Thanks so much! I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed my book. And yes, Coach Cheng was great. I was very fortunate to have as one of my coaches. Amituofo, Matthew

Thank you so much for your kind words about my book. I am very happy to hear that it has served as a "jolt" in your training. We all need one or two of them. My best wishes. Amituofo, Mattt

Hey, i'm 13 and i loved your book American Shaolin and I can't believe this is how Coach Cheng is!!!

I was there that day filming it. It seemed pretty sincere to me. Coach Cheng could knock me down with one of his kicks when I was holding the pads and I was fifty pounds heavier than the boy doing it in the video. Perhaps he played it up a bit. But the power was very real.

glad you're enjoying it. i started when i was 21. they started when they were about 11.

Thank you. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it. And yes, Coach Cheng is amazing. Amituofo, Matt

Matt, I just finished reading your book, got it for my birthday, and loved it. Coach Cheng is amazing

thanks. i'm glad you liked it. it took me weeks to edit together all the clips.

Thank you. His full name was Wang De Cheng. He is teaching at a school in Deng Feng, the city closest to the Shaolin Temple. I'm very happy you had a good time meeting Shi Xing Hao--he is a very good friend of mine.

Matthew! I am in the final chapters of your book, and I have to say it is a great book! Coach Cheng kicks ass, and I have to say you were lucky to have him as your teacher.

yeah, he rocked! No one ever recognized him, but he was the best at Shaolin for a long time.

I read your book on my holidays, got really lost into the whole world of it. Fantastic work Mat

First name is Li. I don't know if there is any video of him fighting in the old days. I asked him about in once and he said he didn't know of any. Thank you for your kind comments. I loved America: The Book, too.

he is that cool... so glad you enjoyed the book.

glad you enjoyed it.

oh, it's me. glad you're enjoying the book.

I'm sure that day will come. Cung Lee is perhaps the best example of Chinese kickboxing (sanshou or sanda) which was taught there. He did pretty well against Frank Shamrock.

Thank you so much for your kind words. Coach Cheng's kicks were the best in Shaolin. That poor Karateka had no idea what a dumb mistake he made challenging the Shaolin Temple.

Eric's posts were correct if slightly heated. There are three general areas the monks studied: traditional Shaolin kung fu (the old stuff passed down from generation to generation), modern wushu (the flashy, acrobatic stuff they perform for tourists), and Chinese style kickboxing (sanda or sanshou).

@MechPhantom They all use sanda to fight, but Coach Cheng was a specialist at it. He was a generation before the "xings" so probably 31st then.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hey Dan, Thanks so much for the kind words. I'm very happy you've found it inspiring in your own training. Eating bitter is the key to greatness in anything. A truism I still have to remind myself about.

@NewHopeAcupuncture Yeah, even the other monks were in awe of his kicks. His legs were like whips.

The plan is Feb., if I can finish the manuscript in time. I want to do the sport justice. But I thank you for your interest. I hope you will find the book worthy of your interest.

full splits and practice, practice, practice. And he was a natural. No one had a better one.

thanks, and yes to both. i'd already done sanshou so wanted to learn something new and muay thai is the mainstream MMA striking style.

Yeah, those two are the best. No idea on the movie date at present. My agent is shopping it around.

now i know why hes shaolin's best fighter and champion ! No question about it

at the time of the video Coach Cheng was 25 and Deqing 19. That was about fifteen years ago.

@MechPhantom He was a real Shaolin monk. He trained at the Temple for many years. But he left the monastic life to get married, as many of the young monks do when they reach the age where women seem more interesting than the Buddha. His kickboxing was considered to be the best of all the monks when he trained there. He is now a coach at a nearby school.

Correct on the ages. Coach Cheng is different from Monk Cheng Hao. Like Catholic priests, monks are supposed to be celibate. If they decide to marry they give up their robes. Coach Cheng was a monk, but left the monastery to become a coach and get married.

Its been 8 years since I commented on one of your videos, greetings once again from Kansas 👋👊 I have reread both American Shaolin and Tapped Out a dozen times over by now and I'm currently rereading Tapped Out. I have only recently realized what your first book had done for me. I was a rank green belt under my instructor in Tae Kwon Do back when I first read it, and it inspired me to "eat bitter" as the Chinese so aptly term it. I took the black belt a few years back and I must thank you in part for that success 🙂 The book helped me find the motivation and the ability to do fantastic things. I only have one question: What became of Monk Deqing? Do you still speak with him at all? If so please pass along my humble salutations, and thank you very much for reading this 😎

@MatthewPolly

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words and for reaching out. I'm delighted to hear to my book was an inspiration to you. And I congratulate you on your success in the martial arts. Well done. It has been a few years since I've spoken with Monk Deqing, but last I heard he was running a very successful kung fu school in Europe. Best wishes, Matt

@MatthewPolly continued, basically ALL shaolin monks uses sanda sanshou for actualy fighting,there forms are just to keep them fit but not for fighting ,yea i know dat too,heard it somewhere

Coach Cheng for the win against most when he was in his prime, and most likely still quite a few even though hes not now!

I loved your book :D Have you got a vid of Monk "Dong"?

Yes indeed. He had the best kicks at Shaolin.

thank you. that's very kind of your to say. I never filmed Monk "Dong" but if you search youtube under "Iron Crotch Kung fu" you may be able to find an old Chinese TV clip of him hitting himself in the groin.

Um, no, Coach Cheng was a master of Sanshou or Sanda, like Cung Le (to give a current example of the art). It is a very different fighting style. Coach Cheng also knew his traditional Shaolin style, but I, alas, didn't film any of it.

Easy, easy gentleman. Let's avoid bad karma by flaming each other on a video about the Shaolin monks. For the record, "sanda" and "san shou" are both used to describe Chinese style kickboxing, which gives points for throws but does not allow ground fighting. "Sanda" is the more colloquial term; "sanshou" the more formal.

@MatthewPolly wow thx soo much for the info its soo cool But 1 more thing that i really really wish u could reply =). shi xing hong, what style does he use to fight? does he use kickboxing(sanda) to fight too. pls pls reply i would really appreaciate it soo much if you would reply about shi xing hong or monk deqing

@jakeisawesome91 He does a bunch of kicks in the video, so I'm totally sure what you are referring to. If the body is turned and the kick is thrust straight then it is a "sidekick". If he circles his foot at the end then it is a "hook kick." Of course, every style has slightly different names for each kick. The names themselves are not nearly as important as the ability to do them.

aWsome ! salut Coach Cheng

the book will give you details.

@Mathew Polly what do you think would be an awesome gift for my Shaolin monk master for Christmas? He's a great master and specializes in weapons; should I get him something that relates(I thought about getting him a light saber)? Thanks Mr. Polly; merry Christmas ! I LOVE YOUR BOOK!

@MatthewPolly

10 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words. I dig the idea of getting your Shaolin monk a lightsaber. That's funny and cool. Go for it!

i specialized in Chinese style kickboxing ("sanda")

Matt, got your book last year as a gift, best book I've gotten as a present (aside from America: The Book). I wanted to know more about Coach Cheng...what's his first name? When did he compete in Sanda? Did they film him?

what style of kung fu is your specialty you learned at the shaolin temple

Thanks for you kind words. The name rings a bell but I can't put a face to it.

@MatthewPolly I have one question. Who do you HONESTLY think would win in a freestyle fighting match? Coach Cheng or a MMA/UFC champion?

@Bastion83 He was a badass in his prime. Kicks like lightning.

he was the best at Shaolin.

@MatthewPolly hi matthew, is this guy a REAL shaolin monk? thank you very much =)

Most of it wouldn't. But Shaolin also teaches San Shou, which is the style Cung Le practices.

@MatthewPolly this I dont doubt man, considering how you wrote about him.

what do they call that sideways high kick in which he winds his leg up and then thrusts it outwards? i've seen it in TKD and sambo, but they all generally refer to it as just the "sidekick," which everyone else just interprets as a "roundhouse."

cheng hao was about 18. at the time they didn't get an education. all they did was kung fu. these days they go to class in the morning and train in the afternoons. it's a better balance i think.

@MechPhantom That's a very astute question. You know your monks. I think so but I'm not sure. I think he was Yan not a De.

Awesome. Read all books by Mathew Polly!

@MatthewPolly

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!. So glad you enjoyed them!

@MatthewPolly continued btw is he a shaolin master or still a disciple? thx

i would pay good money to see a shaolin vs. someone from ufc!

Oh yeah, him. I remember. No, I never had a chance to spar with him.

@MatthewPolly continued so his kickboxing is even better than shi xing hong and all monks there huh? thx so much if you can reply. God bless you

hmmm ur videos are great, but i dont think the real matthewpolly would be on youtube :o but anyways great videos... watched some of them 4-5 its awesome *still reading ur book hehe*

That man could kick through an iron door and fracture the skull of the person on the other side

No way, Cung Le does kick boxing, but this guy does kick boxing and kung fu.

@hakuboshi1 No need to imagine. Just watch Cung Le's fights. His kicks are classic san shou, just like Coach Cheng.

@MatthewPolly wow who lost? btw is coach chengs kick fast?

what a in bad ass.

yo matthew polly i think i just found out that coach cheng may be 31st or 33rd generation monk. Coz shi de cheng(form fight quest) is a 32nd generation monk, shi xing hong is too!! lol i thought "xing" is 32nd and "de" was 34th generation? pretty confusing haha lol see you pal

@MatthewPolly nah ur smarter =) . Haha , not sure though maybe hes 32nd generetaion. coz shi xing hong is also 32nd generation but he "xing" and not "de" haha. But i rmemeber that shi xing hong uses sanda to fight just like this guy rite? haha

@MatthewPolly wow ! so hes BETTER than ALL the monks, especailly shi xing hong in fighting till today? Damn this guy is no doubt the BEST fighting shaolin monk ever man haha. Damn if only he fights with other martial arts styles that would be so cool to watch. If only he goes in MMA or something to fight even better. I bet ur MMA skills is good now huh, and i bet 1 day mr, matther, you WILL be very good ,and i bet u can beat this monk . haha peace pal

@MatthewPolly was he a 32nd generation monk?

@Desertopa No, he never did.

@100tonlifter wow i dont know but i go for size so i think lesnar will win( no offense to coach cheng's fans xP) xD

I love my coach but brock outweighs him by about 150lbs.

这就是承教练啊？！是1988年的散打比赛全国冠军、你的老师承教练么？我今天刚看完《少林很忙》，你的书很棒。我也是个对武功很着迷的人，但是今年发生了一些事，一位陈氏太极大师被一个名不见经传的自由格斗者打得毫无还手之力，引起了媒体和网友关于中国武术式微和造假的非常热烈的讨论，我对这些讨论和真正的中国武术的现状（如果那些消极的讨论是真的的话）真的非常伤心。作为一个郑州人，我对少林寺的了解也仅限于去旅游过一次，从你的书里看到这么真实的在少林寺的经历，真的让我很兴奋！

no, Mikael was a con man.