Shaolin Temple

The king of kung fu cinema is set to star in a new movie about China's famed shrine of martial arts, the Shaolin Temple. Jackie Chan will star in the $29-million production, "Shaolin," the latest screen portrayal of the 1,500-year-old temple in central China whose famous fighting monks have featured in films by stars such as Bruce Lee and Jet Li, and in the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" with David Carradine. Chan's Chinese-language film will costar veteran Hong Kong actor Andy Lau, actor-singer Nicholas Tse and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.

"Shaolin," with its feuding warlords and fighting monks in '20s era China, is a sprawling popcorn blast of action kept spinning with crazy cool kung fu, tons of fake spurting blood (I think everyone had a packet clinched in their teeth) and slacker improvised, or inspired, U.S. subtitles. How else to explain the warlord who growls at his No. 2, "You just don't get the drift…" while he's choking him. Maybe to death. This is, however, exactly the drift you can expect when Hong Kong action impresario Benny Chan, with 20-plus very energetic fighting flicks under his black belt, is in charge.

Just as in baseball, you can't tell the key martial arts players without a scorecard. The following names and terms are essential if you're to become a martial arts aficionado: BRUCE LEE: He towers over anyone else in martial arts. His "Fists of Fury" (1971) was the first big hit in the genre, and his "Enter the Dragon" (1973) remains the martial arts film to which all others aspire. Lee became the first (and only) Chinese-American film superstar.

China's world-famous Shaolin Temple gained prominence among many Americans with the release of the 1980s martial arts movie of the same name. An updated version of the film, loved by fans for the riveting kung fu stunts of the temple's legendary fighting monks, is in the works. And in recent weeks, Hollywood's remake of "The Karate Kid" has topped the box office, wowing audiences with its seemingly magical martial arts techniques. But while kung fu continues to make a splash on the big screen, members of the Shaolin Buddhist Temple in Sherman Oaks are keen to spread a different message about the Shaolin culture and what their sanctuary has to offer.

"Shaolin," with its feuding warlords and fighting monks in '20s era China, is a sprawling popcorn blast of action kept spinning with crazy cool kung fu, tons of fake spurting blood (I think everyone had a packet clinched in their teeth) and slacker improvised, or inspired, U.S. subtitles. How else to explain the warlord who growls at his No. 2, "You just don't get the drift…" while he's choking him. Maybe to death. This is, however, exactly the drift you can expect when Hong Kong action impresario Benny Chan, with 20-plus very energetic fighting flicks under his black belt, is in charge.

The students at Richard Merkin Middle School in South Los Angeles had not heard of Hu Jianqiang before they met him. They hadn't seen the movie "Shaolin Temple," in which he performed with Jet Li. But one demonstration of his lightning-fast fists and the butterfly kick in which he throws his body off the floor light as a Frisbee and the Chinese kung fu master was a celebrity in their eyes — maybe even more than the person whose money...

Professional pop dance in Los Angeles remains so hopelessly enslaved to the record industry that it's enormously liberating to find a hip-hop show with nothing to sell except its own limitless energy and expertise. That show is the off-Broadway revue "Jam on the Groove," which opened a 14-performance run at the Veterans Wadsworth Theater on Tuesday.

HALF MOON BAY, CALIF. Relax and recreate The Half Moon Bay Inn, a boutique property on Half Moon Bay's main street, is offering an inclusive "Spring Cleaning" package meant to strike a balance between mind and body, between relaxation and fun. The deal offers a taste of local businesses and activities, and represents a 20% savings over booking these elements separately. Dates: Through May 31 Price: $450 a night ($850 for two nights), single or double occupancy, including lodging in a guest room or suite; a yoga class for two at a nearby studio; dinner at the downstairs Italian restaurant (excluding alcohol and tip)

For 1,500 years, monks at Shaolin Temple have been trained to pray without the blink of an eye and kill with a flash of the hand. They are the masters of Shaolin kung fu, a combination of shadow boxing, swordplay and body control techniques that in recent years has gained a wide following in China and other parts of Asia. Today their monastery in the foothills of the sacred Mt.

China's world-famous Shaolin Temple gained prominence among many Americans with the release of the 1980s martial arts movie of the same name. An updated version of the film, loved by fans for the riveting kung fu stunts of the temple's legendary fighting monks, is in the works. And in recent weeks, Hollywood's remake of "The Karate Kid" has topped the box office, wowing audiences with its seemingly magical martial arts techniques. But while kung fu continues to make a splash on the big screen, members of the Shaolin Buddhist Temple in Sherman Oaks are keen to spread a different message about the Shaolin culture and what their sanctuary has to offer.

The students at Richard Merkin Middle School in South Los Angeles had not heard of Hu Jianqiang before they met him. They hadn't seen the movie "Shaolin Temple," in which he performed with Jet Li. But one demonstration of his lightning-fast fists and the butterfly kick in which he throws his body off the floor light as a Frisbee and the Chinese kung fu master was a celebrity in their eyes — maybe even more than the person whose money...

HALF MOON BAY, CALIF. Relax and recreate The Half Moon Bay Inn, a boutique property on Half Moon Bay's main street, is offering an inclusive "Spring Cleaning" package meant to strike a balance between mind and body, between relaxation and fun. The deal offers a taste of local businesses and activities, and represents a 20% savings over booking these elements separately. Dates: Through May 31 Price: $450 a night ($850 for two nights), single or double occupancy, including lodging in a guest room or suite; a yoga class for two at a nearby studio; dinner at the downstairs Italian restaurant (excluding alcohol and tip)

The king of kung fu cinema is set to star in a new movie about China's famed shrine of martial arts, the Shaolin Temple. Jackie Chan will star in the $29-million production, "Shaolin," the latest screen portrayal of the 1,500-year-old temple in central China whose famous fighting monks have featured in films by stars such as Bruce Lee and Jet Li, and in the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" with David Carradine. Chan's Chinese-language film will costar veteran Hong Kong actor Andy Lau, actor-singer Nicholas Tse and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.

Professional pop dance in Los Angeles remains so hopelessly enslaved to the record industry that it's enormously liberating to find a hip-hop show with nothing to sell except its own limitless energy and expertise. That show is the off-Broadway revue "Jam on the Groove," which opened a 14-performance run at the Veterans Wadsworth Theater on Tuesday.

For 1,500 years, monks at Shaolin Temple have been trained to pray without the blink of an eye and kill with a flash of the hand. They are the masters of Shaolin kung fu, a combination of shadow boxing, swordplay and body control techniques that in recent years has gained a wide following in China and other parts of Asia. Today their monastery in the foothills of the sacred Mt.

Just as in baseball, you can't tell the key martial arts players without a scorecard. The following names and terms are essential if you're to become a martial arts aficionado: BRUCE LEE: He towers over anyone else in martial arts. His "Fists of Fury" (1971) was the first big hit in the genre, and his "Enter the Dragon" (1973) remains the martial arts film to which all others aspire. Lee became the first (and only) Chinese-American film superstar.

Shi Yongxin wears a bright yellow robe and heavy prayer beads and lives in an ancient shrine high up in the mountains of central China. Yet he spends a lot of his time traveling in a chauffeur-driven jeep, jet-setting around the world and hobnobbing with Hollywood types. No wonder some people call him a CEO in a monk's robe. As abbot of the world-famous Shaolin Temple, the holy land of kung fu, Shi indeed plays multiple roles.