Lao Tzu

My first trip to China was 29 years ago.

I remember Chinese people  using dark blue and green military uniforms. There were almost no cars and most would move around with black bicycles making a hell of a noise with their bells, that made our nights impossible to sleep.

I also remember at them staring at me with absolutely no manners which I found terribly uncomfortable and somehow scary. Later our guide explained that they had never seen blue eyes and fair hair before coming across with me, that they were as surprised as me guarantying that it was a completely innocent look.

When having a Chinese breakfast in old Peking (now Beijing) I asked the  hotel housekeeper why I would only find military propaganda on TV , no love stories, soap operas , and reinforced  the concept asking a second question ” Where do you keep your libido, your desires  after all?”  The answer had been very clear: Pointing a finger in her forehead, the young woman replied in a dry authoritarian tone “  We keep it  here, side by side with the revolution!”

I was very young at that time, and watching early morning Tai – Chi Chuan practices everywhere we went, left me a strange sense of these people lack of individuality, manners, and powerless cultural imprisonment. Never in the whole world I would even imagine what could have been instead a message of automated spirituality.

As I grew older, on my way back, life knocked at my door with different challenges, harsh adjustments and a bowl plenty of dissatisfaction.

The dreams I though were easy to reach needed more work, the people that I thought would be easy to live with turned to be sometimes unmerciful opponents, the surrounding cultures I assimilated  during the years were far from familiar with the one I grew up with.

For several years, trying to understand the laws of life, and of my own , I cultivated my home garden like Voltaire,  on a hilltop of the hectic city where I lived,  as a sort of temporary retirement every afternoon up to sunset.

Tai-Chi Chuan became my  ultimate raison-d’etre ;  I  slowly started  to get more acquainted about the Inner and subtle movement of mother Yin in conjunction to Yang ;  Suddenly it was all strangely fitting into place, awareness of the present moment made true physical sense to me.

While witnessing birds sang among trees, and  fresh hilltop breeze caressed my face, I found myself   ” Waving Hands Like Clouds ” ,  “Tossing , Shaking and Parting the Horse’s Mane” , ” Spreading Wings like the White Crane” ” Piking the Needle for the Bottom Of The Sea ” ” Flashing  the Arms like a Fan“  ” Stepping Back and Repulsing Monkey” “Hitting the Opponent with Two Fists”,  reconnecting at last with my apparently lost Oneness and  inner Emptiness. The city heavy traffic from  far,  was surprisingly no longer,  a threat to me.

Several years have passed since that fresh glimpse of  ‘ Temporary Eternal enlightenment” .

this weekend in Shanghai , I decide  to download  the movie remake  Karate Kid  Grabbing headlines, the film has been a huge hit since its release last week.

Bullies have their eyes and fists on 12-year-old Dre (Jaden Smith) after he and his mom (Taraji P. Henson) move from Detroit to Beijing. Luckily Dre’s maintenance man (Jackie Chan, who shouldn’t be fighting kids) is also a kung fu master willing to teach Dre discipline and the art of defending himself.

The Karate Kid” maintains the original’s sense of loneliness in a new place and the mental and physical oppression of bullying . Of course, isn’t out to acknowledge—and reinforces Asian stereotypes when Dre says, “It’s China, mom; everybody knows kung fu.”

The movie takes place in China. Some beautiful scenes are shot in normally inaccessible locations as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City but the ones in the stunning mountains landscape of the old Province of Henan, located in the eastern central part of the country caught my breath.

The moment you arrive in a monasteries peak where” real Kun Fu“  was thought by  Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) ‘s father,  you  come to learn about the secret of victory over the world , now physically at your feet.

The form of meditation is called “Chan” or “Zen“.

Meditation also allows one to focus his inner energy into his actions. The Japanese call this Chi, and many Westerners have heard of it. The Chinese, however, call it Kiai. Kiai allows a Kung Fu student to do things their physical body alone cannot do.

Developing control over your Kiai is a matter of intense mental strength and conditioning. While some people may scoff at the idea of Kiai, and it is true that it might be more of a mind over matter application than an actual force, but Chinese Kung Fu masters has demonstrated their control over their Kiai by doing physical feats that would otherwise be impossible.

Shaolin monks would prepare their minds to withstand the most terrible conditions so that when faces with those conditions in the real world, they would be prepared instead of shocked. Knowing that you have the mental toughness and readiness instills a confidence that allows you to go into any situation ready to act without hesitating. Self doubt is the number one way to be defeated before the enemy has even thrown a punch.

Shaolin Kung fu is not just about defending yourself against an attacker or inflicting bodily harm. Shaolin martial arts also stress discipline, respect for yourself and others, patience, and being humble even in victory. The mental training of Shaolin martial arts helps prepare the student for any events that may come.

Being physically prepared for an alteration is good, but if you are not mentally prepared you will not be focused enough to use the tools that your body has. This is why Shaolin meditation is such an important part of the Shaolin martial arts training. Meditation may not be literally practicing your physical tools, but it allows your mind to make better use of those tools.

Keeping cool in a self defense situation is one of the best ways to ensure you will survive. Tough mental preparedness allows the body to be pushed beyond its physical limits.

Out bodies can only do so much, but our minds allow for much greater feats. I am sure you have heard of “mind over matter” and the truth is that it works. When the Shaolin added mental training to their physical training the result was that their martial arts system obviously surpassed all others in application and practical results.

Kung fu Shaolin monks practiced Chinese martial arts not just for self defense , but as a way of life intended to benefit them on a physical, mental and spiritual level. In times of hardship, such as the financial crisis that we are facing now, this knowledge helps us cope with our modern fast paced lives that lead to stress and anxiety.

The legend of the Shaolin temple and its Shaolin martial monks was first born around the year 540 AD, when the Indian monk Bodhidarma traveled to China to see the emperor. Bodhidarma introduced to the Shaolin monks eighteen movements derived from traditional Indian Yoga.

This was designed to increase their physical and mental strength as well as the flow of Chi energy. It was these eighteen movements that would become kung fu (KF) as we know it today, after being perfected and expanded for nearly 1,500 years.When Bodhidarma introduced Kun Fu to the Shaolin monks, it was to build their mental and physical strength to prevent them from falling asleep during meditation.

When we look at the story of Shaolin, we see the benefits that Kun Fu was originally intended to give us.

KF has been constantly perfected and built upon over the centuries, creating the vast array of styles and variations that we know today. One of the most popular styles today is called Hung Kuen, which is a style based upon the original Southern style of Shaolin Kung fu.

Although KF has changed over time and often become more focused on the ‘martial’ side of things, the core messages and philosophy remain the same as what Bodhidarma taught the Shaolin monks nearly 1,500 years ago.

Kung fu incorporates not only Buddhist philosophy, but also the philosophy of Taoism (pronounced ‘Daoism’). The teachings of the founder of Taoism, Lao Tzu and his manuscript the ‘Tao Te Ching’ have been incorporated into the teachings of KF, teaching us how to live in harmony with nature and within ourselves.

Over the centuries, Shaolin monks incorporated many different animal styles into their KF, On his journey from India to China, the Bodhidharma developed a fighting system based on his observations of the way animals fought in the wild. Arriving at the Shaolin Temple, he put the monks to work learning his fighting system. The animal styles became so numerous that the virtues of all animal styles had to be summed up, hence the five animals of Kung fu. These are:

The tiger , representing power and ferocity Shaolin tiger style kung fu is direct, powerful and decisive. Since tigers have no predators, tiger kung fu is all offense. The crane , representing speed and fluidity, relies on elegance, patience and evasion. Crane kung fu allows an opponent to use their energy to defeat themselves. The snake , representing speed and accuracy, strikes are lightning quick, like a snake biting an enemy. The leopard , teaching us to use our heads and to think in our fighting , and the dragon relies on internal strength and power. It utilizes soft, circular motions that coalesce into sudden destructive power, representing the mastery of all styles, thus making them one.

Through mastering the different animal styles one can achieve a balance in our training. A balance between power and speed, between soft and hard, between ferocity and calmness. This balance is carried forth into our daily lives, helping us to create a perfect harmony between ourselves and others in our lives.

Kung fu training is designed to not only help the individual with his self defense, but to build our fitness, focus, discipline and confidence.

Through KF training, eight wisdoms of KF are thought : respect, loyalty, tolerance, perseverance, patience, dignity, humility and honor.

These wisdoms  are of help not only for the training, but also to be successful in everything that we do In our  fast paced lives  that often  cause us  stress and anxiety – goes without saying in times of hardship such as the financial crisis that we are facing now.

I look nostalgic at old photos taken almost 30 years ago in particular one of myself  in a light green scarf and a red sweater visiting a communist China before the Coca Cola regime.  Such a long ago….

I stare inquisitively at those pictures depicting children with colorful coats wandering what else I could learn from their country, such a giant player with a voluntarily an erased past…The answer to my question comes almost instantaneously as my eyes in disbelief are reading an article from last week  Telegraph  that says- quote: ”

” The temple in central Henan province, famous as the birthplace of kung fu, has established an eBay-style store selling Shaolin branded merchandise on China’s TaoBao auction site.
The site is operated by Shaolin Zhiye, the temple’s commercial arm, which is behind an array of ventures exploiting the Shaolin legend, including film productions, touring martial arts shows and even a reality-TV program.

The site does not offer the secrets of immortality but for 10,000 yuan (1,450 dollars), fans can buy a three-volume set of kung-fu and medical secrets. More modest offerings include a wristband and environmentally-friendly chopsticks.
Despite their name, critics say, the temple’s current occupants are not genuine Shaolin monks because the spiritual side of their art has been replaced by crass commercialism.

The venture into the world of e-commerce is the latest involving Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the monastery who has developed a reputation for clever financial dealings.

He has been criticized for accepting a brand new luxury car for his services to the local tourist industry but supporters say he has done much to popularize the town, which has more than 80 martial arts clubs and schools with around 50,000 students.”

Amused I finally reflect on my past fears, the ones that unconsciously haunt my sleep and the Shaolin monks unusual fresh marketing activities…

Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) , the karate Kid’s master would respond about the ghosts in my mind:  ” Face them, fight them, friend them!” . And, no doubts my dear friends…. this is real Kun fu!

Joelle’s Tips:

Sources: The Daily Telegraph /  E-how / Golden Lion Academy of Kun fu / Shaolin Gun Fu Institute / China Travel /

The Movie: The Karate Kid

The Academies in China: Travel  Study Kun fu at the The Shaolin Temple /  Study Tai Chi Chuan Taijiquan (tai chi or taiqi) or Shaolin Gongfu at Buddhist Temple

The Academy in India :  Study Yoga in the Hymalaya

My thanks for the contribution of All Right Reserved  copyrighted pictures courtesy of: Rick Archer ( landscape) ,  2010 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. (Karate Kid ) ,  About.com Can Chu Getty Images , Wikipedia Coomon rights ( Pagoda) /Larique ( Chaolin Kun Fu)    Sanmenxia & Luoyang, (Burn Incense) ,

The Olympic Airlines flight attendant dressed in a blue uniform hands me with an orange juice the brightest white smile endorsing the content of my tiny travel guide.

Sipping  the juice that tastes  more like Israeli oranges from Jaffa  than Aegean fruits, I read: “ Resurrecting after the catastrophic aftermath of World War II, Mykonos found its path back to growth and flourished as a very popular destination for the rich and famous during the 50’s. From then on, Mykonos has become the cosmopolitan island and famous tourist destination that we know it to be today.”

From the small window by my side I look down at the sea, it’s early morning and the sun is just up. The silver reflection on small waves gives me an indication that it’s going to be a great , windy day. I can’t wait to land!

The key of a small blue convertible Nissan Cross Cabriolet  is given to us by an unshaved old man in a white shirt and suspenders looking just like Zorba that wishes us all the best in our newly wed life. Our  two medium size suitcases will soon be taken care by the tall blue eyed driver in a light blue uniform sent by the Ion the concierge of the luxurious 5 star Grecotel resort Mykkonos Blu so won’t have to worry about a think.

It’s 8 AM and the sky is already  blue. The island vegetation as I expected, is dry but welcoming. The breeze direction is  naturally showing us the way to our hotel often described as ‘A blue oasis haven for jet-setters and romantics’  set on a bluff overlooking the gold-tinged sand of the world-famous beach at Psarou.  

After less than a 30 minutes drive , we enter with excitement  the white establishment covered with bright Fuchsia Bougainvilleas plants where a  friendly staff at the front desks are waiting perfectly aligned possibly to match the architectural  restrained cubist lines of the Cyclades.

Bathed in the pure light of Greece that has inspired generations of artists, the Mykonos Blu entrance hall breathes the minimalism of Greek design, arranged to splendid effect. Among  captivating sculptures of blue donkeys and exquisite Greek delicacies we are served  fresh Mango Juice .

I am shown around to the wonderful terraces overlooking a dark blue sea.  The breeze is getting a little stronger reminding me quietly that we are still in the month of June. With the Indonesian shawl wrapped around my sleeveless white cotton dress I close my eyes starting to relax. Someone just brought me a glass of fresh  2007 Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko Athiri  a deliciously dry white wine.

A little dizzied and overwhelmed but the series of past events,  I cuddle instinctively in the armchair  thinking : ” All  I need now, is a cozy place to sleep !”

Joelle’s Tips:

The Resort:  Grecotel Mykkonos Blu

The Convertible Car: Nissan 

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Because of my gypsy nature I have always been fascinated by the desert. Believe it or not, I meet in Beer Sheva , the artist and filmmaker Joseph Dadoune who over several cups of warm mint tea presented to me in a beautiful velvet book a stunning project taking place in the Ofaquim desert .

The unique project involves the local community in Ofaquim and will include works of mediums-cinema, photography and video-and will evolve over the course of five years. Hearing about my world wanderings, passions and beliefs he finally says with a large smile ” Joelle, you must work by my side in this project! ”

I take a few seconds to catch my breath… “I am honored Josep”, I reply- “Actually, it would be great if we started now if that is ok with you of course ; I happen to carry my Belkin voice recorder in my backpack.”

Joseph smiles satisfied and agrees to reveal in person more information about his dream project . The first part will consist of a feature film produced in Ofaquim with the participation of local adolescents . It will be part of wide-ranging initiative carefully planned over the past several years. This same initiative will involve the foundation of a local studio, which will serve as the center for his artistic and cinematic activities.

Ofaquim, the town in which Dadoune grew up, constitutes a central axis in his cinematic works, ‘Universes’, ‘Chanti’ and ‘Sion’, were featured in the solo exhibition the Petach Tikva Museum of Art.

‘Sion‘  starring Ronit Elkabetz, was filmed in Ofaquim, Teqoa,  Jerusalem and the Louvre Museum in Paris.  The costumes were created by Christian Lacroix. What an eccletic mix I am thinking while I listen to him talking over his tea.  The film was created in collaboaration with the Louvre Museum, at the Palais of Tokio in Paris ,at the Kunst Palast in Dusseldoff, at the Light & Sie Gallery in Dallas, Texas.

Joseph Dadoune’s films he explains, are a continuous odyssey between various mental and geographic realms in Israel and Europe, between the landscape of his childhood in Ofaquim and the different Mediterranean landscapes, between Southern views from the Negev Desert and realms of sanctity and mysticism, and between East and West. The first of two films is centered upon a group of adolescents boys involved in building a giant missile in an abandoned Ofaquim factory.

The missile which will take shape in front of the viewer’s eyes, will later be carried by the boys throughout the fields surrounding the town, against the background of nearby landscapes and sites where the negative energy and radiation is at it’s highest ; The Negev Desert, the Ze’elim military base, the Duda’im garage disposal site, Sderot and Gaza. In the course of the this Sisyphean journey that appears to have no purpose and no end, the boys engage in a complex and charged relationship with one another.

The presence of one of them an individualist visionary concerned with esoteric subjects, produces conflict-ridden situations and dilemmas that lead to an examination of individual values in the context of collective values.  At the same time the boys attempt to come to terms with the questions of human existence, resulting in an intense and violent argument between those who define themselves as believers and those who define themselves as atheists.

The boys-an allegory for everyman-represent various aspects of human life: a child soul, a worker who carries a missile as a symbol of life’s difficulties and an act of despair , person fleeing a concrete threat         (terror, Kassam rockets, Iran) or abstract evil , and modern man-who is motivated by a destructive urge that leads him to create a weapon of mass destruction. Dadoune raises questions concerning the future of humanity in a nuclear age and produces a social statement about the working class in the contemporary world. This state in emblematized by the residents of unemployment-stricken, peripheral Ofaquim,who bear the burden of defending the country’s center in a threatened area.

The film will examine key issues and ideas related to human existence and human consciousness: faith, fear, atheism, power and democracy as well as universal values such as liberty,choice, honor and allegiance, The film makes use of biblical materials ( the Book of Numbers, whose Hebrew name literally means ” In the desert”) autobiographical elements, and concepts related to contemporary Israeli culture and reality.

The social context has been the center of Joseph Dadoune’s work. The virginal desert sands, the open expanse, the Bedouin tents, the poverty and the acrid odor of the garbage being burnt at the Duda’im disposal site are all embedded in his world of images, and serve as recurrent motifs of his work.

His deep commitment to the city and to its residents engenders discussions and raises awareness shaping the desire to create a true dialogue between the local community and the Israeli cultural field to participate through lectures, forums, contemporary art mediums and concerts,  in a process of artistic creation and to contribute to shaping society.

The project will raise public and International awareness ( and this is why I am here ) to the concerns of contributing to the recognition of the importance of the cultural landscape of the South and of related social and environmental issues as well as making local idenity and culture present within the Israeli cultural sphere.

Joseph chose a factory that has been abandoned for over 30 years as one of the sites featured in the film also offering a form of hope: The factory will serve as a platform for the youth community of the periphery and center of Ofaquim to express themselves with a ” voice’.

This will be attained through artistic and cultural creations such as art, cinema open studio for the community cultural events, acting and interaction with professional actors, literary evenings, poetry readings, performances by Internationally  acknowledged artists, art collectors, curators, museum directors ,filmakers, scholars and journalists, Yoga and Dance therapy Workshops sponsored by well known Israeli teachers who are specialized in adolescents, Judaism classes centered on the Book of numbers.These  visits will  undoubtedly contribute to promote the city, it’s landscape and residents engaging the participants into ” positive energies ” .

The innauguaration of the project will be accompaigned by a new Hebrew and English website that will update curators, filmakers, scholars and other cultural figures and institutions in Israel and abroad about the develpoment of the project. The production of the two films, video works and esperimantal satellite photography will be screened in a large scale exhibition in Israel and at International museums, as well as at film festivals, art forums and biennals worldwide .

This will provide to all participants as well as  a great sense of shared pride,  a national and International exposure and the commercial distribution of the films allowing exposure to a greater public. The project ” In the Desert ” will make an important contribution to revealing the complex and multifaceted character of Israeli society, as well as to bringing the periphery to the center and involving it in the process of cultural production pointing the city’s young residents towards a new path, filled with hope for a better future.

Joseph pauses….my tape recorder too. Nearby a small baby goat makes a timid noise in the valley illuminated by a strong sunset, I assume she got scared with so much talking.  Joseph picks her up and lifts her gently to her shoulders with a smile, then looks at me and says” Ok Joelle, I count on you to get the  start-up information going, but when is it that you are you coming back?”

Joelle’s Tips:

The Artist: Yosef Joseph Dadoune , born in 1957 in Nice, France, and immigrated in Israel in 1980 with his mother. The two settled in Ofaquim where he grew up and studied at a local Yeshiva. Photographer,video artist and director.

The Project: In the Desert Project /  P.O.B Ofaquim 80300, Israel, 292 ( o) 545 221949 / infos@inthedesert.org

Photo credits: Joseph Dadoune

The other Movies: Sion

The Partners : The Ministry of Israeli Foreign Affairs / Rabinowitz foundation Cinema Project Tel Aviv / Le Louvre Museum / Center Photographique, l’Ile de France