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Matthew Polly

American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China Paperback – Illustrated, December 27, 2007

by Matthew Polly (Author)

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The raucously funny story of one young American's quest to become the baddest dude on the planet (and possibly find inner peace along the way)

Growing up a ninety-eight-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series Kung Fu.

American Shaolin is the story of the two years Matthew spent in China living, studying, and performing with the Shaolin monks. The Chinese term for tough training is chi ku ("eating bitter"), and Matthew quickly learned to appreciate the phrase.

This is both the gripping story of Matthew's journey and an intimate portrait of the real lives of the Shaolin monks, who struggle to overcome rampant corruption and the restrictions of an authoritarian government. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of- age story of one man's journey into the ancient art of kungfu—and a poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.

Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Avery
Publication date

December 27, 2007
Dimensions

5.35 x 0.86 x 7.96 inches
ISBN-10

1592403379
ISBN-13

978-1592403370
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I loved "American Shaolin"."--PJ O'Rourke

"An original and insightful book."--"Boston Globe"

"Polly is an easy amateur to root for."--"Entertainment Weekly"

"It takes a special kind of person to leave the comforts of Princeton University and move to rural China to smash his forearms against tree trunks. Meet Matthew Polly."--"NY Post"

"I picked up "American Shaolin" and read it straight through. It is first rate. Polly's book tells more about what's going on in China and has more insights into the real China than anything in recent years. It is a wonderful true-life story with profound, behind-the-headlines observations about Chinese life. A tip of the Stetson to Matthew Polly."--Dan Rather

?I loved "American Shaolin".?
?PJ O?Rourke

?An original and insightful book.?
?"Boston Globe"

?Polly is an easy amateur to root for.?
?"Entertainment Weekly"

?It takes a special kind of person to leave the comforts of Princeton University and move to rural China to smash his forearms against tree trunks. Meet Matthew Polly.?
?"NY Post"

?I picked up "American Shaolin" and read it straight through. It is first rate. Polly's book tells more about what's going on in China and has more insights into the real China than anything in recent years. It is a wonderful true-life story with profound, behind-the-headlines observations about Chinese life. A tip of the Stetson to Matthew Polly.?
?Dan Rather

aI loved "American Shaolin,"a
aPJ OaRourke
aAn original and insightful book.a
a"Boston Globe"
aPolly is an easy amateur to root for.a
a"Entertainment Weekly"
aIt takes a special kind of person to leave the comforts of Princeton University and move to rural China to smash his forearms against tree trunks. Meet Matthew Polly.a
a"NY Post"
aI picked up "American Shaolin" and read it straight through. It is first rate. Pollyas book tells more about what's going on in China and has more insights into the real China than anything in recent years. It is a wonderful true-life story with profound, behind-the-headlines observations about Chinese life. A tip of the Stetson to Matthew Polly.a
aDan Rather

I loved "American Shaolin,"
PJ ORourke
An original and insightful book.
"Boston Globe"
Polly is an easy amateur to root for.
"Entertainment Weekly"
It takes a special kind of person to leave the comforts of Princeton University and move to rural China to smash his forearms against tree trunks. Meet Matthew Polly.
"NY Post"
I picked up "American Shaolin" and read it straight through. It is first rate. Pollys book tells more about what's going on in China and has more insights into the real China than anything in recent years. It is a wonderful true-life story with profound, behind-the-headlines observations about Chinese life. A tip of the Stetson to Matthew Polly.
Dan Rather

About the Author

Matthew Polly is the author of the national bestseller American Shaolin, which The Boston Globe called “an original and insightful book,” and journalist Dan Rather called “a wonderful true-life story with profound, behind-the-headlines observations about Chinese life.” A Princeton University graduate and Rhodes Scholar, Polly’s work has appeared in Esquire, The Nation, and Playboy. He lives in New York.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avery; Illustrated edition (December 27, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1592403379
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1592403370
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 0.86 x 7.96 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #377,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #48 in Martial Artist Biographies
- #756 in Martial Arts (Books)
- #14,125 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
233 ratings

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4.7 out of 5

233 global ratings

5 star		82%
4 star		14%
3 star		3%
2 star		2%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Marcin Jedrzejewski

must read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 24, 2022

Verified Purchase

What an amazing and unique story. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who is interested in China, kungfu, culture, or just wants to read a great adventure book.

Helpful

S.H

The next best thing to visiting the Shaolin temple

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

Let me begin with the bottom line -
the book is wonderful.
The author has an excellent sense of humour, and the writing is fluid and interesting. From the moment I started reading it, I couldn't stop- the book is that good.
The story is told in a captivating manner, and feels very personal. As a result I was quite disappointed when I got to the last page, as I really wanted him to stay longer in the temple (that way the book wouldn't end...) lol
As a lifetime practicioner of several martial arts, I ampathized with Polly as he went through the training, especially since traveling to China in order to train in the temple is one of my oldest dreams.
If it also one of yours, don't hesitate to read the book, as it may be as close as you will get to the real thing.

Helpful

An interesting and informative book on life in China and the Shaolin temple.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 14, 2018

Verified Purchase

As an enthusiastic lifetime student (and teacher) of numerous martial arts (Judo, Jujitsu, Karate-Do, Tai Chi, Qigong) I have read a great number of books on the Asian martial arts. When I saw this book (366 pages, soft cover, American Shaolin by Matthew Polly) on Amazon for a bargain price on Amazon I purchased it.

I do not usually care to read biography books; however, I found this fascinating book a very compelling read. The author pulls no punches as he relates his experiences in finally locating an authentic Kung Fu school in China. This interesting book chronicles the two years he spent in China studying Kung Fu with the Shaolin Monks. The author relates not just the Kung Fu lessons but also gives an honest account of life in China for the average person.

His experience in Communist China reveals both the good and the bad progress in this country. There is still extreme poverty as China moves forward using Capitalism principles rather than collectivist ideas in their search for economic success on the world stage.

If you are into the Chinese martial arts (or other Asian systems) you may want to check out this wonderful book.

Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Chair/Seated Tai Chi, Qigong, and Yoga for seniors and the physically challenged).

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

A unique, humorous travelogue and coming of age story

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 23, 2012

Verified Purchase

In the early 1990's, Matthew Polly dropped out of Princeton and did what a lot of young men only dream about: he traveled to China and studied kung fu with the monks of the Shaolin Temple. A victim of bullying with issues of self confidence and a heaping helping of teenage angst, Polly is transformed by his experiences.

He gains faith in his own abilities, but also exposure to a China on the cusp of its current rise, and he is shaped by both the profound and equally mundane aspects of the people he meets, befriends and alongside whom he trains.

This is not a book about a weak soul who finds deep meaning in his life through the otherworldy depth of foreign clerics. Rather, it is a story about growth from a bratty, impulsive teenager blind to many of his own advantages, into a young man who better understands the world around him, who conquers some of his fears, and who gains an understanding that, at the end of the day, people like the monks of Shaolin are just that: people.

Polly's memoir is an easy read, spiced liberally as it with bawdy events and characters, hair-raising experiences, and lots of self-effacing humor. "American Shaolin" is likely to be most warmly received by practitioners of Asian martial arts, who will find some level of common experience with the author. That said, it also has broad appeal as a coming of age story and a unique travelogue. Recommended.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

AmazonFanMan

A fascinating journey into the Birthplace of Martial Arts

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 13, 2010

Verified Purchase

Being a martial arts buff and having lived in China for 5 years myself I found this story to bring back some great memories about China. While I didn't actually live in Shaolin myself since by the time I arrived in China Shaolin had become a foreign tourist trap, I did end up in a small city and some of the stories he shared from the 90s were very similar to those I experienced in the early 2000s. China's economy may be the fastest growing economy in the world, but the Chinese mentality has barely changed in all its years of history, and thus most things have remained the same.

It's funny that in retrospect a lot of the things which then caused stress are now great anecdotes filled with humor. I think a lot of his views and understandings are universal and anyone who has ever lived in a foreign land will probably appreciate the stories found in this book. For that matter any expat living on China, or any person who has lived in China will be able to relate to some of his stories.

The author is funny, witty, curious, and has an incredible understanding of Chinese culture. This book is a great, nice, quick (in short bite-sized chapters) and pleasurable read and i highly recommend it.

In short, if you're into foreign cultures, buddhism/daoism, Martial Arts, Zen buddhism, live abroad or have ever lived in a foreign culture, or if you're just into a great story, then you should read this book.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Liam Kelleher

A fun read, if lacking a little depth

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

I came to this book via Matthew Polly’s impressive biography of Bruce Lee, a huge piece of research.

I was hoping this book would be a deep dive into the world of Shaolin and the martial arts (wushu) of China. And somewhat Matthew Polly delivers, offering some really interesting insights into the life and personalities of Shaolin monks. Theirs is a life of structured training and repetition of the some kicks and forms over and over again. There is some good cultural snapshots and plenty of decent quotes, certainly the pick of them being the saying about heroes in American movies “there is little courage in fighting when you know you are going to win. Courage is when you fight even when you know you are going to lose”.

Matthew Polly offers an interesting travelogue of his time at a Shaolin monastery in the early 90s, when he himself was in his early 20s. Possibly as someone a little older and wiser (read boring) I would have liked a bit more historical research splattered about the book rather than the day to say comings of goings which often strays beyond martial arts into issues largely of relationships both friends and girlfriends.

It’s a fun read but certainly a more youthful book that the detail on show in his Bruce Lee biography.

One person found this helpful

Charles

Kung Fu Fighting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

Feeling insecure about his manliness, the book's author decided to drop out of school and go and train Shaolin Kungfu at the Shaolin Temple in China. After arriving in China he did not know where the Shaolin Temple was, asking the locals, they gave him conflicting statements, including it no longer exists, he turns out it had been destroyed but was now rebuilt and he managed to find it. After doing traditional Shaolin for three months he switched to Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) because they seemed to be much better at fighting.

If you are looking for Kungfu stuff, there is a explanation of how Iron Body (body toughening)techniques such as Iron Forearms and Iron Crotch are done along with some basic Sanda theory. Some Iron Body techniques can cause deformitys, Iron Fist causes oversized hands, Iron Spear Hand results in all fingers been crushed to the length of the pinky and all the Iron Head practitioners had knots on their head and spoke with stutters. Amazon has restrictions on what can be said in reviews so all I will say about Iron Crotch is that it sounds very painful to practice!

The book claims that the two finger handstand some monks can perform is only possible for teenagers, adults have greater bone and muscle density making them too heavy for two fingers to support.

A lot of the book is about Chinese culture, the current economic changes and what it is like to be a white man there in the 90's.

I found this book is be a fun and informative read.

2 people found this helpful

A. C. Green

Eat Bitter

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 20, 2009

Verified Purchase

The events that this book describes took place in the years 1992 - 1993 so anybody looking for up to the minute insights on the 'New China' will be disappointed. However, that doesn't matter. China may now have more mobile phones, cars, flat screen televisions, and its'very people be more informed about life in the west, but the essential elements of Chinese culture date back thousands of years. It will take more than a couple of decades of rampant free market capitalism to change them. As the lucky husband of a gorgeous Chinese lady and the father of a beaitiful toddling Anglo - Chinese two year old, I am still grappling with the complexities of this ancient culture. This book taught me a lot. Oh, and by the way, it is also very good on pain that one has to go through if one wants to become evena moderately competent Martial Artist (the Chinese say you must be prepared to 'eat bitter'). It is also, in places, laugh out loud funny. Buy, enjoy.

3 people found this helpful

Evan

Buy it.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

Bought this one out of the blue purely because I had an interest in Kung Fu & how the Shaolin Monks lived etc. Couldn't put the book down in the end! Highly enjoyable!

Goran Powell

An unexpected gem

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 23, 2009

Verified Purchase

If alarm bells ring at a book title beginning `American' rest assured, this is an unexpected gem. Matthew Polly writes with wonderfully self-depreciating humour that makes for a very enjoyable read. Better still, he delivers real insight into modern training at the Shaolin temple.

There is a sense of genuine warmth for the people he meets and every word rings true. Polly is not afraid to expose the less spiritual side of Shaolin, with its tourist traps, political intrigues and the unhappy relationship between business, politics and religion.

He describes his training in both traditional kungfu and modern kickboxing at Shaolin, together with the monks he befriends, the challenge matches, the girls (or lack of them) and the other strange `foreigners' who turned up at Shaolin during his 2 year stay. If you liked Iron and Silk and Angry White Pyjamas, American Shaolin is, in some ways, better than either. Highly recommended.
Goran Powell, Author
Waking Dragons: A Martial Artist Faces His Ultimate Test

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American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China Paperback – Illustrated, December 27, 2007

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