Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see pure Shaolin Kung Fu! On March 22, 2006, Russia's ** Putin stepped into the Shaolin Temple, the "Holy Land of Chinese Kung Fu", and appreciated the Shaolin culture under the guidance of monks. However, before he actually arrived, the Russian side had said that Putin was going to have a confrontation with a warrior monk in his 50s, so what was the result?
On the afternoon of March 22, 2006, Putin came to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan for a visit of more than an hour, which caused quite a stir. Putin's fate with the Shaolin Temple can be traced back to his two daughters. In 1999, the Russian Shaolin Martial Arts Training Center was established in Moscow, and three years later, the Russian side invited the Shaolin Temple monks to Russia for kung fu teaching. Shi Yankang is the warrior monk who went to Russia. In 2003, the center opened an amateur class for girls to come and study, and it was at this time that Putin's daughters, Maria and Katia, were introduced to Shaolin Kung Fu.
Shi Yankang said: "At that time, I didn't know that there was Putin's daughter among the students. It was only later that Shi Yankang happened to hear that one of the students was a Russian ** daughter, but by that time he had already completed his teaching assignment and returned to China. This short period of kung fu learning gave Maria and Katia a a strong interest in Chinese culture, and it also influenced Putin. Putin was born in **, and he is quite strong in judo and wrestling, and he is naturally curious about the "Chinese kung fu" that is widely rumored in the world. So, during his visit to China, he came to the Shaolin Temple on purpose.
Before Putin arrived at the Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin received a notice: a 50-year-old warrior monk needed to be selected to have a 20-minute martial arts exchange with Putin. This made Shi Yongxin quite difficult. After all, Shaolin Kung Fu is a treasure of traditional Chinese culture, and losing to a foreigner in a competition would undoubtedly be a serious humiliation to the country.
However, Putin, as a Russian leader, represents the majesty of the entire country. If he loses, it will also affect Russia's image. In this dilemma, Shi Yongxin fell into deep thought. He was well aware that if both sides gave in, it could lead to an uncontrollable conflict, violating the principle of "martial virtue" in martial arts.
Time was imminent, and Shi Yongxin had no choice but to send a warrior monk first, and then depending on the situation. However, just as he was worried about it, a new notice rescued him. A new arrangement came from the notice, changing the previous plan.
After Putin arrived at the Shaolin Temple, solemn bells and drums sounded in the temple to welcome the distinguished guest from afar. When Shi Yongxin accompanied Putin to visit the temple, he not only introduced him to the relevant culture of Shaolin Temple, but also talked about the history of the Tang Taizong period. Putin clearly knows this history inside out and appears to be well aware.
After the tour of the temple building, the warrior monks appeared one after another to present a thrilling kung fu performance for the guests. Among them, Maria and Katia's "teacher" Shi Yankang is also among them. Standing in front of the stone tablet engraved with the allusion of "Shaolin Thirteen Stick Monks Save the Tang King", Shi Yongxin vividly told the historical story. Putin wasted no time in responding: "I know this history very well. ”
This exchange is no longer the focus, but has evolved into a cultural and historical exchange. Shi Yongxin's clever handling and Putin's cultural understanding made this meeting full of friendship and understanding.
He thought that his fate with Russia would end at that moment, but the reunion three years later was unexpected.
After the Luohan Boxing performance, Shi Yongxin specially introduced Shi Yankang to Putin, and Putin also gave him warm applause. Then, Putin's bodyguards actually allowed him to approach and bring a camera to take a close-up shot.
At the end of the visit, Shi Yongxin presented Putin with a set of precious Shaolin martial arts cheats, which Putin liked very much, and talked about his two daughters: "They are concentrating on practicing Chinese kung fu!" After bidding farewell to Putin and his entourage, Shi Yongxin finally breathed a sigh of relief that what he was worried about did not happen.
In fact, when Putin was about to arrive, when he hesitated for the "exchange", the city leaders urgently sent news that the "exchange" had been canceled. The encounter was never mentioned again.
After Putin's visit to the Shaolin Temple, tourists flocked to the temple, especially foreign tourists. This visit has promoted the international dissemination of China's traditional culture, and at the same time deepened the friendship between China and Russia.
Today, Shaolin Kung Fu is still a shining business card that China has shown to the world, and I hope this business card will shine forever.