American Shaolin : flying kicks, Buddhist monks, and the legend of iron crotch : an odyssey in the new China

by Matthew Polly

Paperback, 2007

Publication

New York : Gotham Books, c2007. OCLC Number: 173350967. vii, 366 pages, [16] pages of plates : illustrations ; 20 cm.

Call number

M-Arts / Polly

Barcode

BK-07323

ISBN

9781592403370

Physical description

viii, 366 p.; 21 cm

Description

Growing up a ninety-pound weakling tormented by bullies, Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become a fighter like in his favorite 1970s TV series, Kung Fu. Later, Matthew decided to pursue this quixotic dream: he dropped out of Princeton to spend two years training with the legendary sect of monks who invented kung fu and Zen Buddhism. Expecting to find an isolated citadel of supernatural ascetics, he instead discovered a tacky tourist trap run by Communist party hacks--but the dedicated monks still trained in the rigorous age-old fighting forms. As Matthew grew in his knowledge of China and kung fu skill, he would come to represent the Temple in challenge matches and international competitions, and ultimately the monks would accept their new American initiate as close to one of their own as any Westerner had ever become.--From publisher description.… (more)

Language

Original language

English

User reviews

LibraryThing member ariebonn
Last year I saw the Shaolin Monks in a live show and they were amazing, so when I came across this book I immediately thought that I had to read it. This is the memoir of Matthew Polly and the two years he spent in China living with the monks. While attending Princeton, Polly took the bold decision
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to take a break from college and embark on a physical and spiritual journey.

What he found in China was not what he expected but he was determined and willing to 'eat bitter' so he gained the respect of the monks. By the end of his journey his 'things that are wrong with Matt' list was significantly smaller and through his memoir you experience both his pitfalls and achievements. When reading this book I realized how much I didn't know about China and the cultural differences that exist, I found this very interesting especially learning how China has evolved since then. You don't have to be into martial arts and Buddhism to enjoy this book, it is well written and sometimes comical, definitely not boring. It has certainly encouraged me to read more of these kind of books and proves that non-fiction can be enjoyable too.
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LibraryThing member mjspear
Enticing look at inland China of the l980s and the world of Kungfu. Matthew Polly, mid-college, spends two years in rural China living among Buddhist monks and training in Kungfu at the infamous Shaolin Temple. Polly is a self-effacing, humorous story-teller. Teens interested in martial arts,
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Chinese culture, tales of under dogs besting their foes (Polly was an admitted 98-lb weaking at start) will appreciate this true story. Language and sexual exploits (not explicit) will limit its appropriateness to senior high or mature readers.
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LibraryThing member Solar-Moon
This is an entertaining light read with some very insightful moments about Chinese culture. You really feel the characters in this book. Anyone who is interested in Shaolin kung fu should read this book to get a glimpse of how it's changed over the years and what some of the training is like. It is
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interesting to get an inside look at China through a Westerner's eyes.
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LibraryThing member dannywon
An interesting entertaining read; not spectacular, but fun. Nothing in it on the Spiritual aspects of Shaolin. No Zen. Then again, it's based on mathew's experience, and the expectation that there be very serene martial / Zen masters is the product of American Explotation and propaghanda on what
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Shalin is all about. nonetheless, I enjoyed reading about his experiences
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LibraryThing member co_coyote
Matthew Polly is a wonderfully funny, insightful young man who takes a year off from Princeton to travel to the Shoalin Monastery in China to study Buddhism and kung fu. This is his account of his adventure and his self-depreciating sense of humor is often laugh-out-loud funny. Move over Bill
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Bryson, Mr Polly is hot on your tail. My plans for the garden have been hijacked again by a book that is just too good to put down. What a wonderful way to spend a weekend.
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LibraryThing member kukulaj
A great fun book and a quick read. The author takes time off from college and trains as a Shaolin monk. Lots of stories from his experience, giving a vivid picture of a facet of life from 1990ish China. It's not deep, it's not technical, but it's real and somewhat thoughtful.
LibraryThing member LibroLindsay
Matthew Polly was always a tall, gangly, wimpy kid, picked on by the playground bullies. By the time he got to college, he had left the playground, but the insecurities continued to nag him. What is a boy to do? Well, if he's into martial arts and Chinese language and culture, he takes a sabbatical
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during his junior year at Princeton and searches for the Shaolin Temple, of course! In 1992, China was on the cusp of beginning an international force, teetering between its Communist past and capitalistic future, and in these days before the Internet, Polly had to scout out just exactly where this iconic hub was located. So begins a hilarious tale of culture shock, kung fu, and memorable characters as Polly spends the next two years studying with the Shaolin monks.

I discovered this book while perusing past Alex Award winners and nominees, the American Library Association's award for books written for adults that also have a crossover appeal to young adult audiences. I was not disappointed. It's full of action-packed fight scenes, a sneak peek into the mysterious world of iron kung fu (especially the spectacle of iron crotch kung fu, in all its horror and fascination), mastering Chinese drinking games, and loads of sometimes gallant, sometimes quirky, sometimes downright insane, but always vibrant characters. I really felt connected to Polly's experience and appreciated his honesty. He's certainly a lot more sensitive to Chinese culture than other laowai (Chinese for "foreigner" or, more specifically, "caucasian"), but he still had a long way to go. He chose this locale due to his deep respect for its tradition, but he still grapples with his own feelings of inadequacy while further complicating things because he sticks out like a sore thumb. He is an imperfect person, but his imperfections were totally human. Only rarely did they get to me--on occasion I resented that this was all possible due to his disapproving but still overindulgent parents (it costed him/them $1400 each month to live in the village, which he later bargained down to around $600) and his questionable conduct with women (he tries to adhere to all other aspects of Chinese culture besides the stigma of Chinese women having relations with laowai). In spite of this, however, the memoir holds up and will stick in my memory for some time to come. It stands as an entertaining look into a country and people that is so often only portrayed for its stoicism and tragedy.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
nonfiction (memoir: American learning Shaolin kung fu / 1990s inland China). I really enjoyed learning about the subtleties of Chinese culture (Where? Where? Where?) as well as the experiences of the author, entertainingly told. There were a couple points where the author might appear slightly
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dismissive towards women and other groups (so I might not recommend to those who might be easily offended) but in general was respectful and thoughtful--and it's probably a good idea to keep in mind that this was written by a young guy who still had a little bit of growing up to do. This is an Alex Award-winner, so would appeal to teens as well (though keep in mind there is some strong language and a dirty joke towards the end, if you think any parents might object).
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Rating

½ (126 ratings; 4)
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