Summer 2013 saw two of our UK Shaolin Temple members – Martine Niven and Max Childs - initiated as disciples of Shifu Shi Yanming. Since this meaningful event was released, many of you have become more interested in discipleships and what they entail. To help appease your curiosity, we have posed them a few questions.
Martine (Chen Miao Shan) Max (Shi Heng Hui)
Q: How long have you been studying martial arts?
Chen Miao Shan: Since being a teenager, but I would say that my real training and commitment to martial arts began when I started training with my master Shi Yan Ming. I always wanted to follow the Shaolin way and path but he has helped me to see that it was possible and to believe in myself.
Shi Heng Hui: All together I have studied for four to five years. I did some kung fu in my early teens but most of my training has been in the last few years.
Q: When did you begin training in Shaolin Kung Fu?
Chen Miao Shan: I started training in Shaolin in my early twenties learning San Shou but I would say that I really started when I met my master. He was able to show me all the various aspects of the training.
Shi Heng Hui: Two years ago now.
Q: What drew you to it?
Chen Miao Shan: I loved the Chan Buddhist philosophies that underpinned its practice. I had practiced other martial arts in the past but felt that there was something missing from my training. Why Shaolin is so special for me is that it encompasses all aspects of the art, physical, mental and spiritual. It is a discipline which you can refine and practice your whole life. It is a complete authentic system that has a history of thousands of years. It is the birth place of Zen/Chan practice and of all martial arts.
Shi Heng Hui: I've been to a few different schools where you can get a black belt in 3 years and it’s usually a mix of two or three styles, which I'm not saying is bad, it works for some people but not everyone. I like this as it's still in its original form.
Q: On a personal level, how do you feel Shaolin Kung Fu shapes your everyday life?
Chen Miao Shan: I believe that Shaolin has and will continue to shape and change my life. It has always been in my heart from being a young person. It gives me strength in all aspects of my being and helps me to learn, grow and develop. It helps me to conquer my fear and balance my body, heart and mind. It has given me strength in times of difficulty and teaches me every day about how I can improve and better myself as a person. Spiritually it has given me faith, belief and understanding, and the knowledge & courage to follow my path. I hope to gain many realizations on my journey and be blessed to help others to do the same.
Shi Heng Hui: Well for a start it’s something to focus on but more than that I'm gaining confidence in my ability to face challenges. I can only put that down to the fact that shaolin is a very challenging art
Q: What does it mean to you to be a disciple?
Chen Miao Shan: For me discipleship was a big step in my life. It was something deep down in my heart I wanted to do, but at first I didn’t know why or couldn’t express why. After a lot of heartfelt consideration I knew that I wanted to follow this path and my master. As I explained above that practice has and does give me so much in my life, and so I wanted to make a full commitment and learn the deeper aspects of its teachings and to understand the real heart of Kung Fu (Gong Fu). For me it is important to find a teacher that you trust and feel comfortable with but also someone who can push you and help you grow, to inspire you, make you think. I believe that teachers come into your life for a reason to help show you something about yourself, to help you develop, learn and grow on your path. It is no coincidence of what character they are and the style in which they teach. For me I feel blessed to have found an authentic teacher that can do this and I trust and believe in his style and methods of training and practice. I feel excited and open to the process of what it will bring to me on this journey and in turn for others in the future.
Shi Heng Hui: It means a lot, it’s very humbling to have even been considered let alone accepted
Q: There are many people who idealise the idea of becoming a disciple, what advice would you give to someone who would like to pursue this path?
Chen Miao Shan: It is a huge commitment and decision to make in your life. It needs great thought and consideration and is something that shouldn’t be taken on so lightly. As a disciple you are choosing to dedicate your whole life to this way and have chosen to follow a teacher/master that you entrust to help guide and teach you along your path.
If being a disciple is something that you feel strongly about, I would advise that you think very carefully before making your decision. You may need to think about why you are doing it and make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons.
Its root is about being entrusted to carry on a lineage of thousands of years of martial arts practice and to pass this on to future generations. You do not become a disciple to promote yourself; in fact it’s quite the opposite, to be a disciple you have to adopt the Chan practices of selflessness and emptiness. Therefore your training encourages you to always dedicate your practice to others. It is a selfless, egoless path.
Shi Heng Hui: Not to idealize the idea. It’s not an end goal like some certificate or qualification. It’s just the beginning. It’s a commitment not to be taken lightly and you have to be sure that it’s what you want. If you are then great! Go for it.
Q: Has becoming a disciple altered the way you understand your training and if so, in what way?
Chen Miao Shan: I am at the beginning of my discipleship journey and so have a long way to go before I truly understand what changes will occur in my training. But as I understand it so far being a disciple has pushed my training to the next level. Within the training we constantly continue to develop ourselves, our self-awareness, self-discipline and practice, training our heart, body and mind. The discipleship has helped me to focus more on the details of the training. It has given me the confidence to learn and want to understand the practice at a deeper level.
Shi Heng Hui: For me, no not yet. It’s too early, but that's just a part of what I'm looking forward to.
Q: How has this change affected your relationship with your teacher?
Chen Miao Shan: It has brought about a huge bond of trust and support, it is a closer relationship like becoming part of a family.
Shi Heng Hui: It’s made it stronger obviously. I have a lot of respect for Shifu and what he's doing and when you get this level of respect and guidance in return the relationship can only go one way, this whole experience has been a positive one.
Q: Where do you see your training developing over the next ten years?
Chen Miao Shan: This is a difficult question because as a person I tend to live very much in the moment, so to look into the future is not a natural tendency for me. To quote from Kung Fu panda
“You are too concerned with what was and what will be. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift, that is why it is called the present"
In practice I wish to continue learning, growing and developing. Encouraging others to learn, teach and spread the philosophy and practices that this amazing tradition and art has to offer.
Shi Heng Hui: Everywhere, there's room for a lot of improvement
Truth is found within
Let love and compassion guide your actions
Discover you’re a part of everything.
By Chen Miao Shan
Treat every living thing as you wish to be treated yourself. This is a very old concept found in so many cultures around the world and it is close to my heart as I feel it says it all, its perfection is in its simplicity
By Shi Heng Hui
By Shi Heng Hui
