Ed Stafford's Rite of Passage (2025) s01e06 Episode Script
Shaolin
(GRUNTING)
(INTENSE MUSIC)
ED: Kung fu is arduous.
-This is not dancing.
-(INTENSE MUSIC)
-(GRUNTS)
-This is full on.
(WATER POURING)
(GRUNTING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: It requires
strength, agility, balance,
flexibility beyond my ability.
ED: It's not about winning
a fight outside a bar.
This is about inner peace.
-(GRUNTS)
-ED: This is about enlightenment.
ED: I'm Ed Stafford.
As an explorer and survivalist,
I've made a career out of
mucking about in the wild.
If I'm honest,
I've never really grown up.
Look at that!
So now
PILOT: Ready, guys?
ED: I've set myself a mission
to see how cultures across the world
navigate the messy business
of becoming an adult.
-(BEES BUZZING)
-(ED GROANS)
ED: I believe many of us
in the modern world
have lost our sense of identity.
ED: But I'm hoping
by immersing myself
in the often-extreme trials
that young people face,
I can figure out
how these rituals
make us better members
of our communities.
ED: I've never experienced anything
even comparable in terms of pain.
By joining them on their journey,
I hope, I'll learn
to become a better man
(TINIKO SPEAKING)
ED: maybe even grow up
Expelliarmus.
Okay, he wants me to jump it,
I'm gonna jump it.
and successfully pass my own
"Rite of Passage."
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
I'm in the middle of China,
in Henan Province,
on my way to the world-famous
Shaolin Temple,
which was renowned
for its extraordinary kung fu.
(GRUNTING)
ED: Henan is considered one of
the cradles of Chinese civilization.
And at the foothills
of the sacred Song Mountain,
the Shaolin Temple is one of
the nation's cultural icons.
ED: I'm going there to live
for a week with the monks
to try and understand what it is,
within their training and lifestyle,
that helps young people
transition into adulthood.
Studying at the Shaolin Temple
can be considered
every kung fu student's
ultimate rite of passage;
instilling respect,
discipline and strength,
where hardening the physical form
goes hand in hand with
the softening of the mind
-(INTENSE MUSIC)
-(GRUNTING)
to create
the complete martial artist.
(INTENSE MUSIC FADES)
From what I understand,
it's not just about kung fu.
The whole ethos here
is about slowing down and becoming
the best version of yourself.
ED: With slowing down being something
that I've struggled to really
come to grips with in the past,
it's an internal challenge
that I must face head on.
ED: While Shaolin monks
train for years,
I'll only have a week to absorb
as much ancient knowledge as I can,
before ultimately proving myself
in a test of mind and body
as a worthy Shaolin disciple
to my new martial arts masters.
ED: I am so excited about this one.
I cannot wait to get inside.
-(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
-(ED SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Yan Jue will be
one of my masters,
known as a shifu in Chinese.
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: He will help set me
on the path needed
to become a disciple of the Shaolin.
(DRUMS BEATING)
(WATER BUBBLING)
ED: Yan Jue, if it's okay with you,
I'd love to spend
the next week living here
amongst the monks and find out about
how you live your life
and the different qualities
that you need to become a monk.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Cool.
If I didn't have
a shaved head already,
would I have to shave my head
at this point?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Yan Jue explains that for me
to become a disciple of the Shaolin,
there is a ceremony
that I must complete.
It involves performing
a complicated set of movements
called the 13-Fist Routine,
known to the Shaolin as Shi San Quan.
There are two parts to the routine,
a solo routine and a combat routine
with a partner.
This is the first level
of a boy becoming a man.
If I am unable to pass,
then I will have failed
in becoming a Shaolin disciple.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: That sounds fantastic.
ED: The sun is starting to go down
over the Shaolin Temple.
And because I'll have
an early start tomorrow,
it's time to check out my digs
and get ready for bed.
Okay,
this is my accommodation block.
And I am number two.
Welcome.
Okay.
It's basic.
Okay, so obviously,
as part of being here,
I've got to dress the part.
Expelliarmus! (LAUGHS)
(CONTINUES LAUGHING)
Ah
It's gonna be fun.
(DINGS)
Oh, (bleep)
So, I've taken the mattress
off that bed
and doubled up so I've got
two mattresses on that bed
to add a bit of comfort.
So these mattresses are about
that thin and then
let's just say
they're not orthopaedic.
(GONGING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Brilliant.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
-ED: Okay.
YAN JUE: Ah
-YAN JUE: Today is so hot.
-ED: Yeah.
Gonna be boiling.
This place is amazing.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Hello.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, see you later.
All right, should we go?
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-ED: Mm-hmm.
(GONGING)
ED: The mercury
is pushing 40 degrees Celsius.
But as I now have
less than a week here
Okay here we are,
I really need to start
my Shaolin kung fu training now.
Helping me on this journey are two
of shifu's favorite junior monks
who can help bridge the gap
between shifu's words
and the actions
I'm supposed to take.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Yan Liao.
ED: Yan Xian.
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Because both of these lads
are already Shaolin monks
at the temple,
it'll be just me vying to
complete a rite of passage
-at the end of the week.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-Copy him.
-ED: So they will be more like
friendly experienced kids,
showing me the ropes, hopefully.
Feet very wide apart.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-ED: No?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: The horse stance is
the very foundation of kung fu,
so if I'm to complete
my rite of passage
I'll have to really dig deep
to push my nearly
50-year-old body to its limit.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: I can't physically move
any lower than that.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-I can't stand in that position.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, easier said than done.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Now. (GRUNTING)
Sorry, I'm an old stiff man.
(GRUNTING)
(GONG CRASHING)
ED: Fighting sport or
no fighting sport, this is hard.
This is not dancing.
This is not yoga. This is full on.
(PANTING)
The pose is difficult
because it's right at
the extreme of my flexibility.
It's gonna take a lot
of conditioning, clearly.
(GONG CRASHING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
YAN CHAN: Okay.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
ED: So many bits of me
that are saying no.
Okay.
Getting slightly dizzy.
(CLEARS THROAT)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-ED: Time for another break, shifu?
-YAN CHAN: Start.
ED: Of course not.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: It's just physically
impossible for me, sorry.
(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
(LAUGHS)
(LAUGHS)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
It's just on that, um,
it's just on that cusp of when
you know, when things start
to go a bit starry
and, like, you feel the vision
closes in a little bit.
It's just there. (SNIFFS)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: That was a bit of a wakeup call.
I guess I needed to come
to terms with the fact
that I'm no spring chicken,
and the body and mind just
don't work like they used to.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
ED: I know that
to properly utilize my time here,
I'll need to take
a step back and slow down.
So, Yan Jue invites me to
a meditation session in the forest,
as performing the 13-Fists
requires a great deal of
mental clarity and focus
to be completely successful.
The movements to both routines
are just as much
about the mind as they are the body.
How long are we going
to be meditating for?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, cool.
How does this fit into the whole
Shaolin kung fu philosophy?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
All right, let's go.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
(CALM MUSIC PLAYING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
(CALM MUSIC CONTINUOUS)
(CHIRPING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
Yeah, it was beautiful.
Literally when that breeze came in,
I was in heaven.
-Really beautiful.
-(Yan JUE CHUCKLES)
I enjoyed that, thank you.
(GONGING)
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Ah, it's nice, yeah.
I like veggie food though.
Because the Shaolin monks
are Buddhist,
all their food is vegetarian.
Is this typical of the food
that you guys get to eat?
-BOTH: Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Do you ever eat junk food?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
-No burgers? Never?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Okay.
Crickey.
-(CLEARS THROAT)
-(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
ED: Oh really? Okay.
So, most of that you would watch
on your phone though, would you?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
So, have you got your own TV
or is it like
a TV room for all the monks?
(YAN XIAN AND YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
(RAIN PATTERING)
ED: Does it rain a lot here?
(YAN XIAN AND YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Oh, really?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Yeah, um. I guess
for me the main social part
of the day,
certainly for the family,
is to get everyone around the table
and while we're eating,
I'd ask them about their day,
how's it gone.
It's the main time when we all
talk to each other, yeah.
Why? Do you not talk when you eat?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
ED: Really?
ED: Wow.
Takes the fun out of it, doesn't it?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Yeah. No, I'm only teasing.
I know, it's nice.
The whole concept
of being mindful when you eat
and appreciating your food
is a good thing.
Is that why you eat quickly then,
so you can get out?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
-ED: Yeah. (LAUGHS)
That's bad for your digestion.
You should slow down.
Chew each mouthful 50 times.
And do you ever get, um, pudding?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
-ED: Pudding? Like dessert.
(YAN XIAN AND YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
ED: No dessert?
Wow, that's the biggest
sacrifice of all.
(RAIN PATTERING)
ED: Breakfast over,
and it's time to get warmed up
before learning
the very basics of
the 13-Fist Routine.
Shifu takes us all up into
the forest training ground
at the back of the Shaolin Temple,
because apparently my movements
are less like water
and more like concrete.
You definitely don't want to bounce,
not when you're as tight as me, mate.
It will just go, ping!
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Yea, no one likes a show off,
mate, all right?
(INTENSE MUSIC)
ED: Now that I'm all limbered up,
it's time to finally start
learning the steps needed
for the two parts of
the 13-Fist Routine
that will make up
my rite of passage.
(GONG CRASHING)
This set of movements were developed
by kung fu masters over the centuries
as a gateway to mastering essential
techniques and philosophy of Shaolin.
So, it will require a huge amount
of mental and physical discipline
to complete successfully.
ED: You also have to do it
against a competitor.
It can be done slowly
or in fast time.
If I can learn those moves,
then I will have officially got
the sort of certification.
For me, that will be
a big success this week.
I can learn 13 moves
in the next few days.
No sweat.
(INTENSE MUSIC)
Which way?
Which, which arm over which?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
So from here.
Okay. (YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: It might look simple,
but it is incredibly difficult
to get the movements exactly right.
(GONG CRASHING)
Brain's gone.
(BIRDS FLYING)
ED: Like Bruce Lee said,
"I fear not the man
who has practiced 10,000 kicks once,
but I fear the man who has
practiced one kick 10,000 times."
Or something like that. (TAPS)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: As an all systems go kind of guy,
I reckon it might be
easier said than done
to really slow myself down
and take in all of
the Shaolin monk's teachings.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
ED: One of the core aspects
of the Shaolin way of life
is mastering
the mysterious powers of chi,
which takes years of careful
cultivation of breath work,
meditation and mindful movements
to attain.
To the Shaolin monks,
chi is a vital internal energy
that connects mind, body and spirit.
Generating strength and focus
beyond what is meant
to be physically possible.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Can I ask a very basic question?
I don't understand what chi is.
Can you explain it to me?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: While something
of an alien concept to me,
I'm hoping that learning
a basic level of chi
can help bring my movements
to life and allow me
to complete my rite of passage
with flying colors.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(INAUDIBLE)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay.
ED: Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Is it a problem at this stage
that I can't feel the chi?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
That is a problem?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay.
All right. Watching him.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, I'm watching.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
And did that hurt?
(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
ED: It does hurt though?
That's interesting.
Yeah.
I think it's a doable thing.
I think you've just got
to tense your muscles up.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'll try it on my back, yeah.
Okay.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: I'll try. I'll try my best.
If not,
I'll just get a bruised back.
It's, its all right.
So I'm gonna breathe
and then I'm going to go like this.
Is that right?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Do you reckon?
Just give it a go.
Give it a go.
What's the worst that can happen?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
I'll give it a go if you want.
No?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay, we're doing it.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
No?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay, we're doing it.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, two bruises.
That's cool.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-Yeah, that's okay.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
I thought you were gonna break it.
If I'm honest,
I still can't feel the chi at all.
I don't really know what it is.
However, I'm very happy to have
the stick broken over my back,
because I'm going to tense my muscles
and I think that will help me.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay.
All right, well maybe it's
something to build up to then.
ED: I may have bitten off
a little more than I could chew,
trying to harness
my chi energy so quickly.
I guess there is only
so much I can learn in a week.
Fingers crossed
this doesn't derail my ability
to complete my 13-Fist Routine.
(ED LAUGHS) That (BLEEP) hurt.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS)
Let's do more of the chi breathing
first before we do any more.
(YAN CHAN LAUGHS AND SPEAKING)
ED: It's a good idea.
This is just painful.
(PLAYFUL MUSIC)
(GONG CRASHING)
(DOOR CLOSING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
Step one, I think I have nailed.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(GROANING)
But I can't really say the same
for step two onwards.
Here we go.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, not the smoothest,
but I pretty much did it.
So now on to the second half of
the solo part of the routine.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
YAN CHAN: No.
YAN CHAN: No.
(EXHALES) It's better this morning,
slept well, my attitude has improved.
My motivation to learn
feels more attuned,
and I'm taking on board
the stuff that is new
in a sort of less panicky way.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Thank you.
(GONG CRASHING)
(GONGING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
(DOOR CLOSING)
ED: My Shaolin rite of passage
is the day after tomorrow.
So time is quickly running out
to learn and master
the combat portion
of my 13-Fist Routine.
Yeah.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
YAN CHAN: No, no, no.
ED: Yeah, it's meant to be a punch.
Yeah, okay.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ROCK MUSIC)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
YAN CHAN: Ed, okay, okay.
Well, now I'm interested
in the next bit.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: This is getting ridiculous now.
I just don't get
why shifu won't continue
to teach me the rest of the routine.
ED: Okay.
(INTENSE MUSIC)
I think there's an element
of me learning that
I clearly don't like
being told what to do.
Umm.
Without going into too much detail,
I've had a period of my life
where I was controlled
to a degree where
I gave up everything and everyone
that mattered to me,
and it was the darkest
years of my lives.
And so there's
a very large part of me
that does not want to have
anyone else manipulate my life.
And it's hard being told what to do,
therefore, because
I'm in charge of my life.
Um, it always gives me problems
with my wife as well.
She wrote me a list for
a wedding of jobs to do
and I had to rewrite it
in my own handwriting
in order to do it
so that I didn't feel like
I was being controlled.
And I think that says
a lot about me, but I
understand that this is something
that I have chosen to do.
I'm not being forced
to do this in any way.
This is out of my own volition.
I'm here to learn and not only
do I choose to do it,
I love the fact that I'm doing it.
Therefore, I have to keep
reminding myself of that.
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
I'm tired.
I'm gonna pick this up tomorrow.
I'm going to pick this tomorrow,
if that's all right.
YAN LION: Okay.
I'm tired.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
I'm going to unpack this.
I'm gonna try and unpack it.
I think it's to do with adoption.
I think it's to do
with the very beginning of my life.
It's one of the reasons
that I haven't really grown up,
because there's developmental issues
that go back a long way.
There's a concept,
and I believe it's exactly
how I coped as a child,
that when an adopted baby
gets given up
they lose sight of themselves,
of who they are
and their own wants and needs,
because they're trying
to please everyone around them
to not be abandoned again.
So you'll become a people pleaser,
but in doing that
you become resentful
of the people around you,
because essentially,
they're running your life
and not you.
You've given up your sense of self
because the only thing
that's important
is pleasing the people around you,
so that they love you,
as a child
with huge insecurity issues.
There's a hurt little boy
inside of me who vowed
never to lose sight
of himself again,
never to lose sight
of his own wants and needs.
And when he gets pushed around,
it triggers him
and he wants to smash
the place down.
And it's understandable,
and I guess at this stage
all I need to do is be aware of that.
(SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING)
(EXHALES)
(GONGING)
It's my last day before
I'll be put to the test
to gain my certification as
a Shaolin disciple.
But to move on from yesterday,
I feel I need to make things right
with Yan Chan Shifu.
Um, can I just say sorry
for yesterday?
Um, it was very disrespectful of me
to walk out of the lesson like that,
and I just wanted to say
I'm very sorry.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay. Thank you.
ED: As Bruce Lee said,
"Mistakes are always forgivable if
one has the courage to admit them."
And I'm glad Yan Chan Shifu
was able to forgive and forget.
Taking on Yan Chan Shifu's advice,
I will use what little time
I have left to reflect and improve,
as I know my journey
to the finish line
is one that is just
as mentally challenging
as it is physically.
(WIND WHOOSHING)
(CALM MEDITATIVE MUSIC)
-ED: And just like Confucius said
-(GONG CRASHING)
"It does not matter
how slowly you go,
as long as you do not stop."
ED: I want to end my time here
on a high, and luckily,
Yan Chan Shifu and the boys
have always been kind enough
to help give me
the best possible run up
to complete my rite of passage,
giving me one final lesson
in both sections of
the 13-Fist Routine.
ED: Fingers crossed that resulting
higher level of inner peace
will then help me calm myself
in order to smash this final test,
prove to shifu
that I haven't wasted his time
and do justice to my time here
with the Shaolin monks.
(GONG CRASHING)
(CLAPPING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Today's test day, exam day.
I think if you were to bring
all of the experiences
that I've had this week together,
it's all been about accepting what is
and finding my inner peace.
With the meditation
and with the kung fu,
it's required me to step outside
of the frustrations
that result from resisting
and accepting it for what it is.
And I think in that respect
it has been beneficial.
ED: This is finally it.
It's showtime.
First up, my solo 13-Fist Routine.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
It's so deceptively difficult,
but this time, I think I nailed it.
Although, I can't let my excitement
get the better of me.
I still need to demonstrate
that I can do the combat portion
to complete my rite of passage.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
ED: Sorry. Can we start again?
(BLEEP)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES)
(GROANS)
So I messed up the second one,
the fighting one twice,
and had to start it again two times.
But, I don't know what the rules are,
so I don't know whether
that's allowed.
I did get it right
when I finally did it but, um
I don't know what the rules are.
Do you get a chance
to do it again if you fail?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
I'm very surprised that I've passed,
but thank you.
-YAN JUE: Congratulations.
-(ED SPEAKING)
I wasn't expecting to pass.
I was expecting to be failed
and then maybe given
another opportunity.
That final exam, you know,
that did fluster me.
Therefore, I haven't really
found my inner peace yet, have I?
I've still got someway to go.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
Oh, wow.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Edward Stafford,
only my mum calls me Edward.
Oh, wow.
(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
-ED: Thank you. I appreciate it.
-(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
A book!
Thank you so much for your time.
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
So do I. Thanks, mate,
I appreciate it.
Can I just say thank you
to all of you
for giving up your time
for the last week.
It's been hard
for you guys to adapt.
But I just wanted
to say thank you so much.
Cheers guys,
ED: Personally I think
this challenged me more
than I thought it would.
At a physical level I'm not as young
and sprightly as the guys
who I've been training alongside,
and it's been a wake-up call.
You know, I am turning 50 this year,
and when you realize that
there's quite a gap now
between me and
a 20-something-year-old,
it stings a little bit if I'm honest.
And I think therefore
a combination of that,
going into a teaching environment
where you've got
a pretty forthright man
barking orders at you,
sometimes trying to get
your attention by just clapping,
definitely triggered me,
but in a way that
I'm really pleased now
looking back on it that's happened
because it dug up
some deep-seated behavioral
sort of, um,
traits that I'd learned,
um, along the way,
and, you know,
it's given me an ability
to step outside of that
and recognize a behavior that
might not have been
conscious before.
And for that I'm grateful.
-(ESAU SPEAKING)
-(ED SPEAKING)
Not many people get to experience
as many rite of passages as I have.
I don't think anyone in particular
has given me all the answers.
But in studying them
in their entirety,
I have learned a huge amount about
how we evolve our young people
into responsible adults.
And I do think you need mentorship.
I do think you need discipline.
I do think you need
an element of fear,
you know, an element of
going away from your normal,
experiencing something different
and then coming back
as a maturer version of yourself.
I think there are a lot of elements
to rite of passage
that are so crucial
to maturing our young people.
And if we can draw upon
different parts of
each one of these ceremonies
that I've experienced in order to
give our young people a helping hand
in this very complicated world
that we live in,
to mature into people
that will be able to cope
with the world that they live in,
then I think we'll have gone
a small way to really helping
to grow a stronger
and more mature generation.
I was lying in bed
and I was just getting hotter
and hotter and I was like,
what is going on?
The air-conditioning is on 16,
you can see it's on 16 behind me.
I went into the bathroom
and I realized.
The heater in the bathroom ceiling
is on 31 degrees.
And it's been pumping out,
boiling, boiling hot air.
Ah!
Off, off.
(INTENSE MUSIC)
ED: Kung fu is arduous.
-This is not dancing.
-(INTENSE MUSIC)
-(GRUNTS)
-This is full on.
(WATER POURING)
(GRUNTING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: It requires
strength, agility, balance,
flexibility beyond my ability.
ED: It's not about winning
a fight outside a bar.
This is about inner peace.
-(GRUNTS)
-ED: This is about enlightenment.
ED: I'm Ed Stafford.
As an explorer and survivalist,
I've made a career out of
mucking about in the wild.
If I'm honest,
I've never really grown up.
Look at that!
So now
PILOT: Ready, guys?
ED: I've set myself a mission
to see how cultures across the world
navigate the messy business
of becoming an adult.
-(BEES BUZZING)
-(ED GROANS)
ED: I believe many of us
in the modern world
have lost our sense of identity.
ED: But I'm hoping
by immersing myself
in the often-extreme trials
that young people face,
I can figure out
how these rituals
make us better members
of our communities.
ED: I've never experienced anything
even comparable in terms of pain.
By joining them on their journey,
I hope, I'll learn
to become a better man
(TINIKO SPEAKING)
ED: maybe even grow up
Expelliarmus.
Okay, he wants me to jump it,
I'm gonna jump it.
and successfully pass my own
"Rite of Passage."
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
I'm in the middle of China,
in Henan Province,
on my way to the world-famous
Shaolin Temple,
which was renowned
for its extraordinary kung fu.
(GRUNTING)
ED: Henan is considered one of
the cradles of Chinese civilization.
And at the foothills
of the sacred Song Mountain,
the Shaolin Temple is one of
the nation's cultural icons.
ED: I'm going there to live
for a week with the monks
to try and understand what it is,
within their training and lifestyle,
that helps young people
transition into adulthood.
Studying at the Shaolin Temple
can be considered
every kung fu student's
ultimate rite of passage;
instilling respect,
discipline and strength,
where hardening the physical form
goes hand in hand with
the softening of the mind
-(INTENSE MUSIC)
-(GRUNTING)
to create
the complete martial artist.
(INTENSE MUSIC FADES)
From what I understand,
it's not just about kung fu.
The whole ethos here
is about slowing down and becoming
the best version of yourself.
ED: With slowing down being something
that I've struggled to really
come to grips with in the past,
it's an internal challenge
that I must face head on.
ED: While Shaolin monks
train for years,
I'll only have a week to absorb
as much ancient knowledge as I can,
before ultimately proving myself
in a test of mind and body
as a worthy Shaolin disciple
to my new martial arts masters.
ED: I am so excited about this one.
I cannot wait to get inside.
-(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
-(ED SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Yan Jue will be
one of my masters,
known as a shifu in Chinese.
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: He will help set me
on the path needed
to become a disciple of the Shaolin.
(DRUMS BEATING)
(WATER BUBBLING)
ED: Yan Jue, if it's okay with you,
I'd love to spend
the next week living here
amongst the monks and find out about
how you live your life
and the different qualities
that you need to become a monk.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Cool.
If I didn't have
a shaved head already,
would I have to shave my head
at this point?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Yan Jue explains that for me
to become a disciple of the Shaolin,
there is a ceremony
that I must complete.
It involves performing
a complicated set of movements
called the 13-Fist Routine,
known to the Shaolin as Shi San Quan.
There are two parts to the routine,
a solo routine and a combat routine
with a partner.
This is the first level
of a boy becoming a man.
If I am unable to pass,
then I will have failed
in becoming a Shaolin disciple.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: That sounds fantastic.
ED: The sun is starting to go down
over the Shaolin Temple.
And because I'll have
an early start tomorrow,
it's time to check out my digs
and get ready for bed.
Okay,
this is my accommodation block.
And I am number two.
Welcome.
Okay.
It's basic.
Okay, so obviously,
as part of being here,
I've got to dress the part.
Expelliarmus! (LAUGHS)
(CONTINUES LAUGHING)
Ah
It's gonna be fun.
(DINGS)
Oh, (bleep)
So, I've taken the mattress
off that bed
and doubled up so I've got
two mattresses on that bed
to add a bit of comfort.
So these mattresses are about
that thin and then
let's just say
they're not orthopaedic.
(GONGING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Brilliant.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
-ED: Okay.
YAN JUE: Ah
-YAN JUE: Today is so hot.
-ED: Yeah.
Gonna be boiling.
This place is amazing.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Hello.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, see you later.
All right, should we go?
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-ED: Mm-hmm.
(GONGING)
ED: The mercury
is pushing 40 degrees Celsius.
But as I now have
less than a week here
Okay here we are,
I really need to start
my Shaolin kung fu training now.
Helping me on this journey are two
of shifu's favorite junior monks
who can help bridge the gap
between shifu's words
and the actions
I'm supposed to take.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Yan Liao.
ED: Yan Xian.
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Because both of these lads
are already Shaolin monks
at the temple,
it'll be just me vying to
complete a rite of passage
-at the end of the week.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-Copy him.
-ED: So they will be more like
friendly experienced kids,
showing me the ropes, hopefully.
Feet very wide apart.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-ED: No?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: The horse stance is
the very foundation of kung fu,
so if I'm to complete
my rite of passage
I'll have to really dig deep
to push my nearly
50-year-old body to its limit.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: I can't physically move
any lower than that.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-I can't stand in that position.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, easier said than done.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Now. (GRUNTING)
Sorry, I'm an old stiff man.
(GRUNTING)
(GONG CRASHING)
ED: Fighting sport or
no fighting sport, this is hard.
This is not dancing.
This is not yoga. This is full on.
(PANTING)
The pose is difficult
because it's right at
the extreme of my flexibility.
It's gonna take a lot
of conditioning, clearly.
(GONG CRASHING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
YAN CHAN: Okay.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
ED: So many bits of me
that are saying no.
Okay.
Getting slightly dizzy.
(CLEARS THROAT)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-ED: Time for another break, shifu?
-YAN CHAN: Start.
ED: Of course not.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: It's just physically
impossible for me, sorry.
(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
(LAUGHS)
(LAUGHS)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
It's just on that, um,
it's just on that cusp of when
you know, when things start
to go a bit starry
and, like, you feel the vision
closes in a little bit.
It's just there. (SNIFFS)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: That was a bit of a wakeup call.
I guess I needed to come
to terms with the fact
that I'm no spring chicken,
and the body and mind just
don't work like they used to.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
ED: I know that
to properly utilize my time here,
I'll need to take
a step back and slow down.
So, Yan Jue invites me to
a meditation session in the forest,
as performing the 13-Fists
requires a great deal of
mental clarity and focus
to be completely successful.
The movements to both routines
are just as much
about the mind as they are the body.
How long are we going
to be meditating for?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, cool.
How does this fit into the whole
Shaolin kung fu philosophy?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
All right, let's go.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
(CALM MUSIC PLAYING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
(CALM MUSIC CONTINUOUS)
(CHIRPING)
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
Yeah, it was beautiful.
Literally when that breeze came in,
I was in heaven.
-Really beautiful.
-(Yan JUE CHUCKLES)
I enjoyed that, thank you.
(GONGING)
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Ah, it's nice, yeah.
I like veggie food though.
Because the Shaolin monks
are Buddhist,
all their food is vegetarian.
Is this typical of the food
that you guys get to eat?
-BOTH: Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Do you ever eat junk food?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
-No burgers? Never?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Okay.
Crickey.
-(CLEARS THROAT)
-(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
ED: Oh really? Okay.
So, most of that you would watch
on your phone though, would you?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
So, have you got your own TV
or is it like
a TV room for all the monks?
(YAN XIAN AND YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
(RAIN PATTERING)
ED: Does it rain a lot here?
(YAN XIAN AND YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Oh, really?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Yeah, um. I guess
for me the main social part
of the day,
certainly for the family,
is to get everyone around the table
and while we're eating,
I'd ask them about their day,
how's it gone.
It's the main time when we all
talk to each other, yeah.
Why? Do you not talk when you eat?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
ED: Really?
ED: Wow.
Takes the fun out of it, doesn't it?
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
Yeah. No, I'm only teasing.
I know, it's nice.
The whole concept
of being mindful when you eat
and appreciating your food
is a good thing.
Is that why you eat quickly then,
so you can get out?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
-ED: Yeah. (LAUGHS)
That's bad for your digestion.
You should slow down.
Chew each mouthful 50 times.
And do you ever get, um, pudding?
-(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
-ED: Pudding? Like dessert.
(YAN XIAN AND YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
ED: No dessert?
Wow, that's the biggest
sacrifice of all.
(RAIN PATTERING)
ED: Breakfast over,
and it's time to get warmed up
before learning
the very basics of
the 13-Fist Routine.
Shifu takes us all up into
the forest training ground
at the back of the Shaolin Temple,
because apparently my movements
are less like water
and more like concrete.
You definitely don't want to bounce,
not when you're as tight as me, mate.
It will just go, ping!
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Yea, no one likes a show off,
mate, all right?
(INTENSE MUSIC)
ED: Now that I'm all limbered up,
it's time to finally start
learning the steps needed
for the two parts of
the 13-Fist Routine
that will make up
my rite of passage.
(GONG CRASHING)
This set of movements were developed
by kung fu masters over the centuries
as a gateway to mastering essential
techniques and philosophy of Shaolin.
So, it will require a huge amount
of mental and physical discipline
to complete successfully.
ED: You also have to do it
against a competitor.
It can be done slowly
or in fast time.
If I can learn those moves,
then I will have officially got
the sort of certification.
For me, that will be
a big success this week.
I can learn 13 moves
in the next few days.
No sweat.
(INTENSE MUSIC)
Which way?
Which, which arm over which?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
So from here.
Okay. (YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: It might look simple,
but it is incredibly difficult
to get the movements exactly right.
(GONG CRASHING)
Brain's gone.
(BIRDS FLYING)
ED: Like Bruce Lee said,
"I fear not the man
who has practiced 10,000 kicks once,
but I fear the man who has
practiced one kick 10,000 times."
Or something like that. (TAPS)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: As an all systems go kind of guy,
I reckon it might be
easier said than done
to really slow myself down
and take in all of
the Shaolin monk's teachings.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
ED: One of the core aspects
of the Shaolin way of life
is mastering
the mysterious powers of chi,
which takes years of careful
cultivation of breath work,
meditation and mindful movements
to attain.
To the Shaolin monks,
chi is a vital internal energy
that connects mind, body and spirit.
Generating strength and focus
beyond what is meant
to be physically possible.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Can I ask a very basic question?
I don't understand what chi is.
Can you explain it to me?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: While something
of an alien concept to me,
I'm hoping that learning
a basic level of chi
can help bring my movements
to life and allow me
to complete my rite of passage
with flying colors.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(INAUDIBLE)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay.
ED: Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Is it a problem at this stage
that I can't feel the chi?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
That is a problem?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay.
All right. Watching him.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, I'm watching.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
And did that hurt?
(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
ED: It does hurt though?
That's interesting.
Yeah.
I think it's a doable thing.
I think you've just got
to tense your muscles up.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'll try it on my back, yeah.
Okay.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: I'll try. I'll try my best.
If not,
I'll just get a bruised back.
It's, its all right.
So I'm gonna breathe
and then I'm going to go like this.
Is that right?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Do you reckon?
Just give it a go.
Give it a go.
What's the worst that can happen?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
I'll give it a go if you want.
No?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay, we're doing it.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
No?
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay, we're doing it.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, two bruises.
That's cool.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
-Yeah, that's okay.
-(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
I thought you were gonna break it.
If I'm honest,
I still can't feel the chi at all.
I don't really know what it is.
However, I'm very happy to have
the stick broken over my back,
because I'm going to tense my muscles
and I think that will help me.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
Okay.
All right, well maybe it's
something to build up to then.
ED: I may have bitten off
a little more than I could chew,
trying to harness
my chi energy so quickly.
I guess there is only
so much I can learn in a week.
Fingers crossed
this doesn't derail my ability
to complete my 13-Fist Routine.
(ED LAUGHS) That (BLEEP) hurt.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS)
Let's do more of the chi breathing
first before we do any more.
(YAN CHAN LAUGHS AND SPEAKING)
ED: It's a good idea.
This is just painful.
(PLAYFUL MUSIC)
(GONG CRASHING)
(DOOR CLOSING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
Step one, I think I have nailed.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(GROANING)
But I can't really say the same
for step two onwards.
Here we go.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay, not the smoothest,
but I pretty much did it.
So now on to the second half of
the solo part of the routine.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
YAN CHAN: No.
YAN CHAN: No.
(EXHALES) It's better this morning,
slept well, my attitude has improved.
My motivation to learn
feels more attuned,
and I'm taking on board
the stuff that is new
in a sort of less panicky way.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Thank you.
(GONG CRASHING)
(GONGING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
(DOOR CLOSING)
ED: My Shaolin rite of passage
is the day after tomorrow.
So time is quickly running out
to learn and master
the combat portion
of my 13-Fist Routine.
Yeah.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
YAN CHAN: No, no, no.
ED: Yeah, it's meant to be a punch.
Yeah, okay.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ROCK MUSIC)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
YAN CHAN: Ed, okay, okay.
Well, now I'm interested
in the next bit.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: This is getting ridiculous now.
I just don't get
why shifu won't continue
to teach me the rest of the routine.
ED: Okay.
(INTENSE MUSIC)
I think there's an element
of me learning that
I clearly don't like
being told what to do.
Umm.
Without going into too much detail,
I've had a period of my life
where I was controlled
to a degree where
I gave up everything and everyone
that mattered to me,
and it was the darkest
years of my lives.
And so there's
a very large part of me
that does not want to have
anyone else manipulate my life.
And it's hard being told what to do,
therefore, because
I'm in charge of my life.
Um, it always gives me problems
with my wife as well.
She wrote me a list for
a wedding of jobs to do
and I had to rewrite it
in my own handwriting
in order to do it
so that I didn't feel like
I was being controlled.
And I think that says
a lot about me, but I
understand that this is something
that I have chosen to do.
I'm not being forced
to do this in any way.
This is out of my own volition.
I'm here to learn and not only
do I choose to do it,
I love the fact that I'm doing it.
Therefore, I have to keep
reminding myself of that.
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
I'm tired.
I'm gonna pick this up tomorrow.
I'm going to pick this tomorrow,
if that's all right.
YAN LION: Okay.
I'm tired.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
I'm going to unpack this.
I'm gonna try and unpack it.
I think it's to do with adoption.
I think it's to do
with the very beginning of my life.
It's one of the reasons
that I haven't really grown up,
because there's developmental issues
that go back a long way.
There's a concept,
and I believe it's exactly
how I coped as a child,
that when an adopted baby
gets given up
they lose sight of themselves,
of who they are
and their own wants and needs,
because they're trying
to please everyone around them
to not be abandoned again.
So you'll become a people pleaser,
but in doing that
you become resentful
of the people around you,
because essentially,
they're running your life
and not you.
You've given up your sense of self
because the only thing
that's important
is pleasing the people around you,
so that they love you,
as a child
with huge insecurity issues.
There's a hurt little boy
inside of me who vowed
never to lose sight
of himself again,
never to lose sight
of his own wants and needs.
And when he gets pushed around,
it triggers him
and he wants to smash
the place down.
And it's understandable,
and I guess at this stage
all I need to do is be aware of that.
(SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING)
(EXHALES)
(GONGING)
It's my last day before
I'll be put to the test
to gain my certification as
a Shaolin disciple.
But to move on from yesterday,
I feel I need to make things right
with Yan Chan Shifu.
Um, can I just say sorry
for yesterday?
Um, it was very disrespectful of me
to walk out of the lesson like that,
and I just wanted to say
I'm very sorry.
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
(ED SPEAKING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Okay. Thank you.
ED: As Bruce Lee said,
"Mistakes are always forgivable if
one has the courage to admit them."
And I'm glad Yan Chan Shifu
was able to forgive and forget.
Taking on Yan Chan Shifu's advice,
I will use what little time
I have left to reflect and improve,
as I know my journey
to the finish line
is one that is just
as mentally challenging
as it is physically.
(WIND WHOOSHING)
(CALM MEDITATIVE MUSIC)
-ED: And just like Confucius said
-(GONG CRASHING)
"It does not matter
how slowly you go,
as long as you do not stop."
ED: I want to end my time here
on a high, and luckily,
Yan Chan Shifu and the boys
have always been kind enough
to help give me
the best possible run up
to complete my rite of passage,
giving me one final lesson
in both sections of
the 13-Fist Routine.
ED: Fingers crossed that resulting
higher level of inner peace
will then help me calm myself
in order to smash this final test,
prove to shifu
that I haven't wasted his time
and do justice to my time here
with the Shaolin monks.
(GONG CRASHING)
(CLAPPING)
(YAN CHAN SPEAKING)
ED: Today's test day, exam day.
I think if you were to bring
all of the experiences
that I've had this week together,
it's all been about accepting what is
and finding my inner peace.
With the meditation
and with the kung fu,
it's required me to step outside
of the frustrations
that result from resisting
and accepting it for what it is.
And I think in that respect
it has been beneficial.
ED: This is finally it.
It's showtime.
First up, my solo 13-Fist Routine.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
It's so deceptively difficult,
but this time, I think I nailed it.
Although, I can't let my excitement
get the better of me.
I still need to demonstrate
that I can do the combat portion
to complete my rite of passage.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
ED: Sorry. Can we start again?
(BLEEP)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES)
(GROANS)
So I messed up the second one,
the fighting one twice,
and had to start it again two times.
But, I don't know what the rules are,
so I don't know whether
that's allowed.
I did get it right
when I finally did it but, um
I don't know what the rules are.
Do you get a chance
to do it again if you fail?
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
I'm very surprised that I've passed,
but thank you.
-YAN JUE: Congratulations.
-(ED SPEAKING)
I wasn't expecting to pass.
I was expecting to be failed
and then maybe given
another opportunity.
That final exam, you know,
that did fluster me.
Therefore, I haven't really
found my inner peace yet, have I?
I've still got someway to go.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
Oh, wow.
(YAN JUE SPEAKING)
ED: Edward Stafford,
only my mum calls me Edward.
Oh, wow.
(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
-ED: Thank you. I appreciate it.
-(YAN XIAN SPEAKING)
A book!
Thank you so much for your time.
(YAN LIAO SPEAKING)
So do I. Thanks, mate,
I appreciate it.
Can I just say thank you
to all of you
for giving up your time
for the last week.
It's been hard
for you guys to adapt.
But I just wanted
to say thank you so much.
Cheers guys,
ED: Personally I think
this challenged me more
than I thought it would.
At a physical level I'm not as young
and sprightly as the guys
who I've been training alongside,
and it's been a wake-up call.
You know, I am turning 50 this year,
and when you realize that
there's quite a gap now
between me and
a 20-something-year-old,
it stings a little bit if I'm honest.
And I think therefore
a combination of that,
going into a teaching environment
where you've got
a pretty forthright man
barking orders at you,
sometimes trying to get
your attention by just clapping,
definitely triggered me,
but in a way that
I'm really pleased now
looking back on it that's happened
because it dug up
some deep-seated behavioral
sort of, um,
traits that I'd learned,
um, along the way,
and, you know,
it's given me an ability
to step outside of that
and recognize a behavior that
might not have been
conscious before.
And for that I'm grateful.
-(ESAU SPEAKING)
-(ED SPEAKING)
Not many people get to experience
as many rite of passages as I have.
I don't think anyone in particular
has given me all the answers.
But in studying them
in their entirety,
I have learned a huge amount about
how we evolve our young people
into responsible adults.
And I do think you need mentorship.
I do think you need discipline.
I do think you need
an element of fear,
you know, an element of
going away from your normal,
experiencing something different
and then coming back
as a maturer version of yourself.
I think there are a lot of elements
to rite of passage
that are so crucial
to maturing our young people.
And if we can draw upon
different parts of
each one of these ceremonies
that I've experienced in order to
give our young people a helping hand
in this very complicated world
that we live in,
to mature into people
that will be able to cope
with the world that they live in,
then I think we'll have gone
a small way to really helping
to grow a stronger
and more mature generation.
I was lying in bed
and I was just getting hotter
and hotter and I was like,
what is going on?
The air-conditioning is on 16,
you can see it's on 16 behind me.
I went into the bathroom
and I realized.
The heater in the bathroom ceiling
is on 31 degrees.
And it's been pumping out,
boiling, boiling hot air.
Ah!
Off, off.