For more than one thousand years, the Shaolin Temple has been the heart and soul of Chinese Kung Fu. It was there in 525 AD that the Buddhist monk Ta Mo laid the foundation for the martial art, out of the commitment to enhancing harmony between mind, body, and spirit through Ch’an (Chinese for Zen), an intense form of meditation.
Now, in a fully choreographed theatrical production, the Shaolin Warriors, a troupe of 24 Shaolin monks and novices, bring the remarkable skill, stunning movement, and spectacular imagery of Kung Fu to stages throughout the world, including the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall stage at UCA in Conway.
The Shaolin Warriors performance is at 7:30 pm on Friday, Oct. 24. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office Toll Free at 1-866-810-0012. Ticket prices range from free to UCA students/faculty/staff, to $10 students (non-UCA), to $20 for adults. $17 senior citizen and UCA Alumni Association member tickets are also available. Ticket information and directions can be found online at www.uca.edu/reynoldsn. The show is suitable for the entire family. Children should be at least six years of age to understand and enjoy it.
The Shaolin monks train in martial arts for several hours every day, perfecting the art of hand-to-hand and weapons combat. Each monk is required to achieve an extraordinarily high level of proficiency in each of the temple’s 18 traditional weapons and to become a master of one. It is the daily practice of seated meditation, which enables the monks to sustain a demanding physical regimen. Shaolin monks fight mostly in silence, exhibiting what has been described as “stillness in movement.” This “stillness” is a direct result of a serene mind, cultivated through the practice of meditation.
The Shaolin Warriors performance is the second on UCA Public Appearances 8-show Season, which is sponsored by the financial services company TIAA-CREF. For more information, contact the Box Office at 1-866-810-0012 or go online at www.uca.edu/reynolds.
