to.’ When asked why he is introduced as ‘First Warrior Monk of Shaolin’ he replied that he has never made that claim for himself, but that those who publicise fight venues say anything to hype-up fights and make participants seem larger than life. Yi Long explained that he has studied Shaolin martial arts for 2 to 3 years with a very good Shaolin master who does not wish to be known to the public, and so out of respect he does not mention his name. As Yi Long profoundly respects the Shaolin Temple he is concerned about any propaganda that is used against Chinese culture, and so has pledged to be more careful in future bouts and make it clear that he is only a lay-Shaolin discipline. Statement A genuine person cannot be known through superficiality, and superficiality does not reveal a genuine person. The world of genuine martial arts has many layers, and it has very profound and sublime levels of mastery, and it also contains very basic levels of understanding and attainment. Today, Yi Long’s sudden and dramatic defeat has touched a nerve throughout the Chinese nation, but common sense and reason must prevail. There is no need to overly sentimentalise this situation. Professor Qian Fengjie (乔凤杰) of the Wushu Cultural Research Centre of Henan University has said that there is no reason to equate Yi Long’s recent defeat in a modern boxing ring with the effectiveness of Shaolin Temple martial arts to develop the mind and body for spiritual and health related purposes. In regard to this matter, a spokesperson for the Shaolin Temple Outreach Department has said that ordained Shaolin Ch’an Buddhist monks are trained to such a high degree of refinement, that a win or lose in a modern boxing ring is irrelevant and of no importance in the greater scheme of things. True Shaolin martial arts is the product of an intense concentrated practice and worldly events do not affect its efficacy. Professor Qiao further clarified the situation by explaining that there are two types of martial arts practice in China, namely competitive sport martial arts, and traditional martial arts. Sporting arts look superficially like traditional martial arts but reduce everything to winning and losing in a competition defined by rules that deliberately limit the martial encounters in the ring or on the mat. As these rules are purely arbitrary, they constantly change to alter how the outward manifestation of the sport looks to fee paying spectators. Sporting martial arts are superficial and designed as a form of entertainment, and do not care for spiritual or health development. On the other hand, traditional Chinese martial arts are the product of thousands of years of military and spiritual development that equally develops the mind and body. With regard to human conflict, the traditional arts are more realistic as they do not limit reality with arbitrary rules and prepares the practitioner psychologically and physically to cope with any eventuality. This is why traditional martial arts emphasis the idea of ‘one hit must kill’ (一击必杀 – Yi Ji Ba Shi), although generally speaking this level of ability and commitment is not easily found amongst ordinary people. The true masters of Chinese martial arts do not participate in ordinary society and are not interested in pointless competition. Professor Qiao went on to say that traditional martial arts require long periods of isolated practice away from the trivialities of ordinary life, for the self-cultivation to work. Chen Peiju (陈沛菊) – the Assistant Director of the Military controlled Henan Sports Centre – says that ‘A genuine person cannot be known through superficiality, and superficiality does not reveal a genuine person. This why true martial arts masters do not court publicity, but remain hidden from view. Therefore we may conclude that those who make themselves known to the public are not true martial arts masters in the traditional sense.’ Positive Action The Government of China has declared that ‘Traditional Chinese Martial Arts’ are to be protected and preserved as a matter of great importance. The Yi Long affair has had the positive affect of drawing the Chinese people’s attention to the importance of their martial arts, and to distinguish between superficial sporting arts, and authentic traditional martial arts. The over-all academic opinion on this matter can be summed-up by Chen Peiju and Qiao Fengjie who are both of the opinion that although Yi Long’s example will not directly negatively affect the traditional Chinese martial arts, such publicity could potentially trigger a decline. An example of this can be found by examining the case of the style of martial arts known as the ‘Xingyang Chang Jia Quan’ (荥阳苌家拳). When it was unknown to the public, it was a very good traditional Chinese martial art, but when it was known in the media, this led to a watering down of its principles in order to court popularity. The Xingyang Chang Jia Quan was comprised of Shaolin martial arts and Taiji and was also known as the ‘Three Great Fist Style’ (三大拳派 – San Da Quan Pai), but all that exists of it today is a number of instruction manuals that no one really understands. Qiao Fengjie is of the further opinion that traditional Chinese martial arts are in a similar situation to that of traditional Chinese medicine and that we as a nation must organise ourselves into helping the older people who retain the traditional knowledge, to preserve and teach it to the younger generation. Chen Peiju said that in Henan, traditional Chinese martial arts tournaments have been established (with prizes and awards) that operate through honour and virtue rather than brute force. It is hoped that young people will be drawn toward a deeper commitment to the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts and away from the egoism involved in sport martial arts. ©opyright: Adrian Chan-Wyles (ShiDaDao) 2015. Original Chinese Language Article: http://www.baike.com/wiki/%E5%B0%91%E6%9E%97%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E6%AD%A6%E5%83%A7 少林第一武僧 一龙曾被人称为“少林第一武僧”，辉煌一时（资料图片）河南商报记者 杨东华/摄 一个被称为“少林第一武僧”的拳击赛手，在美国拉斯维加斯的一场比赛中，在第二回合开始44秒，被美国选手一记勾拳“爆头”，倒地不起。 视频上传网络后，引起巨大风波。“少林第一武僧”是否真有其人？少林功夫是否不行了？中华武术是否衰落了？ 网帖 “少林武僧”被KO 本月以来，河南《武林风》的一个比赛视频，被各大论坛上传，并导致网友疯狂点击观看。 视频内容是，美国当地时间11月13日晚，“武林风决战拉斯维加斯”第二季比赛，在赌城著名的哈瑞斯大酒店登场。 其中一场比赛开始前，主持人介绍，本场比赛是本赛季最神秘的一场比赛，中方运动员是一名叫一龙的武僧，这也是第一次在国际擂台上出现的武僧。 由于这个运动员所练习的是被公认为最神秘最可怕的少林功夫，此次比赛差点泡汤，因为美国很多运动员拒绝和该武僧过招。 关键时刻，美国一位警察、特警队队长阿德安·格罗特挺身而出，使得比赛成功举办。不过，在这里也要介绍下，这位美国警察，曾是美国海军陆战队队员。 主持人介绍完毕，随即，在四个少林僧人模样队员护卫下，比赛主角之一一龙隆重登场，并和队员配合演练了一套拳脚。 比赛正式开始，就在所有人看好一龙的情况下，在比赛第二轮的44秒，有“少林第一武僧”之称的一龙，被对手一记西式左摆拳“爆头”，仰面朝天倒地。输掉了轰动拉斯维加斯的擂台赛。 质疑 少林功夫不行了？ 胜败乃常事。决战拉斯维加斯赛局结束后，事情也就算过去了。 谁也没想到，一个月后，有人将此视频上传到网络，引发轩然大波。仅在优酷网站，该视频就有近40万人点击，评论如潮水。 如此多的人关注，皆因此事与少林寺有关。1982年，香港电影《少林寺》热映，掀起一股少林功夫热潮。“中国功夫冠天下，天下武功出少林”，少林寺从此名扬天下，李连杰也成为耀眼的国际功夫巨星。 最近几年，伴随国内拳击比赛升温，一旦少林寺、少林功夫参与某项比赛，定能引起众多人关注。 今年6月19日，在一场中泰对抗赛里，当时出场的一龙就打着少林武僧的旗号，迎战一位泰国拳王，浴血险胜。 此后，一龙在《武林风》赛场上，屡取佳绩，俨然擂台版的少林不败金刚。 如今，有“少林第一武僧”之称的他，却在美国惨败，第二回合被一拳KO。 看完视频，一网友跟帖分析：“说老实话，美国特警队长的出手和身法极其普通，而且并没有使出其更具杀伤力的右拳。”他称，难怪有网友说，别再让少林寺的和尚们到处去丢人现眼了。 还有人据此质疑少林功夫的真实性。 少林寺 一龙不是少林僧人 一龙的失败，让少林寺又处在了风口浪尖。一龙到底师从何人？学到了多少少林功夫？ 12月24日，少林寺外联处一负责人说，他已看过相关视频，也已通过微博声明：“一龙不是少林武僧，更不是少林第一武僧。” 这位负责人告诉河南商报记者，一龙绝不可能是少林第一武僧。武僧首先是僧人，在少林寺官方网站上能看到。“动不动就称第一，明显是假的。” “少林寺常常莫名其妙被代表，给少林寺带来很大影响。”他说。 在有些比赛中，主持人称一龙为少林俗家弟子；在某些场合，一龙也自称为少林俗家弟子。 他是少林俗家子弟吗？少林寺外联处这位负责人解释，少林俗家弟子的进入门槛很低，只要信仰佛教，没有犯罪，给少林寺提供一张照片，办一个皈依仪式，履行个手续就可以了。成为少林俗家弟子后，行动也很自由。 “少林俗家弟子非常多，仅海外就有上百万信众。这个人到底是不是真的少林俗家弟子，不好鉴定。”他说。 一龙 我只是少林俗家弟子 一龙到底是何方人士？一知情人士说，一龙本名叫刘星军，山东德州人，今年24岁，目前主要在郑州发展。 对于此次失败，一龙向河南商报记者解释，首先是对手比他大一个级别，在比赛中他也没有控制好节奏，导致比赛失利。 “倒地后，我还能打，但美国裁判不让打了。至于为什么，我也不知道。”他说。 对于主持人多次介绍的“少林第一武僧”，他又怎么看待？一龙没有回避，说：“我从没说过我是少林第一武僧，都是别人在说。我在少林寺学武两三年，是少林俗家弟子，也从来没有谈过我师父，因为他很低调，不让提他的情况。” 他承认，比赛场合关于他的一些宣传，的确给少林寺带来了影响。“以后我会注意这些，再介绍自己时只说少林功夫。” 说法 真人不露面，露面不真人 真实的武术和武林到底是什么样子，始终迷雾重重。如今，一龙的失利，再次刺激了国民这方面的神经。 河南大学武术文化研究所所长乔凤杰教授则说，将一龙个人的失败与中国武术的兴衰联系起来，没有道理。少林寺外联处负责人说，少林寺的功夫好手多得是，但他们都是在潜心修炼，不会露面。 乔凤杰认为，当下中国武术可以分为两大块：竞技武术和传统武术。竞技武术，是根据比赛需要设定一定的规则，虽然看起来仍是武术的动作，可性质变化了。 传统武术，就是中国几千年流传演变下来的这些功夫，没有任何规则限制，讲究“一击必杀”。不过，这些功夫当下主要存在于民间。 “身负中国功夫绝技的高手们，是不会出来比赛的。”乔凤杰教授说，因为要传承中国传统武术的精髓，必须耐得住寂寞，修身养性。 “在现代社会，有武术高手存在，他们的功夫是深不可测的。不过他们也一定不会出来，不会宣传自己。”河南省体育局武管中心主任助理陈沛菊说，真人不露面，露面不真人，用这句话来形容目前的武术世界，最是恰当。 行动 政府积极保护“中华武术” 对一龙比赛视频的反响，更多人还上升到了中华武术是否断代的层面。 对此，陈沛菊和乔凤杰都表现出了焦虑：“虽然不算断裂，可也走向了衰落。” “你们看看荥阳苌家拳就知道了，媒体报道过这个拳种的遭遇。”乔凤杰说。 据有关负责人介绍，在河南，苌家拳曾与少林、太极并列为“三大拳派”，“如今苌家拳已经只剩下一本本拳谱了”。 乔凤杰说，中国武术精华面临的情况，和中医一样。“我们所能做的，就是整理保存拳谱，动员身负绝技的老人们，尽量去传授武术。” 而陈沛菊说，为了保护传统武术，河南在全国首家设立了传统武术比赛。目前练习者较多的拳派，如少林、太极、查拳都单独设项了，目的就是为了保护。“我们设立了很多奖项，能发奖，就有激励，就有人去练。” |