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Health & Fitness

Summer Fair!

The Shaolin Temple, circa 1750.

About 100 years earlier, the Manchus from the North stormed through the Great Wall of China. For centuries, the Great Wall had protected the Chinese from outside invasion. Now, the wall had been breached, and it would only be a matter of time before the Northern Manchus conquered the country and established the Ching Dynasty. The Chinese Ming Dynasty had been in power, ruling China for over 300 years, since about 1350 AD. Its end was in sight....

And so begins the narrative for ShaoLin Center's performance that will debut on Saturday, July 20, 2013 at the Waukesha County Fair. The school, featured in the Children's Tent from 1 to 3 p.m., wanted to create a demonstration for all ages... one that would not only entertain spectators, but also give them an idea of what life was like in the Shaolin Temple at that time.

"Many times, children were sent to the Temple to train and live with the monks, from very early on," explained SiFu Steve Kleppe, owner and head instructor of ShaoLin Center. "Their lives were built around learning philosophy, learning the ways of a religious order, and often learning martial arts."

Monks, young and old, were trained in all aspects of martial arts, including both empty hand and weapons. Shaolin Temple was well known for its impressive training; in fact, the subsequent legend claimed that one properly trained Shaolin monk could easily defeat 100 soldiers. That training became a pivotal piece of Chinese history when the Manchus continually attacked and burned the Temples in both the Northern and Southern provinces, reducing the number of skilled martial artists to a mere handful... or so the story goes.

According to SiFu Kleppe, the entire school is excited to put on this performance. "Not only will ShaoLin Center's adult students and lion dance team be performing, but members of our Young Scholar Warriors class will play an integral part in telling the story, as well." The group from this class range in age from about eight through 13. "They have worked very hard -- just like their young predecessors from the Temple -- to learn philosophy, martial arts and lion dancing. I could not be more thrilled about their participation," Kleppe said.

The blend of historical events with martial arts demonstrations and lion dancing is a first for ShaoLin Center. "We have performed at a number of venues and in various ways throughout the years, but using a story framework is a first for us," Kleppe added. Another first is conducting a ceremony to 'awake' the children's lion prior to its initial dance during the Fair performance. Anyone attending the Fair will be able to witness this special occasion, which traditional lion dance troupes refer to as 'Dotting of the Eyes.'

"Hopefully we will have a big turnout," said Kleppe. "Regardless of the number, we will be there to put on a terrific show."

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