Hollywood can wait, Shoalin comes first (From News Shopper)

Hollywood can wait, Shoalin comes first

3:21pm Tuesday 31st October 2006 in

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IT WAS like reaching the X-Factor boot camp when thousands had been told to go home while the select few took a step closer to stardom.

But this was K-Star, the first ever Chinese kung fu global television competition, and a St Paul's Cray man had reached the boot camp in China to face the best martial artists in the world.

The prize at the end was the chance to become a Hollywood kung fu movie legend and star in a 100-episode television show featuring the lords of kung fu, the Shoalin Temple monks of north China.

Moreover, the winner will star in a major Hollywood film called The Legend of the Monk Soldiers depicting the Temple monks' fight against the invading Japanese during the Ming Dynasty.

Andy Lang, who trains with the Shaolin Culture Kung Fu and Tai Chi School in Bromley, secured his place among the 36 artists in the boot camp through the European eliminators.

The judges cut the finalists from 36 to 18, then to three and finally to the winner - unfortunately Andy was in the first 18 eliminated.

He said: "The competition was a little bit funny in my eyes it seemed a little bias towards the Chinese guys, which I guess is to be expected because we were in China.

"But the experience of being out there was far removed from the competition, the Shoalin Temple is the birth place of what I study, it is like my Mecca."

He added: "I have been there before but this time was with a TV crew which meant we got access all areas.

"We were put in pairs and we had a Shaolin teacher who taught us some traditional forms and martial arts.

"We had a Buddhist ceremony to initiate ourselves in to the Temple, we were called disciples and given robes by the monks, and they taught us about Buddhism, the history and the culture of the temple.

"They gave us a guided tour and we trained with the masters, disciples and monks."

Andy and his fellow competitors - there were only five from England, all of whom came from the Bromley school - were only meant to be in China for two weeks but they ended up staying there for almost two months.

Andy, who lives on Francis Road, said: "Our time out there was extended because the competition was so big and it got a lot of media attention with all the big broadcasting companies wanting a piece of us.

"We got to travel all over China which was a great experience."

Missing out on becoming a Hollywood legend has not left Andy downhearted, indeed the level-headed star of the future remains focused on the spirit of the sport rather than the prize.

He said: "I want to carry on what I am studying and with my teacher's help I want to teach and promote the Shoalin martial arts and the culture to as many people as possible."

For more information on the Shaolin Culture Kung Fu and Tai Chi School in Bromley, visit shaolinculture.co.uk