Zen Philosophy Meets Martial Arts in the Shaolin Warriors

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present Shaolin Warriors at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19 in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. The performance is sponsored in part by the UB Students Association.

In a fully choreographed theatrical production, the Shaolin Warriors bring the remarkable skill, stunning movement and spectacular imagery of Kung Fu to stages throughout the world. The show is performed by disciples of the Shaolin schools, known internationally for their disciplined and deadly martial-arts prowess. These Kung Fu masters have trained from a very young age in mental and physical disciplines, which allow them to perform feats one thought only possible in the movies. The production features many forms of Shaolin Kung Fu, as well as a look at the daily life of the warriors and their Zen philosophy.

In 525 A.D., when a Buddhist monk from India, Ta Mo, founded the Shaolin Monestery, he probably had no idea that nearly 1,500 years later, the monks of Shaolin would still be held in great reverence while demonstrating their remarkable skill and stunning movement to audiences throughout modern-day China and around the world. The early Shaolin monks embarked on a long process to develop a system of defense by meditating on the attack and defense movements of animals, called wushu, that lived near their monastery. However, even with all of their remarkable fighting abilities, the Shaolin monk's skills are never put to aggressive use.

Tickets for Shaolin Warriors are $22 general admission and $10 for students. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location. Students (of any school) must present valid student ID at the Center Box Office to receive discount.